Rich Rodriguez: No Men Dancing on TikTok

It’s time for men to be men. And ex-West Virginia coach and new-West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez doesn’t want his men dancing on TikTok.

Let’s leave that to the ladies.

"No — they’re going to be on [social media] so I’m not banning them from it,” Rodriguez said Monday when asked if he had a social media policy. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. Look, we try to have a hard edge, whatever, and you’re on there in your tights dancing on TikTok it ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”

I’m fully on board with this. There’s nothing I hate more than scrolling TikTok or Instagram in the bathroom or in bed at night and having my algo (slang for algorithm) pop up with college guys doing anything. Interviewing people on the street about their love-lives or body counts? Gross. Trying to recreate whatever trend is popular? Yuck. Fantasy football punishments? Yawn. Fighting? OKAY, I do like seeing some good fights every now and then.

When I’m scrolling, I only want to see men in the form of interviews and highlights from documentaries about the Attitude Era in WWE. I want to see that British guy watching cool football players for the first time screaming “oh my days!” I’ll watch the occasional trivia or “guys name random players” game, too.

But I don’t want to see them dancing!

I only want to see women over the age of 22 doing that. And showing me their routine on getting dressed from time to time. I want to see movie recommendations. I want to hear Severance theories.

Rich Rodriguez, who went back to West Virginia in case you missed it, wants his men acting like tough guys in real life and online. You can scroll; you just can’t post.

Do you remember Owen Schmitt? Rich Rodriguez, who has only had one double-digit win season since leaving West Virginia in 2007, does. He yearns for guys like Owen Schmitt.

Look at him.

Owen Schmitt. A man.

This is a man. This is a football player. This screams toughness.

Rich Rodriguez wants to get back to those days.  I do not blame him. I, too, would like to go back to 2007 sometimes. I want to Crank That Soulja Boy. I want to Buy U a Drink. I miss Steve Slaton and Pat White.

I am rooting for Rich Rodriguez to make the second go round at West Virginia work. I want the people who say that you can’t go home a second time to feel stupid. I want the people who get divorced but deep down want to get re-married have some hope. Sometimes it can work with your ex. The magic can still be there.

Most importantly, I am rooting for less guys dancing on the internet.