(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Mountaineers — always free, sure; but also, always willing to be good sports, take responsibility, accept when things don’t go our way without whining about it, and focus on what is really important for our state and our families. We don’t run to legal action and investigations every time we’re disappointed in the way things have turned out. In fact, here, we frown upon frivolous legal action and wastes of time and taxpayer dollars. There’s difficult work to be done, after all. There are needs upon which those we elected to serve MUST be focusing.

Unless, apparently, something doesn’t go our way in the sports world. Then, whether it be high school football or college basketball, those who are supposed to be leading us instead seize on the opportunity to make a fuss. They do so with the level of energy they should be giving to education, jobs, our economy, public employee insurance, health care, child care, the wellbeing of children in our foster care system … the list is plenty long enough without snagging the spotlight to make complaints so childish they included the intentionally disrespectful misnaming of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in an official news release.

Name-calling of that sort is beneath Gov. Patrick Morrisey — or should be, as was his placement of a poster bearing the same disrespectful renaming of the NCAA on the podium from which he spoke for the world to see.

“One of our team goals was making the NCAA tournament and we had a resumé worthy of an NCAA tournament selection,” Darian DeVries, WVU men’s basketball coach, said Monday. “Our guys poured their hearts into this season and all of their collective efforts into making the NCAA tournament.”

But they didn’t. Yes, that’s disappointing — but it should lead to self-examination and a determination to do better. Instead, we are witnessing what appears to be a fit of petulance in turning up our noses at the National Invitation Tournament and other opportunities while the governor grabs national attention for declaring it’s not fair.

In a political season already riddled with absurdities in West Virginia, this response takes its place near the top. We have difficult — real — challenges to overcome, folks. For goodness sake, if we want to stick close to the sports world, we have an economic “Backyard Brawl” to win.

This regular session of the 87th West Virginia State Legislature is set to adjourn April 12. Our elected representatives and other state leaders MUST turn their attention to doing their jobs — for us — now.