[dangerousdaneerfan]

From West Virginia MetroNews-Mixed feelings in Mingo County

It's a renewal of an age old rivalry, although in previous meetings it's better known as the Hatfield and McCoy feud. One man right in the center of the NCAA Regional Championship is Pierce Whitt who owns Starters Sports Bar in Williamson.

"We've already decorated," he laughed when speaking to MetroNews Friday. "We've got blue and white streamers, blue and gold streamers, our flags are up. We've got WVU and Kentucky memorabilia out. We're prepared."

It's a match-up tailor-made for Whitt's watering hole just a stone's throw from the Bluegrass bank of the Tug Fork River. He says it's a rare opportunity to have a match-up so compelling to the heart and soul of everybody in the area.

"Maybe in professional football, you get those who love Pittsburgh and hate Pittsburgh. Maybe in the Super Bowl sometimes you get that," said Whitt. "But this would probably be the largest thing we've ever had with relation to each other."

Whitt doesn't expect he'll have to draw a line down the center of his bar or call in extra security, but he does think there will be plenty of Mountaineer and Wildcat faithful giving it back and forth to one another on a Saturday night in Mingo County.

"Absolutely. We have that whether they're playing Kentucky or not," said Whitt. "We're looking forward to it."

Whitt says he would love to see the day when the two schools establish an annual border battle in the regular season, both in basketball and football.