Cannons destroy muskets

In preparation for Saturday’s Virginia Tech game against West Virginia, in Morgantown, WVa, I present to you a fine explanation of the joy that is West Virginia football. Behold:

Fire officials have ordered the removal of all upholstered furniture, debris and flammable objects from porches in neighborhoods with high student populations in an effort to put a damper on the outdoor furniture blazes that have become a tradition.

The move comes as the city, known as the couch-burning capital of college football, prepares for the West Virginia-Virginia Tech football game on Saturday.

“The reason for the order is based upon statistical fire data gathered following major rival football games or other sporting events,” Morgantown Fire Chief Dave Fetty said Monday. “Data says there are particular areas within the city where we can expect to have illegal street fires.”

Students celebrating victories by the Mountaineers have a long tradition of setting fires in the streets, often with cheap furniture dragged from their rental homes.

Morgantown led the nation in the number of intentional street fires between 1997 and 2003, with a total of 1,129 set.

“Officers plan to go door to door posting written, typed-up orders on each house or putting them in mailboxes,” Fetty said. “The notice states all indoor furniture that has been placed outside, along with other debris in specified areas, must be put elsewhere.”

Do I really need to write any sort of punchline?