"Friends Of Coal" Logo Draws Attention

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Author Denise Giardina, a longtime opponent of mountaintop removal mining, says a new "Friends of Coal" logo on the hardwood basketball floor in the Charleston Civic Center is inappropriate because it turns athletic events into political events. The basketball logo, which debuted at Tuesday's WVU-Morehead State gamem is burnt-orange and black. It blends the outline of the state with the lines on a ball, and,  along the state's northern border are the silhouettes of three coal miners. West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney says supporting tournaments and venues is an example of industry supporting the communities where it does business, and he wouldn't expect environmentalists to like anything his association does. Laura Phillips, president of the Charleston ad agency the Phillips Group, says the logo may overshadow other advertisers, including Chesapeake Energy, which has a $250,000, five-year deal to sponsor the Marshall-WVU game. It pays $50,000 a year for the right to call the game the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic. Vice president Scott Rotruck says the new coal logo doesn't affect Chesapeake's commitment.