Speaking of Talk

Speaking of talk, I don't buy it that Joe Biden was making foreign policy, by way of a Kinsley gaffe. The gist of his controversial comment was that in 2022, Putin is unacceptable as a national leader -- he's an abomination! -- was a bull's eye. Nor do I believe Biden was having a senior moment and simply emitted a faux pas.  

After a month of prosecuting the war in the Ukraine, it's plain to see Putin is a monster who can never be trusted again. At this point, it undermines a speaker's credibility to try to deny that truth, or even to dilute it.

Furthermore, by not saying what he did say in a more artful way, I think Biden's observation sounded more straight from the heart, less processed.

Hey, when today's talking heads line up to warn us that Biden must be more careful what he says about Putin, they just sound like pre-war fraidy cats. At this point, I mostly want President Biden to be truthful, resolute and play to win in the long run.

"I'm not walking anything back," Biden explained clearly and firmly to the press today. 

Holed up in Kyiv, MSNBC regular guest, Igor Novikov, said that Ukrainians miss the good old days, back when they were only being threatened by Rudy Giuliani. 

-- 30 --

 

Exit the Masterpiece

Note: This piece I penned about the last day in business for Chiocca's Park Avenue was published by Richmond.com on Dec. 2, 2004. It ran under the title of "Exit the Masterpiece."

 *

On Monday, Frank Chiocca stood tending bar for his last shift. As he answered a question from a customer the phone rang; another old friend was calling to pay his respects. With the sun setting on what was a crisp autumn day Chiocca was reflective, yet upbeat, in the midst of his familiar five o'clock crowd for the last time.

Chiocca's Park Avenue Inn opened for business on June 18, 1964. It closed for good on November 29, 2004.

According to Chiocca a 1964 bottle of Richbrau, which was then brewed and bottled about a half-mile from his Fan District location, cost a quarter. He chuckled, "Forty years! I didn't have two nickels to rub together when I got here."

To say Frank Chiocca, 79, has the food-and-drink biz in his blood is a bit of an understatement. After returning to Richmond from service in the Italian army during World War I, his father, Pietro Chiocca -- whose two older brothers were already running a restaurant at 812 W. Broad Street called Jimmy's -- became a partner in Silvio Funai's restaurant. The building at 327 E. Franklin St., which no longer exists, had previously been a public library. In 1937 "Pete" Chiocca bought Funai out and renamed the place Chiocca and Son.

Before they left to serve in the American armed forces during World War II, Pete's boys -- Andrew, Joe, Mario and Frank -- all worked in his restaurant, which was across the street from the Richmond Newspapers building.

In 1947 Joe opened his own eatery at 2915 W. Cary St. (in the building that now houses The Track); he called it Chiocca's. In 1952 brother Mario followed suit by opening his version of a Chiocca's at 425 Belmont Ave. His children, Tim and Carla, still operate that basement tavern today, in much the manner it has always been run.

In 1961 Pete Chiocca closed the original downtown Chiocca's. Using the typewriter with which he had created the daily menus for years, Frank then put together a few recollections of his father's place to help columnist Charles McDowell with a piece he wrote paying tribute to the passing of a favorite haunt. According to McDowell's account, Frank's history recalled, "... the prohibition days, the bawdy girls who would occasionally saunter in to catch the eye of a medical student, a lawyer, an artist, musician, and perhaps even a newspaper man. ...and the ever-present gas pilot light at face level near the tobacco case, for lighting one's cigar or cigarette."

Chiocca's Park Avenue Inn was known for its time-capsule atmosphere and its made-to-order sandwiches; the signature sandwich was called "the Masterpiece." It featured an anchovy sauce based on Frank's mother's recipe. Watching his hands carefully constructing a sandwich and arranging the presentation on the plate was always worth studying; he was a polished craftsman.

In recent years his shrinking customer base was made up mostly of young families from the surrounding blocks who eschewed fast food, and graying beer aficionados who grew up in that same area. Now those loyal customers have lost an authentic connection to a sepia-toned time when the Fan District was dotted with Ma and Pa restaurants and small markets.

Moreover, the list of forgettable dives and pretentious hash houses that have come and gone in the Fan during Frank Chiocca's steady 40-year-run is too long for this limited space.

“All things come to an end,” Chiocca shrugged. “Forty years; it’s been a good run.”

-- 30 --

Indelible Images & Palpable Fear

Here we are again, facing the real possibility that events far away, events we can't control, will overcome our government's desire to avoid going to war. When Pres. Joe Biden suggests Russia has committed "war crimes," well, it takes me back to previous invasions ... perhaps crimes committed in those times. Back to the lessons we should have learned from invasions of Vietnam and Iraq. 

And, speaking of lessons, learned or not, the so-called "lessons of 9/11" is a phrase we've lived with for over 20 years. Of course, what those lessons should be has always depended quite a bit on who was doing the talking. 

What we know for sure is that we will always be hearing about the lessons of 9/11. Perhaps not so much with Vietnam and Iraq.

In 2001, I had a steady writing gig, churning out opinion pieces every week for Richmond.com. The first piece I wrote about 9/11 was keyboarded that afternoon, just a few hours after the explosions. Needless to say, it wasn't easy to gather my thoughts. 

Nonetheless, writers must write. So that's what I did. Here's a portion of that fraught day's OpEd.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

Indelible Images
by F.T. Rea

Before the first hijacked airplane smacked into the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m., EDT, Sept. 11, 2001, there were millions of vexations, large and small, on the minds of New Yorkers starting their workday. Suddenly, all those thoughts vanished in the fireball that began the series of explosions that destroyed the rosy illusion shared by many; that New York and Virginia were safe from large-scale terrorist attacks.

The collapse of Manhattan’s World Trade Center Towers, 110 stories tall, and the penetration of the Pentagon in Arlington provided us, one and all, with the stuff of nightmares.

At the same time, the inspirational stories of the heroism of professional rescuers and ordinary citizens have already provided hope for red-eyed television viewers everywhere that decency and courage will endure in this country, in spite of the heinous acts of mass murderers.

Some of the gut-wrenching images provided by television’s instant news capability will no doubt prove to be indelible. They will be remembered always, just as images associated with the stunning assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. The shock of watching the supposed assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, murdered on live TV by Jack Ruby remains palpable for this scribe to this day.

Watching that Boeing 767 bank into the second of the two WTC towers to be hit, some 18 minutes after the first crash, is certainly a picture that millions will remember forever; not unlike the bewildering explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle on Jan. 26, 1986.

As with the Pearl Harbor "sneak attack" 60 years ago, life for families in New York, Virginia, and all across America has changed suddenly and forever. The lull enjoyed in this country, before this newest day of infamy, has literally gone up in smoke.

Comparisons to those three tragedies are fair, even though there are clear differences. It’s only natural that a nation rocked by the impact of such events try to get its arms around the context of what has happened...

And, here's some of what I wrote for Richmond.com a few days later that same week.

September 16, 2001
Palpable Fear, Close to Home
by F.T. Rea

After being a spectator in the realm of international terrorism for decades, bloodthirsty fanatics have invaded America and brought their chilling malice close to our homes. Fear and rage are in the air. What’s next?

Following a weekend set aside to mourn the dead and gather ourselves, it’s high time to face the future with eyes wide open. Even as the pros and the volunteers continue to carry out body parts from under the mountains of rubble in lower Manhattan, dust in the air and swelling patriotism should not be allowed to blur our vision or deter our will to endure this ordeal.

Nor should justifiable anger be allowed to propel this nation into taking action that will only play into the hand of the fiendish mindset that dispatched precision teams of terrorists into this country, to insidiously corrode our way of life.

Now, more than ever, it is essential that we move in a measured way. Clearly, no matter how much Americans need to pull together at this most crucial time, we cannot permit political spin to substitute for straight talk and wise strategy.

With those thoughts in mind, I must first ask President George W. Bush to listen to the leaders in Europe and ratchet down his rhetoric. In spite of what Bush has been saying to the cheering mobs, "war" is not the best word to use at this time.

Nor is it an accurate term. The United States is at peace with the other nations of the world and this is absolutely a time for cool heads to prevail.

Watching the heartbreaking toil of the rescuers and the pain-etched faces of glassy-eyed searchers for love ones, yes, it is entirely understandable that a hard-pressed president, groping to connect with the pain of the citizenry, would want to invoke the strongest of language.

Nonetheless, this new president simply must listen to his better angels. It won’t help our cause to put the whole world on the reddest of alerts. Plus, Americans are already angry and scared enough to let their chosen leaders carry the ball.

This son of a president needs to calm the population down and demonstrate that he is up to the arduous task ahead. Leaders of our allies in Europe are already issuing statements regarding this problem of reckless language in hopes of easing off on the pressure that is building.

On top of that, war is a dog-eared word that has been abused by spin doctors in this country’s past. Remember the fizzled War on Poverty? How about the utterly failed War on Drugs?

Let’s not kid ourselves. Threatening religious fanatics by saying we are going to war with them is not going to frighten them one whit. This enemy doesn’t expect to win, or even survive. Its automatons are willing to die merely to cause suffering and wreak havoc. This enemy lives only to pay back.

With that nasty thought in mind, we should not miss this opportunity to express to the Arab world, as a whole, that America recognizes that the residual anger all Arabs feel for having been subjugated, as a people, by colonial powers in the past is legitimate. If this country’s spokesmen demonstrate that simple concession, clearly for all the world to see, it will be immensely easier too for it to win over moderates in the Middle East that are essential to this mission’s success.

What we have is a mission, or perhaps a calling. America, the world’s only super power, must marshal its forces and lead civilization in a campaign to expose terrorism for the blight on humanity that it is. We must isolate the sociopaths, masquerading as patriots and clerics, who practice terrorism.

The USA will have no trouble finding allies for this mission if it is the least bit artful. Bombing whole countries in order to punish a handful of people will only perpetuate the very scourge we aim to eliminate.

Remember, in many parts of the world terrorism has been part of daily life for decades. So, there are plenty of terrified people who will be glad to see murderers in their midst taken down.

What’s happening to Slobodon Milosovich right now is what needs to happen to Osama bin Laden, providing he is indeed the man who set all this in motion. This country should put its evidence before the United Nations and go after the international criminals behind the massacres of Sept. 11, 2001, with the enthusiastic blessing of the vast majority of the peoples of the world.

Moving with anything less than that will doom us to failure.

Once captured, assuming those accused survive that dicey process, they should be tried in a world court and given their just due. Then let’s have a party. Of course, if they refuse to be taken alive, well...

Meanwhile, dropping bombs willy-nilly on Afghanistan or Iraq won’t bring back the dead. That strategy will merely justify, and set in motion, the next terrorist attack on our soil. Then we will be trapped in the endless payback game...

Remembering 9/11 and the aftermath, with two decades of perspective, of course I still wish then-President Bush had not ordered the invasion of Iraq. Unfortunately, like many Americans, then-Sen. Joe Biden believed the weapons-of-mass-destruction yarn the Bush was fabricating. So, like 29 out of the then-50 Democratic senators, in October of 2002, Biden voted to authorize the invasion. 

There was a lesson to be learned from that, too. Hence, I like to think Biden has learned plenty from his haunting mistake that helped launch a war that spawned what many people still see as war crimes, 20 years ago.

Free Throw Contest Ends Rams' Season

NIT 2nd Round Final Score: Wake Forest 80, VCU 74

Location: Winston-Salem, N.C. (JLVM Coliseum)

Won/Loss Records: VCU 22-10, Wake Forest 25-9

 

Wake Forest connected on 29 of 37 free throws. VCU made good on 23 of its 27 attempts from the charity stripe. That's a hell of a lot of stoppages in play. Apparently the referees for this tilt hadn't gotten the word about the tradition of letting players play in postseason games. Although Rams senior forward Vince Williams scored a career-high 27 points, VCU's 2021-22 season ended with a thud on Saturday in the second round of the NIT.  

 

The information below was supplied by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

OPENING TIP

·      Vince Williams made good on 7-of-15 shots from the field and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. He added eight rebounds

·      Freshman guard Jayden Nunn capped his rookie campaign with 18 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting for VCU

·      Junior forward Hason Ward added eight points, four rebounds and two blocks for the Rams, while freshman forward Jalen DeLoach provided seven points and eight rebounds off the bench

·      Alondes Williams led four Demon Deacons in double figures with 19 points

 

THE DIFFERENCE

·   The Demon Deacons shot .481 (13-of-27) in the first half, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range on the way to a 43-35 halftime lead

·      VCU was hurt by 19 turnovers, including 13 in the first half

·      The Rams pulled within 63-60 on a pair of Williams free throws with 5:17 remaining, but could not get over the hump. Alondes Williams responded with a driving layup to make it 65-60. A short time later Daivien Williamson capped a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer to give the Demon Deacons a 72-63 advantage with 3:15 left

 

NOTABLE

·      The two teams combined for 64 free throws in the game, including 44 in the second half

·      VCU held Wake to 2-of-14 shooting from 3-point range in the second half

·      For the first time in three years, VCU season-ending fate happened on the court. That's because the Rams past two seasons concluded with games canceled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic

 

NEXT UP

The VCU Rams' 2022-23 season.

-- 30 -- 

NIT: VCU Tops Princeton, 90-79

Final Score: VCU 90, Princeton 79
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Up-to-date Records: VCU 22-9, Princeton 23-7

 

When VCU scores 90 points it's likely to win, since it's so rare than any opponent can score 91 points on the Rams' stingy defense. VCU shot a season-high 58 percent from the floor.  

 

Sophomore guard Ace Baldwin and senior guard KeShawn Curry scored 23 points apiece. Senior forward Vince Williams notched his third career double-double: 17 points and 11 rebounds. He added six assists to his stat line.

 

The information below was supplied by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

OPENING TIP

·      Baldwin’s 23 points set a new career high, and he shot 8-of-14 from the floor. He added five rebounds and dished for five assists

·      Curry grabbed four rebounds and had two assists. He shot 10-of-16 from the floor      

·      Freshman guard Jayden Nunn scored 13 points for the Rams

·      Tosan Evbuomwan led Princeton with 22 points and 12 rebounds

 

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU held a 10-4 advantage in points off turnovers while committing just seven turnovers. The seven turnovers tied a season low for the Rams
• The Rams had 56 points in the paint had 48 points in the paint
• VCU went 12-of-16 from the from throw line while Princeton was 4-of-11
• The Rams limited Princeton to shoot just 17 percent from 3-point range in the first half and led 39-32 at the half
• The Tigers cut the VCU lead to 64-59 with 8:39 remaining but a quick 5-0 run by the Rams pushed their lead to 69-59, its largest lead of the game to that point
• VCU led by at least seven points the remainder of the contest to hold off the Tigers
  

NOTABLE

• The Rams scored 51 points in the second half, the most in a half this season
• All three of Williams’ career double-doubles have come this season
  

NEXT UP

VCU will face the winner of Wake Forest and Towson who play tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The game time and location will be announced following the conclusion of that game.

-- 30 --

NIT: Princeton at VCU

From Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D. for Athletics Communications:

VCU (21-9) accepted an invitation to the NIT Sunday night and will host Princeton first round on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. That game will be broadcast on ESPNU. 

VCU will play postseason basketball for the 17^th time in 19 years. The Rams will be making their sixth all-time appearance in the NIT and first since 2008.

Led by All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection Vince Williams Jr.  and Second Team pick Ace Baldwin Jr. VCU placed second in the A-10 with a 14-4 mark and won 20-plus games for the 13^th time since 2007.

 

Princeton (23-6) captured the Ivy League regular season title before falling to Yale in the conference’s championship game Sunday. The Tigers are led by Ivy League Player of the Year Tosan Evbuomwan (15.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.0 apg).

 

VCU and Princeton have met once previously, an 81-70 VCU win on Nov. 29, 2016 at the Siegel Center.

TICKET INFO

VCU season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase the same seat locations as they had during the regular season. Tickets are $25 each and must be reserved by Monday at 5 p.m. to guarantee seat locations. After this deadline, tickets will be released for sale to the public. To reserve your seats for Tuesday’s game, fans can follow the instructions below.

• Click here to login to your VCU Athletics Online Ticket Account.
• Select “ Season Renewal Applications”
• Select “2022 NIT - Round 1”
• Confirm your seats and continue to the payment screen.
• Your tickets will be sent via email. 

 

Ram Athletic Fund members at the Black and Gold giving level and above will receive Commonwealth Room passes via email following the renewal deadline.

 

Season ticket holders who purchased parking for the 2021-22 season will use their Postseason pass. Please keep this pass for the duration of postseason play at the Siegel Center. Please contact the VCU Ticket Office at 804-828-7267 with any questions. 

The 2022 NIT Bracket is here.  

-- 30 --

A-10: Spiders Oust Rams

Final Score: (No. 6) Richmond 75, (No. 3) VCU 64

Location: Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena)
Up-to-date Overall Records: VCU 21-9, Richmond 21-12
 
For whatever reasons, VCU collapsed in the second half. The Rams looked tired and unfocused. That, while the Spiders Jacob Gilyard had himself a career game at the best time. Now it seems very unlikely VCU will be named to the NCAA tournament's field. However, as consolation, an invitation to the NIT remains a possibility.
 

The information below was supplied by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

OPENING TIP

• Senior forward Vince Williams scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Senior guard KeShawn Curry scored 14 points and added five rebounds, shooting an efficient 5-of-8 from the field
• Ace Baldwin was the third Ram in double figures with 12 points and a team-high seven assists
• The Rams shot 49 percent from the floor while the Spiders shot 43 percent
• For Richmond Gilyard poured in 32 points and hit 7-of-12 shots from 3-point range

 

THE DIFFERENCE

• Richmond went 26-of-32 at the free throw line while the Rams shot just 6-of-9. The Spiders were 20-of-23 from the charity strip in the second half while VCU was 4-of-7
• The Spiders shot 47 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range, the highest shooting percentage by a VCU opponent this season. VCU shot just 8-of-22 from behind the arc
• VCU and Richmond battled back-and-forth early and the Rams held a 24-21 lead with 4:55 before halftime after a Levi Stockard jumper
• The Spiders responded with a 16-3 run to go up 37-27 and led the Rams 37-29 at the half
• VCU started the second half on a 9-1 run and tied the game 38-38 on a Williams 3-pointer with 16:30 remaining
• Then the Spiders pushed their lead to 63-49 with 4:33 left before a late VCU rally cut it to 66-61 with 1:09 left. The Rams were unable to get any closer in the loss

 

NOTABLE

• Williams reached double figures in scoring for the 20^th time this season and 41^st time in his career
• VCU is now 15-8 all-time in the Atlantic 10 Tournament

 

NEXT UP

VCU awaits its postseason fate on Sunday evening.

How Many War Crimes Does It Take?

Reports are now saying that Russia is making claims that Ukraine is contemplating the use of chemical and/or biological weapons. Which, of course, challenges us to wonder briefly if it's true. 

Then we remember, hey, it's really more likely that's an oblique way for Russia, itself, to threaten to use such banned weapons. Either way, we're talking about escalation. 

Assuming the war in Ukraine won't escalate to the point that it becomes the war to end all wars -- literally, because it kills everybody! -- afterward, there will still be countries. Still be international courts. 

Which suggests there should eventually be a proper reckoning waiting for some of the Russian invaders of Ukraine, military personnel that are presently committing crimes against humanity. 

That means those same generals, colonels, etc., all know that one day they could face Nuremberg-like trials ... unless they win and take over the world, or they do actually kill everybody. 

Bottom line: Possibly the best way for them to avoid facing that grim music would be to be among those Russian military elite who acted to remove Putin from the game board to end the war and stop the crimes.

Russian Roulette

American commentators are saying Putin doesn't want to fight a war directly with the USA. Maybe that's true. Of course, we all hope so.

However, I can say with a high degree of confidence that Biden doesn't want the USA to fight a war directly against Russia. Which makes me wonder how much Putin is becoming emboldened by the notion that Biden's soft USA is likely to be more willing to make concessions, in order to avoid that high stakes conflict, than he is. 

Why would Putin assume that?

Well, to start with, Putin's seething contempt for Americans colors everything he sees, to do with the USA. Secondly, there's no telling how many wild ideas are in Putin's gangster head. But let's figure that since he doesn't consult much with peace-lovers afraid of launching World War III, he's kind of unfettered. Not consulting saves time. 

Thus, if Putin decides he wants to order all of Russia's military to go on a suicide mission, it looks like he believes he can do it. What's going on in Ukraine suggests just that. With his low-road campaign in that country going so badly -- with war crimes aplenty -- he may now be fantasizing that no matter how his crazy stupid his orders get, they will be followed. Who knows how correct about that he is?

Still, in his life-in-a-bunker isolation, Putin may have managed to convince himself that he has a winning advantage in his brewing showdown with NATO, because he's more willing to look the grim reaper in the eye without flinching than his opponents are. But I'm already tired of guessing what Putin the bully wants, that is, in addition to being an emperor and a champion Russian Roulette player.     

OK, if I'm halfway right about Putin, the psycho tough guy, the best hope for a genuine solution to our trouble may be that there really are enough Russians who love their children and grandchildren and totally dig what I'm saying. Enough human beings who will find a sure way to prevent Putin from ever pushing the power button on the modern equivalent of the "Doomsday Machine," from "Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964). 

Uh-oh, suddenly that '60s Cold War anxiety, from living poised on the brink of nuclear war, is lurking again. That dark nostalgia makes me wish steely Jack Kennedy and his keen-eyed brother, Bobby, could be back in the Oval Office, calling the shots in this ancient game to see who blinks first. Maybe Biden and Harris and their teams are up to the challenge. So far, I like to think they've done a pretty good job.

Nonetheless, looking back almost 50 years, I'm sure glad the Kennedys were there in October of 1962, during the tense Cuba Missile Crisis. Hard for me to imagine Putin buffaloing those boys. Anyway, I hope Biden's top advisors have all seen "Dr. Strangelove" and they know how it turns out ... "we'll meet again."  

-- 30 --

Rams on All-Atlantic 10 Teams

From: Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.: 

Senior forward Vince Williams Jr. was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team, while sophomore guard Ace Baldwin Jr. and freshman guard Jayden Nunn also earned All-Conference honors, the league announced Tuesday.

 

The 6-foot-6 Williams has shined as a senior for the Rams, averaging team highs of 13.3 points and 5.6 points, while shooting .470 from the floor and .379 (55-of-145) from 3-point range. The stat-stuffing Toledo native has also dished out 3.1 assists per game, and is averaging 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest.

 

Williams has recorded four 20-point games this season and has logged a pair of double-doubles, including a 22-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist performance in a Jan. 29 win at Richmond. Williams, who was named All-Atlantic 10 Third Team last season and Preseason Second Team prior to the 2021-22 campaign, also poured in a career-high 26 points on March 5 at Saint Louis.

 

Williams’ selection marks the eighth time in 10 seasons a Ram has been named All-Atlantic 10 First Team.

Baldwin was named All-Atlantic 10 Conference Second Team, one season after he was selected to the league’s All-Rookie Team. Despite missing the first eight games of the season with an Achilles injury, Baldwin averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game, while shooting a career-best .422 (27-of-64) from 3-point range.

Baldwin's 2.8 steals per game in A-10 play leads the conference, and his 5.7 assists ranks fourth. VCU is 17-4 since Baldwin’s return.

Nunn was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team following a regular season in which he started 26 games and averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The Flint, Mich. native has recorded seven double-digit scoring performances, including a 21-point outburst against UConn, as well as a 20-point effort in a win over Jacksonville State.

Nunn's selection marks the third straight year a Ram has earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team. He joins Bones Hyland and Baldwin.

VCU (21-8), with its All-Conference trio, will be the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament (March 9-13) at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The Rams will take the court on Friday, March 11 at 8:30 p.m. against Richmond, Rhode Island or Duquesne.

Jońca's Bear Steps on a LEGO

 

Here's part of a message from Polish architect/artist Pawel Jońca: 

Hi,

I am an illustrator, I create press drawings and posters. I recently created a poster entitled 'Russian bear,' showing a bear walking on a LEGO brick. 

 

You can get the poster here, by paying ANY amount. to support Ukraine... 

To read Jońca's entire message to supporters of Ukraine and also see the directions on how you can get your print of his cool poster, click on the link supplied in the quote above. 

 

If you'd like to read a brief biography of the artist, then click here.  

 

-- 30 --

 

St. Louis Staves Off VCU Rally

Final Score: St. Louis 69, VCU 65

Location: St. Louis, Mo. (Chaifetz Arena)

Records: VCU 21-8, 14-4 in A-10; St. Louis 21-10, 12-6 in A-10

 

VCU ended the regular season with a loss to St. Louis. Consequently, the Rams will be the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament in Washington, D.C., March 9-13. Alas, if VCU had won, it would have been the top seed in tournament. Rams senior forward Vince Williams, Jr. scored a career-high 26 points.

 

The information below was supplied by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D. 

OPENING TIP

·      Williams connected on 7-12 attempts from the floor and 9-of-11 at the free throw line. He added four rebounds and a blocked shot

·      Sophomore guard Ace Baldwin Jr. scored all 12 of his points in the second-half to aid the VCU rally. He also handed out six assists

·      Senior guard KeShawn Curry and freshman guard Jayden Nunn added eight points a piece for the Black and Gold

·      Gibson Jimerson led the Billikens with 19 points

 

THE DIFFERENCE

·      Saint Louis led by as many as 21 points with 17:32 remaining before the Rams started to chip away

·      Baldwin provided three buckets and Williams hit a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a 12-0 VCU run that pulled the Rams within 66-65 with 47.1 seconds remaining. Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins was able to drive to the lane for two to stop the bleeding with 26 ticks remaining. VCU had a look from three on its final possession, but could not connect

·      The Billikens shot 52 percent (12-of-23) from the field in the first half on the way to a 41-23 lead at the break

·      VCU finished the game 3-of-17 from 3-point range

 

NOTABLE

·      VCU shot 53 percent (16-of-30) in the second half

·      Williams has topped 20 points four times this season

 

NEXT UP

VCU has earned a double-bye in the A-10 Tournament and will suit up for a quarterfinal contest on Friday, March 11 at 8:30 p.m. at Capital One Arena. The Rams will face the winner of Thursday’s game between sixth-seeded Richmond and the winner of Wednesday’s Duquesne-Rhode Island first round game. VCU’s quarterfinal contest can be seen nationally on USA Network.

What's Now At Risk

With the threat of nuclear war now on the table, there's a lot more at stake than Ukraine's sovereignty. More than the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives that are now at risk from the combat that's ongoing. 

Simply put, life on the planet is being threatened.     

Therefore, it's time to ask: How much of Ukraine's territory are Ukrainians and their allies willing to hand over to Russia, in order to secure a ceasefire and get Russia to withdraw? 

At some point, isn't that the essential question that eventually has to be faced and answered? 

The second-most important question is: how many people must die, needlessly, before that essential question gets answered in a way that puts an end to this war -- a war that is churning more violently  and enlarging every day? 

If Putin is convinced he must have dominion over the entire Ukraine -- total annexation! -- and that's his last word, well, maybe regime-change in Russia really may be the only path open to solving this crisis of Putin's making. 

Hey, having nuclear weapons in our midst has always meant that one day a rogue country, or perhaps terrorist gangsters, would threaten to use them to bully somebody. With at least nine nations known to be manufacturing nukes, and five more nations holding them, now it has happened. 

Maybe we should have expected all along it would be Russia. In my view, the threat Russia has recently issued is probably more serious than was North Korea's vague saber waving.

But while this war is still going on, civilization's dire need for meaningful progress toward worldwide nuclear disarmament isn't going to be addressed with new vigor. Therefore, the Earth, itself, needs for this damn war in Ukraine to end ... pronto. 

Third most important question: Why can't the United Nations do more to save the planet from a suicidal plunge into WWIII?

-- 30 --

Most Dangerous

For a few years (2017-21), it seemed Trump was the world's most dangerous man. No doubt, he was quite pleased with the notion that millions of people were seeing him in that eerie light.  

Trump's seeming addiction to the sound of his roaring mobs was scary. It validated him. It probably brought out the worst in him. But that was then...  

One thing that's happening with Russia's current campaign in Ukraine is that it is spotlighting what's dead wrong with having an unrestrained "strongman" running a large nation in 2022, as if he's a throwback emperor. What's terribly wrong is when it's a nation possessing a handy arsenal of nuclear weapons. 

To make it worse, when the strongman lives in isolation, except for a team of sycophants, it makes a good outcome nearly impossible. Who knows how many food-tasters Putin keeps on the payroll?

Nonetheless, if the suffering world survives Putin's current flirtation with launching World War Three, I hope this calamity will inspire a fresh movement, worldwide, to call out and shun countries run by bloodthirsty strongmen. Maybe for that to really happen Ukraine has to find a way to defeat Russia ... at least, in the long run. 

Anyway, now the world's most dangerous man has just shown us who he is. Putin is an aggrieved, unhinged creator-of-war. Now in reckless pursuit of an empire-building destiny, Putin has become unafraid to reveal his true blood lust to a world horrified by his evil. Now he's working that angle to gain an advantage over anyone pursuing peace. 

However, one benefit already flowing from this nightmarish turn of events is how damn foolish it's making Fox News Putin-supporting commentators look. Meanwhile, down in Florida, Trump has to be more than a little jealous of the widespread fear Putin is inspiring.

 

Rams Crush Bonnies

Final Score: VCU 74, St. Bonaventure 51

Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Current Records: VCU 21-7, 14-3 in A-10; St. Bonaventure 19-8, 11-5 in A-10.
 
VCU's Rams led from the start and never trailed the visiting St. Bonaventure Bonnies. In what was the Rams' last regular season home game, they looked very much like a team deserving of an at-large invitation to the Big Dance (should VCU turn out to need it). In the second half the Rams deep bench was a major factor in wearing down the out-manned Bonnies. 

 

The information below was supplied by Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D. 

OPENING TIP

·       Senior guard KeShawn Curry scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. He shot 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line

·       Senior forward Vince Williams added 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for the Black and Gold

·       VCU sophomore guard Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 12 points and grabbed seven boards

·       Junior forward Hason Ward added nine points, shooting 4-of-4 from the field, and blocked a career-high six shots for the Rams

·       Dominick Welch and and Jaren Holmes led St. Bonaventure with 10 points apiece

 

THE DIFFERENCE

·       After a slow start, the Rams played a dominant first half that featured a 22-4 run to take a 32-10 lead 12:44 remaining. VCU shot 55 percent (17-of-31) in the half and held a 40-27 lead heading into halftime

·       The Black and Gold continued to dominate in the second half, as St. Bonaventure never came closer than 13. The Rams held the Bonnies to 33 percent shooting (18-of-55) in the game

·       The Rams out-rebounded the Bonnies 40-29 and led 44-30 in points in the paint

 

NOTABLE

·      The Rams have won a season-best eight straight games, their longest win streak since the 2018-19 season when they won 12 straight

·      The game was final home game of the regular season for VCU

 

NEXT UP
VCU travels to Saint Louis for the final game of the regular season on Saturday, March 5. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2.