Sunday, December 31, 2023

Some of 2023's Still Unanswered Questions

Here we are at the end of 2023, but what about the lingering unanswered questions? For me, plenty of mysteries that have nothing to do with whether Trump will be on the Colorado ballot, or who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong, remain totally unanswered.

  • For instance, why in the world are chicken eggs packaged in such flimsy cartons, but batteries come wrapped in tough plastic?
  • Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavors, yet furniture polish and dish washing liquid are made with real lemons?
  • Why do executioners sterilize the needle for a lethal injection?
  • When we put our two cents in, why do others only get a penny for their thoughts? 
  • Does Victoria still have any secrets whatsoever left? 
  • And, by the way, if you know, please tell me who let the dogs out? 
  • So, if you get my drift, can you hear me now?  

Credit: This unanswered questions gimmick was stolen from sportswriter Hank Kurz's Facebook post and edited down a bit by me.

December 31's bottom line: No question about it, happy new year.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

VCU Wins 4th Consecutive Game

From: Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

Final Score: VCU 87, Gardner-Webb 73

Location: Stuart C. Siegel Center

Current Records: VCU 8-5, Gardner-Webb 5-10

 

The short story: Graduate wing Sean Bairstow dropped in a career-high 22 points and VCU shot 62 percent in the second half to run past Gardner-Webb Saturday at the Siegel Center.

 

OPENING TIP


·      Bairstow, playing in his second game as a Ram, showcased a variety of offensive moves on the way to 11-of-18 shooting from the floor. He also hauled in seven rebounds and dished out five assists

·      Senior guard Joe Bamisile poured in 21 points off the bench for the Black and Gold. He connected on 7-of-8 attempts at the free throw line

·      Junior forward Tobi Lawal made the most of his 15-plus minutes off the bench for the Rams. He recorded 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots

·      Senior guard Max Shulga added 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block for VCU. He buried 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc

·      Quest Aldridge paced five Gardner-Webb players in double figures with 13 points

 

THE DIFFERENCE


·      VCU converted 21-of-34 attempts from the field in the second half, including 18-of-23 from inside the arc. The Rams outscored the Runnin’ Bulldogs 52-32 in the paint in the game, including 36-14 in the second half alone

·      The Rams also outrebounded Gardner-Webb 42-33 and got 39 points from their bench

·      Lawal was on the receiving end of several alley-oop dunks and scored eight points during a 16-1 VCU run that turned a six-point halftime lead into a 62-41 blowout with 13:18 remaining. Gardner-Webb trimmed the lead to 10, at 66-56 with 8:20 left, only to watch the Rams erupt for an 11-2 burst, punctuated by a Lawal block that led to a Bamisile 3-pointer and a 77-58 lead with 5:26 showing on the clock

·      The Rams shot .507 (35-of-69) from the field in the game and connected on 9-of-10 free throw attempts

 

NOTABLE


·      VCU has won a season-high four straight games and improved to 4-0 all-time against Gardner-Webb

·      Lawal registered his third double-double of the season

·      The Rams have scored 80 or more points in four of their past five games. VCU is averaging 83.0 points, while shooting .481 from the field, in those five contests

 

NEXT UP


VCU will kick off Atlantic 10 Conference play on Jan. 3, 2024 when the Rams host St. Bonaventure at 9 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

 

Friday, December 22, 2023

VCU clobbers Maryland-Eastern Shore

From Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

Final Score: VCU 75, Maryland Eastern Shore 51

Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Current Records: VCU 7-5, Maryland Eastern-Shore 2-8


The Short Story: Senior guard Max Shulga led five VCU players in double figures with 14 points and the Rams led wire-to-wire in a 24-point win over Maryland Eastern-Shore. The contest also marked the return of VCU senior forward Sean Bairstow, who provided 11 points and four rebounds in his first contest as a Ram.

 
OPENING TIP

  • Shulga connected of 4-of-5 attempts from the field, including both of his 3-point attempts, and converted 4-of-4 at the free throw line
  • Senior guard Joe Bamisile poured in 13 points off the bench for the Rams
  • Sophomore forward Christian Fermin added 11 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots for VCU, while redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson dished out seven assists and did not commit a turnover.
  • The Rams also received 12 points from graduate forward Kuany Kunay
  • Tyler Mack led the owls in points with 12.


THE DIFFERENCE

  • VCU held UMES to 33 percent (19-of-57) shooting in the game, including 25 percent (5-of-20) from beyond the 3-point line
  • The Rams shot 49 percent (27-of-55) from the floor in the contest
  • VCU owned a 41-32 rebounding advantage and outscored the Hawks 40-24 in the paint
  • VCU committed a season-low eight turnovers in the contest
  • The Rams hit 15-of-32 shots in the first half on the way to a 37-23 lead at the break


NOTABLE

  • VCU improved to 7-1 all-time against the Hawks
  • The Rams have won three straight games, matching their season high
  • All 11 Rams who saw the floor scored Friday


NEXT UP
VCU will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 30, when it hosts Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. That game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.


 

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Tacky Lights at 25

Note: In December of 2010, I wrote "Tacky Lights at 25" for Richmond.com. Click on the link to read it on the RT-D website, if you like. Or you can just keep reading here. I snapped the photo of Chuck Wrenn and his friend at a stop to view one of the light shows.

*

Oh, the weather outside was frightful!

There was a dusting of snow on the ground with plenty more of it in the forecast. The temperature outside the cozy bus was dipping into the teens, as Barry Gottlieb read Mayor Dwight Jones’ proclamation:

It began with this: “WHEREAS, originally called ‘Richmond’s Tacky Light Xmas Decoration Contest and Grand Highly Illuminated House Tour,’ the Richmond Tacky Lights Tour was founded by local radio deejay, Barry “Mad Dog” Gottlieb in 1986; and…”

Five paragraphs later it pronounced: “NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dwight C. Jones, Mayor of the City of Richmond, Virginia, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, December 15, 2010, as ‘RICHMOND TACKY LIGHT TOUR DAY’…” 

The assembled bus-full of kitsch lovers applauded and off we went to look at zillions of twinkling lights and other illuminated Christmas decorations. By the way, on this Winn Transportation tour almost anything might be considered a Christmas decoration if its lit up enough.

The bright idea began with Mike Garrett suggesting to his friend at Winn, Mark Pounders, that Gottlieb ought to be on hand to kickoff the 25th year of the tours. As Gottlieb has lived in San Francisco since 1998, Winn had him flown in for the occasion.

Garrett, an old friend of Gottlieb’s, had been on the first tour in 1986. So had Garrett’s wife Betty and his daughter, Erin, who was then five years old. For this special tour Garrett’s granddaughter, Ryan, completed the quartet. 

Several others on board had been on that inaugural tour with Gottlieb that launched the wintry tradition. Some of the houses we visited were on the tour when it started, others were new.

My ticket to ride stemmed from having been one of the judges for the tour back in 1989. Back then I rode around with Gottlieb, Chuck Wrenn and a couple of others in a limousine, looking at the houses and rating them according to a set of standards that I’m sure was suitably bogus.   

For this year’s tour Wrenn called me to say there would be a spot on the bus for me, if I could make it. Back in the 1980s he and Gottlieb were partners in the Rockline (353-ROCK), a service that served up prerecorded nightlife information on the telephone. The two of them played it for laughs, so some followers called just to hear what amounted to a regularly updated comedy routine.  

Normally, I’m a bah! humbug! sort of guy. But as it was a great chance to see some old friends, of course I went. As it turned out it, in spite of how cold it was when we got off the bus a half dozen times to closely inspect one of the outrageous displays, it was an agreeable way to spend the better part of an evening.

We visited about a dozen sites. Being in a large group made it much more interesting. At each stop there were vehicles large and small hauling other gawkers.  

At one stop the homeowner had copies of a flier for visitors to pick up, announcing that the entire rig of lights and sundry accouterments is for sale. After 10 years of it the family wants to pass the tradition along down the line.  

From the flier: “Just to give you a little more background: Mark is a Richmond City firefighter. We were deeply affected by the 9/11 events in New York and Mark wanted to do something to honor the fallen firefighters. That’s what the ‘FDNY 343’ on the roof represents -- the 343 firefighters that lost their lives that horrible day on September 11, 2001. This has been our way of keeping those brave men in our thoughts each year. It would be especially nice of whomever acquires the lights continues this tribute.”

Barry "Mad Dog" Gottlieb and Frank Hudak 

The last time we got off the bus was at 2300 Wistar Court, Frank Hudak’s house, which has been on the tour from the start. Gottlieb went up to the door to surprise Hudak, who promptly threw on his ceremonial seasonally-themed outfit and came outside to greet his public.   

Back on the bus, Gottlieb recalled his first meeting with Hudak in 1986. Apparently, it took Hudak a while to figure out whether the tour concept was mocking his elaborate display or celebrating it. Once he got to know Gottlieb, Hudak stopped worrying and became the tour’s most willing participant.  

Kudos to Winn Transportation for the gesture. Everyone’s seat on the bus was a gift from the bus line. Pounders said the local family-owned company runs about 100 bus tours each year.

“Like old times, again,” said the wisecracking, mustachioed, beret-wearing Mad Dog.

Indeed, it was delightful.  

-- 30 --

Saturday, December 16, 2023

Rams top Owls with free throws

From:  Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

Final Score: VCU 87, Temple 78.
Location: 
Siegel Center
Current Records: VCU 6-5, Temple 6-4

The Short Story: Senior guards Max Shulga and Zeb Jackson poured in 19 points apiece, and VCU built a big first-half lead on the way to a win Saturday over Temple. Senior guard Joe Bamisile, who made his VCU debut Saturday, scored 11 points off the bench for the Rams.

 
OPENING TIP

  • Jackson converted 8-of-14 attempts from the field and added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals to lead the Black and Gold. Shulga also hauled in six rebounds and handed out five assists. He finished a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
  • Bamisile connected on 3-of-8 three-point attempts in 19 minutes for VCU.
  • Graduate forward Kuany Kuany provided 12 points also provided 12 points to the VCU cause. He knocked down 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc.
  • Sam Hoffman led the Owls in with 17 points.


THE DIFFERENCE

  • VCU shot .613 (19-of-31) from the field in the first half, including 7-of-14 from 3-point range as the Rams built a 50-31 halftime lead. VCU led by as many as 23 points in the period.
  • Bamisile hit back-to-back 3-pointers to kick off a 10-2 run that provided the Rams with a 20-9 lead at the 11:19 mark of the first half. A short time later, VCU embarked on a 12-0 blitz, sparked by a traditional three-point play by sophomore forward Christian Fermin, to take a commanding, 40-17 advantage.
  • Temple was able to pull within 66-55 with 8:53 remaining in the second half, but Bamisile buried his third triple of the day moments later to kick off an 8-0 VCU run.
  • VCU shot .508 (30-of-59) in the contest and connected on 18-of-21 free throws. 
  • The Rams owned a 37-31 rebounding advantage and outscored Temple 42-32 in the paint.


NOTABLE


·      VCU led for 37:41 of the game.

·      The Rams evened the all-time series with Temple at 2-2. This was the first meeting between these two schools at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

·      Shulga finished a perfect 10-of-10 at the line for the second time this season.

 

NEXT UP

  • VCU will return to action on Friday, Dec. 22, when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore at 7 p.m. That game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.


Monday, December 11, 2023

Along Grace Street

One afternoon in the mid-1970s, I was walking along, some 20 yards behind a guy heading east on the 800 block of West Grace Street. I think it was summertime, but I don't remember anything in particular about the weather. Anyway, the guy in front of me nonchalantly picked up the Organic Food Store’s hand-painted sandwich board style sign from the sidewalk, put it under his arm and kept walking.

We both kept heading eastward. I don't remember what I first thought, at the time, but I was curious about it and to close the distance between us, I walked a little faster down the red brick sidewalk. By the time we had passed the Biograph Theatre (where I worked), I was pretty sure that he had no honest reason to take the sign. He was a big-haired hippie and I suppose he could have been a student. Or, he might have been a traveling panhandler/opportunist. In those days there were plenty of both in the neighborhood.

Passing by Sally Bell’s Kitchen, in the 700 block, I was within five yards of him when I spoke the lines I had just written for myself. My tone was resolute: “Hey, I saw you take the sign. Just put it down and walk away.”

The thief’s body language announced that he had heard me. He didn’t turn around. Instead he walked faster. I continued following and I said with more force: “Put the sign down. The cops are already on the way. Walk away, while you still can” (or words to that effect).

Without further ado, the wooden sign clattered onto the sidewalk. I was delighted!

The sign thief kept just going without looking back. As I gathered my neighbor’s property, I watched the fleeing hippie break into a sprint. He crossed Grace Street and was last seen going toward Monroe Park at the next corner. By then, it all struck me as funny.

So I carried the recovered property back to the store. Obviously, I don’t really remember exactly what I said in this incident, all those years ago, but what you just read was a faithful recounting of the events and the spirit of what I said. 

What I had done came in part from a sense of righteous indignation. That, together with the spirit of camaraderie that existed among some of the neighborhood’s merchants in that time. There were several of us, then in our mid-to-late-20s, who were operating businesses on that bohemian strip — bars, retail shops, etc. We were friends and we watched out for one another.

My tough guy performance had lasted less than a minute. Now I’m amazed that I used to do such things. Young people can be so sure of their interpretation of what they see. The character I invented was drawn somewhat from Humphrey Bogart, with as much Robert Mitchum as I could muster. 

Hey, since the thief bought the act, he probably felt lucky to have gotten away. Who knows? Maybe he’s still telling this same story, too, but from another angle.

*

This much I know — that quirky milieu on Grace Street in those days was a goldmine of offbeat characters and colorful stories. Chelf’s Drug Store was at the corner of Grace and Shafer. With its antique soda fountain, it had been a hangout for magazine-reading art students for decades. It seemed frozen in time. Maybe the late-1940s?

The original Village Restaurant, a block west of Chelf’s, was a legendary beatnik watering hole, going back to the 1950s. Writer Tom Robbins and artist William Fletcher “Bill” Jones (1930-‘98) hung out there. In the '60s and '70s the same neighborhood was also home to cartoon-like characters, such as the wandering Flashlight Lady and the Grace Street Midget.

By the late-'70s the scene in that neighborhood had evolved. It was meaner and more dangerous. Bars hired badass bouncers to guard their front doors. Style-wise, hippies were gradually being replaced by punks. Cocaine was replacing pot as the most popular recreational drug.   

In 1981, or so, I can also remember another summer day. A day when an angry, red-bearded street beggar with a missing foot was scaring old ladies coming and going from the then-new Dominion Place apartment building on the 1000 block of Grace. He and I were about the same age. 

As I walked by, I said something to him like, "Hey, cut it out. Move on!"

The surly panhandler laughed like a corny villain in a slasher movie and threatened to, “Bite a plug” out of me. And, I'm sure that's exactly what he said. 

Wisely, I didn’t press my case any further. Instead, I moved on.

*

As she moved slowly with tiny steps, getting across a busy street could be difficult for Priscilla. So, beginning sometime back in the 1970s, whenever I’d see her struggling with that problem, routinely, I used to help out by walking her across.
Usually it was West Grace Street or Harrison, somewhere not far from the Biograph. She lived in the neighborhood. The ritual went on for years; I suppose she was some 10-to-12 years my senior.
However, I can still picture her from one particular gray afternoon that I’m guessing was in the late-1980s, during my Slant-publishing days. I was heading west on West Grace Street. Priscilla was standing between two parked cars on the north side of the 900-block. The traffic was heavy. She was crying.
So, I stopped my VW bus and switched on the emergency blinker. Got out and greeted Priscilla. Of course, she knew what would come next, so she smiled through her tears. We both nearly chuckled at the sound of the car horns honking, as we crossed the street at her pace. Maybe that was the last time for our routine.

-- 30 --

Sunday, December 10, 2023

VCU CRUSHES ALCORN STATE

From: Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

Final Score: VCU 86, Alcorn St. 58
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Current Records: VCU 5-5, Alcorn State 1-8

The Short Story: Six Rams scored in double figures, including graduate forward Kuany Kuany, who broke out for a season-high 15 points, and VCU hit 17 three-pointers on the way to a 28-point win Sunday afternoon at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

OPENING TIP
  • Kuany also hauled in five rebounds and connected on 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc for the Black and Gold.
  • Senior guard Zeb Jackson poured in a game-high 18 points and handed out seven assists for VCU.
  • Sophomore forward Tobi Lawal recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Rams, while redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson supplied 14 points and hit four 3-pointers.
  • VCU senior guard Max Shulga and redshirt freshman Fats Billups III added 13 and 10 points, respectively. 
  • Jeremiah Kendall led Alcorn St. in points with 17
THE DIFFERENCE
  • VCU canned 17-of-39 (.436) threes in the game, which is tied for the second-most 3-point makes in school history. The program record is 20, set on Jan. 27, 2010 against Towson.
  • VCU turned a six-point game into a blowout with a 27-4 run midway through the second half. Kuany buried a pair of 3-pointers and capped the VCU blitz with a vicious fast-break dunk that pushed the Rams in front 71-42 with 6:39 remaining.
  • The Rams shot .483 (29-of-60) in the game, including .548 (17-of-31) in the second half alone.
  • VCU forced 11 turnovers and turned those miscues into 17 points.
  • The Rams held ASU to 4-of-14 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc and limited the Braves to .345 (19-of-55) shooting overall on the day.
NOTABLE
  • VCU led wire-to-wire in the contest and saw its lead balloon to as many as 31 points in the second half.
  • VCU assisted on 22 of 29 baskets in the game. 
  • The Rams’ bench contributed 34 points, and VCU outrebounded Alcorn State 39-30.
NEXT UP
  • VCU will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 16, when it hosts Temple at 2 p.m. at the Siegel Center. That game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.

Friday, December 08, 2023

The Music of Billy Ray Hatley

Note: On Dec. 8, 2013, a unique live music show took place at The National in Richmond: It was the Billy Ray Hatley tribute celebration. I covered it for Style Weekly; the piece I penned about that splendid event was published on Dec. 10, 2013. It follows. 
*
The Music of Billy Ray Hatley
Although it was months in the planning the uncertainty that preceded Sunday night’s show at the National was understandable. After all, most of the vocalists had learned songs just for the show. And, while the freezing rain had mercifully changed to ordinary rain, as the stage was being set up the weather was still threatening to sabotage Sunday night’s tribute concert.

The good news is the show went on without a hitch. (Photos of the event can be found here.)

The better news is the Billy Ray Hatley Tribute Concert was show business at it best: the music was joyful and uplifting. The experience of being in that refurbished downtown theater will not easily be forgotten by anyone who was there on Sunday. No doubt that will be especially true for Billy’s wife Sara and their two children, Sierra and Sam.

After the last song was sung by Robbin Thompson, the emcee, Chuck Wrenn, stepped to the microphone to sum up what the musicians had just made happen, “Wow, what a night!”

Although the stage was filled by 24 performers (with a stage crew of eight), the entertainment offered was no jam session and the show ran smoothly. No covers of rock ’n’ roll classics were played. Every song was written by Billy Ray Hatley, who can no longer perform them. In all, one corny old show biz word well describes how the concert went over -- "boffo!"

Why and how did this show happen?

A few years ago longtime Richmond favorite Billy Ray Hatley had the bad luck to have his career ended by a condition (Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia) that can be traced to an operation he had in 2005 and his four years in the Navy (1965-69). Eventually, his friend and sideman/collaborator Jim Wark convinced Sara Hatley that putting a tribute show together, made up of Billy’s music, would be the right thing to do. A team was assembled. Velpo Robertson, Rico Antonelli and Dave Owen, also fellow bandmates and close friends of Billy’s, joined Sara and Jim to produce the tribute.

“We got together to discuss the possibility in March,” said Rico. “The hardest part was deciding what songs to do.”

Decisions had to be made about who to include and who would sing which songs, to play the role that had always been Billy’s. It was decided the musicians who had been the sidemen in Billy’s two bands, Big City and The Show Dogs, would back up the invited singers. As each vocalist would only sing a couple of songs that meant handing small roles to people who were all used to being the stars of whatever gigs they played.

Brad Tucker said, “Egos were checked at the door.”

Space won’t allow a recap of all the material presented, but three highlights include: Bill Blue’s gritty performance of “Elvis’ Motorcycle.” Bill traveled from Key West to be there. Michael McAdam’s soulful performance of “Roll the Dice.” Mike traveled from Nashville to be there. Susan Greenbaum’s stirring performance of “Promised Land,” which provided what was maybe the biggest goose bumps moment of the night.

Appearing in addition to those performers already mentioned were: Charles Arthur, Steve Bassett, Jody Boyd, Junie Carter, Craig Evans, Chris Fuller, Eric Heiberg, Janet Martin, Gayle McGehee, Mic Muller, Li’l Ronnie Owens, Drew Perkins and Jim Skelding. (Bruce Olsen was scheduled to be there but was prevented by a cold that stole his voice.)

After the sound checks, two hours before show time, Wark had reminded the performers, “There’s nothing sad about this [show]. It can’t be about what Billy has been through. It’s about what he gave us.”

Those friends and fans of Billy’s who braved the weather to be in that room shared a one-of-kind experience. Throughout the show the spirit of camaraderie flowing from one song to the next was warm and palpable. Perhaps the peak of that feeling occurred mid-show, when Sara stood behind a microphone and thanked one and all for being there.

Proceeds from the tribute show and a CD anthology of Billy Ray Hatley recordings will benefit the Hatley family and the Daily Planet.

A video of the whole shebang was recorded and will eventually be presented by WCVE in 2014.

In case anyone missed it the first time, Chuck said it again, “Wow!”
-- 30 --

Thursday, December 07, 2023

VCU FALLS TO MEMPHIS IN OT

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

Final Score: Memphis 85, VCU 80 - OT
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: Memphis 6-2, VCU 4-5
Attendance: 7,637 (Sellout)

The Short Story: Sophomore forward Tobi Lawal scored a career-high 16 points, while senior guard Max Shulga provided 14, but VCU dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Memphis Wednesday at the Siegel Center.

OPENING TIP 
  • Lawal used a series of dunks and putbacks to lead five Rams in double figures. He converted 8-of-11 attempts in the game and hauled in eight rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
  • Shulga also contributed a team-high five assists and two steals for the Rams. 
  • Redshirt-freshman guard Fats Billups III supplied 13 points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers for the Black and Gold. Senior guard Zeb Jackson and redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson kicked in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
  • David Jones scored a game-high 23 points to lead Memphis.
THE DIFFERENCE 
  • Jahvon Quinerly hit a pair of free throws with 1:25 left in overtime to give the Tigers a 79-77 lead. A possession later, Nick Jourdain converted a driving layup with 52 ticks on the clock to push Memphis’ edge to 81-78. Moments later, the Rams got one final chance to force double overtime. Following a layup by sophomore forward Christian Fermin that pulled the Rams within 83-80, VCU drew an offensive foul with 20 seconds remaining. But VCU’s contested 3-point attempt in the waning seconds caromed off the rim. Jones added a pair of free throws to provide the final margin.
  • Memphis shot .474 (27-of-57) in the game, including .500 (14-of-28) in the second half. The Tigers connected on 6-of-10 three-point attempts, combined, in the second half and overtime.
  • The Rams shot just .241 (7-of-29) from 3-point range. 
  • Memphis connected on 23-of-29 free throw attempts, eight more than VCU’s total of 15-of-21.
  • VCU trailed 69-67 in the closing moments of regulation, but Shulga buried a 3-pointer to push the Rams in front 70-69 with 1:06 left. A bucket by Quinerly supplied Memphis with a brief 71-70 lead, but a putback by Lawal provided the Rams with a 72-71 advantage with 29 ticks on the clock. But Malcolm Dandridge drew a foul underneath on the Tigers’ next possession and knocked down one of two free throws with 20 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
NOTABLE
  • VCU led for 30:15 of the contest.
  • The Rams outscored Memphis 40-36 in the paint and 18-12 off second-chance opportunities.
  • VCU’s last four losses have come by a total of 17 points.
  • Memphis leads the all-time series 6-3.
  • VCU forced 18 Memphis turnovers.
NEXT UP

VCU will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 10 when it hosts Alcorn State at 2 p.m. at the Siegel Center. That game will be broadcast on MASN and ESPN+.


Monday, December 04, 2023

Celebrity Power

We're used to thinking of and talking about political power as a thing to itself. Who has it and what they do with it; who doesn't have it. 

We're also used to considering and discussing the comparative popularity of various celebrities; who can sell more tickets and whose advertising endorsement can move more consumer product.
 
Now we're living through a time in which the luminous celebrity popularity of a sleazy former president is magnifying his accrued political power in a mindboggling manner not seen before. It looks to me like at least half of the power in today's political realm Trump enjoys flows from his star-power from being the world's most worshiped damn celebrity -- a self-promoter like nobody's business.

Instead of a contest focused mostly on the two candidates' judgment and fitness to serve as president, if next year's campaign is allowed to become a game largely about the two candidates' entertainment chops/celebrity power, Biden will probably lose to Trump.

-- 30 --   

Saturday, December 02, 2023

RAMS RALLY LATE, BUT FALL TO NORFOLK STATE 63-60

From: Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.

Score: Norfolk State 63, VCU 60
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 4-4, Norfolk State 6-3

Attendance: 7,637 (Sellout)
 
The short story: Senior guard Zeb Jackson scored a team-high 15 points and led a VCU comeback attempt in the waning moments, but it wasn’t enough for the Rams to slip past upstart Norfolk State Friday night.

OPENING TIP

  • Zeb Jackson’s 15 points and senior guard Max Shulga’s 14 led VCU in the scoring column.
  • Redshirt sophomore guard Jason Nelson provided a spark of the Rams’ bench with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists
  • Freshman swingman Michael Belle added five points, a season-high 11 rebounds, two blocks and two assists for the Black and Gold
  • Allen Betrand and Jamarii Thomas both scored 17 for the Spartans.


THE DIFFERENCE

  • The Spartans shot .500 (13-of-26) in the second half and built a 12-point lead with four minutes remaining following a dunk by Nyzaiah Chambers and a pair of free throws by Jamarii Thomas with 4:00 remaining
  • VCU did manage to make things interesting. Jackson pulled the Rams within six with back-to-back 3-pointers. VCU got within 54-51 on a pair of Jackson free throws with 1:53 on the clock, but Thomas responded with a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down on Norfolk State’s next possession. Moments later, Nelson drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and sank all three attempts to trim the Spartans’ lead to 63-60 with seven seconds left. The Rams had one last crack at overtime following a Norfolk State missed free throw, but were unable to convert a 3-point attempt as time expired
  • Norfolk State owned a 40-18 advantage scoring in the paint and forced 17 VCU turnovers


NOTABLE

  • VCU converted 11 second-chance points, compared to Norfolk State’s four
  • The Rams out rebounded the Spartans 35-27
  • The Black and Gold connected on 18-of-22 free throws


NEXT UP
VCU will return to the Siegel Center next Wednesday, Dec. 7 to face off against the Memphis Tigers. That contest will air on ESPNU.


Wednesday, November 29, 2023

'Mondo Softball' (1990)

  

Note: The video above is a 30-second promo for a weekly local cable television program I produced and hosted in 1990. Using highlights from the show, I edited the footage and wrote the copy. Hank Brown created the music, which served as the show's opening and closing theme. The narrator voice is that of my girlfriend at the time, Gayle Carden (now Hudert).
 
Below you can see Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2024) sportswriter Paul Woody's 1990 column about Mondo Softball. I suppose you could call the piece a review, of a sort.
REA GIVES BIZARRE EDGE TO BLAB'S 'MONDO SOFTBALL'
Richmond News Leader Date: July 5, 1990
Byline: Paul Woody
Years ago, when Terry Rea was manager of the now defunct Biograph Theatre, he organized a softball team for the Fan League. But this wasn't just any team. This team had two illegal French aliens.
"One spoke no English at all," Rea said. "Neither had ever seen a baseball game. But they went out to a yard sale, found some funky `50s uniforms and they were a laugh riot."
The Biograph team also had a life-size, cardboard figure of Mr. Natural, a comic-book character created by R. Crumb of Zap Comics. Rea and his teammates took Mr. Natural to every game. They would carry him onto the field and chant to him.

"Some thought it was funny," Rea said. "Some thought we were mocking them. Some thought we were mocking the game."
All Rea was trying to do was enjoy a little softball and make the team and the league, "a rolling comedy show," he said. "I'm not sure everybody on the team was 100 percent behind me on that."
Rea began playing softball in 1976, but now, at the age of 42, he's in semi-retirement. "I try in the offseason to lower my expectations, but I'm losing my game faster than I can lower my expectations," Rea said. "That drives everyone out of the game except the most fanatic."

Rea, however, is hardly done with softball. In fact, he may be contributing more to the game than he ever did as a player. Rea, a freelance graphic artist by trade, is the originator, host and creative force behind "Mondo Softball," a weekly, one-hour talk and call-in show seen Tuesday nights at 9 o'clock on BLAB-TV (Continental Ch. 7, Storer Ch. 8).
Mondo is Italian for "world." Rea took it from the drive-in movies of his youth that were all the rage. "There were a bunch of `Mondo' films," Rea said. "Then, you started to see it thrown in front of almost anything to give it a bizarre connotation. People just know it has some sort of bizarre edge to it. "And, of course, I'm using that."
Rea isn't the host of "Mondo Softball." The host is Mutt deVille, a man of mysterious origin who always wears a baseball cap, sunglasses and softball jersey. Mutt deVille is Rea's alter ego.
Mutt deVille was created by Rea as a pen name for the sports writer in Slant, the twice-monthly newsletter of commentary that Rea publishes, writes and edits. DeVille initially existed to give some diversity to the pages of Slant, "and to create the illusion there was a staff of writers," Rea said. But the more Rea wrote as deVille, the more he liked it.
"My name, and my approach to things, like anyone who stays in his hometown long enough, carries a certain amount of baggage with it," Rea said, "I could move more freely as Mutt deVille.
"When I decided to do a show and it was a sports show, it seemed like a good idea to use Mutt. That led to the idea that Mutt should become a character and the time I was on camera should be a performance. Mutt is a device to make me feel at ease on stage."
"Mondo Softball" is not like any other show you'll see on BLAB. It's a one-hour play, softball as kitsch. It's part news -- standings, results and tournament highlights provided by Paul Joyce, the `field' reporter and a veteran local player -- part conversation with a guest, questions from callers and wisecracks, subtle humor and outright gags whenever possible. It's clever, and it's as entertaining as a show on recreational softball can be.
Rea said he has borrowed from shows he's seen. From the "Tonight Show," Rea took the idea that Johnny Carson is at his best and funniest when things go wrong.
"Part of live TV is that there are a lot of glitches," Rea said. "I've tried to incorporate the production values of an old `50s sci-fi movie and try to go with whatever goes wrong." Each week, there is a great uproar over the magic word.
If a caller says the word, he or she receives a $20 gift certificate from a local restaurant. The magic word is straight out of "You Bet Your Life" with the late Groucho Marx. In that show, it was called the secret word.
"If you're going to steal, steal from the best," Rea said.
Part of the attraction of "Mondo Softball" is that you can never be sure what will happen next. "I think some people watch shows on BLAB just to see if the set will fall over," Rea said. Rea brings a unique element of surprise to the screen. He isn't afraid to take a chance or play a little joke.
When he was manager of the Biograph, a repertory theatre located near Virginia Commonwealth University, Rea once offered free admission to "The Devil and Miss Jones." The line for the show, which most believed to be a well-known X-rated movie, stretched around the 800 block of West Grace Street. But the X-rated movie was "The Devil in Miss Jones." "The Devil and Miss Jones" was a 1941 comedy.
"Most people thought it was funny," Rea said. "But you always have some who get mad about something like that." "Mondo Softball" has something of the same problem.
Hard-core softball players don't always appreciate Rea's attempts at humor. "I've heard some don't like Mutt's approach," Rea said. "But that's the reason Paul is there. Overall, though, the reaction I get is that they (the hardcore players) like Mutt."
BLAB-TV likes Mutt so much that another show already is in the works. "Mondo Pops," [which actually became Mondo City] covering everything from sports to who knows what will premier this fall. It should be an interesting experience. Who knows, maybe even Mr. Natural will make an appearance.

-- 30 --

Sunday, November 26, 2023

BILLUPS, JACKSON FUEL VCU AS RAMS RACE PAST PENN STATE 86-74

From Chris Kowalczyk, VCU Assistant A.D.: 

ESPN Events Invitational

Score: VCU 86, Penn State 74

Location: Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (State Farm Fieldhouse)

Records: VCU 4-3, Penn State 4-3

 

The short story: Redshirt freshman Fats Billups III exploded for 14 of his career-high 23 points in the second half to spark VCU’s victory over Penn State in the final day of the ESPN Events Invitational.

 

OPENING TIP

·      Billups buried 8-of-9 attempts from the floor, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range in 27 minutes of action. He also blocked a pair of shots

·      Senior guard Zeb Jackson also scored a career-high with 22 points Sunday for the Black and Gold on 8-of-18 shooting. He added seven rebounds, six assists and a steal

·      Senior guard Max Shulga supplied 19 points and six rebounds for VCU. Shulga converted all 10 of his free throw attempts

·      Former Ram Ace Baldwin Jr. led Penn State with 27 points

 

THE DIFFERENCE

·      Billups nailed all four of his 3-point attempts in the second half, including triples on back-to-back possessions to give VCU a 72-64 lead with 5:49 remaining. He scored on a layup a short time later, and by the time he connected on his fourth trey of the period at the 3:53 mark, the Rams had pushed their lead to 80-66

·      VCU shot .538 (28-of-52) from the field in the game, including 8-of-15 from 3-point range. The Rams also connected on 22-of-28 free throw attempts

·      The Rams shot .620 (16-of-26) in the first half on the way to a 46-40 lead

·      The Black and Gold limited Penn State to 5-of-17 shooting from 3-point range

·      VCU owned a 36-29 rebounding advantage

 

NOTABLE

·      VCU was facing its former head coach in Penn State’s Mike Rhoades. The Rams are 17-10 when facing former head coaches since 2008

·      The Rams led for 34:06 of Sunday’s contest

·      The game featured 10 ties and eight lead changes

·      The Rams played Sunday’s game without redshirt sophomore Jason Nelson (PPG: 8.5), who sustained a wrist sprain in VCU’s game with Boise State on Friday. 

 

NEXT UP

VCU will return home to face Norfolk State on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.