SPORTS FOLDEROL

  THOUGHTS WHILE THINKING: Boy, is that a fine (if predictable) mess going on between your  Richmond Flying Squirrels and Thalhimer’s Realty Partners?  It says here the real culprit in the whole thing is VCU, which  agreed to conditions about using CarMax Park then reneged. Any how, nobody should be surprised. When was the last time  anything of importance sailed smoothly through the city? (I go  back as far as the 60s … when they built the downtown  Coliseum with all those ugly brown seats, no major scoreboard,  locker rooms too small, and run (for the most part) by people  who wanted no part of hockey even though it was the only  major tenant.) The Flying Squirrels have been here long enough to know  better. LET’S HEAR IT for futbol’s Team USA, which dominated  Paraguay to open the FIFA World Cup. “ This is the way you start a tournament,”  ALEXI LALAS  said.  “It was fun, fun … fun.” It was such an overwhelmin...

  Briefly told: FORMER RICHMOND Kickers goalkeeper  MATT  TURNER  apparently will open soccer’s World Cup (Friday  against Paraguay) No. 2 to  M A TT FREESE  No. 1 for the U.S.  National Team … despite a weak effort on Germany’s first goal  by Freese in Saturday’s not-so-friendly won 2-1 by the visitors  in Chicago. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging performance by the team  in its  final warmup for the FIFA-sponsored Cup, held everyfour  years and returning to this country for the first time since 1994  … with the Americans, once again not expected to prevail.  Their best finish was a quarterfinal appearance in 2002 under  former University of Virginia coach  BRUCE ARENA . Saturday, after a shaky opening 15 minutes or so, the U.S.,  pretty much dominated a game that threatened to get out of  hand in the second half when there were several scrums.   ANTONEE ROBINSON’s  first interna...

  We’re baaaaack. Like anyone noticed or cared, we’ve been AWOL for a month dealing with assorted illnesses usually associated with old people … like moi. While still to be dealt with is some clean up of both eyes,  making typos more likely (if you can believe that), herewith  an attempt to catchup a little bit. Like the FIFA World Cup of soccer comes to these shores  for the first time in more than 40 years, starting Friday ... …  and here’s hoping futbol’s intelligensia learned from their  arrogance when the Cup was held here in 1994 … and  actually welcome media interest rather than discourage it. I got to Detroit for the Americans’ first-round match looking  forward to the experience. Didn’t take long to change my  mind. First, I was told my media-rate reservation at the hotel  (made and accepted long before deadline) was not available  … but they probably could find something else for me, at a  higher rate, of course. Then...

  As promised … this is Chip Off the Old Block II, more on United Methodist minister Chip Joseph, who we introduced in COtOB I for The Richmonder.com …  when he was featured after being asked to do the  quintessential difficult, possibly impossible, task of  starting a church at a time when people are more  interested in material over spiritual pursuits. ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you believe some things are just meant to be, then you  would have no trouble understanding how Joseph got into  the ministry … after all these years. He turned 60 recently, for crying out loud. And, no, he  didn’t hear a voice in the night, nor did he have a vision. Actually, the idea grew slowly, almost subliminally, for a long time … until he finally gave in. Among the first to recognize his potential as a clergyman  was  BECKY TIGNOR , his secretary at Holladay  Elementary when he was principal there. “ She wa...