LOTS OF STUFF

 Welcome to my world. Won’t you come on in … and sit a spell:

..... WE'VE BEEN SAYING for a while now that NASCAR will pull one of Richmond’s two Cup races and move the event elsewhere (to be determined). The signs have been unmistakable.

First, Dennis Bickmeier, the speedway’s man in charge since 2011, unexpectedly resigned to become executive director of Henrico County’s sports and entertainment authority – which, among other things, plans to build a 17,000-seat indoor facility that ostensibly will be a much-needed replacement for the Richmond Coliseum (R.I.P.) by 2026.

He knew what was coming and got out while he could … on his own terms … and not become the designated fall guy (sorry, person) in the face of declining interest.

To replace Bickmeier, NASCAR installed the speedway’s first female president, Lori Collier Waran, who had no experience running a race track. Her claim to fame was editor of Style Weekly, a newspaper. At that point all warning flags were up and flying.

Then, to make things even more difficult for Waran to succeed, the sanctioning body altered dates for the speedway which boasted of being the only NASCAR-sanctioned track to stage assorted events all of them at night. Now they have all afternoon starts – and the race formerly held in September was moved to August then July.

As a result, the 2023 “spring” race – we’re told -- drew a total of 28,000 spectators. The track now has about 51,000 seats. To think in the good, old days crowds were upwards of 100,000.

The “fall” race did about the same in terms of attendance, perhaps slightly less. 

As for those who stayed home and watched on TV ... both races did numbers well below the norm although it should be pointed out neither was carried over-the-air on Fox or NBC which didn't help.

The first was available on FSI, which had a 1.3 rating covering 2.3 million viewers ... a drop (crash and burn?) of 41.8 percent over 2022. The second (Cook Out 400), which showed some improvement (1.4, 2.4M), was on USA, but hardly encouraging.

Viewership on Fox, which carried the first half of the season, was down 10 per cent at an average of 3.5M. What was even more disturbing was a 19 percent tumble in viewers 18 to 49 years of age.

The low in-person interest here July 30 was understandable. It was hot, very HOT … which apparently was what NASCAR was counting on. Otherwise, why have a race here in the middle of summer, which was bad enough, but then to run in the afternoon (3 p.m., start) and not under the lights? How obvious was that?

The low TV numbers … that was a bit more difficult to explain … unless, of course, you buy the argument interest in NASCAR racing in the South – where it all began – is on a drastic downturn. There are many reasons (which we will leave for another time).

(By the way, Cook Out was a last-minute title sponsor . . . fronting -- we’re told -- for Coca-Cola which put up the money albeit at a bargain-basement price.)

The sad part is that Waran has promoted her you-know-what off. She’s tried – REALLY TRIED – to overcome the stacked deck NASCAR dealt her.

The question is: What does NASCAR, which bought the local track from Paul Sawyer and sons, have against Richmond that it would seemingly sabotage its own races to make a point? A partial answer is that the prevailing goal is to expand to bigger venues, which invariably means more money from assorted sources, TV in particular. There’s more to it, of course.

Ask Clay Campbell, grandson of long-time Martinsville Speedway owner, the late Clay Earles, who was there from the beginning of NASCAR … along with founder Bill France and Sawyer, who turned the local half-mile dirt Fairgrounds track into the three-quarter-mile paved RIR. 

Campbell is in charge of several venues for NASCAR including the one here and, so the story goes, never was a big fan of the Sawyers including Paul’s two sons who shared in the big sell-off.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if Martinsville kept two races and Richmond lost one? 

..... DURING THE Hall of Fame game (Jets/Browns) telecast, NBC’s
Melissa Starke introduced Ronde Barber as “a classmate of mine at the University of Virginia … a long time ago."

Barber, who spent 15 NFL seasons (1997-2012) -- all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- was among nine 2023 H of F inductees ... which begged the question: What took them so long?

"I’d like to think I made you famous,” Starke said, recalling her first interview at UVA as a mass media major was with Ronde and twin Tiki.

“I’d like to think I made YOU famous,” Ronde said.

While Tiki was a quote machine during their four seasons in Charlottesville (1993-1996), Ronde never seemed to mind he became almost an afterthought despite being almost as effective on defense at corner back as Tiki was at running back where he set numerous records.

They were inseparable, with no threat of jealousy ever coming between them. They are the Corsican Brothers coming to life. They feel each other’s joy and pain, the good and the bad.

For Ronde, the NFL was mostly good … after a slow start. Tiki likewise excelled with the New York Giants but … took some serious heat from teammates like Michel Strahan for critical remarks about QB Eli Manning and – later – Strahan himself. Tiki also developed a great dislike for coach Tom Coughlin. A difficult divorce likewise took its toll on his popularity.

In their post-playing careers … Ronde became a network game analyst while Tiki gained national attention with NBC’s Today Show. In recent years he was part of a daily cable gabfest … “Tiki and Tierney” … and, most recently, replaced controversial Craig Carton on New York’s WFAN radio.

Finally, for those of us fortunate enough to have covered the Barbers at Virginia, it was heart-warming to see single mother Geraldine watching the game in Canton, Ohio. She, after all, was the one who raised them, who taught them right from wrong, who did what it took to make them the good people they turned out to be.

Dad James Barber up and left one day when the twins were very young, failed to provide much if any financial assistance towards their upbringing … and they had little or no interaction with him thereafter. 

A former Virginia Tech running back, James made a surprise appearance at the 1996 Tech/UVa game in Blacksburg … and they would have nothing to do with him.

Good for them.

Geraldine has every right to be proud.

..... HIS DEBUT as starter for Nottingham Forest was no more, or less, then should have been expected for goalkeeper Matt Turner in the season opener against his former team.

It was pretty much men against boys as Arsenal, which finished second in the English Premier League last year, dominated and still had to hang on for a 2-1 decision.

A season ago Forest barely survived relegation – a step down to the ECL (Championship) which is the annual automatic fate of the EPL’s three bottom feeders. Enter Turner, who played for the Richmond Kickers (2016/2017) and, more recently, was a standout for the U.S. National men’s team that qualified for the 2022 World Cup.

Having led Bruce Arena's New England Revolution to the best regular-season record in Major League Soccer, Turner joined Arsenal as backup to Aaron Ramsdale. Although he played little as the Gunners led the world’s best soccer – sorry, futbol – league for most of 2022-23 until Manchester City assumed control, Turner
was considered a bargain at $10 million which Arsenal had paid to the Revolution and, in turn, got from Nottingham Forest.

It was 2-0 at halftime after Forest’s Brent Johnson blew a clean breakaway by lofting an easy shot over a wide-open goal when challenged by Ramsdale in the 14^th minute.
Arsenal’s first goal was the result of a short, deflected shot in the 26^th minute after Martinelli eluded two defenders then sent a short, no-look, back-heel pass to Eddie Nketiah who scored from about five yards.

Ten minutes later Saka avoided a clumsy defensive effort to hammer a shot from just outside the box into the upper left-hand corner. Turner, 29, had no chance.

Arsenal had a 7-1 advantage in first-half shots and continued to press after the break. But Turner made a couple of goal-saving dives to his left, and Forest took advantage on a goal by Taiwo Awoniyi in the 82d minute to maintain some semblance of suspense.

Later, Turner told inquiring minds he asked to be traded by Arsenal after appearing in only seven matches since joining his most-favorite team. He also said he didn’t think it would happen, given the Gunners’ success, so was somewhat surprised when a deal went through shortly before the first game.

..... SPEAKING OF  “The World’s Greatest Soccer Coach,” … Arena was quietly suspended in late July for remarks deemed inappropriate. Assistant Richie Williams, who played for Arena at the University of Virginia and later spent time full of turmoil with the Kickers, was named interim head coach.

So what did Arena say that was so awful? And, why all the secrecy?

Former Canadian international Katalyn Kyle, on Apple TV’s “The Football Show,” said Arena made a racial slur against a player (unknown) then she quickly walked it back and apologized. Nothing like the threat of a lawsuit to make you wish you hadn’t open your mouth in error.

As best as could be determined, none of the Revolution players was aware of what Arena said (if anything) ... or why he remained suspended while MLS and the Revolution investigated an apparent complaint.

In 2020, "The World’s Greatest," said to be the league’s highest paid coach just south of $1million a year, was suspended for three games by MLS for being abusive towards a game official.

(By the way, Apple is the new home of Major League Soccer for $49 a year or $14.95 a month if you don’t subscribe to Apple TV -- $39 or $12.95 a month if you do. In other words, we don’t watch MLS any more.)

.....  John Smoltz used to be one of the best baseball analysts on TV. Now he can’t shut up.

In the sixth inning of a 1-0 game – Atlanta led the homestanding NY Mets, what else? -- the former Braves righthander went on a non-stop yap-a-thon that had nothing to do with what was unfolding down below.

This is only conjecture, mind you, but I think Smoltz was trying to explain why the Mets’ all-out spending spree failed. Like anybody who had only limited knowledge of what happened couldn’t have said the same thing.

Meanwhile, Atlanta, which destroyed the Mets 21-3 in the afternoon portion of a day-night doubleheader, was threatening to turn this one into a rout, too. The Braves loaded the bases, only to have Jose Quintana force a routine fly to end the inning, before Smoltz took a breath long enough to note the score was still 1-0, and Atlanta had left seven runners on base. The Braves won 6-0, and we’ll have to assume JS noticed.

Of course, it is possible we didn’t get the memo: Fox Sports is paying Smoltz by the word?


..... AN ORGANIZATION with apparently some clout wants the NFL team in Washington to restore “Redskins” as the official name.

Citing “nonsensical culture wars,” the Native American Guardians Association says it was more than 90,000 signatures asking the new owners to drop the year-old “Commanders” and return to the original designation of 86 years.

Now that Dan Snyder no longer calls the shots, bought out for a record $6.05 billion, the league reportedly might be willing. Subjected to withering criticism, including charges of harassment by female employees that led to a hearing by the federal government, Snyder beat the posse out of town. In his place is Josh Harris, also primary owner of the NHL Jersey Devils and NBA Philadelphia 76ers, as well as minor investors like Basketball Hall of Fame's Magic Johnson.

Still fresh in our memory is a prediction by someone who knows Snyder (but asked not to be identified) shortly after “Redskins” was replaced by “The Washington Football Team” in 2020. “You watch,” he said. “Snyder will go back to ‘Redskins’ in a few years.”

Until next time ...