SPORTS FOLDEROL

So, who was to blame, the game officials or talking heads in the Fox booth for totally confusing viewers during Sunday’s Eagles-Commanders matchup?   For sure the Foxies, Chris Myers and Mark Schlereth, took a snooze when first, they failed to note who was the Washington lineman (Chris Paul) who strayed too far downfield, thereby negating another completion by Sam Howell and leading to a next-snap interception that made the go-ahead touchdown possible in a 38-31 win by the Eagles.   Then, they apparently missed a monster infraction by your Commanders at the end of the INT return, giving the Eagles goal-to-go from the Washington eight.  Finally, Myers gave viewers oh, by the way information that someone committed a personal foul. He didn’t identify the culprit because he didn’t know or his crack network crew didn’t bother to find out. If that wasn’t bad enough … Jalen Hurts threw eight yards to veteran – and recent Philadelphia hire – Julio Jones in the end zon...

Of the more than 350 members inducted into the Virginia State Sports Hall of Fame since 1972, a grand  total of five represent the world’s favorite game -- soccer or futbol to be more precise. They are  Lynchburg College’s Bill Shellenberger, who won 371 games in 31 years, never had a losing record, and is  member of six halls of fame; Angela Hucles, from Virginia Beach and four-times All-ACC at the  University of Virginia; Rob Ukrop, native Richmonder who was an All-American at Davidson, is the  Richmond Kickers’ all-time scorer and currently is the local pro team’s CEO; Helmut Werner, a native of  the Ukraine who played for Shellenberger at Lynchburg and had a record of 417-242-66 in 43 years as  coach at Randolph-Macon; and arguably the best midfielder to play for the U.S. National Men’s team,  U.Va., All- American Claudio Reyna … the last soccer player to enter the state hall (Class of 2017). It’s  not who is in but … who is not. Lon...

In New York, where they hate (if that’s strong enough) Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots’ GOAT of a coach is not only about to be sent on his way by owner Robert Kraft, he’s already penciled in as moving on to one of three desperate teams … da Bears, the Chargers or your Washington Commanders. They can’t be serious, can they? A FOUR-STAR quarterback from Georgia has committed to play football for Deion Sanders at the University of Colorado, starting in 2025. Antwann Hill, Jr, was quoted as saying the tipping point came during a visit when the fans began chanting his name. Anybody want to bet he changes his mind … like several times … before making a final decision? The usual suspects, among them Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia, also wanted Hill, and you’ve got to believe the chase is far from over. The odds are said to be pretty good Sanders will be long gone from Boulder in two years (or fewer), bound for the NFL. WHO CALLS the plays for Penn State? The Nit...

Second-guessing and (rhymes with itching) are hands-down America’s favorite past-times … and Sunday the National Football League had more than its share starting with your Washington Football Team in Atlanta and ending with the New York Football Giants at Buffalo. We have the time and space but lack the inclination to go into great detail. Suffice to say, network cameras zeroed in on the featured culprits which just happened to be losing coaches … who were seen trying to deflect the blame to their quarterbacks including former Virginia Tech star Tyrod Taylor. Making his first start of the season, in place of the injured Daniel Jones, Taylor took a vicious verbal attack from NY coach Brian Daboll while leaving the field at halftime. Earlier, Falcons bossman Arthur Smith, who like Daboll seldom – if ever – hides his anger, frustration (you name it), let his rookie QB have it on the sideline after throwing his third interception that ostensibly cost Atlanta the game. More on both i...

CONSIDER THE SOURCE: According to a New York tabloid, Tiki Barber wants to be the Big Apple’s most influential media personality and, with that in mind, they’ve started a computer-generated “Bad Tiki” segment on his daily radio show. Come again? We kid you not. Actually, the first “Bad Tiki” was borderline funny … that is, if you’re into New York-style putdown humor/nastiness, otherwise it was … OK, b-a-d. “Where did you come up with this?” the former UVA and NY Giants’ star running back asked co-host Evan Roberts, who took most of the abuse. Let it be noted “Good Tiki” was laughing. AT LEAST HE WON’T BE SENT DOWN: That should have been small consolation for Zac Jones, who opened the season the NY Rangers’ No. 7 defenseman. From Richmond, first player born and bred in Virginia to suit up in the NHL, he apparently never had a real chance … to make the No. 3 defensive pairing with the arrival of free agent Erik Gustafsson. The Rangers gave Jones, coming off two outstanding seasons...

If you think local talk shows have become overly harsh about your Washington football team, going from hot to cold and back again on a whim week after week after … check the NY tabloids some time. They take it personally when their New York Football Giants fail to measure up to preseason calls for greatness … as misguided as it seemed at the time. The difference is here … most, if not all, of the (middle) finger-pointing is directed at the guiding geniuses starting with Ron Rivera, who is co-blamed along with defensive coordinator Jack del Rio. Will somebody please try to explain why they haven’t been fired by now … is the recurring theme. You hear one … you’ve heard them all. Never mind, unlike the Football Giants, the Redsk … sorry, Commanders were outclassed start to finish only once. Last time out, against heretofore-pitiful Chicago, the defensive line played like it didn’t care. Effort was totally lacking, and that left the secondary at the mercy of da Bears’ mediocre QB Justi...

You are … Tony Elliott, and you’ve got to be asking … Was I crazy, or what, to take the job at Virginia when I could have gone to Duke? Better yet … why did I leave Clemson? And, you are Anthony Poindexter, Penn State assistant and former UVA aide and All-American defensive back, who continues to thank the gods of football for not accepting the opportunity to return to Hooville. He could have been Bronco Mendenhall’s successor but someone (someones?) close to the program advised AP to stay put. Now was not the time. So Elliott, Clemson’s offensive coordinator for seven years, accepts Virginia’s offer in December of 2021 after reportedly being involved in vacancies at Tennessee and Auburn previously. A week earlier Brent Venables, the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, was named Oklahoma coach and, in less than two seasons, has become a leading candidate for national honors after his 6-0 Sooners knocked off No. 3 and previously unbeaten Texas Saturday … while Elliott’s Cavaliers were sna...

GO FIGURE: New York Rangers have newcomer Erik Gustafsson slotted on the left side of their No. 3 defense despite a reputation for not being very good in his own end. This will be his eighth team in the last five years including a failed training camp with the Islanders. Last year he had a brief scoring streak with Washington before being shipped to Toronto. Inability to pass the puck to teammates has always been a problem yet new Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, who had Gustafsson in Washington, apparently gave him the job ahead of Zac Jones, the native Richmonder who probably would be better off being traded to a team that really wants him. Jones cannot be sent back to AHL Hartford without first going through waivers which he undoubtedly would not clear. In Wednesday night’s 5-2 loss to New Jersey, which finished its preseason schedule unbeaten (6-0), Gustafsson, paired with Braden Schneider, was, for the most part, inconspicuous. His primary contribution was a perfect hip check ...

Don’t Be Surprised If … ….. The Richmond Kickers have a new coach next year, the ninth in club history that began in 1993 when founder Bobby Lennon was numero uno. He was succeeded (in order) by John Kerr Sr. (1994), Dennis Violet (1995-96), Fred Kohlenstein (1997), Colin Clarke (1998-99), Leigh Cowlishaw (2000-2018), David Bulow (2018-19 and Darren Sawatsky (2019-present). The Kickers were regular-season USL League One winners then reached the semifinal round of the playoffs in 2022 ... and were expected to challenge again this year. However, a 14-game non-winning streak (0-10-4) has left them nearer the bottom of the 12-team third-division league than the top … with two games remaining. Latest misadventure was a 1-0 loss at home Saturday night to defending champion South Georgia Tormenta, beating Richmond for the first time since 2020. A questionable – OK, terrible -- call against former South Georgia forward Ryan Sierakowski led to a penalty kick in the 70th minute for the onl...