SPORTS FOLDEROL

  So much for the Washington Post’s much-hyped piece on LSU women’s basketball coach  KIM MULKEY  … which came out Saturday (March 30) … and proved to be over-blown and over-written with next to nothing we didn’t already know … that she isn’t likable (and doesn’t care) … that she has always been hard on her players and makes no apologies for it … and that she will go to almost any length to protect her territory … It says here she is not unlike many people in her profession, men as well as women. The difference between Mulkey and most of them is … she isn’t filtered … She doesn’t say one thing and mean another. She comes right out with it which oftentimes backfires when people, especially those who don’t like her, stretch her meaning … The Post didn’t do the writer (or readers) any favors with a poor job of editing … allowing him to rely on innuendo when so many key witnesses (understandably) refused to be interviewed … As a result, Mulkey almost comes off favorably. Almost. I’m not a

  At the very least, North Carolina State basketball coach  KEVIN KEATTS  should share his annual bonus of $400,000 for winning the ACC tournament with … Virginia’s  TONY BENNETT  who (admittedly) mismanaged the final moments of regulation in the teams’ semifinal. As a result, the Wolfpack forced overtime on a three-pointer at the buzzer then claimed a 73-65 decision, followed by a final victory over favored North Carolina to make the NCAA field as an 11 th  seed … followed by back to back victories over No. 6 Texas Tech then upstart Oakland, which ousted Kentucky ... Maybe a hearty, sincere "thank you" should forthcoming as well … for the Cavaliers saved Keatts’ job, too. At least State didn’t make the same embarrassing mistake that Long Beach State did … telling coach  DAN MONSON  he was fired  before  the The Beach won the Big West Conference tournament. Always good for a good quote …  DANNY HURLEY  gave the  media what it wanted this week when asked about the transfer  po

  The highly-controversial (to say the least) plan to move  Washington’s NHL Capitals and NBA Wizards to Alexandria  has been on life support almost from the beginning. Wednesday  it died a merciful death … when  TED LEONSIS , who owns  both franchises, agreed to a deal to keep them in exciting,  downtown D.C. Like he had any other choice … well, short of  the longest of long shots. More on that in a moment …  Yesterday morning District mayor  MURIEL BOWSER  told  cable TV’s “The Sports Junkies” that she considered telling  Leonsis, in effect, to take a hike … after it became apparent the  Virginia General Assembly wasn’t buying the $2.2 billion  boondoggle … but that wasn’t what her constituents/voters  living in the area wanted … so she came up with more than  $500 million to help renovate Capital One Arena and guarantee  the teams would remain for a long time (2050, at the very least)  … Asked about a high crime rate in the area, Bowser rattled off  alleged percentage decreases in t

  I have come to the conclusion that Virginia, the state of, lives in an alternate universe when it comes to college athletics. Where else would they celebrate a basketball coach who makes $1.7 million annually… yet has been to three NCAA tournaments in … 19 years?   Or, would they hire an Ivy League coach with a losing record  … who relies on three-point field goals (33, making 12, in a  three-point NIT loss at Ohio State) … which is like watching  the NBA … which, frankly, would never be described as an  endorsement here? And, they have the nerve to say, “We are  committed to athletic excellence.” THEN THERE  is the man in charge of the DI program in  Charlottesville … where he has built a winner unlike any other  … based on defense … not just rolling the ball out on the floor  and allowing the players to create one-on-one offense on their  own.  TONY BENNETT  is a coach who … are you ready for  this? … actually coaches. Wow! Is that a novel idea, or what? In 15 years at Virginia, Be