RICHMOND IN NHL? ... SURELY YOU JEST
The National Hockey League is talking potential expansion
again … with San Diego and Quebec City among those
mentioned … along with Salt Lake City which is said to be the
frontrunner for relocation of the Arizona Coyotes … ANSON
CARTER, former NHLer now seen as a panelist on TNT’s
coverage, is spokesman for a group seeking to put a team in
Atlanta … which has had two teams that now call Winnipeg
and Calgary home … I know, I know it’s crazy but … what
about Richmond? Specifically, Henrico County, which still
plans to build a 17,000-seat arena … that is expected to be
ready by 2027 … after delays for assorted reasons have pushed
ground-breaking currently scheduled for later this year … In
fact, when TED LEONSIS tried to move the Washington
Capitals to Alexandria in what proved to be a politicly-charged,
contentious, failed attempt, we asked if the Capital City ever
came up as potential Plan B … before D.C. mayor MURIEL
BOWSER found an extra $515 million in her budget to
renovate Cap One Arena and persuade Leonsis to stick around
for another 25 years? … The answer, said DENNIS
BICKMEIER, executive director of Henrico’s sports authority,
was: “No … never … not at all.” … At least he didn’t laugh at
us. Nice man, Mr. B.
By the way … the Henrico Sports and Events Center will host
the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame 2024 induction ceremony
Saturday (April 20) … This marks the first time it will be held
outside of the Hampton Roads area as executive director WILL
DRISCOLL is on a mission to make the Hall relevant to the
entire state … For more detail, check Bickmeier’s podcast with
Driscoll available on YouTube … or do as we did … Go to
Safari (or the browser of choice), type Dennis Bickmeier in the
search portion and click! Then scroll down to Showtime: All
the Time … podcast No. 6 … with Driscoll. Click again … and
the two of them will tell you all you need to know (and more)
about the 51st HofF induction day that starts with breakfast and
ends with short speeches from the 10 inductees that evening.
The emphasis is on short. Driscoll promises … He also expects
a very large turnout on behalf of inductee HAL NUNNALLY,
the late Randolph-Macon College basketball coach. Among
those who -- we’re told -- plan to attend is GARY
WILLIAMS, who won a national championship at Maryland
… and wrote the best, clearly heartfelt letter on behalf of
Nunnally we’ve ever read.
TIKI BARBER says the New York Football Giants should not
draft JJ McCARTHY, the Michigan QB in a run-first offense
that was good enough to win a national championship. “His
film doesn’t say he’s a first-round quarterback. The scheme he
ran … didn’t highlight the things you have to do as a pro … I
don’t want him.” … Not that Barber, All-ACC running back at
U.Va., followed by 10 years of setting rushing records with the
Giants, will get his way. New York has the sixth pick … and
consensus among draft experts is McCarthy’s over-under is 5.5
… Those rated likely to go ahead of him are … Southern Cal’s
CALEB WILLIAMS (No. 1 to da Bears) and LSU’s Heisman
Trophy-winning JAYLEN DANIELS (No. 2 to The Team
Formerly Known as Redskins). From there it’s pick-’em among
DRAKE MAYE (UNC), MICHAEL PENIX, JR.
(Washington) and BO NIX (Oregon) … as well as McCarthy
… Barber, by the way, has become something of a polarizing
figure in the Big Apple where he has a popular afternoon callin
radio show … and has a knack for drawing attention to himself.
Smart man, T. Barber.
UNTIL NEXT TIME ...
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