SPORTS FOLDEROL

  Lots of stuff ... Believe it or not … Richmond’s  ZAC JONES  made  headlines in New York by offering an opinion about  teammate and NHL Rangers goalkeeper  IGOR  SHESTERKIN  … who will become a free agent if he  doesn’t sign a new contract before the 2025-26 season …  and negotiations apparently have been put on hold after  he rejected a five-year deal worth $11 million annually …  which would make Shesterkin the highest-paid goalie …  “Pay the man,” said Jones, who usually chooses his words  so carefully he seldom is interviewed. “He is the best  goalie … hands down. There is no one as good as Igor  Shesterkin.” … The 24 year old defenseman is the first  Ranger, to our knowledge, to say that publicly … on a  team that has been beholden to Shesterkin for the past  three seasons. This year, for example, New York is 8-2-1  despite shoddy work at the defensive end that the 28- year-old Russian has made up for with one brilliant, how- did-he-do-that? save after another. For example, agai

  Weekend Watch IV … replaces III which will be  held over: Like it really matters, right? Originally, the next WW was to be about the Virginia  (University of) Football Team … which has come on hard times and seems to be imploding from within … and  could force athletic director  CARLA WILLIAMS  to  make a difficult – if necessary – decision. Just what  Williams needs. Losing one-of-a-kind basketball coach   TONY BENNETT  (his choice) was a major blow. What  if football coach  TONY ELLIOTT  is out, too (not his  choice)? Because the Cavaliers had a bye week … and Virginia  Tech didn’t … blowing a big second-half lead before  losing to Syracuse in overtime … which naturally led to  some very loud calls for the removal of coach  BRENT  PRY  … we decided to concentrate on the Hokies instead. And, here we thought fans couldn’t be more fickle than  those who live in New York. Big Apple … meet  Blacksburg. (Cliche alert). What a difference a week  makes! … Having won three in a row, to buil

  Well, your Richmond Kickers certainly had their chances  to upset top-seeded Union Omaha in the quarterfinals of  the USL League One playoffs Sunday. A breakaway  opportunity in the 14 th  minute went wide right by  RYAN  SIERAKOWSKI  then, on a corner kick early in the  second half,  EMELIANO TERZAGHI  and  KLAIDI  CELA  both knocked the ball off the crossbar … At that  point, with the score still 0-0, the Kickers let down just  long enough for the home team to score the only goal on  a counter-attack … and send a small crowd of about  2,500 – as well as a couple of Omaha cheerleaders calling  the game for the CBS SportsNetwork – home happy ...  Next for Union is a semifinal date with fourth-seed  Greenville, a 2-1 winner over No. 5 Knoxville. The other  semifinal will match No. 7 Spokane, which routed No. 2  Northern Colorado 3-0, with No. 3 Forward Madison, a  2-0 winner over sixth-seeded Charlotte. For Richmond, which barely qualified for post-season  play at No. 8, the end came

  They said it … although not always sure why: “ Eleven guys doing their job … is not addition … it’s  multiplication.” – Indiana football coach  CURT  CIGNETI  … explaining why the Hoosiers have been  so dominant (I think). “ I don’t think there’s [enough] talent on the squad to win  … the Premier League … Some of these players have  been world class … at times. There’s talent in there ...It’s  a matter of giving them fresh ideas … but nothing too  complicated. Do one or two things right. Play to your  strengths … and if he can get the squad to start doing that,  I think you will see a new team.” – NBC’s (and former  USMNT goalkeeper)  TIM HOWARD  on Manchester  United hiring a new manager,  RUBEN AMORIM , and  the big job ahead of him Multiple choice: Who said: “When you think about  perfect roles …  JUDY GARLAND  was perfect as  Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, right? Can’t think of  anyone else being her …  CAM WARD is the perfect  University of Miami quarterback.”? Was it … (A)  GUS J