JONES SPEAKS UP ... COSTAS SHUTTING DOWN ... AND MORE (OF COURSE)

 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, against 

Ottawa last Friday (Nov. 1), the Rangers were outshot 41-

19 and still won 2-1.

---- BOB COSTAS says he’s called his last baseball 

game … which begs the question: Who’s left? I mean, all 

the great ones, the household names … from “RED”

 BARBER to ERNIE HARWELL, RUSS HODGES,

 VIN SCULLY, even MEL ALLEN (“How about that?”) 

and now Costas are gone … He isn’t retiring, Costas, 72, 

told reporters. He will continue doing interviews and 

studio stuff for the MLB Network. If only he could resist 

inserting political commentary … which, unfortunately, 

has critics (cliché alert) jumping with joy over the news 

he longer will do what I always thought he did best … 

“Good riddance,” one wrote. “What took him so long?” 

wrote another.

----  For sure … RYAN ODOM, in his second season as 

basketball coach at VCU, finally has made it clear to the 

heretofore every man for himself Rams … either play 

together, like a real team, or you won’t play … Another 

take from Monday’s season-opening win over 

Bellarmine: Whatever they paid MAX SHULGA to stay 

(after he considered transferring to Villanova for his final 

season) … it can’t be enough. Eventually opponents will 

overplay the veteran guard, keep the ball out of his hands 

… and when they do, VCU will be in a world of trouble. 

You can only imagine how many points Shulga could 

score if he put himself first.

How many long-time Rams’ fans recognized MIKE 

POLLIO and TUBBY SMITH at Saturday’s game? Not 

many … which suited them just fine … I think … A 

Bellarmine alumnus, Pollio. 81, was VCU coach

1984-89 … and lives in Louisville, retired from the daily 

grind but still finding more than enough to do as fund-

raiser … Smith, 73, began a long and distinguished 

coaching career on J.D. BARNETT’S staff at VCU and 

later ran programs at Kentucky (where he wona national 

championship in 1998), Memphis, Minnesota and Tulsa -- 

among others. He’s retired and living in High Point, N.C. 

(We’ll have more on Pollio and Smith down the road.)

----  According to MICHAEL SCHWARTZ, writing in 

Richmond BizSense, while Eagle Construction is 

interested in buying Sycamore Creek Golf Course, that’s 

about all to this point. Nobody has signed anything … 

which means rumors circulating among volunteers at the 

Goochland County layout … to wit, it’s a done deal but 

will take about two years before closure … are just that 

… rumors.

----  Manchester United finally told manager ERIK TEN 

HAG what observers thought should have been done 

some time ago …”YOU’RE FIRED.” … To replace the 

him, the Red Devils hired RUBEN AMORIM … who 

was among the rejects after West Ham dumped DAVID 

MOYES. Because? One writer close to the English 

Premier League said Amorim, 39, didn’t have enough 

experience … He will continue to coach Sporting Lisbon 

through Nov. 10 then take over ManU which – believe it 

or not – is paying Sporting about $10 million so Amorim 

and his assistant coaches don’t have to wait until season’s 

end. “I was told it was now or never,” Amorim was 

quoted as saying. “I had three days to make up my mind.”

Until next time …