KICKER WIN BIG ... SO DOES JOCKEY AT COLONIAL DOWNS

Of all things:



It’s a new season … but not the same old Richmond 

Kickers of USL League One. A year ago they were 

scoring challenged. To put it another way ... “they 

couldn’t put a soccer ball in the ocean” … much less into 

a regulation goal with its inviting opening of 192 square 

feet.”…  In their 2025 opener, on the road at South 

Georgia, your Kickers won 4-2. Who would have 

believed it? … By halftime Richmond led 3-2, scoring as 

many goals in 45 minutes plus than it did in any one 

league game in 2024. In fact, only once did it manage 

more than three goals … in a 4-2 decision over the 

Maryland Bobcats in a U.S. Open Cup affair … 

HAYDEN ANDERSON, CHANDLER O’DWYER and 

DAKOTA BARNATHAN scored in the first half. NILS 

SIEFERT added the clincher in the 74th minute … 

MASON TUNBRIDGE scored both goals, the first on a 

PK, for the Tormenta and was named league player of the 

week …. Game 2 for Richmond will be Saturday at the 

Charlotte Independence (8 p.m.).



Expecting a sellout of 8,000-plus for Saturday’s Virginia 

Derby, Colonial Downs got it … announcing Wednesday 

that the last of 5,000 general admission tickets was long 

gone. This will mark the first time the Derby will be held 

on dirt and be a prep race for the May 3d Kentucky Derby 

… GETAWAY CAR, trained by BOB BAFFERT, was 

installed the early favorite in a field of 10 at 9/5 … The 

three-day spring meet got under way Thursday ... with 

veteran jockey PACO LOPEZ winning four of the 

program’s eight races on an overcast, cool day. In all, the 

39 year old from Veracruz, Mexico, had mounts in seven 

races and earned $188,725. He also finished second, third 

and fourth ... Day 2 begins Friday at 12:30 p.m., with the 

first of eight races at the New Kent County track located 

off I-64 halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg.


VCU is to men’s basketball what UR is to women’s. Both 

are the class of their respective leagues but not on the 

national stage. Hey, (cliché alert) something is better than 

nothing.


VCU’s RYAN ODOM (son of Dave) would seem to be 

the perfect choice to succeed RON SANCHEZ (fired) as 

U.Va., coach but … keep in mind CARLA WILLIAMS is 

the athletic director who recently signed a new, long-term 

contract at a raise in salary … which means she’s safe 

regardless … so might very well not hire someone 

favored by the Cavalier faithful.



It says here Ryan O has outdone himself, turning the 

Rams into the A-10’s best team … better than leading 

UMBC to the NCAA tournament where it upset Virginia 

in the first round. 


LEBRON JAMES didn’t like ESPN’s $100 million man, 

STEPHEN A. SMITH, criticizing son BRONNY JAMES 

… and told him so in a public confrontation at Madison 

Square Garden. When onlookers started yelling “HIT 

HIM … HIT HIM” who do you think they were rooting 

for?


Until next time ... 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

McGARITY NOT READY TO GIVE UP ... 'NO SIR ... NOT YET'

VATECH HOOPS SIGNED A GOOD ONE ... AND THAT'S AS SINCERE AS IT GETS

AND THEY ARE PAYING HIM WHAT?