SPORTS FOLDEROL

  While Saturday’s attendance apparently was best in a long time, no way did Richmond Raceway have a  sellout for NASCAR’s Cook Out 400. That is, unless  tickets were sold but not used for about one-fourth to  one-third of the available seats at Strawberry Hill. Then again, despite all the hoopla, the question (as  always) still remained: what exactly is a sellout these  days? NASCAR stopped announcing official figures  long ago … and there was no indication how many  actually were on hand for this race either. At one time, when  PAUL SAWYER  was turning the  original half-mile dirt track into a three-quarter-mile  paved showpiece, crowds in excess of 100,000  reportedly were commonplace. Since then capacity  has wavered … down to as low as 51,000, which  hasn’t been reached in a while.  SAY THIS for  LORI WARAN , who was hired as  track president to fail, given lack of any previous  experienc...

  Lots of stuff … Still pretending it is the last word in undergraduate  athletics, the NCAA fined the Michigan football  program what could reach as much as $30 million  and (among other things) suspended coach   SHERRONE MOORE  a third game – of his  choosing, naturally – for stealing signs in 2023 …  while  JIM HARBAUGH , now in charge of the NFL  Chargers, was coach of the Wolverines. Raise your hand if you think Michigan will pay a  penny, much less a six-figure payoff ... when the old  rules meant to protect amateur athletics no longer  apply. The laughter you hear … SPEAKING OF WHICH … Adidas will pay the  University of Tennessee $100M in a 10-year deal to  become the exclusive apparel provider for the  school’s athletic teams … starting July 1, 2026 when  UT’s agreement with Nike runs out. Volunteers football reportedly is valued at $1.37  BILLION, ninth highest overall … Adidas  previ...

  If it wasn’t “The Biggest Day of Horse Racing in Virginia History” … and who are we to second-guess who got paid the big bucks to come up with that? … Saturday’s Thoroughbred competition clearly turned Colonial Downs into Upset City. Of the 12 races, including seven stakes … among  them the featured Arlington Million that attracted  Mystik Dan, first Kentucky Derby winner to  compete at the New Kent County track … only one  saw the favorite come home first … when Curly  Larry and Mo led all the way to claim the opener, a  $50,000 claiming race … long before a crowd of  about 7,000 had settled down for the more serious  stuff yet to come. In fact, you could make a case for a perfect 0-for-12 ; … because morning line choice (3/1) was Neon  Nights … which was seen as no better than fourth by  the bettors and finished second. THERE ARE some people out there who will tell  you Mystik Dan, which finished fourth in a photo  ove...