OF JMU'S QB SITUATION, 'SPITTING FINE',' MANNING SHOULDER ... AND LOT MORE

 A little on a lot ...

First a quick followup on likelihood the once-proud 

Richmond Times-Dispatch will follow the Atlanta 

Journal-Constitution and drop its print edition. R-TD 

circulation, once a robust 250,000-plus, now stands at 

17,000 … and falling (rapidly). Wonder why?

So what do you think? Was James Madison’s two-

quarterback system the primary culprit in the underdog 

Dukes’ loss at Louisville? Coach BOB CHESNEY said 

Monday rotating ALONZA BARNETT III and

 MATTHEW SLUKA snap by snap will continue. JMU 

has a bye week for Chesney to change his mind, if he 

hasn’t already.

The National Football League fined Eagles’ DL JALEN 

CARTER $57,222 (what he’s paid per game) for spitting 

on Dallas QB DAK PRESCOTT prior to the first snap of 

the teams’ season opener. Wow! That’ll show him … No 

wonder the NFL is out of control.

ARCH MANNING has a shoulder problem. Count on it. 

Just about every time he launches a football there’s a 

wince to go with it. Texas might be wise to shut him 

down for a while, but don’t count on it.

Oklahoma’s JOHN MATEER, who joined the Sooners 

via the Transfer Portal from Washington State, is leader in 

the clubhouse for the Heisman … with Oregon’s DANTE 

MOORE our dark horse choice.

Speaking of crucial coaching decisions … the New York 

Football Giants’ BRIAN DABOLL insists he’s sticking 

with RUSSELL WILSON despite what could only be 

described as a terrible performance in Game 1 Sunday 

against Washington. The veteran QB from Richmond was 

17 of 37 passing, for 168 yards in a 21-6 loss. At one 

point the Giants were goal-to-go, first down on the 

Commanders two yard line and couldn’t punch it in … 

Daboll refused to blame Wilson, 36, and said, “Russ will 

be better” against the Cowboys this week … Waiting in 

the wings is rookie and top draft choice (25^th overall)

 JAXSON DART from Ole Miss. 

On the West Coast, they’re calling for Goochland’s

 JUSTIN VERLANDER to retire … but, if he does, it 

won’t his choice. The big righthander, 42, says he wants 

at least one more season despite a 3-10, 4.09 record with 

the San Francisco Giants.

On the Left Coast, your New York Yankees are hitting 

home runs reminiscent of the New York Giants of 1947 

… of “LUCKY” JACK LOHRKE, BUDDY KERR, 

BILL RIGNEY, JOHNNY MIZE, WALKER 

COOPER, ERNIE LOMBARDI, “THE HONDO 

HURRICANE” CLINT HARTUNG, DAVE KOSLO, 

etc., ... our first baseball crush.

Quick story about the ‘47 Giants, courtesy of San 

Francisco columnist SCOTT OSTLER: “Rigney loved 

to tell how Mize [his roommate] would wake up, throw 

open the hotel room window, light up a cigar and blow 

the smoke out the window. If he saw that the wind was 

blowing in the right direction, the ‘Big Cat’ would 

pronounce, ‘Gonna hit a couple out today, roomie.’”

Mize, a big, beefy left-hand-hitting first baseman, smoked 

51 home runs in 1947 (tying RALPH KINER of the 

Pirates). Rigney hit 17 … “in what might be a record for 

most homers by road roommates,” wrote Ostler, “a 

combined 68.”

Two sports icons died August 22. RON TURCOTTE, 

jockey on the The Greatest Thoroughbred of All Time: 

1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, turned 84 a 

month earlier … NHL goaltending legend KEN 

DRYDEN was 78 when he passed from cancer. In eight 

National Hockey League seasons, he won five Vezina 

trophies and six Stanley Cups, all with the Montreal 

Canadiens … Although Turcotte, from Grand Falls, New 

Brunswick Canada, and third oldest of 12 children, is best 

known for his association with ”Big Red” of Meadow 

Stables in Doswell, he had a distinguished 18-year career 

(3,023 wins; earnings of $28.7 million in an era prior to 

larger purses of modern-day horse racing) … cut short 

July 13, 1978 by a spill at Belmont Park that left him a 

paraplegic the rest of his life. Turcotte is a member of six 

hall of fames.

Until next time ...