SPORTS FOLDEROL

  Of all things: Check it out. The Washington Capitals’  TOM WILSON  hit  FILIP CHYTIL  of Vancouver last Sunday with one  of those checks that could have been a lot worse except  Wilson did it in almost excuse-me fashion (for him,  anyway). No penalty was called (rightfully so) after the  player Caps-on-TV’s  JOE BENINATI  calls  “unquestionably the NHL’s best power forward” ran into  Chytil, hitting him in the chest … and down he went near  the end of the first period. The former New York Ranger, who has been hurt a lot  including gosh-knows how many concussions, went to  the dressing room and did not return. Meanwhile, his  teammates saw what happened, which helped to explain  why no one went after Wilson. It was almost like Chytil  ran into Wilson as much as Wilson ran over Chytil. That didn’t keep an unidentified writer from demanding,  according to the headline … NHL Must Throw the ...

  ZAC JONES   was returned to AHL Rochester Tuesday, another example of why the Buffalo Sabres are the NHL’s  worst (by far) franchise which hasn’t qualified for the  playoffs in 14 years. The 25 year old defenseman from Richmond, who joined  the team as a free agent this summer after five frustrating  seasons with the New York Rangers … with a two-way  contract described as “uncommonly rich” … now has  every reason to ask why … as in  why didn’t I go  elsewhere?  Or, more to the point,  why did they want me in  the first place ? Given the fact that Jones was sent to the minor leagues  more than a week before the Sabres opened 2025-26 with  three straight losses you had to believe he was signed by  GM  KEVYN ADAMS  over the objections of  coach  LINDY RUFF . Making his second tour of duty as Buffalo coach, Ruff  dismissed Jones being sent down with a cryptic “I guess  he didn’t ...

  The Buffalo Sabres recalled   ZAC JONES   from AHL Rochester Sunday but the native of Richmond (and first born   and   raised in Virginia to play in the National Hockey League), didn’t dress for Monday night’s game at Montreal. Instead, coach  LINDY RUFF  opted to use  ZACH  METSA , who made his first NHL appearance after 146  minor-league games (including playoffs) in four-plus  seasons with Rochester. Undrafted, the 5-9, 181 pounder  signed with the Americans after five years with Quinipac  University. Metsa got a two-way contract with the Sabres  this summer. He celebrated his 27 th  birthday Saturday  (Oct. 18). Same old, same old for Jones, 25, who opted to leave the  New York Rangers as a free agent this year after spending  34 (of 82) regular-season games in 2024-25 as a healthy  scratch. A third round draft selection of the Rangers in  2019, he joined the Broadway Blueshirts aft...

  Of all things: So, Virginia’s suddenly revived football Cavaliers are  winning again … and, for the first time in a long time,  getting the benefits that go to successful teams (especially  at home). Like? Like Saturday night against Washington State when game  officials made a curious call that led to a late safety and a  22-20 win, the 18th-ranked Hoos’ fifth in a row. No thanks to the confused, confusing babbling of veteran  TV play by play voice  THOM BRENNAMAN , the  viewer couldn’t be sure why State allegedly called a fair  catch, not by the player taking the post-game-tying field  goal kickoff … but a teammate, and therefore (by rule)  was forced to start a drive inside its own two-yard line. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a player other than the receiver signal for a fair catch? Never,  probably. Then we see the replay, and first question should have  been  who did it ? The best Brennama...