LAME DUCK AG GETTING HEAT, NEVERTHELESS, ABOUT NEW GAMBLING EMPORIUM

 More stuff … college football, mostly …

But, starting with … state senator SCHUYLER 

VANVALKENBURG, whose quest to eliminate all 

forms of gambling, legal as well as illegal, in the 

commonwealth now has him accusing lame duck 

Attorney General JASON MIYARES of ignoring a 

request to issue an opinion on the Roseshire, recently 

opened betting parlor currently subject of a lawsuit 

brought by Henrico County officials against the Virginia 

Racing Commission.

In September, the VRC granted a gaming license to 

Roseshire, the last step in the process that allowed the 

facility to operate (lawfully) as many as 175 historical 

horse racing (ie, slot) machines.

VanValkenburg and DAN SCHMIDT, chairman of 

Henrico’s Board of Supervisors, in particular, had argued 

the commission’s decision was based on a 30-year-old 

referendum in which county voters okayed parimutuel 

betting on horse racing … that took place before HHR 

machines were invented and, therefore, should 

haverendered it null and void.

Located in a strip mall near the corner of Staples Mill and 

Glenside, Roseshire is owned by Churchill Downs, home 

of the Kentucky Derby … which became THE major 

player in Thoroughbred racing in Virginia three years ago 

when it purchased Colonial Downs and its statewide 

Rosie’s HHR establishments for a reported $2.3 billion.

VanValkenburg, who like Schmidt represents the area that 

includes Roseshire, was quoted as saying he and other 

officials “reached out to the attorney general’s office 

[prior to the 2025 General Assembly session] … to get 

Miyares to clarify what the law meant.” He didn’t get a 

response, he said, until Nov. 13, the day after the county 

filed suit against the VRC … saying the AG could not say 

anything because of “pending litigation.”

Of course, it was exactly what VanValkenburg expected. 

After all, in March, Governor GLENN YOUNGKIN

 vetoed a portion of the budget that would have required 

another referendum to allow Henrico to vote on 

Roseshire.

So what’s all the fuss now? I mean, other than the fact 

VanValkenburg is a Democrat and Miyares and Youngkin 

are Republicans.

Roseshire took in more than $5million from the betting 

public in less than a month after opening in late 

September … and, according to employees, all has gone 

well. The fears expressed regarding the evils of gambling 

in a residential neighborhood area have proved 

unfounded.

***** JAMES FRANKLIN (cliché alert) hit the road 

running, didn’t he? The new Virginia Tech football coach 

got 4-star running back MESSIAH MICKENS, the 

reigning Pennsylvania high school player of the year from 

Harrisburg, to flip his commitment to Penn State … 

which fired Franklin after games.

As a junior, Mickens ran for 1,214 yards and 21 

touchdowns but the 5-10, 210 pounder was even more 

impressive as a defensive end (81 tackles, 39 for losses, 

16.5 sacks, 21 QB hurries).

*****. VIRGINIA’S TONY ELLIOTT should be a 

shoo-in for ACC coach of the year.

The No. 18-ranked Cavaliers (9-2) close out their regular 

season at  home Saturday night (7, ESPN) against 

VaTech, probably needing a win to play in the ACC 

championship game.

If you didn’t know better, it would appear U.Va., would 

be a lock over the Hokies, 3-8 and losers of four straight.

For one thing the Cavaliers will be without their best 

defensive player, LB KAM ROBINSON … lost for the 

balance of the season with a knee injury.

More to the point, however, has been Tech’s dominance 

in the series (61-18-5), winning 19 of the last 20.

PARAPHRASING FOOTBALL-ON-FOX wiseman

 JOEL KLATT on LANE KIFFIN, who apparently will 

leave Ole Miss for LSU (Klatt believes), thereby hurting 

the upstart Rebels’ chances for the college championship:

Kiffin is a good, not great coach who, unlike say 

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, would look to better himself even 

if it meant losing credibility. The way Klatt sees it, the 

system is flawed if a coach can leave a program with 

more on the line. It isn’t fair to his players.

“I don’t think we should have a selection-based playoff; I 

think we should have an access-based playoff, so we can 

remove some of the ambiguity,” added Klatt … as told to 

Fox talk show’s COLIN COWHERD.

Until next time …

(Please send comments to mbl749@comcast.net)

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