AT LEAST ONE ACC TEAM DESERVES APPLAUSE

 Briefly told … quickly ...



So, howabout them Hurricanes? Guess they belonged in 

the playoffs after all, eh? Win or lose in the final, Miami 

gave the ACC much-needed respect … If only, if only … 

coach MARIO CRISTOBAL hadn’t given his team an 

instant excuse by making sure everyone understood his 

players were ravaged by the flu. Oh, and take that Ole 

Miss!



By the way … what was all that stuff about SportsCenter 

anchor SCOTT VAN PELT and asking Cristobal a 

question he didn’t want to answer? Then making a 

shallow inquiry that sounded more like a sideline reporter. 

“What are you most proud of … tonight?” Yuk!



A 6-6, 322-pound offensive tackle, LOGAN 

HOWLAND, is coming to Virginia Tech via the transfer 

portal from Oklahoma. He has two-year’s eligibility 

remaining.



Manchester United, unaccustomed to being an also-ran 

nin the English Premier (Soccer) League, dumped coach

 RUBEN AMORIM after 14 months … and now is said 

to want MAURICIO POCHETTINO to replace him. In 

the meantime, the Argentine has a more pressing matter, 

preparing the U.S. National Men’s team for the 2026 

World Cup that will be held in North America.


Nothing changes with ESPN, or so it seems. The World 

Wide Leader adds thorough coverage of the NHL … and, 

suddenly, ESPN+ goes from being reasonably reliable to 

downright maddening. Click Start from Beginning and 

invariably get Watch Live. Telecast goes to commercial 

break and doesn’t return. You must start all over again 

(several times during one game).



In case you’ve forgotten, the New York Rangers haven’t 

always been soft. They’ve had their share of tough guys 

… such as CHRIS NILAN, NICK FOTIU, SEAN 

AVERY … all introduced as part of a Fan Favorites 

celebration prior to Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Buffalo 

Sabres at Madison Square Garden.



Once again ZAC JONES was a healthy scratch for 

Buffalo. The native Richmonder, called up from AHL 

Rochester which he led in scoring (30 points in 27 games) 

as a defenseman, has been summoned three times and has 

yet to appear in a regular-season game since signing with 

the Sabres July 3 as a free agent … after spending his first 

seven years as a pro with the Rangers’ organization. In 

all, Jones has suited up for 115 NHL games including a 

personal-high of 46 a season ago. He has 4 goals, 14 

assists.



When the Sabres’ recent winning streak reached a club-

record 10 games, TNT’s PAUL BISSONNETTE said he 

would buy a live buffalo IF the Sabres could win their 

next 10 … a safe bet if ever there was one. Columbus 

quickly ended the streak 5-1.


GLENN HALL, whose 18 Hockey Hall of Fame years in 

the NHL included a record 502 consecutive games (that 

will never be broken), died Wednesday (Jan. 7) in Stoney 

Plain, Alberta, Canada. He was 94.


The Red Wings’ PATRICK KANE scored twice 

Thursday night to become the sixth U.S.-born player to 

crack the 500-goal mark. Detroit won 5-1 over 

Vancouver.


Until next time ...






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