Sports Doctor
Dear Santa: Doc lists sports fans' must-haves
Published on Dec 15th, 2011
0 comments Surely you know some people who finish all their Christmas shopping by August. If you happen to be one of those people, this column is for entertainment purposes only. If you happen not to be one of...
Wishin' and hopin': How Santa can make sports fans happy
Published on Dec 5th, 2011
10 comments If you haven’t sent your letter to Santa yet, you’d better get on the ball. Christmas is just a few weeks away, and time is running short. I have informally polled sports fans and have compiled the...
For shame! Bowl offer can't make up for Tech loss
Published on Nov 28th, 2011
33 comments Did you know UVA’s beat-the-buzzer punt return and lateral pass was named Geico’s 2011 Play of the Year? The Cavs fielded their own punt, blindly lateraled the ball, and then ran 35 yards for a...
'Tis the season: Stories of personal triumph inspire thanks
Published on Nov 23rd, 2011
2 comments Thanksgiving is more eclipsed by Christmas every year. Our town’s Christmas lights went up the week after Halloween. But this year, Thanksgiving shall not pass uncelebrated. Here’s the story of two...
PSU buzz: Did London rebuff a pre-fire call?
Published on Nov 14th, 2011
23 comments Mike London wouldn't have liked it, but the buzz in the stands during the Duke game was all about Penn State courting him.No matter who first floated the idea (word on the street says ESPN started it...
Mixed week: UVA win overshadowed by scandal
Published on Nov 9th, 2011
29 comments Last weekend proved a real conflict for me. On the one hand, UVA finally got a November win and silenced trash-talking Yankees, but on the other hand, a man who so many (myself included) believed was...
Stats master: Test your World Series smarts
Published on Nov 3rd, 2011
0 comments Last weekend, after a very strong start (I thought they would win in six games), the Texas Rangers suffered an epic collapse and lost the World Series for the second year in a row. This year’s series...
Sioux 'em! North Dakota gives up on its mascot
Published on Oct 27th, 2011
29 comments With unemployment around 9.7 percent, competition is fierce in the job market, and people want to know where the jobs are. If you’re a graphic designer looking for work, Grand Forks, ND, might have...
They're off: Colonial Downs a disgrace to VA racing
Published on Oct 20th, 2011
16 comments It’s always seemed odd that Virginia, birthplace of Secretariat and home of some of the world’s most beautiful horse country, has never had much in the way of horse racing. In 1978, Virginia was the...
Whadda'ya think? Every sports fan has an opinion
Published on Oct 13th, 2011
4 comments The one common denominator among sports fans is opinion: Every fan has one and is eager to express it. Here are a few topics to assess.DisappointmentWith sports as with everything else in life, we...
Champ or chump?: Should Jose Reyes have walked off?
Published on Oct 6th, 2011
0 comments Before I met the man who became my husband, I had never heard the term “bush league.” (Being from the South, I was familiar with NASCAR’s Busch League, but I hadn’t heard the term used to describe...
2-2 record: Now's no time for Cav desperation
Published on Sep 29th, 2011
8 comments Fans who are having anxiety attacks over UVA’s losses to UNC and Southern Miss need to breathe into a paper bag and splash their face with cold water. And if that doesn’t help, they can try...
Boxing's new low: Choice of Cortez sealed Ortiz' fate
Published on Sep 21st, 2011
29 comments Boxing has never been pretty. The blood turns a lot of people off, but die-hard fans (required, with such a dearth of talent in most divisions) know that boxing’s violence is tempered with fairness...
Fanning flames: Can't 'true fans' just get along?
Published on Sep 12th, 2011
5 comments Not too long ago it was considered bad form to discuss politics or religion in mixed company. It’s a common, widely held belief, referenced by everyone from Mark Twain to Linus van Pelt. The saying’s...
Local option: Why can't UVA & Tech fans watch games?
Published on Sep 5th, 2011
19 comments I love listening to football on the radio. When I go to a game, I always take my little Bell & Howell worldband with me so I can tune in; football games are often much easier to follow with some...
Tech a go-go: Hokies looking to jump to SEC?
Published on Sep 1st, 2011
40 comments With UVA’s first game staring us in the face, I was set to address Bowl game hopes (there apparently are some), probabilities of beating Virginia Tech (a Tech fan made me swear not to tell he...
Big let-down: NCAA retreat yields no 'sweeping reforms'
Published on Aug 25th, 2011
0 comments Mr. Mark EmmertPresident, NCAAP.O. Box 6222Indianapolis, IN 46206Dear President Emmert:First, bravo for holding the NCAA’s recent presidential retreat in Indianapolis and not Jamaica. It’s heartening...
Lost childhood: Is sports fame worth the trade-off?
Published on Aug 18th, 2011
0 comments All parents have dreams for their children. If asked what we want for our kids, most parents would reply “happiness.”But we all have other dreams for our offspring, too. I’d love for my son to be a...
Sunny side? It's hard to find happy news
Published on Aug 11th, 2011
0 comments When my husband learned the Washington Redskins traded away both Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth, he was elated. “It’s a new day for the Redskins,” he exclaimed."I wouldn’t count on it," was my...
D1-A payday: 'Full cost of attendance' a disgrace
Published on Jul 28th, 2011
0 comments Thank goodness Rob Burns cares about academics. The rising senior from Northern Virginia had a 4.01 GPA after his junior year at Stone Bridge High School and could have gone to almost any college....
Sign here: College recruiting raises, crushes dreams
Published on Jul 21st, 2011
0 comments I admit I didn’t watch the entire Women’s World Cup. Packing up a toddler for vacation doesn’t leave a momma much time to watch television: my mind was occupied with Elmo rather than Abby Wambach....
Fool's errand? Chances slim for ACC football glory
Published on Jul 14th, 2011
0 comments According to ESPN, the Bleacher Report, and almost anyone else who has an opinion about college football, 2011 is the ACC’s year. It’s year for what exactly is a bit unclear, seeing how ESPN, the...
You betcha: Is gambling our real national sport?
Published on Jul 7th, 2011
0 comments Most of us celebrate on July 4, but American institutions like the NFL, the NBA, and the Los Angeles Dodgers face uncertain futures and had little reason to shoot off fireworks.When America’s...
For women only? NCAA should rethink softball's pitch
Published on Jun 30th, 2011
0 comments I played first base on a Dixie Youth softball team for years (all-star five years in a row). It was great, especially after I learned if I ran over third base I could be tagged out. If could run over...
Omahuh? Cav coaches can learn things there
Published on Jun 23rd, 2011
0 comments Ah, Omaha, home of– well, of what?According to NPR, Omaha isn’t home merely to the greatest indie-rock club in the country (Slowdown), but also to a very polluted Missouri River. That's because...
Withdrawal: Pass the summer with boxing, golf
Published on Jun 16th, 2011
0 comments If you're tired of dissecting LeBron James’ fourth-quarter performances, you’re not the only one. While James uses the summer to lick his wounds and come up with new ways to insult Dirk Nowitzki, the...
Hamsterdam: Clean up college football? Not a chance!
Published on Jun 9th, 2011
0 comments ESPN is running an online poll right now about college football: is it corrupt? If so, where does the corruption lie, how do fans feel about it, and can a program compete for a championship...
No offense? 'Fa-word' as hurtful as the 'N-word'
Published on Jun 2nd, 2011
0 comments Remember They Might be Giants? They were fun– a nice break from The Smiths. Their 1989 album, Flood, went gold, and for good reason. But while “Istanbul (not Constantinople)” may be the song...
Gone south? Where is Terry Holland's oversight?
Published on May 26th, 2011
0 comments Ask most Virginians between the ages of 30 and 40 who the governor is, and they'll probably know the answer. (Although they may have had to stop themselves from answering, “Chuck Robb.”) Formative...
Tackles to traction: Kids playing football a recipe for trouble
Published on May 19th, 2011
50 comments When people see my son, because of his large size they often say he’s going to be a linebacker. Many parents would be thrilled to hear such a prediction about a son, but I'm not many parents.Before...