NFL Legend Bill Walsh Dies

If you were to sell off the NFL by decade, former San Francisco 49ers Coach Bill Walsh would own the 1980’s. Walsh took over a franchise that was down in the cellar and turned it into one of the greatest in NFL history. Bill Walsh died today at his home in Stanford, California, after a courageous battle with Leukemia. He was 75.

Walsh led the 49ers from 1979-1989 to six NFC West titles and also won three Super Bowl championships (1981, 1984, 1988) during that span. Walsh was credited for inventing the West Coast offense, a series of short, precisely timed passes to control the ball. Many teams still use the offense today.

Most of my memories of the silver-haired Walsh, aren’t of his days on sidelines, but rather up in the luxury boxes of Candlestick Park, looking down on Head Coach George Seifert continue the magic that Walsh began concocting a decade earlier.

Some of Walsh’s best moves were done off the field. While still coaching, Walsh was instrumental in drafting the likes of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, possibly the greatest quarterback/wide receiver combo in NFL history. Walsh also plucked Jeff Garcia, who played in Canada most of his career, and turned him into a Pro Bowl quarterback with San Francisco.

The 49ers have won five Super Bowl titles, a record they share with the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsbugh Steelers. A record that can be attriubted in large part to the work of Walsh.

As a life-long 49ers fan, this is a sad day. But it is also a great day. In Bill Walsh’s death, memories of how he orchestrated on of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history will resonate once again in the San Francisco Bay Area, ESPN, and all around the football world.

State wants to Dip into General Fund for VT Victims

Should Joe Taxpayer be paying the victims families of tragedy at Virginia Tech? That’s the question that members of the General Assembly will have to consider. It seems as though some lawmakers want to use money from the state general fund to aid the victims of that horrible April morning.

While listening to 1140 WRVA on the way in this morning, Jimmy Barrett tackled this issue in his “Question of the Day” segment. One caller said yes, the taxpayers should aid the victims. The caller also said that the funds would also be a way to limit any liability on behalf of VT.

Another said that while you can’t downplay the significance of the tragedy, it’s not the taxpayer’s responsibility to aid the victims. The caller also noted that if it was one or two that died instead of 33, things would be totally different.

I think the money should, and can be raised through private contributions. To date, the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund has raised over $7 million. And that number can continue to grow through generous donations.

If people are worried about the liability issue, go after Virginia Tech with a lawsuit, instead of using state funds. Granted, since Tech is a state school, a lawsuit against the institution, is a lawsuit against you and I. So either way, we're footing the bill.

We should have learned through the September 11th Memorial Fund that the government dishing out funds to the victims isn’t always the best road to take.

To donate to the Hokie Spirit Memorial fund, click here.

Vick Apologizes for Missing Spring Training

Mike...are you serious? Since when did you start swinging a bat for the purpose of hitting a baseball. Andruw and Chipper Jones don't want your off-the-field troubles invading the A-Braves. Plus, we still need to get through the summer, fall, and winter before spring arrives again.

Your football team just started training camp. (without you)

Unbelievable. Well, not really.

Text of a statement by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, as read outside U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., on Thursday by lawyer Billy Martin:

"Today in court I pleaded innocent to the allegations made against me. I take these charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name. I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown. Above all I would like to say to my mom I'm sorry for what she has had to go through in this most trying of times. It has caused pain to my family and I apologize to my family. I also want to apologize to my Falcon teammates for not being with them at the beginning of spring training."

Wake Forest Basketball Coach Dies

A tough week for the ACC just got tougher with the loss of Skip Prosser, Head Basketball coach at Wake Forest University. Below is the latest from FoxSports.com


Jeff GoodmanFOXSports.com,

Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser died on Thursday morning of an apparent heart attack shortly after jogging.

Prosser was rushed to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Prosser, 56, was one of the most well-liked coaches in the industry and known for his witty and sarcastic sense of humor.
He grew up in Pittsburgh and went to high school at Carnegie before attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Prosser has spent the past seven seasons at Wake Forest after spending one year at Loyola (Md.) and seven at Xavier. He has a career record of 291-146.
Prosser led Wake Forest to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four seasons and the Demon Deacons won the ACC regular-season in 2003. The Demon Deacons have struggled recently — missing the tournament in each of the past two years.

Prosser and his staff were in high spirits recently after learning that two of the nation's top high school players — Al Farouq Aminu and Tony Woods — committed to Wake Forest earlier this month. The staff already had a commitment from another one of the nation's top players, Ty Walker.

Obviously, Prosser's peers were stunned to hear the news.

"It's so sad. I feel so bad for his wife, Nancy," said Arizona State Herb Sendek, who coached against Prosser when he was with N.C. State. "Skip was a gentleman and someone who represented what was good about our profession. He was the kind of person you wanted your son to play for."

"I was sitting with him yesterday in Orlando," Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt said. "He was just a great person. It's so sad."

"He's a great guy and I watched his career blossom," added Arizona coach Lute Olson. "This is beyond belief. It's awful. He was always very positive and friendly. Extremely outgoing. The kind of guy you always looked forward to seeing."

Prosser is survived by his wife, Nancy, and two sons, Scott (28) and Mark (27).

Full Coverage of Vick Arraignment on InRich.com

The biggest court hearing to hit Richmond in quite some time will be covered full circle by the RTD and it's recently revamped website.

The Times-Dispatch and InRich.com will present live video from the front door of the U.S. Courthouse in Richmond from noon to 5 p.m. tomorrow during the Michael Vick arraignment.

InRich.com will have streaming video from the courthouse and updates at the top of the hour from Times-Dispatch reporters, plus a wrap-up at the end of the day's proceedings.

InRich.com also will have interviews and reports on activities from the entire courthouse area all day.

Attn Little League Parents and High Schoolers

Calm down with the car chalk usage. I can’t drive anywhere without seeing “Go Tommy, U R #1” or “Seniors Rule!” I understand people write these hideous messages all over their vehicles.

But besides Tommy’s teammates, no one really cares that the U-11 Royals tee-ball team is going to the national tournament. Why put all that car chalk on your grocery getter?

And for high school, wasn’t graduation back in early June? I could have sworn I saw a Dodge Neon yesterday, decked out with “Erin You Rok!” scribbled in car chalk.

What happened to the days of static-cling decals and license plate frames? Or using car chalk to sell a vehicle and not spread team unity.

Next week: the absurd amount of “I Support” ribbon magnets.

American Tennis Idols Hold Court in C'Ville

One was almost as slow as the red clay of Roland Garros, in France. And both have about as much hair as a Wilson tennis ball has fuzz after five or six games. But last night, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe gave American tennis fans something to cheer for.

Before a crowd of nearly 4,000 the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Sampras, 36, and McEnroe, 48, rekindled what’s been missing in men’s tennis, a strong American contender.

With Roger Federer of Switzerland, and Rafael Nadal of Spain taking center court in men’s tennis today, last night’s exhibition between two American legends made me realize the game isn’t was it was five or ten years ago.

Sampras and McEnroe have 21 Grand Slam titles between them, and last night both competitors played hard with Sampras coming out on top 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 10-8. The final set was a “championship” tie-breaker, the first to 10 points.

The best part of the night for me was the whole thing. Pete Sampras is who I idolized for most of my childhood. His photos were plastered all over my walls growing up. I wore his Nike clothes and shoes, and played with his Wilson racquet. Getting a five from him as he walked onto the Smurf-blue court last night was awesome.

It wasn’t the best tennis I’ve seen, but it was fun seeing two American tennis idols square off.

Vick Indicted

You can’t see my smile right now, but it’s about 50 yards wide. The man that put Virginia Tech football on the national map continues to make national headlines. In a bad way. The news last night that Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged dogfighting is nothing but good news. Vick had this coming to him and his “associates” shacking up in the Surry Co. home he used to own.

The fighting allegedly took place at Bad Newz Kennels, a nickname for Vick’s hometown of Newport News, VA. Bad Newz is what Vick is about.

Dogfighting is an absolutely heinous act, and should be punished no matter who the guilty party is. In this case it’s Michael Vick.

Here are just a few things the indictment alleges:

Over the years, it was the Bad Newz' custom to kill young dogs that did not show fighting aptitude and sufficient aggressiveness when they were tested in matches with other dogs.

In April this year, Vick, Peace, Phillips and two others tested dogs this way. When it was over, Vick, Peace and Phillips killed about eight dogs that failed the test by methods including hanging, drowning and slamming the dog's body to the ground.

Then I started thinking, Vick plays (for now) for the ATL Falcons. The Falcons are located in Georgia, home of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Certainly Falcons fans are Bulldogs fans. UGA folks love their dawgs. But do they love a dogfighter?

If, and it’s a big if, Michael Vick is ever convicted of dogfighting, he faces five years in prison. Now that’s Bad Newz.

A Wii-lization

If you have a Nintendo Wii and haven’t hooked it up to the internet to check out the virtual console, do it. It’s awesome and getting better all the time. This is what hooked me on to getting the most coveted gaming system out there right now.

While using the wireless, motion-sensitive controllers are ingenious and fun, the virtual console is where I’ve been spending my gaming days.

I wouldn’t consider myself a big time gamer. I might play 4-5 hrs a week, at most. But I love playing the old games with crappy graphics.

It’s old school. With games available from Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis, the Wii Virtual Console has it all, for a very reasonable price. You purchase Wii points, buy the games over the internet, and they are stored on your Wii hard drive for as long as you want, or until space is maxed out.

Best of all, you can play the games, then go back to the main menu, and the games are saved from the point where you left off. There is no blowing on cartridges or freezing.

Currently, my Wii Virtual Console consists of: Street Fighter II, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Mario Kart 64, Sonic, F-Zero, Mario Bros. 2, Milon’s Secret Castle, and Elevator Action.

Nintendo is adding to the virtual console every week. I think it’s much better than the select $50 Wii games.

Dan Patrick Leaving ESPN

One of the most recognizable personalities at ESPN has decided to turn off his mic. Yesterday, on his afternoon radio show, Dan Patrick announced that after 18 years, he has decided to leave ESPN. Patrick is leaving on good terms, and said that hopes "to be doing radio somewhere, somehow, down the road."

Patrick anchored SportsCenter for many years, and recently started working on ESPN's NBA coverage. Patrick's radio show has a big following, including myself. But he'll be remembered for his spot on the SportsCenter set next to friend and colleague Keith Olbermann.

SportsCenter's heyday was in the the mid to late 1990's. With the likes of Kenny Mayne, Craig Kilborn, Charlie Steiner, and Larry Beil anchoring the most-watched sports news show, SportsCenter took off.

But it was the duo of Patrick and Olbermann that are credited for launching "the Big Show," another name for SportsCenter. Olbermann left ESPN in 1997. He now hosts his own left-wing show, Countdown, on MSNBC.

Besides the iconic Chris Berman (who practically is ESPN), Patrick's August 17th departure marks the end of the great ESPN anchors. Now they come and go go with the days of the week.

Replacing Patrick won't be an easy task for the big boys at ESPN. It's like trying to find interesting stories and highlights for SportsCenter in the middle of the summer. It just doesn't happen.

Here's Lookin at You

Former Vice President Al Gore's son, Al Gore Jr. & current Oakland A's pitcher, Joe Kennedy

San Antonio Spurs Guard Michael Finley and music icon Billy Ocean

NBC 12 Sports Anchor Ben Hamlin and rice king Uncle Ben

VA Congressman Bobby Scott and the Tootsie Roll Pop Owl

Presidential candidate Barack Obama and former NBA star Brad Daugherty

After midnight, were gonna let it all hang down

Or if your the R-Braves, set off a fireworks extravaganza. We were planning on going to the game with the Syracuse Sky Chiefs, but we never got out of the confines of our car. After turning onto Boulevard around 6:30, the skies opened up and it poured. I knew there was going to be a delay on the start of the game and subsequent light show in the sky.

We already paid for the tickets ($30) but it wasn't worth it. Plus our stomachs were growling and grouchyness was starting to set in.

When I read the RTD this morning,it turns out we made the right call. The game was delayed an hour and a half, AND it went 10 innings. And to add insult to the weary 9,779 R Braves fans, they lost 8-7 when the game eventually ended at 12:27.

Many city residents heard loud booms early this morning, keeping them and their canine companions awake.

Not me. I might have been out $30, but at 12:27 I was full, and asleep.

Blogging Part Deux

And then there were two. That’s right; P Keip’s Hype now has company. The Hype was started a little over a year ago, and I’ve enjoyed writing the blog. I figured I’d get a little crazy and start No.2, BuildaBallpark.

BuildaBallpark isn’t for the R-Braves, but rather the Oakland A’s. Yes, I could have followed the Braves battle on the Boulevard, but I’m not a Braves fan (Atlanta or Richmond), I’m an East Coast A’s fan. (Give the blog a read to find out how that happened)

Buildaballpark will follow the story of Cisco Field in Fremont, CA, 2,800 miles from the RIC, hopefully the future home of the Oakland Athletics. The goal is to be there for the first pitch on Opening Day 20XX. Will it happen? You'll have to read.

Play Ball!