“Sit down, Gene.” Was just spoken at my house. We miss Doc and Honey Hunt greatly. VCU legends. Doc gave officials no slack. Honey gave Doc no slack.

More randomness: I see Alex Faust on the broadcast for the Reds/Brewers. More importantly: #CAAHoops legend Alex Faust.

In semi-related college football news, odu leads liberty 14-0 in a game I hope ends in a tie after a 12-hour rain delay.

Randomly watched the end of BC/Cal CFB. Hit me there must be nothing worse than being a BC athletics fan. Abject misery in the Washington Generals way. Should change their colors to beige and tan. Earl Grant could own Charleston, maybe all of South Carolina, or this...

Jadrian Tracey. That is all.

Red Clay Strays. Eric Maynor vs. Duke 2011. Mike Doles vs. UNCW. Kenny Harris vs. South Florida. Treat yourself. Holy hell these dudes kill it.

Some of my best A10 friends are on Hawk Hill. I want them to win because it’s fun there when they win. Also, De’Andre Bembry punked Mo Alie-Cox in the A10 tournament. One of one.

Allow me to state that losing your head coach in September, replaced by a 63-year old who won eight games last year, is a step forward for that program. I’d have to think hard about a program with more neutered talent than Joes the past few years.

Time to spare at LAX, I tuned in to see the last 30 minutes of VCU soccer upsetting second-ranked Clemson, 2-1. Absolute bonkers final 20 minutes. VCU GK Trevor Maloney was all over the place. Felt like the Rams turned away 462 corner kicks.

The season draws near, and nature is telling us. Poured a bourbon, sat down for Scrabble with my wife, and immediately pulled these tiles.

“If I go down, at least I’ll look good.” Coco Gauff is a legend on multiple levels.

Coco Gauff’s post match interview was striking. Her mind was nowhere near the moment. An elite athlete’s ability to compartmentalize is amazing.

Watching Gauff/Vekic tennis. Gauff takes the first set, but it’s like the team shooting 21% is leading the team with 16 turnovers at the half.

“We’re a long way from Adrian Uter” is something I just texted a friend and this country has never needed college basketball more than right now.

Am I the only one to think no matter what you believe it’s logically bad to reduce intelligence by $700M a year? Given the source, it’s about as surprising as the sun coming up.

You sons of bitches elected Gob Bluth as president. There is a hint of comedy, but very much pathetic.

This is how it’s done.

More than a 60% chance this is the cover of Davidson basketball’s media guide.

“You think coaches want to play in the jaws of That Animal?” Shaka Smart, circa 2014. You have stones, or you don’t.

Curiously, odu is not on this list.

How are the Yankees so hatable? They are the opposite of pizza. Even bad pizza is good. Even likable Yankees are hatable. Pretty sure I’d root for gout before rooting for the Yankees.

Richmond School of Arts went 2-18 last year. Hired Jesse Pellot Rosa to take over as head coach. He added BA Walker and HL Bowie to his staff. I’m betting my mortgage and yours they improve immensely this upcoming season.

Local news had a story about odu starting football practice. Brings my annual SMH at a former VCU ticket manager caving to pressure and ruining a fun rivalry.

This, of course, guarantees Bill Coen is coaching the Huskies to third place.

Random memory of VCU putting a 31-0 run on Va. Tech in 2013. Rams ended up winning 82-52. It was so bad Emerson Burke got into the game. Melvin Johnson tied his previous career high (16 pts) in that run alone.

Here endeth the lesson.

The point is this: 18-15 Mississippi State is a paycheck. Butler and VCU is culture. Hampton and UMBC is possibility. The set up is beauty. Don’t fuck it up.

Random July love for for Steve Merfeld and the 2001 Hampton Pirates. Played six guys and came from nine down as a 15 seed to beat 2-seed Iowa State. Don’t expand, you effing idiots.

A few updates to share at VCU. -Home-and-home series with N.C. State will begin in Raleigh on Monday, November 17th -New Mexico home game in Richmond on Wednesday, December 10th -Rider game set for Monday, December 22nd An updated look at the Rams' 2025-26 schedule: #VCU #A10MBB

Has anyone heard from famed jock sniffer Glenn Youngkin today? Called in national guard and promised zero tolerance for violence today. Any condemnation or remorse for the guy that drove into the peaceful protest in Culpeper?

‘Sup, @jerrybeach73.bsky.social

Coincidence that I get a text from old friend BG Mull this morning, and Lanto Griffin shoots +1 and is T-24 at the US Open? I think not.

Visiting Norfolk Scope for the first time in years. Saw some memorable basketball in this joint. Local assholes ruined something great by chasing football.

Eric Maynor will die the coolest SOB that ever walked the Earth. Doug Brooks, too.

The Netflix algorithm is scary good.

Non-hoops note: spent the weekend in Durham at the Biscuits and Banjos Festival. Rhiannon Giddens is a gift to music. Her talent, mission, and spirit are otherworldly. Saw jazz, old time string, gospel, and big brass. So much talent and fun.

Random sports rankings: 1. College basketball 2. Playoff hockey 3. Random June Detroit/Kansas City baseball game 4. Australian Rules Football 5. Amen Corner on Sunday 6. Grandson’s soccer game 7. Anything tied with one minute to play 465. NBA

All other advice is a distant second.

Got a call from our six-year old grandson this evening. He scored his second goal in three career soccer games. I’m thisclose to querying @batogato.bsky.social for his rates on personal coaching. NIL is real.

This is exquisite work. Brendan’s ability to see a man, to see a sport, and to see the intersection into a story—and then write the words beautifully—is unmatched.

I am currently loading up on the house specialty, and with each passing moment my knowledge of how to fire a 15th century Spanish cannon grows.

As someone on a cruise right this moment where announcements about washing your hands occur more often than in a kindergarten class, I’m not sure if I want to come home to a country run by the Bluth family, or die of whooping cough on the SS Kennedy.

Fantastic look at a portal process from the parent and team perspective. Unsurprisingly, Roose pops up. That SOB….. Also, sometime in the future we could talk about Brandon Jennings the way we talk about Brad, Joey, BA, Jesse, Rob, Dom, Rodney. Program Fabric Legends.

I swear I feel like our country is one giant Arrested Development episode. We are fucking one week from Trump telling us there’s always money in the banana stand.

Semi-annual reminder that Huggins finished runner up to Sonny Smith for the VCU job in 1989. Random nugget: Smith and former VCU assistant/current Asheville big whistle Mike Morrell both graduated from tiny Milligan College. Not in the same year.

Gave the NBA my annual full one-quarter viewing with an open mind. Lakers/Thunder. The NBA still effing sucks. I’ve pulled more enjoyable things out of belly button. See you next year.

Underrated brilliance.

Auburn/Michigan enters the Robinson Vortex at 61-54. Let’s see what happens.

Auburn is hilariously casual.

Last five minutes of Auburn/Michigan is exactly why the VCUs of the world beat the Auburns and Michigans. Selfish, bad basketball. Don’t buy into “competitive.” That’s how you get beat.