Ready for some football?

That’s one of the questions that Chris Graham and Jim Bresnahan tackle in their weekly WREL-1450AM sports chat. We’re still a few weeks away from the start of training camp, but the ACC Football Kickoff is just around the corner, and Chris and Jim talk some ACC football, local high-school football, discuss the next steps in the comeback of former Tech QB Michael Vick - and of course get around to Valley League Baseball now at the midway point of the 2009 summer baseball season. Length: 18:56. Read more

Podcast | The AFP on WREL

AFP editor Chris Graham joins WREL’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan” for their regular Tuesday segment talking sports. This week’s segment is heavy on the NCAA Tournament that wrapped with UNC’s 89-72 win over Michigan State for the national championship Monday night. The guys also talk about where the Heels will be next season pending a series of expected losses of players to the NBA, how UVa. might fare in what could be a weakened ACC and more. Length: 25:35. Read more

(Another Predetermined) Carolina Victory

I’d forgotten how much I hate, no, make that loathe, the Atlantic Coast Conference until around 2 o’clock this afternoon - right around the time that Tyler Hansbrough wrapped up J.T. Thompson in a bear hug and somehow ended up getting a jump ball called that preserved North Carolina’s asterisked 79-76 win over Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Read more

Landesberg’s Oscar moment

Basketball honors like Rookie of the Year awards are not like the Oscars where we only see the best results of an actor or director’s work. We see ballers turning the ball over on fast breaks and airballing wide-open threes and getting lit up off the dribble in the course of a season of action on the hardwood. Read more

Landesberg voted ACC Rookie of the Year

First-year guard Sylven Landesberg was voted the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year, the league announced Tuesday.
Landesberg was a convincing winner in the voting by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, receiving 55 votes to 20 votes for runnerup Al-Farouq Aminu of Wake Forest. Read more

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009

- Local News: Community Foundation announces creation of scholarship fund, Thursday, 6:45 p.m.
- Local News: Wine tasting Friday in Waynesboro, Thursday, 6:45 p.m.
- Sports: W&L baseball opens ‘09 with win, Thursday, 6:45 p.m.
- Local News: EMU history prof traces life of 19th century explorer, author, Thursday, 2:50 p.m.
- Virginia Politics: Moran gets endorsements in Prince William, Thursday, 2:50 p.m.
- Virginia Politics: McAuliffe picks up more endorsements, Thursday, 2:50 p.m.
- Sports: ACC releases baseball TV schedule, Thursday, 2:50 p.m.
- Economy: Initial unemployment claims steady, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.
- Sports: VCU takes over first in CAA, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.
- Sports: Bridgewater knocks off EMU in OT, Thursday, 9:30 a.m. Read more

AFP Sports Blog - Monday, Feb. 19, 2009

- News: Landesberg named ACC rookie of the week, Monday, 5:40 p.m.
- News: UVa. tight end named to All-ACC Academic Team, Monday, 5:40 p.m.
- News: JMU soccer player training with Team Canada, Monday, 5:40 p.m.
- News: W&L senior named ODAC track and field athlete of the week, Monday, 5:40 p.m.
- News: VCU take down JMU women, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
- News: JMU softball wraps 5-0 weekend, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
- News: W&L women’s swimming takes ODAC, Monday, 9:30 a.m.

Read more

Podcast | Leitao addresses media following Clemson win

Virginia coach Dave Leitao talks with the news media following his team’s 85-81 overtime win over 12th-ranked Clemson on Sunday in ACC action in Charlottesville. The win snapped UVa.’s eight-game losing streak. AFP contributor Scott German and AFP editor Chris Graham reporting. Length: 15:29.

Read more

Podcast | SS44

The University of Virginia retired 2008 grad Sean Singletary’s #44 at halftime of Sunday’s UVa.-Clemson home basketball game on Sunday. AFP contributor Scott German caught up with Singletary to talk about his special day. Length: 6:30. Read more

Podcast | Landesberg, Scott break down UVa. win

UVa. players Sylven Landesberg (23 points) and Mike Scott (18 points, 15 rebounds) talk with reporters after the Cavs’ 85-81 overtime victory over Clemson on Sunday, Feb. 15, in ACC action in Charlottesville. Length: 8:05. Read more

Live Blog | Virginia at Duke

AFP editor Chris Graham will lead a Live Blog during today’s ACC men’s basketball game between Virginia (7-9, 1-4 ACC) and top-ranked Duke (18-2, 5-1 ACC).
Tipoff is at 2 p.m. The game is being broadcast on Comcast SportsNet in Virginia. Check your local listings for availability where you are.
Duke is a 23-point favorite.

Live Blog - UVa. vs. UNC

The AFP will be courtside for tonight’s men’s basketball game between UVa. and #5 North Carolina.
The game is set for a 9 p.m. tip. It is being broadcast nationally on ESPN.
AFP editor Chris Graham will be in the John Paul Jones Arena and will be blogging live with commentary and analysis from the game.
Please join in with your thoughts and observations.

Podcast | UVa. Basketball This Week

AFP editor Chris Graham reports on University of Virginia basketball. With clips from coach Dave Leitao and a preview of the Cavs’ game Thursday night against fifth-ranked North Carolina. Length: 5:32. Read more

Podcast | Virginia Tech Basketball This Week

AFP editor Chris Graham reports on Virginia Tech basketball. With clips from coach Seth Greenberg and a preview of the Hokies’ games this week against Richmond and Boston College. Length: 3:31. Read more

Live Blog - UVa. vs. Virginia Tech

Virginia and Virginia Tech will face off Saturday at 4 p.m. in men’s basketball action in Blacksburg.
AFP editor Chris Graham will lead a live blog during the game. Chris will offer his commentary and analysis during the game. Join in with your own thoughts and observations.
The game is set for tipoff shortly after 4 p.m. The action is being broadcast on Comcast Sports Net in the Valley. Check your local listings for where to catch the game where you are.

Live Blog - Virginia Tech at Duke

What a way to get the ACC under way, huh? Virginia Tech (9-4) travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on fifth-ranked Duke (11-1) Sunday night.
The game is being broadcast in the Mid-Atlantic on Comcast SportsNet. The opening tip is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
Join AFP editor Chris Graham for a Live Blog with updates, commentary, analysis and more.

Live Blog - The Orange Bowl!

Join us tonight at 8:30 p.m. for a Live Blog during tonight’s Orange Bowl between ACC champion Virginia Tech (9-4) and Big East champ Cincinnati (11-2).
The game is being broadcast nationally on Fox.
AFP editor Chris Graham will lead a live in-game discussion of the goings-on with analysis and commentary. Please feel free to join in with your own thoughts and observations throughout.

An ACC whitewash for Carolina?

North Carolina is not going to go undefeated. Sorry, Heels fans.
Of course, y’all were probably already aware of that. Because the ACC is, well, the ACC, and it’s practically a given that somebody is going to be there in any given year to knock off a league power.
Who will it be this year? Let’s examine the list of top contenders. Read more

Podcast | Not unfamiliar strangers

It will be their fourth meeting in 14 months. Virginia Tech and Boston College know each other pretty well by this point. They also know well the stakes of an ACC Championship Game. BC has won two of the last three from the Hokies, but the loss came in last year’s ACC title game. How will it go on Saturday in Tampa? AFP editor Chris Graham reporting. Length: 6:22. Read more

Live Blog | UVa.-Liberty

The AFP is live at the John Paul Jones Arena for tonight’s men’s basketball game between the University of Virginia and Liberty University.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Join AFP editor Chris Graham for score updates and commentary and analysis from courtside.

Podcast | Groh talks about Clemson, future

Clemson ended Virginia’s faint ACC title-game hopes on Saturday with a 13-3 win in Charlottesville. AFP editor Chris Graham reports on the postgame with audio from UVa. coach Al Groh’s press conference on Clemson and the future of the Virginia football program. Length: 19:16. Read more

Live Blog | UVa.-Clemson

The Augusta Free Press is live at Scott Stadium for today’s football game between the University of Virginia and Clemson University.
Both teams are 5-5 in 2008 and need one win to become bowl-eligible. Virginia also still has an outside shot at winning the ACC Coastal Division championship if it can post a win today and then next week at Virginia Tech.
Join AFP editor Chris Graham on today’s live blog for score updates, commentary, analysis and more from the press box. Read more

Cavs hold on for win in opener

If Virginia coach Dave Leitao needed something to get his attention on his season-opener, he got it Friday night. “Obviously it was a little bit of a wakeup call,” Leitao said of the 111-103 win posted by his Sunday opponent, VMI, over national power Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Two Saturday practices and a couple of lineup changes later, and the Cavs still got all they could handle from the Keydets in a 107-97 win Sunday afternoon in the John Paul Jones Arena that wasn’t settled until the final minute. Read more

Live blog | UVa.-VMI Live Blog

We are live at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville for the 2008-2009 men’s basketball season opener between the University of Virginia and Virginia Military Institute. Read more

Sports: ACC TV times for Saturday

Staff Report

Virginia will play at Duke on Saturday at noon in a game televised by ESPNU, with Virginia Tech closing the day for the ACC with a nationally televised game at Nebraska.

The Tech-Nebraska game will kick off at 8 p.m. on ABC, the ACC announced.

Other games on the schedule include:

- Maryland at Clemson, Raycom, noon

- North Carolina at Miami, ESPN or ESPN2, noon

- Rhode Island at Boston College, ESPN 360, 1 p.m.

- Colorado vs. Florida State (Jacksonville), ABC, 3:30 p.m.

- Navy at Wake Forest, ESPNU, 3:45 p.m.

- South Florida at NC State, ESPNU, 7:30 p.m.

Another down year for the ACC

The Best Seat in the House column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net

No, I wasn’t the guy who gave Virginia a first-place vote. So you can quelch that rumor right here and now.

Not that I think the Cavs are going to finish fifth in the Coastal Division of the ACC in 2008, either. In fact, I’m probably going to go down in history for what I said on yesterday’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan” when asked my pick for a surprise team in the ACC. Read more

Another down year for the ACC

Best Seat in the House column by Chris Graham
sportsdom@ntelos.net

Not a good year for my ACC, no sir, no way.

Football saw us go without a national-championship contender … again. I know, Virginia Tech was #3 in the final pre-bowl BCS, but then the Hokies lost to Kansas in the Orange Bowl.

Florida State and Miami, meanwhile, are as relevant as North Carolina State and Virginia right now.

Ugh.

Which brings us to basketball. North Carolina made the Final Four, great, before getting gangster-slapped by Kansas. Duke was near the top of the national polls most of the year before imploding (once again) down the stretch and losing to West Virginia in the NCAAs.

We had four teams in the Big Dance. Four. The West Coast Conference had three. Read more