Well, the Bahamas was a reality check for this UVA Basketball team. I couldn’t help observing that every single St. John’s player was quicker and more athletic than any Virginia player.
I think our lack of athleticism is fatal against good teams.
Oh, and my favorite moment of this young season was when (commentator) Grant Hill called Andrew Rohde “dynamic.” Not sure if you caught that one. It was during the Villanova game, and while Rohde did have a good game … seriously.?
Keep up the good work, I enjoy reading your Augusta Free Press, even though I’m a long-time New Yorker.
– Gordon
I was at the ‘Nova game in Baltimore, sitting behind Grant Hill, as it turns out, on press row, but I missed the comment.
The lack of athleticism is glaring, indeed.
Andrew Rohde has a good old man, YMCA game, but “dynamic,” no.
A general lack of athleticism has been an issue for UVA teams for a while now, but Tony Bennett was able to get guys to play the game well enough to overcome the disadvantage.
Ron Sanchez is having issues in that respect.
I, too, am at wit’s end regarding UVA revenue sports, and because of the painful results and the very poor fan experience (how can ladies’ restrooms run out of toilet in the middle of a football game), after many years, I’ll no longer support the VAF, rather will be redirecting my donation to academics at the University, while attending D3 games, which are more exciting.
It’s not just the Athletics Department’s mismanagement that distresses me, but also the also the NCAA’s decapitation of collegiate sports, by turning them into pro leagues, save that the unfettered transfer portal means college athletes don’t even have to honor a “contract” as NBA/NFL players must. Simply look at the reasons Nick Saban and Tony Bennett opted to retire – there’s no tie of top college players save cash-in-fist.
Returning to UVA sports, while there are academically excellent schools in the ACC, I’d rather see the ‘Hoos join the Ivy League, getting off the arms-race of spending power-five teams seem to love (any chance that the U would spend a quarter of the new football facility’s cost – “to be competitive” – on facilities for a combination of math, biology, economics, and politics students?).
Oh well, Virginia sports used to be fun, and now I look forward to continuing to be a ‘Hoo in more satisfying ways.
Ben
I can’t disagree with Ben here. I make a living covering college sports, but I am of a similar mindset as he has here.
UVA helped me change my life trajectory, helping me grow from being a kid who grew up in a trailer park to being a successful writer and businessman, and I will be forever loyal to the institution in that respect.
I am not a fan of wasting $80 million on a new football ops center, as we just did.
On the other hand, I’m a big fan of the benefactor who donated $50 million for the theater department.
While I admire Tony Elliott’s loyalty to Anthony Colandrea, basically he wets his pants in big games.
In my opinion, they need to change the OC and special teams leadership, too, and right after the season.
The substitution debacles this late in the season on offense are inexcusable. Special teams have been awful for three years.
Change needs to happen, and Tony needs to make it quickly after the season, if not, Carla Williams needs to weigh in like she did with Bronco.
The crowd was a sad turnout also. It is extremely disappointing. We have no home-field advantage.
Sorry for the negative email, but appreciate your excellent illumination of the facts around the program.
Regards and Happy Thanksgiving.
Chip
This email from Chip inspired my “This was the wrong week to stop sniffing glue” podcast Sunday night.
It also led me toward the “Inside the Numbers” column examining the reasons behind the poor offensive output in the SMU loss.
By the way, Bronco Mendenhall, the guy that Carla Williams ran off because he wouldn’t fire his long-time defensive coordinator, has New Mexico on the edge of bowl eligibility, at 5-6 with a chance to get into a bowl with a win at Hawaii on Saturday night.
Not bad for a guy in Year 1 at a school that was 19-60 over its past seven seasons, and has two winning seasons since 2008.
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Chris Graham
