Storming the court – and paying the price

Chris Graham

Column by Chris Graham Elizabeth Hood doesn’t look as fondly at raucous postgame celebrations that include fans rushing a college-basketball court as some of us might. “I stood up at my chair right there, and they knocked me over,” said Hood, a retired usher who worked University of Virginia athletics events for more than 30…

Need two?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham If you’ve ever been to a major-college or professional sporting event or A-list music concert, you’ve undoubtedly passed by at least a few people engaging in commerce related to the secondary-ticketing industry on your way to the host venue. “Who needs two?” is their bark – but increasingly the bite is…

And then there were two: Democratic Senate race now twice as nice

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham   James Webb has some explaining to do to Democratic Party voters in Virginia this spring. But if he can wade through that minefield like he did through a long military career that included a tour of duty in Vietnam and a stint as Ronald Reagan’s secretary of the…

Was anybody watching the Olympics?

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham If you believe the hype, the Olympics are dead and buried as a valuable entertainment property. “The press has been a little hyperbolic about this. To read the headlines during the Olympics, it seemed like they were less covering the Games and more covering the ratings. ‘NBC: On a downhill slide.’…

A cartoon controversy – or something like it

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham It has been described as a cartoon controversy. But the issue involving the drawings depicting the Prophet Muhammad published in a Danish newspaper last fall is a lot more than that. “I liken this to a stovetop, and the pots are at a rolling boil right now in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Pakistan,…

Shades of Florida in AG race

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham Bob McDonnell has claimed victory. Creigh Deeds has vowed to fight to ensure that every vote has been counted. And so the Virginia political world turns as the race for attorney general moves toward week three of overtime. “The people get to decide who the next attorney general is, not Bob…

Mother of Presidents with child? Assessing Warner’s, Allen’s chances at White House in ’08

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham The big winner in last week’s Virginia gubernatorial election was Democrat Tim Kaine. Or was it Democrat Mark Warner? “Mark Warner created the conditions for a Democratic victory in this state for Tim Kaine, no doubt about it,” George Mason University political-science professor Mark Rozell said.

30 seconds to Election Day: How campaigns use TV to reach voters

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham   They’ve spent $18 million to date on the 2005 gubernatorial campaign – and it could all come down to a folksy television spot that featured Jerry Kilgore and his twin brother, Terry, arguing over who is the better-looking one of the two. “No, I had no idea it would take…