By Jerry Ratcliffe
We have a real treat for Virginia fans on the website, starting today and running through Saturday. It’s our new podcast hosted by yours truly and Chris Graham of the Augusta Free Press.
Four podcasts are going to be posted on the site. Two of them are already up, the first where Chris and I chat with Luke Neer from “Best Seat in the House,” and take a very deep dive into Virginia’s upcoming NCAA Tournament first round battle with Ohio U. We also break down the West bracket. It’s pretty in depth, analytically and philosophically.
The second is a long interview with the greatest player in Virginia basketball history, Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson. Ralph talks about the present UVA team, about Tony Bennett putting Wahoo hoops back on the map, his famous NBA fight and his special body guards, how Al Wood got him lost on the Carolina campus and Dean Smith blaming Wood for the Tar Heels losing the recruiting battle for Sampson.
There’s so many great stories and inside information on here with Ralph, including the Red Auerbach story. We also do a “lightning round” with Ralph, which produced some interesting replies.
On Friday, we will feature two new podcasts for your listening pleasure. One will be with former UVA guard Ricky Stokes, who is associate commissioner of basketball for the Mid-America Conference.
Ricky knows the Ohio Bobcats – champions of the MAC – very well, plus he follows Virginia (his daughter is one of the managers). Ricky will talk about Saturday night’s matchup and share lots of stories about his playing days with the Wahoos, and give us another update on former “Blitz Brothers” teammate Othell Wilson.
Another Friday podcast will feature Ohio University head basketball coach Jeff Boals, who will talk about his team’s matchup against Virginia. Should be an interesting insight into the big game. Also joining that podcast will be Dr. Joe Park from UVA Ortho, one of our sponsors, breaking down a sports injury and talking UVA hoops (yes, he’s a big fan).
Also, Brian Plum, CEO of our other sponsor Blue Ridge Bank, will come on to talk about the Cavaliers (he’s a proud alum), and about his bank’s $100,000 jackpot for one lucky customer.
All four podcasts can be found on this site and will later be archived if you miss any of them.
If you love Virginia basketball and history of the program, you don’t want to miss these interviews.
Thank you for your support. It means the world to us.
