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Several of our subscribers have messaged us with ideas to help us out as we build our brand, and they’ve been good ones: maybe a tailgate/meet and greet at the first UVA game where we can all say hello and encourage people to subscribe; possibly a golf tournament, since Hootie loves golf and plays the game on a regular basis. But the one I liked the best was the suggestion that we should somehow have a Hootie bobblehead. Blessed with some photoshop skills, I quickly found an example of a golfer bobblehead and went through the process of attaching Hootie’s […]
It was inevitable that media attending this past week’s ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte would bring up Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall’s comments to the school’s Board of Visitors in June, particularly the remark about having but 27 ACC caliber players on the roster. The original report from a different publication didn’t clarify at the time Mendenhall had referred to his roster at that exact time. His number didn’t include players that had just graduated, the likes of Quin Blanding, Micah Kiser, Andrew Brown, Kurt Benkert, and several other departed players. That number also did not include players that would […]
CHARLOTTE, NC.- When Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall decided to leave Brigham Young University for Charlottesville prior to the 2016 campaign, he admits that he really didn’t know all that much about UVa’s football history, nor the importance of the Virginia Tech rivalry. Mendenhall jested that things have cleared up quite a bit in that regard since his tenure began. “[I knew] some about the history, some about the expectations and some about the rivalry,” Mendenhall explained during his press conference at the ACC Kickoff on Wednesday, “but now that I’ve been at UVa for two years it’s becoming clearer what […]
When ACC Commissioner John Swofford gave his state of the league speech to kick off the ACC Kickoff Media event in Charlotte Wednesday, the most popular topic on the agenda seemed to be gambling. As he fielded questions on a wide variety of topics from the gathered media, three different times the subject returned to the what-ifs that could occur if a state with an ACC School legalized gambling. Swofford gave good answers in the folksy, aw-shucks method he often effectively employs. But they really didn’t leave you with the feeling of a strong plan being in place. It instead […]
CHARLOTTE, NC – With still a little over a year to go until its official launch in August 2019, the anticipation building for the ACC Network was one of the hot topics discussed by conference commissioner John Swofford during his yearly press conference at ACC Kickoff Wednesday. Two years ago at the annual event, Swofford announced plans for the future cable network in conjunction with ESPN — which will be similar to the SEC Network — and on Wednesday he provided an update on its progress heading into the 2018-19 season. “Bottom line, whether it’s production, distribution, scheduling or anything […]
CHARLOTTE, NC – Media days in college sports are generally lackluster affairs, with the league controlling the agenda, coaches saying what they’re supposed to say, and players doing the same. They are obligatory to the media, not so much for what IS said, but for what somebody MIGHT say. UNC football coach Larry Fedora did not let the media down at today’s ACC kickoff meeting. Fedora was chatting during a breakout session when a question about the new kickoff rules led into how football has changed, how coaches now teach it, the drills employed and the protocols used as it […]
CHARLOTTE, NC – Bronco Mendenhall has a wish list on how to turn around Virginia football. Part of that list includes ending the long draught against state rival Virginia Tech. Part of the list is not only reaching bowl games, but winning bowl games. In order to get there, his program could use a little help and that help is coming from Carla Williams, the new director of athletics. Williams, with an administrative football background that includes Georgia and Florida State, has granted some of Mendenhall’s list to help Virginia’s program reach industry standards. Those were very important first steps […]
CHARLOTTE, NC – As University of Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall put it during Wednesday’s ACC Kickoff press conference, one of the guiding principles of the program is, “less drama, more work.” No one on the team, according to the coach, exemplifies that motto like senior linebacker Chris Peace. “He is that,” Mendenhall said of the Newport News native and Denbigh High product Peace, who is credited with coining the phrase, “New Standard,” another mantra that the Cavaliers have stood by over the past year, which helped lead the team to a trip to the postseason for the first time […]
While Larry Fedora was setting himself on fire in front of the press today, Miami’s Mark Richt may have had the quote of the day when asked about his reaction to one of the more publicized – and annoying – gimmicks in college football last season: the turnover chain. “What’s been my reaction? It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Richt said. “It’s really the greatest thing since the 10-bite sandwich, actually. People ask me about that — first of all, I didn’t know about the turnover chain until the first game. Coach Diaz is like, hey, Coach, by the […]
A new version of Jack Salt has returned to Charlottesville and is champing at the bit for Virginia’s basketball season to begin. Let’s name this version “The Auckland Wall, 2.0.” UVa’s big center returned to his native New Zealand this summer and made his country’s national team, the “Tall Blacks,” which defeated Hong Kong and China in qualifying games in basketball’s World Cup. When he arrived in New Zealand, friends and family might have been a bit surprised in his appearance. Salt, at 7-feet, 250 pounds, had drastically changed his physique to a lean machine, all muscle, little body fat. […]
Jerry joined WINA Sports Director Jay James on his very successful sportstalk radio program, Best Seat In The House on July 14, 2018. The conversations went from memories of the UVA-Virginia Tech football rivalry, to Bronco Mendenhall and the UVA football program, to Tony Bennett and UVA basketball, and concluded with a conversation on former athletic director Craig Littlepage and current AD Carla Williams. Here are the four segments, where you click on each link and listen to the program: UVA-Virginia Tech football rivalry Bronco Mendenhall and the UVA football program Tony Bennett and UVA basketball A conversation on former […]
Under a burning Virginia sun Friday morning, about 40 Cavalier football players were finishing an hour-long conditioning period with 60-yard sprints. One thing jumped out immediately during these runs after a grueling workout. The player winning the sprints wasn’t a running back, wide receiver or defensive back. It was Bryce Perkins, UVa’s starting quarterback coming out of spring practice. That’s right, a quarterback. Just how unusual was that? “It is very weird,” said Joe Reed, a wide receiver and kickoff return specialist, who is pretty darned fast himself. “Weird, but you know I’m so glad to see that. I’ve never […]
If you have visited the site since last night, you may notice a new menu tab that says “Plans”, which signifies we have finally finished our original plans for the website. Our original intent was to put up a front end of content as soon as we could, then a month later install the back end, which allows people to login, subscribe and make changes to their information within our system. It also will control access to the different areas of the site. Subscribers got an email last night explaining how to use this, but I’ll repeat it for those […]
When you start a business, there are several milestones that make you step back and go “cool.” One is when you print the company’s first business card. Another is when the company website goes live for the first time. And then there’s the day that a big box arrives at the office, you open it up, and inside are the golf shirts with your company logo that our Marketing and Advertising Director, Wendy Peery, had been working on. Jerry just sent me a picture of them, and while Hootie is entirely too humble to post a picture online, I’m not. […]
As mentioned last week, we are going to try to bring regular features to the site, including Hootie’s Wayback Machine and my look at business and media in the ACC. Another one we’re considering is a regular look at good old-fashioned number crunching involving statistics of UVA and the ACC, examining trends in anything from football stats to school finances. Our first look will involve the USA Today annual survey of the financials of major college sports programs, which was released earlier in the year. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link for it. Through 2017, the state of […]
At the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, Mark Reynolds didn’t even have a team. Eight weeks ago today, he was called up from the minors to play his first game of the season for the Washington Nationals. Last night he made history. The former UVA star went 5 for 5 last night against the Miami Marlins including 2 home runs, two singles and a double while driving in 10 runs. That not only tied the Nationals’ team record for RBI in a game (with Anthony Rendon) but put him in elite company as he became only the 15th […]
Mark Reynolds is on fire heading into today’s Washington Nationals’ home game against the Miami Marlins. Reynolds, who is UVa’s all-time home run king, tied a Nationals’ record record with a 10-RBI night on Saturday in Washington’s 18-4 win. He blasted two home runs in a 5-for-5 night that continued his spectacular weekend, which included a walk-off home run on Friday night also against the Marlins. “Yeah, that’s like a good two weeks,” Reynolds quipped to sportswriters after Saturday night’s performance. “These things don’t happen often. “I’ve been playing a long time and I’ve only had five [RBI in a […]
Although it’s only been a little more than a week since we’ve gone live, you should start seeing the site evolve into more regular features such as Hootie’s Wayback Machine, as we want to make sure we’re producing not only the news stories involving University of Virginia sports, but perspective, commentary and analysis of those things that also affect UVA sports. I won’t be getting the DeLorean up to 88 miles per hour, but in addition to Hootie’s Wayback Machine, we will also be having a regular column on business and media as it relates to UVA and the ACC. […]
WHITE SULFUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Steve Marino is the seasoned warhorse of Virginia golf. No Cavalier golfer has remained on the professional level longer than Marino, who has been earning a living since 2002. I remember writing a story on Marino once he earned his PGA Tour card 16 years ago. He was getting ready to make his debut at an event in Hawaii.I’ll never forget what he told me. “I don’t want to be a one-and-done guy,” Marino said. “I don’t want to play for a year and then vanish. I want to be making a career out of […]