Michael Irvin told me to start Reggie Wayne this weekend on my fantasy football team. I openly called him an "idiot" and kept Wayne on my bench.
I had the lucky opportunity to speak with Athletics Director Craig Littlepage last week. As the big shot, head honcho of Virginia sports conversed with me for a few minutes and took a genuine interest in my life as a fourth-year College student, I began to appreciate just what a remarkable man Mr. Littlepage is and the remarkable success he has achieved. An examination of Littlepage's decisions since he was promoted to athletic director in August 2001 reveals that almost each of his moves has reaped huge dividends while transforming Cavalier programs from the ACC's basement to top national contenders. One of his first splashes was to tap Brian Boland to head the men's tennis team.
The Virginia men's soccer team rolls into the ACC tournament after a tough loss to Wake Forest at home but still hold high hopes of postseason glory. "I just can't wait to get back onto the field and get another 'W' and hopefully win the national championship," senior goalie Ryan Burke said. For one Virginia player in particular, however, this chance has been a long time coming. Freshman defender Bakare Soumare has had a difficult road to this stage in his career.
After a mediocre first three seasons, seniors Kat Blair, Biffy Cornelison, Mia Link, Lindsay O'Bannon, Erin Hayes and Alyssa Curmaci may have thought that a winning record, a top-10 rank in the nation and a potential berth in the NCAA tournament would be somewhat unrealistic.
Much like the Rutgers BCS bandwagon, this picks column continues to roll on; another 4-1 set last weekend upped my record to 67 percent winners. And let's talk about Rutgers.
On a rainy Friday night at Klöckner Stadium, No. 2 Virginia and No. 3 Wake Forest played a thrilling match that went right down to the last seconds of the game.
The Cavaliers (4-5, 3-2 ACC) rallied late to defeat N.C. State (3-5, 2-3 ACC), Saturday, 14-7. Virginia picked up its first touchdown late in the first quarter, with an eight-play drive that started from Virginia's own 25-yard line.
The Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams hosted their first meet of the season this past Friday and Saturday.
Do not book that winter break getaway with friends to Florida or the Caribbean just yet. While the odds are still against it, Virginia's win over N.C.
We, the Virginia basketball fans, in order to form a more perfect universe, establish crew cuts, encourage facemask-wearing, provide for the common defense of the paint, promote the generous use of elbows and secure the blessings of victory to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the one and only "Legion of Lars." Article One, Section One. The Legion was formed for one reason and one reason alone: to glorify the human steamroller (and lay-up master) that is sophomore forward Laurynas "Lars" Mikalauskas.
Even though Virginia got the best of N.C. State on the gridiron, the cross county course would be a totally different story. The Virginia men's and women's cross country teams placed third at the ACC championships, which took place on Virginia's home course at Panorama Farms. While this is the highest place for the Virginia women's cross country team since 2002 and the fifth straight year the Virginia men's cross country team finished in the top three, the third-place results did not completely please Virginia coach Jason Dunn. "I think I would have been much more satisfied if we were in the top two," Dunn said.
Most of the University seems to be dreading the unavoidable community chill that settles in around this time of year.
Tipping off the second half of the ACC schedule, Virginia Volleyball heads down to North Carolina this weekend for back-to-back matches against North Carolina and N.C.
No. 10 Virginia will head to Durham this weekend for its final game of the regular season against No.
Virginia (3-5, 2-2 ACC) will look to win its second straight conference game as the Cavaliers welcome N.C.
Saturday, as the Virginia women's soccer team takes on N.C. State in their last regular season game, the team hopes to make history repeat itself.
Think of the most dramatic possible way to end a regular season before the playoff tournaments begin.
Every Virginia sports team obviously strives to avoid losing. But while fans generally wail and gnash their teeth following an upset, the women's soccer team opts for a different approach.
Part three of this five-part series leading up to Virginia's first game Nov. 12 will offer a look at how a new addition to the strength and conditioning staff has impacted Virginia's entire offseason program. Strength and conditioning coach Shaun Brown was one of head coach Dave Leitao's less-publicized hires since arriving in Charlottesville in 2005 -- less publicized, but certainly not less qualified. Brown came to Charlottesville following eight years as a head strength coach in the NBA, six years with the Boston Celtics and two years with the Toronto Raptors.
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on the night of Friday, Oct. 13, approaching midnight?
