HOKIES...HOOS...& PANTHERS

This first week of 2018 has seen us having some of the coldest temperatures in recent memory. I can remember single digit temperatures for a day or two but this entire week has seen overnight temperatures hovering near 0 and struggling to get to the 20 degree mark in the day time.  Thursday Morning (Jan. 3) it was 6 degrees when I got up at 7:30 a.m. and this morning it was 3 degrees and never got above 16.

While it has been bitter cold here in the New River Valley, we have not had any snow. The same can't be said for the east coast from Florida to New England.  Place like Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina go 3-4 inches of snow, while Virginia Beach and the Tidewater area of Virginia got upward of a foot. The same storm moved up the coast dumping well over a foot of snow in some parts of New England. 

The cold weather has chased me inside when it come to my daily exercise routine. I have been making a daily visit to the Christiansburg Rec. Center. One of the advantages of living in the Town of Christiansburg is that as a resident I can use the Rec. Center facilities free of charge. The center has an 1/8th of a mile walk/run track, 5-treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals along with an assortment of weighs.

I usually get in about 4-miles in a little over an hour.  Most of the time my routine consists of walking a mile on the track, before heading to the tread mill and getting in 2-miles in a little over 30-minutes which is a pretty brisk pace. Finally I walk another mile on the track.  By the time I am done I have worked up a pretty good sweat.  I have been doing this for the better part of a month now must admit I feel better and on days that I don't get my steps in, I really miss it.

Kerry Blackshear, Jr.
Slams againt UVA

Wednesday Night I ventured over to Cassell Coliseum for act 1 of the Commonwealth Clash between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Virginia Tech Hokies.  The game was the conference home opener for the Hokies and I must say the ACC Schedule Makers doesn't do Virginia Tech any favors. First the game with the Hokies biggest rival is scheduled while the students are away on Christmas Break. 

The powers that be in the ACC need to address this, and move this game to later in January when the Students are back on campus.  This is one of if not the biggest game on the Va. Tech Schedule and it needs to be played before a packed house. This is the third time in the last few years that the Hokies and Cavaliers have met in Blacksburg when the students have been away on break.

Kyle Guy

The second thing that I don't like is that this game was scheduled for 9 p.m. on a week day night. This further reduced the attendance as parent with children are not going to show up and keep them up past midnight.  I understand the need for 9 p.m. games for TV but again not with your biggest rival.

The game its self was nothing to brag about as both teams were still suffering from a New Years Hang over.  Just like at Syracuse earlier in the week, the Hokies weren't hitting from outside and the UVA Defense seem to fluster the Hokies in the Paint.  The UVA Defense also turned the Hokies over 16 time resulting in 23 points off of turnovers.  When it was all over the Cavaliers were headed back to Hooville with a 78-52 win. The two teams meet again in Charlottesville on Saturday February 10 in a 6 p.m. game at John Paul Jones Arena.

Thursday and Friday I pretty much just concentrated on staying warm as the temperatures were in single digits and never got above 20.

Today as I made my way back to Cassell Coliseum for the Noon tip between the Hokies and Pitt Panters is was just 16 degrees. Thank goodness I had a parking pass for the lot directly across the street from the Coliseum so it was only a short walk.

Me and Tim Brando

Today game tipped at noon and it was broadcast on the ACC Network. It was great to see Tim Brando and Mike Gminski back in Blacksburg. I have met Tim a couple of time and in addition to being one of the best broadcasters in the business he is also one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Both Tim and the G-Man are great broadcasters and just down right good people.

The Hokies finally got in the win column in conference play. After playing Pitt Close in the first half, the Hokies behind the hot shooting of Kerry Blackshear, Jr., opened up a lead early in the second half and never looked back. The final score was Virginia Tech 81 and Pittsburgh 67.

On Wednesday Night (January 10) The Hokies travel to Winston Salem to take on my Demon Deacons. I had thought seriously about picking up a ticket on Stub Hub and going but its a 9 p.m. game which would make it close to 2 a.m. before I get home unless I wanted to get a motel and stay over.  I am leaning toward just staying home and watching on TV, but you never know what this old retired guy might do.

It's been a cold, and busy first week of retirement but I must say I have enjoyed it, and I am adapting to this new chapter of my life.