 That’s a lot of bull: The John Paul Jones Arena was transformed into a Western ranch last Saturday night for the Professional Bull Riders Charlottesville Invitational, part of the national Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour. Forty riders matched up with bulls that weigh up to 2,000 pounds. |
Tuesday 3/25
GOP firms up ’09 ticket
State Attorney General Bob McDonnell had the Republican gubernatorial nomination handed to him after Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling announced yesterday that he won’t seek the governor’s office. But the intrigue on the Democratic side will only get hotter in coming months, with Charlottesville’s state Senator Creigh Deeds battling NoVa state Delegate Brian Moran. The news from Bolling also means that the state attorney general race will be wide open for both parties. No candidates have been officially announced, though many pundits peg Albemarle Delegate Rob Bell (R) as a prime contender.
Wednesday 3/26
Singletary falls flat
 Two days after scoring 8 points in the last 30 seconds, Sean Singletary fell flat against Bradley in his last college game. The crowd cheered anyway. |
Two days after stunning ODU with 8 points in the last 30 seconds, Sean Singletary falls flat against Bradley in the College Basketball Invitational. Even though UVA goes up by 14 points in the first half, Bradley squelches the Cav’s flame, as Singletary only musters 17 points. Instead, the senior point guard left the game with less than a minute to play and his team down by double figures (they would lose 96-85). Regardless, Singletary was treated with a standing ovation by the small crowd for his last-ever collegiate game.
Thursday 3/27
Daily Progress debuts new site
The Daily Progress’ website got a redesign Thursday, and they picked a good day to do it (see Courts & Crime). Gone are the laundry list of links. In their place is a rotating box that displays four sections: News, Sports, Lifestyle and Entertainment. With launches like these, there are always bugs. The RSS feeds seem to have some trouble, and it does take a little more digging if you’re searching for something in particular (where the hell is Bryan McKenzie?!), but overall, the DP’s new site is a lot easier on the eye.
Friday 3/28
The Eagles to swoop into JPJ
John Paul Jones Arena announced this morning that the Eagles will be coming to town on May 21. Since coming together in 1971, the L.A. band has racked up five No. 1 singles, four No. 1 albums, a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, five Grammy awards and the U.S.’s best-selling album of all time with 1976’s Their Greatest Hits. After disbanding in the early ’80s—too much cocaine, perhaps?—they reunited in 1994 to tour and released a subsequent live album. 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden is the band’s first record of new material since 1979. Tickets for the concert go on sale April 4 at 10am.
Saturday 3/29
Lessons from the Ten Miler
A record 2,525 runners took off at the start of the 33rd annual Charlottesville Ten Miler on a chilly, 50-degree morning; the first finisher, 24-year-old Charlie Hurt of Scottsville, crossed the line 51 minutes later. Top finishers in other age groups came from as far as Richmond, Virginia Beach, Baltimore—hell, 30-year-old Kevin McGee came from Albuquerque to run. CvilleTenMiler.com puts the number of “finishers” at 2,111, meaning more than 400 runners failed to cross the line. We suspect foul play from Albuquerque.
Sunday 3/30
The stuff of legends
UVA-baseball-player-turned-Major-League-wunderkind Ryan Zimmerman continues to cement his place in Washington Nationals lore. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Zimmerman hit a walk-off homer today to give the Nats a win in their first game in their new $661 million stadium. “There’s something about him,” said Zimmerman’s teammate, Dmitri Young, in an ESPN.com article. “We’re starting to see greatness prevail.”
Monday 3/31
Jefferson cemetery symbolizes ongoing unease with Hemings
In today’s installment of his This Land column in The New York Times, Dan Barry visits Monticello to investigate everyone’s favorite local race-related conundrum—the relationship of Thomas Jefferson to his slave, Sally Hemings. Barry focuses on the efforts of both Jefferson and Hemings descendents, at a reunion last year, to gain entry to the Jefferson family cemetery. Their request was denied by the Monticello Association, Barry reports, out of concern for the grass, which “had taken years to grow.”
