Posted by Tim Hayes

Posted by Tim Hayes

Ever wonder why so many modern professional athletes despise and no longer trust the media?

Ever wonder why there’s a steadily increasing wall being built up between athletes and reporters?

Ever wonder why media relations workers treat beat writers with kid gloves, while athletic directors, general managers and owners often speak in short, meaningless, unrevealing soundbytes?

This is why.

And that—presented and set-up with all the class of an “Access Hollywood"-esque slaughter—is absolutely disgusting.

Congratulations, ESPN: you’re the new “Hard Copy,” the next “Dateline.”

Maybe Pat O’Brien can help out; fill in a slot or two.

Maybe you can start showing up at the homes of NFL players in the middle of the night (you know, just peek around ... see what’s going on).

Maybe you can start randomly showing up at strip clubs frequented by NBA players (or whatever outdated stereotype you wish to delve into).

But whatever you choose to “investigate” in the future (and trap athletes with; documenting every angle like you’ve just figured out how to cure cancer or how to solve the problems in Iraq), just remember: when people look back and wonder what happened to sports journalism—how and why it died—your name will be at the top of the list.

We salute you, worldwide leader.

You are the almighty lord of sports trash.

Posted by Brian T. Smith

Posted by Tim Hayes

Thinking globally, acting locally.
It’s a conundrum that in a way describes the dilemma facing Grundy principal Leslie Horne, who is making the biggest decisions the Buchanan County school’s athletic department has ever faced.
No one loves Grundy more than Horne, a star basketball player in the mid-1980s who took a very credible turn as the school’s girls basketball coach a decade later, guiding the Golden Wave to a couple of Group AA quarterfinals.
But Horne is realistic enough to know there are no easy solutions facing a school with shrinking enrollment.
“I’m trying desperately to do the right thing for all involved,” she said late Monday afternoon. “There is no right answer for everyone.”
For at least two more years, Horne’s version of the right thing is to have a school with Group A-sized enrollment compete in the AA Southwest District.
Some in the community felt a little jilted by Horne’s decision. They wanted to see Grundy go down to the Group A ranks and play in the Black Diamond District, which is where the Virginia High School League had assigned it for the 2008-09 school year.
Sure, the Golden Wave’s struggling sports – football, baseball, volleyball – might be able to win a little more. But playing the likes of Haysi and Honaker as opposed to playing Richlands and Tazewell is no contest financially.
If you don’t believe me, just go to a Richlands road game sometime and watch the home team’s athletic director smile as Blue Tornado fans pack the stands and fill the cash box.
Then there’s wrestling – the sport at which Grundy always excels. No other BDD school even offers it, and while the Golden Wave will never have problems filling out a schedule because of the program’s continued dominance, Horne didn’t see a need to punish the fans.
“We have such a following in wrestling,” she said. “If we did this, you’d never see the kids on the mat [locally] until you got into a regional tournament.”
What’s more, Horne is willing to play a hunch that the VHSL might finally think about an option it should have considered a long, long time ago – reclassification.
“The [Redistricting & Realignment] committee is willing to explore five classifications for the first time,” she said. “I find that positive.
“I think going [Group A] right now is premature with all the positive things I’m getting from the state principals’ meeting. They’re willing to go forward and if we go [Group A] now, we may miss out on that.”
One other factor Horne certainly considered was what might happen in two years in Tazewell County. Enrollments are shrinking there, even with the likelihood that Pocahontas will close its doors this spring, which would send some students to Graham and a few to Tazewell.
In two years, it’s possible Graham and Tazewell could be small enough to play in Group A. And if those two go down, you can bet Richlands will invoke the “Lee precedent” and ask to join their county neighbors.
Horne knows all this could turn out not so well. But her instincts, as well as her desire to keep as many kids participating in sports as she can, leads her to believe she’s on the right path.
“We know our numbers are indicative of a change,” Horne summed up, “but we’re hoping some of our buddies might have to do it, too.”
If that does happen, the conundrum will have come to life. 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
High School Sports