Hall of Fame bid crashes in Turn 2 (and other thoughts on the week)

Richmond's "If you build it they will come" mentality finally seemed to have righted itself with the NASCAR Hall of Fame pitch. For once, it was "Clearly they will come. Let's build it!" There was genuine civic excitement (and OK, some naysayers) but unlike some other doomed projects around here lately this one was well-organized, though-out and pitched. Unfortunately, and with no reason offered, Richmond was dropped from the short list with only Atlanta, Daytona Beach and Charlotte remaining. (Keep watching the papers and TV news for phrases like: Where did the wheels fall off? ... Richmond's bid ran out of gas ... No checkered flag for Richmond. Am I missing any?*) ...

So, Marcus Vick has been given his options of what to do after his leg-stomping incident in the Gator Bowl. Let's see. He can either choose to go pro early and hope to go in the second round of the draft OR he can transfer to a Division 1-AA school with little or no TV exposure OR he can take a suspension of at least one whole game (!) and then keep on playing for the No. 7 ranked team in the nation. Now let me think. Let's just say I libel someone in my Richmond Magazine column, and my editors say, "OK, Janet, here are your options: You can either quit and hope you get picked up as a nationally syndicated columnist OR you can go write for the local weekly shopper that comes with the Pizza Hut coupons OR you can sit your column out for a month and then just keep on doing it like before." Hmm ... what to choose, what to choose ...

Well, we are finally getting a look at just what a mess Michelle Mitchell made of the Richmond City Jail. Faulty plumbing, wiring, locks, overcrowding and a medical refrigerator that housed both inmate bodily fluids and employee lunches. Jeez, I'd hate to see her house ...

I have no idea who Vito Colucci is other than a talking head private investigator but last night on Rita Cosby's show on MSNBC, while discussing the Harvey murders he had high praise for the Richmond PD. He said, and I am paraphrasing, that Richmond has a "great police department down there" and implied that if the case can be solved, the Richmond PD will do it. It was nice to hear.

*see my headline