
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 4, 1993                   TAG: 9309040169
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ROANOKE NOT THE PLACE FOR TECH-UVA

As I sit reading Jack Bogaczyk's latest gripe "Tech - UVa now an (out of state) basketball rivalry," I can't help but wonder why Jack seems to place the blame on Dave Braine rather than his city of residence. No, Jack, money doesn't always have to be the bottom line, but Braine didn't sell Roanoke out - Roanoke sold Roanoke out. And it always has.

While a student and marching band member at Pulaski County High School, I traveled many Friday nights to Victory Stadium. I often wondered then why if at least a thousand of our football fans could travel to Roanoke to watch a game, why was there one-10th the crowd on the home side?

After traveling to several games in Roanoke while a student at Virginia Tech (Metro Tournament, Tech-UVa, Tech-UNC), I was again shocked at the apathy of not just Hokie fans, but sports fans in the Roanoke Valley. And I can't help but chuckle as Roanoke attempts to resurrect yet another hockey team only to see it fail.

Maybe Roanoke should take a lesson from Salem with its high school sports following and its successful bid for the Stagg Bowl: to attract more sporting events to your area, it may be wise to support the ones you already have.

And by the way, Jack, I don't favor having the UVa game in Maryland either - it should be played in Blacksburg where it would be a guaranteed sellout and would be played in front of the students. But, Braine had to balance his budget and judging by history, Roanoke is definitely not the place to have a sports event.

CHRIS STAFFORD\ BLACKSBURG

by CNB