Ratcliffe on West, or Jerry R on Jerry W

by Jerry Ratcliffe on December 2nd, 2011

Charlottesville best-selling author Jonathan Coleman’s book on basketball great Jerry West: “West by West, My Charmed, Tormented Life,“ is a hit and I will be writing a feature on the book for Sunday’s Daily Progress sports section.
I’ve spent a few hours with Coleman, a really good guy, and had a terrific interview with West, who talked about the book, on today’s NBA game, the old Virginia summer basketball camp, “Camp Wahoo,“ among other topics. Anyone who grew up admiring West will, I think, enjoy the piece, and for newbies, well, they should be able to gain a new appreciation for the kind of player West was and how the game should be played. Ladies shouldn’t shy away from the book. It’s really not a sports book, although there’s lots of basketball included. It’s the story of West’s life, which surprising to me and others, was truly tormented as well as charmed.

On another front, everyone keeps asking me where I think Virginia will go bowling and while you shouldn’t make your reservations until it’s official, I’m about 99.9 percent sure the Cavaliers will be playing in Nashville’s Music City Bowl on Friday, Dec. 30, at 6:40 p.m. (ESPN) in the same stadium the NFL’s Tennessee Titans play (67,000 seats) against an opponent from the SEC. Most likely Mississippi State.

I would be stunned if Virginia isn’t playing in that bowl, especially after getting a wink-wink from someone in the know in recent days when talking about the bowl lineup.

Meanwhile, this just in ... The ACC has announced that it will keep its championship football game in Charlotte for 2012 and 2013. Don’t be surprised if this becomes the permanent home for the game, especially after this year’s sellout.

See ya.

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