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3 hours ago, Icetera said:

I love the optimism but I believe they usually do four but cut down towards the end of the year to three.

True - but it's safe to say that 2022 is already off to a faster start that we thought might happen. I like that momentum seems to have built from back half of 2020 through full year 2021 and now the opening of 2022. This is good to see -- and hopefully it not only continues but increases.

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37 minutes ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Been here for months and just realized there was an "off-topics" discussion topic. 

 

Question: There are many pinned topics in this RVA UP forum... some that haven't seen much action in a while. What's the reasoning for keeping these at the top / pinned?

A few are basically to keep the forums fairly uniform such as the Project Listings, Welcome (for new user intros, etc.), and the Coffee House (for political discussions).  One is basically a memorial page for a significant founding contributor we lost years back.  Since we are one of four forums with an active development map, the Project Listings thread is rarely updated, but suggestions occur in the Development Map thread..

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6 hours ago, Icetera said:

A few are basically to keep the forums fairly uniform such as the Project Listings, Welcome (for new user intros, etc.), and the Coffee House (for political discussions).  One is basically a memorial page for a significant founding contributor we lost years back.  Since we are one of four forums with an active development map, the Project Listings thread is rarely updated, but suggestions occur in the Development Map thread..

What are the other three forums?

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I thought about putting this in the Richmond sports thread, but it might not even be on topic there….

Miami Marlins radio broadcaster Dave Van Horne announced his retirement. His career started in 1966 with the Richmond Braves. Before that, he was a drama student at RPI. Hence, the RVA connection.

Vam Horne has had himself quite a career. He won the Ford Frick Award for broadcasters a few years back; that means he’s a Hall of Famer, kinda (recipients don’t have plaques in the plaque room so they’re not really HOFers, but no matter). He’s been with the Marlins 20 or so years; before that, he was an announcer for the Montreal Expos from their inception in 1969, most notably teaming with Duke Snider for a few years. He left the Expos during their “let’s run this thing into the ground” final days. (The Expos soon thereafter became the Washington Nationals. Although my son and I are huge Nats fans, I’ve always felt badly for Expos fans.)

For Van Horne’s last year with the Expos, they didn’t have a TV or radio contract, so he broadcast over the internet. But that was before MLB had a uniform TV and radio streaming service, so who really knows how many people listened. The Marlins also are a notoriously cheap organization, but they did win the World Series in 2003, so I would imagine getting the chance to call that was a career highlight.

Richmond has a rich history of broadcasters (sports or otherwise). Van Horne is not one of the more well-known broadcasters with a Richmond connection, but he is highly accomplished.

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4 hours ago, DowntownCoruscant said:

I thought about putting this in the Richmond sports thread, but it might not even be on topic there….

Miami Marlins radio broadcaster Dave Van Horne announced his retirement. His career started in 1966 with the Richmond Braves. Before that, he was a drama student at RPI. Hence, the RVA connection.

Vam Horne has had himself quite a career. He won the Ford Frick Award for broadcasters a few years back; that means he’s a Hall of Famer, kinda (recipients don’t have plaques in the plaque room so they’re not really HOFers, but no matter). He’s been with the Marlins 20 or so years; before that, he was an announcer for the Montreal Expos from their inception in 1969, most notably teaming with Duke Snider for a few years. He left the Expos during their “let’s run this thing into the ground” final days. (The Expos soon thereafter became the Washington Nationals. Although my son and I are huge Nats fans, I’ve always felt badly for Expos fans.)

For Van Horne’s last year with the Expos, they didn’t have a TV or radio contract, so he broadcast over the internet. But that was before MLB had a uniform TV and radio streaming service, so who really knows how many people listened. The Marlins also are a notoriously cheap organization, but they did win the World Series in 2003, so I would imagine getting the chance to call that was a career highlight.

Richmond has a rich history of broadcasters (sports or otherwise). Van Horne is not one of the more well-known broadcasters with a Richmond connection, but he is highly accomplished.

Wow - 55 years is quite a haul. That's almost Vin Scully level (67 season behind the microphone for the Dodgers). Very impressive!

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22 hours ago, DowntownCoruscant said:

I thought about putting this in the Richmond sports thread, but it might not even be on topic there….

Miami Marlins radio broadcaster Dave Van Horne announced his retirement. His career started in 1966 with the Richmond Braves. Before that, he was a drama student at RPI. Hence, the RVA connection.

Vam Horne has had himself quite a career. He won the Ford Frick Award for broadcasters a few years back; that means he’s a Hall of Famer, kinda (recipients don’t have plaques in the plaque room so they’re not really HOFers, but no matter). He’s been with the Marlins 20 or so years; before that, he was an announcer for the Montreal Expos from their inception in 1969, most notably teaming with Duke Snider for a few years. He left the Expos during their “let’s run this thing into the ground” final days. (The Expos soon thereafter became the Washington Nationals. Although my son and I are huge Nats fans, I’ve always felt badly for Expos fans.)

For Van Horne’s last year with the Expos, they didn’t have a TV or radio contract, so he broadcast over the internet. But that was before MLB had a uniform TV and radio streaming service, so who really knows how many people listened. The Marlins also are a notoriously cheap organization, but they did win the World Series in 2003, so I would imagine getting the chance to call that was a career highlight.

Richmond has a rich history of broadcasters (sports or otherwise). Van Horne is not one of the more well-known broadcasters with a Richmond connection, but he is highly accomplished.

Yeah that’s right up there on vin scully level. Would of never known someone local  was part of the marlins broadcast team. I’ve grown up an atlanta Braves fan my entire life not just because  of Richmond Braves but I have family in atlanta area. Being able to witness both a Braves World Series this past year and a Georgia bulldogs national title is something I will never ever forget on top of my first child due in late March early April this year. I’ve had a very nice beginning to 2022. Start a new job on Wednesday so I’m very excited for this year.

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4 hours ago, Downtowner said:

Yeah that’s right up there on vin scully level. Would of never known someone local  was part of the marlins broadcast team. I’ve grown up an atlanta Braves fan my entire life not just because  of Richmond Braves but I have family in atlanta area. Being able to witness both a Braves World Series this past year and a Georgia bulldogs national title is something I will never ever forget on top of my first child due in late March early April this year. I’ve had a very nice beginning to 2022. Start a new job on Wednesday so I’m very excited for this year.

Mazal Tov on the new job!! May you enjoy tremendous success!

Indeed, exciting times for sports fans across the Peach State, whether it's the Bravos winning the WS or the Dawgs breaking a 42-year drought. Hey, it's definitely a far cry from the days, decades ago, when there were a few billboards and bumper stickers seen around metro Atlanta which read:

"GO BRAVES!!  AND TAKE THE FALCONS WITH YOU!!!"  :tw_joy:

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15 minutes ago, I miss RVA said:

Mazal Tov on the new job!! May you enjoy tremendous success!

Indeed, exciting times for sports fans across the Peach State, whether it's the Bravos winning the WS or the Dawgs breaking a 42-year drought. Hey, it's definitely a far cry from the days, decades ago, when there were a few billboards and bumper stickers seen around metro Atlanta which read:

"GO BRAVES!!  AND TAKE THE FALCONS WITH YOU!!!"  :tw_joy:

It will be a while before the falcons are good again. When they blew that 28-3 lead against the patriots with Brady and company that was rough for fellow Atlanta area residents and falcons fans. The only teams In the Atlanta area that’s had a hard time is there falcons and hawks. However hawks made the eastern conference finals In the nba not a big basketball fan but follow the wizards for basketball and capitals for hockey. To even say I have seen two Braves World Series championships a capitals Stanley cup and a Georgia bulldogs national title is pretty amazing. Just need to see a lions super bowl and a wizards nba championship which I’m not holding my breath on ever seeing but it would be pretty wild. I’m expecting the lions and/or wizards to have a Chicago cubs World Series curse like they had until 2016 when they won the World Series. 

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4 hours ago, Downtowner said:

It will be a while before the falcons are good again. When they blew that 28-3 lead against the patriots with Brady and company that was rough for fellow Atlanta area residents and falcons fans. The only teams In the Atlanta area that’s had a hard time is there falcons and hawks. However hawks made the eastern conference finals In the nba not a big basketball fan but follow the wizards for basketball and capitals for hockey. To even say I have seen two Braves World Series championships a capitals Stanley cup and a Georgia bulldogs national title is pretty amazing. Just need to see a lions super bowl and a wizards nba championship which I’m not holding my breath on ever seeing but it would be pretty wild. I’m expecting the lions and/or wizards to have a Chicago cubs World Series curse like they had until 2016 when they won the World Series. 

Good point on the blown 28-3 lead to the GOAT in the SB. Ugh... who can forget that? You just KNEW that lead wasn't going to hold up. The Patriots' momentum machine back then could just snowball a team -- and that's what happened in the last 23 or so minutes of regulation and, of course, OT.

I'd add one corollary to your list of struggling Atlanta franchises: the Flames and Thrashers did JUST well enough to relocate to other cities -- and the Flames by far were the more successful on the ice -- and even then it took them nine years after relocating to Calgary to finally lift Lord Stanley's hardware ...  and even THEN it took Gretzky being dumped to LA a la Ruth getting shipped from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Those "Battle of Alberta" wars between the Oilers and Flames were epic and BRUTAL. They literally were wars on ice. It went far beyond rivalry and got downright personal.

I liked the Flames when they were in Atlanta. Not my all-time favorite team by any stretch, but I did like them. Was happy when they finally won the Cup in Calgary in '89.

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3 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Good point on the blown 28-3 lead to the GOAT in the SB. Ugh... who can forget that? You just KNEW that lead wasn't going to hold up. The Patriots' momentum machine back then could just snowball a team -- and that's what happened in the last 23 or so minutes of regulation and, of course, OT.

I'd add one corollary to your list of struggling Atlanta franchises: the Flames and Thrashers did JUST well enough to relocate to other cities -- and the Flames by far were the more successful on the ice -- and even then it took them nine years after relocating to Calgary to finally lift Lord Stanley's hardware ...  and even THEN it took Gretzky being dumped to LA a la Ruth getting shipped from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Those "Battle of Alberta" wars between the Oilers and Flames were epic and BRUTAL. They literally were wars on ice. It went far beyond rivalry and got downright personal.

I liked the Flames when they were in Atlanta. Not my all-time favorite team by any stretch, but I did like them. Was happy when they finally won the Cup in Calgary in '89.

Yeah I remember the thrashers that was a disaster. It was when the nhl expansion also had the nashville predators and the Columbus blue jackets. Of all big cities in Ohio I wouldn't of guessed it to be Columbus the only city in Ohio with an nhl team. Would of guessed Cincinnati or Cleveland way more so than Columbus.

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31 minutes ago, Downtowner said:

Yeah I remember the thrashers that was a disaster. It was when the nhl expansion also had the nashville predators and the Columbus blue jackets. Of all big cities in Ohio I wouldn't of guessed it to be Columbus the only city in Ohio with an nhl team. Would of guessed Cincinnati or Cleveland way more so than Columbus.

Columbus is far-and-away the largest city in Ohio (905K) and has a metro of 2.1 million. The vast professional sports histories of Cleveland & Cincinnati (plus Cleveland at one time was a city of 914K but has seen a precipitous decline that is surpassed only by Detroit's meteoric fall) and the fact that Columbus is the epitome of a university town that lives, eats, sleeps and breathes Ohio State football, it might have gotten a professional sports franchise aside from the NHL. Thing is - professional hockey had stints in Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Barons barely lasted two seasons -- and that wasn't even an expansion franchise - it was the relo of the California Golden Seals -- an established NHL club. Downstate, the Stingers played in the WHA -- and even had HOFer Mark Messier on the roster for most of the 1978-79 season -- but the club never made the transition to the NHL. Cleveland is primarily a football town (it could be argued they were primarily a baseball town until the Browns took the city -- and two pro football leagues (AAFC and NFL) by storm. And Cincinnati is primarily a baseball town with the Reds being one of the pillars of the National League for the past 131 years. Given all of that, it makes sense that the NHL would choose Columbus over her now much smaller sisters.

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I generally like this site for data but this seems real off to me.  Numbeo has Raleigh listed as the #1 city in the world for quality of life.  Our Richmond is listed as #12, once again, in the world!  Usually this list is dominated by Scandinavian, Swiss, and Oceanian cities.

Quality of Life Index by City 2022
image.thumb.png.e305e6ab58e70f0411abd1e1ef036183.png

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings.jsp?title=2022

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Wow - RVA is 12th IN THE WORLD in terms of quality of life? (according to these folks, anyway...)

Ummm... shouldn't the city be ALL OVER THIS as a marketing tool - not just nationally but internationally as well? Even if it's only one group's survey, ranking THAT high across all the world cities that might have been included would certainly seem to me to be a really open door for marketing RVA as one of the world's best places to life, work, play, etc.

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Who paid who?  *shrug*

There are many different types of organizations who have their parameters which equate to their rankings.  Parameters used by this particular organization ranked Richmond 12.  Though I agree.  This should be used for Richmond's marketing purposes.

Edited by Shakman
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1 hour ago, Shakman said:

Who paid who?  *shrug*

There are many different types of organizations who have their parameters which equate to their rankings.  Parameters used by this particular organization ranked Richmond 12.  Though I agree.  This should be used for Richmond's marketing purposes.

Every little bit of positive pub really helps the overall effort to push RVA into the national consciousness and to build name recognition. That goes hand-in-glove with wanting a distinctive, easily recognizable skyline, something that I think gets overlooked or ignored or simply misunderstood by some in the "Richmond doesn't need tall buildings to be special" camp. A distinctive skyline with a signature tower or two (or three) becomes quite recognizable -- and as such can be a powerful visual marketing tool for Richmond on the national and even international scene. Ditto publications that rank RVA high on a list of cities -- regardless how selected -- and ranked for livability or quality of life or hot job market or great housing market - you name the focus.

For RVA to be high on a long list of competing cities is instant good pub - and should be used and pushed hard by the powers that be as a strong recruitment tool to bring people and companies here. We just can't possibly say enough for the power of "boosterism" in how it can really drive a city's growth.

RVA would do well to invest seriously (not just money, but time, effort and creativity) in some serious boosterism - and by that I mean promoting herself in such a way that does NOT put primary focus on "history" or "architecture" or "charm" or "character" - which is a pigeon hole out of which we desperately need to extricate ourselves. For cities like Charleston or Savannah, that's about all they have in a lot of ways... but for cities with which RVA directly competes economically, those are ancillary factors that are the really cool "extras" - the "icing on the cake" or "cherry on top" that can separate us from the rest. But first we need the cake. Why? Because companies aren't going to relo to RVA simply because of 150-year-old architecture or because Patrick Henry gave a speech on Church Hill that just happened to be written down or because the Fan is a really cool place to live. Things like that are extras. But the business climate, transportation (which we SERIOUSLY need to work on!!), quality of life (various factors), job opportunities, job growth, housing, being a booming development market... THOSE are the things that make up the body of the "cake" that draws companies to seriously consider pulling up stakes from wherever they are and moving lock, stock and barrel to Richmond.

BTW - this isn't a rant or kvetch. I'm quite thrilled with the unprecedented growth RVA is experiencing. I'm simply putting forth concepts that RVA should be embracing -- we need EVERY POSSIBLE EDGE in competing with other cities for companies, jobs, residents. RVA needs to constantly find that edge, work it, push hard, strive and be driven - because it's not going to happen on its own. We've got Big Mo on our side right now -- gotta do everything to keep that momentum and increase it!

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On 1/21/2022 at 2:27 PM, Shakman said:

Who paid who?  *shrug*

There are many different types of organizations who have their parameters which equate to their rankings.  Parameters used by this particular organization ranked Richmond 12.  Though I agree.  This should be used for Richmond's marketing purposes.

“You’ve been nominated for Who’s Who Among World Cities! Act now to appear in this year’s edition!”

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Speaking of this, I found this thread in r/rva in Reddit interesting.  Tons of people have told their story as to why they moved to Richmond and why they love it. I have to agree that Richmond’s reputation (from the old days) has probably kept some of  its growth at bay, but that reputation is changing - the word is getting out about how great a city Richmond is; people are flocking in.  The city is growing and I think it may become a very popular place, known as such in the media, the center the office talk across America very soon.  Check it out:
 

https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/sam1r6/alright_ill_bite_whats_the_catch_in_richmond/

 

Edited by eandslee
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3 hours ago, eandslee said:

Speaking of this, I found this thread in r/rva in Reddit interesting.  Tons of people have told their story as to why they moved to Richmond and why they love it. I have to agree that Richmond’s reputation (from the old days) has probably kept some of  its growth at bay, but that reputation is changing - the word is getting out about how great a city Richmond is; people are flocking in.  The city is growing and I think it may become a very popular place, known as such in the media, the center the office talk across America very soon.  Check it out:
 

https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/sam1r6/alright_ill_bite_whats_the_catch_in_richmond/

 

That's a great read! Lots of food for thought on that thread. Kudos to the folks who got that conversation started.

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1 hour ago, ancientcarpenter said:

Am I the only one who doesn't get stabbed or shot anytime I step out of my front porch? All those posts about crime...jeez... you would think we were New Jack City...

I lived in the Fan for YEARS way back and only once did I have any kind of issue - had my car broken into and thoroughly rifled and I had only myself to blame. I had managed to leave the car unlocked AND had a vaccum cleaner sitting in the back seat (along with some other assorted items) - it was low-hanging fruit for anyone with sticky fingers looking to pick up an easy heist. And that's the ONLY issue I ever had living there. Sooooo... idk...  I'm with you @ancientcarpenteron this one.

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