Presto's Picks-- Show Me Month!

I've long maintained that September is "Show Me Month" in college football... a time to get your first sampling of the new starters and schemes. Will your longtime backup quarterback be able to build on what last year's starter did? Or will you wind up going through plan B, C, D and E? Show Me Month is a time to find out what new wrinkles your team added (uniforms included) and what sort of ceiling (or floor) your squad has this fall. Can the Hokies be in the National Championship mix? Will Maryland build off last year's 9-4 mark and contend for an ACC title? How many Coastal Division teams can the Cavaliers climb past? September's month of possibilities always has the chance of a loss to William & Mary or a rout at California or an 0-2 start to torpedo respective dreams... but even then you're shown something.


Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse kicked off the season by rallying past Wake Forest in overtime; a thrilling finish that saw the unveiling of the Pinstripe Bowl banner. Now after five years in the wilderness I'm not going to sell short any postseason appearance... but it's tough to jump up and down over a bowl that was tacked on to last year's schedule (at least they won this one though-- unlike the 1985 Cherry Bowl). Saturday the Orange face Rhode Island-- as ghosts from the 1988 Chapel Hill Subregional awake.


Virginia Tech at East Carolina-- three years ago the Hokies were ambushed by the Pirates in a 27-22 loss thanks to a blocked punt of all things. BEAMER BALL? The sharp focus that mowed down Appalachian State continues for the Hokies... although ECU put up 37 points on South Carolina last Saturday. Somehow I have a feeling that the ol' ballcoach didn't really focus on getting the Gamecocks defense ready for opening night as it would've interfered with his golf game. Hokies harness a road victory as the Pirates prepare for another crazy Halloween... 27-16.

Virginia at Indiana-- two schools better known for basketball try to live down recent tough times by facing off on the football field. And as IU hoops emerges from the crater created by Kelvin Sampson, their football program has another coach in place: Kevin Wilson's the fifth hire since the removal of alltime winningest coach Bill Mallory in 1997-- and even Mallory won just 38% of his Big Ten games. How bad have things been in Bloomington? You have to go back to 1951 to find a coach who won even 40% of his conference games. Cavaliers with their superior gridiron legacy handle the Hoosiers, 20-14.

Navy tops Western Kentucky, Georgetown leaps past Lafayette, Howard gets by Morehouse, James Madison nips Central Connecticut State, Richmond rolls past Wagner.

Last Week: 5-3.

College Football Corner-- Uniformally Different...

Jerry Seinfeld once said that with free agency and trades in pro sports fans are really rooting for laundry nowadays. College football fans have a laundry list of colors to get excited about this fall... and it's not just Notre Dame's "wearing the green jersey to psyche themselves up for USC" look. Week one gave Oregon fans the green highlighter look (par for the course, honestly-- the NikeDucks are going to have to do something really crazy to register on the meter)... as well as the first ever meeting between the Mercury State (Georgia) and the University of Hoth (Boise State). Maryland got into the act Monday night with the state flag on its helmet and white unis (with the flag helmet that looks like it belongs to Biggs or Wedge, the uniform combinations now number 75 in College Park). All splashing and exciting, to be sure. Now I'm not the 15-18 year old being recruited by Division I programs-- so the massive uniform explosion is obviously not geared towards me. What's interesting about today's world of alternate jerseys, helmets, pants, shoes, and I'm sure supportive cups-- today's "uniform" is anything but uniform.


Maryland (1-0) kicked off the Randy Edsall era in the rain by topping Miami 32-24. Danny O'Brien took ACC offensive back of the week honors by throwing for 348 yards and a touchdown... while Cameron Chism and Joe Vellano were honored after returning turnovers for touchdowns. Terrapin Triumphs-- one turnover and four penalties... a nice mistake free opening night. Davin Meggett turned in a workhorse performance with 92 yards rushing plus 4 catches. An opportunistic defense generated three takeaways and two touchdowns-- with defensive tackle Joe Vellano providing a big boost heading into halftime with his return for a score. Terrapin Troubles-- seven trips into the red zone with just one touchdown for the offense... the defense allowed 172 yards rushing and a few big gains on land and in the air. Next up-- September 16th against West Virginia.

Virginia (1-0) avoided upset on Labor Day weekend by blasting William & Mary 40-3 in front of the usual festive Charlottesville crowd (Kippy and Buffy's tailgate brought to you by Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay with a healthy dose of pepperjack for those Ritz Crackers)... as UVa gained momentum as the game progressed. Cavalier Congrats--Kevin Parks ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns... the offense went turnover free and controlled the ball for over 37 minutes... the defense held the Tribe to 2 of 14 on third down. Cavalier Concerns-- Michael Rocco did complete 21 of 29 passes... but for under ten yards per completion. That might work against the CAA, but not against the ACC longterm. Eight penalties isn't ideal, either. Next up--at Indiana Saturday (one week before facing North Carolina; was hoping they'd play LSU later this month to complete the 30-year reunion of the 1981 basketball Final Four).

Virginia Tech (1-0) won on opening day for the first time since 2007... smacking Appalachian State into submission 66-13. The biggest issue was how one pronounced "Appalachian"-- is it "ay" or "ae"? I went with how the Hokie Network said the school's name, and although WTOP reporter Hank Silverberg correctly reminded me the proper way to pronounce the mountain rage, I'm going with Bill Roth on the is one. Although Hank knows how to "Do The Freddie" (60's pop group Freddie and the Dreamers-- you tube it and you'll be amused as well as scared). Hokie Highlights-- BEAMER BALL! Fumble recoveries, interceptions and punt returns set up short fields for touchdowns-- and the exclamation point came in teh form of a blocked punt for a score... BEAMER BALL! David Wilson ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns-- averaging ten yards a carry. And unlike the 2010 team, the defense didn't suffer a first quarter hiccup. Hokie Humblings-- what negatives can be drawn from a 53 point victory where you led by 38 at the half? Did the Smoked Turkey Legs have too much taragon? Next up-- Saturday at East Carolina.

Presto's Picks- a game without tradition is as shaky as a football on the roof...

Tradition! College Football celebrates it with tailgates, school songs and ridiculous trophies like Oaken Buckets and Rusty Hatchets. Tradition! But as much as the game heralds its history, college football is always changing. From conferences merging (Big Eight and SWC in the dustbin of history) to bowls sprouting up and withering away (Bluebonnet Bowl, anyone?)... to rules about players (freshman eligibility, non-medical redshirts) and teams (non-repeat rule in Big Ten, television appearance maximums)-- college football is as fluid as any sport. Tradition! I grew up following the college football of the 70's and 80's... where the national championship was decided on New Year's Day by four or five bowls with strict conference affiliation. Tradition! Not knowing that ten years before the national title was decided by Thanksgiving's final regular season ballots... the SEC wasn't locked into the Sugar Bowl... we knew the Heisman winner before the dinner... and Chris Schenkel was the Keith Jackson of college football. Tradition! Today the game is morphing again-- and I don't know what we'll see ten years from now: perhaps a playoff? 16-team superconferences? Paying players percentages of jersey sales? Just like the last 30 years, the only tradition in college football is change. Tradition!


Maryland kicks off the Randy Edsall era with a Monday night matchup against a mess in Miami. Player payoffs, yacht cruises, escort services-- what happened to the simpler times of the 100 dollar handshake? The Hurricanes will be minus quarterback Jacory Harris-- but backup Stephen Morris led the 'Canes to a last-minute touchdown against the Terps last year. Danny O'Brien has had a whole spring and summer to digest the new offense-- while Kenny Tate is entrenched in the similar role of X-factor... albeit a little closer to the line of scrimmage. Terps open the Edsall era in style, 24-20.


Virginia faces William & Mary-- the rebuilding era enters year two for Mike London...and the Cavaliers are still smarting over a loss to the Tribe two years ago. The only thing more unsettling to the Charlottesville faithful than losing to an in-state FCS opponent would be running out of Pinot Grigio and Brie. Cavaliers pour on the points with a sharp cheddar, 34-18.

#13 Virginia Tech opens the season against Appalachian State-- and after last year's 0-2 start one would think the Hokies wouldn't overlook a local high school. They lost to James Madison! In Blacksburg! And they welcome a school known for one of the biggest opening day shockers of all time-- Appalachian State struck a blow for the little guy by beating Michigan in the Big House four years ago. Logan Thomas takes over for Tyrod Taylor at quarterback-- and one must have patience with the new signalcaller as Taylor took time to grow from a raw talent into the 2010 ACC Player of the Year. Hokies make molehills out of the Mountaineers, 37-14.


Navy defeats Delaware, Georgetown falls to Davidson, Howard slips at Central Michigan, James Madison shocks North Carolina, Richmond loses at Duke.

Last Year: 51-24... the tradition of winning continues.

Redskins Rehash... really?

Does one really have to break down all of the minutae after the fourth preseason game? Can't I lift my starters after one paragraph and rest up for the regular season opener? Sadly, fans are charged regular season prices for sodas and parking-- so we'll tough it out. Once again, this is the preseason-- and even though the Redskins 29-24 win over Tampa Bay took place September 1st, it's still August.

Rex & Beck's Battle Royale-- Grossman took the week off while John completed 10 of 21 passes for 108 yards and an interception; nothing beyond awesome that would propel him into the starting role. Still, the mantra remains that Beck was playing with backups-and at least he was better than Matt Gutierrez (signed off the scrap heap and returned in mint condition). Does Beck's subpar performance mean Grossman's got the #1 job locked up? If coach Mike Shanahan could let you know the day after the Giants game who would start it-- he would.

Taking the Torain-- the ground game gained 123 yards... primarily in the legs of Ryan Torain (17 carries for 73 yards) and Evan Royster (11-44). With Tim Hightower and Roy Helu on the shelf but ready to go on opening day... it appears as though the running game is in good hands (or feet) once the regular season kicks off.

Turnovers with frosting-- it's preseason! Who cares if the Skins lost a fumble plus two interceptions... those were backups as well as players who will get cut by Labor Day.

Third and Forever/Third and Never-- while the offense converted 6 of 16 third downs, the defense held the Buccaneers to 1 third down conversion in 14 attempts.

Triumvirate takes another hit-- now two thirds of the Redskins' famed 2008 second round is gone. Devin Thomas was waived last year, and this week the Skins released Malcolm Kelly. The oft-injured Oklahoma product just could never get healthy enough for a long enough period of time to live up to his potential. Now tight end Fred Davis shoulders the burden of the Class of '08...

Tough Choices-- while Kelly's injuries made his departure an eventuality... there are a few shades of gray decisions pending. Does Mike Sellers have a spot on this team as a fullback, tight end or solid locker room presence (unfortunately that is not a position on the field). Is Horatio Blades on his way out of town? And given the team's talent (let's not kid ourselves, this was a 6-10 squad in 2010) how active are they on the waiver wire this weekend?

Redskins Rehash-- dress rehearsal needs a new final curtain...

So a regional rivalry that wasn't saw both teams win. The Redskins looked sharp on both sides of the ball in carving out a 21-14 halftime lead... and the Ravens reserves rallied their way to a last-minute touchdown and win that nobody will ever forget. The score was 34-31, right? The dress rehearsal went well for the Skins-- and with no OTAs in the offseason one wonders how much the coaching staff feels they need to play the starters next Thursday against Tampa Bay.

Big Play Bang-- all three first half touchdowns came from more than 20 yards out. One running (nice cutback from Tim Hightower)... one passing (a sweet throw by Rex Grossman) and one on defense (DeAngelo Hall getting the Skins on the board with an exclamation point). It seems as though the last couple years have been devoid of the home run ball-- and it's always nice to shorten the field.

Rex & Beck's Battle Royale-- Mr. Grossman completed 8 of 15 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown while John connected on 6 of 10 throws for 108 yards and a score. The duo's difference-- Beck threw an INT. The key stretch for Grossman was late in the first half when he went 6 of 8 for 85 yards and the go-ahead score just before intermission. That drive didn't save his job-- but it keeps #8 in the conversation. Beck's interception may keep the contest alive a little longer... but conventional wisdom has #12 with the upper hand; not only is he going to have to lose the job- Grossman has to emphatically win it.

Ground game keeps lifting me Hightower-- after a 37 yard scamper for a score, Tim Hightower continued to lay claim to the starting runningback job by leading the Skins in rushing (9 carries for 56 yards). And although the Skins were held to just 103 yards rushing, they averaged a robust 4.5 yards a carry. Can Ryan Torrain return before Labor Day to provide a legitimate challenge to the ex-Cardinal?

Ask and Ye Shall Receive-- Terrence Austin caught 5 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown while Santana Moss added 3 grabs for 51 yards and a score. Anthony Armstrong and Jabar Gaffney also got into the act; potentially providing whomever plays at quarterback this fall with more than a few options. Leonard Hankerson remains a peripheral project.

Walking Wounded-- Big blow for the Skins growth into a 3-4 defense as Jarvis Jenkins left the game with a torn ACL-- the rookie defensive lineman is done for the year. Tight end Chris Cooley remains in the land of limbo with a sore knee... how important will his absence be once the games are for real?

Third and Forever-- Despite moving the football again, the offense had issues moving the chains... 3 of 11 not the most inspiring.

Grading the D-- four sacks... two interceptions and a fumble recovery give one reason for optimism. And allowing 13 fourth quarter points doesn't have the ultimate sting because a lot of the players on the field at the end of a preseason game aren't going to be around much longer.

Flying the flag-- eight penalties is not ideal-- although only two resulted in a first down for the Ravens.

Gano gets it done-- the Redskins kicker continues to stay safe by making a 48 yard kick and converting on all four extra points.

Redskins Rehash-- Sizzle and Steak both shine...

During the NFL Preseason, fans are drawn to the sizzle of a quarterback competition while sometimes the substance of the team's rebuilding goes under the radar. That's been the case since the Sonny/Billy days... and although the focus over the past year has been the line of succession from Jason Campbell to Donovan McNabb to Rex Grossman to potentially John Beck, the state of the Skins is much more than that. And although it's only August and these are just preseason games... the feel is this franchise is on the right track. Is this a contending year? Not necessarily-- but it looks to be better than last year's evaluation and housecleaning season. After 2010, transition year never sounded so good.

Rex & Beck's Battle Royale-- Friday's 16-3 victory over Indianapolis saw a tale of two halves; John Beck completed 14 of 17 passes for 140 yards and directed the Skins to four scoring drives- while Rex Grossman had less success: 7-12 with an interception... and no points (Skins gained just 122 of their 415 yards after halftime). Advantage-Beck.

Setting the bar Hightower-- the Skins ran for 215 yards against the Colts... on a clip of 6.1 yards per attempt. Tim Hightower set the early tone again with a 58 yard scamper on the team's first possession and scored the games lone touchdown to wrap up that drive. Tim's tally through two preseason tilts: 114 yards on 16 carries.

Youth served again-- Just like week one against Pittsburgh... Hightower's rookie replacement outgained him. This time it was Roy Helu's turn: 14 carries for 101 yards-- with a 51 yard run setting up a second quarter field goal. He also paced the team with 4 catches. After 2010's ground game ran aground-- it's always nice to have multiple options in the backfield.

Catch as catch can-- does one focus on what was or what wasn't? Leonard Hankerson tallied 3 catches for 46 yards but had a drop. That's been an issue this preseason. Meanwhile, Mike Sellars continues his adjustment to the tight end position with a pair of catches.

D earns an A-- Okay... Peyton Manning didn't suit up. Austin Collie did not play. But the Skins defense went out and shut down the opposition for the second straight week- limiting the Colts to 1 yard rushing in the first half and 12 of 27 passing (one week after holding Pittsburgh to 11 of 27) with an interception for the game. Darrion Scott notched two tackles, three assists and a sack. Kedrick Golston added two tackles plus two assists. On the night the defense allowed just 150 yards- and with a unit that ranked 31st in the league last year, back to back outings of under 200 yards allowed has to be somewhat encouraging.

College Football Corner-- Malibu Stacy has a NEW HAT!

One of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons is when Lisa designs a doll to compete with her "talking Malibu Stacy" that says enlightening things like "don't ask me--I'm just a girl" and "let's make cookies for the boys". The bigshots at Malibu Stacy learn about "Lisa Lionheart" and decide to remake their doll-- an all-nighter that yields a new hat that creates a stampede which leaves "Lisa Lionheart" in the dust. Making one wonder- do cosmetic changes really change things deep down inside? And why couldn't the creator of Malibu Stacy, Stacy Lovell (voiced by Kathleen Turner) find true love (her string of broken marriages included Ken, cowboy Johnny, army Joe and Doctor Colossus).

August is all about optimism in college football. Everybody's unbeaten and with 35 bowl games, everyone thinks they have a legitimate shot at a bowl game (sadly, that's true-- 70 of 119, aka 59% of schools make the postseason). While most schools are either trumpeting a new regime (24 FBS schools in such a situation) or building off a successful season, Maryland gets to do both- with the added wrinkle of new uniforms.

Randy Edsall begins his first season at the helm having revamped the culture and structure of the program. Which has been interesting because under coach Ralph Friedgen the Terps definitely didn't have the reputation as a collection of renegade. Additional discipline in short hair, no names on the uniforms and no jewelry has given the squad a clean-cut look.

Offensively the Terps return 2011's ACC Rookie of the Year at quarterback; Danny O'Brien has a new coordinator in the form of ex-BYU and Louisiana Tech coach Gary Crowton. They've been working on the sophomore's form-- footwork, coming quicker out of center, release points, etc... Davin Meggett was part of last year's triple tailback attack and is expected to carry the bulk of the workload while DJ Adams continues to be the short yardage/goal line specialist. Will a wide receiver step up to fill the void of Torrey Smith? It seems as though every year somebody makes the leap from contributor to top target.

Defensively the team will be playing under its third system in four years. Todd Bradford looks to install an aggressive mindset and places All-ACC safety Kenny Tate closer to the line by moving the senior to outside linebacker; even as a defensive back in 2010 Tate lined up an awful lot in the box. How much will they miss the leadership of Alex Wujciak?

The team begins the 2011 campaign against Miami-- and that matchup has taken a different turn in the last week with the allegations of 72 players taking improper benefits over the last decade. What happens next? The term "death penalty" has been thrown out there-- and if that doesn't happen one would think the Hurricane program will be brought within an inch of its life. NCAA sanctions take a different feel at a private university (walk-ons can more easily afford in-state tuition at a public school). Virginia Tech's path to a Coastal Division title gets a little easier (especially with North Carolina also in the land of limbo). Moving forward-- there should be legislation attacking overzealous boosters. If you go after the money source, it'll be more likely to dry up.

College Football Corner-- the Conference Carousel...

The College Football season usually begins with a bang on Labor Day weekend with a huge game involving ranked powers. As a sign of the times... the college athletics calendar kicks off with a move that wasn't-- and the dominoes remain standing.

Texas A&M apparently was packing its bags to leave the Big XII (a league with twelve in its title but ten in its membership) for the Southeastern Conference. Problem was the SEC met Sunday and decided not to expand-- leaving the Aggies in the land of AWKWARD as the school deals with its conference brethren. But the chance of expansion is the elephant in the room that's not going anyhere soon.

Does the Big XII need to get back to a full dozen to be viable? And which schools should they target? Memphis may be in Tennessee, but is popularly known as the capital of both Arkansas and Mississippi-- and with Fed Ex money the Tigers would be a decent addition to the Big XII North. Maybe take Houston as well from Conference USA? The Cougars have a history with the Texas schools having competed in the Southwest Conference from 1976-94.

As for the SEC expanding further, why mess with the perfect product? It's not like you're the NCAA looking to ruin my precious basketball tournament. Twelve seems to be the maximum workable number for an FBS conference... setting up interdivisional play better than 7 or 8 team divisions would. Bigger isn't better in college athletics. Ask the ACC going to a dozen so it could have a championship game nobody attends. Look at misguided attempts by the WAC and MAC in the '90s. Although the SEC could do just about anything and still make a lot of money.

Redskins Rehash-- make your reservations for Indy!

Because, of course, that's where the Redskins second preseason game will be played. You don't think I was looking forward to February, did you? August is the month of Football Fools' Gold as 4-0 teams in preseason go belly-up after Labor Day (Detroit followed an unbeaten preseason with a winless 2008)... and the reverse is often the case as well (Chicago and Indianapolis both won division titles after winless Augusts). But there are seasons that are seemingly lost with unproductive preseasons- 2006 saw the Skins go winless... and more importantly, seem listless and woefully unprepared for the regular season with a banged up offensive meal ticket (Clinton Portis) and a defensive toy that didn't fit (Adam Archuletta) the grand scheme. So even though Friday's preseason game didn't count in the standings... it wasn't meaningless.

Rex & Beck's Battle Royale-- with a groin injury sidelining John Beck... Rex Grossman completed 19 of 26 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. Lost in the shuffle was a drive from the Skins 1 to the Steeler 10 in the first quarter that ended with a missed field goal. The job wasn't necessarily won Friday night-- but against a Steeler defense that won the AFC last year Grossman definitely had a chance to lose it. The longer Beck's on the bench-- the more established with the first team Rex becomes.

Ground Control to Major Tim? The Skins were able to pound out 140 yards on the ground and control the clock for 39 minutes... with recent acquisition Tim Hightower tallying 44 yards on 10 first half carries. With an offensive line stronger and better built for the Shanahan running game-- Hightower may be more than a preseason mirage.

Rise of the Rookies-- not unnoticed in the rersurgence of the running game was the debut of Evan Royster; the Penn State product provided 15 carries for 66 yards. Also making fine first impressions: linebacker Ryan Kerrigan tallied three tackles... while wide receivers Niles Paul and Leonard Hankerson each caught a pass.

Grading the D-- last year's unit ranked near the bottom of the league... and the first stringers came out strong against the Steelers starting unit-- notching two first quarter sacks and holding Pittsburgh to 32 yards on 12 first quarter plays. For the game they held the Steelers to 2 of 11 on third down... 41% passing on the night and 186 total yards of offense. Granted, Ben Roethlisberger only played one series-- but after being rated in the 31st last season, allowing under 200 yards is a little encouraging.

Father Flanagan in Foxborough? Absent from the defensive discussion was Albert Haynesworth-- and the former Skins malcontent didn't play in New England's preseason win over Jacksonville. Neither did Chad Ochocinco. Brandon Merriweather has been accused of shooting two former high school classmates. I'm waiting for Mickey Rooney to be signed up.

Kicking the Competition-- Graham Gano connected on attempts from 32, 34 and 45 yards while Shane Graham missed from 29 and 49 yards. Advantage Gano-- although they don't have to make a move at this moment.

Hall Passes... Skinsationalism... and other forgettable musings.

Are you ready for some football? This week the NFL goes from 15 miles an hour to 35 with the first batch of preseason games (don't call them exhibitions)... and with the limited offseason workouts (just one week of training camp and no OTAs) there will be a different sense of urgency this August. Already the quarterback competition has taken its first turn- with a tweaked groin sidelining John Beck for the time being. More important to me was the continuing absence of Ryan Kerrigan-- anytime you have a first round pick with minimal workouts trying to learn a new position, it's not ideal. Imagine this year's rookies as all having protracted holdouts... and the delay has retarded the growth of the class of 2011 league-wide. Good for the Skins that Kerrigan practiced today.

Traffic torment-- this Friday the Skins play Pittsburgh at Fed Ex Field... 7:30 kickoff. This only happens once a year-- the perfect storm of late afternoon traffic, Ocean City travelers, Redskins pre-gamers... be prepared for a hot mess of a stretch of I-495. If you're planning on going to Landover, leave now.

Hall Spotlight-- Deion Sanders spoke. And spoke. And put a bandana on his bust. I'm all for his ability as a shut-down corner who didn't tackle... a great talent who was a finishing piece instead of a building block... but the self-congratulating got a little overbearing. I'm glad to see Chris Hanburger get honored-- and Marshall Faulk gave a resounding talk while Shannon Sharpe showed survivor's guilt in wake of his brother Sterling having to retire early while he won titles and reached Canton. And I'm still bummed Ray Guy's not in the HOF. But a true giant in the league's history finally gets his due-- Ed Sabol created a propaganda wing that turned games into spectacle... happenings into epic dreams.

College Football Corner-- Maryland and the rest of the ACC begin practice... with North Carolina firing coach Butch Davis right before the start of practice. The former Miami mentor tried to bring the Hurricanes' culture to Chapel Hill; unfortunately he brought more U baggage than wins. Good luck, UNC... as your sleeping giant tenure continues to slumber. Virginia Tech, your road to the BCS just got a little easier. Virginia-- never mind.

Baseball beat-- the Nationals traded Jason Marquis to Arizona and Jerry Hairston for prospects... as the future is still not quite now. Best August news? The road to rehabilitation for Stephen Strasburg... started in Class A Harrisburg yesterday.

Sayonara, Cha-Cha... recently Annette Charles... the woman who portrayed "Cha Cha Degregorio" passed away at the age of 63. Just two months after Jeff Conaway (Kenickie) left us. All I'm saying is if I'm Didi Conn (Frenchie)... I'm not going sky-diving anytime soon.