AEW returned to Washington, D.C., this week, for the “Holiday Bash” edition of “Dynamite.”

The show, which featured an instant classic between Darby Allin and Will Ospreay, a TBS title defense by Mercedes Mone and backstage musings from Swerve Strickland, Ricochet and Toni Storm, got a nice jolt in the ratings, and drew 3,000 people to the Entertainment & Sports Arena.

#TeamAFP’s Ray Petree was there live, and I had him on for this week’s podcast to talk about how the TV show played to the live crowd.

For some reason, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway played UVA Basketball for the first 20 minutes on Wednesday night – measured, precise, largely halfcourt basketball.

Go figure, it didn’t work – the Cavaliers led 30-21 at the break, and seemed poised for the upset of the 21st-ranked Tigers.

Hardaway unleashed the hounds of hell on the ‘Hoos in the second half, pressing full court after makes and misses, utilizing halfcourt traps to get Virginia out of its offensive sets.

The stratagem turned the nine-point halftime deficit into as much as a nine-point second-half lead before UVA was able to right the ship.

Ron Sanchez’s steering corrections came too late in what turned into a 64-62 Virginia loss.

AEW continues to struggle in the ratings, averaging 594,000 viewers for its two-hour “Dynamite” on Wednesday.

The show had more ups than downs, though.

I talked with Ray Petree, our resident AEW beat writer here at AFP, to review the show.

We also discussed the controversy that has arisen backstage with Toni Storm making her return on Friday’s “Rampage,” and the lingering issue with the contract status of Ray Fenix.

You want to blame UVA Football coach Tony Elliott, or UVA Basketball coach Ron Sanchez, or the athletics director, Carla Williams, but the truth is, the problems with UVA Athletics are more than what you think.

Our #TeamAFP resident Chicken Little, Scott German, joins me on the podcast for a rousing discussion of all that ails UVA Athletics.

Included in our rather depressing chat:

Photo: UVA Athletics

UVA Football showed improvement in 2024, winning five games in coach Tony Elliott’s third season, after back-to-back three-win seasons.

But with Elliott facing having to replace 43 seniors and grad students off the 2024 roster, and his starting QB, Anthony Colandrea, hitting the transfer portal, his career at UVA, and the UVA Football program itself, is at a crossroads.

AEW dropped the ball with a lackluster “Dynamite” following the solid Nov. 23 “Full Gear” pay-per-view.

I welcomed AFP resident AEW beat writer Ray Petree to break down the past week in All Elite Wrestling.

We discus “Dynamite,” “Full Gear,” look ahead to “World’s End,” and discuss the ongoing odd behind-the-scenes drama with Ricky Starks, and the booking for Darby Allin, who is either headed toward a main-event run with AEW world champ Jon Moxley, or is being booked into oblivion after suffering two squash losses in recent weeks.

It’s not a rivalry, any more than there’s a rivalry between bugs and a bug zapper, but anyway, this week is UVA-Virginia Tech football week.

It’s my job to get you ready for the annual beatdown, so, here goes.

That’s just an expression, the thing about sniffing glue, and I doubt many UVA sports fans actually partake, but whatever the vice is, you’re probably doing more of it now, with your football and basketball teams partying like it’s 2009.

My effort at helping you find healthier ways to deal with your anxieties is this podcast.

The topics:

AEW is headed to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for its annual “Full Gear” pay-per-view (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET).

I had #TeamAFP AEW beat writer Ray Petree on my “Street Knowledge” podcast today to help me break down the card.

To help you follow along, here are the matches:

It’s a busy week for UVA sports fans. The UVA Football team has #12 SMU coming to town, and the UVA Basketball team is in the Bahamas getting ready for two games against Top 25 opponents.

AFP editor Chris Graham covers the big topics of the week.

Preview: A lot has to go right for UVA Football to pull upset of #12 SMU

The UVA Football program is one win away from going bowling for the first time since the 2019 Orange Bowl.

#12 SMU is one win away from a berth in the ACC Championship Game in its first season in the league.

Both have a lot to play for on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN2).

Injury report: ‘Hoos in, ‘Hoos out for UVA Football for this week’s game with #12 SMU

UVA Football coach Tony Elliott confirmed on Tuesday that middle linebacker James Jackson will not be available for this weekend’s game with #12 SMU.

“He was nursing a foot, and then gave us everything he had and about 22 plays in, he couldn’t deal with the pain anymore,” Elliott said.

UVA Football: Tony Elliott is trying to convince himself to stick with Anthony Colandrea

You can hear UVA Football coach Tony Elliott struggling with the call that he has to make with Anthony Colandrea, his sophomore starting quarterback, who has been struggling mightily, going back several weeks now.

Report Card: How did UVA Football do this year with the transfer portal?

Whatever happens over the next two weekends, UVA Football coach Tony Elliott is going to have a lot of work to do, and pretty much right away, to piece together a working roster for 2025.

How much is UVA Football getting for WVU games in Charlotte in 2026, 2032?

I got a flood of questions from readers about the upcoming two-game series between UVA Football and WVU, with game dates announced for 2026 and 2032, and the games being played in Charlotte.

Jones pleads guilty to Nov. 13, 2022, murders of three UVA Football players

The University of Virginia student who shot and killed three UVA Football players and wounded two others in a Nov. 13, 2022, mass shooting on Grounds has pleaded guilty to charges connected to the case, avoiding a trial that had been set to begin in January.

UVA Basketball: #11 Tennessee is up next for the ‘Hoos, down in the Bahamas

I couldn’t pull the trigger on scheduling myself to go to the Bahamas with UVA Basketball, which I’m now regretting, with light snow in the forecast for the Valley on Thursday and Friday.