News & notes

 And so, it begins.

The New York Racing Association sets up shop at Saratoga today. kicking off a 40-day, 8 week meet that will continue through Labor Day, September 5.

After COVID restrictions scaled back attendance last year, NYRA is expecting a full house for most, if not all of its 40 dates. If you can't make it to the track, there's always OTB, either at their various locations, or on OTB TV, now a digital channel on Spectrum (channel 1250).

For you armchair handicappers, the Albany Times-Union has retired the Bankroll Beatdown column in their Saratoga Green insert, as veteran reporter-handicapper Tim Wilkin has entered full retirement. As they say at OTB, bet with your head, not over it.

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The Tri-City Valleycats avenged a humiliating beatdown in Ponoma on Tuesday by downing the NY Boulders, 6-5, on Wednesday, and this was despite an in-game rainstorm that didn't stop play at all. The two teams will complete the series today at 11 am for Camp/Senior Citizens Day.

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All Elite Wrestling, nearly three full years into its existence, is finally coming to Albany.

It was announced last night on Dynamite that the promotion will hit long time WWE venue MVP Arena on Wednesday, September 14. Matches will be taped before & after Dymanite for their Friday show, Rampage, and their Monday YouTube program, Dark Elevation. Tickets go on sale July 22 at 10 am at the MVP Arena box office.

For wrestlers like the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), who are also officers in the company, this will be their 1st visit to the 518. Others, like WWE-NXT alumni Keith Lee, Bobby Fish, Shane "Swerve" Strickland, Adam Cole, Christian Cage, and Jon Moxley, and no strangers to downtown Albany.

Not to be outdone, WWE will make its 2nd trip to MVP Arena November 21 for an episode of Monday Night Raw. Tickets go on sale tomorrow for that show. However, I suspect that, aside from the casual, generic fans, attendance at Raw could plunge if AEW does as well as expected.