Democrats and Republicans join forces at Capitol Classic

Virginia government officials participated in the ninth annual Massey Capitol Classic Challenge Tuesday night at Virginia Commonwealth University.

While Democrats and Republicans are often at odds at the state Capitol, members of the Senate and House of Delegates from both sides of the aisle fought for the same cause at the Siegel Center. Adding to the night’s light-hearted feel, the legislators were joined by former NBA center Ben Wallace, NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler and former VCU Ram and second round NBA draft pick Calvin Duncan.

The atmosphere was electric, as raucous choruses from VCU’s Peppas pep band and Henrico High School’s Marching Warriors echoed throughout the arena.

However, in the shadow of VCU’s 2011 Final Four banner, the action on the court was far from the level normally seen at The Stu.

Although the night was filled with airballs and turnovers, the sloppy play got the job done, as the night’s festivities helped raise over $23,000 for VCU’s Massey Cancer Center. The largest donations came from Ben and Chandra Wallace, the CSX Corporation, the Sadler family and Capitol lobbyists.

“The thing I love about this event is, it’s bipartisan,” said delegate Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke. “It’s House vs. Senate, and the more we can do in a bipartisan way, the more fun it is.”

The evening kicked off in front of a crowd of several hundred as the governor’s staff took on Capitol lobbyists. The lobbyists ultimately took home the bragging rights after winning 45-34.

Shortly after, the Senate won the night’s All-Star Shootout by a commanding 81-19 final score. However, the senators’ joy was short-lived as they were unable to bring that same lights-out shooting to the night’s premiere event.

The House, led by Rasoul, came out of the gates with the hot hand, taking a commanding 16-5 halftime lead. However, the first half’s action was less-than-stellar, and one announcer quipped, “That’s 15 minutes we’ll never get back.”

The second half was much of the same, with the exception of Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, who came out of the huddle looking to carry his team back from the brink. However, Peterson’s efforts were not enough to carry his Senate colleagues past the Sadler and Rasoul-led House.

At the final buzzer, the House came out with a commanding 31-17 victory and Rasoul named the game’s MVP.

Rasoul said he was happy to take home the honor in front of the friendly crowd.

“It was great. We got to have a good time and do it all for a good cause,” he said.

Sadler, who helped Rasoul carry the House to victory Tuesday night, said he relished the opportunity to play at The Stu.

“I could’ve performed a little bit better, but the main thing is it’s for a great cause,” Sadler said. “I’ve been here to watch the Rams play, and it’s neat to be able to come here and play on this floor for such a good cause.”

After taking a moment to let it sink in, Sadler, who has participated in the event in the past, added, “I think I’m undefeated on this floor right now, so that’s pretty cool.”

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Tyler Woodall, Contributing Writerand

Nick Versaw, Staff Writer