This is the Drive with Josh Graham podcast. Tune into The Drive weekday afternoons 3-7 on Sports Hub Triad. Reading social media the last 24 hours, you'd think it's doomsday for college basketball. And I just don't see it. Is it good?
Jalen Green, the number one player in this class, according to ESPN. Also another five-star player choose to go to a Different route other than college hoops. Obviously no. Cole Anthony, he announces he's entering the draft. That happened a few hours ago.
Of course, I'd selfishly like to see him stick around in Chapel Hill.
However, suggesting that. The NBA is coming for college basketball stuff. is disingenuous at best. flat out misleading at worse. After reading further into it last night.
I don't even think yesterday's news threatens college hoops one bit. Jalen Green. First off. And Isaiah Todd, who decommitted from Michigan, five-star player. to join him for this team in California that's going to be put together.
They aren't even playing in the G League. It's going to be a select team that plays exhibitions. Plays against foreign national teams. gets put into some MBA academies. All about developing them.
And that might be what they end up wanting to do, but I don't think there's a lot of television. Fair uh fanfare for that. And I don't think that's really going to help them build their brand between now and whenever they're going to get drafted. I heard Woge. On Sports Center yesterday, saying that this is essentially a bridge Between Now and whenever the one and done gets abolished.
That's all this is. Because the NBA and the Players Association Can't agree to terms to get rid of the one and done once and for all. College basketball, they already put together the committees. The Rice Committee. They singled out the one and done as something that needs to go in order for things to get better.
But it's an NBA rule. And the NBA and the PA hasn't figured that out yet.
So, this is kind of like a band-aid. to get them to that finish line. Woach says that's still. Two or three years out. Remember twenty eighteen, just a few years ago?
The NBA Trying to entice players to actually compete in the G League. Different than yesterday's news. They put it out there. Hey. It's gonna be $125,000 that you play with.
To go to the G-League. And Nobody took them up on it. The idea of going to play for Canton or to play in Maine, Was it appealing enough? Or at least 125K was Was it enough? to get them to go there and to play against guys who are mostly making thirty grand.
Grown men. Who are trying to make a name for themselves? Not a great spot to have someone who's 18 years old making. 18 times what These older guys are making. Probably not the best.
Setting for that.
So nobody took them up on it.
So these guys, they're not even playing G-League basketball. And you want me to think that college basketball's gonna start crumbling to the ground. College hoops. They don't even need these very few prospects. That would be looking to play overseas or looking to jump to this developmental league.
How do I know that? Tell me about The player in this year's college basketball who's been. A massive game-changing player. one of the biggest stars in the sport, That college basketball would be missing out on if he chose to do this, let's just say a year ago. Like, we already saw this play out 1995 to 2005.
There were so many guys. Deciding to go from high school to the NBA, that the NBA decided to put this rule in place.
So we've already seen this movie. College basketball, they were just fine, they survived, they thrived. Let's go through the top five teams in the country. And you let me know. Which of these teams has a guy?
They might have lost to this developmental league or this developmental project. program that the NBA is putting together. Kansas the number one team. Devon Dotson, he's not. He wasn't a freshman.
Yudoka Azabuki? Who I believe was the runner-up for the wooden award? He's a senior. Number two team. Gonzaka.
Kisbert, he's a junior. Dayton. Obi Toppin, a sophomore. Don't have to worry about him. His best players, his best teammates.
They're all upper class spin. Florida State, yeah, Patrick Williams was great and he put his name into the draft. But he wasn't going to get 500 grand. The same way the number one player, Jalen Green, got it. Trip Forrest, Devin Vassell.
They aren't freshmen. Baylor You got Butler, who is an awesome player.
Sophomore. Number six, San Diego State. Number seven, Creighton. Best players upperclassmen. I don't really think College basketball.
Would have been damaged if Cole Anthony wasn't in the game this year. or James Wiseman. Didn't play those. Eight games or so. with Memphis before getting suspended and ultimately leaving.
I'm not saying it's good news for college basketball. I'm saying This news has nothing to do with college hoops. It was mainly about. keeping kids from going overseas. It's more about RJ Hampton.
Who, by the way, decides to play overseas. thinking that would be better for him to prepare for a pro career in the NBA. When's the last RJ Hampton headline you heard? I don't see him being projected as a top five pick. I don't see many places having him as a top 10 pick.
If you're in the States and you're playing college basketball, You're given more exposure. More people evaluate you, and that's what this is really all about. It's not about. Competing with college hoops. It's about keeping RJ Hampton, keeping Emmanuel Moody.
Keeping Lamello ball, keeping them all in the United States.
So that way, all these NBA teams don't have to send scouts and pay for scouts. to watch these guys in Australia. That's what it's about here. On Twitter at SportsHub Triad if you want to chime in. The head coach of the Greensboro swarm.
Joe Wolf will join us. in a little over 25 minutes. I'm interested in what he made. of yesterday's headline. Also yesterday we got NFL over unders.
I know people who have just been desperate, dying to find something to bet on.
Well, for those people, the NFL is always here for you. Over-unders for all 32 teams released yesterday. And I think we're going to bring back an old Football Friday favorite. We're going to bring back best bets with the four Best over under bets for the 2020 NFL season. Yeah.
Your attention. Please, please do not turn off your radio. Why? All right. Let's start in the AFC East.
The Buffalo Bills over under. Right at nine. At worst, this is a push. I'm going over. Nine wins.
Obviously, Tom Brady's not in the division anymore. Buffalo. They won double-digit games last year. I think this team got better, adding Stefan Diggs. I think the coaching needs to be factored in here.
It's not the same old Buffalo Bills that went nearly two decades without a postseason appearance. Sean McDermott playoff appearances in two of his first three years as the Bills head coach.
So, no Brady, good coaching staff. 10 wins last year, the addition of Stephon Diggs. Buffalo is going to win over nine games. Put some money on it. Washington Redskins, over under four and a half.
I'm going over for... I think coaching really matters. They won three games last year, and for over half the season, Bill Callahan, whatever that is, was their head coach.
Now you got Ron Rivera, an adult is in the building, and he adds a former NFL head coach as his defensive coordinator in Jack Del Rio. Chase Young, he's going to be able to contribute immediately. I think Washington's going to be a lot better, especially. When you consider You got a solid head coach and a quarterback going into his second year. A team that's no longer going to be taking.
That's worth way more than two wins. The Redskins are going over four and a half. Put some money on it. Tampa Bay! Right at nine.
They're going over. Here's why. Tampa was 7-9 last year. With Jameis Winston throwing 30 interceptions.
Now you insert Tom Brady, who's trying to prove something to the world. And specifically the folks in Foxborough, he could be the all-time great playing somewhere else other. Then the Patriots. It's the second year for Bruce Ariant. Six of the nine losses they had last year.
And remember, they won seven games. whereby one possession All of that rolled together, and Carolina getting considerably worse this year, Atlanta staying idle, leads me to believe Tampa is going to win more than nine games and make the postseason. Put some money on it. The Philadelphia Eagles over nine and a half. Last year, it was a bad season for Philly.
Eagle fans will tell you, Carson Wentz wasn't great. Mainly because he didn't have anybody to throw to or hand the ball off to, everybody was injured. That's not going to happen back-to-back years. They're going to add weapons in this draft. All their needs.
Perfectly fit the strengths of this draft. I love Doug Peterson as a coach, I love Howie Roseman as a general manager. Good organizations find ways to bounce back. Philadelphia won nine games last year. I think they're going to be better and win more than nine and a half.
Put some money on it. And those are the best bets. Bills over nine. Redskins over four and a half. The Buccaneers over nine and the Eagles over nine and a half.
I never like betting unders because I'm not a coward. There you go. Robert Walsh, the producer of this show. Aaron Gabriel in the control room. Again, Joe Wolf in a little over 15 minutes.
Coming up. We explore Cole's decision to declare today, and I'll tell you why the Jordan dock is in perfect hands. This is the drive. You wanted to hear some great sports talk?
Well, here it is. Oh, what an appallingly ironic outcome! The drive with Josh Graham. It's not ironic, it's just coincidental. On Sports Hub Triad.
The Chicago Bulls just tweeted this out. You're offered $5 million to score against Michael Jordan one-on-one. You're given 10 chances. This is Prime MJ. If you fail, you won't be able to hear music ever again.
Would you still lace up? We're now being joined by Joe Wolf, who played with MJ, with the Tar Heels, of course, the head coach of the Greensboro Swarm. This is the perfect question to pose you right from the jump here. I hope you're doing well. I would, I would.
Yeah, it's also prime. It's prime Joe Wolf.
So prime MJ versus Prime Joe Wolf, 10 opportunities to score, do you? Oh, yeah, I just back him in and lay it over him. Yeah, I don't think he can handle that. There are no rules except the old bully ball rules, and I was bigger than he was, so yeah. That would work.
I mean, when you watch old video, I don't know if you've had time to watch some old video. I know James Borrego, he's been giving some old tapes to some of his players to watch in this time where everybody is at home and can't really be in gyms. I was watching, I think, the Lakers play MJ's Bulls in the early 90s, and MJ had nothing for Magic Johnson. Like, Magic Johnson, his build. If it was one-on-one and he got him in the post, Magic's scoring every single time.
Have you had a chance to watch any old video? Yeah, well, I watched it while I was playing th uh in that area, yes. Uh and it it was a different uh type of game then. uh, you know, we relied on the post players to draw a double team. Uh we we relied on I relied on it, I played with Shaq for a year, it opened up my career with the respect that He would draw a double team and I would have a wide open jumper, so Definitely.
Understand uh anybody from the era that I played in, that Michael played in, Uh one and the same. That we appreciated people who were bigger and stronger in the post because we used them. In today's game, it's not about the post, it's about Trying to get to the paint and trying to fi figure out who can get a wide open three or challenge the defense to keep that ball moving to get a three. What's the best personal short uh personal story With MJ, you have for us? Like, what's the one when people go up to you and have an M uh want an MJ story, you have package ready to go?
Uh, well, there's there's t so many 'cause he and I were suite mates my freshman year.
So He uh He was always a He was always a joy 'cause he was so competitive and he uh always challenged you to be better. uh in in everything. And so uh You know, there were a lot of like-minded competitors on the teams that we played for at Carolina in the eighties. And it was fun being around all those guys. And obviously, Michael was the ultimate competitor.
Um My my freshman year, what he used to do is and I all the football weekends, he'd come in to the freshman's room. Um Well, I think he did it to Dave Pobson and Kenny Smith too, but he'd come in there. And he'd he'd uh try to pin you to your bed so you couldn't move in or of a wrestling move, he'd try to buy slam you or whatever. And and when I got to Carolina, it was probably Two hundred uh Two hundred and Five pounds. But midway through the season, I'd probably get up to 215, 220.
just mat maturation and having to work out all the time and Yada yada yada. He, um He came in one At one point, and try to body slam me, and I happened to be a little bit stronger at that point. And I picked him up and body slammed him. And I said, Don't come into my room ever again without knocking. And So that's the one story that I like to tell a lot of people because It's one of the few times that I could actually say that I beat Michael in something.
Break down Michael Jordan as a sweet mate. Clean? Is he loud? Is he messy? What was he like at that time?
Liked his music, very clean. very clean. Everything uh uh was in its place uh Yeah, he was very tidy. Radio, cassette tapes, what's he listening to? Boy, I can't I can I can't remember what we had then.
Was it uh I couldn't tell you. It was some type of stereo, whether it was cassette or. actually the old stereo with the ne needle and albums? I'm not sure, but Yeah, we everybody had something that they played, but yeah, he liked his music. It is Greensboro Swarmhead coach Joe Wolfe spending time here.
Follow him on Twitter at Joe Wolf24. And you mentioned that Michael, he would challenge you pretty much in everything. He was telling the director of this new documentary series that's going to drop Sunday his biggest concern is people are going to see tape from the 98th season him challenging guys, and they're going to think that he's a monster, that he's a tyrant, how far he went when he was playing with the Bulls. When he's in college, and he hasn't, even though he hit a game-winning shot in 1982, so he's established in the college ranks, but not really established on the national level quite yet. How far was he able to go on the floor without stepping on toes of Dean Smith?
Well, cool Coach Smith controlled practice. There was no nobody was you know, the The trash talking that Michael became known for in the NBA did not happen in the Carolina practice.
Now in pickup games, we would get at each other. But there wasn't a lot of verbal back and forth Uh back in our day in college. as Michael went to the pros and that became I think he learned the trait from the pros that were in the NBA. He brought it back and we started to play more with trash talking. But while we were in practice, South Carolina, that we didn't speak much.
We were we were too busy hustling around and and out of breath to speak because of Coach Smith's intensity and practice. I also wanted to ask you about this while we have you. What was your reaction to yesterday's NBA news as it relates to the G League? A new developmental path That's a lot of people in college basketball, high school ball, and Pro Ball are spending time discussing right now.
Well, I think it's a it's it's where the G League um has wanted to be um as a place for people to understand that there are different avenues to get to the NBA. And I think with the young players that are opting in now, it's something that the G League has set itself up for in the last five, six years. as the business plan for young basketball players. Do you view The players who are considering this their biggest competition being overseas, like they're seeing go into Australia and with the NBL, or do you think it's college basketball?
Well, I think it depends upon uh What level? Um how you can adjust to different cultures. how mature you are. What is your body like at age seventeen, eighteen? to make the step.
Um I would imagine if if uh a young player has individuals around him Um that are educating him on what decision he c he should make. they are pointing all of those things out to him.
So Um It it's a It's a obviously it's a it's a huge, huge thing for the the G League and where we are as a as a business. Coach Wolf Thank you so much for spending time with us. Enjoy the documentary. Stay safe. And I look forward to a time where we can welcome you back into our studio and get back to some form of normalcy.
Thanks for doing this. Josh, I appreciate it. And as always, you're the best. Yeah, that's really nice of you to say. That's Joe Wolf spending time with us, the head coach of the Greensboro Swarm.
And A lot of interesting stuff there. Not smart. Michael trying to pin down someone who's two hundred, two hundred five pounds. When MJ's the skinny kid, even going into his junior year. Probably Coach Wolf has about twenty, maybe thirty pounds on him.
Robert, I have what I believe to be. The best top ten list I've ever done. I've said that on this show. Robert, you've been on the old show at our last employer. I I've been doing top ten lists for the last five years.
Too long. Yeah. And this is the best one I think I've ever done. Really? No maybes.
I think this is it. This isn't you, Jay Glazer, big news, and your top 10 listuppers. 10. Dances. I'll be here for it.
I'm excited. Top. Ten Dances. I am feeling very good about this top ten list. Aaron.
You got your notepad in front of you. Any idea what direction this might be headed in? Do you think you can guess a couple of 'em? Probably can guess a few. I'm just interested to see just how good this top 10 list is.
All right. If you have guesses, top 10 dances on Twitter at SportsHub Triad. I'm psyched about this. Listing up my top 10 dances next on the drive. Josh Graham loves to talk sports.
He also loves to take herbal body baths to keep his skin supple and youthful looking. You're on the drive with Josh Graham.
Okay. I'm throwing out any maybes here. I have what I believe to be The best top 10 list I've ever done right in front of me. In honor of the last dance, it is my top. Ten Dances.
Aaron Gabriel spent much of The break Not following CDC guidelines by having his hands. Near his face. as he pensively thinks what's going to be on this list, You have your notepad in front of you. How many things do you have written down? First of all, a workstation to sanitize them clean.
Okay. Second of all, I got one guess written down. One guess written down. Robert hasn't given this any thought, I don't think. No, not at all.
All right, let's dive right in. It's my top 10. Ten dances. Ah! Top ten dances.
On Twitter. At SportsHub Triad. Number 10. My number 10 dance. Randy Floss.
Wopang Kandamsta. I still have never learned. How to do the Randy Floss. like Randy Flossing, I don't know how to do it. Do you know how to do it?
Uh yeah. I do not. What kind of dances do you know? I went to Cotillion. I can do like traditional dances like foxtrot and waltz.
and stuff like that. Number nine, my number nine dance. John Foxtrot. Allah to pull up. My cut in a Number eight, my number eight dance.
The stinky legler. Should I spin for Catalan Joe? I've been married a long time ago. Where did you come from? Where did you go?
Where did you come from? Can I do that one will get you? I remember Back when I was in school doing the stanky leggler. No, you don't. And no you didn't.
Do the steaky leg. Just the staky legler? I will do the steaky legler. Let me see some of that legler action.
Alright, real quick. Wait, so what's going on here? Like, it's you gotta like get that leg inside. No, that is the stankiest leg I've ever seen. Stanky legler.
Number seven. My number seven, dance. John Waltz. It's fun to stay at the IMCA. Good old John.
Not Number six, my number six dance. The Sir Charleston? And do the hardest shit. I went to a basketball game last year, and they still played that song. I It is a uh A high school specialty, kind of like any ACDC song that has anything to do with like Back and Black or any of their top hits.
That's a high school kit. Number five. My number Five Dance. Black Mambo. RIP Number four.
Yeah. My number four dance. Shag Keel O'Neill. Man, I used to know how to shag Keel O'Neal. Who is that, Robert?
Who is Keil O'Neill? Number three. My number three dance. Teach me how to Dougie Hamilton. The humped man is your chance to do the hump to the hump or do the humped hump.
Oh, that song was great. What's so funny? Nothing. Let's let's get a number two. Number two, top ten dances: the Kevin Harwin Shake.
Yeah, wa we should coordinate. That's the only dance that I'm 100% positive that Josh knows how to do. The twist? Yes, because I've seen you do it multiple times. Multiple, not even just like you were drunk at a bar, just like.
Yesterday. Yesterday, after the show. Randomly breaking out of Twitter. He was just. Dude the twist is great.
Can I hear that one more time just the twist? Oh my god That's all I want! This guy did stuff. It was painful. Number one.
My number one Dance. David Tapper. I wanted it to be this.
Soldier Roy, I'm in it. Why me crack it? Why me roll? Oh no! I forgot Soldier Roy!
Soldier Roy was on the outside looking in, wasn't he?
Soldier Roy! was not thought of. If I'm being honest. But I'll tell you some others that were thought of. What'd you got?
AP pole dancing.
Alright. How did that not get put in there? The dab. Uh Don Hula? How about the electric slide Drexler.
I hate that one so far. San Diego chicken dance. I got a few for you. Cabbage, patch, shizzahula hand. like that.
Alright, what do you got? I got Philip Riverdance.
Okay. I got. CMC Hammer time. Wow. I got the San Fran disco 49ers.
Well, I think it's a good idea. To a left feet. Uh tackle ball left. Oh my god, to a lift feet. That is fantastic.
I thought you were gonna say to us step. Yeah. That's where I thought you were going! And that's the top ten list. I have people saying Oh, LaMacarena should have made it on this list.
The people that say stuff like that, like those are my guesses as well, but that I don't know how long you've been listening to this top ten list, but that is not what he's doing. That had me thinking. Chris McCarina. Don't do that. Don't.
Should have been there. Maybe. The Dabbo. I I can't let these kids boo again. They want out so bad.
Man. This was a strong top 10 list. Probably the best one I've ever done. What did you think of the top 10 list on Twitter at SportsHub Triad? 336-777-1600 being the phone number.
In Panthers news. Or X Panthers news Luke Keekly has been talking about a potential uh potential broadcasting role. Speaking to Mike Torico earlier in the week. And here's what he had to say. Quote.
I think when guys come in on Fridays and Saturdays and you talk to the production crew, you talk to guys like Jason Witten and guys that have played like Tony Romo or Ronde Barber, those guys, you could just tell they played at a high level and they still have the ability to stay involved with the game. I think that part is something that's attractive to me. The obvious thing to say would be. Oh. ESPN, you can't get Drew Brees.
You can't get. Peyton Manning, Al Michaels, Tony Romo. Go ahead and get Keekly. That's not what I'm saying. Probably not a great spot for him to thrive.
A linebacker Going into the Monday night football booth with no TV experience.
However, Earlier this week, it was announced. Charles Davis is going to replace Dan Fouts at CBS Sports. Fouts being let go. off CBS's NFL coverage.
So that opens up A spot on Fox's team. Like they have the lead crew, which is Buck and Aikman. But Whoever's working with Kevin Burkhart is fair game. I think that might be the spot. For a guy like Kikwe, he'd be great on television.
just understands so much of what's going on. He'd probably be great at communicating it. That's the big unknown. With reps and commitment to it, he'd be good. And he's always somebody, much like Peyton Manning, much like Tony Romo.
Very detailed in his preparation. A lot of what he does. A lot of the reasons why he succeeds, I should say, it stems on the preparation he had during the week.
So Keekly In a T V booth, that'd be interesting. Also, Good looking guy. We've talked about this before, Robert. Keekly, he might be. The most handsome Carolina Panther ever.
There's a chance of that. He's right there with McCaffrey. Cam Newton. I think I would agree with you on the handsome part, but I don't think I would agree with you on. Maybe he's not the most attractive Carolina Panther, at least to me.
Whoa. Because, I mean, I like a little. I liked him to have a little personality. I feel like he would be like talking to a baked potato. He kind of does have personality, though.
He just chooses not to be able to share what she's doing. I love no. I mean, I was talking to guys in the locker room, and they would tell me, like, Greg Dortch, for example. Dorch said to me when he got there, Keekly, every single time he'd see him, he'd run up quickly as if he was about to tackle him, tap him on the shoulder, and say, ACC guys, man, we need more of you. We need more ACC people.
Let's go. Wake Forrest, let's go. Oh, yeah, he's hot now. I'm glad you told me. You know how I know he doesn't have any personality?
What's that? Because you said he kind of does. She has a great personality. Like, that's it. He kind of does have a little bit.
I mean,. In other news. Cole Anthony. It's announced he is. declaring for the NBA draft.
He put this out on social media. The heels They're gonna be just fine. If they had Cole for a sophomore year, Unquestionably, they would be the preseason number one team going into next year. But even without them, I without him, he's a they're they're a top 10 team. Like, they have a top 10 roster right now.
Caleb Love at point guard, five star player. He can fill that spot very well. But the reason why North Carolina is going to thrive next year, it's the best. Post Roy Williams has had since the national title team. That title team that had Kennedy Meeks banging in the post with Tony Bradley.
And also Isaiah Hicks. That team was loaded. Joel James. Oh wait, Joelle Janes was 16, but. They had a lot of big guys who were very good on that 17 team.
Right now, it's Garrison Brooks, it's Armando Baycott. Who's returning to Chapel Hill for a sophomore season? Then you have a pair of five-star players added to the mix. Walker Kessler. DeRon Sharp.
And we'll see. Roy is still Talking about Sterling Manly as if he's somebody. That Can get medically cleared and contribute in some way. The biggest question. with North Carolina looking at the roster for twenty twenty one.
It's shooting. If Cole came back, he would be the best shooter. And I think... North Carolina would have Very few flaws. Right now, though.
Who is the best shooter? It's hard to say with these freshmen. I don't know if Love's a great shooter. He isn't. He doesn't carry the same pedigree, say, Kobe White did when he entered as a freshman, one of the most prolific scorers we've seen in this state.
Tough Johnson, it's not really fair to. Expect that from him. You lose Brandon Robinson, so. Is Anthony Harris going to step in? Andrew Platech, is he going to have to play that role?
That will be a very Important question to answer between now and the start of the year. Who knows? Maybe North Carolina. Pick somebody else up. in the top 100 or Picks up a grad transfer right now.
I don't think They have a good enough shooter to rely on in order to be a favorite to win the national title. You are listening to WSGS, Winston-Salem, WCOG, Greensboro, WPCM Burlington, WMFR High Point. Those signals making up sports up triad. Josh Graham loves to talk sports. He also loves to wear itchy clothes, so he has an excuse to scratch himself.
You're on the drive with Josh Graham.
Before we get to college basketball. Mac Brown is doing the Lord's work. on the recruiting trail right now. Jared Wilson. Four-star offensive lineman.
N. Clemens, West Forsyth High. Six four three twenty five Just announced. He is going to be a tar heel. He choosed He chose North Carolina over Arkansas.
Auburn. Clemson, Florida. Florida State. Georgia L S U Since then, Alabama, Michigan State, Ohio State offered him.
So, Mac Brown getting things done in the triad, but it's not just. That four-star offensive lineman he signed. Just in our listening area. The Tar Heels have also landed Erin? What do you think?
Ray Ray or Ra Ra? I'm going to go with Ray Ray, just because I want to go with Ray Ray. Ray Ray don't work. He has become North Carolina's. Tenth.
in-state four-star player. from Glenn High School. I want to touch back on something really quick. Uh you said the first school that the first athlete came from, what was that? West Forsyth.
Okay. Uh for Forsyth is one word. I I'm just letting you know about the Kang King thing. There's a lot of dialect. Changes to a change.
This is not like me saying. Advance versus advanced. Yes, it's exactly like that. It's not like that. It's it's it's advance and it is it is West for Scythe.
It's four signs. No. I'm trying to help you out. 336-777-1600. If you say Forsyth, you're a or you're a Yankee.
Oh, come on. I'm not here to like. I grew up in North Carolina. I spent all my years in this state pretty much. You're going to call me a Yankee because I said Forsyth over Forsyth.
Aren't you from Maryland or something like that? I was born in Maryland. You Yank. Get him out of here.
So we can't claim Michael Jordan because he was born in Brooklyn, even though he moved when he was a toddler? I guarantee you he knows it's for or for scythe, not for scythe. How can you guarantee that? I guarantee him to it. I bet you he'll talk about it on the documentary.
He'll be like, Yeah, I used to go down to West Forsythe, not West Forsyth. This is absurd. 336-777-1600, is it acceptable to say Forsythe versus Forsyth? 336-777-1600. On Twitter at SportsUpDrive.
I'm down not getting into North Carolina football at all. I'll fist fight over this. for the next hour if I have to. Are you kidding me? I'm just trying to help you.
We have an hour left to go until the weekend. You're going to correct me on Forsyth versus Forsyth. Yes. Just kind of makes you sound like a prick. That's all.
Yeah. Him or me? You, Mr. Forsyth? It makes you sound more.
So, Robert is the guy that legitimately gets upset with me. Like,. Red in the face, upset, when I correct him on something. Aaron has seen this happen a handful of times. He gets so mad when I correct him.
And he's going to needle me saying That's great. Josh, uh For scythe. is actually how it's said. Foresight bleep off! Weep off with all of that.
Now Robert is looking at me. And the phone lines are just exploding here. Let's go to Taylor, who's joining us from the south side of Winston.
South side! Taylor. Forsythe Or for Scythe. Born in Versailles County. Used to work in advance.
So sorry man, I hate to needle you but No chance on this one. Get him out of here.
Okay. Should I just keep blowing through this? I believe Robert wouldn't let him on the air if. They disagreed with him. Doug.
Is it a criminal offense to say Forsythe versus Forsyth. Yeah. If you need to you need to do your job, Josh, and you need to know the area We live a we live a half a mile from West Versythe High School. And I bet you $5 if you ask Chris Paul where he went to high school, he's going to say West Forsyth. I live in Forsyth County.
Look at you. Just being defiant. You don't even know what What county do you live in? Plate ball! Have a great weekend.
Those two things are contradictory to each other. I understand that. For Scythe, Forsythe. This is really where we're going to spend the next hour. Isn't it?
I'm game. Like Night just being defiant. I need to know how you pronounce other things. Do you know what this is like? I'll tell you exactly what this is like.
Advance. We both went. To East Carolina University. Where is that located? In Greenville.
Oh. Would you correct somebody if they say Greenville? No. That's exactly what this is. No, it's not even close.
Saying Greenville versus Greenville is the exact same thing as me saying Forsyth versus Forsyth. Nah. Not even close, dude. Forsythe is welcome. I would welcome the phone lines, though.
I love hearing other fellow North Carolinians say it correctly. I have a friend of mine who does radio. Oh, and Charlotte at WFNZ, who went to high school with Chris Paul. If I give you his phone number, again, me not preparing him at all for this. Don't say it over the air.
If I give you his phone number and you just randomly call him and we have him on. Do you think You could prepare him for this. I'm calling him right now.
Okay, we'll do that. And we'll get to the bottom of this. It's a guy who does radio in Charlotte, he's a friend of mine. I wanted it to be a big reveal, Robert.
Okay, well, text it to me.
Okay. Unto that. If If one of my friends Who again? Went to the same high school as Chris Paul. If he isn't on my side on this, Then I will be willing to take the L right now.
But Dog And Paul I probably have their names wrong who are calling in. Being set up by Robert and having him put on the air at this moment. I don't really buy them. as being the people I rely on. To say that this is Gospel.
Forsythe versus Forsyth. Just absurd. But anyway. Ray Ray Dilworth Became North Carolina's tenth in-state four star. For Roy Williams, or excuse me, for Mac Brown.
Jay Bateman's just doing a great job. The area recruiters, Phil Longo. And North Carolina, the bigger headline that I didn't get time to get to before I was bombarded by Robert. North Carolina just jumped Clemson. In The 2021 recruiting class rankings according to 24-7.
They are second. Not in the state, not in the ACC. nationally second because of the players they're recruiting. In the triad, and these are players that. always went to Clemson.
Like K.J. Henry, no question, going to Clemson. A guy like Trenton Simpson last year. North Carolina went heavy at him, jumped to Clemson. A player like Eric McClain, North Carolina guy, goes to Clemson.
Tanner Muse. They built. a part of their empire. Throughout recruiting North Carolina schools. And now Mac seems to be the biggest threat to that.
With some of the things. He's already doing. I don't even know if I want to take more of these phone calls. Am I going to Scott? Scott, where are you calling from?
Calling from Winston-Salem Winston-Salem. What county? Uh I live in Davy County, but I'm in Persia County right now.
Okay, so I take it it's y you agree with Robert that it is. and under no circumstances, Forsythe. I look at it this way. I've always pronounced it for scythe. But I'm a big TV buff, and I was a die-hard Charlie's Angels fan back in the day.
And the guy that played Charlie's name was John Forsyth.
So it all depends on how you're using it. That's interesting. Thank you so much for the call. Robert, do you agree with that? Yeah, I just think you're using it incorrectly.
And your friend did not pick up, but he did text me back and say that whatever you were talking about, you were wrong. Yeah. We'll see if we can get that rectified. In just a few minutes. But Roy Williams, I don't know why I keep saying Roy Williams.
Well, I do know the answer because it's North Carolina. But Mac Brown, he's doing a heck of a job on the recruiting trail. Roy Williams just lost. Cole Anthony earlier today. As Coal.
Declared Yeah. The NBA draft. I don't think it should surprise anybody. He's going to be a top ten pick. And It's a no-brainer when you are.
in that class. Roy's mentioned it before. that when Kobe when Kobe White started flying up draft boards, Kobe, he was leaning towards wanting to stay. But Roy encouraged him to go. because he was going to be selected that high.
It was a good decision for Kobe. And he had some success in Chicago last year. His decision, Cole's that is, it's a no-brainer if you're going to be a lottery pick. Here's the frustrating reality though. Returning to Chapel Hill is going to hurt.
Uh Right, the best way to put it is probably this. James Wiseman. He's set to be a top five peg. He left Memphis. When things were immediately going south, he had the NCAA trouble.
He started preparing for the draft. He might even be the number one pick. Cole at this time last year was projected to be. the guy that everybody wanted to get. He gets injured a few games into the season.
North Carolina still has a winning record at that point, coming off the losses to Ohio State and Virginia. If He doesn't return. I have a strong feeling. Cole Anthony would be picked higher. Than where he's going to pick be picked.
After the Tar Heels losing season.
Now that's not right. Because when Cole returned and he became healthy and comfortable. He was excellent. The game he had against Syracuse, he was awesome. Even in the losses to Virginia Tech.
and Notre Dame. He was really good. In those games. Not Virginia Tech, Virginia. Very good.
And I feel like if he didn't get injured. North Carolina would have had a shot to be an NCAA tournament team with the way things started. gelling for them. I'm getting a text from. The Guy in Charlotte.
And apparently he's in like a line at KFC. But I just want I just want his opinion. Man on for side versus for side. That's all I want. That's all I want.
What are you imagining? What are you expecting him? I think he will be more accepting, kind of like that last caller, understanding it can be both. That other caller said it depends how you use it. If it's someone's name and that's how you say their name...
Then yeah, Forsyth is fine if you're an idiot. But if you enjoy saying things correctly, which I know you do, you're a big pronunciation guy, you love getting. All the syllables enunciated. You love the where the tongue placement is when you're talking. I know you dig that stuff.
And I'm just trying to help you out. I don't want you to be wrong. I don't think it's wrong or right, but I just find it interesting. You're the guy that hates being needled about things, that you're gonna be the needler. I I'm the needler.
Sounds like a Reject Batman villain. It it was a terrible gun on Halo. I don't know if you had the pistol, the plasma pistol. You charge that thing up. That would be a great look to have the needler along with that if you can.
you can have two guns at once. I always enjoyed that. Apparently he's listening and he says Forsyth. I think it just bordered that game. Why are you texting?
I don't believe you. I'm gonna tell you right now. I don't believe you. Can I just fabricate whatever you're saying right now in text? Is that okay?
That's what he's saying. Yeah, you're reading the text. How do you know the inflection? He turns his phone around like we're not six feet. F O U R dash scythe.
versus FUR dash scythe. Doesn't that just makes it sound like that makes it look like Fursight? Yeah, nobody says Fursight, it would be F-E-R. Forsythe. He's lying.
He's lying. Yeah, dude, I don't even care. This Travis guy can't even be real at this point. Give him a call right now. Oh, my God.
Just let's see if he's the person I'm relying on. Is this like someone besides a real person? No, no, no. This is a real person who does radio in the state. And I think that's I need, because now he's re-nigging.
He's saying that. It's actually something else. Anyway. I don't think we're going to be able to solve this right now. Adam Amin's going to join us in a little over 15 minutes.
Maybe he might have a weird story where he's been asked to broadcast something randomly. I remember I was at a fraternity house in Chapel Hill. My brother was in the fraternity, and they heard I did play-by-play broadcasting. They said, Hey, we'll pay you in beer and $100 to broadcast our FIFA tournament. Most fun I've ever had.
Until now, where we're being joined. by a morning host? For W, FNZ, and Charlotte. It is. Travis Hancock, better known as T-Bone with us, went to high school with Chris Paul.
And I was just bringing out. The stories of Mac Brown, the way he's been recruiting of late. And I said they got a kid from West Forsyth High School, and Robert, he immediately jumps in and says, No, no, no, it's f. First eye. Where do you fall on this?
First of all, I also went to high school with Cliff Paul as well. That's got to be mentioned too. Paul, thank you for that. Robert's correct, I believe. It is fur.
It said fur more than four.
Now, somewhere along the line, it probably was supposed to be four. But in all my years, I'm going through in my head, four always sounded weird. It always sounded like an outsider. Saying less foresight. Foresight sounds more accurate than what I heard when I was growing up there.
So is it egregious to say foresight? Yeah, it sounds kind of weird. Like, we kind of know you're not from the area when you say it that way. That was kind of what we thought about back in the day. Like, oh, look at this guy, four.
This guy doesn't know what he's talking about.
Well, we've had four or five different callers who have not said four. They've all said for science.
So I guess I'm wrong on this. And I said, you're the only person I would. Rely on as being an authority on this subject. And here you are. I finally concede that I'm wrong, and I apologize.
It's the greatest mistake I've ever made in my career. I'm on my. I'm on my fourth white claw right now, so I'm not even sure what city I'm on in. Your first. White claw.
That's what you're wrong.
Now, like I said, like I said, though, I'm sure it's probably supposed to be four, but I don't remember it being really called that consistently. I remember a new person would come to school, they'd say, Hey, I'm here at West Four Scythe, and we'd say, Ha ha, this person's not going to last very long in the inner circle. And so, fur was the way to go. This is so stupid. T-Bone.
Enjoy your white claws. Thanks for doing this. You thought I was on your side, didn't you? You thought you had some healthier days.
Well, I didn't try to sabotage it at all. Robert, you can vouch for me. I texted him. Is it four or fur? I didn't try to sabotage the poll at all.
Nothing. No, you didn't. All right. But Robert's correct. He deserves a raise.
Hey, dive headfirst into the white claw, buddy. Good to hear from you. I'm in, I'm in, baby. There you go. That's uh T-Bone from WFNZ in Charlotte.
Okay, I'm wrong. I have the right to be wrong sometimes. It's okay. What about that raise he was talking about? How do I get one of those?
Coming up! Ah, come on. We break down the NFC South over unders. For wins this year. And there are a couple more over-unders I think would be smart to bet on.
This is the drive. Josh Graham loves to talk sports. He also loves to take herbal body baths to keep his skin supple and youthful looking. You're on the drive with Josh Graham.
Uh Jordan is 6'6 ⁇, 205 pounds. He played high school baseball in North Carolina at Laney High. Michael is from Wilmington. Outfield it to the right. A wind-up in the 1-0 pitch.
He swings and lines it towards center field. In comes Butler, base hit Michael Jordan. Oh. I love that. Kurt Bloom, who was the announcer for the Birmingham Barons at the time.
He shared that on social media earlier today. That's Michael Jordan's first. hit as a professional baseball player. I think most people who have followed Jordan's career might know that Terry Francona was the manager of that team way back when. How about this for a stat?
If you don't know, his first pitcher he faced. John Courtwright. Duke Grad.
So you had Carolina versus Duke on April 8th, 1994. Thought that was very cool and a perfect way to segue into our next guest, the Chicagoan. Adam Amin from ESBN, who's pretty much broadcast everything. Give me a sense, Adam. How composed would 21 or 22-year-old Adam Amin sound if he was broadcasting Michael Jordan?
while while also calling minor league baseball. Man, I mean, I I've talked to Kurt about this before too. you know, Kurt's one of the all time great minor league baseball broadcasters in the country and uh an absolute staple uh when not you know for broadcasters when they think of Birmingham. Uh I mean, it's got to be just a shock, right? What a culture shock.
This is like, imagine if. Suddenly Steph Curry. Decided he was going to go play minor league hockey, and you were the announcer for like the Syracuse crunch. and you're doing games where Steph Curry is trying to muscle his way through, you know, the miners. it's a very like jarring thing, I would imagine, if you're in Kurt's shoes And he did such a great job with it.
People still talk about the job that he did. covering Michael and he's obviously got stories uh from that great summer. But I I would imagine being just in absolute awe and trying to get over that, you know, and and and, you know, on the other side of things, as a broadcaster, you're when you're twenty, twenty one, twenty two, you're in the early part of your career, you're still kind of you're still in school really at that age.
So you're still kind of like awestruck by people and by new places and it's still so new. I would think to all of a sudden get thrust in with a superstar at that level would just be jaw dropping.
So I can understand a lot of A lot of uh Of Kurt's stories and just the joy you kind of hear when he gets to talk about him, because that's a time in your life where you're absorbing so much. I would think I'd be shocked to be able to have an opportunity like that. Your company putting out the last dance 10-part docus series Sunday. It's going to start at 9 o'clock, episodes 1 and 2. You're in Chicago right now.
How would you describe what Michael means to that city? I mean, it's still to this day I think the thing that defines this city as much as anything else culturally. I think it still represents the team itself, the brand itself, Represents that, represents the city so much. You go to and a lot of that, most of that has to do with that era. of Chicago Bulls basketball because that was the global explosion of the NBA when especially the Chinese, Japanese, Korean markets, the Asian markets in general became much more aware of Michael Jordan, his name had become synonymous with basketball around the world.
You know, the way that maybe a superstar like a Cristiano Ronaldo might be one of the handful of people you think of when you think of soccer globally. Oh, well, that's a recognizable, money making, young, handsome superstar in a major market, in a playing for a major team. that's kind of what today the translation would be.
So to have that type of impact in an era where there was no social media, when there wasn't the connectivity we have and to still penetrate these markets across the world, Europe and Africa and Asia, uh just to to be as well known as he was That's globally.
Now think about. kind of Put that into a microscope, that's almost impossible to tell you really to put into words what he means. to the city. you know, that that's been put on the map in a lot of ways to a certain uh portion of the population, the city of Chicago is known to them Through Michael Jordan. I can't imagine what it's like to distill that.
Thinking about it just in the North Carolina context, he's from Wilmington, of course, and he won Dean Smith his first national championship, hitting the shot on the left wing off the assist from Jimmy Black. And that's just one title, six. I don't even know how to begin to describe that, but. As someone who's Followed the Bulls pretty much your entire life. Do you have a favorite Michael Jordan game?
It's so hard to break that down. 'Cause 'cause the shot the in game six and ninety eight is not my favorite game. It's my favorite it's probably my favorite moment or the lasting moment. But I have a favorite game. A little bit more deep cut.
A little bit more deep cut here, Adam Amir. I feel no, this is this is a fantastic question, and it's the right time to ponder this considering. you know, we'll be flooded with a lot of this. this emotion uh probably on Sunday night for a lot of us. You know what?
I I think it would have to be Ninety-seven. I think it's the 38 in the flu game. I think it was game five. I think the 38 in the flu game. is probably just the greatest gutsiest performance I think I've seen.
And I'm sure the the part of me that's a broadcaster is probably a little biased towards that game. I had the chance to call Sabrina UNESCO's uh two K, one K, one K milestone game this year. Uh no player In college history, men's or women's division one has ever had 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 1,000 assists. And she accomplished that feat. On the same in Palo Alto at Stanford, on the same day that she was in Los Angeles.
during the morning to speak at Kobe Bryant's Memorial. and then traveled to Stanford from Los Angeles with the flu and then had a triple-double, including the nine rebounds plus necessary to reach that milestone. And that's the type of game you live for as a broadcaster. I think that's maybe The gutsiness, the sheer will of that game five in ninety seven. And the image of Scotty hugging him coming off the court at the end of the game.
I think that that kind of is the definition.
So many people draw inspiration from Michael. Right after he passed, Brandon Robinson, who plays for North Carolina, they were playing in Raleigh against NC State. Cole Anthony, still hurt at this point. The season has just gone in a completely awful direction for the Tar Heels at that point. And B-Rob's been hurt pretty much all season.
And he comes out of the game with a leg and then really didn't know if it was a rib he dealt with at practice earlier in the week. He was in a car accident at around that time. He went back in the game, hit important foul shots, won the game. And afterwards, he's being asked what kind of gave him that motivation. And it was thinking about Michael Jordan and how he would have reacted in similar circumstances.
Adam Amin joining us from ESPN. I have to know, and this is a hard transition, a hard left turn here. What's the biggest takeaway you had from your Zoom call earlier today, where you have all the dog mascots in college sports? Together. Uh this is w A, this is what it has come to.
In in quarantine life. B, if this is what it has come to, is it really that bad? A lot of bulldogs. Is it just bulldogs? Because I didn't see AM.
It we've got we've got it obviously it was a majority bulldog. But I mean, we had a couple of Huskies, you know, dubs from Washington. Jonathan from UConn. We had a couple of huskies. We had a Greyhound from the University of Indianapolis.
So we had we had a little bit of a a mix and match, but I think that speaks more to the college mascot. The the bulldog, just uh Staple of college mascots, obviously.
So, what did you take away from it? You can find it on Twitter at Adam Amin. I thought it was very insightful stuff. Uh, you know, listen. Do the dogs are dealing with quarantine life much like we are.
A little bit of listlessness, a little bit of yoga, and much like I did right before you called me. when the door bell rings or the door knocks, and the delivery of food is here. that takes precedence over pretty much anything else. This might be the best or worst question. you get asked today.
Darren Revelle, he tweeted this out. He said that an adult film site says it's going to pay Joe Buck. A million dollars or offered Joe Buck a million dollars to announce some of their cam shows. And that led to Joe Buck. Being reached out to by Sports Illustrated to give this following response: I am highly qualified as I've been practicing these calls most of my life, but I don't want to take the job without proper.
Open audition.
So, if they get Jim Nance, Al Michaels, and Mike Tarico, and all the others who want who do what I do to audition, I'm in. Of course, having fun with a lot of it, but it had me thinking. What is the strangest thing Adam Amin's been asked to do play-by-play for, to lend his voice to? Because even when I did play-by-play, I remember I'm at a frat house and some guy said, hey, we'll pay you $100 and pay you with beer to do play-by-play for our FIFA Soccer League or something like that. Huh?
That is interesting. I certainly took him up on it. I wouldn't I'd be upset at you if you didn't. I'd be ashamed to call you a friend at that point if you didn't. You know, I.
I don't think anything that I've called on TV has been all that strange. Oh, you know what? I remember this. You did the hot dog eating contest for a start. Yeah, I mean, but again, I mean, that's a staple.
We love it. We love it. We you know, like I you know what it's what was strange? It was carpentry. It was carpentry for like a taped Show That was like a You know, like a I guess it would be like a National Geographic type show or a TLC type show.
that it's just like a game show where they're like Doing carpentry. How do you call carpentry? I do not know. I do not know. I don't think, by the way, that project ever saw the light of day.
So maybe I made the right choice. What? What's that? At one point, I was approached about doing something along those lines. That's excellent.
Adam, I hope you're staying safe. I hope you enjoy the documentary Sunday night. Thanks for spending some time in North Carolina. Thanks, my friend, as always.
