This is the Drive with Josh Graham podcast. Tune into The Drive weekday afternoons 3-7 on Sports Hub Triad.
South Cal Antonio was on in Charlotte this morning and said Matt Ruhl was going to win a Super Bowl for the Carolina Panthers. And you think it's hard to stay positive. Huh. Why does Sao Powell believe this? Because he's a Philly guy who always has to say nice things about guys who are connected to that city.
He says no. This sound you're about to hear comes courtesy Of our friends at WFNZ. Right away, Matt. Rule. Is going to be a success in the NFL.
He is going to be a great, great head coach in the NFL for a long time. The Panthers are going to win a Super Bowl with Matt Rule. Woo! He's gonna be good and not only that I'm gonna top it He's gonna win a Super Bowl. For the Panthers, who we sal?
Who can dislike Sao Paul Antonio?
Now I don't want to be the guy to urinate on the party. Robert, he. just wants some optimism. Aaron, he wants me to completely play down this path. Matt Ruhl, gonna be a Super Bowl champion.
Everybody's gonna be happy and such. But the odds are against him, right? Like the Carolina Panthers, they had an MVP quarterback. A defensive player of the year on that team and a two time coach of the year, and that wasn't enough to win. You need a little bit of luck.
Teddy Bridgewater, I like him. I think he's a good quarterback. Is he a Super Bowl winning quarterback? Probably not. He could be Jimmy Garoppolo.
But Jimmy G was on a team that was loaded. They did everything they were supposed to do. They probably should have won that Super Bowl. They probably do nine times out of ten. But the difference maker was simply You have Jimmy G.
The Chiefs had power. Patrick Bahomes. That was the difference maker. The Colts, they do everything better as an organization than the Houston Texans. The Texans They win the division.
The Texans, they don't do anything as well. as the Buffalo Bills do it organizationally. That sounds weird to say, but Brandon Bean has things turned around, new ownership in there. But the Texans, they win that playoff game because they have a better quarterback.
So, Carolina needs to get that figured out if Ruul's going to win a Super Bowl. Also, right now. Robert, in all sincerity, right now. Who is the Panthers' best defensive player? Who's the best defensive player on the Panthers at this moment?
Honest question. It's got to be KK short, right? KK seems like the answer. Maybe Shaq Thompson, but if I'm being honest. If that if you ask me, is that guy a Pro Bowl?
Perennial Pro Bowl linebacker or just a dude, and it has to be one of the two. I'm probably going to choose just a dude. I would agree with you. Dante Jackson, he has moments. But He's not an elite player.
That Super Bowl team had Josh Norman when Josh Norman was a thing. KK Short was also on that Super Bowl team.
So There's a lot that needs to happen before now and then, and it's smart by Sao Powell. He likes Matt Rule. Let's just say a great thing that no one's going to remember. If he never wins a Super Bowl five or six years from now, see, that's a dirty secret with. What we do in this medium.
You're going to see a lot of people say things that are going to happen. three, four, five years from now, and if they get it right, Oh, they will remind you. But if they get it wrong, Nobody is gonna remember it. whatsoever. Hashtag Sports Radio.
So many great coaches haven't won a Super Bowl.
So this isn't me saying Rule's going to be a bad coach. He could be great and still never win. How about I mean, we just dealt with it with Riverboat Ron. Ron's a good coach I'd argue a great coach. He maximized the talent he had.
He never lost fewer. Then five games, five or six games with the Panthers his entire tenure. This is an organization that on average Is 500 As an organization through 25 years. But think about the grades. Who have never won.
Marty Schottenheimer. Sam Weitch. Bud Grant, Bruce Arians. Dan Reeves. Barv Levy.
Andy Reid, it took him twenty years. He never had the quarterback. Just bad luck. I got a McNab. Not good enough.
I got Alex Smith. Not good enough. I got Not Peak talent, Michael Vick. Not enough.
Now he has Mahomes. It took him Over 15 years to get here, but he now has the quarterback, and he won. He got a stroke of luck. It took a while. Also, he's coming from college.
That adds another layer to this. For every Jimmy Johnson out there. There's A Lou Holtz. There's a Bobby Petrino. For every Pete Carroll that's out there, There's a John McKay or a Butch Davis.
For every Berry Schwitzer that's out there There's a Steve Spurrier or an Al Grell. And Jimmy Johnson Pete Carroll and Perry Schwitzer, they did a lot more winning. In college then that rule did. I do like his approach though. I've liked his approach so far.
He's looking for a very specific culture Yeah. David Tepper has insulated him. With the funds, with the resources he needs in order to get what he wants. He's gotten the assistance he wanted. including Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator.
And everybody he's brought in has some tie To Temple to Balor To Matt Rule, his assistant, Robbie Anderson, an example of that. He's brought in. PJ Walker. The assistance, there's some tie there, whether it's Russell O'Coon's connection to Pat Meyer. Or Joe Brady's connection to Teddy Bridgewater.
They're looking for something specific. He's bringing in guys. Who understand that? Your thoughts are welcome on Twitter at SportsHub Triad. 336-777-1600.
A lot of stuff happening in college basketball right now in the ACC. We're going to talk to C.L. Brown about that. Duke just landed in the last two weeks. a big man On the grad transfer route.
They landed Patrick Tape. This is less than a week and a half ago. while Patrick Tape just decommitted from Duke.
So what does that tell you? Should we read into it and think Vernon Carey? Might be deciding to return to Duke. Maybe a cashiest Stanley and that rotation's a little bit too much. We'll discuss that.
Georgia Tech. It's official, the NCAA. Says that they have served. Their postseason ban? That them just not participating in the ACC tournament that got canceled halfway through was enough to warrant it being a postseason ban for Georgia Tech since they weren't there.
So that's newsworthy? Bubba Cunningham, he's going to be a part of the NCAA basketball committee. He's going to be taking the spot. That Kevin White has had it Duke. Previously, so I guess the state of North Carolina basketball, it's still reigning supreme there.
And some sad news. For Wake Forest as It's former basketball great. Coach Carl Tacey passed. Passed away this morning at. eighty seven Years old, one of the three all-time winningest coaches.
For Wake basketball, a couple of Elite Eight appearances as well.
So we're seeing a lot of statements. From Wake Forest, both from the athletics department and from Danny Manning. expressing their condolences to that family in celebrating the life of Carl Tacey. Speaking of Danny Manning. John Curry, I think there's a chance.
John Curry may have already made His decision on Danny Manning, saying he's gonna stay at Wake. And we just don't know it yet. If that's the case, I wouldn't hold anything against him. I tried to reach out to Wake Forest yesterday to get Danny on the show, to get. Even John Curry on the show?
They said for now they're going to pass. completely understandable with everything going on. As they try to get things Straightened out as we all try to figure out. Where the athletic departments are going to be, where college sports is going to be, when this is all. Finished?
But Curry, he's a different A D than Ron Wellman was. He has a different approach, a more modern approach.
Wellman, when he decided to keep Danny, his first reaction was: let's have a press conference. And to be honest with you, it was a pretty awkward press conference. Usually, when you have pressers, you're reporting news. Hey, we just signed this guy. Hey, we just drafted this guy.
Hey. We have a new head coach. Hey, we're firing this coach. That press conference last year was: hey, we're not doing anything. Do you want to talk to Danny?
Okay. Sure. And it was just a really awkward Press conference.
So This AD might do it different and say, okay, if we're keeping Danny, why are we having a press conference just to say we're keeping Danny? He's under contract, he's expected to recruit, he's expected. To approach next year the same way he has in the past five years, five or six years. Also, Danny, he's active on social media. He's recruiting like he is going to have a job next year.
It seems the exit interviews got done because he's doing team meetings on Zoom. That seems to be a good sign. He signed. Ian Dubois? That grad transfer from Houston Baptist, who I think is going to be a starter at shooting guard immediately, replacing Andream White.
Listen, this is what I think it comes down to. The only way I see A change being made at this point, considering. The economy is in the tank. Considering business people are frightened all across the country, so much so I don't see anybody lining up to pay fifteen million dollars, which it would cost to buy out Danny in addition to trying to raise funds in order to get the next basketball coach. I don't see that happening anyway, but The only way that can change is if Chandi Brown and Olivier Saar.
Transfer route or Try to leave early to go to the NBA. And they haven't done that. At least, not yet. That isn't to say that can change. Uh that can't change.
But Michael Wynn, he transferred out earlier. In March And As Dubois was coming in, Sharon Wright Jr. decided to enter the transfer portal.
So as long as Sarr. And Chondee are a part of this program. Wake has a really good team coming back. One, I believe, is Danny's strongest on paper. One, I believe, is an NCAA tournament team.
So they might view it as: okay, why are we going to pay $15 million to potentially disrupt something that could be an NCAA tournament team? That's a question we'll ask C.L. Brown in a little over 15 minutes. Coming up, though. I'm all about Cam Newton rumors.
But there's one that just needs to stop. This is the drive. We're back on the air. It's the drive. You suck.
And yet you keep returning. Sports talk. It's offensive, and people can get hurt. The drive with Josh Graham. It rams on Sports Hub Triad.
CL Brown's one of the best college basketball writers. that you're gonna find He has his own site, CL Brown. Oops. Dot com And He's one of the people that warned me. About the FBI investigation into college basketball right when it started, saying, Okay, well, why did they end the investigation as early as they did?
On top of that, Why Aren't any of the people speaking to the government? Why isn't any of it being corroborated? At all.
So I found that interesting as I watched the documentary. The scheme on HBO earlier in the week. It debuted. Two nights ago, CL now joining us. But before we get to that, The breaking news of the last few hours Patrick Tape, who is a recent Duke commitment From He's a grad transfer big man that was expected to potentially start for Duke next year.
Really good, one of the top grad transfers. uh out there, just decommitted from Duke. And I wonder, CL, when you hear that happening. Considering just how short of a while ago it was, he committed the Duke. Should we read Into this any deeper as it relates to other dupe guys on the roster.
When you see that a guy of this guy's a guy like this guy's stature decided to transfer. And uh to Duke and then decommit. For me personally, no. It doesn't I don't I don't read anything extra into it as in somebody staying or going or anything like that. When you look at it, Duke got in recruiting him kind of late in the game.
He was heavily considering Syracuse. I think USC and Ohio State were the other. three major ones. Georgetown was also in the mix.
So, um when you think of the class that that Duke has coming in, It wouldn't surprise me if it was just a kid thinking about play in time and and You know, amount of touches and that kind of stuff, like how he was going to actually factor into the team, because it's not like they don't have a lot of horses. regardless of say a Vernon Carey Junior or Matthew Hurd or somebody decided to stay. as opposed to turn pro.
So there are a number of things I could have factored in. I'm not sure that necessarily it's it's It has to do with somebody staying. And that's not. Uncommon. You have Boogie Ellis, for example, last year.
He looked at the landscape and thought he'd be better off playing somewhere else. And that happens at some of the top schools, especially when you're recruiting as many good players as a place like Duke is. But when you look at Duke's social media, having a lot of Wendell Moore featured in it, Coach K said that he's going to be one of the three guys he expects to test the waters, along with Trey Jones, who, of course, has declared for the NBA draft. Cassius Stanley is a guy that's interesting, but I Kay hasn't said he expects him to test or to come back. The other player he said, of course, was going to test as Vernon Carey, as you kind of noted there.
If you had to guess, out of hurt. Out of Carrie, Stanley. And uh On top of that, I'm forgetting one. And Wendell Moore, who who comes back to Duke if you had to guess today?
Well, I think Wendell Moore for sure comes back to Duke. He didn't really. He didn't really show His full potential. You know, obviously, he had the injury that kept him out a little bit. But he to me, he never gained traction.
And to me, he was always kind of what I looked at as a glue guy at the beginning of the year who you know, would need a couple of years in college before he was Um To go pro. I know this year is going to be a down year in the NBA draft.
So I think some people that you know, that may go higher in a normal year. But I'd be very surprised if Wendell Moore Junior elects to leave campus. And I'd probably say second to that is is Matthew hurt, I would expect him also to come back mainly just from a strength perspective, he didn't really You know, he kn his body needs another year. He's He's not a NBA ready. Physically, he's not NBA ready to go, which, you know, obviously never stopped anybody before, and they certainly will draft off of potential, but.
I don't think I don't think he's big enough on the radar right now. uh to to take that leap. It's CL Brown with us here on Twitter at CL Brown Hoops. Read his stuff, CLBrownhoops.com. How surprised would you be at this point if Wake Forrest booze off of Danny Manning?
Well It's this is We're in different times right now, obviously, everybody listening right now. You know, I I it's probably in the home confinement.
So, you know. I think it's it's gonna temper that's why we haven't seen the normal kind of coaching carousel that we u would see at this time of the year. Yeah, I mean, it probably saved Jim Christian's job. I mean, it's a one million dollar or so buyout, and he's back. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
And I think that's something that has to be considered. I mean, we saw. What happened at Iowa State, where essentially a lot of their coaches. Um Uh I don't know whether to call it a pay cut or just a give back program, but you. You know, their AD was talking about how 25% of their coaches.
Amount for seventy-five percent of their uh salaries. And so, um you know, with the shortfall that's gonna be coming here soon, Whether it's immediate in the next season or the season after that, when it really takes hold, I think ADs have to prepare for that. And not knowing how this virus is going to affect what happens with football. And obviously, most campuses that catch cows.
So that has to factor in. But the one thing that I fall back on right now is that. we be this is normally final four weekend.
So it's not like we're that far advanced in the schedule to where you look up like, oh man, they hadn't made a change yet. You know what I'm saying?
So Uh it it could just be that that The power to be awake or waiting for the air kind of to clear out with everything that's going on in terms of the pandemic right now. Or it could be you know, that his job is safe and he's coming back. But To get back to your question, how surprised would I be Um if a change is made, uh At this point, I wouldn't be surprised still. Man, see, for me, the issue is just it's $15 million, and Wake doesn't have as deep of an alumni base to pull from. I know you got the Ben Suttons and you got the Mitt Shaws out there who have been known to pour money into athletics when they need it, but every businessman shook right now.
And even if things clear up, when do things necessarily get better? I know it's not. The most rare thing for a coaching change to happen in May. We've seen it before. Thad Mata, for example, was fired in the middle of May.
But on top of that, the financial aspect of things. If Chaundi Brown and Olivier Saar decide to stay at Wake, I believe it's not. hyperbolic to suggest that this team Like the way it's currently comprised, with Ian DeBois being added from Houston Baptists, this might be Danny's most talented team. Do you think that? That is plausible.
This roster right now might be the best one he's had. Uh I wouldn't go that far, Josh. I mean, there's no John Collins on this team.
Well, that's what I'm saying. I mean, they did make the tournament with that team, and certainly I felt like Bryant Crawford was a big talent under, you know, in Danny's time there, too. But It would be challenging enough. I mean, you would look at the front court as possibly one of the better ones in the ACC. My questions with this team is still going to be.
How the backcourt holds up. You know, with me. getting experience last year, but still not being somebody you look at as like, okay, this guy is a rock solid guard coming into next year. He's still going to have a learning curve as well as as As Dubois because he's coming from, you know, a small I mean, I don't want to discredit Houston Baptists, but he's at a lower level. They won at Wake undefeated.
Yeah. But that's not a gauntlet, a 20-game gauntlet of the ATC.
So, you know, a lot of times I feel like people. uh people mistakenly think that a transfer a grad transfer is just going to plug in and make things better when certainly I mean, Carolina found that out this year when they were depending on Christian Keelan and Justin Pierce to play bigger roles than than you know, they ended up not being able to really fill those shoes.
So, um So, you know, considering that part of it too, um Backcourt to me would be a huge question. That's why I wouldn't I wouldn't necessarily say on paper right now that this would be the most talented team, but I would say. That they definitely have people. Pieces in place to take another step forward. It's C.L.
Brown with us, one of the best college basketball minds that I know. C.L. Brown's hoops. CLBrownhoops.com. You can find his work.
And I got to give you credit. When the FBI investigation first went down, when we first learned about it in October or November of 2017, you were one of the first people I talked to, and you said, I'm going to wait and see on this because I want to see who corroborates what some of these people are saying. And it turned out a lot of it wasn't corroborated. And we saw earlier this week, the HBO documentary, the scheme. Granted, it's from one perspective, one lens, the Christian Dawkins side of it.
There were a lot of flaws with this FBI investigation. I still don't know why the FBI took up this case specifically, but based on all the information you've gained in the last two and a half years, I don't know if you watched the documentary at all, but it's all public information. What is your opinion of this investigation now? Yeah, I mean, I pretty much have the same opinion as when when it first went down. To me, the FBI really had no case.
This was This was a matter of You know, you could look at moral and ethical violations, so to speak, but this was not a crime. You know what I mean? Um I just their case was flimsy to begin with. To me, it almost seemed like entrapment. If I was serving on the jury and I did see the documentary, which kind of polarized it's kind of different when you're hearing and seeing as opposed to just reading transcripts, But it just seemed like the FBI was so worried about trying to get something that that to me that they uh Uh They baited this kid who really is a non-factor when you think of the general scheme of college basketball recruiting.
I mean, You know, he was a very, very small fish. They asked him when the feds went to his house, they asked him, We want you to give us Rick Patino. Yeah, yeah. It's that's crazy. It's random.
It's crazy. And Patino's back and all the and no punishment's been handed down really by the NCAA yet. Two and a half years.
Well, if Wait Will Wade still has a job, I mean, that to me is. And that's on the NCAA obviously. That has nothing to do with the FBI, but it's just it's mind-boggling. Mind-boggling. You're the best, man.
I hope you're doing well. I hope you're staying safe. Thanks for spending time in your home area, man, your home turf in the triad. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
I appreciate you having me, John. Got it. That's C. L. Brown.
On Twitter at CL Brown Hoops, C L Brown Hoops. Hoops.com, you can find his work. Up next. Why this draft? is set up for the Panthers to win big.
Keep it here on the drive. Everybody, listen up! You're on the drive with Josh Grant. I can't believe this. This is insane.
No. I'm so frustrated with Robert Walsh right now. He's so Yeah. Mm-hmm.
So much trying to take this wheel right now.
So determined on trying to steer the direction we're headed in. That he keeps throwing things my way. He says, Josh, I have an idea, and this is only happening because. Places all across the country. Sports talk radio shows.
They're doing all this creative stuff that they want to do if there were actual games to be watching. He says, How about we throw out there the senior citizen in sports that? That you'd most like to have on the field of battle. I talked about this, right? Like this is what you want to do.
And you're saying to me, Josh, I got this great clip of O.J. Simpson talking about. Talking about Carol Baskin of Tiger King, saying that he thinks she did it. That she fed her husband to the tiger. And now you're telling me Adam Gold, our early afternoon host who's with us now, apparently has a submission in here.
So fine. I'm willing to go down this path. I'm fine with it. Adam Gold, if you have a senior citizen to go to war with, who is it? Tom Brady.
Oh man, that's that's that's tough to beat. That's tough to beat Todd Brady's the answer here. And while we're going down. This path of ridiculousness on Twitter. At Sports Up Try It, at Josh Graham Radio.
I simply ask the question. Which of these do you find most annoying? Mispronunciations. Appalachian state? Eastern Carolina University.
Raleigh Durham is one place where What bothers you? I know the third's not a mispronunciation, but I know it bothers many.
Well, Eastern North Carolina is also not a mispronunciation. It's an incorrect name. Um the what disturbs me the most. would be Eastern North Carolina of those three. Eastern Carolina bothers everybody around here.
Yeah, I mean, because it's there's n I mean, unless we're just talking about a general locale, then yes, Eastern North Carolina is a thing. But if you're referring to East Carolina, that's not a Eastern North Carolina is not a thing. Uh look, if you're from the uh if you're from p uh parts north of North Carolina, And somebody says Appalachian State. I mean, they're the Appalachian Mountains, man. He's on Twitter at Adam Gold or a Gold fan.
Sorry, but I call it Appalachian State because that's what they call it. But if I'm just referring to the mountains, It's Appalachia. But it is. It's okay, none of it bothers me anyway. Where do you stand on the Raleigh-Durham front when people say, Hey, are you from Raleigh-Durham?
I'm a little tired of the complaining about it. to be um It's fine. It's a metro area. Raleigh, Durham, and actually Stateville is a metro area. I'm okay with it.
Uh I just think it d does it amuse me? Yeah, but it doesn't bother me. Do you believe that One way. I believe in the small of a woman's back. Wait a second.
I'm sorry. Excellent. Shouldn't sports stop. Great movie. A lot of holes I could point and I I can poke into that, but I don't think that's a movie you should be poking holes into.
Like, why is Roy Hobbes when he's clearly in his uh early thirties or he looks like he's in his early thirties at the beginning of the movie being sold as a high school student. Hmm. That doesn't he's in his fifties uh when he makes his comeback.
Okay. Mm-hmm.
Yeah, there are a lot of holes you can poke through the natural, but I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that with a lot of the sports movies out there. But. Getting to basketball. Danny Manning.
Do you think a decision's already been made and we just don't know about it? That Wake Forrest might have said, hey, Danny, you're good. We're not going to do one of those awkward press conferences like we did last year where we just say you're coming back. Here's the thing about uh because I actually started to talk about it and we got distracted when we were asking people for their lunch orders today.
So I don't even know what what happened with. What is your go to cookout order, by the way? Uh barbecue platter. Your side? I think if you get uh well It you if the barbecue platter comes with whether a platter or a plate, I don't do a sandwich, uh, it comes with hush puppies, fries, and coleslaw.
We're good. That's fine. We don't need anything else in that. Oh, we're getting distracted again. Whoops.
Yeah. The best thing Cookout has. Here's the thing about Manning, and I can make the same case for Georgia Tech and Josh Passner. Like this is not the climate to be doing a national coaching search anyway. far more important things.
Western Carolina gave us a pretty good example of this. where they just moved on from their basketball coach of, I don't know, seventeen years, don't know his name, doesn't matter. They rather than go do a national search, which they were intending to do, they simply elevated the assistant, don't know his name either, and I don't know the name of the A D that said this is not the time to be going through a coaching search.
So to me it's probably not the time to be doing that at Wake Forest. or anywhere else.
So I do think that Manning will probably get another year Um and I'll I will always say this. Stability Is the best thing? I don't think Danny is great. but he's going to get one more year, I think, to prove that he can be. And also It's not like there isn't any hope for this team.
I've made the argument. C.L. Brownie disagrees with me, and I respect his opinion, but the roster Wake has. Has two all-ACC caliber players on it. Olivier Saros, third-team all-ACC, Chandi Brown, if he's healthy, he certainly qualifies as that.
I believe in Jacoby Neath because four of the last six games he's scoring into double figures, and Wake's been raving about this guy even before he started doing that. And we started seeing it publicly or in the games at the end of the year. Isaiah Mucius, he's back. This is an older team than the 2017 team. I think on paper, this might be Danny's most talented team.
What do you think when you look at the Deeks? Talent hasn't always been a problem for them, anyway. They've had tons of talent. I mean, sometimes it's it's been young, but everybody's young. I've never thought young was an excuse.
They've just not done well enough with the talent that they've had.
So that's got to change for Manning. I mean, if he were if they were better late in games over the course better defensively as well over the course of the last four or five years, They would have a lot more wins.
So it's to me, it's never been about talent. Uh he's recruited pretty well. They have not retained talent and they have not maximized the talent when it's been there.
So, do I have any reason to believe that's going to change? No, not really. But I do think he's ultimately going to get another year because I think we're going to be dealing with this pandemic which will probably delay the resumption of sports for uh months as opposed to uh you know Six to eight weeks. And I just is this is not the time to to be moving on. Not to mention.
I would imagine disposable income from boosters is going to change.
So uh but I think Danny's gonna ul ultimately get another year and he's gonna have a chance. Um but it's Let's bit about player retention. and maximizing their roster. More than anything else. Adam Gold, but that's a Gold fan on Twitter.
It's the Adam Gold Show noon to three that you can listen to each day right here on Sports Hub Triad. Saw the news last night that the Open Championship in late July has been canceled, not postponed, canceled. And the U.S. Open. is postponed.
That's an announcement from earlier this week. I reached out to the folks at uh the Wyndham Championship, which is three weeks after the open championship that just got canceled in Greensboro for comment or to have Mark Brazzell on the show. And they said they're still trying to figure out What the heck is happening over the next few weeks before they're going to have any comment on what's happening here? But what do you think about the Wyndham Championship? Which.
I think is the triads. crown jewel when it comes to sports each year. It's a great event. I've been a few times, and I went last year, and I went a few years ago, and Tigers showed up, the only time Tigers played there. And you would have thought it was a major championship.
I mean, literally, they were like seven deep. On the first tee when I watched Tiger T off. It was insane to be there. And I walked around talking to people like you always come. He goes, Nope, this is the first time.
I said, why are you here? He goes, Got to see the man. He may never come back. Um but uh I I I think golf is the most likely sport to return. because it can be easily played.
without fans. I don't think golf's coming back any time soon. And I think if it does come back They will probably try and get major championships in as opposed to regular tour events. Uh, but I frankly don't think we're going to see it. Uh, I haven't seen the U.S.
Open. which is in uh Westchester, New York. At Wingport. I haven't seen that tournament canceled or postponed yet. What I did see was that they were going to make a d make a decision on that in the middle of this month.
Which frankly, I don't even know why you're waiting because the epicenter of the coronavirus in New York is five miles. from Wingfoot in New Rochelle. I actually did a Google Maps search. It's actually 4.8 miles. From Wingfoot to New Rochelle.
So I just don't see that happening. I don't know what the USJ is waiting for. The RNA denied the Gulf Digest report. And New York Post. They denied the New York Post as of today.
Well, no, the RNA because the initial report on the on the Open Championship was published by Golf Digest. Got you. And the RNA declined to say nope, none of that's true. Uh look, I think we If they want to delay canceling these events, Bye. But ultimately, they're going to cancel them.
I just don't see being able to conduct these. without having played any events between, you know, what, two weeks ago And when we get into the middle of the summer, when it should be when it when this we might be on the other side of this curve. And we don't know where England is going to be. We don't know where the UK is going to be when we get to that point. But I'm all for the hope that these things happen.
I just don't think any of them are going to happen. Adam Gold with us here. It's the Adam Gold Show, noon to three tomorrow. Look forward to hearing from you tomorrow, Adam. Thanks for doing this.
Hey, you got it, man. We'll talk to you guys. Talk to you later. That's Adam Gold. Spending some time.
All right, Robert. Give me the senior citizen you'd like to have in a battle right now. I think in a world where there's no COVID-19, of course. I think I'm I think I'm going Hulk Hogan. Wow.
He's still ripped. He's still massive. He's like 6'6. I think he could take down just about anybody. Aaron, where are you going?
But can't have Orinthal James. You can have Orinthal James. I'm going Bobby Knight. Bobby looked rough a few months ago. Give him a chair, though, man.
I feel like if he gets the first toss. Can I hear from OJ? Yeah, for sure. OJ On his Twitter. Just leading com uh just lending comment.
to the Tiger King and Carol Baskin. Hey Twitter World, yours truly. I just got back from the golf course where I actually played pretty well. That's good.
Now it's back at home, back to the couch, and back to television. Listen. I've had so many people on my case asking me to watch some show called Tiger King.
Well, yesterday I watched this show. And oh my god, is America in this bad a shape? I watched about six episodes of this show, and I couldn't even believe what I was looking at. White people! What's with you and wild animals?
Leave them animals alone. It's not wrong. It's not wrong. The show is crazy. But it's so crazy, you kinda keep watching.
One thing I will say. There's not a shred of doubt in my mind that that lady's husband. Mm. Is uh Tiger Shushimi right now. I'm just saying.
Take care and I hope you find something better to watch. He's a delightful man when you don't think about the fact that he probably killed two people. Allegedly. That's why I said probably. I don't know.
Probably is. That's not going to hold up before law.
Well, the civil court did.
Okay. I could say probably. You can say whatever the hell you want to. It's your show.
Well no, I can't say whatever the hell I want to. Actually. It could. Would be ramifications, but you could. No, Robert has a button.
He's obligated to push if I say certain things. Nah, if Josh said it, I'd probably just let it slide. Let's test it. Let's not. Darren Vought going to join us in thirty minutes.
We're going to play We're going to return our throwback Thursday baseball game. But a prominent NFL media member Says Matt Rule's gonna win a Super Bowl. Is that plausible?
Well, that's next on the drive. No mercy, no pity, no fear. You're on the drive with Josh Graham. In tough times we turn to one of our favorite segments. All last summer.
We figured out who the nickelbacks of Major League Baseball were. That's it. Not the best players. of the two thousands, not like the Chipper Joneses of the world. Not like the Derek Jeters.
No, we were looking for the Marcus Giles is out there. We were looking for. Not necessarily a Miguel Tejada But maybe A. J. Gibbons would do from the Baltimore Orioles, who I'm a fan of.
That's what we did all last summer. And we did it with Darren Vaught, who we're sharing with. We are sharing with Darren. You might know him from USA baseball. You might know him from a ton of other places.
You might know him on Twitter at Darren Vought. He's back on the show. And hey, Darren. Hey, Josh, how are you, my man? I'm doing great.
So. In past visits, we said that we were going to bring this segment back, and we were looking for the band of the last decade since the decade just finished up. who was the most like Nickelback. And what we came up with was Imagine dragons.
So We're not doing the nickelbacks of Major League Baseball. We're not looking for 2,000 players anymore. We're looking for players who best encompass the decade that just happened.
So not Necessarily the best guys. We're not looking for the Miguel Cabrera types or the Mike Trout types. We're looking for more average but memorable players of the last 10 years that we're calling the Imagined Dragons of baseball. Robert hit the imaging. We discovered who the nickelbacks of Major League Baseball were.
Doug McCavich, Marcus Giles, Johnny Estrada. He might be a top-five nickelback of Major League Baseball. Look at this photograph!
Now we're looking for the players who embodied the last decade of baseball.
So do Schwat? No, not the best players. This is the Imagine Dragons of 2010 Spacefall. I am so excited for this, Darren. Mm.
And I think this might be more difficult to do than the nickelbacks. No, it's going to be. It it's absolutely going to be. I think we're going to find it hard to choose guys who. were relevant enough, but not too good And we've gotta I I think there's a ground rule we've gotta set right out of the gate.
Do they Do they not count if they are still currently playing? It's a great question. I think If they're currently active, they still can be. They could still be an imagined dragon.
However,. They need to be Definitely trending downward. Like they couldn't have had a good year in the last few years.
So let's go ahead and knock out, guys. And the team that we're doing today, we're looking for Houston Astros. The Astros were the team of the offseason. Everybody was talking about the Astros before we knew what coronavirus was.
So Let's knock out ones that we know are not. Eligible for this. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman for sure, Dallas Keichel for sure. What do you think about Yuli Gurriel? Too good, too recent.
Yeah, too good, too recent. Josh Reddick as well. I think Marwen Gonzalez is not. uh eligible either. Sure.
And even though. In their very, very, very bad days, he was a Houston Astro. He's now very serviceable as a Minnesota Twin.
So that is, yeah, that doesn't count.
Okay, I've got three here that I think are the absolute best. Three that I think are unbelievable. And one at the very top. Darren, it's a pitcher. Do you think we have the same one at the top of our list?
And we're trying to get it. I'm skeptical, but we can say them out loud at the same time. I don't think we have the same one. Let's not do that. Just give me one.
Wade LeBlanc. Too obscure. I don't even no Too obscure. I don't know who Wade LeBlanc is. Who's Wade LeBlanc?
That's gonna happen. See, that's where we're gonna get in trouble with me. I had a tendency to go obscure with the early 2000s, anyways. That's it's Definitely going to be the case for the 2010. The best one on my list is Bud Norris.
Yeah, he was next on the next one. Bud Norris is the very top of my list, and he's joined among the pitching corps by Brad Peacock. Yeah. Brat Beacock's really good. This one might border on obscurity, but just because it's a wonderful name.
I know who you're going to say. I want to say it at the same time. What about Brett Oberholzer? Yeah. Absolutely.
Yeah. I also have another great name. But I think it might be too obscure. Left fielder L. J.
Hose. Mm. Both are true. Great name, far too obscure to be an Imagine Dragon. It's not an Imagine Dragon.
If you have any, you would like to submit, by the way, 336. 7771600. Robert, it didn't deserve an Imagine Dragon. 777-1600 if you want to play along. In terms of hitters, this is, I think, the definition of the game.
If you're looking for a definition of what we're looking for. It is designated hitter Evan Gaddis. Yeah. I started to say RIP, but really he just announced that he's retiring from baseball the other day.
So, not RIP, RIP Evan Gaddis' baseball playing career. 248 hitter.
Alright, I got another wild card here.
So LJ Hoes way too obscure. Mike Fires Is he is he uh an imagined dragons? He just threw a no-hitter, like, within the past two years.
Okay. That was better. There have been some obscure players throw no hitters, so. I think he fits, right? He's not too good.
The only reason people know Mike Fires is because he uncovered everything. He's the one that whistle blew the entire Astros deal. And again, before that, I would have said it's because he threw a no-hitter.
So I think he qu he qualifies in every case. Perfect. Throw me another. Uh I've got a couple of position players First baseman in particular. Brett Waller.
Too obscure. Damn.
Alright. This is tough. Chris Carter. Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah.
Catcher Jason Castro. Wait. Jason Castro! That might be the best one that I've done. These lists, for whatever reason, they lend themselves to catchers.
I don't know. How about with a 29 and 22 record, only played for the Astros and spent seven years in the league, Lance McCullers Jr. Yeah. Damn right. That might be our best pitcher.
Answer. Better than Bud Norris. Maybe not. I don't know. Does it matter?
Alright, do you have anything left? Um I've got.
Well, these guys don't count, but it's interesting to me that 2013. Was the first year that the Astros went back to their blue and orange, right? The sort of the older, old school, but we know it is the modern year. Away from like the crimson and gold type look. Correct.
But they had some guys on that roster who If they weren't nickelbacks, they're very good Major leaguers today. JD Martinez was on that team and in the Astros system at that time. Definitely doesn't have to be a lot of time. I've got a couple of nickelbacks. Who were on that team?
Rick Ankiel and Eric Bedard. Nickelback. Nickelback time. Not in the Magic Dragon. That's a nickelback.
Rick and Keel. Graphic. There he is. Oh, Croak. I'm out.
I think if we're putting together our lineup here. Bud Norris, if our pitching staff is Bud Norris. Mike Fires, Lance McCullers Jr. Brad Bea Brad Peacock. Uh And I'm trying to think of some of the ones that you just threw at me.
Who else would round out our uh pitching staff? of Norris Peacock Lance McCullers Jr. And Mike Fires. I need a fifth starter. Isn't there a little Clemens we can throw in there?
Like, they've signed and had two of Roger Clemens' sons on their roster. Nah. If you can't say their name, this is not what we're doing. Yeah, probably not.
Alright, Darren. That's the first edition of the Imagined Dragons. Of Major League Baseball. The Astros be in this week's team. I gotta ask you this, though, while we got you.
We are sharing with Darren. It's an abbreviated stretch because Darren is confined to his home, even though you played golf earlier today. I did, but I was actually socially socially distancing myself.
So we played a weird format, but I hit it well. I'm comfortable saying I hit it well. Because of the format, not comfortable. like bragging on a score. Which of these do you find the most annoying?
Appalachian State, Eastern Carolina University, or Raleigh-Durham is one place? The Raleigh Durham as one place does not annoy me as much as it does others. because I understand the concept, the theory, it's a market, it's an area. it's probably Appalachian, like that or Appalachian. Either way, if it's the heart Cha or Shah, that just that bothers me because no one in the Appalachians says it that way.
You're the man, Darren. It's good to hear from you. Of course. Talk to you guys again soon. There you go.
That's Darren Vott. He's on Twitter at Darren Vott. We'll do this every single week. Robert doesn't know what to do because Robert doesn't know any of these guys. Aaron, if you think you don't know much about baseball.
Let me introduce you to one. Robert Lee Walsh. Not a baseball guy in any way. Uh, yeah, I I tell Robert I know a little bit of baseball, but Robert knows some Braves. Yeah, he knows some Braves.
Yeah. Brent tweets in, Just got in the car and I hate I miss baseball. No more Astros I could think of from the last ten years. Who who fit this category. I think it's gonna be a lot harder to do this than nickel bags.
Trying to think. I'm looking at my list. Kobe Rasmus, he doesn't belong. Oh, shoot! We need to get Darren back on the line.
Can we do that? Please. Oh no. I I have one question I have to ask Darren. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot.
To ask him. about these two players. I feel so ashamed. This actually hurts my feelings. I forgot to ask Darren about this.
Do we have Darren? Darren, I forgot to ask you about two players.
Okay. I was really excited about this. I had it written down in all caps. Eric Bedard?
Well, that's that's who I mentioned. Waddy Rodriguez, though. Wandy, Wandi's gotta make the list. All right, for real, goodbye. Thanks for doing this.
All right, audios. There you go. Thanks for doing that. We lost him and then he's back. Is Danny Manning.
Safe and we just don't know it. That's next on the drive. Providing you with a kind of sports programming that makes some people laugh. But most people just wince. Ooh, you're on the drive with Josh Graham.
Um ESPN's going to be broadcasting what I believe to be the greatest football game of my lifetime later on tonight. USC Football. Facing Texas 2006 Rose Bowl. Last night I was watching 2016, game seven. NBA finals between The Cavs and Golden State.
It's Cleveland's first title since 1964. And It had me thinking. Is that the most impactful, most significant NBA basketball game that's been played. Let's say in the last 20 years? Like, since Michael Jordan finished up with the Bulls, is that the most significant basketball game that's been played in the NBA?
Coming back from a 3-1 deficit, something that's never happened in NBA Finals history. Beating a team that had the NBA record and wins that Golden State team. And On top of that, I just mentioned Cleveland winning a title for the first time since 1964. LeBron. Winning Cleveland that title and doing so.
Returning like he said he would. And delivering on what his promise was. The fact that it was LeBron and it was his. Finest moment I think his signature moment Beating that Golden State team that is one of the best teams we've ever seen assembled. The comeback, the quality of the game, the block by LeBron, Kyrie Irving hitting the shot.
I think that's the most significant NBA game because if it doesn't happen that way, if Golden State wins. I don't think They break up that team. I think Harrison Barnes returns. I don't think Kevin Durant decides to join Golden State. I really don't.
And I think it changes NBA history. I really do. If Golden State runs it back the same way. Cleveland has a better shot. Against those Warriors in 2017.
He has a shot in 2018 too, LeBron does. But with Kevin Durant joining. Golden State. It was a wrap. It wasn't going to happen.
So 2016, I put that up against any other game the last 20 years or so that's been. Played in the NBA. Significant. If you disagree on Twitter at SportsUpDry, at 336-777-1600. Maybe there's a blind spot I've had.
Maybe there's something I haven't considered. In terms of Texas, USC, and we'll get to the Danny Manning stuff in a bit. I view that to be the greatest game of my lifetime, football game. Because it had the perfect story arc. You're talking about two unbeaten teams.
Texas, USC. You can't have something in the NFL That feels as big As two unbeaten teams meeting in a championship game. There's nothing you can have in that sport that feels that Big. The rose bowl.
Something that feels that special. That stadium. It doesn't hold many games. That game there, that place, it represents.
Something. And Having Keith Jackson broadcasting at that time, the atmosphere was perfect, the story arc was perfect. You have two unbeaten teams and still a legitimate favorite in USC because they won the previous year. Yet, Texas is down. They come back.
We love underdog stories. We love comebacks. and improbably they snatched one away. from Matt Leinert, Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll in the final seconds with Vince Young. Also, just so many stars in this game.
Immense talent on display. Sixty-two players. Who played in this game? Went on to play in the National Football League. Think about that for a second.
NFL teams are only permitted 53 guys and. A handful of them don't play in the game. Sixty two that played in this college football game. Dressed and played in an NFL regular season game. Fourteen first round picks.
I'm trying to think, Robert. Do we even have that in the NFL anywhere? A team that has. Two teams meeting each other and having seven first-round picks apiece going up against each other. Like, that's unlikely to get.
You would need guys to play that long and to keep guys on their second contract. keeping first round picks together. 14's a lot, period, in the NFL. Then you have Just for these two teams. 38 players who have been picked in the first three rounds.
So the talent, it's legitimate stars. Vince Young. Reggie Bush, Matt Leinard. Jamal Charles, Mac Brown versus Pete Carroll. Do we have the story Matt Brown told earlier today?
On social media. Where I hadn't heard this before. He told Us, what he was doing the day of this championship game. I hadn't heard this story before. Max, one of our favorite guests, one of the best storytellers you're going to find among coaches.
This is what he said he was doing the morning of that championship game in 2006.
So you're getting ready to play for the national championship? You're sitting in a room by yourself. Crowds are so crazy, you moved your team to a hotel that nobody knows where you are. But what do you tell them? What did you tell him before the game?
So I'm sitting there and I'm not sure what's going on. I'm flipping TV and I see this show, Jerry Springer. Little crazy. There's three 30-minute episodes. I watch all three.
I love Mac adding in there. A little crazy. As if we don't know what's up with Jerry Springer.
So he takes that to the locker room. And here's how he applies that to the guys who probably Getting set to play the biggest game of their lives. I'm going to tell you something that's going to change your life for the good. It's going to help you win the game and change your life. I had them then.
They were all locked in, and I said, So, how many of you have ever seen the show Jerry Springer? Every one of them raised their hand to my amazement. And I said, well, let me tell you something I learned this morning because I watched three shows. If your girlfriend or your wife ever Ask you. To come on the Jerry Springer show, don't go, man.
It ain't good, brother. And they all died laughing. And I said, that's right. We didn't come here to be uptight. We've got a good team.
We just have to be us. Don't try to do too much. Let's go enjoy winning the national championship. I feel like he might have been warning a couple of his guys. Who might not?
Have known. Hey, Vince Young. Stay away. From Jerry Springer. It's good advice from a coach.
Maybe some of the guys aren't familiar. Like Jerry Springer, that might be one of the few shows we can all come together as a country and admit that is. Garbage television. That doesn't mean you're not going to watch it. But we can agree, I think.
On racial grounds, on gender grounds. Age grounds, we can all come together in unity as a country in saying. Jerry Springer. That is a guilty pleasure T V show by definition, right, Robert? I would agree with that.
So that's what Mac Brown was exposing to his guys. And another reason why I think Texas USC is the greatest. Football game of my lifetime. It had multiple memorable moments, A good game, you're lucky to have one. Great game you might have too.
This gate there are three that stick out to me more than Anything else? Three memorable moments that still stick with me. Reggie Bush. The fumble where He'd feel so locked in, so comfortable. He's having such an incredible year.
He thinks he can cut it back from the left sideline and then try to lateral the ball, whoever he was lateraling it to. Was stunned he would even try to do something like that. Gives the ball away to Texas. If he doesn't do that, I think USC wins the title. It's a one possession game.
USC has the football. It's late and they don't want to give it back to Vince Young. Fourth and one. Fourth an inches. Everybody remembers Bush, but I bet most people might not remember Lyndale White.
He had a couple of years with the Titans. Chris Johnson, when he was drafted there. It was Chris Johnson and Lindale White. That was a good combo for a few years. But in college, he was just a bruiser.
This is a perfect goal-line back. Massive. Girthy round And this guy on the goal line. It was just impossible to stop.
So, in this situation, you're giving him the ball fourth and one. You feel very good if you're Pete Carroll. You feel good if you're Steve Sarkeesian and Lane Kiffen, all together on the same stat. And Michael Huff had an incredible jump on the ball. It was the huff stuff.
He stuffed it inside. To give Texas, the ball back, and of course. the moment that everybody remembers from this game. It's fourth down because of course it is. Less than 20 seconds.
Vince breaks out of the pocket. Keith Jackson has the great call. He wants the corner, and he's got it. It's the greatest football game of my lifetime because of the talent, the stars on display, sixty two playing in the NFL, fourteen first round picks, thirty eight in the first three rounds. It's the perfect story art, the perfect story told.
and it had multiple, I think three memorable moments you can draw. from even the day. On Twitter at SportSubtri at 336-777-1600-476. The phone number. Wake Forest, I think.
Isn't in a position to To make a move off Danny Manning if they wanted to. They may have already told Danny, hey, you're coming back.
Now that I'm for sure exit interviews have been done. Wake Forest. Last year, they announced that Danny was coming back. It was an awkward press conference, but that's a different AD in Ron Wellman. It's different PR staff.
It's a different approach.
So there's a chance he could Already know he's coming back because it seems like he's recruiting like it on social media. He's quite active there. I do believe, though, you cannot Convince me otherwise. I do believe John Curry wanted to make a change. A month ago.
He uh You saw the report from David Glenn, the final week of the regular season. That wake. had started negotiations. With Danny Manning's camp on a buyout. Negotiations began.
It didn't happen. But also, let's remember, that reporting never happened. Last year, either. We didn't have that. When Danny Manning returned.
If you're going into buyout negotiations, you're close to it being over. I was told, it's just a matter of details. At that point. But I also was told that Jim Christian for sure is gone.
So this is before the world changed. These things can be accurate, both of them. They were negotiating a buyout, and now the circumstances are such We don't know if we can raise $15 million in a buyout. We don't want to do that. We also don't want to raise the money to get a new basketball coach in here.
All these things can be true together.
So, if you're just going to fire off at the ACC Sports Journal report. For being wrong. If Danny does in fact come back, I do think there are. Instances A decision's made that a guy is gonna go. Or you have the intent on firing somebody.
And then, for whatever reason, it doesn't happen. In fact, I know a local precedent for this. Let's go back 20 years. Where Credibly. Incredible outlets in Chapel Hill.
Had reported, and heck, even CBS Sports. Reported. That Carl Torbush Had been fired. Carl Torbush fired at North Carolina. After some average seasons, he was ten and thirteen in two years, replacing Mac Brown.
Even though he was 2-0 in bowl games. He had an under 500 record. He was set to be fired. And the report says that Dick Bedor refused to comment on On Tor Bush's job. Status.
Then Torbush kept his job. Torbush came back in 2000. But we learned after the fact Dick Fedor did tell people. That he was firing toward Bush. He told people he was going to do that.
It wasn't A lot. It was factual. He was going to fire him. Then he changed his mind. And the world didn't change.
In 1999, the way that it's changing right now. I believe Wake Forrest had the intent of getting rid of Danny Mannock. I do. You don't negotiate a buyout unless that is your intent. But Circumstances changed.
The coronavirus outbreak, it saved. Jim Christian, his job at BC, and I think. It's gonna save. Danny Mannix. The only way that changes.
As if Olivier Saar and Chandi Brown transferred. They haven't. And they haven't said they're going to go pro. I see them in these Zoom meetings. Or at least the screen grab that Danny Manning put up on his Twitter page.
So, if those two are back, Wake's got a pretty good team, and they have something to sell. You're either selling hope Or you're selling success. Wake doesn't have a lot of success to sell. But there is the hope. With this roster, which we've been covering the last few months, it's pretty good.
It's looking pretty good. for 2021. Robert, what do you got in ticket to the house?
Sometimes all you need is your granny. Truer words have never been spoken. We take it to the house next.
