Yeah Mm. It's crazy to think. It was three months ago today that we were all in Greensboro watching something play out that was truly unprecedented.
Something none of us in our lives expected we'd ever see. Syracuse win an ACC tournament basketball game in Greensboro.
So, yeah, today is the three-month anniversary of live sports in America, all of them. being halted. And while many of the headlines since then have been pessimistic, from a sports perspective, It's pretty remarkable how far we've come since. March the eleventh. For one, we already have...
many sports Already back. Not the major sports yet, the NHL, the NBA. Major League Baseball hasn't begun their season yet, but you do have Rob Manfred at the draft last night saying. He's 100% certain there's going to be Major League Baseball this year. But NASCAR?
It returned without a hitch. About a month ago. They molded their schedule in such a way, I think it's gonna be better for them long term. I think they become stronger as a result. of things being upended.
They have midweek races. Martinsville had a night race last night. I thought that was very cool. Golf, it's back today. Justin Rose shot seven under.
In the first round? At Colonial So we have PGA Tour to talk about, and that has us excited for something that's right beyond the horizon: the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro. hopefully being held on schedule at Sedgefield. With NASCAR, for instance. They've gone above and beyond with their safety measures.
We haven't heard anybody testing positive for the virus. despite things returning. Full speed about a month ago. The NHL, they announced their training camp is gonna be on July the 10th. The NBA, of course, is going to return at Disney on July the 31st.
Major League Soccer is coming back. Heck, even the basketball tournament. is returning. The major concern we had going into this pandemic, was one of uncertainty. We were uncertain because we didn't have testing.
We didn't really know what we were dealing with. at that time.
Well, a lot's changed since then. Testing has become more accessible. It's a lot easier to get it. Places are stocked. Athletic programs.
They're going to be able to test their players. on a weekly basis, maybe even twice a week. Talking about the NFL. they're going to have a season because they're going to have plenty of tests. when it's necessary to do so.
Programs they feel comfortable having their players already back on campus. North Carolina tomorrow. The athletic department is going to bring back. the football coaching staff, And bring back The uh the the basketball coaching staff as well. Football and basketball returning to Chapel Hill tomorrow.
Brian Kelly once said publicly that if we're not back by July, it's going to be a problem.
Well, we're talking about the middle of June, and things are starting not to feel normal, but. Passable, workable. able to adapt in order to get things done. I mean, my girlfriend works in the medical profession. She gets tested.
Multiple times during a month. I think in the last month, she's been tested three or four times.
So it's accessible. These tests now. The governor of the state of North Carolina, he got tested and announced that he was negative today. Deaths, they're trending downward. Tuesday was the lowest Tuesday of deaths since March.
I think it was the same for Wednesday, yesterday. Hospitals, the big concern, are they going to be prepared? They are. Businesses, they've adapted, I think, for the better. I was talking to a business owner earlier today.
And he reiterated to me something I've been told multiple times over the last three or four weeks. It was a restaurant. I've We never did take out as heavily as we've had to do it. And now I'm seeing how heavy of a. Revenue stream, it really is.
So, this is something we're going to continue doing. It's going to make my business stronger than it ever. has been.
So, there are a lot of positives to pull from the last three months. We've come a long way. Since we learned Rudy Gobert had this virus in Oklahoma City. And soon learned that Tom Hanks had it, and everything got shut down as I was sitting courtside at the Coliseum next to my friend Brendan Marks from The Athletic. He's freaking out saying, why are we still playing a basketball game?
We're looking around, and the arena is chock full of fans watching Syracuse. Play North Carolina.
So let me say. Let me use three months. and the positive of what's come out of the last three months. as a way to spin it forward. Towards football season.
Because it almost seems like when basketball got suspended, immediately the question was: can we play football? And football has had the luxury of time. Three months have passed, but three months from the day is September 11th. And that's going to be around the first week of the NFL season.
So it's still quite a way away. Quite a ways away. And I'm just trying to imagine where we'll be three months at this point if we continue to be as diligent as we've been the last three months. It makes me. optimistic.
for what's possible. Maybe even Half full stadiums, who knows? when the NFL season kicks off. You could tweet the show at Sports Hub Triad if you'd like. 336-777-1600 is the phone number.
You know what? I like taking stories. During historic moments in history, sports history, hey, where were you? When Certain things have happened. I don't know how many of those exist in sports, but certainly when Rudy Gobert tested positive.
Where were you when that happened? I'd love to hear your stories at 336-777-1600. I have no idea where Robert was at. Our entire Sports Hub team was at the ACC tournament that day. Where were you the day before sports officially all shut down?
I think I was probably here. Sitting in this room waiting for you guys to connect, waiting for you guys to. Oh, this is after the show. I'm talking about. We're off the air.
And this is around North Carolina played the last game that night, so they played at 9 o'clock against Syracuse. It was during that game we learned that the NBA was being suspended. I was probably at my dad's, like, just finished supper and then I remember looking at my phone and seeing the Tom Hanks stuff. I feel like we can do better than that with a story. 336-777-1600.
See if you could top Robert Walsh's story. I don't mean to diminish you at all, though, but I feel like. I just finished supper. And then I looked at my phone. We could probably do a little bit better than that.
Anyway, as we're fielding those stories and Robert takes your calls at 777-1600, I want to transition things to. The Carolina Panthers as The Jerry Richardson statue is down. It was removed. Yesterday. And getting the obvious out of the way first, if David Tepper had it his way, The Jerry Richardson statue would have been removed two years ago.
However He was contractually obligated to keep it there, as we know, until... This week, really the last few weeks. Presented a golden opportunity. A loophole, if you will, that I expect to keep Mr. Richardson away from Bank of America Stadium.
For good. Here's where that's an opportunity. He needed to find An argument That the statue win against Public safety. That having the statue in place was a safety hazard. And this was it.
I don't know if anybody. legitimately was going to storm The Richardson statue and tear it down at this point. In fact, I'd probably bet there was no rumor that that was the case. Think about it. People talk about Charlotte being violent.
A lot of the news has been covering it. To a degree, it's a bit overblown because, really, in Charlotte's case, It was one night where there were a bunch of looters. And a bunch might be overplaying it. Charlotte was never on fire.
So Nearly two weeks after that, you honestly expect me to believe people are going to decide now we need to take down the Richardson statue? I just don't really buy it. But Tepper can plausibly make that argument. as a means to get that statue out of there.
So when this wave of Protests and social justice expires, things died down a little bit. You might see people ask the question to Tepper and to Matt Ruhl and to Panthers: hey, is that statue gonna go up? It's still contractually obligated to go up, right? Is it going to happen? Are you going to avoid a lawsuit?
And at that point, I expect. public safety to be part of the argument yet again. This was a very small part of the Joe Person story. He wrote for The Athletic last night covering this. But He learned The Panthers, part of their thinking in getting rid of the statue was to open up space at the front of the stadium to allow for a socially distanced crowd to enter.
If They are allowed to have fans in the fall in some capacity. We see teams putting together Ah Temporary plans to try and move fans in and open up space.
So the argument in that case. The new one is going to be: we need the space in order to maintain air quotes. Public safety. We need to keep people distant in order to get them into the stadium. And then Let's just say one day, optimistically speaking again, there's a vaccine and you don't have to worry as much about socially distancing anymore.
Jerry Richardson's threatening a lawsuit. Hey, you need to put that statue back up because that's what our contract said. You can once again, if you're David Tepper, argue public safety and say, if I put that statue back up. I am endangering. Quote, public safety yet again.
Because What do you think the reaction's going to be in today's climate? If you decide to re-erect, probably not the best word, I'll rephrase. Replace The Richardson statue in front of Bank of America Stadium. With again that same statue. It won't go well.
The last two big movements in America, the Me Too movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. Jerry Richardson is an offender in both cases, according to that Sports Illustrated bombshell report that led to him selling the team in 2018. Bombshell report. With Blue Gene Fridays, the racial epitaphs. You're gonna tick off both of them if you put that back up.
So, public safety is the name of the game. And I think that's going to be the argument moving forward. It's also why I believe that statue, Jerry Richardson statue, is never. gonna go up. Yet again.
in front of Bank of America Stadium. Let's go to Carl and Whitsat. Carl, what do you got for me in terms of where you were? three months ago today when the world of sport shut down. Hey, buddy, this is Carl from Whitstate, NVIDIA, Raleigh, North Carolina.
I just moved to the Greensboro area. Hey, welcome, man. Good to have you here. Yeah, I actually moved Like I was here a week when you got when it was when Carolina was playing um Syracuse, And I'm a huge Wolfpack fan. I'm 52 years old, man.
I've been a. I grew up on States campus. Um And uh I I rooted for Carolina that night because I felt like Carolina was going to get on the road. Then this COVID thing was going around. I was actually at a steakhouse that closed in Blolly, but Greensboro had it right across the street from the Coliseum, me and my wife.
I'm sitting there eating a nice big piece of steak. And they're talking about this COVID thing. And I'm thinking to myself, I'm going to the ACC tournament and I'm going to get a ticket for $20 because nobody's going. I'm like, I'm eating a stink. I'm like, what?
Could be the greatest thing. And I know that sounds selfish, but I'm a huge ACC fan. But then they decided to close the tournament and my heart was broken. But I just, I went to the ACC tournament about four years prior to that with CJ Leslie. Was playing for state Mark Godfrey.
Yeah. And I found a way to buy tickets when other teams lose. I can get a cheaper ticket. Oh, for sure. And I just knew that night when I had that prime rib in front of me that I was going to be court side behind Coach Keats for a ticket that cost about 18 bucks.
You keep bringing up the steak. I got to ask: how do you like your steak, Carl? A medium. Medium rare, medium well? Pure medium.
Between medium well and medium rare. I can respect that. As long as it's not well done, we can be friends. Thanks for the call, Carl. All right, thank you guys.
You're doing a great job, man. I thought when I came to this area, I wasn't going to find a good sports radio, but I found a good one. Thanks so much, Carl. Appreciate the call out of Witsat. I think a lot of people can relate to Carl's story.
when you're watching teams hoping for somebody to lose. Like, it's for real, Robert. If you're a Carolina state Wake or Duke fan, you're rooting against other ACC Big Four schools because you know there's gonna be more representation among those four. At the Coliseum, and if they lose. Those fans don't want to stick around anymore.
So there are more tickets that could become available at that point where you can maybe get. The afternoon session the next day or the night session on discount. As Carl said, I could maybe sit right behind Kevin Keats for $18.
Well, I hate he missed that opportunity. Oh, yeah. Selfishly speaking. Again, selfishly speaking. I really hoped they were going to go through with Thursday.
Like, if they could have gotten Thursday in, I think that would have been a cool deal. Empty arena. me sitting right behind the benches. and hearing every word that comes out of Coach K's mouth. I would just love that to hear how Coach K coaches.
No fans, I can hear every word that comes out of his mouth. I was excited for that opportunity, but of course we never got it. Ready? Yes. Punch up the audio for me now.
You're on the drive with Josh Graham on Sports Hub Triad. Uh Robert Walsh, are we sharing with Darren Vot or are we Blarin with Darren Vott today? Whatever you want to do, man, I can play this again. I just thought it was a nice little bump. All right.
Let's do our throwback baseball segment. It's Thursday. We get nostalgic by listing off throwback players. It was the Nickelbacks of the 2000s in baseball.
Now we're doing the Imagine Dragons, and in honor of a Mark McGuire. Sammy Sosa. 30 for 30, that's long overdue, set the air this weekend. I figured we'd just do one of those teams, the Cubs or the Cardinals.
So let's knock out the St. Louis Cardinals today. In our Throwback Thursday baseball segment, that we eloquently call the Imagined Dragons of Major League Baseball. 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 to swat? No, not the best players. This is the Imagine Dragons of 2010 Space Fog. All right, Darren, this is one of the premier franchises in Major League Baseball. Here are the guys I believe are too good.
John Jay Yadir Molina, Matt Holiday. Adam Wainwright, anybody you care to add to that list. Yeah, technically speaking, Albert Buholst was part of the 2010s with the Cardinals. I think he should be off the board. Carlos Beltran also spent some time with the Cards then.
He should probably be off the board as well. I got a lot of infielders, so I'm just going to knock one out right now. Second baseman, Daniel Descalso. Yeah. Wait.
Do you have any other infielders you care to add to this list? I do, and it's one that I I believe to be quintessential. Imagine dragons because Good player, not too good, but we only remember him for one playoff run, Mr. Freeze, David Freeze. It's excellent.
One of my favorite baseball calls of the last 15 years is when he hits the home run to walk it off against the Rangers about a decade ago. You have Joe Buck paying homage to the former voice of Major League Baseball and of the Cardinals Jack Buck by saying, And we will see you. Tomorrow night. Or it might have been we will see you later on tonight because it was so late that game. Yeah, he's done both.
Joe has has done both to to Memorialize his father, if you will. But there you go. Another reason Freeze is more memorable than he was good, I think. While we're going down this path of infielders, I will nominate Johnny Peralta. Yeah.
Would you care to tell the people how that's spelled? Johnny J H O N N Y. You gotta swap the O and the H. For whatever reason, Johnny's name. Always been spelled out.
We're gonna blend segments together. By the end of this, Robert actually has a question he wants to ask you in the spirit of the Sammy Sosa Mark McGuire documentary that's going to run this weekend.
So we'll do that at the end. I think, just in terms of name and at one point, his prominence. Pitcher Michael Waka is an Imagine Dragon. Yeah, Waka Waka, 100%. A really, really young, promising pitcher on those World Series teams of the early 2010s.
Waka was the first pitcher on my list, no doubt. All right, give me another pitcher. Who, another pitcher. Lance Lynn. Love the alliteration.
Lance Lynn's great. That's the last player I have written down on pitching staffs. Give me one more great St. Louis Cardinal. You can continue to send in your nominees on Twitter at SportsUpGriant.
I've got another infielder, this time a first baseman. Alan Craig. Excellent. All right, Robert, do you want to transition the imaging and asking Darren a question? that you have about Major League Baseball.
I didn't know if you want to do the full imaging, but fire away, right? Oh, don't worry. Just play the quick version. Ah, what's that quick version? Oh, just hit it.
All right, Darren. I don't know what the quick version of this is, but seeing Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, I looked Sammy up and he looks a little different now. Why is Sammy Sosa white? Yeah. Okay.
You know, you would think I would be the guy for this question, but I'm afraid I am not, Robert.
Okay, maybe you can just answer my question: why is he so ridiculous? Dude, I don't know. I don't know. I guess that's why we're going to have to wait 30 for 30. Gosh, I thought you were going to deliver that line like a bullet.
Like, you kind of delayed a bit. It's kind of like Jonah Hill and Moneyball. Just shoot them straight. You don't talk about the families. You just say, hey.
We're going to have to let you go. Whoever in the front office has the details. Right, Robert, you just go with. Why is Sammy so so white now? That's the delivery.
I mean, if you watch the commercials, it's jarring to see Sammy Sosa hitting bombs in 98. Spliced with clips of Sammy Sosa now, who I think only goes by Sam Sosa. Correct. He's Sam or Samuel Sosa, if I'm not mistaken. He's not Sammy Sosa now, Robert.
It's Sam Sosa. It's kind of like little bow wow. Little Bow Wow is just Bow Wow now. He ditched the little. He ditched to the me, the Sam me.
He lost the me. Really quickly, before I let you go, Darren. I'm an Orioles fan. It's a hellscape. I root for two teams: it's the Orioles, it's the Hurricanes.
The team's awful. I'm starting to become, I mean, apathy has just set in the last few years to protect my heart from caring about this franchise. They drafted a player last night that I don't see in the top five of anybody's mock drafts. They have the second pick, this kid Heston. Uh Heston uh Kirstad from Arkansas, Pig Suey.
What? How should I feel right now? Not as bad as you do. You say you've stopped Karen for the past few years.
So we're going to do some Karen with Darren because, Josh, I tell you, dude. Start Karen. About your Orioles. You say that they're not ranked highly in the farm system rankings, but you've got perhaps the best draft prospect of the last 12 years in Adley Ruchman coming up quickly. If baseball is played this year, he'll likely make it to the big league level.
As far as Heston goes, Kirstad out of Arkansas was a member of the collegiate national team.
So I saw and got to know Heston a lot. Actually, we did an episode of covering the bases with him a couple of months back. as a top prospect. If it wasn't for Spencer Torkelson, who went number one overall to the Detroit Tigers last night. Kirstad probably has the best pack.
Yeah. Of any prospect in this draft, which you would not know by looking at him, because he looks like. A member of the Iceland hockey team in the Mighty Ducks movie where they play internationally as that D2. He just looks like a kid, but the kid can stroke it. He's got a great work ethic.
When he played with the collegiate team, he practically led them in every offensive category and really hit a stride playing against international competition, really good international competition over the summer a year ago. And then to boot, hit really, really, really well against SEC pitching. It was a deep draft. everybody's mocks were were in flames by the time the third pick came around last night.
So don't don't worry about that. It was a really stacked top half of the draft in the first round anyway.
So you really couldn't have gone wrong with like the first dozen picks.
Well, I feel a little bit better. That's much more information than I needed. But anyway. Darren, follow him on Twitter at Darren Veit. That guy loves baseball and he knows baseball.
He has his USA Baseball podcast. Give that a shout to Covering the Bases. Make sure to listen to our friend Darren when he joins us every single week at about this time. Darren, take care of yourself. We'll talk next week.
Always fun. See you guys. Robert, do you have an answer for why I'm asking you to answer the question you asked, Darren. Why Sammy Sosa's now white? Uh on the internet it says that he used a bleaching cream before he went to bed that would soften and lighten his skin.
I think Jennifer Lopez might have done the same thing. Maybe. I don't know. I'm new to this whole bleaching of anything. But it's definitely a.
Definitely out there. It's controversial. I'd prefer to talk about his alien stuff if we could. Sammy Zosa has alien stuff? Yeah, he's always.
Have you never looked at his Twitter team? All right, this is a great tease. This is what we have. There is alien stuff regarding Sammy Sosa. Also, we will relive.
Sammy Sosa's Days as a Cowboy. We'll do that. Because those photos, they are fantastic. We'll do that and I'll also oh side thing I love side things. Riley Skinner, he's going to be inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
He's a guest on today's show. I'll tell you. Three demon deacons. that are not in. that have not been selected.
that need to go in.
Next on the drop. Welcome to the show that cloned the Loch Nest Monster. And got her drunk. The drive with Josh Graham. Watch out now.
Yeah, yeah. I don't know. Since Robert knows very little about baseball. He confused Sammy Sosa With Jose Conseio. Pooh.
had his foray with aliens that I'd still think Is going on. Like, I don't think he's finished. trying to figure out what's going on with extraterrestrials. The same way That Blink 182 has made. Quite a bit of headway, shockingly.
The lead singer of Blink 182.
So Robert, tell me quickly what you learned about Jose Conseco. and his fascination with aliens. I'm just going to read you a couple tweets and you cut me off when I the first one says, We are in communications with aliens with a very flexible body composition called the AI-51. Wow.
So. Aliens, if they were athletes. How would they perform? I think it would depend what sport they're in. I would think volleyball, they'd probably be very successful.
Like movies. I think portray Aliens incorrectly. Like this sounds like they're pretty athletic Maybe you could get a 5-tool athlete that's an alien. Space Jam, maybe they didn't need Michael Jordan after all. I think it depends on the the kind of powers they have, you know, maybe like the psychic stuff.
Who knows? Who knows if they have powers? Yeah, I mean. It's all up to Jose Conseco. All right, give me another Kinseio alien tweet.
These aliens are going to teach us how to try and travel the brain and can physically travel without the body. No idea what to make of that? Yeah, me yeah, me either. But maybe to your point, they're great athletes and they can score touchdowns and hit home runs without even using their body. Did you discover Sam Sosa's cowboy outfit for the first time now?
I didn't even know that was a thing. This is going to be interesting. Sam Esosa is going to be documented on Sunday. The home runs with him and Mark McGuire. It's a sports documentary that needed to happen for a long time now.
I'm glad it finally is. I'm sure it's going to be very good. But is this woman? Sammy Sosa has apparently bleached his skin.
Now he looks more white than he does black, and... We all learned this the same way on social media when he went to a party and dressed up like a cowboy. That shirt is fresh though. The white shirt with the roses on the side is fresh, but it's the it's the red hat. And I'm looking at the blue jeans, the cowboy boots.
I I I can get with the shirt, but everything else is a bit much. Or if you he must really like red hats 'cause in these other pictures he's got like this red bull bowler style thick brimmed hat on.
Alright, let's finish things up on the alien front. It's Not Sammy Sosa, it's instead Jose Conseiko. and some of the tweets he's put out there. Time travel puts 42,651 pounds of pressure on a human skeletal structure. It can detach the brain from the body and equalize the pressure.
It can be done. Yeah. Uh That's wild. The dude is a star, man. Or from the stars.
Who knows? Either one. Uh It's aliens. I'm not saying it's aliens. But it's aliens.
Okay. Riley Skinner, a guest on today's show. Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and Duck D. All-time winningest quarterback in Wake Forest football history. This is the first year he's been eligible, so it seems like a slam dunk.
that he gets in. I have Three demon deacons that I believe. should be inducted Next year, or even this week, I don't think they're done announcing all the inductees. Sam Swank. He's getting in the kicker.
Uh Mike Bingham. Track and field. You got Diane Daly from the women's golf program who's getting into the Hall of Fame.
So, those are some of the inductees. If we're keeping it with football and men's basketball, I have three that should get in. But before I tell you who they are, By the way, do we have that deep... Five things at five voice that potentially Could spell these things out for me? Actually, I think we just got rid of him.
He's not in anymore. Oh, he's not in?
So we can't do the top three. It only has to be five. Uh, number five. Number four.
Okay, he's here. He's here. You're good. God. Gosh.
You couldn't have done that just behind the scenes. You had to play that out on the air. I didn't know if he was still here or not. All right. Glad to hear.
Bob's still here. I'm glad he's still here. The Qualifications I think are important to note. You have to be out of school as a player for 10 years. to qualify.
That's why Skinner Just qualified this year. He finished up playing. 2008. I think he graduated in 2009.
So he's been out of school for 10 years. If you're a coach, you have to be out of wake force, out of coaching. for two years.
So there are three guys that I think should be inducted. I'm surprised they're already not inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. Actually, before I do that. There are two guys that are obvious choices that aren't already in, that you might be surprised to learn they're not in yet. Chris Paul and Aaron Curry That's only because they haven't shown up to the ceremony.
So they're selected. Whenever they can come to the ceremony, they will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame.
So neither of those two players apply. Number three, though, Or Did I just trample on the voice? Number three. Thank you. Gotta go with Alfonso Smith.
The best corner and Wake Forest football history. One of the best ACC corners I've ever seen. I'm trying to think who else might even be in that discussion: the Fuller Brothers. At Virginia Tech. They were awesome.
Kyle Fuller, Kendall Fuller. They were both really good. But Aside from them, maybe Alfonso Smith, who ended up being a second-round pick, I think, by the Denver Broncos. He should get in. He's now eligible to get in.
Either this year or next year.
So. When you're looking at football players who should get in next. Alfonso Smith, I believe to be at the very top of the list. Number two. Jim Grobe isn't in the Hall of Fame.
He's eligible. and has been eligible But he's still not in yet. You got players from the 2006 team getting in. Skinner Swank. I'm looking at some of the other Wake Forests.
Sports Hall of Famers in recent years. Guys who played. For Coach Grove. Yet he's still not in yet. Like I'm trying to remember Some of the ones in recent years, Chris Barclay got in two years ago.
So he was awesome on that 2005 team that wasn't so good. I think Jim Grope, it's time. I'm surprised he isn't in already. Best football coach in Wake Forest history? I don't think That's uh hyperbolic to say.
I do have a good story though. A good story. surrounding Jim Grobe. I remember Back when we had David Glenn, his show on the air. We I was interning for his show about ten years ago, a dozen years ago.
And we were at the ACC kickoff event in Greensboro. We were at the Grand Over. And I'm not sure. Have you heard this story before, Robert? Never.
Okay. So Hayes Permar was producing the show at that time. And we were at Radio Row. And for some reason, as the show is about to start, We couldn't get on the air. Technical difficulties they happen at points.
It's a nightmare for any host. It's especially a nightmare. or a producer whose job it is to make sure. They get on the air okay, technically.
Well, that didn't happen. And So Hayes told D G And myself. to go into the parking lot and dial in on the phone. Do the first segment of a statewide show. On the cell phone.
So we do that and we go outside. And I was wondering why. Hey, sent me with DG. But then I figured out why. Literally a minute before.
We're about to go live on the air. Jim Grobe sees DG. and wants to start a conversation with him. Hey, DG, how are things going? And he's talking to him.
And DG, just a master at getting out of the conversation. He gets out of it with about fifteen, twenty seconds to spare. I yell to DG, get in my car.
So no one else will bug them. He sits in the passenger seat of my car. At that time, I was driving. My first car, a 98 Ford Explorer. And I just remember DG looking across at me and saying, Well, this is one of the biggest uh Blunders.
That's the word I'll use. of my sports radio career. And then he says, Hey, welcome everybody to the show. Seconds later. I don't know, technically speaking, if you ever had a faux pas such as that, Robert.
But that one sticks out to me. Jim Grobe. Talking to DG a minute before he's about to go on the air. Jim Grove doesn't know that because. DG is outside on a cell phone, so I then stashed him into my car.
to protect him from other coaches who might want to start a conversation. Closest thing to that I've ever had production-wise, when we were still in Greenville, we didn't have the best setup there. Uh the dump button was I mean no I mean Shout out to Interbanks. It was a great place to work. But I mean, we didn't have the best technical setup.
My dump button was down the hall. I had like six seconds to get to it if I had to dump something. Where we recorded the show was in the hall, and everything we needed was not in the studio. Yeah. And I remember.
While producing your show, going to the hallway, checking to see if we're on the air, we're off the air, having to run to the general manager's office, try to get Dan to help us. And we went through that for like a whole week with connectivity issues. And the phones wouldn't work. It was just a blunder, as David Glenn put it. Yeah.
A blunder. That's definitely the word that he used there. Yep. I just remember one interview, you were just scared. We had Pete Pablo on.
Oh my gosh. You were just so worried he was going to throw a curse word out there. Just on accident. Like, maybe just the way he talks. And he did not seem like he was very candid.
We need to get Pete Pobbs back on the show. We need to make that happen. Oh, number one. Number one. Three demon deacons who I think should get into the Hall of Fame next.
This one's crazy. Even crazier than Jim Grove not being in yet, Alfonso Smith, I think, is just now becoming eligible. Skip Prosser is not in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. I checked earlier today to double-check and triple-check this and see if it was true. It is.
Skip Prosser is not in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame. What are we doing here? Yeah. Skip browser. Coach Grispaw and had all these great teams that ended up being number one in the country.
One of the more exciting periods of Wake Forest basketball ever. Not in the Hall of Fame. It is the biggest what-if in ACC basketball history, or at least recent ACC basketball history. What does this league look like? If Skip doesn't pass in 2007.
Does Wake Forest continue to be a strong program that Pushes Duke, North Carolina, and NC State year to year. I talked about last week that that period of time. 2004, 2005, 2006. Maybe even 2003, it was the best period of ACC Big Four basketball ever. 2004, 2005, it's the only stretch of back-to-back years ever that Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest all made the NCAA tournament in the same year.
Wake had the best point guard we've seen in the last 30 years. Duke Probably the most talented team. North Carolina won a title, and NC State went to the Sweet Six team with Julius Hodge.
So I was really surprised to learn that Skip Prosser wasn't in. the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame yet. Hopefully that gets rectified sometime soon. You are listening to WSJS Winston-Salem, WCOG Greensboro, WPCM Burlington, WMFR High Point. Those signals comprise make up Sports Up Dryant.
The closest thing I've had to sports. around here. In the triad. Is watching Robert during some commercial breaks just walk out of the control room onto a balcony and absorb a heater. during a three and a half minute commercial break.
It's it's almost like watching Like Arnold Palmer, you know that Scott Van Pelt, Stuart Scott. This is Sports Center commercial. Where he's watching Arnold Palmer make an Arnold Palmer. Like, it's it's like a super Herculean act. to see Robert just step outside.
Absorb a heater. During a commercial break, and then step right back in. I don't know how you do it. Then again, I've never smoked a cigarette, and I don't know how long that generally takes. Three and a half minutes seems like a very quick smoke break.
Shout out to Clip Brock. He taught me everything I know. Time is money and I don't have a lot of either either of 'em, Josh, so we gotta do what we gotta do. There you go.
Now let's get to the best over-unders for the NFL this season. The three best bets I have. We've covered all 32 NFL teams, AFC on Tuesday. The NFC yesterday, all 32, NFL over, under. Win totals, and I've got it narrowed down to three.
These are the three best bets I have. Futures win totals. The over-under. Your attention, please. Please do not turn off your radio.
Why? Let's start. With the New York Jets. Their over-under is six and a half. I'm going over with that.
This football team. Won seven games last year. Despite the fact Their starting quarterback. had mono for the first month of the season. And while that happened, The replacement, Trevor Simeon.
had a season ending injury on Monday night football. When Sam Darnold returned. They beat the Dallas Cowboys. They won more games than they lost. And they ended up getting seven wins.
Now, Tom Brady's out of the division. Adam Gace is going into his second year. L'Avion Bell into his second year. This defense looks pretty good. I'm fine with the weapons even though Robbie Anderson isn't there anymore.
Sam Darnold, I happen to be a believer in him. The Jets They're going to at least match the win total they had a year ago.
So for sure, this is going over. Trust me on it. Put some money on it. That's the voice of East Carolina football coach Mike Houston. Who one time told us to put money on ECU covering the point spread against NC State in the opener last year?
And then the Wolfpack proceeded to lose by. 30 or so points, or East Carolina proceeded to lose to the Wolfpack by 30 or so. I think that spread was around. Two touchdowns, three touchdowns. Second over under.
Seahawks over nine and a half.
Now A trend that we had this week. I don't really like betting. Double digit. over unders, going over on double digit teams here. But Seattle In seven of the last eight seasons, which is Russell Wilson's entire career as quarterback.
The Seahawks have made it. to at least 10 wins. of the last eight seasons. including last year. Were they overachieved?
Well... having running backs injured, receivers injured. Trying to bridge the gap between players lost from the previous season. They made it all work, they made it to the postseason. If it wasn't for the 49ers being in their division, they probably would have had a bye week into the NFC playoffs.
I get it's a tough division. But I'm going with history. Seven of the last eight years, Seattle going double digits. I think this team's better than last year's team. Seattle, I like to win the division.
I think Russell Wilson is probably the favorite to win the MVP right now. Since he hasn't won it before, I like the Seahawks over. Put some money on it. and my NFL sleeper this year. is the Denver Broncos.
The over-under, seven and a half. Good organizations don't get held down long. The Steelers, they had a bad year last year in Minnie's eyes. Because Ben Rothelsberger got hurt the first year uh week of the season. Yet with a quarterback named Duck.
And Mason Rudolph. They would have qualified for the playoffs if it was the same format instituted this year, a year ago. They were the seventh best team in the AFC. Big men apparently looks really good. James Conner.
He's back. Juju Smith Schuster. They have weapons. And they've made some good offseason acquisitions. I think the Steelers are an example of a team that could bounce back.
The Denver Broncos the same exact way. The Broncos. They add Melvin Gordon in the backfield. They add On defense, Boyer from Jacksonville. The division I'm not a big fan of what the Vegas Raiders are doing.
I think the Chargers... They are on the downward spiral after the 11-win season in 2018. Denver is an underrated organization with an underrated quarterback. I like what Drew Locke did, he has great weapons. You're talking about...
Throw in the ball to Jerry Judy. And to Cortland Sutton out there. This is a playoff team. At worst, they're going 8-8, so it's going to go over 7.5. Put some money on it.
So there you have it. My three NFL over-unders that I like the most: the New York Jets over six and a half. The Seattle Seahawks over nine and a half. and the Denver Broncos. Over.
Seven and a half. Put some money on it. Believe it or not, as I was delivering all those, Robert was walking outside and smoking another heater. It's a magic trick. Two in the last 15 minutes, Robert?
Come on. I'm basically just eating him at this point. It's like french fries. Or the steak fries that some restaurants sell. You ever have steak fries?
They are the worst kind of fries. The chicken fries? No, steak fries. Whatever you the thick cut fries are the worst kind of fries. Whoa.
That's That's a hot take. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I like the thick fries. Personally, I'm quite offended that you would take that stance. They're not better than shoestring, not better than waffle, not better than curly, not better than short.
You need to shut your mouth.
Someone has to teach you about respect. The same way Some of you need to put respect on the band on the band Cold Play's name. I'm a big cold place fan, and I put the poll question out. Last Hour, who's the greatest British band of the last twenty years? Cold play is getting 50% of the vote right now, by the way.
Second is Muse with 21% of the vote, 18% other, 11% one direction. I saw a lot of people asking about Arctic monkeys. I think we messed the poll up. We might have to post it again. The Arctic monkeys getting included.
They're going to get swamped by cold play, though. Gold play is a great band, man. Don't don't fight it. What are you talking about? Starfish?
The pectorals? Look at you. I'm impressed with your knowledge. It's good stuff there. What was more shocking yesterday?
NASCAR banning the Confederate flag? Or the Panthers. removing whether it's temporarily or permanently, the Jerry Richardson statue. We'll discuss what the award-winning column is from the Greensboro News and Record Ed Hardin next. comes the moment you have all I'm not sure.
All right, whenever you're ready. Back to the drive with Josh Graham on Sports Hub Triad. Yeah. One of our favorites, the award-winning columnist from the Greensboro News and Record, Ed Hardin, is now with us. He was one of the few reporters in the press box at Martinsville last night in Martinsville for the first night race that they held.
Of course, Martin Truex Jr. getting the win on the same day that NASCAR banned the Confederate flag moving forward from all their events. Ed, what was the more shocking headline to you? NASCAR banning the flag for good, or on the same day the Panthers removing Jerry Richardson's statue in front of Bank of America Stadium? I mean, I got the breaking statement from NASCAR.
We were in the press box when it Came out probably an hour before the race, maybe. We weren't expecting it, so it just stunned us. And it was after that when I saw started seeing tweets about the The statue coming down.
So, yeah, I think one was as about as shocking as the other. I think. I mean, the whole story with Bubba Wallace forcing NASCAR to make a decision, I think that was going to happen. I don't know if that it was going to happen in Martinsville yesterday, but I think at some point we felt like something was going to happen on that. I never thought that statue would come down.
I think that's just a remarkable event. And I think it's going to stay down for good because it seems like for the foreseeable future, they can argue that it endangers public safety to be there if they believe, one, in the near term, that protesters can pull it down the same way you maybe pull down a goalpost at a football game. But even after the immediate hype of these protests subside, it looks like, according to what I saw in a Joe Person story last night, that they're going to make the argument. That, hey, we need that space in front of the entrance in order to socially distance for the crowd that wants to come in for football games this year. Then I think once we get past that point, hopefully we have a vaccine in between sometime.
They're. Is probably the argument, hey, Jerry Richardson's a violator of Black Lives Matter movement in their mind, and also of the Me Too movement. Putting up that statue might be a public risk again in the way of protests that might happen as a result. Like, do you see any way this statue returns to Bank of America Stadium now? No, no.
That that statue never sees the light of day anywhere. It it may end up in Spartanburg. on the Wofford campus with all the other shrines to Mr. But no, it's not coming back to the state. And this is this was a brilliant turn of events.
And whoever sat down and figured it out knew it was going to work, and it worked perfectly. And yeah, we've seen the last of that thing. As for NASCAR yesterday, I remember you might have wrote in a column something similar to what I was told by an official at the ACC tournament in Greensboro around three months ago today when everything shut down.
Somebody, I mean, the general message was, this is terrible, but at least it happened in Greensboro because we can appreciate the historical aspect of this tournament being halted here in a way that maybe Brooklyn or Washington, D.C. couldn't quite capture. Do you feel the same way about... Everything that happened in NASCAR yesterday. Happening at Martinsville.
Yeah. I can I can see all of that and and I I watched it all unfold right in front of me and it was It was stunning. and it was fitting. If they had done it next week at Homestead. it would not have had the same Impact that it did yesterday in the hour before an already historic race and an already historic week.
Why is that?
Well We found out also yesterday, ironically, that NASCAR had told the teams last week that it was lifting the guidelines for pre-race protests. Or show of You know, taking a knee, however, you wanted to put it. NASCAR lifted those guidelines last week. We thought that was shocking. We were just absorbing that when the statement came out about the flag.
I think The fact that it happened in Martinsville, which at one time you could argue was. Yeah. southern a little town as there could possibly be. Still is. But in its infancy and its proximity to Appomattox, the fact that it's in Virginia.
I I you know, I I know NASCAR. Mm? thought long and hard about this. They had no choice. The only choice was do we do it now, do we do it later.
the fact that they chose to do it yesterday in Martinsville I thought one was brave, brilliant. And it sort of backed up what they said last week in Atlanta, where they claimed they were going to be.
solid in support. of racial inj racial injustice and or fighting racial injustice and changing. as a sport.
Now we have proof of that. Ed Harden's on Twitter at Ed underscore Harden. Read his column from Martinsville last night. I do have a couple of questions as being, as you're somebody who has. been to the actual race track now.
How would you describe NASCAR's safety measures going in and out of Martinsville?
Well, it was It was eerie, first of all. I've never driven from Winston to Martinsville in no time flat. No traffic. Not stopped. anywhere along the way, driving right into the track.
flashing my hard card at the sheriffs who just waved at me. And then You go to this Drive through. Health screening. where they take your temperature by putting something up against your head, I was ninety seven point six, thought that was pretty cool. And then they ask you a series of questions pertaining to COVID.
And if you answer no to all of them, That's it. you go park your car, you maintain social distance, You walk into the press room. where there's almost nobody. It was just a bizarre experience. And then The race starts and There's nobody there.
I mean, I This was my first sporting event since we walked out of the Coliseum in March.
So I didn't know what to expect. I just. It's a day I'll never forget. Does it make you more optimistic about. Covering Say the Wyndham Championship with the PGA Tory starting today or covering college football in a little less than three months.
The window, maybe. Yeah, I can see that maybe. College football. I'm not there yet. I I don't see how we can I don't see how we can unleash our our students physically upon each other in a pandemic.
I that just doesn't Wing. sensical to me. And it's if it's driven by the NFL, Then shame on us. Shame on college football because let the pros do what they want to do, let them do their thing. If you're telling me we can't even assure the safety of our students.
where we're going to teach them online classes and keep them out of dorms for the most part. there's no way in hell we can let those these football players collide And bleed and spit and sweat and That's not going to happen. We are not going to let that happen as a people. I cannot see us doing that. This isn't Alabama.
This is North Carolina. We got better sense. There are two commitments I need to follow through on at some point this summer. Stan Cotton, the voice of the Deeks, told me that I need to watch the movie The Outlaw Josie Wales. I haven't seen that Clinicewood movie yet, and he's a huge Clen Eastwood fan.
So I'm going to get that done at some point, maybe even this weekend while I'm thinking about it. The other thing, when it's safe to do so, I need to go fishing with you as you gave us that invitation. And rather than ask you about your latest journeys out on the lake. I'm interested in what you make of Michael Jordan competing in the Wilmington or the Moorhead City. Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament because Michael said this is not his first Blue Marlin tournament.
He's been fishing for a while. He used to fish not being that far from Wilmington. And I don't think a lot of people know that. Also, I don't think a lot of people know that in addition to sponsoring Harold Varner III in golf, he sponsors Denny Hamlin as well, who's a pretty big Michael's a pretty big race fan. Two, how familiar Were you with Michael's love of fishing and of NASCAR?
I was aware of both. I didn't know he had a boat capable of entering the Big Rock. Um And I'm old. I'd love to know. Who his crew is, who the captain and first mate are, because I'm sure, and I've seen the pictures.
Michael was dressed pretty well. He didn't land that marlin, but you know, it still counts. His boat. I mean, it was a great outing. And if you know, he's a part of 200 votes.
great sporting event. And if you're from the coast, it's really one of the biggest days of the biggest weeks of the year. I mean, That's it. I sat at home and listened to the live radio chatter live streamed just to listen to the Guy announced, you know Catch twenty three is voted up Bloom Island.
So and so was You know, released a cobia. It's a play-by-play. It's a great sporting event.
So, yeah, I knew about it. I think it's cool for Michael. Look what's cool for North Carolina, you know? We're just a pretty cool state when it comes to sports. Hopefully at some point I can Put something to my head that says I'm 97.6, my temperature, and be allowed to answer questions that you or your wife might have in order to go fishing with you sometime.
We need to make that happen by the end of the summer so that way I can follow through on my two commitments. In the meantime, I'm going to watch the outlaw Josie Wales, maybe pay attention to the Big Rock tournament and see what happens when NASCAR starts to let fans in, starting with this weekend. But I appreciate you spending some time with us. I know it's been a really busy week for you, Ed. Thank you.
Thank you, Josh, and you'll definitely be screened. Don't worry about it. There you go.
Ed Harden is on Twitter at Ed underscore. Harden. Yeah. Just gotta get screened, Robert. Basic questions.
Did you hang out with Robert Walsh today? No?
Okay. Are you Robert Walsh? No?
Yeah. All right. Well, come on board. Come aboard! What do you think it's like being on Michael Jordan's boat?
Trying to catch these big-ass fish. Probably a lot like sitting out there on that patio with me while I'm huffing down a heater and five minutes. Yeah, but I think. Yeah, Michael's not smoking down heaters in three and a half minutes. He's just chiefing about a half dozen cigars of cubes.
Probably for three and a half hours. That's right. Oh. You caught a big fish?
Well, I'm going to get all the credit for this. Yeah, come here. Because this is my 70-foot yacht. And It's called catch 23 for a reason. Hey, y'all hold this fish while I put a cigar in his mouth.
Guarantee you, that's been said at some point by Michael Jordan. This week at the Uh More ha uh Moorhead City. Big rock. Blue Marlin tournament. All right.
Robert has some Baseball questions for me. We had. Darren Vought join us. We did throwback Thursday baseball. Going over some throwback St.
Louis Cardinals because it's the Sammy Sosa. Mark Maguire, 30 for 30, set to be released on Sunday by ESPN. We then learned that Sammy Sosa Okay. Unlike 20 years ago has shifted from being an African-American man to being. Beige, probably the best way to describe it.
Robert then told us that he's been Bleaching his skin? To make it lighter. That's what the interest says. He now goes by Sam Sosa or Samuel Sosa instead of Sammy Sosa, and he enjoys dressing up like a cowboy, we figured out. Putting that aside, Robert is trying to get involved, indoctrinated, if you will, in the game of baseball through our Throwback Thursday baseball segment, through our Dinos Daily.
So I'm going to continue to help him out and answer some questions he might have. Mm-hmm. Robert doesn't know diddly squad about baseball. Strike one! When Robert hears strikeout, he thinks all about his failed past relationships.
Strike two! When Robert hears breaking ball, he winces. Gas? Get the point? While everyone else is swinging for the fences, Robert is simply trying to get on base.
Swing better, batter, batter. Swing, swing. This is baseball for dummies. All right, Josh, I'm still trying to find my favorite team. And the way I've done that all throughout my fandom of sports is I try to find a favorite player.
And the best way for me to do that without understanding baseball is maybe to take traits from some of my other favorite athletes and put them into a baseball player.
So my first question to you is: who is the Stone Cold of baseball? It can be any. Describe Stone Cold's traits. He's a working class man. He doesn't take any scuff from anyone.
He kind of plays by his own rules. He's a little more southern, but I don't think that's a necessary trait. I think it's more rough around the edges and blue collar. And power. I think are the best ways to describe Snow Cold.
Maybe he's also bald. I don't know. I think, I don't know how likable he is. Former Atlanta Brave. John Rocker.
Okay. Comes to mind. Does that name do anything for you? I mean, I like the, it sounds like a very pro-wrestler name. I'm gonna write it down right now.
He had a very controversial opinion. That I don't know if I can share right now. 336-777-1600. If you have a good answer, who the stone-cold Steve Austin of Major League Baseball is. John Rocker Gosh.
This really... is next level offensive. I should acknowledge this up front. This is next level offensive, Robert. He was writing a column.
And This sentence is as amazing as it is offensive. Do you want to hear it? Absolutely. John Rocker said. Just think about this opening clause, and I'm interested what you think might follow it.
Absolute certainties are a rare thing in this life. But I think One thing can be collectively agreed upon is the undeniable fact That do you want to fill out the blank? It's the Braves, so maybe like that the Yankees suck. I don't know. Get ready for the hardest left turn ever.
Absolute certainties are a rare thing in this life, but one thing I can Be collectively agreed upon is the undeniable fact that if the Holocaust would have never taken place. Or the Holocaust would have never taken place if the Jewish citizenry had never. Had the right to bear arms and defend themselves. Oh, gosh. Yeah, he can't be my favorite player.
Nah, John Rocker, that's the craziest thing. Oh, my God. Absolute certainties are a rare thing in this life, but one thing that could be agreed upon. Yeah, we're all with you, John. We're all with you.
Who are we going to here? Michael and Clemens. Let's go to Michael and Clements. Who's the stone cold Steve Austin of Major League Baseball, Michael? Josh, about three years ago, I would have said Chris Davis, but I guess now I'm saying Yassi L.
Puig. There it is. That's a great one. A lot better than John Rocker. Thanks for the call.
You would love. Yasio Boyg. This guy care. About anybody else? And I don't even know.
If Where he's at right now. I have no idea where Yasi Opuig is, but he had quite a run in Major League Baseball. He's got a rocket in right field, just an unreal skill set. What do you got? His nickname is the Wild Horse.
Yes, he is. Oh, he's currently a free agent, which is unfortunate, but he looks like he played for the Reds, which is one of my friend's favorite teams. And he played for the Dodgers.
Okay, moving along, I'll accept that for Stone Cold. I wanted you to give me an unwritten rule of baseball. I've tried to look these up, but since they're not written down, I can't really find them. Here's one. If somebody has a no-hitter.
or a perfect game. There are a handful of unwritten rules here. One... Don't drag a bunt. Like, don't be somebody who tries to break up a perfect game by dragging a bunt and forcing the pitcher to make a throw and all that.
It's just kind of an unspoken thing you don't do. Also, you're not supposed to mention it, right? You also don't talk about a no-hitter or a perfect game while it's happening. It's kind of like a work day. You're like, this is moving along to the bottom.
Don't talk to the pitcher. Like in the dugout, you don't talk to the pitcher until he gives up a hit.
Okay. He doesn't want to talk about it even then. And to enrich my knowledge of baseball players, I looked up some cool baseball players. I didn't find anything out about them. I just got their names.
I wanted you to give me a little brief history on Niger Morgan. Niger Morgan? It's incredibly random. Said he was a crazy dude. Niger Morgan.
Great personality. He had a really big hit, game five of an NLDS. I think it was against Arizona. Walk-off hit right up the middle. He's had a lot of clutch hits, spent time with the gnats a little bit.
But, yeah, I mean, you can go and look up some of his interviews he's done. Just very. Personable. Niger Morgan. And a great name, Niger.
Yeah, it's great. What position was he? Was he like a. He was a utility player.
So, I'm not going to tell you what the hell a utility player is. You can throw him at multiple spots.
So, he could play second base shortstop. He was. I mean, I think he spent most of his time in the outfield, but. I mean, you could plug them and put them at different spots.
Okay, cool. I'll check out Yasiel Puig, and that sounds like a baby saying that. Puig! Uh and I'll check out Niger Morgan. Gastil Puig and Niger Morgan.
No John Rocker. Yeah. Absolute certainties. There's one absolute certainty. I will never be a fan of John Rocker.
Are rare in this life. Just think about that clause. Like, you know, it's going to be rough, whatever comes at the end of this sentence when he starts with. Absolute certainties are rare in this life. But one fact we one undeniable fact that we can collectively agree upon Is take it to the house is cubby got.
Robert, what do you have in it? Uh a crime against nature that is labeled Foul. That's next on the drive.
