Tubby Smith (6-5-20)

What's good? It's the drive. No Josh Graham today. Much like it was yesterday. They are invought in his stead.

Happy to be with you. Happy to be Hanging out with my guy Robert Walsh. for another few hours today. Very excited about that. Uh some outrageous fun ahead.

But As a precursor to all of that. There's a lot ahead in the next few hours of the sports radio program. We're going to talk about things both important and silly. We tried to do our best at balancing those as we saw fit yesterday.

So sometimes, yes, we'll talk about. racial inequalities because It's real. It's current. And we think it's important not to look away. But we'll also talk some college football.

As we've got Roddy Jones of ESPN and the ACC Network joining us a little bit later. This hour, we're going to talk some hoops. with my guy, Coach Tubby Smith, the national championship winning. Head coach. formerly of the University of Kentucky.

Now, with the High Point University men's basketball team at his alma mater, right here in the triad. of North Carolina. And sometimes, Robert, we might even talk about or speculate What each state's favorite Fast food chain is. These could not be more off, could they? I've seen.

We talked about this earlier. I've seen so many of these with. Disparaging. Comments about each one. Like, I when they're all different.

Like, when you showed me the one that we'll, we'll, we'll get into. Momentarily, I hadn't seen that specific version, but you've all seen these. They're United States maps, and each state. is labeled As Supposedly the favorite Restaurant or chain restaurant or fast food spot of the citizens. In those respective states.

And the one caught all kinds of social media attention because Mod Pizza is something not many people are familiar with. We have a couple in the Triangle of North Carolina where I'm usually based.

So I do know of Mod Pizza and have eaten at Mod Pizza. I think LeBron James, no, no, no, that's what's the other pizza, sort of pizza on the go place that he's invested in? Blaze, is that what it's called? A similar model. I'll check it out.

I think it's Blaze Pizza. That LeBron James is involved in. Mod is something similar. In like half the United States, we're labeled as Mod Pizza People. On one of those maps.

Not the case with the one you showed me. But as is trending on Twitter. People take issue with Sabarro. Being listed as New York's favorite. I love getting a classic New York slice.

Every time I come up here, I got to get one. Every time. Of course, referring to the Michael Scott in the office. makes a trip to New York City. Raves to everyone, he's gonna get a classic New York slice and ends up going to a chain.

Sabaro being that chain. No way, no way Sabaro Is the favorite food of the people of New York because it's fake New York food, which is Italian. Like New York food is good Italian in most cases. Uh w I saw Whataburger listed as the state of Texas. That checks out.

For sure. For me. Most on the West Coast had In-N-Out Burger listed. Aside from California. Except California, which was like.

Denny's. Gotta give me a grand slam, man. They love it over there. Denny's. How long has it been since you've eaten at a Denny's?

B better than that, how long has it been since you've eaten at a Shawnee's? Are there even Shonys still in there? There are, yes, because I know for a fact in my home, Virginia, in the mountains, I was just recently, a few weeks ago, up there to see my parents, and in Wytheville, Virginia. across from our favorite Chinese place. is a Shoni's a real live Living, breathing, operating Shonis.

And I cannot tell you the last time I was in that restaurant. I can say this pretty confidently because I don't think Shawnees were ever advertised with us. I have never and will never dine inside that establishment. It just seems like the gas station of breakfast, you know? I would be like, but also, like.

Shoni's very, very big on buffets. Oh, which are going to die because of COVID-19? Golden Corral has already, I think, officially made public that they're done or going to be at some point. Did I see that? It might have been a joke.

I'm sorry. No, no, no. I don't like saying inaccurate things. It might have been a joke that I saw. Don't kill Golden Corral.

Mm. Hashtag RIP Golden Corral. We're going to get it started, and it's just going to be this. overwhelming social media outcry. for for division two and division three Sports, college sports teams all over because that's where every team goes, right?

If you're on a high school team, it's just bang for your buck. You're feeding athletes. You stop at Golden Corral. What did you find out about Golden Cook? It says here that they're going to reopen.

uh locally but without the buffet. Like, do you know what you would order from a Golden Corral? Like, would you be like, Yeah, can I get some of that microwavable pizza that you guys put out? Maybe slice me off some prime rib. Am I gonna have to pay for this?

Like, is it a flat rates deal or can I get a full plateful? What do you get at Golden Crayoll? I usually go for the chicken, like the Asian chicken. That's always pretty good. I also haven't eaten there in nine years, it feels like.

I don't know. I don't eat anything at Golden Corral. Right? Like, maybe I think the gross.

Well, I mean, I don't eat anything at Golden Corral in that. I eat everything at Golden Corral. You get the little sampling. You got to go all the way around. Granted, it's been forever.

Buffets kind of skis me out anyway. I'm not keen on buffets and haven't been for a while.

So it sort of pleases me to see that become less popular in the outbreak of all of this with the coronavirus and stuff.

Now, I. I don't know how Golden Corral is going to survive as a business. But we should probably, Robert. Get to something sports-oriented at some point. Don't let me steer this ship, Darren, because we'll talk about restaurants all the time.

He came in five minutes before we were to air and showed me this map and got me heated. Yeah. In other news. The NFL is being taken to task by its own stars. And we talked at length about Drew Brees yesterday.

A video was released by several players. The Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, I believe, is the one that opens this up. Deshaun Watson is in there. DeAndre Hopkins, Patrick Peterson. Zeke Elliott of the Cowboys is in here as well.

A lot of prominent names and faces around the National Football League. Taking the NFL to task To Do something. And I want Our listeners to hear it first, Robert, before we Surmise what the players might be wanting out of this, or what they might try to be get. What they might be trying to get out of this. I said that right the first time.

We're not live. We can do this in post. No big deal. Whoo, all right.

So let's play the clip. This is a collection of NFL players. Michael Thomas, the Saints wide receiver, who catches all of his passes from Drew Brees, who's been all over the news this week, begins it. And others connect the dots and finish it. It's been ten days since George Floyd was brutally murdered.

How many tubs do we need to ask you? To listen to your plans. What will it take? For one of us to be murdered by police brutality. What if I was George Floyd?

If I was George Floyd? What if I was George Floyd? If I was George Floyd, if I was George Floyd, if I was George Floyd, I am George Floyd. I am Breonna Taylor. I am Ahmaud Arbery.

I am Eric Carter. I am McCormick Dunn. I am Tamir Rice. I am Trayvon Martin. I am Walter Scott.

I am Michael Brown. I am Samuel Du Bois. I am Friend Smart. I'm Philip White. I am Jordan Baker.

We will not be silenced. We assert our right to peacefully protest. It shouldn't take this long to admit.

So, on behalf of the National Football League, this is what we. The players would like to hear you state. We condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.

Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. I mean, if you've seen it. Powerful stuff.

Very touching. explicitly saying the names black citizen citizens victimized murdered at the hands of police. and police brutality. And explicitly said. They're within.

They want to hear the NFL. Owner. To these things, the ideas that that Systemic racism exists. In the criminal justice system. And and oh.

Otherwise But, Robert, I wanted to sort of open up discussion about this because. We've seen A lot of missteps and then you you walk it back. with a public apology. And I think you and I. as allies to this movement.

would agree that It's not quite enough. What have we seen with Drew Brees? Made his initial statements. In stream, it wasn't a quote taken out of context in a written story. It was in a video interview.

With Yahoo Finance. When asked about these circumstances, Immediately he went to Well, I don't ever like seeing people disrespect the flag or the country or its military. When that's not what this is about. And it's been said. Ad nauseum.

over and over and over again.

So he issues the apology, which we talked about yesterday. Lengthy, written statement. At his Instagram at DrewBreese. Saying a lot of the right things. A lot of the things That most fans want to see out of these statements that have flooded our timelines.

from their favorite teams, their favorite players, their favorite leagues. But it wasn't good enough. And part of me watched all of this unfold yesterday, even after we were off the air. And here comes Drew Brees with another apology at his Instagram. This time he's on video.

And I just imagine what is going through Drew Brees' mind because all of the things. He's ever had to say for this type of thing before, this type of PR. Mess? In his life and in his career before, none of the things that usually work have worked. And to me, it's indicative.

That the community The fans Allies of this movement. People who truly believe Black Lives Matter I've just had enough. We've seen enough of it. The non-statement. The apology for the non-statement.

Which is fine, walk it back, but we know your true colors now. If you're You were First, snap decision reaction, which is usually the most visceral, the most true. Was to jump to the conclusion that those kneeling during the anthem hate America and meant disrespect of their country. And it's military through that. I mean the cat's out of the bag, Drew.

Very much in the same way, the NFL for four years Has dismissed and even worse, stifled the expressions. of its black athletes.

So some defending the league or the Cowboys who put out A video statement through Adam Schefter via Twitter just moments ago, actually. Uh a nice video. Again, saying a lot of the right things.

Some in their defense will ask, well, what do you want from them? And I think that to a certain extent is a productive question. to a certain degree because There can be no kind of compromise otherwise. But is it okay to say I don't know? And I just Uh better?

We want better? I think it's 100% okay to say I don't know. I think that's an admittance that you want to change, that you want to know what we should do, how should we act. I would prefer to see that than everybody acting blindly and just putting out things just to put it out. Like the Cowboys are acting like, oh, we're so behind this movement, but Jerry Jones, when the kneeling was happening, was saying, oh, we'll cut anybody who kneels.

Nobody that kneels will play on my team. You weren't for it then, but now you're for it now. Just admit you were wrong and we can move forward and start this discussion that needs to happen. Right. And also of note in the Cowboys video.

No Jerry Jones. Yeah. Would have been nice to see him on screen. And again, same to the same effect. We know where you were.

Three and four years ago, James. You know, it's only going to do so much. It's only going to do so much. Yeah. But it would have been nice.

To see him in the video, it would have been a nice touch. for him to say something himself Rather than have a team of creatives. behind the scenes. produce this nicely polished, well produced video. Yeah.

for this purpose, for the purpose of a release. And I hope, I hope that the past two days and here forth. On this Friday edition of the show.

So I'm going to try not to drag things too down. But I just hope that we're conveying properly. That all of this is is kind of new. Not the systemic racism. Not the injustice toward black people because that's been going on far too long.

But this universal reaction to it. Is Not necessarily nothing brand new because of the civil rights movement. We've seen this at various points in human existence before. But this is in a way that it's never been because we have. Things at our disposal, like we've never had, social media being the most prominent.

Eyes on everyone at all time. video cameras on our hips at all times so that when police brutality is happening More often. Not most often, but more often in 2020. It's being captured on video. And those that are Or offending are being held accountable.

I think it's fair because I've heard it a lot. Over The past past three or four years, to be honest. It's not exclusive to the past week, I've heard.

Well, what did you want him to say? What did you want the team? to say in their release that they issued. And I think it's fair. I think it's totally fair and justifiable to say.

I don't know. The black community is is justified in being upset. with Drew Brees, even after two apologies. That's totally fair. It also doesn't mean that Drew didn't realize a horrible mistake and a horrible gap in his character.

which needs to be corrected. You're only wrong for as long as you choose to be. If you accept the truth, which I'm sure Drew's an intelligent man, he has a large heart. He cares about that city. He cares about his teammates.

And I think he can see what he said and how it would be interpreted as incorrect, or maybe not even incorrect. Just Maybe out of touch. Maybe he can see that and then move in the right direction. He's a smart guy. You know?

It was ignorant. Yeah. And we said it yesterday. We don't mean it as a pejorative. It's not meant negatively.

That's why I'm glad you're here, because I have no clue what pejorative means, but I agree with you. Ignorant is misused and mis interpreted a lot of the times to mean stupid. Really, it just means that you're missing information. or a perspective. that you can't possibly Have in totality.

Right? I'm not a black man. I don't know what it's like to live as a black man or black woman for that matter. I'm not a police officer. That's a hard job already.

It is infantismally. more difficult these past two weeks. And there just happen to be a lot of guys that are not handling it well. I think it's fair. To not know what you want in these circumstances.

And that. Therein lies the complicated nature. of these conversations. It's easy. It's human rights.

It's caring about another person because you're a person. But it's difficult. I get it. People are experiencing cognitive dissonance for the first time in their lives. There's a mental barrier.

And it's easier to turn away than to break through. We're going to talk sports. Real legit actual sports, I promise, including on the other side, Did you know? Luke Keekly, just retired. But the beloved panther Is still a member of the team.

We'll explain next. Josh Graham loves to talk sports. He also loves writing sports poetry, but he can't think of a rhyme from Pocket. I get it. You're on the drive with Josh Graham.

Back with you on the drive. Darren Vaught in for Josh Graham. Robert is just bringing it. With the music. This show.

Whether or not I have anything to do with it, it sounds great to me.

So we move our attention to college football, which, as I mentioned before the break. might be the next major sport. That actually begins on time. All of this is still TBD. But anytime, I'm in for Josh.

and able to talk College football things. I like to bring in my good friend Roddy Jones of ESPN and the ACC Network. He's at Roddy Jones20, the number 20 on Twitter. Roddy. Good to hear from you, man.

How are you? I'm great, Darren. It's good to hear from you, too. Since we're now on the cusp of actual sports, it's starting to feel like there's stuff to talk about that isn't just rehashing or speculation.

So it's good to talk to you, too.

Well, I always love getting your perspective as a former player in your case for Georgia Tech. Football. The Mike Norvell, Florida State, Marvin Wilson stuff came across our radar yesterday, and we talked about it at length. Um with Norvell reportedly saying that he had spoken to every player of his team individually and then being called out on that by one of his stars, Marvin Wilson. What were your initial thoughts?

What did you make of that entirety of the situation?

Well, I want to talk about it from beginning to end, from the statement to Marvin Wilson calling him out to now. I just want to say that I love the way it progressed, and I think That it should, that this is how these things should happen. When a coach makes a statement, whether it be hyperbole or whether it be trying to embellish. That is not true to what the players felt. I have no problem with a player, especially a player at Florida State.

Think about what Florida State players have gone through. They're on their third head coach in four years. The guy that recruited Marvin Wilson basically abandoned them to go to Texas AM. The guy who was brought in to bring that program back to prominence got fired after 21 games. And now you've got this other guy who then, all of a sudden, in the middle of one of the most tense times that we've ever seen in our history in terms of racial interactions.

Says that, hey, I talk to every player. I've got no problem with Marvin Wilson coming out and saying, hey, that's complete baloney.

Now I commend Mike Norvell for then responding and saying, Hey, Marvin's right. I said every player because I reached out to every player, but I realize now that saying every player that I've had conversations with every player means I actually have to talk to every player. And that is an important distinction, especially at a time when there's so many emotions, especially for black players, about what's going on in the world. Those conversations are so important. And it looks like they had that conversation because of what Marvin Wilson then said.

So that's the type of thing that needs to happen. And that is the most constructive way that that can happen.

So I give a lot of credit to Marvin Wilson. I give credit to Mike Norvell for the way he responded. And I hope that it builds a trust. between the two sides that where those conversations can be had, with or without football, like those conversations need to be had with inside within every program.

So I hope that Florida State is one of those places where players feel like who just care enough to have those conversations with them no matter what. That's really good perspective. I also feel similarly. I like the way that it's played out because if anything has come out of the past couple of weeks or needs to come out of the past couple of weeks, it's putting the emphasis on having difficult conversations, whether it involves racial injustices or this one in particular, kind of a tangential conversation around that. What do you think the role is of a head coach?

in these moments outside of football, to what degree would you consider it a requirement to step outside the bounds of the sport that you're coaching and talk to your student athletes about things like the police brutality protests and racial injustices that are coming to the forefront?

Well, first off, let me say that I empathize with these head coaches and assistant coaches because this is not part of the job description explicitly. Like these guys took The job of being a coach because they love football and they love impacting the young men who they are in charge of's lives.

So, to have to deal with something like this, I understand how you can feel woefully underprepared and inequipped to deal with something like this. That being said, the ground has shifted, and coaches have to, absolutely have to make sure their guys first and foremost are doing okay.

So, that empathy part of it is so important. You have to have conversations, have your assistant coaches have conversations with every player to see how they're digesting, how they're doing through all of this, because they might have experiences that they have to get off their chest. They may need someone to listen to, they may need someone to vent to. They may have actual issues that they're going through that they need to articulate to someone who can do it, who can do something about it.

So, in this time, head coaches have to, absolutely have to step off the football field and first and foremost, make sure these guys are.

Okay. Secondly, yes, if you're trying to educate and better these men's lives. You have to provide them opportunities to use their platform to affect change in terms of all of it. Georgia Tech, obviously it's a program that I'm close to, recently said that they're taking November 3rd, all of their sports. None of their sports are going to have mandatory activities on November 3rd so that athletes can go out and vote.

Stuff like that is teaching athletes how to use their voice in an effective and responsible manner. And now that doesn't go far enough. Like, I expect Georgia Tech now to help these guys register to vote, to figure out, to help them figure out where they can vote, to help them request absentee ballots if they're not gonna be able to get back there to vote, but it's a good step.

So when you're talking about. Types of things that coaches can do. Little steps like that are really important. If they want to go further and engage the community, engage in trying to rectify the social injustices that black people have felt in this country since the very beginning, I applaud, I commend, and I recommend that they do that because ultimately you want a scenario where you're putting out people that are going to impact the world in a positive way. That ultimately, aside from championships, that's what at the end of the day, You're going to be able to go into recruits' homes and say, and tell them in terms of what kind of men you're putting out and what kind of man is going to leave your program.

So I think it's incredibly important, and I think it's something that they should do. That's all incredibly well said by Roddy Jones of the ACC Network at Roddy Jones20 at Roddy Jones20 on Twitter. I know you were swelling with pride when news of the Georgia Tech November 3rd Election Day stuff came out. It's created this sort of seismic activity throughout college sports as hour by hour we're seeing other athletic programs indicating that they're going to do much of the same.

So just know that I knew you would be proud. You were one of the first people I thought of when I saw it come across my timeline. Um well, since we're gonna have actual football to talk about soon, hopefully, with or without fans, uh possibly a shortened season, but I don't think that's on anybody's radar just quite yet. Um I've seen some odds that have Clemson as the far and away favorite to win the ACC again. I don't think that surprises any of us.

Uh Who would be next on that second tier at this point from your vantage point? And Roddy, I'm curious to know. Does something like this circumstance of coronavirus And then Obviously, it's sort of the wait and see nature of how the season is going to progress and when guys are going to be allowed on campuses. In addition to sort of painting the picture of the landscape of the ACC as you see it coming into the season, does anyone stand to gain or lose anything because of the tricky circumstances with which all teams are entering this season?

Well, I think it benefits those teams that are doing this with stability that did not necessarily make changes at the coordinator positions that didn't make changes at the quarterback positions.

So, the one that stands out to me, the two that stand out to me, are North Carolina and Louisville. Because of the stability that they've got on both sides of the ball at the coordinator spots, because of the stability that they've got at quarterback, because of the amount that they've got coming back on the offensive side of the football, when you talk about elite units in the league, Clemson's going to be elite. There'll be some defenses that are going to be elite. Pittsburgh jumps out, they're obviously going to be really good. But I think the two most elite non-Clemson units have a chance to be the Louisville offense and the North Carolina offense.

And because of that, The upside with those two being that next school is the greatest of them all. And I think it's a shame that Louisville and North Carolina don't play each other this year because it could be a race to one thousand for who wins that game just because of how explosive that those teams are offensively. But those two teams are the ones that I am excited about. I think Miami obviously has a chance to be good, but with the coordinator change and the offensive side of the football, with Rhett Lashley coming in, they've got a transfer quarterback and DeAre King coming in. There's a lot of people that have to get used to Miami through a time where you're not able to be around Miami.

Now I know that they're obviously back now, but there's a lot to catch up on. Virginia Tech's got a new coordinator on defense with Justin Hamilton.

So when you have these schools that are making these changes and having to do that through a coronavirus, especially, and being away from being away from each other and not getting a full time of spring practice, I think it makes it more difficult. And I think it benefits the teams that have that stability. He's incredibly versatile, as he was as a Georgia Tech running back. All really, really good stuff, Roddy. It's good to hear your voice.

Cannot wait for the season to get here and for things to get to. Be a little bit more normal. I know your colleagues and our friends at ACC Network, Wes and Mark, are going to come back on Monday with Packer and Durham as a daily program.

So we're slowly getting there, my man. I can't wait to see it. I know, I can't either. I'm ready to get to something that feels like it did last year. But good to talk to you two, Derrick.

All right, that's Roddy Jones. Be well, man. Roddy Jones20 at Roddy Jones20 on Derrick. Twitter. We're going to play baseball for dummies next.

And Robert I think we've got some bells and whistles for it this time around. Unlike yesterday. All the bells and whistles. All the bells and whistles. Baseball for dummies.

Jose Conseco is tweeting, which you know. Means it's going to be interesting. Baseball for dummies is on the other side. This is the drive. And now On with the show.

Showtime. You're on the drive with Josh Graham on Sports Hub Triad. What up? Welcome back to the drive. No Josh Graham.

You do have Darren Bot though. Robert Walsh, that deserves a shout out. That was quick-handed. I try, man. People don't get how tough it is to really slide over here and hit these buttons that quick.

Like,. I mean, it's one thing to run the show. Hit a break on time, largely dependent on me shutting up. You know, playing music at the beginning of a segment, making sure spots are played on time. as many times as promised according to contracts and what not.

But you have all of that going on. and still detected that I was gonna say something. That was worth a children's classroom of yays.

Well, let me put it this way: you said Josh Graham is not here. I went to hit the yay for that. And then you said, I'm in, and I was like, yeah, I can still hit the kill. Right. No, that makes sense.

That makes sense. Good instincts on your part, either way. Uh we tried this for the first time yesterday. And I think it's explained in all the bells and whistles that we have assigned to it as of today, anyway.

So I won't explain it, and I'll just say: Robert hit the music. 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? Strike three, you're up. While everyone else is swinging for the fences, Robert is simply trying to get on base.

Swing! Bada-bada! Badda! Wing. Swing!

This is baseball for dummies.

So basically, I'm a moron when it comes to this sort of stuff, and I just like to enrich. My baseball knowledge. Yesterday, I think you did a great job of that. You explained to me R.A. Dickey.

He was a knuckleballer. Which you learned what a knuckleball was yesterday as well. Yeah, you throw it with your knuckles, not the claw technique. Right, it's a slow dancing pitch with no rotation. You get it.

You told me about a balk, which is when a pitcher makes an initial move to try to fake out a base runner, and then that results in the advancement of any base runner. By one base each. Yep, there you go.

Some other stuff. But today I have a whole nother list of things I would like you to explain to me because I kind of like this. I'm kind of coming around on baseball. I might be a fan of this if this continues. But.

I wanted to start off pretty simple. What's the deal with bat flips? I get every people are either upset that people do them or they were cool. Either way, it's just you throwing a bat, in my opinion.

So what's the deal?

Well, you know, at its genesis, it would be like asking the same of. Spiking a football, right? What's the deal with spiking a football? It's just an emotional reaction after a positive moment.

So a bat flip is meant to emphasize a home run. And You know, it adds a little insult to injury if you're the pitcher who gives it up because. A bad flip. Most of the time, at least in Major League Baseball, amongst United States baseball players. includes a home run.

That you know is going out to the point that you're not immediately running toward first on contact, watching it.

So you've got a little swagger, you're like, Yeah, dragging it out.

So, you know. Pitchers don't like this, obviously, because They just got their face knocked off. Exactly. They just got a pitch whacked well over the fence. If someone's able to pause and admire it.

as they do with the bat flip.

So it's just, you know, it's a celebr. Move. It's nothing dissimilar to spiking a football after scoring a touchdown, I don't think.

Okay, cool. I may have to cut this list short or running on the clock here, but I always hear about the unwritten rules of baseball. All right, we got four minutes until I got to give an ID.

So I don't know if that's the unwritten rules of baseball.

Well I think they're a bunch of baloney. You think that they are? I hate the notion that there are unwritten rules in baseball. Like, why not write them out? Like, well they're They're not written, Robert.

Like, you can't unwrite them because they're unwritten.

Okay. That's the bizarre thing and the thing that people take off the rails entirely.

So, say. Your pitcher gets shown up with a bat flip and a longer-than-usual pause in the batter's box by the hitter who hit a home run. There are unwritten rules that would constitute throwing up an in on that guy his next time up so as to scare him. You might not hit him, but so as to brush him off of the plate. And just let him know that you as the pitcher Don't appreciate.

Are in control. Oh, okay. And you don't appreciate. Gotcha. They're dumb.

A lot of the times. The unwritten rules are referenced. When someone just, you know, doesn't keep their cool and reacts emotionally to something, which you know, I'm never really in favor of. To the degree of negatively, right? Like you shouldn't get upset.

That another player is excited. that he did something. In the positive. Like, if a player hits a home run off of you, of course, he has the right to get excited, and it has nothing to do with you as the pitcher. Yeah, if you don't like it, don't throw right down the middle.

Throw him a different pitch or something. Be better. Yeah. I think we got time for one more. Would you rather tell me why people hate the Yankees or tell me who is the best mascot in baseball?

I think I can wrap up both of these rather quickly.

Okay. People don't like the Yankees for multiple reasons. I think, first and foremost, they win. Yeah, they'll win. They like the Patriots, the Lakers.

Just like any dynasty, it's going to have its haters, right? They also hate them because in baseball it's different than a lot of pro sports and most major league sports, and that there's not a salary cap.

Now that puts a large gap. In between a large market team like the Yankees, one of the longest standing teams in Major League Baseball, and The biggest city in the world. And compared to like the Rockies. The Colorado Rockies, a relatively new team as of the 90s. in Denver, Colorado.

Or the Oakland Athletics, you know, infamous for their or famous, however, you want to. To view it for their cost-cutting measures and sometimes having success despite that.

So, It's partially because they get to just throw around a lot of money in certain cases. Yeah, nobody likes the money back. And they went on. And you combine those two things, and people will associate one with the other. You win a lot because you get to spend a lot of money.

Unlike other franchises, boom, you have a true hatred of a Major League Baseball team. Tell me about this mascot. The mascots. The most popular, the most famous would probably be someone like the Philly Fanatic, the big green, fluffy thing. Yeah, the chicken.

Shakes his belly, my favorite mascot. Exactly. The San Diego chicken, you might not be as familiar with because the Padres are less prominent than they have been in years past. But that's probably the second most familiar. Is it an actual chicken or like a.

Costumed person. Costumed person. Okay. Um, or like Wally, the green monster, named for the big wall in left field, the big green monster at Finway Park for the Red Sox. Those would be the more famous.

My favorite. Finger. for the Colorado Rockies is a purple triceratops. I'm gonna have to check this out. We're close to the ID, but that is baseball for dummies.

I'm gonna check out Dinger. And you're going to tell them what stations we're on, right? This is the drive. You're tuned in on the Sports Hub Triad 93.7 in Greensboro, 104.9 in High Point, 101.5 in Winston-Salem, and in Burlington. 104.5, all of those FM signals.

Again, this is the drive. This is the drive. I'm Darren, not Josh. Good riddance. Yeah.

Just kidding. He's back Monday. Robert Walsh responsible for the hearty laugh there. It's just been fun. We're like seventy-five, eighty minutes into.

Day two of my Quick little residency here. at our Kernersville studio. Uh Big news breaking during the break. Mm-hmm. Michael Jordan and the Jordan brand.

Coming through in the clutch. Again, right? I think that's appropriate. Releasing a statement regarding A $100 million donation. To several organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality.

Sh social justice and greater access to education. And this is set to be donated over the next 10 years. as announced just like twenty minutes ago. By the Jordan brand in a joint statement. with, well, Jordan and Jordan, MJ, the individual, as well as the brand.

Um We like to do things that rhyme. particularly with my name. Darren. Hi, in case you Don't know me. Uh Sometimes it's Sharon.

on Thursdays. for only a segment or two or three. Every now and then I'm in studio now. for an hour or so.

Sometimes it is staring. As Robert just Honestly, just I think enjoys looking at me. I do. I can't look away. I can't.

Your eyes are mesmerizing. I get lost in them too. I played old Blue Eyes there, and I don't even know who I would rather look at into their eyes. I think it's you, honestly. My eyes aren't blue.

Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes Because I like pop-punk. And they like interrupting me. It's blade.

Yeah. I couldn't hit that yesterday. Blaring. It's Blarin. As I tried to stay there.

Other times, and this one's become quite fun. as we've done it more and more often. We play comparing with Darren.

So, Robert, I think you are going to take the reins here, and we're going to do some comparing. Yeah, I usually, uh, to play this game, I'll... usually think of of something that's happened recently that would make me think of someone and then I Think about what I would like you to compare them to. This list is nothing like that. This is just random things that popped in my head.

Okay. So I'll start off with what I think to be an easy one. I would like you to compare. The Rock. Dwayne Johnson.

Uh to Derek Jeter. An easy one? They kind of look like they could be brothers. Very similar skin tone. As a matter of fact, this was an SNL skin.

It was. It's an old SNL skit. And it's entitled, If I'm not mistaken, Yankee Wives or Baseball Wives. It's when Jeter was on SNL.

So maybe this is a little bit of a comparison, both with some comedic acting skills, because... Jeter surprisingly was really good in this. He was dressed up as a woman in the stands of Yankee Stadium. with some of the others, the regular S and L actresses. And they're going through the lineup for the Yankees and objectifying them.

Is what it is. Like they're talking, oh, Tino Martinez, what a honk. You know, and Jeter's getting in on it as if he's one of their wives. For sure. So then he comes up, or Jeter comes up in the conversation, and all the other women are like, oh, you know who the cute one is?

Jeter. Derek Jeter, for sure. And he's like, No, no, no, no, no. I'm not big into Derek Jeter. He looks like if The Rock had sex with a Muppet.

Yeah. That's brilliant. I think that's enough. That's enough to interlock the two and complete. That phase of comparison.

Yeah, you got it. You got it.

Next, I'm going to hit baseball a lot here because I like hearing your explanations. I like learning more about baseball.

So I would like you to compare Pete Rose. to Rose from the Titanic. My hatred. I can't imagine Rose signs a lot of autographs. Probably not.

But then again, I don't know that Pete has ever like posed naked. I would pay for that picture, though. Like, that would be a great mantelpiece. Just like him painted on this couch very tastefully. That sounds like something Jose Conseco would have hanging in his foyer.

This dude. I know you've seen the tweet, right? Yeah, well, he he claims he's going to run for president. I retweeted him last night. Because Now I gotta pull it up.

You mentioned it. Jose Conseco on Twitter. A great Twitter follow, by the way. If you don't, you should definitely. He's out there.

Just fair warning, he's out there, which is why this one was so significant. I retweeted, he said, quote: The volcano has erupted. Our political system is a total failure. Our criminal justice system has always been a total failure. Total run on.

No punctuation throughout that. And it was so significant to me because if Jose Conseco was saying it. We have come into a time where the most obvious thing is also the most absurd, outrageous, and far-fetched thing. Because you should see some of the other stuff Jose Conseco tweets. Oh, yeah, it's like aliens, like aliens, please come down here and rescue me.

Like, I've been in spaceships. I've harvested this goat farm for you as a sacrifice for my taking like heat bizarre stuff.

So, when it's that explicitly on point. We know we're in trouble. I would love to see Kaseko. We're getting way off point, but Kinseiko's worth it. I feel like this is the.

The point of comparison. This is the point. I would love to see a VH1 house where it's just like all athletes where their fame got to their head.

So it's like. OJ. Jose Conseiko. Other athletes that I can't think of that are crazy right now. Maybe throw.

Gotcha. Gary Busey, throw Gary Busey in there. Like, just some certifiable, like, crazy. Busey and Kinseiko have hung out. I'm certain of it.

They have to have. Anyway, I'll get back to the comparing. That's my fault. I got too excited. I would like you to compare Snape from Harry Potter, the potions.

Professor, also a longtime Slytherin helper outer, to Drew Brees.

Alright, help me out with the character dynamic here. I've got an idea, but I'm not way into Harry Potter. I've seen the movies, but I can't. I know Professor Snape. Snape is someone who looks a little menacing, someone who is a little dark, but as the story progresses, you see that he had intentions that were not always known.

He was trying to help out Harry. He was a friend with Harry's mother.

So, a character that's not as bad as was originally perceived, and maybe I've already compared enough right there for you. There was good in him, and eventually. That's what you were going for. Yeah, he sacrificed himself. All right, hopefully, hopefully.

By the end of this this what we've experienced with Drew Brees this week. Hopefully, he helps out Harry in the end. Right. And he's got underneath it all a good heart, which. would be the wrench in the gears with the Snape story.

Because you don't see before the bad stuff. And before the bad stuff, Drew Brees. By all accounts. A superior guy. For sure.

So hopefully. The good outweighs the bad, and he can right the wrong and mo we can move on to a happy ending to that that particular Harry Potter movie. We have ventured into the land of, I don't know how the hell I came up with these.

Okay. All right. This one is, I would like you to compare the original host of this program, Josh Graham. Original. OG.

Regular? The regular? Yeah, maybe that word, right? The founding host. I don't even know if he's the founder.

Either way, I would like you to compare Josh Graham. to Beaumani Jones, probably one of the coolest people on the planet. The Opposite. And then Josh. Yeah.

Oh man. Um, I've never eaten with Bomani Jones, but I would have to imagine. He's quieter when eating a meal. Please stop. Josh is a friend and I love him.

Kind of an animal. He gets a half an animal. He is eating for sustenance, and he also wants to let anyone else know that that's his food.

Alright. Uh never share an app with Josh Graham. That's I'll leave it there. I would share an app with Bomani, probably. I mean, Ant, like I said, one of the coolest dudes on the planet.

Agreed. I mean, but Josh has a pair of Jordans now.

So, I think he's just a little bit more.

So, he thinks that that's a closer comparison than it should be. Maybe, maybe. Anyway, this last one, I don't know how you're going to do this, dude, but if anybody can do it, it's going to be you. I would like you to compare Dancing with the Stars. and the Home Run Derby.

Oh, this one's easy. This one's easy. Let's hear it.

So the thing with the home run derby is that it is But what makes it different? From like A dunk contest in the NBA. is that it's the same thing over and over again. Home runs largely Do not vary in style. They can.

You know, you can have a bomb, something that just eks its way over the fence. But a home run's a home run. It's a swing, the ball goes over the fence. Pretty basic. Fundamentally.

With the dunk contest, yeah, you have those basics, but there's style in between. Right? So the common viewer I think dancing's probably the same thing. Right, you're smiling, you're moving, you're stepping salsa, mambo. Yeah, but to the common viewer, I understand that those are different dances.

I don't know what the hell the differences are.

Okay, you didn't go to Cotillion as a child? No. I was forced to go to Cotillion. And let me tell you, I- Why does that shock me? I- Who knows?

It didn't help. It didn't help a lot. Only thing it helped me with is I can tell the difference between a seafood and salad fork, and I can foxtrot and do what I call the box dance, which is just moving your feet in a square. Damn, you are way more sophisticated than I. Pinky's up, dude.

Peggy's up. Good for you. Good for you. Alright, well anyways, that's... That's my thing.

Dancing with the stars actually Given my attempt at a comparison and an analogy, there, probably a better. Aligned show to a dunk contest because. You know, you're moving. Maybe I should have done that. Variance in between.

You should have done that instead. That's what I mean. You know what? But we tried, we tried, we did. And that's all you got.

That's what we're about here. And that's compared. That's all you got. That is, that's comparing with Darren. That's comparing.

So that's something I like to do. As opposed to what we're going to do on the other side, which. I just Yeah. and hate and despise But Josh does it at 4.30 every Friday.

So I guess we're going to do a top ten list, and we're going to base it around a topical issue or point in the sports world. This time that Luke Keekly Has been hired by the Panthers as a pro scout.

So, on the other side, as much as I don't want to do it. My top ten scouts on the drive. Want to become a real sports fan? Leave it right here. It turns everyone it touches into raging psychotics.

All things sports.

Well, sometimes. On the drive with Josh Graham. Darren Vaught back with you on the drive. We're gonna have Tellby Smith with us here shortly. High Point University men's basketball coach.

One of nine active Division I men's basketball coaches. To have won a national championship, and he's the only one as of last season not at the school. that he won the championship at. It's been a lot of places. Including Minnesota, which was heavy on his mind.

I know. earlier this week, and I think we're we're catching him right off of the golf course. Coach Smith, welcome to the drive. Good to talk to you again. I know we spoke a little bit earlier, but that was before you had teed off.

How'd you hit it? Oh, you know, too many times, you know. This this is a game where you don't want to You might want to score more points but not in this bi not in this game. No. It's a very humbling game.

We talked about that and it humbled me again today. Yeah, and and coach, you know me as a guy who grew up playing baseball as my my predominant sport. I I think it and golf And there are elements of basketball. There's a conversation to be had there. Two of them are humbling because, you know, most of the time, even if you're playing pretty well, most of the time you are, quote, failing, and I'm using my air quotes.

So, I play with a guy today.

Well, he's one of the all-time great baseball players here at High Point University, Otis Foster. Yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And Otis can really play. He's got great touch.

We were talking about some of the great pitchers that he played. He played. Uh, with the Boston Red Sox organization and him and Jim Rice, he had him on the phone the last week. We were talking to him on the phone, but. But Otis could hit that ball, man.

I remember watching him hit a ball all the way up on the banks here where Miller Center is. Yeah, he was one of the greatest one of the probably the greatest whole run hitter to ever play here. No doubt. No doubt. I know uh uh just uh Earlier this week, I was on a golf course with Lavelle Moten, who I'm not I'm not sure I'm sure you know, but I'm not sure if you guys know each other super well.

He was he was my masher. We got teamed up and we're playing uh best ball and man, he could just let it rip. Not ne not necessarily something I expected. He came up talking a really small game, but he bombed it, man. He was he's pretty good.

But most baseball players can hit the ball. I'm sure you can. You you're one of those type of players, hockey players and baseball players, man. They crush it.

Well, glad to hear that you're of good spirits about your high stroke game today. I I want to talk to you about hoops, a little bit of life, a little bit of everything, because we've got a lot going on despite sports Still being in this bit of a holding pattern. First and foremost, the past week has been really heavy, and we've talked about it and tried to do a good job of being transparent on this program about the protests centered around the killings of George Floyd and others. And your job description and coaching. crossed my mind because I I just I'm curious your philosophy when it comes to coaching and mentoring young black men and their allies or teammates during times like this.

Is this something that you've addressed? And you've got the added layer of complication with the coronavirus, so you're not around your guys currently or haven't been for the past week. Have you touched base with everybody just to kind of check in and see how everyone's doing? Oh, yes.

Well, we've been having a um or zoomed for the last five weeks.

So and this is something that we address on a regular basis Mm. in our practices, before practice, some of the things we talk about. In fact, a few of the players were saying on the Zoom call said, Coach We appreciate you. You you talk about this uh not a lot, But one things I talk about is I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household with us. For a mom and a dad, and my dad was ex-military, wounded World War II veteran.

and um he survived. But he he taught us about just the And that was before the Army wasn't even integrated and it was still a segregated army in nineteen forty three. He went in in 'forty one, 'forty two, and he was wounded in 'forty three' and came home. But I'll bring it up because We always talk. And just the other day, I was helping one of the players, you know, Brian Randoman, was coming to pick up his.

stuff from his room That is his dorm room. Just yesterday. And we were on a Zoom call.

So he came by office and he was on the Zoom with all the other players. Um And when we left there, even though I and I we talked about these these incidents and I mean this tragedy that the death of George Floyd and and Ahmaud Aubrey and Breonna Tay Breonna Taylor. Hell and so I've talked to them on a regular basis everywhere I've been. Because I've been the first African American, the first black coach at a few schools.

So over the years when it was Georgia, Kentucky. And you and that text is tech.

So what I'm saying is that you're going to have some Uh there are gonna be people that are going to disagree with you and and and have racial Um Yeah, there there there there are a lot of people that are bigots and that are that are That uh Uh Are that way, unfortunately? But I always treat people with respect no matter what. And again, Again, I was. This book, we were cleaning out his room, and we picked a book. It was actually.

Um Eric Coleman's door was open so I w I went in his room and there was a book in there. Um On home a lie. Eleven must ways to make it home a lot. That his aunt had given him when he came to school here. At the beginning of the year.

But but and and was handle how to handle yourself. when you're stopped by a police. I mean, this is just part of Our culture, I'm talking about the African-American culture, something that you're taught. at a young age. and how you react.

and how you respond.

So I've always told our players, look, I've I've been stopped. And you know, but if you show respect And and and then, you know, so they have bad days too. Everyone, uh, just like I come to practice. And I I can have a bad day. I just don't want to take it out on the players.

And that's and so I have to be very careful and conscious of that.

So we we talk about just when you're told to do something, do it. I mean, I was And I equate it to being on the basketball court. I said, one of you guys, if I tell you to run the sprint, or I tell you to get back on defense, I tell you to box out. And you don't do it. And it's going to be repercussions.

There will be consequences. Coach, I'm curious because these guys, and you mentioned Eric Coleman specifically, he just wrapped up his freshman year.

So, his first year of college basketball and has reading assigned to him for lack of a better word of that caliber. You started as a student athlete at High Point in the late 60s. What to what degree can you communicate Maybe some of the things you were warned about Then, I mean, I would hope that that circumstances are severely different for them as they were for you back then.

Well, you number one, you're you you're always concerned about your environment and that and by that your environment No one where you are. understanding you know, the company you and lots of times the company you keep So you have to be very growing up when I came here in 1969, You know, there was Joe Colbert, who still comes to the games and we're still great friends. and myself. And then we had Carl and Steed. who was on campus.

So it was only three African American men on campus at the time. Um I was again ready to leave after a few months, to be honest with you. But my dad. Yeah. I think that's a good idea.

You made a commitment. And it's the best thing that happened to me. I met my wife here. But but I go back, I remember the Black Panthers. coming on campus.

to recruit me. And students to be a part of their movement because in Greensboro, that's where the first set-in took place. Doing the civil rights movement in Greensboro, a lot of the students, and so you had West of Salem State, all presumably black, historically black institutions nearby.

So I actually spent time, you know. being a part of that community as well. And when when when when there were events um social events um parties that may be going on. That's pretty much where You understand with me?

So, I I kind of associate although I had great friends here, I still have great friends here. I I was just on the phone with John Kirkman before you called. You know, he's a lawyer in Greensboro. I was just on the phone Phil Butler, we played golf together every week.

So, these are guys that were on the basketball team when I got here at Peak College. But you asked me that question, so I'm telling you how How, um in athletics. Can really bridge a lot of some of those gaps, but it's obviously the racial tension that we when you witness what we witnessed on that video. everyone I I think everyone was angry. and and mad.

you know, you gotta be and you and you you and you're sad that something for his family Uh but but I'm sharing with you what happened when. And I had that talk with my college coach. I remember Um Coach Bob Vaughan. Sitting me down because he was from the Maryland area. Eastern Ab Tubby.

These are the some of the things you have to be concerned about. Uh, You're in the south? I said, okay, well, and you know, there were things that we hadn't been exposed to before. I grew up in a in a segregated environment. where there were White.

Negro or colored water fountains and bathrooms. and I went to an old a black school, George Washington Carver, before uh before integration took place and then I ended up going to Great Mills High School. My My sophomore year, but a watershed moment for me that made a difference in my life, and you've heard me say this sometimes. In in nineteen sixty-six. Uh the first college game I watched on T V.

Was it Texas Western Kentucky game that was played at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland. Yep, I recall this story. Yep. And at that time we were so so I'm I'm telling you how because we were part of the The transition team. Doing Integration.

When school who were busting George Washington Carper.

So I think a lot of students, I mean, a lot of young people today. are witnessing these events And and there is this There is a Under Yeah. you know, bias that that that's been here and and so I I think we'll But we just need to educate people. We have to do our best to to have conversations like we're having now you know, listen to Um jobs and and and and and try to over overcome some of the the real challenges That we as African Americans, blacks, minorities, Have in this country? I've been blessed because You know, I I've been in a profession Yeah.

that I've been able to excel in. I love teaching, I love coaching. And you'll do whatever it takes to make it work. But we have to be careful because history can repeat itself. if we're not careful.

And that's what we're seeing now. Because I was I was exposed to the riots in 1968. I remember leaving. Great Mills High School. And we we just finished, they actually shut the school down.

Because of this because of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. And I remember walking through Lexington Park, Maryland. wanting to throw a brick Why not cause some destruction. You you wanted to lash out because you're but I we didn't A group of young men that were heading home after practice, well, after school was over. And it was an eerie feeling because I'd never seen this the city shut down you know, the the the the town shut down like that and Right, I'll just what?

I had to be what, sixteen at seventeen years old. I appreciate you going down those roads with us, Coach, because I've been in this chair for a couple of days filling in, and The way we approached it yesterday is we know this is an escape, sports radio, sports in general for a lot of people, but quite frankly, these conversations are too important to neglect and to not have.

So I appreciate you exploring those things. Let's lighten it up with one topic in the sports world that we've discussed, unless you've got something else that you want to say. No, no, I've said, you know, we all are infuriated, as I said before, and frustrated. with the injustices and inequities that we see In everyday life, we just have to be uh conscious and and work diligently They'll work within uh We'll work with our communities. I work through the university, and that's why I made the statement I made to let people know my thoughts and feelings about.

What's happening?

Okay, I'm sorry. No, you're good. You're good, man. That was at Coach Toby Smith, the statement that he just referenced. That's where you can find him on Twitter as well.

We discussed the NBA's resumption. At Disney campus, a little bit earlier in the show, Tubby. And you came to mind because you have experience coaching a team, USA Olympic team. And though the the dynamic is a little bit different. The NBA teams being all in the same place on campus at Disney seems a little Olympic village uh uh to me.

Right? Because, you know, when when you when you know Believe it or not though, we really didn't stay in the Olympic Village. when I was with that dream team in two thousand, We had a we stayed in a hotel. And I remember I remember Tommy LaSaur, the great manager because he was a big basketball fan, loved Kentucky basketball. But was heading up USA baseball at the time, yep.

Yeah, he was heading up a USA basketball baseball at the time. He said, why are you guys staying in the hotels and we're staying over in the village 'cause the base are So he he stayed in the hotel with us. But it was, but I'm saying I went to the village. And you're right. This is.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if anyone can host it and pull it off. Yeah. Disney World could do it. And they could do it because we've been there every year.

We've gone there. This may be the first summer.

Well, they moved the AAU tournaments from from um from worldwide sports. Disneyland a few years ago, but I love going there. They have a number of different courts, they might have. Eight or twelve courts, you know, so teams can be practicing. They might have maybe more than that.

They might have about fourteen or fifteen quarts. Not that. Guys can that they can host and play different games, and then you've got the milk house, which is where they will play their games. I think they're I I think it's good that the NBA is is just trying to Um And I'm glad that the players are are willing to To play as well. Yeah, for sure.

And I know there are plenty of complicated layers that the league has to figure out. Each individual player, they got to figure out what they're doing.

Well, we have to do the same thing here. Yeah, exactly. We're trying to figure out what we're going to do with our players in July because they return, just like the football players have returned to most major colleges, I guess, in the next. this week. Yeah.

And um Or have some have already been to return to colleges.

So uh how would our practices look or how would our workouts look. during the month of July. And they're only here for four weeks, or three or four weeks, so It should be interesting to see how this goes. This is a As they said, this is unprecedented time, man. Nothing like this has ever happened in my lifetime.

Which is crazy, man. You've seen a lot of basketball seasons begin.

So to think that it's something that you have never quite handled like this before is unbelievable.

Well, I'm out of time, Coach. Again, thank you so much for coming on the show. I look forward to seeing you soon. Hopefully, at some point, I'll be on campus with regularity, and maybe we can get your podcast started. I could do this for an hour at a time.

Yeah, well, let's hit some balls before. That too. Yeah, no, we can do that. You just got to give me some strokes, okay? Yeah, for sure.

I'm happy to do that, Coach. Thanks for what you guys are doing, and this is something that needs to be addressed. As I said, racism is really a. You know, we've got the cure for it. It's but we can we can cure this problem, and it's something that we all of us working together.

We'll get through it, okay? We will. We will, Coach. I appreciate it. We'll talk again soon, all right?

Thank you. Bye-bye. That's Tubby Smith of High Point University. He's at Coach Tubby Smith. On Twitter.

Fantastic stuff. Let's get to break. We've still got, it's a Rhinestone Cowboy Friday. Robert, on the other side, what do you have for us when we take it to the house shortly? Uh maybe don't tell kids to get off your lawn just yet.

Nice. That's next as we take it to the house.