K-Mart Sucks

This is the DRIVE Podcast with Josh Graham.

Now you're talking my language. You can hear the DRIVE weekday afternoons 3 till 6 on WSJS. You are on a Tuesday DRIVE. It is WSJS, News Talk Sports for the Triad, where the ACC tournament is underway in Washington, DC. So we'll have live updates throughout the show on that.

And I'll share my tournament champion pick in just a few minutes. However, we must first get to the NFL. As we were getting off the air yesterday, the Carolina Panthers let Frankie Louvou become a Washington commander, then traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants in exchange for a second round pick this year and a fifth rounder next year.

That wasn't great. But right before bed, at least they signed another young, yet proven interior guard in Damian Lewis. That joins expensive Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt that they signed yesterday. But neither of those offensive line signings outweigh letting go of Louvou and Burns. Maybe this is an overreaction to the last week or so, but it looks like, it sounds like, and it feels like the Carolina Panthers are preparing to tank this upcoming season.

Because let's start on defense. They're not going to be able to replace Brian Burns. They needed one edge to line up across from Burns.

Now they need two of them. A premium position that's almost impossible to find on the open market, and Carolina doesn't have a first round draft pick. They're not going to replace Burns with a second and a fifth.

They even got Luke Combs fired up on social media, tweeting as if he's some account that has five to ten followers just spouting off in your replies. As for Frankie Louvou, replacing him is going to be difficult too. There are more options for linebackers though.

Patrick Queen, Justin Simmons, they would do fine. But letting Frankie go sends a signal about where your organization is at. See, when I say tanking, there is a definition for that. Some people hear tanking and they think, oh, they're just intentionally trying to lose. That's what tanking means. You're trying to lose.

You're not actively trying to win games. To me, this is the definition of tanking, whether you're talking about the NBA or the NFL, you name it. It's stripping away veteran experienced parts, often more expensive parts because of how proven they are, for guys that are younger, less proven that you hope years down the line are going to be impact players for you.

Just look at the moves Caroline has made that would make you see that technical definition. The Panthers parted ways in the last week with Dante Jackson, Hayden Hurst, Bradley Bozeman, Von Bell, experienced players. That's the common thread between all of those guys. Meanwhile, who'd they sign? Two offensive guards, four and five-year contracts respectively. Down the line, these are guys that are going to help us.

26, 27 years old. It seems they're building for 27 or 2025, 26, 27, and starting to ride off 24. Maybe this is an overcorrection from ownership. David Tepper, Mr. Concerts, he's been criticized quite a bit, but what is the most common criticism of David Tepper? What's it been for the last five and a half years? This guy is meddlesome, this guy is impatient.

So when you hear that time and time and time again, you probably want to do something about it. You want to reverse course on that, but is it possible that you overcorrect and reverse course a little bit too much? Just look at what he's done. Promoted an assistant GM in Dan Morgan to replace Scott Fitterer. Let that GM hire the coach that he wanted, even in a cycle where Bill Belichick was available, Mike Vrabel available, star coaches available. We're going to get the GM's guy that nobody else in the NFL even wanted to interview, not a shot at Dave Canales, just a fact. You hire him and then, unlike with Frank Reich a year ago, you don't dictate the staff at all.

Out goes James Campin, out goes Chris Tabor. And on the offensive side, while retaining Ejiro Evero's defense, Dave Canales is allowed to build his offensive staff the way that he wants to. David Tepper's trying to prove just how patient he can be by perhaps encouraging, getting rid of Ryan Burns and Frankie Louvou and the expensive parts for this year in favor of younger, less experienced, less proven guys that years down the line are going to be good, you hope, for the Panthers. While sacrificing in the interim and David Tepper getting to say, just look how patient I am, well, how bad the Panthers are in 2024.

It looks like, it sounds like, it feels like, it tastes like, the Panthers are going to take this year and it doesn't taste very good. On X, at WSJS Radio, if you want in, that's where we're streaming video. In addition to YouTube and Twitch, we've got Will Dalton is the executive producer of this show. Yes, I am. Yes, I am. Yes, I am. We're doing this for first round ECC tournament games. Yeah.

It's going to be a long march if we're doing this already. It's going to be great. 48-38, Notre Dame leading the weird team by 10, but there's an even bigger matchup going on here. You got Bayon Dongo for our guy Brendan Marks going at it. He's got 16 total points. Connor O'Neill has 16 in terms of like adding the point assist, rebounds, blocks, and steals. I was about to say, I don't think Ondongo has that in the first half and they're losing by double digits. That's right. And then Brendan Marks, his guy, Marcus Burton has like 23-ish points. So he's leading right now.

That's the bigger matchup here. See you later. You're not even going to bring up the score? I did. It's Notre Dame 50, Georgia Tech 38. I've got it on here in the studio. I could just bring up the game periodically.

You don't have to just 50-38. Thank you for that. Getting to the ACC Championship. This is not a sexy prediction, but it will be the right one come Saturday night. The North Carolina Tar Heels are going to win the ACC tournament in DC, just like it did the last time the tournament was there.

Bryce Johnson, Marcus Page, the 2016 team, Roy's on the stage celebrating and he has his hat on backwards, which so many people found amusing on the internet and perhaps still do. They are at least going to get to Saturday night. They are the outright regular season champs.

You know that. When you look at the last 12 outright ACC champs, excluding COVID, Florida State was an outright champ, but never got a chance to play in 2020. Virginia was an outright champ at 21. They didn't get beaten by a team. They got beaten by COVID, not allowed to play for the remainder of that tournament. So putting those aside, the last 12 outright champs that played outside of COVID, nine of the 12 made it to Saturday, the championship game of the ACC tournament.

Six of the 12 won the whole darn thing. North Carolina is going to get to Saturday night for sure. And there are real stakes for the Tar Heels.

They're in line for a one-seat. It's probably going to come down to them in Tennessee, depending on what happens at the ACC tournament for them and what happens with the Tar Heels. At least North Carolina has that head-to-head win back in November or early December.

It also helps the Tar Heels looking at the brackets and bracket luck. WD, do you know how many teams North Carolina could possibly play in every iteration of the bracket before getting to Saturday that's beaten them? How many teams they can play that have beaten them at some point this year?

No. The only team that they could play that beat them this year is the team right now that's trailing by 13 in the first game of the ACC tournament. The weird team. Damon Stoudamire's weird team from Georgia Tech that's trailing against Notre Dame. That's the only team that North Carolina could possibly play before Saturday that has beaten them this year and that would have to be Friday that would require Georgia Tech to come back in this game, then beat Wake Forest, then beat Pitt.

That's not going to happen. So North Carolina in a good spot in that regard too. And here's the hot take that I might have. North Carolina winning the tournament. That's not the hot take. The opponent Saturday night is not going to be Duke. Does that warrant a hip-hop air horn?

Is that hot? Okay, a Brent Musmerger, whoa, I think is good enough there. It's just too easy to forecast it. Everyone's assuming, oh, we're going to get Duke Carolina rematch with Saturday night. Don't sleep on the Clemson Tigers. Whoa, they won in Chapel Hill.

Nobody else can say that. They probably should have won at Duke, not because of that call at the end, but maybe don't turn over the ball on four straight possessions in the final two minutes of that game at Cameron. They beat Virginia and they drew Virginia as a double buy, which you want, considering the way Virginia has been playing down the stretch. Carolina in a rematch of the 2008 NCAA tournament final, beats the Clemson Tigers again to win another ACC crown.

We will pick every game of the tournament later on in the program. W.D., we need to get to the movie that you watched this past week, the Oscars. We're still humming off that. That was a couple of days ago, and with the Oscars happening, you watched a Best Picture winner from 1988, Rain Man for the first time. And W.D., he got $3 million, but he didn't get the Rosebushes. I got the Rosebushes.

I definitely got the Rosebushes at the movies with the W.D. next. Introducing the world's greatest entertainer, the hardest working man in show business. Ladies and gentlemen, the Star of the Show.

Now back to The Drive with Josh Flann. A reminder, registration for YMCA campaigns and Summer Day Camp. It's open by visiting ymcanwnc.org.

That's where you can sign up for summer camps and activities. Before we get to at the movies with the W.D., W.D. watching Rain Man for the first time. After this Georgia Tech Notre Dame game, we got Louisville NC State, which has me thinking about Utah State. We suck.

Why? Well, if you didn't see the viral clip from a couple of days ago, Utah State's women's basketball team lost in the conference tournament, which was a bummer, I'm sure, for their team. But an even bigger bummer for their coach, who prior to the press conference, after this game, was apparently told she was fired and that led to an awkward moment to close her press conference. And how do you plan to rebuild for next season? I'm not going to be rebuilding. I just coached my last game at Utah State.

I spoke with Diana and they're going in a different direction and I respect her decision and I hope they get a really good coach in. I'm assuming that's going to be the last question. All right. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you, coach. What else do you ask the coach after she gets fired? Well, coach, what did you think about the Oscars on Sunday? Kayla Ard is the name of that coach who was let go. Why does that remind me of NC State Louisville? You're probably way ahead of me on this, but it does feel like a loser leaves town match.

This might happen tonight, maybe before the press conference. Whenever Kenny Payne loses, he's probably done anyway. He's wrecked a historic program, but don't feel bad for Kenny Payne at all. He's getting paid one of the top salaries in all of college basketball. He's making more than $3 million a year to win four games last year and eight games this year. He's probably going to the AD's room saying, hey, AD's office. I doubled my wins this year.

Just pointing that out. He's also ruined Nolan Smith's trajectory. A bummer for him leaving Duke to go to that dumpster fire. If Kevin Keats loses tonight, though, he's done too. Book Oregon, he'd have no choice with five straight losses to close the year. If Keats wins this game.

Now, this becomes a little interesting. It kind of would have the feel if you lose to Syracuse tomorrow for the third time this year, you're still probably gone. If you win that game, though, well, hey, we finished the year with back to back wins. Maybe we don't buy out Kevin Keats after making the tournament.

So in a sense, it does feel like Kevin Keats last stand in DC. Louisville's terrible. The pack should absolutely win this game.

However, NC State stuff. Anyone? DJ Horn game time decision in an hour. If he doesn't play, there could be some scary moments. Yeah, for WD's team. Yeah, you might be looking at the same result I had when I chose Quentin Post and he didn't play. Who's Quentin Post play for?

Boston College. That's right. Now let's go to the movies with the WD. Unless you're talking about Star Wars. Obi Wan has taught you well. Movies aren't exactly Will's thing. I don't get it.

You want cups of swine? But that's about to change because Josh can't stand it anymore. This is At the Movies with Will Dalton. What you liked, what you didn't like.

Best quotes, Rotten Tomatoes score Rain Man 1988, a Best Picture Award winner. WD, did you watch this last night or this morning? Watched it last night. Late. Because you were at my place watching The Bachelor Fantasy Suites round.

Late night for me. What did you like most about this movie? I enjoyed seeing Charlie and Raymond kind of get to know each other. So Tom Cruise getting to know his brother. Whose performance did you enjoy more, Cruise or Hoffman?

What was a better performance? It's tough to say. I guess maybe Tom Cruise, although.

That's interesting you should say that because. Did he get an award for this or did he get snubbed? Dustin Hoffman won the award. Tom Cruise did not. And for a while, this was thought of being Dustin Hoffman, masterclass in acting, but every time I watch this movie back. I'm more impressed with Cruise than I am Hoffman because Hoffman's kind of playing the same beat over and over and over and over again. While Tom Cruise is running the gamut of emotion. He is, and that was another thing I enjoyed watching throughout this was. Tom Cruise's characters character arc, you might say, because he starts out, you know, we all he's focused on is the money and.

But then he starts to get to know his brother and then ultimately, you know, he takes him back to the institution there where he can actually get the help he needs. Because there's not a six day cure for autism he finds. Yeah, there are some people that did not like this performance in the moment, though, saying it was repetitive. Dustin Hoffman, Pauline Kael, one of the greatest movie critics ever. Here was the lead of her story from 35 years ago. Rain Man is Dustin Hoffman humping one note on a piano for two hours and 11 minutes. That was her assessment on Dustin Hoffman's best actor winning performance. Yeah, that's quite a line to open a story to what didn't you like about Rain Man? I didn't love the girlfriend character. I found her a little annoying at times. You probably could find a better actress for it, but I like the role. I was fine with it, especially the sweet scene in the elevator. I was cool with that. Yeah, I was kind of like the conscience that Tom Cruise needed on his shoulder.

Yeah, maybe they just could have chosen a better actress. Maybe that's what it was that just I didn't something just was off for me. What I didn't like watching this is going to Dustin Hoffman's IMDB page after this movie was made. Like, let me ask you this question, because this segment is about teaching you about the history of movies.

It's making you more cultured. When you think of Dustin Hoffman, does that name mean anything to you? No.

Not at all. This is the first time you watched Dustin Hoffman. I believe so. Did you not see, like, even in a comedic sense later, like, meet the family, meet the parents? Meet the Fockers?

That's with an O. I don't know if I've seen Meet the Fockers or not, but no, I know. See, and that's the part that bums me out, because when you look at his contemporary actors of that era, they had this stage where they do great supporting dramatic roles, and he didn't have a lot of that. After 1988, he was historically hard to work with, but then went the comedic path. It almost seemed like if he wasn't the star, that he probably wasn't going to do the movie. He is one of the greatest actors of all time, Dustin Hoffman. Like, Dustin Hoffman, I think still today, is the only actor to be the lead of three best picture winners. The Graduate, I'm sure you've seen that, right?

Well... Of course. Kramer vs. Kramer in the 70s, and this movie right here. And that doesn't even include all the president's men or his role in Tootsie.

He's one of the great actors ever, but I don't think he has any resonance at all to anybody younger than 30 years old, maybe even older than that, because of his movie choices after Rain Man. What's the best quote from this movie? Kmart sucks.

That's what I have. Is it? My second choice, did you fart, Raymond? Raymond, did you fart? The rose bushes, the whole thing was good. The whole thing was good. Also, that scene had me on the floor. This probably... That scene, somebody had to write that down on a piece of paper.

There are other things that we didn't get to and things I didn't like, like I don't understand Tom Cruise's job at all. I don't understand that. There's just some Lamborghinis being moved. Is this profitable? Seems like the question. I don't know. Seems like it isn't. Uh, that car doesn't seem like a great car to drive cross country. No. Probably not. How did they still get across country that quickly?

I don't know. The syrup and pancake scenes were good. That's a great scene.

Yeah. I enjoyed that scene quite a bit. What else did I not like from this movie, though?

Some things that if you just watch it a million times, you just point out and say, eh, not great. 90%, did, were you familiar with the Abbott and Abbott, the who's on first bit? Did you remember that? Did you know about that playing baseball growing up? So you don't know who's on first.

Like that's one of the key jokes of this movie that he's reciting one of the classic comedy bits on baseball and didn't know it was a comedy bit until Crew showed him it. You don't know what we're talking about. I have no clue. It's a bit where there's a guy named who, who is on first base and there's a guy named what who's on third base and somebody's trying to explain that to somebody.

And they're very confused. Who's on first. Why do you keep saying that? Who he's on first. I know I'm asking you who's on. Yeah.

Okay. I think I've seen Rotten Tomatoes score. See, we're teaching you so much in this segment.

It's an educational segment. What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for Rain Man? 88. 90.

Nice work. And that's been at the movies with the WD with Josh Graham, only on WSJS WD. You want to update the standings after one game, our ACC tournament bracket, Brendan Marks, Connor O'Neill, having players from Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. Yeah, I, I know for a fact, Brendan has 34 right now. I still got to tally up what Connor's got.

35 for Marcus Burton in the first game. So a slight lead for Connor who also has a player move on Bay and Dongo's Georgia Tech Bay and Dongo's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets already finished the winner of this bracket gets a $100 gift certificate courtesy of our friends at BJ's Brewhouse. Delicious food. Great beer as well. They are the unofficial viewing place and the triad for ACC tournament basketball.

So how about you visit them off of Haines Mall Boulevard right next to Haines Mall in Winston-Salem. Let's pick every game of the tournament right now though. All of them, WD. All of them.

Yes. How many games is it? 18 games. That's what we're looking at.

Even though one's already completed, we're a little bit tardy here, but WD can vouch. I picked Notre Dame to beat Georgia Tech. You did.

He did. That's what happened, 84-80. The first game of the tournament in DC already completed. The Irish, the 12 seed advancing pass Damon Stoudemire's weird 13th seeded Yellow Jackets. Next game. NC State Louisville is about to tip off. DJ Horn is not starting this game. DJ Horn is warming up, but a game time decision still. It's worth noting that DJ at Louisville in the regular season didn't start.

He came off the bench, scored 27 points in that game. So we'll see if he ends up playing WD, of course, following that very closely because he drafted DJ Horn. I still think NC State figures out a way to beat a horrific Louisville team that might Utah State its coach, might fire Kenny Payne before he even gets to the postgame podium, state the temp seed is through, and probably a closer game than you might think if DJ Horn isn't 100%. Nightcap, Boston College facing Miami. Boston College? Is this even a question?

Is this not a Boston College radio show? Well, we're going with the underdogs. Miami's favored by a point and a half. Miami looks like they're ready for the season to be finished.

There's a reason why BC is a higher seed. We're going with Quentin Post. We're going with Jaden Zachary. We're going with Earl Grant and the Eagles to advance to day two of the ACC tournament. Day two begins with the 8-9 matchup.

High noon tomorrow. Virginia Tech facing Florida State. Virginia Tech's been a big bummer this year.

They just don't have the interior presence that they've had in previous years under Mike Young. I think FSU's size and toughness proves to be the difference, and they've got scoring from Darren Green and from Watkins, among others. Florida State figures out a way.

They've gotten a little hot down the stretch. They beat the Hokies and end the Hokie season. Notre Dame-Wake Forest. Two weeks ago, Notre Dame beat the Demon Deacons, but that was a game Wake Forest should have won in Notre Dame's building. Now that this is on a neutral court, there might be some scary moments that remind you of Boston College-Wake two years ago in Brooklyn, but we're going with the Screamin' Deacons. We're going with Wake to win this game. 1-2 on neutral court this year, but those three games were without Efton Reed. Efton's had double digits the last three games. I think he's a key factor in Wake beating the Irish to get to Thursday and to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive.

To the Nightcap. Kevin Keats might be coaching for his job. Facing Syracuse, who they're 0-2 this season against, make it 0-3.

It's a weird thing that people say in the analysis talking head business. It's difficult to beat a team three times. Yeah, I'd much rather be the team that has won the first two times than have it be a split going into the third. Syracuse with Judiments facing an NC State team that, again, right now we don't know if DJ Horn's gonna play today or even play tomorrow. We're going Orange to Thursday to the quarterfinal round. Boston College, Clemson in the Nightcap. Boston College.

Goodbye, sweet prince. Clemson over the Eagles to Thursday. The best day of the ACC season that, given the results we just outlined among Wednesday results, begins with North Carolina FSU.

Come on, now. The Tar Heels, a top seed, your outright regular season champions. They will beat Florida State just like they did on the road earlier this season. And what might be the game of the week not named the ACC tournament championship game? Pittsburgh. Wake Forest, 2-30 on Thursday. Wake needs to win this game to make the NCAA's.

I just can't do it. Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh beats Wake. Wake murdered Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, didn't they, Josh? Yeah, Wake also beat down Georgia Tech, and we saw what happened.

I don't trust this team away from home, especially if they're playing good teams. Pittsburgh has guys who played in the NCAA tournament in Greensboro a year ago, and Wake's gonna be playing on back-to-back days. The Pitt Panthers beat Wake Forest to end the Demon Deacons NCAA tournament hopes and send them to the NIT. Duke, Syracuse, Nightcap, Thursday, Blue Devils all over the Orange.

All over the Orange to advance. Duke still ticked off about losing it home at Cameron to the Tar Heels. Nightcap, Virginia and Clemson. This might be a must-win for the Cavaliers.

I think it's kind of ridiculous if it is in fact that. Clemson's a good team. We're going with the Tigers. The Tigers are better than Virginia is. They just don't have to have the luxury of having a double bye.

This is intriguing. And also it's good news that we've completely avoided the night games Wednesday and Thursday. None of our locals are playing in that 9-30 stretch, which I can't remember the last time that that happened. We're going with Clemson. Now to the semifinals.

Friday night, 7 o'clock. North Carolina-Pittsburgh. North Carolina's had its problems against the Pitt Panthers in the past.

Jason Caple, you had that situation. They win in Chapel Hill in 2022. Not Friday night. Not Friday night in D.C. North Carolina beats down Pitt. Does that mean Pitt still gets into the tournament?

I don't know. They'd be right there, but no. 9 of the last 12 outright ACC champions outside of COVID advance at least to the ACC championship game, and North Carolina makes it 10 of 13. Will they face Duke in a rematch, though?

No. No, they will not. Clemson should have won at Cameron. Not because they should have gotten that foul shouldn't have been called at the end.

No, not because of that. It's because they turned over the basketball and four straight possessions in the final two minutes of that game before that sequence happened. Clemson gets back at Duke. Clemson gets to the ACC championship game to face North Carolina. A rematch of the 2008 championship game.

Bringing back bad memories for our guy T.O., Terrence Oglesby. Can Clemson win their first ever ACC basketball championship right before the ACC looks like a completely different conference than any other point in its history with three West Coast teams being added or two from the West Coast and one from Dallas? No. North Carolina. Your ACC tournament champions.

For the first time since, they won in D.C. 2016. That was the last time North Carolina won an ACC title, right? I believe that is correct. That's correct.

There you go. Kicking down the Clemson Tigers. Getting a little bit of revenge for Clemson being the only team to beat them at the Smith Center this year. That would be a compelling final between those two. I do believe there are only three teams that can win the tournament. I think it's Carolina, Duke, and Clemson. I don't think anybody else can win the tournament.

I think it's those three that can do it. You're on the drive with Josh Grahle, WSJS. A couple of ticket FYI's. Courtesy of Jason's Deli. Wake Baseball tickets for High Point. You can win during unusual questions. Save the number now.

336-777-1600. In just a couple of weeks. Not even. The first home game for Carolina Cobras Arena Football. Love this nickname. Darren Vaught's joining us now.

He just got done calling an Elam ending game the Greensboro Swarm over the weekend. The Carolina Cobras in their opener are playing the Omaha Beef. The Beef.

I love a good singular nickname. So like the Utah Jazz. Omaha Beef. Go see them at the Coliseum. Get your tickets. WSJS.com. Click on the Cobras tab.

It'll send you directly to the tickets page. Support the Triads Professional Arena Football team. The Carolina Cobras. Darren, Wake Baseball lost an ACC series for the first time in two years over the weekend. You called some of it on Friday in addition to doing Swarm basketball. You get around, you Darren Vaught.

Darren Vaught as we've covered. Last, we talked about it after the UNCG series. Wake didn't start 13-0 like they did a year ago.

They lost at UNCG in the midweek. These are things that happen to normal baseball teams. Last year was not a normal baseball team and it feels like people are starting to come to grips with that.

Do you have any level of conviction? Good, positive, indifferent about this Wake team after watching them up close? For me, it has more to do with how good Duke is, if I'm being honest. Duke might be the best team in the ACC this year. Do you think they're the best team in the state of North Carolina? Do you have conviction on that? Yes, if Duke is the best team in the ACC, they're going to be the best team in the state of North Carolina.

I said that because of my Pirates had to do that. Of course, of course. I mean, although ECU is in that mix, right? I mean, what are they? Number 11 in the most recent D1 baseball polls this week. I think for Wake, it's just it's a realization like, look, they had to be preseason number one because of the All-Americans they had coming back. But the reality is this is a team that put double digit players into the MLB draft last year.

Like it's not going to be as crystal clear right away for them. There's a chance they figure it out in a way that makes them a dominant number one team for the majority of the season. Sure, they're likely just going to be in the mix as a top 10 team.

And that's not I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. That's a very, very, very, very, very good season. We'll see the pitching remains really good. The hitting remains good with potential to be really good. And I think defensively, they they got exposed a little bit in the series against Duke, but like they're they're still really good. It's just it just so happens that Duke brought back one of the best pitching staffs in the country and we didn't really have any idea what their lineup was going to be like. And it's maybe the best lineup of any team in the country. Darren Vaught joins us here. We got an update from DC. This is obnoxious.

Oh, it's not, though. Louisville leading at the half forty six to forty five, though, just by a point. I'm upset because DJ Horn isn't playing and I needed him to for a set because you're some people who not know who do not know who Louisville's playing and you haven't said it yet since he stayed.

I said, I didn't know you did. OK, we're doing radio. Darren Vaught was very kind of like, who's Louisville leading and why do I care? Oh, they're playing NC State. And Josh is upset because Mike James has only taken two shots. Yeah, you have it.

He's only taken. How does that this might be an unusual question. It seems like a fairly usual question because it pertains to the show. How does that fantasy draft you guys did work? OK, so we had it's just points, rebounds, assists, deals, blocks. You add those stats. Whoever has the most stats at the end of those weeks, like you add each of those singularly and whoever has the most.

Like out of the six. They are of equal value, points and steals. Equal value.

Making it easy. And I don't have Mike James on my team. I just happen to take because, you know, betting is now legal in North Carolina. Mike James more than one three. Can he make one three?

He's a really good three point shooter in Louisville's leading at halftime. I just need one. No, I just need one. I just need one.

Can you make one? Yeah, you're getting that. I need that to happen because Marcus Burton went over two and a half. Anyway, no one cares about this. Darren, you are a native Virginian. W.D. 's interruption is actually productive because it reminds me to ask you. How much do you like the ACC tournament being in D.C.? You've been to a number of sites. What do you think about the tournament in D.C.?

That was the site of my very first as a media member, actually. And in terms of the tournament, it's fine. It's sterile.

I think would be the word. It's just like it's an arena where they're going to do it. It's in a city where there are things happening around the tournament. Has to be better than Brooklyn, though. It's better than Brooklyn. There's still a little bit of sort of like regionalities, not the word, but like it's close enough to sort of the heart of the league here.

But better than Brooklyn, not really better than much of anything else, I would say. And my tunes changed on this over the years. Sorry, I think you were trying to segue.

No, please, please. How has your tune changed? I was not as upset over Brooklyn and D.C. and honestly, wherever else they wanted to put it when that became a thing to pull it away from North Carolina now, especially where we're seeing the other tournaments within the ACC, the other championship tournaments, they're kind of centralizing to the place that is the home of the conference.

I've been saying this forever. Like, I mean, just at the SEC, it makes sense that they're in Nashville. They picked a spot like it. Pick North Carolina and just do it. And Greensboro is perfect because that's unique to your conference. And it could be like what Omaha is for college baseball or Oklahoma City is for softball. When you go to this place, you think of this tournament.

When you go to this place, it wraps its arms around that. That's what you have in Greensboro. I would even be willing to compromise because if you want the airport to be of a certain stature, if you want the city to be of a certain stature, just lock in on Charlotte. Just pick Charlotte, right? Just make it make sense. And the bouncing around is not...

I don't think anyone sees that as the future anymore. Real quickly before we get to unusual questions. And if you have an unusual question and want to win Wake Forest Baseball tickets courtesy of our friends at Jason's Deli, 336-777-1600, just ask us anything and you'll get those tickets. What DC movie should WD watch for the first time? Three are Washington DC movies, All the President's Men, Broadcast News, Enemy of the State, and then DC Comics, the original Batman in 89 with Michael Keaton. Okay.

For the purposes of what you just offered up, I say Keaton Batman. Can I add another DC movie? No. Okay. All right. All the President's Men, Broadcast News, Batman, or Enemy of the State. All right. Well, it's Batman.

Batman's my vote, but for future consideration, Head of State with Chris Rock. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. You like that one? No, it's not a good movie, but I'm not a Kevin Hart fan.

That's important to note too. No, not Kevin Hart. I said Chris Rock. Oh, I'm thinking of a different movie then.

Yeah. It's the one where Chris Rock runs for President. I thought you said Kevin Hart and I was thinking of the Kevin Hart Dwayne The Rock Johnson movie a few years ago. I thought that's what you were talking about with the CIA agents.

Mm-mm. This one's like early 2000s Chris Rock. I have not seen this movie then. Plays Maze Something is the name of his character, and he runs for President.

And this is like pre-Obama, so they go all in on the black guy running for President. Ah, that's great. It's great. It's awesome. Let me use that to my advantage in unusual questions as a transition. Last week, guys, everybody made it out that I got mad at Josh and I left the press conference.

That's not right. I thought it was an unusual question, and it's okay. It's time for Unusual Questions with Josh Graham.

Because my unusual question, not to make things political, is that... The campaign, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis. That's great.

Love that. There is news that RFK Jr. has approached Aaron Rodgers and Jesse The Body Ventura about potentially being running mates on his independent ticket, according to the New York Times, which leads to the obvious question, if Josh Graham, Darren Vaught, Will Dalton were running a campaign and needed some celebrity oomph to add to their ticket as VPs, who might you pick to be your VP? Great question. I could go either angle because Rodgers fits the pro athlete angle, but Jesse The Body Ventura, I'd go all in on it. He's got experience. Professional wrestling, you know, professional wrestler angle. Minnesota governor.

The Rock had some juice until his recent heel turn for his comeback. I'd probably just pick a famous president in a TV show or movie. I'd probably go Dennis Haysbert from 24.

And also, I know I could probably get great car insurance advice because of Allstate, too, where he was President David Palmer, and then he was in all those You're In Good Hands ads. I could probably go with him or Gosling after Sunday night just on general principle. Yeah, no, I could be I could get down with that one. I need to get down with that one.

OK, do you have an option? I think Stephen A. Smith would pack a punch. Wow, he is talking more about politics. Yeah, he'd talk about rural communities like here in the Triad, for example, he'd probably talk about. Yeah, he'd probably talk about what we're not considering, though, and that puts into focus you need someone who's going to be a good sidekick. Will, there's no way he would be your running mate. You would be Stephen A. 's running mate.

Let me go to the phone. Stuart in Greensboro has some thoughts on DC as a tournament site. If you want the wake tickets, there has to be a question somewhere nestled into here unless you say talk about, which qualifies in press conferences. Stuart, what do you have?

Well, my running mate would be the nature boy, Rick Flair. Oh, OK, love it. It's good. DC. It's definitely better than anywhere other than Carolina in the state of North Carolina. And what are your thoughts on a preseason tournament like the old Big Four and do it in DC or do it in another location with select ACC teams?

You know, thank you for the call, Stuart. This is something I've actually talked to Jim Phillips about off the record, saying, hey, you know what would make the people in Greensboro and the Big East schools really happy in the conference? Have a preseason. You can't ever get the garden in March from the Big East. So how about you have a preseason tournament for the Big East schools in MSG and have in traditional ACC preseason tournament in Greensboro with just the core members of the league? I think it would be fantastic and figure it out.

Figure it out. Make November more fun for college basketball. As a result, do some different things. It's not a bad idea. And like you're partnering with other leagues for certain tournaments, if you really want to show some love to some other venues, I get the value of playing those games on campuses. And I'm not really trying to steer away from that. But if you add something new, like a tournament, then, yeah, sure, like put it in a neutral site like that.

I mean, teams of Duke stature and North Carolina stature are going to play in those things anyway, so you might as well own one. What's your unusual question? Now that I'm free of crossover season, my basketball broadcasting slate. Congrats. Congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you. It is time for me to delve back into normal people society and start chipping away at these Oscars movies that I have not seen. Okay. So I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm playing WD here. Please.

To some degree. Which one should I watch first? Which have you seen already? I've seen the animateds. Boy in the Heron, Big Win, by the way, for Miyazaki. Didn't show up again.

Neither did Wes Anderson, who won. The Spider-Verse, the second Spider-Verse I've also seen. So you haven't seen Oppenheimer or Barbie?

No Oppenheimer, no Barbie, no poor things. Past lives. I'm leaning toward American fiction. I'm leaning toward one of those.

I haven't seen past lives. American fiction is pretty good. You would really enjoy American fiction. I think, I think that would be a fun starting point. Barbie would be a fun starting point. I think start with one of those two, then go Oppenheimer. And then the third is like a chaser. So fun and then Oppenheimer and then fun again.

Like I'd probably do it in order of Barbinheimer. Do Barbie, Oppenheimer, and then watch, what, I just slipped my name, I just slipped. American fiction. Yeah, American fiction and then past lives.

I haven't seen past lives yet. Poor things is memorable. I didn't love it too much. If you've seen Saltburn, it's a better version of Saltburn. Okay.

Slightly better, a slightly better version than Saltburn. I'm glad you didn't mention Killing of the Flower Moon, because that's the one that I'm just pretty sure I'm not going to get to. Did you like Irishman? No, I didn't get through it. Yeah. Like I didn't get, honestly, didn't get all the way through it. It's good. It's really good.

I don't doubt it. You know, I bet you this is somewhere on the internet. You could probably find like a way to watch that movie in compacted times and watch it like a mini series in a sense.

I'm serious. Like highlights from the game. You just see the scoring place.

I just need the scoring place. You could probably timestamp it and be like, oh, the first 46 minutes and then the next hour and then 45. And then like, you can watch it as like a four or five part series.

I bet you somebody has done that on the internet. Best way to watch Killer of the Flower Moon in multiple settings. But it is worth seeing. It is really good, especially the ending. Really good ending. I'm not a Scorsese head like the way I have some friends who are.

So like they were going to see it no matter what. And the others, the other ones just frankly interest me more. So I just don't think I'm going to get to that one. Rapid fire answers in response to WD's unusual question.

What do you have? You know, recently I stumbled across Dale Junior's podcast. Don't ask me how or why. I just started watching clips. Yeah, I enjoy it.

And it reminded me kind of brought me back to my roots a little bit. My favorite first or my first favorite sport was NASCAR. I love NASCAR racing emphasis on speed.

Yes. Do you recall what your first favorite sport was? Baseball. Yeah, baseball. It was baseball.

Yeah, playing soccer or baseball. Snappy. We made it snappy.

We're doing radio here. Would you like my opinion on the movies? Sure. I'll just watch Oppenheimer and call it a day. You've only seen Oppenheimer out of the nine. That is the best one. That's all I needed to see.

Is it? And you know that. You haven't seen the others that have an opinion on the subject.

I will value your opinion. It didn't actually. Poor things won a ton of awards. Oppenheimer didn't steamroll the way everyone thought it would. But Oppenheimer is the best movie of the year. It's the first time since Spotlight that my favorite movie in a year won best picture. La La Land should have beat Moonlight in 2016 and that would have been the exception. We've already had that disagreement. I liked Moonlight.

Yeah, but you like depressing stuff. Darren, it's good to see you. I'll talk to you next week. All right, see you guys.