Phones Gotta Drink First

This is the DRIVE Podcast with Josh Graham. I love it. I need it.

Couldn't live without it. You can hear the DRIVE weekday afternoons 3 till 6 on WSJS. Warriors Kings. We'll get to those games in a few minutes. But first, a Tar Heel basketball headline. North Carolina has targeted Tennessee big man James Adoo, Jonas Adoo, my apologies, as its top pursuit in the transfer portal. Jonas Adoo would be a perfect fit for Carolina basketball.

That isn't to say he's the best big man in the portal. You got Aaron Bradshaw, for example, from Kentucky, who recently committed to Ohio State. Omar Ballo was one of the best big men in college basketball for Arizona this past year.

He's still trying to find his next home, was going to visit Pat Kelce in Louisville, canceled that visit, now visiting Arkansas instead with coach John Calipari. These are all big men that Hubert Davis has no doubt reached out to and expressed some interest in. Jonas Adoo is the player they're going to pursue. He is the best fit for Carolina, and this is why. He's the closest thing to an Armando Bacot replacement out there.

There is no one-for-one replacement, but you're not going to find a refined, developed post player like Armando out of high school. He was a walking double-double. He was first team all ACC. He was all ACC defensive team. Which brings us to Jonas Adoo. He averaged 11.7 boards two blocks for Tennessee last year. Rocky Top, you'll always be home sweet home to me.

You can finish the rest at home. He was second team all SEC. He was on the all SEC defensive team.

The Vols, coached by Rick Barnes, made it to the Elite 8s, and they were known for their defense. Third in the nation defensively according to Ken Palm, and Jonas Adoo might have been the best defensive player of the bunch. Adoo would give Carolina some lineup flexibility.

This has to be the top priority when looking for big men to bring in. With respect to Omar Balo, I don't know how he fits with Jalen Washington next to him. Adoo, he can play center. He can play power forward. He can allow James Washington or Jalen Washington to be at the power forward spot, while Adoo does all the things that Washington, frankly, doesn't do that well. Washington, a really good offensive player, can step out and hit threes.

Adoo, that's not exactly his bag. Great rim protector, which Washington isn't exactly, can guard other teams' best interior threats. Washington wouldn't have to worry about so much of that. You can have lineups where Jalen's not on the floor and Harrison Ingram or Jalen Withers is your four, assuming that Harrison Ingram is going to return.

No reason to believe that he isn't as of right now. So you could play big, you could play smaller. Adoo gives you a lot. And what's most interesting about Adoo, and it's probably why he fits so well with North Carolina, there is a familiarity with Adoo for this staff that's not there for a lot of these other guys. This is what I mean. He's a North Carolina native. He played in Durham before going to Tennessee. Many thought out of high school he was going to play at North Carolina, but when did he enter high school or when did he enter college?

Right when North Carolina was going through a coaching transition from Roy Williams to Hubert Davis. So Adoo ends up at Tennessee, but there's still the relationships built on the recruiting trail there. Adoo being a North Carolina guy, it's icing on the cake and adding Adoo would put their front court up against anybody in the ACC, which I don't say lightly because Duke might have the best front court in America. You add Cooper Flag, the best high school recruit in five years. Malawak from Senegal, a top five pick in the draft next year, I should say, seven footer in the post. And we'll see who else Duke adds there. Sean Stewart is going to be there in that rotation as well. That's who North Carolina has to match up with. Jonas Adoo is the top pursuit for Carolina because he is the perfect fit.

That doesn't mean he's the best center. Again, you got Ballo, you got Bradshaw. There are others out there.

This kid from Drexel that a lot of people like, but he is the best Tar Heel on the market. On X at WSJS radio, if you want in, that's where we're streaming video in addition to YouTube and Twitch. That's also where we have a poll question at WSJS radio. Which movie should Will Dalton watch next week for the first time? WD needs more of a thinking man's picture. This week's movie, American Pie. Next week, either Bad Boys, The Devil's Advocate, Devil Wears Prada, Drive. Those are the choices. Which of those do you want to see win? Devil's Advocate sounds interesting. We'll see where that poll ends up.

You can vote on that poll again at WSJS radio, at Josh Graham Show as well. WD taking your calls. Three, three, six, seven, seven, seven, one, six, hundred. Getting to the NBA. You got those two games tonight. Lakers, Pelicans, Warriors, Kings. The more compelling of the two, Lakers pals. WD and I have our rooting interests. You're a LeBron guy. I root for Zion. Lunch bet on this game? Yep, it's on. Let's do that.

Send me that cash out, family. But this is something that might sound like a hot take, but I don't intend it to. We get labeled as, in this industry, when we say things that might be against the beaten path of not believing it. Oh, you're just trying to stir things up. But in this case, while it might sound like something you think is crazy. Come on, Josh, you don't actually believe that.

I actually do and hear me out on it. Even though tonight is not an elimination game. And if the Lakers were to lose tonight, they would have to play an elimination game on Friday against either the Warriors or the Kings. To me, it is obvious that the Lakers are better off losing tonight than winning.

Here's why. If they win tonight, they secure the number seven seed in the Western Conference. That means what? You get the Nuggets in round one. This is breaking news. LA isn't beating the Nuggets. It's a rematch of the Western Conference Finals of last year. WD, how'd that Western Conference Finals go for LA? Oh, they got the brooms out.

They didn't. Denver got the brooms out. Denver swept the Lakers. So this year, coming out of the play in, the Lakers, they'd be lucky to get to six games against Denver. They're not winning that series.

Are you kidding? Meanwhile, if they lose this game and figure out a way to beat either Golden State, Sacramento on their home court at Staples on Friday night. If they earn the eight seed instead, they get Oklahoma City. An OKC team that the Lakers beat three times out of four in the regular season.

It is LeBron and AD against the most inexperienced team in the playoffs by far. How young is OKC? They are younger than this past North Carolina basketball team.

That's right. The Tar Heels, a lot because Cormac Ryan is a million years old. This North Carolina basketball team we just saw is older than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That's a fact. And they're playing LeBron and AD? Also, here's the other piece and why the incentive again is to lose. To give yourself a better chance of advancing through the playoffs through the other side of the bracket. By playing the Thunder rather than the Nuggets, you avoid Minnesota and Phoenix on that side of the bracket too. This is not like the NFL where things reset after every single round where the lowest seed plays the highest seed. No. It's a bracket like college basketball.

It's set. You know who you would play in the following rounds. Which means not only do you avoid Denver until the conference finals by playing OKC. You avoid a team that up until Sunday had a shot at the number one seed in the West in Minnesota. Plus, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, that Phoenix team, you avoid them until the conference final. The winner of the 1-8 matchup gets the Clippers or the Dallas Mavericks. Sign me up for either of those teams over playing Phoenix or Minnesota. So it might sound like a hot take, but I do think it's reality.

It is obvious to me. The Lakers would be better off losing tonight and going into an elimination game Friday than winning and getting the number seven seed. As crazy as that might sound. The Triad's newest professional soccer team is Carolina Corps FC. They're part of MLS's next pro league. And while they play tomorrow and carry seven o'clock against North Carolina FC, they call High Point home as does our next guest.

He's been over a decade playing for the U.S. men's national team. It's the great Eddie Pope who's joining us now. Eddie, how special is it for you to know there is a pro soccer team in your hometown and you're a part of it with Carolina Corps FC?

Yes, fantastic. It's certainly special having grown up here. I never would have dreamt that we'd have a professional soccer team here. And it's going to be enjoyable to watch how much it grows and really what it gives back to the community. Let's go back to those early days. You don't know this, but our producer will.

He's a graduate of Southwest Guilford High School as well. I don't know the last time you've kind of been around those stomping grounds, but between developments around the stadium and downtown and the growth of soccer across the state since you were coming up, how much different do you think it is coming up in the triad playing soccer in 2024 versus the late 80s, early 90s? What you experience? Yeah, it's night and day.

It's night and day. And I think it's it's great for kids because now they're going to have the opportunity to be able to go to their, you know, the youth soccer game on a Saturday and then Saturday evening, roll out and go to a professional soccer game. And that's going to be amazing for them. And to have something to shoot for, really, right? To kind of say, hey, that's the team I want to play on one day. And so for me, growing up, you know, I didn't quite have that as did, you know, the other individuals I was playing with and growing up and enjoying the sport.

But to have that, to be able to kind of see it, sometimes you have to see it to be able to do it. And and I think that's going to be fantastic moving forward. Eddie Pope, Carolina Core FC with us here. Seven o'clock. They play tomorrow. North Carolina FC at Wake Back Soccer Park in Cary. Is it true once upon a time you were a kicker for the UNC football team?

Half and half, right? I actually went to UNC on a football scholarship to kick field goals, but it ended up working out that I needed to focus on soccer. And so I got injured, red shirted for football, but then got healthy in time to catch up with the soccer season.

And then I just kind of never looked back at football. Did you get hurt in a game? I got hurt in practice.

Got hurt in practice. Yeah. Number one rule is in soccer practice.

Say Mac Brown. He understands you can't hit quarterbacks and you can't hit kickers. We all understand this. That's right. That's right.

Nor can we take it. So does it make you feel young knowing that Mac Brown is still the head coach in Chapel Hill? It certainly helps, but I don't feel that young. But yeah, it helps a little bit.

But it's been great to see him kind of come full circle. Yeah, there's no doubt. Carolina Core FC. It's the U.S. Open Cup.

So let me start in the most simple place. What is the U.S. Open Cup? Yeah, I mean, it's if I'm not mistaken, I still believe it's the oldest tournament soccer tournament in the United States. So, I mean, the great thing about the Open Cup is that it's open.

It's open to everyone. And so I think that's certainly the excitement. You know, some teams that feel like they're a long shot can get in there and try to win a game.

And and then teams that are supposed to win can play some of the younger players. And then we have the the you know, the infamous cup set that you'll see from time to time, which is a lot of fun thing for us. We got to go up to Vermont. So for some of our players, it was the first time they played in a crowd that size. For some of them was the first time they've ever seen snow. It was a good experience for them. So, I mean, the Open Cup is a fantastic tournament and and we look forward to continuing on.

You mentioned how long it goes back. Weren't you a part about it? Part of it once upon a time?

Yeah, yeah. We won the Open Cup in 1996. First year of MLS as well. And again, it had been around a long time and one of the teams that we played, Rochester Rhinos, and we hope they're back in MLS Next Pro here soon. But, you know, it was a team that they weren't a part of MLS and they made it all the way to the finals. So it's just a perfect example of what the tournament can bring.

There are some people that I think ignore progress or take progress for granted. You got to see the earliest days of MLS, which launched in 96. Like, what would you tell somebody who didn't see those early days about where MLS soccer is right now?

You know, it's it's incredible, right? The transformations have been incredible from the soccer specific stadiums. You know, when I was playing most of the games, if not all of them were in some football, NFL football stadium. And now that's certainly changed.

You look at Atlanta, you look at Charlotte. The crowd sizes are so big that now you have to play them in NFL stadiums almost. So, I mean, the sport has come a long way from the development of the players. They've gotten better. The coaching has gotten better. We're attracting more players from Europe at younger ages from South America. It's just been so much change to your point. It's you almost have to tell younger players what it used to be like because they have no idea. They're used to walking into some 20, 30, 40 million dollar training facility like it's nothing.

What is the top story Eddie Pope points to about how grassroots, how different it was when MLS started to add perspective about some of the luxuries that now exist? It's not really one. It could be several, but it's not really one I point to necessarily. But I think, you know, there was a time where, you know, our locker room was in a strip mall storefront. And those are pretty those are pretty low times.

And so I think that's that's that's one I sometimes tend to go back to. And players have a hard, tough time, especially young players, believing that. But it was true. And now, again, they're walking into fantastic facilities with coaches who have years of experience at MLS level and national team level. It's just all around is so much better. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, when you just see even the offices you guys have at Carolina Corps FC and high point and such, it's just fantastic. Eddie Pope with us on the way out. How often do people still bring up D'Ossero and bring up 2002?

From time to time, I try to bring it up just so it stays in people's minds. You know, from time to time, I think, you know, those those days were kind of even U.S. soccer. We're still trying to get our feet under us and learning that, hey, you know what, let's not play Mexico in the L.A. Coliseum for obvious reasons. Let's figure out, can we play them up north somewhere? Can we play them somewhere cold just to make them a little uncomfortable? Already good enough. And so I think those are the days where kind of coaches came in.

They started to understand that the game started to change quite a bit. And that D'Ossero was obviously one of the pillars of American soccer and will be that way for for a long time. Eddie Pope, it's just a pleasure to have you on and support what you guys are doing with Carolina Corps FC. Best of luck tomorrow night.

North Carolina FC will be facing the Corps and we'll see you sometime soon. Thanks so much for doing this. Yes, sir. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Eddie Pope joining us.

U.S. soccer legend. Forgot to ask him his preference on The Devil's Advocate, Bad Boys, Drive or The Devil Wears Prada. Didn't realize till now that two of those movies have the word devil in the title.

They do. We're getting a little dark over here. One of those two movies, not dark. Oh, my guess, I'm assuming that's the Prada. It's a good guess on your part, W.D. I'm getting a little better at this. You have great intuition. Tonight feels like there should be a bet in order.

The Lakers are playing the Pelicans. Yes. You are a LeBron guy.

Yes. I wouldn't characterize myself as a Zion guy. I would. But I love Zion. So you're a Zion guy. But no, that would. You have an action figure.

It was a gift from Robert Walsh. Yes, because he knows you are a Zion guy. And once I said on air that somebody alleged in a phone call, you would have Zion's babies if you could.

And I said, you're right. You would, too. Probably. You kidding me? How much is Zion worth? And you get to go watch Zion play?

You probably would. Where's the Gary Hahn drop to get us out of this? Yeah. Let's go to the sidelines. Tony Haines.

Just a foreshadowing for the American pie conversation. But if I were a Zion guy, shouldn't there be some requirements to want to watch Zion play? I've maybe watched one Pelicans game the entire season.

Maybe two. And a buddy of mine's the voice of the Pelicans. Shame. Regular season NBA, man. It is true. Don't have to watch everybody. Now's the time that you kind of consume everything. Like, I'm ready for the people that are like, when did Minnesota get so good?

Yeah, I can imagine people turning it on and being like, where did they come from? OKC? Yeah, that. Who's this shy, Gilgus, Alexander guy? Who is he?

He's pretty good. Is he from Waco, Texas? Wach.

Waco, Texas, as W.D. said last week. Yeah. Is he friends with Lucas Augberg? Or Ludwig Augberg? There you go. W.D. said yes to that. Sounds like a composer. He does.

In a way, he kind of is. So I'm down for a bet. How confident are you in your Lakers tonight? Let's put lunch on it. Lunch bet?

Yep. Lakers, Pelicans, lunch bet in order for later on tonight. I can't wait to watch these games tomorrow. I don't know if I feel the same way. I did watch the Bulls play a few times.

I don't know why, but I have. And they're actually low key a fun team. So they play the Hawks tomorrow night. You have in the seven eight Sixers heat. Heat have not looked great.

But some think that you can still turn the switch on. Like they did a year ago. And then the Sixers have indeed. And they have. Indeed.

And it's time for them to win something. Is it? Like, yes. I feel like we've been talking about the Sixers being a good team forever now. And it's like, what have they done? Is it though?

Yes. It's time for the Sixers. And B won the MVP last year and they did nothing. They didn't even get out of round two. So that's my point.

So I'm saying if you didn't get out of round two last year and you're in the play in this year. I don't think it's their time to win something. Personally.

Personally, I don't. But tonight's games. That's pretty exciting. Let's go back in our time machine. 25 years ago, when a movie named American Pie came out and was a national sensation.

Before we review the movie at the movies with the W.D., something we do each week, movies that W.D. has never seen before. I guess until now. This has been a great run for this show.

Close to six years. We almost got there. But. This segment has the potential to sink everything. When I make the joke about saying the thing that engulfs this show in flames and that's how it ends, that's how we go out.

It's segments like this that I'm talking about. And again, not my doing. This is a democracy.

It's an election year. You guys wanted an American pie at the movies with the W.D. That's exactly what you're going to get here.

Cue the Gary Hawn drop. Unless you're talking about Star Wars. Movies aren't exactly Will's thing.

But that's about to change because Josh can't stand it anymore. What you liked, what you didn't like. Best quote. Wolf and Rotten Tomatoes score. See the W.D.

can get it within five. What you liked. Nadia. The scene. Just Nadia. The scene. Shannon, Elizabeth, shout out to you.

Shout out to you wherever you may be. I think I read somewhere that she became a really good poker player. Like that's something that she did in her career, like was on the World Series the whole deal. So many talents. God bless her.

Outstanding work. What did you like about this movie? Well, there was that. The father son moments between I forget that guy's name in the movie. The actors are Jason Biggs and Eugene Levy. Eugene Levy, the dad might have. He might be the best actor in this movie. Yeah.

Did a lot of stuff before American Pie. Now most known for Schitt's Creek, which I can say because that's the name of the show. It's not spelled that way. It's spelled with a. That's the joke. I think you kind of get what we're talking about. Again, I just see landmines everywhere.

I know it's so it's all over the ground. I'm scared. I've got my Orioles colored Gatorade that I'm drinking right now from my water bottle. It's been a nice run. I'm just reminiscing on all the great times. Remember when we had Matthew McConaughey on? That was cool. Appreciate his visit. Yeah.

A lot of great things that we've accomplished in our time here. The the bathroom scene where they, I assume, give him some kind of laxatives laxatives. Finch.

They did that were a lot of rumors out there about Finch. That was good. Didn't you watch Lebowski just a few weeks ago?

Last week. So a lot of Tara Reid make an appearance. You had Tara Reid three years prior to this movie playing Bunny in that movie. Three years later, playing a high schooler that's a virgin. Probably not the best casting, but great acting on her part. And I got to tell you, when when Stifler's mom showed up. Jennifer Coolidge, another great actor actress in this movie. That was just you got some you got some scotch.

Aged 18 years. The way she likes it. It's a movie that knows exactly what it is. Yeah.

Somebody was talking about this thing. I think we might have talked about it with Superbad. Superbad is a much better movie than American Pie is, because it's a lot more self-aware of itself and some of the jokes and how they might land. This movie is shameless. It's shameless. It knows exactly what it is and it knows exactly the audience it's trying to reach. It's a dude's movie. Very much so.

Which is probably why I really enjoy it. Do any women like this movie? American Pie. And if you are a woman that likes American Pie, can you give me any explanation at all? I just I want to know your name. I want to hear from you.

336-777-1600. What didn't you like about American Pie? You know, you could take this as what's aged the worst. Like police would be showing up at Jim's house after the webcam incident with Blink 182 showing up at the end. Oh yeah. That was also a nice surprise. The scene. The scene.

Someone's going to jail probably. One of the things I liked about the movie. The scene. One of the things I didn't like about the movie. The scene. Because god that was uncomfortable watching him. Rewatching this movie.

That's the funniest part actually. That was very. Watching him fumble that. The false start and then two false starts on the same possession.

Watching them fumble that was so uncomfortable. It made me laugh. I don't apologize for it. But rewatching this movie. I thought there would be a lot more things that I add on what you didn't like about this movie than what I have here. All the choir scenes. Get out of here. Neither of them can sing. They're not good singers.

Really bad. And neither of them can act either. And there are a lot more choir scenes than I remembered in this movie. Like there is about 20-25 minutes of this movie that's only an hour and a half long devoted to choir scenes. Get them all out of here.

Why is this here? I get some of it's moving the plot along. But nobody wants to be there for the choir scenes. Especially considering an important note.

Neither can sing. That's important. Oh boy. Best quote. Again?

It's not a space shuttle Vicky. Warm apple pie. Tell your mom we ate it all. Hey Stifler how was the pale ale? I'd like to apologize to my mom.

Or I'd like to thank my mom and dad for all they've done for me to get through college and pursue a career in broadcasting. End up here doing a show talking about American pie on the air. Shermanator. What Stifler quote can we say? Stifler was the resounding star to come from this and had a bunch of roles. I think he got a role in Ice Age where he made a killing doing that.

He then became the zoo animal guy from old school. Dude took one right to the jugular man. Dude it's awesome. I've been used. Cool. What else can I possibly say from this movie?

I don't think there is anything else. Did we make it out of this okay? I think we did. Did we survive? I would like to think we did.

We figured it out. Not even one Gary Hahn drop. Didn't need him. Nope. Can't do it. Read a quote there. Thought about it.

Can't do it. There is a saying that this movie did create. It's an acronym. Starts with the letter M that this movie created that I don't know if I can say on the radio so I'm not going to say it. But you can try to deduct what I might be talking about here yourself.

Give me a Gary Hahn drop just for good measure. That's been at the movies. We didn't score it. Oh. Rotten Tomatoes score. I'm nervous.

Let me try and maybe I'm shooting too high here. 92. 61%. I knew it. That's been at the movies with a WD. What movie should WD watch for the first time next week? We'll update that poll.

And we must just go ahead. Talk back to the drive with Josh Graham. Our show, again, going to be broadcast and live from the couch in Winston-Salem.

Hook it into my veins. Coming Friday with tickets to give away with Darren Vine, the NBA playing tournament show. However, wherever you were listening tips off the NBA playoffs later tonight, the options for next week are these movies. So before introducing you to the boys, the devil's advocate, we hand out a couple of bets tonight. Just for tonight's games in the Western Conference. And you can vote on this at Josh Graham's show. If you know you do, 40, you're the best bet to bet 40.

This is Josh's Best Bets. Profitable night for us last night. We handed out two picks. The Rangers both on the money and puck line. And they shut out four to nothing to clinch the metro and the president's trophy. And my Baltimore Orioles minus one and a half runs on the run line.

They whacked the Minnesota Twins. Looking pretty good right now after a good Masters weekend for us. So ever since the NCAA tournament started, we have been rolling. And we actually have some betting data that has come out from the state of North Carolina. How much people are wagering in the first month of betting being legal.

And we'll get to those in just a little bit. Tonight, though, focusing on the action at hand. Golden State, Sacramento. My best bet tonight is Andrew Wiggins over 14 and a half points. He is averaging 18 points in four games against the Kings this year. He has exceeded that number in each of his last four games. And in the playoffs last year when they faced the Kings, Andrew Wiggins exceeded that number in six of the seven games.

So I say with the season on the line, this being an elimination game, Andrew Wiggins, given all the injuries that surround him, is going to get his. He's going to score at least 15 points tonight. Then we're looking at LeBron James over 34 and a half points slash rebounds. LeBron hasn't had the greatest rebounding season, but he's also known for reserving some energy until the playoffs arrive in the playoffs last year. That's when we started to see rebounding LeBron.

I think we see that guy tonight. He gets into double figures, rebounds and 34 and a half points. He averages 27 on the year. He's been rolling the last four or five games for the Lakers. He might get to this number alone in scoring, but points and rebounds.

That feels like a pretty good bet as of right now. So we'll take that in the Pelicans Lakers game that opens up tonight's play and tournament. So in review, Andrew Wiggins over 14 and a half points. LeBron James over 34 and a half points slash rebounds. Those are today's best bets. I also just like outright Golden State to win tonight.

And I like the New Orleans Pelicans as well. Getting to those numbers. This is from the North Carolina State Lottery Commission in charge of sports betting in North Carolina. Betters paid $456 million in paid wagers since betting became legal on March the 11th. Another $202 million has been spent in promotional wagers.

So you combine that together. That is $659 million of bets that have been made both in terms of promotional costs. And then just outright bets $456 million. The amount of money made off those bets, what was paid out to those betting. $590 million.

Shout out to the state of North Carolina. That's, again, looking at the promotional costs. That means the state has made, if my math is correct here, $130 plus million over the last month. That's pretty good over its losses. The gross waging revenue for operators, $66.4 million.

They'll pay an 18 percent tax on that figure, meaning North Carolina will collect what? Nearly $12 million from the first few weeks of sports betting. We've gathered our fair share of content from Panthers offensive coordinators over the years. There was Ben McAdoo a couple of years ago. Well played.

Yeah. Every week when he'd speak during the season, we'd make room to listen. Then it was Thomas Brown the past year. And we liked listening to Thomas Brown. It's hard to follow Ben McAdoo. You like that? I thought you might. We did like Thomas Brown.

It just didn't really work out. Out of the account that the Panthers offense wasn't any good this past year. So today was our first opportunity to chat with Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who is a Wake Forest football alum. That's where the conversation began. I had a chance to ask him about his time in Winston-Salem under Jim Grove and what that meant to him.

And here's how that sounded. How did Jim Grove help mold you when you were in Winston-Salem and how did that really jumpstart your coaching career? Hey, Josh, I appreciate the question. Jim Grove to this day continues to reach out and I think it's the personal aspect that he brought to coaching that really, for me, kind of opened up the door to when I was a senior trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. I thought coaching might be a possibility just because he put his arm around every single player he had in the program, myself included, as a transfer walk on. And he gave us all opportunities to get out there and play at the highest level. So I just for him, he really inspired me. Like coaching is more than just the X's and O's.

It's about investing in people. And he did that in every single person in that building. And I still I thank him for that. And I love the friendly reminders I get from him every now and again as I take my own coaching journey.

And one more. When you started at Wake Forest or when you arrived at Wake Forest, the Panthers drafted some guy named Cam Newton that year. So I wonder, was there a consciousness of that while you were in school? Did you adopt the Panthers while you were playing at Wake? A little bit. My dad has been in the NFL, so I was adopting whatever team he was with.

So I supported a lot of different colors during my upbringing. And I think, you know, being around the league, you kind of find him. My fiance is finding out pretty quickly.

You change shirts and your loyalty is, you know, with the people that you're currently working with. And man, I just can't say enough about the building we're in here today. And just how excited I am to be with this organization and this group of people.

We're so proud to just be a part of it. Thanks, Brad. Welcome.

Thank you. Brad Idzik's dad, the former GM of the Jets, John Idzik, who obviously shaped Brad's career. It led to a pretty cool story where, apparently at a very young age, when your dad is a GM and NFL executive, you get into the mock drafts a little young. Yeah, when you grow up on the personnel side of things and you're sending him mock drafts when you're in third grade and you're telling him who he needs to pick, I think there's dialogue that's been going on there for, I don't know, 20 years now. Who were you mock drafting in third grade? Like, who was your first pick?

Oh, man. There was a guy, Leonard Pope, was a tight end at Georgia and might not have been the third grade. I might have been that might have been a hyperbole.

I think I was maybe in the sixth grade and I was in Arizona. They ended up drafting him. My dad called me right before the pick. He's like, hey, this might just be happenstance, but we're about to draft Leonard Pope. So I asked him if I could get a jersey and they weren't really selling them.

So you have to get the custom jersey. But that was that was the one that I always remember. My favorite thing from what he had to say there.

Something I wish hosts like myself, who bloviate and gasbag all the time, would catch themselves with at points. Like if Stephen A. Smith would catch himself in the middle of a take. Our guy, shout out to Winston-Salem State.

And yes, Kay Vegas, too. Last week, when O.J. died, I thought about maybe the hottest take Stephen A. ever had where he said, man, if I were the prosecution on the O.J. case, I would have won that case. Johnny Cochran wouldn't have beaten me on that case. Which is just crazy.

If in the middle of that, he said this. That might have been a hyperbole. I would have respected it.

It's just outstanding. You know, maybe, maybe it went a step too far. That might have been a hyperbole. Could have been.

Curtisville. Earlier when I said that the Lakers might, the Lakers would be better off losing and then going into the elimination game on Friday. That could have been. That might have been a hyperbole.

Possibly. Scouting talk led to conversation about Drake May, who's a Charlotte kid. And if you had any doubts of Brad's Wake Forest allegiances, he put that to rest here. I can't give away the keys to the castle right there. But Drake, Drake's a phenomenal player.

I think just like the receiver position, they top to bottom. There's there's some really good quarterbacks in this draft, too. And being a Wake Forest guy, I've watched him kind of torch to dekes a couple of times.

And it's really hurt at a personal level. So got to rub shoulders with him a little bit in Indy. It seems like a phenomenal personality. Really excited to see where his career goes. I think the sky's the limit for him.

He's got a lot of talent. Yeah, I don't think the Panthers are in the quarterback market this year. He's not going to call plays for Carolina.

Just like Thomas Brown for most of the year. Brad Idzik working closely with Dave Canales. Here was Brad on his relationship with the Panthers head coach who will also be calling plays. Familiarity and trust with me and Dave. That runs pretty deep. We've known each other for a long time and we've always pinged ideas off each other. So we kind of play devil's advocate to each other, which I think, for us, keeps each other in check. I love the idea of their calling plays during a game. All right.

A-42, I-40 on one. That's what we're going to do. And then Brad comes in. Devil's advocate. Brad, we got a play clock. It's about to run out. What if they have a linebacker in the A-gap there? That might have been a hyperbole. Just never hear that expression used for football, generally.

But it does remind me. Devil's Advocate, one of the movies that WD could watch next week, depending on where this poll ends up. Should WD watch Bad Boys, Devil's Advocate, Devil Wears Prana, or Drive?

Those are the options. We will figure it out by the end of the show which of those the WD will be watching. When Darren Thott joins the show, we will answer unusual questions and give away Wake Baseball tickets next on The Drive. A reminder that we're going to be broadcasting Friday's show live from the couch when number 12, Wake Forest, welcomes in eighth-ranked Florida State. So be sure to come by and say hello. And in fact, to make it easier on you, the first person to call in right now, 336-777-1600 wins a pair of tickets to Friday night's game.

Again, the number 777-1600. As we now welcome in the host of ACC Baseball, etc., Darren Thott to the show. He will have the call on ACC Network Extra tonight for North Carolina Coastal. Two top 20 teams, be sure to give that a look. I know Wake Forest is about to face UNCW in the next half hour.

Darren, before we get to unusual questions, let's talk about the Deacs real quickly. Nick Kurtz, 12 home runs in his last nine games. Chase Burns on pace to break Rhett Louder's single-season strikeout record from last year and do so before even the ACC tournament arrives. Whether it's one of those two or something else, what has most impressed you during this run of seven wins in eight games for Wake?

Well, I think I think it's got to be Nick Kurtz during this run. I don't know that there has been a hotter college player in recent years than what he is doing right now, especially coming back off of a minor injury, albeit. But coming back from an injury and really having sort of a pressurized situation working against him in the slow start that Wake Forest got off to. Now, they haven't yet dropped out of the top 25.

I don't expect it at this point. But something else that's impressive to me, Josh, is just sort of like how well the team is gelling at this point. They sort of had to be the preseason number one based on what they did last year, the types of guys coming back like a Nick Kurtz, like a Chase Burns. But they were still going to be working with a lot of new pieces, some injuries to start the year.

There was a bit of a project feel at the beginning of the year. And the hope for Tom Walter and his team was going to be that they were going to be playing their best baseball late in the year. That's what's happening. And they could very easily work their way back into a top eight seed nationally. I mean, they've got three ACC series left with teams that are currently ahead of them in the ACC standings. But they've got Florida State and Clemson at home. NC State is in Raleigh. I figure if you get six of those nine and you don't fumble anything else on the schedule, you're going to be in the mix for one of those eight national seeds. Darren Vaught joining us here when he started with nobody in college, is no hotter college player than Nick Kurtz.

First thought I thought was Sam Hartman. But he's not a college player anymore. And I guess maybe that could qualify for Bachelor U at Wake Forest.

When you start talking about hot college players at Wake, then the thought of Bachelor and maybe one day for you, Nick Kurtz. This might be a good segue to unusual questions. Let's get into that. 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 OK. It's time for unusual questions with Josh Gray.

Start the hashtag Nick Kurtz for Bachelor. OK. I love it. This is a service to the Triad. I'm not getting paid at all by Bojangles to share this with you. But if you download the Bojangles app between now and Thursday and use the promo code Gamecocks, they will give you a free Chick-fil-A cage and biscuit. So shout out to Dawn Staley and company for winning a national championship.

North Carolina and South Carolina Bojangles capitalizing. That just had me thinking. The old saying about college kids always was they'll do anything for a free T-shirt. How far in this stage of life that you're in, are you willing to go to get something free? Like for me, the answer was not download an app, a new app to get a five dollar chicken biscuit. That was not a bridge too far.

But how far is too far to get something free? This is a good question. I feel like you're you are the Triads version of, you know, the guy on TikTok who like slides into the mirror selfie video and he gives all the menu secrets.

Come in here real close. You know what I mean? That's not just that.

But that's a good that sounds fun. So I I grew up in a household where free was not to be taken lightly. Right.

My dad was one of 13. They were not super well off. Like free was you took free any chance you get didn't matter what it was.

Premium. I almost am working and now adulthood on sort of like some some post chromatic like effects of that, because I don't like like I just don't like stuff. I don't like a lot of stuff. I know, you know, the video, it's like trinkets in the background, but that's simply for a zoom.

I love that right when he's talking about the stuff in his background, immediately, I can't see the things in the background because of this video messing up for a second there. But while we're getting Darren back, what's the answer to the unusual question for you, W.D.? I mean, for me, I came up in a very similar situation as free was not to take free for granted. I would say any time that you can just download an app or something that doesn't require driving to go get it, probably unless you're like picking up a biscuit on the way to work or something. So you wouldn't go to Winston's, you wouldn't drive to High Point for something free? Probably not. Now, it also depends on what it is. Sure. Yeah. Darren Vaught, in this stage of life, though, the thing you're working through, you you are not as apt to take something free than, say, you were 10 years ago? Not close.

Not even close. Like, I like my time. I like my effort. I will prefer to save those if it's like a freebie thing. You know what I mean?

Like, I'm not going to lose my mind for a T-shirt or go out of my way for a like a minor meal. Like, I don't know. I just. So you're not going to type in the promo code Gamecocks to get yourself a biscuit? But see, like, I don't have the Bojangles app, so that would require pulling up the app, downloading it. That's what I'm saying.

I didn't have it either. That was the stage where I thought, is this worth it? And I thought in the moment, yeah, it kind of is.

Let's just do it. If I was going anyway, which I'm not, I'm not a regular Bojangles customer. If I was going anyway, then sure, that makes sense, right? Like, I have issues. I was gifted a Starbucks gift card the other day. I don't regularly go to Starbucks.

I don't know when I'm going to use that, if ever. I'll probably just give it to somebody else who regularly goes to Starbucks. Just give it to us. I'll eat those up.

That'll be gone in a week. We'll post Starbucks on his Instagram story. He does. That makes way more sense for him. Phone's got to drink first. All right, Darren, phone's got to drink first. Darren, what's your unusual question? Fair or foul, someone texts you and it is simply, call me.

Hmm. I say foul. I used to be that guy, but I say foul because you can give me a little level of description to know the severity of it. Some people might read call me as, oh my gosh, I need to call right now. And then you call them and it's like, dude, people don't do this nowadays because it's streaming. But this used to be things people do.

TNT right now. Shawshank. I just I guess I just miss my friend. It's like, all right, that wasn't as serious as I thought this was going to be. Yeah.

But I'd say I'd say foul just because you can provide a little bit more information than that if you want me to give you a call. See, there's only a. Don't do this, Will. Don't do this. What?

You don't believe this? There's only a select few people that could just say, call me. And I'm like, gonna.

Who? Who makes that OK? If both of us did that, you'd call.

Correct. If like if one of my good friends from like all the way back to childhood did that, I would, because he would only do that if it was like, call me. And like if some anybody in this office did that, you'd probably still do it.

Yes, because that's a long list. And it's not that OK. This this came up because I received that very text from my mother. Yeah.

Called her thinking someone was dead. Sure. Sure.

Because that's the normal assumption. If you get the text, call me. Hey, what's up? What are you up to today? Like, Mom, no, this conversation is over. You're in time out for at least a week. Phone etiquette is a real thing.

Someone should write a book about it. I'm sure someone has where one time I think we talked about on a past unusual questions that one time I got a I called somebody in December. Didn't hear back. And then I get a call in February. And they're like, yeah, man, just give me your call back. No, just that's this is a separate exchange.

It's been two months. It's a little bit different. But I think we're all kind of on the same page on this. Well, what's your unusual question? If you could choose between being able to speak to animals and understand animals or know every language, which would you choose? Every human language? Yeah. Okay.

All right. Because the first could be sort of considered a language. But I don't I don't think I want to know what animals think about us.

Yeah, every language for sure. I got to talk to Will or the dog. I think it'd be I think I'll be disappointed. Yeah.

I think the imagination is a good thing. And if I travel places, which I do, you've never driven to Richmond as North as Richmond on ninety five in your life. You've never left the East Coast. You never left the eastern time zone. I plan to leave the time zone.

I plan to leave the country and talk to people that speak different languages. I I think there's more value in knowing what dogs think. Did you guys ever see the Rick and Morty episode where the receiver Morty puts the receiver on his head and can understand what animals are saying? And it turns out the squirrels were conspiring to, like, take over humanity. Did they steal that from up where you have the dog that has this very profound thought and then a squirrel walks by squirrel?

No, I mean, technologically, it's kind of the same thing. Like, again, Morty just puts a receiver on his head and others can't hear it. But he hears the English version, human speak version of what the squirrels are communicating to each other. And anyways, they're conspiring to, like, take over humanity.

And, you know, because he can hear them, he's like making eye contact with them so they catch on that he can understand. It's a mess. I don't want that on my hands. I don't.

Sounds like you do, WD. I'd like to be able to talk to dogs. I'm a dog person. I think part of the charm of dogs is that they can't talk.

It is. And the second like who if if if we assume what we assume about the entire human population. I don't want to talk to dogs either. And I think that you will be disappointed by whatever they think because they might think less of you. And they also might not be that bright as we assume that they are or feel the love that we think that they feel.

So I don't think that's something that we really want when you break it down that way. That's been unusual questions for today. In the big leagues, the Yankees lost. The Yankees lost.

Good luck in retirement, John Sterling. My Orioles won. And you are both now in on something I'm committed to doing this season with new Orioles closer, Craig Kimbrel. I don't know where some of the technical things going on. If you're going to be able to see on the screen what we have here. Oh, Darren, would you like to share the text you received last night? And what you guys have been receiving all year long.

W.D. and my Orioles group chat. People receive this for those who aren't watching on the YouTube stream. So Josh is sending a picture of himself in the Craig Kimbrel receiving the sign from the stretch pose. That's right.

Every time Kimbrel enters a game and the setting is different every time. The outfit is different every time. About half the time, Willow the dog is around and very, very concerned. Very. Yes. Distressed.

She's like, what are you doing? The form has improved. I've got about five of these photos in and you're getting you're getting the hang of it. That's it. I love it.

It's my favorite recurring bit now. I feel like Twitter isn't understanding enough to just post that every single time. I don't think Twitter is an understanding place in that type of way. I don't know if they would get it. So I don't know if that's something for the larger audience to consume or if it's just better in the context of the show. Well, can we put it put it on the poll?

I you know what? I think we should because I know we already got a movie poll out today. We can we could just if you want it, if you think that's something you want. No, Twitter's a conveyor belt. Just tweet. Just tweet us or Darren, you can put it up on your Twitter page and see what people think.

But yeah. All right. I'm going to post them.

I'm going to post all four or five, however many I've got. Do it. Is this something Josh should do every day? And should he post this literally every time Craig Kimbrel takes them out?

Do it. And we'll see what reaction at Darren Vaught. This is our pushing of his Twitter page, which is going to be great because that's all the notifications and messages you're going to get as you're calling a baseball game in just a bit between North Carolina and Coastal.

Darren, thanks for doing this, my friend. We'll see next week if this is something that people want. Yes, I hope it is. I hope it is. See you guys.