AFP Podcasts

NASCAR fights back, with suit against 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports

The gloves are off at NASCAR headquarters, with news breaking that the racing giant has filed a countersuit against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which initiated action against NASCAR last year over the terms of the new team charters.

Rod Mullins, our NASCAR beat writer, joined the show to help me break down the particulars to the latest move in this back-and-forth.

Rod also reviews Christopher Bell’s win from Sunday in Texas, and gets us ready for this weekend in Phoenix.

#TeamAFP breaks down the latest in the UVA Basketball coaching search

The search committee that has been vetting candidates for the open UVA Basketball coaching job is in crunch time.

We know who the top candidates are now, but of course there are so many variables at play.

I had Scott German on with me on today’s podcast to break down the latest of what we know, which is a lot – that the search is revolving around, for now, at least, Marquette coach Shaka Smart and VCU coach Ryan Odom.

Among the issues: we’re still weeks away from being able to get anybody to sign on the bottom line.

In the pod, we examine the factors at play in getting the search to where it is now, and what can happen between now and thereabouts of April 1 that can lead to one or the other of the top candidates getting the job, or there being a need to get to a fallback candidate.

Podcast: What should NASCAR do about TV, streaming?

Rod Mullins, our NASCAR beat writer, joins “Street Knowledge” to review Christopher Bell’s OT win in Atlanta, and to help get us ready for this weekend in Texas.

The meat of the podcast this week is on the topic of TV ratings: for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Truck Series, with an eye toward what NASCAR will do in the next couple of years to address its TV rights.

We wrap the show with news out of Southwest Virginia. Rod is also the editor of Dickenson Media, and we chatted about flooding in the Tri-State area, and the lack of action from the Trump administration on requests for disaster declarations in Virginia and West Virginia.

The latest on the UVA Basketball coach search

Ron Sanchez is the interim coach with the UVA Basketball program, but there’s some momentum toward Sanchez being a serious candidate to get the job on a full-time basis.

I go into detail about what we’re hearing on the Sanchez candidacy in this podcast, and also share what I learned from the look at the contracts of Virginia Tech basketball coach Mike Young and Hokies football coach Brent Pry.

UVA Basketball pulls road upset at Pitt

A busy couple of days for UVA Basketball, with the loss at home to Virginia Tech at the buzzer on Saturday, then the quick turnaround for a road trip to Pitt.

The ‘Hoos dominated the NCAA Tournament aspirant, winning 73-57 in a game that was essentially over at halftime.

We break down how UVA did it, ahead of talking through the news coming up the rest of this week with the wrap on the winter recruiting season for UVA Football.

MAGA flexing its muscles during first week of Trump 2.0

DEI – diversity, equity, inclusion – is “immoral,” per Donald Trump, a White man born into millions whose father bought him an Ivy League degree and gave him a $400 million head start in the business world.

Your first indication that U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is planning to run for re-election in 2026: he voted for the Laken Riley Act, the pretend get-tough-on-immigration bill that will allow the Trump administration to go after DACAs and people under Temporary Protected Status protections.

We finally heard from our MAGA congressman, Ben Cline, on the issue of President Trump’s inexcusable pardons of the 1,500 J6ers who tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election to keep their Dear Leader in power.

UVA-Boston College, issues on defense

The UVA Basketball team, which has lost its last five, and is 1-6 in the ACC, gets Boston College, which has lost its last four, and is 1-6 in the ACC, in JPJ on Tuesday night.

The only reason this one is on TV – ACC Network, 7 p.m. ET – is because every game is on TV in this day and age.

True story: my wife gave up her season tickets this season (we might have anticipated … something), so she buys single-games each time out.

The gamble: that she’d get ‘em cheaper than what we’d pay for the season tickets plus VAF donation.

The price for her tickets in the 300s for this one: 80 cents each.

Even with fees, she’s out eight bucks for two tickets.

My, how the mighty have fallen.

Still, I feel worse for the BC folks, because that program has had three winning seasons since cutting bait with Al Skinner (247-165 in 13 seasons there) way back in 2010.

Earl Grant got the Eagles into the NIT last season, but he lost Quinten Post to the G League, Claudell Harris to Mississippi State, Jaeden Zackery to Clemson, Devin McGlockton to Vanderbilt, and Prince Aligbe to Seton Hall.

Boston College is 9-9.

Its one ACC win is Miami, 78-68 at home back on Jan.1.

Let me feel bad for one more guy: Dan Bonner is on the call for ACCN for this one.

Dan deserves better.

UVA community reacts to the Carla Williams extension news

The reactions to the news that UVA President Jim Ryan has finalized an extension with Athletics Director Carla Williams that includes a substantial raise for Williams aren’t trending in a good direction.

Fans and alums are in meltdown mode on social media over a raise for an AD whose football and men’s basketball programs are in free-fall.

Meanwhile, the blowback at the highest levels is on Ryan, involving the part about the substantial raise.

“The Board of Visitors Executive Committee approved an extension of her contract last June before football

UVA Basketball, spending a week out west, still searching for an identity

The UVA Basketball program has taken up residence on the Left Coast, with a two-game road trip to new ACC members Cal and Stanford.

The 75-61 loss to Cal on Wednesday revealed more in the way of warts for the ‘Hoos, who were awful on offense, and worse on defense.

Interim coach Ron Sanchez, for his part, seems at a loss for answers.

It’s feeling like a lost season for Virginia fans.

Stories covered in this podcast

• A not good Cal team dominated Virginia: The writing is officially on the wall
• UVA Basketball: Tony Bennett didn’t do his buddy Ron Sanchez any favors
• UVA Basketball: Staff frustration with Christian Bliss bubbling to the surface
• UVA Basketball: Ron Sanchez has a Dai Dai Ames problem

 

AEW, reluctantly, shares the spotlight with New Japan

AEW finally played the back half of the home-and-home with New Japan, sending a handful of stars to Tokyo last week for “Wrestle Dynasty.”

I had resident #TeamAFP AEW beat writer Ray Petree on for our weekly wrestling podcast, and the relationship between AEW and NJPW was a focal point.

Among the discussion points:

• Kenny Omega made his in-ring return at “Wrestle Dynasty,” an interesting choice, given that AEW is where he makes a tony of money. Despite telling the AEW audience on this week’s “Dynamite” that he may never again be the Kenny Omega of old, Omega was, pretty much, the Kenny Omega of old in his match with Gabe Kidd.
• We’re told that NJPW suspended commentator Chris Charlton for his comments during the Omega-Kidd match directed at Tony Khan and AEW’s booking of former New Japan stars. One way to look at this: there’s a strain in the relationship between the companies. Which would make sense from New Japan’s perspective, since AEW raided the top of its roster. But why would AEW have an issue going forward with New Japan?
• Zack Sabre Jr. is a throwback to wrestling before it became sports entertainment. The IWGP world champ is unique in working matches that feel real in an era with guys trying to get in every high spot they can in the few minutes they get.
• Powerhouse Hobbs got the dub in the Casino Gauntlet Match to win a shot at AEW world champ Jon Moxley. Will this be another one-off for Hobbs, who has been the victim of on-again, off-again pushes?
• We got our first taste of what we’ll see in the first-ever Women’s Casino Gauntlet Match this week on “Dynamite.” It has to end with Toni Storm winning the title shot against AEW women’s champ Mariah May next month’s “Grand Slam Australia” PPV, doesn’t it?
• Mercedes Mone’s first several months in AEW were uneven, at best. But Mone, the TBS champ, is starting to hit her stride.