Adam Cheek's Sports Week

WVCW Sports' Ben Rekosh returns to the podcast to talk VCU baseball on the heels of the Rams' incredible 2026 postseason run, winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament and making an NCAA Regional appearance while beating #23 Tennessee in a headline-making upset.

We talk about the prowess of head coach Sean Thompson in just his second year, along with sophomore catcher Jacob Lee's record-tying homers and possible Black and Gold draft prospects. We also talk about the Rams' potential final games at the Diamond to end the regular season, our memories of the ballpark, the outlook for 2027 and more.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

My friend Ed Coombs joins me for a World Cup-themed episode of the Sports Movie Showcase as we tackle Kicking & Screaming, the 2005 Will Ferrell soccer comedy. This is kind of the forgotten Ferrell sports film in a run that spanned Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro, but we check out how it's held up.

I'd never seen it and had a great time with it, so we discuss how it's held up and where it stands in the Will Ferrell lexicon, as well as how it portrays the sport it's centered around (as always). Ed and I also chat about the coffee subplot, just how good Mike Ditka is and more.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

In a reversal of the usual podcast format, my friend Alex Soderstrom interviews *me* -- I designed, wrote and planned out a NASCAR exhibit at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture that debuted on First Fridays in early June.

The exhibit is a celebration of Richmond Raceway's 80th anniversary, chronicling the track's history in Virginia, memorable moments, local drivers, ties to the community and much more. Alex asks me about all this, as well as what it was like to see my work on display and my process of working on the exhibit.

Go check it out at the museum until mid-August!

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

Richard Linklater's 2016 film "Everybody Wants Some!!" is one of my favorite sports movies and comedies. I embarked on a project to create a sort of oral history of the film, its creation behind the scenes and its lasting legacy by talking with those involved -- the actors, crew and more.

In this first installment, I interview actor Will Brittain, who portrayed Billy Autrey (dubbed Beuter Perkins by his teammates) in the film. Will has appeared in other films like Kong: Skull Island and The Forever Purge, but he takes me through his career up until he was cast in Linklater's 2016 film; what it was like behind the scenes working with actors like Wyatt Russell, Zoey Deutch and Tyler Hoechlin; how much baseball the cast really played on set; and more.

Stay tuned for episodes with Temple Baker, Forrest Vickery and more!

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

While Monaco is no longer on the docket for Memorial Day Weekend's Greatest Day in Motorsports, we still have the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 to look forward to.

Two of my Frontstretch compatriots, Alex Gintz and Michael Massie, join to discuss both marquee events. Alex, on the way home from Indy 500 qualifying weekend, breaks down the front row of Alex Palou, Alexander Rossi and David Malukas, Palou's domination of the sport the last few years and if he can defend the title, and which dark horse he sees charging through the field during the event.

Massie hops on to talk about what we've seen out of the NASCAR Cup Series through one-third of the season so far, including Tyler Reddick winning five out of 12 races to start the year and Denny Hamlin's consistency, and gives his outlook on what to expect from 600 miles under the Charlotte lights. Alex and Massie both talk about Katherine Legge's attempt at the Double, as she becomes the first female driver to give all 1100 miles a shot in one day.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

On the heels (hoofs?) of the Kentucky Derby, Jason Boleman returns to the podcast for the first time since last fall to talk about Secretariat, spotlighting the Virginia horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973.

We get sidetracked a lot, but we do talk about when Virginia is mentioned in the movie, how the horse-racing scenes are put together, the performances by stars like John Malkovich and Diane Lane, and more.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

Got to head out to CarMax Park for Banana Ball to kick off May! Got to chat with four players this time around, starting with Richmond's own Jackie Bradley Jr., the everyday outfielder for the Boston Red Sox through much of the 2010s (plus a 2016 All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, World Series champion and ALCS MVP in 2018). He became the first full-time former MLB player in Banana Ball when the Indianapolis Clowns took him in this year's draft.

Then, I chatted with VCU alums and current Firefighter pitchers Ben Dum and Bradford Webb, both of whom have now played Banana Ball at both The Diamond and CarMax Park. I also get to talk with South Trimble, a Virginia Beach native who won an A-10 baseball championship with George Mason in 2023.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

Justin Fensterman returns to the podcast to talk all things NBA playoffs at the start of Round 2!

We break down the first round first, starting with the absolute barnburner of a series the Timberwolves and Nuggets put on. We touch on the three Game 7s, two blown 3-1 leads by the Magic and Celtics, the Thunder sweeping and LeBron still doing it with the Lakers.

Then, we take a look at the conference semifinals -- if the Thunder can keep rolling on their way to a potential repeat, if the injured Timberwolves can hang with the Spurs, if the Pistons' youth will help them combat the Cavaliers' veteran leadership and the potential back-and-forth of the Knicks-76ers series. And, of course, we give some predictions for the conference finals and NBA Finals 🏀

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

On the latest Sports Movie Showcase, I'm joined by my friend Meghan Baker to talk about one of our favorites, Richard Linklater's Everybody Wants Some!! from 2016. It was released in a stacked year and flew under the radar, but it's an incredibly fun hangout movie centered around college baseball and never gets old.

It was one of the early roles for cast members Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell and Wyatt Russell, and takes place on a Texas college campus around 1980 -- sort of a spiritual sequel to Linklater's 1990s classic Dazed and Confused. While there isn't a ton of baseball in the movie, we get one long, extended practice sequence, and all of our main characters are ballplayers.

It's a hysterical film and we had a great time both rewatching and talking about it (plus its killer soundtrack)! I'll also have interviews with some of the actors, including Will Brittain, Temple Baker and Forrest Vickery, coming up soon  ⚾ 

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco 

My friend Ryan Quigley joins the podcast for the first time to preview the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs! Ryan's a Flyers fan, so we start off by talking about how Philadelphia turned things around this season, their first-round matchup with the Penguins and if they can make a run.

On the Eastern Conference side, we also discuss whether the Hurricanes can finally get over the hump and make the Stanley Cup Final, how the Sabres put together such a stellar season and how the Lightning-Canadiens series might shake out.

On the Western Conference side, Ryan and I break down the Utah Mammoth making the playoffs in their second season of existence; if the Oilers and Connor McDavid can finally get it done; the Stars-Wild matchup; and if the Avalanche truly are the favorite to win it all.

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Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco