M.L. Elrick (@elrick) and Marc Fellhauer (@MarcFell) are in Zed’s basement (trying not to wake up the gimp), while Shawn Windsor (@ShawnWindsor) dials in from an undisclosed location on a surprisingly clear line.

THE STRAIGHT DOPE: If the start of this week’s show sounds like the middle of last week’s show, it’s only because M.L. renews his criticism of his once-favorite college basketball coach.

An assignment prevents Hall of Shame honcho Rob Wolchek from coming on to discuss some of his more memorable confrontations, so the boys catch up on the whereabouts of the master of the “unscheduled accountability session” — Steve Wilson, formerly of WXYZ-TV.

Call it a confrontation, a jump-out or a jackpot, there is an art to catching up with someone you want to ask some hard questions. M.L. and Marc discuss the finer points.

M.L. discusses what makes a good confrontation, who taught him what makes a good confrontation, the difference between a good confrontation and good journalism, and his singular approach to what he calls “encounters.”

Results of the Fox 2-Local 4 basketball game, with a detailed recap of M.L.’s bid for glory (spoiler alert: when the MVPs were named, M.L.’s name was somehow overlooked).

The tale of how a surprise discovery cost M.L. a round at the bar — but saved him $500 — prompts Marc and M.L. to compare notes on the car hygiene habits of the women in their lives.

A flashback to one of Marc’s fascinations — M.L.’s brief spell at Local 4 — involves a confrontation gone wrong on a story about a cop who freaked out after bogarting some weed he was supposed to use to train his K-9. (Highlight: a replay of the cop’s call to 911 in which he seeks a reality check by asking dispatch to confirm the score of the Red Wings’ game.)

THE GREAT DEBATE: Colleges are debating whether to serve alcohol at games, an issue that divides the boys. You might be surprised to hear who is totally against selling booze in the bleachers — as Shawn points out, it’s the only former beer vendor on the show!

GEEK OF THE WEEK: