The Best of the Sports Shop

The Best of the Sports Shop

By 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North CarolinaSports
Download on the App Store

The Best of the Sports Shop episodes

  • UNC Tar Heels GM Mike Lombardi Placed On Administrative Leave: What Happened?

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss UNC GM Mike Lombardi being placed on administrative leave.

    The University of North Carolina has placed football general manager Mike Lombardi on paid administrative leave while it investigates a human resources complaint filed by a former football staff member. The university has not disclosed the nature of the complaint, citing personnel policies, and said it will not comment further while the investigation is ongoing. Lombardi, a longtime NFL executive and one of head coach Bill Belichick's closest advisers, has played a key role in helping build an NFL-style football operation at UNC since Belichick's arrival. His leave comes as the Tar Heels prepare for the 2026 season following a disappointing 4-8 campaign in Belichick's first year, adding another layer of uncertainty and scrutiny to the football program. What happened? How bad of a look is this for the Tar Heels?

    12 min
  • Good Look Bad Look Monday: WNBA All Star Weekend, LeBron To Philly, Kyle Shanahan Accident

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss WNBA All Star weekend, LeBron James signing with the 76ers, Kyle Shanahan's accident and more.

    LeBron James made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NBA offseason by leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year veteran-minimum contract with a player option. He said his decision was motivated by the opportunity to compete for another NBA championship rather than financial reasons. James was drawn to Philadelphia because of the chance to play alongside stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown on a championship-caliber team. His signing has made the 76ers one of the NBA's top title contenders and marks the start of his record-extending 24th NBA season. With the addition of James, are the Sixers the favorite to win the NBA Championship? Why didn't LeBron go to Cleveland or Miami? Is LeBron ring chasing?

    San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will have a limited role at the start of training camp after suffering injuries in a car accident earlier this month. Shanahan was involved in a crash near his home on July 14 and suffered a concussion, three broken ribs, a broken hand, a broken nose, and facial injuries that required more than 40 stitches. When will he be back?

    13 min
  • Ryan Clark’s ESPN Exit And UNC’s Michael Lombardi Situation: What Happened?

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss Ryan Clark's controversial departure from ESPN, his comments on The Pivot podcast, and whether he was treated unfairly, along with Michael Lombardi being placed on administrative leave by UNC.

    Last week, ESPN parted ways with longtime NFL analyst Ryan Clark as part of a broader round of network layoffs. Clark learned of the decision during a commercial break while appearing on NFL Live after concerns that news of his departure would leak before he could be notified, and he did not return to finish the broadcast. In the days that followed, Clark addressed the situation on The Pivot podcast, where he became emotional and insisted he was "fired," not laid off, claiming ESPN used the larger layoffs to mask a decision that had already been made. What happened? Was Clark treated unfairly?

    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has placed Michael Lombardi, general manager for the UNC football program, on paid administrative leave "effective immediately." UNC's vice chancellor Dean Stoyer did not share the reason in Monday's announcement but released the following statement: "As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits."

    21 min
  • LeBron James Signs With Philadelphia 76ers: Is LeBron Ring Chasing?

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

    LeBron James made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NBA offseason by leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year veteran-minimum contract with a player option. He said his decision was motivated by the opportunity to compete for another NBA championship rather than financial reasons. James was drawn to Philadelphia because of the chance to play alongside stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown on a championship-caliber team. His signing has made the 76ers one of the NBA's top title contenders and marks the start of his record-extending 24th NBA season. With the addition of James, are the Sixers the favorite to win the NBA Championship? Why didn't LeBron go to Cleveland or Miami? Is LeBron ring chasing?

    12 min
  • LeBron James To Philly, Ryan Clark Out At ESPN: Breaking Down the Biggest Sports Stories

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss whether LeBron James' move to Philadelphia makes the 76ers the new NBA title favorites, if the decision was driven by legacy or ring chasing and Ryan Clark's emotional ESPN exit, including whether the network handled his departure fairly.

    LeBron James made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NBA offseason by leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year veteran-minimum contract with a player option. He said his decision was motivated by the opportunity to compete for another NBA championship rather than financial reasons. James was drawn to Philadelphia because of the chance to play alongside stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown on a championship-caliber team. His signing has made the 76ers one of the NBA's top title contenders and marks the start of his record-extending 24th NBA season. With the addition of James, are the Sixers the favorite to win the NBA Championship? Why didn't LeBron go to Cleveland or Miami? Is LeBron ring chasing?

    Last week, ESPN parted ways with longtime NFL analyst Ryan Clark as part of a broader round of network layoffs. Clark learned of the decision during a commercial break while appearing on NFL Live after concerns that news of his departure would leak before he could be notified, and he did not return to finish the broadcast. In the days that followed, Clark addressed the situation on The Pivot podcast, where he became emotional and insisted he was "fired," not laid off, claiming ESPN used the larger layoffs to mask a decision that had already been made. What happened? Was Clark treated unfairly?

    13 min
  • Good Look Bad Look Monday: Will LeBron James Help the 76ers Win It All?

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

    LeBron James made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NBA offseason by leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year veteran-minimum contract with a player option. He said his decision was motivated by the opportunity to compete for another NBA championship rather than financial reasons. James was drawn to Philadelphia because of the chance to play alongside stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown on a championship-caliber team. His signing has made the 76ers one of the NBA's top title contenders and marks the start of his record-extending 24th NBA season. With the addition of James, are the Sixers the favorite to win the NBA Championship? Why didn't LeBron go to Cleveland or Miami? Is LeBron ring chasing?

    17 min
  • LeBron James Signs With Philadelphia 76ers

    Reese, Pam and Alex discuss LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.

    LeBron James made one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NBA offseason by leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year veteran-minimum contract with a player option. He said his decision was motivated by the opportunity to compete for another NBA championship rather than financial reasons. James was drawn to Philadelphia because of the chance to play alongside stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown on a championship-caliber team. His signing has made the 76ers one of the NBA's top title contenders and marks the start of his record-extending 24th NBA season. With the addition of James, are the Sixers the favorite to win the NBA Championship? Why didn't LeBron go to Cleveland or Miami? Is LeBron ring chasing?

    14 min
  • Roger Goodell's Charlotte Super Bowl Comments, Angel Reese's All-Star Selection + Olivia Miles' Breakout Season

    Pam, Hump and Alex discuss Roger Goodell's comments about Charlotte hosting the Super Bowl and Angel Reese and Olivia Miles being selected as WNBA all-stars.

    NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says Charlotte has the potential to host a Super Bowl in the future, but the city still has work to do before it can become a realistic candidate. Speaking at an event announcing a 20-year extension of Bank of America's naming rights partnership with Bank of America Stadium, Goodell praised Charlotte's rapid growth and said it is "certainly Super Bowl quality" if that growth continues. He also pointed to the planned $1.3B renovation of Bank of America Stadium. However, Goodell noted that Charlotte will need additional hotel capacity and supporting infrastructure before it can successfully host the league's biggest game. Could this happen?

    The 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend takes place in Chicago, featuring events at Wintrust Arena and the United Center. The midseason showcase runs from July 23 to July 25, 2026. Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was named a 2026 WNBA All-Star reserve, marking her selection to the event in each of her first three professional seasons. Some critics believe Reese should have been a starter instead of a reserve. Are they right? Minnesota Lynx rookie sensation Olivia Miles is the only first-year player named a 2026 WNBA All-Star starter. How good is she?

    13 min
  • LeBron Watch: When Will He Make His Decision? + SEC Media Days

    Pam, Hump and Alex discuss LeBron James' looming free agency decision becoming the biggest offseason storyline, they recap the final day of the 2026 SEC Football Media Days, highlighting what Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had to say about the Longhorns' expectations and more.

    With LeBron James entering the final chapter of his legendary NBA career, his free agency has become the league's biggest offseason storyline. After departing the Los Angeles Lakers, James is weighing his next move, and the decision is so significant that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league can't finalize its 2026-27 schedule, including opening week and Christmas Day matchups, until LeBron chooses his next team. Why is LeBron's decision bothering so many people?

    The 2026 SEC Football Media Days concluded yesterday. The four-day college football "talking season" took place in Tampa, Florida, running from July 20 through July 23. Each day, head coaches and star players from various Southeastern Conference teams took the main stage to discuss the upcoming season. Yesterday, Thursday, July 23, Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, and Texas spoke with the media. What did Texas' Steve Sarkisian say about the team and upcoming season?

    If you were a betting person, who would you put your money on to win the Heisman: Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Trinidad Chambliss or Dante Moore? Is Darian Mensah in the conversation?

    16 min
  • Hump Talks GHOE 100: NC A&T Prepares For Its Biggest Homecoming Yet

    Pam, Hump and Alex discuss the NCAT's homecoming.

    GHOE, which stands for the "Greatest Homecoming on Earth," is the renowned annual homecoming celebration at North Carolina A&T State University. The 100th centennial edition will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, from October 25 to November 1, 2026, with the biggest festivities scheduled for Saturday, October 31, which also falls on Halloween. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the weeklong celebration, highlighted by the annual homecoming parade, the Aggies football game and a major hip-hop concert.

    If you were a betting person, who would you put your money on to win the Heisman: Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Trinidad Chambliss or Dante Moore? Is Darian Mensah in the conversation?

    18 min

About The Best of the Sports Shop

From the publisher's feed

The Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac: The best urban sports talk show heard weekday mornings from 7 to 10 on Buzz Sports Radio, 99.3 FM in Raleigh, NC, 96.5 FM in Durham, 99.9 HD2, and always…

More shows like The Best of the Sports Shop

Wine and Dandy by MIX 101.5 WRALFM | Raleigh, North Carolina

Wine and Dandy

25 Listeners

WRAL Doc Podcast by WRAL News | Raleigh, North Carolina

WRAL Doc Podcast

10 Listeners

The Drive with Tim Donnelly by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

The Drive with Tim Donnelly

128 Listeners

Canes Corner by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

Canes Corner

270 Listeners

919 Beer by 99.9 The Fan Podcasts | Raleigh, North Carolina

919 Beer

77 Listeners

WRAL Out & About by WRAL News | Raleigh, North Carolina

WRAL Out & About

13 Listeners

The Durham Bulls Podcast by Durham Bulls

The Durham Bulls Podcast

36 Listeners

The Four Corners Podcast by Joshua Marlow

The Four Corners Podcast

53 Listeners

The Adam Gold Show by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

The Adam Gold Show

43 Listeners

Follow the Truth by WRAL News | Raleigh, North Carolina

Follow the Truth

97 Listeners

Pack Therapy by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

Pack Therapy

71 Listeners

Never Failed: The Russell Wilson Story by Capitol Broadcasting Company

Never Failed: The Russell Wilson Story

1 Listeners

Panthers Playbook by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

Panthers Playbook

15 Listeners

Canes 25th Anniversary by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

Canes 25th Anniversary

8 Listeners

Sarah Has Questions by MIX 101.5 | Raleigh, North Carolina

Sarah Has Questions

16 Listeners

WRAL Triangle and Two by WRAL News | Raleigh, North Carolina

WRAL Triangle and Two

12 Listeners

Next Up with 99.9 The Fan by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

Next Up with 99.9 The Fan

4 Listeners

Modern Rock Group Chat by Coastal Carolina's Modern Rock 98.7 | Wilmington, NC

Modern Rock Group Chat

9 Listeners

MIX Mornings by MIX 101.5 WRALFM | Raleigh, North Carolina

MIX Mornings

10 Listeners

A Brief History of Triangle Sports by 99.9 The Fan | Raleigh, North Carolina

A Brief History of Triangle Sports

28 Listeners

Iced Tea with Meghan Lamontagne by MIX 101.5 | Raleigh, North Carolina

Iced Tea with Meghan Lamontagne

38 Listeners