September 26, 2025 • 16 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now, as promised. He's a good man. He is
a great reporter. He is the sports director, sports anchor
a WBTV. He's an institution here in Charlotte. He should
be respected as a man and as a broadcaster. But
he's also a Georgia native and a dirty Falcons fan,
and he is here to take his beating like a man.
I'm kidding, Nate Wemberley, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Brother? How are you? Man?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm good. I'm still down. I'm not gonna lie like
how much, like just utter shock were you at? Because
I saw let me say this, I was in the
postgame press conference last week, right you were sitting like
three or four rows behind me.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I think. So.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
After Dave Canalis finishes his postgame press conference, I stand up,
I walk into the Panthers locker room. I'm in there
for a couple of interviews with Shaw Smith, Wade and
Mike Jack and a few others, and I'm like, you
know what, I'm going home. I've been here all day.
So I turn around and I walk out, and I
walked through the press conference room and there's Nate sitting
like basically by himself in the fourth row. And I
left you alone. I left your loon. But how much
(00:56):
shock were you in watching that? Fle appreciation.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I appreciate you leave me alone because I was not
too happy. You know what, I really wasn't let me stop.
Some of it shocked me. The score shocked me. H.
The result didn't shock me, you know. And when I
was leaving last week, the last comment you made was about,
you know, coach Rod saying that you know, Bejon Robinson
(01:20):
is the best player in the league, hands down, And
at that point, I was like, when I heard that
on WINND, I was like, man, we don't need to
be going down, dude, you just you just had one
good game.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Chill out.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And when you know, they're coming out on the field
and Parker Romo, the kicker who just got signed, they're
booing them and he's like, hey, yeah, give it to me,
come on, get get up, get up. I'm like, dude,
I just watched you miss some kicks in pre game.
Calm down. So look the third of the nutting shocks me.
The result. After hearing I was like, yeah, they said
(01:52):
they walked right into this one. They walked right into it.
And you know, they didn't help with the game planning.
Panis out here and not throwing the wide open. It
was just a recipe for disaster, and they got exactly
what they deserve.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
How about a royal whipp it?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
How about and I want to credit Panthers fans because
I thought that it was only about seventy percent full
of last week, Let's be honest about that. However, it
was about ninety six percent Panthers fans in there, and
that made all the difference in the world. I haven't
heard the bank like that since the end of the
Steve Wilks era, probably Christmas Eve twenty twenty two or whatever.
That was right, So the fans had a reason to cheer,
(02:28):
to get loud, to do things that fans do. But then,
how about you, guys, Zach Robinson, the offensive coordinator. Well,
you guys know that's a really sleepy place to play.
Oh yeah, you look pretty sleepy on Sunday, Zach. How
about the fact that, and this ties back into the
Panthers defense. Atlanta never got past the thirty yard line
of Carolina on Sunday. Now, that's not sustainable week over
week in the NFL. But boy, this Panthers defense the
(02:50):
last game and a half has really started to come
a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, they flipped the switch a little bit there.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
They're looking a lot better, and they're doing it with
a lot of guys banged up. You know, Towark Wharton,
I mean, like man Game one he was I.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Was like, jeez, that's a good run stop. He hadn't
been playing.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
So they're pretty banged up on that side of the
ball and they're still playing well. And you know, big
shout out to Mike Jack and j C. Horn, two
of the better corners in the league right now, great contrade,
And I'm like, you know, they're they're they're playing. They
flipped the switch. Now you got to keep doing it.
And this this Patriots team is going to present some problems.
You know, Drake may would the ability to run and pass. Uh,
(03:29):
the pass catchers don't not give socks off. But Hunter
Henry to tight end, he's there leading rusher and what
I mean receiver. What do they have a problem doing
covering tight end?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Right?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So this team is going to challenge them. You know,
this Sunday's game is gonna be a real good game.
But there's no reason why this team shouldn't go up
there and get a win.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I feel yes to your point. The Patriots aren't a
great football team. We all know that, but it's a
tough place to play. And let's be honest, the last
several years, nobody counts on the Panthers going on the
road to get a win anywhere. So for this it's
huge for the organization, Yes, for the continued building and growth,
and if you believe that there's a process taking place
with Dave Canalis and Dan Morgan and Bryce Young in
(04:07):
this group, it would be so huge for this organization
and it's momentum to go up there and get a
win and come back home and not be under five
hundred for the first time and I don't even remember
how long like that.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
If they can go up there and get a win.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Not to look ahead, but boy, the game against the
Dolphins the following Sunday should be an incredible atmosphere on
the back.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Look, the thing is, and you just beat a team
thirty to nothing, and naturally no one really cares. The
whole narrative is the Falcons had a terrible play a
game plan. You know, they're running a pistol too much,
and there's nothing really talking about that. There's no one
really talking about what the Panthers actually did. It's all
about the falcons, and if they continue to do this,
(04:47):
they can change all of this. But you know, I
find that just like, man, wow, I mean, you just
shut a team out, you beat it, You just molly
whopped them and you didn't let them cross the thirty. Locally,
we're hearing that naturally, no one's no one's talking about that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, it's funny. I said the other day. I joked
that Tea's going to break. I was like, what are
the Panthers in the Indiana Hoosiers have in common? And
it's coming out of last weekend. They beat their opponents
so badly that now everybody's not even focused on who
won the game. It's how bad the losing team was. Right,
that's what we're talking about this week nationally, absolutely, and
they just mind blow. It's just mind blowing to me.
But if you go up and take care of business
(05:22):
against New England and then you come back you're two
and two, the narrative will start to change. But it's
completely on this team.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
They put themselves in this situation because they've been so
in up for many years. No one's really I mean, oh,
they won a game Okay, great, and they'll go back
to being the Panthers. Right, So, now you know you
got that they're in the process and they and they
talk about it. They're like, dude, we got to earn
this thing. There's nothing guaranteed. So you know, the team
has got the right mindset to be able to go
out there and change this whole narrative.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And that's where it starts. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
You know, fans are going to be fans regardless, but
if the team has the right mindset to be able
to change this narrative, which they do, I think that's
a very positive step.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Now I'm not going to play the entire audio clip,
it's a little bit lengthy, but yesterday after practice, Xavier
League get met with the press and he was peppered
with questions from Joe person David Newton about the hamstring,
and without saying it, he pretty much said, I feel fine,
I'm solid, the hamstring solid. I'm just doing what the
coaches are telling me to do. I'm just doing what
the coaches and trainers are telling me to do. Would
(06:18):
not say that he's too injured to play when asked repeatedly,
and it's led to a lot of speculation this week,
and it looks like he's gonna miss his second string game.
What do you make of this?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, he's out. They've already they already deemed him out.
So I really don't know what to make of this.
And you know, and I think he kind of admitted that,
you know, it's been a mental thing for him all
the way up to this point. Is this another way
of instead of just saying we're gonna flat out Benjamin
like they did Bryce Young last year? Maybe this is
(06:47):
the Bryce Young treatment, just in another fashion, like we're
gonna sit you down, just sit there, work it out
in your head, sit out here and look at what's
going on on the field, get your mental reps in,
and then we're gonna put you back out there. So
this might be that situation without them actually saying, hey,
we're gonna bench you, so you know, and I think
that's what he might need is just to get his mind.
He definitely has to get his mind right, because he's
(07:08):
already admitted once you already admitted that's a step for it.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But you know that your mind is working.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
He just needs to slow that thing down and get
i mean, look, severely gets too talent it to be
playing the way he's playing. If he gets his mind right,
everything else will take care of himself.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I do believe that.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I mean, like he's a first round draft pick for
a reason. They saw something in them. He's got talent,
and you know, it still is a mental game. You know,
you can have all the physical traits that you want,
you still got to be able to know where you
need to be and have your mindset right to be
able to catch the ball when it comes to you.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's concentration, that's mental. So you know, let's give it time.
You know, I don't. I'm not gonna.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I'm not ready to throw him out and throw him
away and say, oh he's a bus. Gotta give it time,
like with this entire team, because it's a young team,
it's a developing franchise. It's a developing program and a
franchise right now. You got to give them time. You
got to give Xal time too.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I mean, is Abum on the text line just said
it's the Bryce treatment for Excel. And there's speculation about
trades and this, that and the other, and it's like
this just might simply be exactly what they did to
Bryce last year. Sit him down, keep him out, out
of sight, out of mind for a couple of weeks,
let him regroup, and then try to bring him back
in a week or two.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
That's just not labeling as a benching. It's just an
injury and we're just gonna let them stay well.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We've certainly seen it before, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Nate Wimberley WBTV in studio with us, I wanted to
ask you this. We had a Texter also ask I
got this question for you last week too, as we
kind of look ahead to high school football tonight, some
big games on the docket. But I've gotten a question again,
what local kids are bawling out that are three four
five stars for high school that we need to be
on the lookout for. I know it's a big question,
but you know, I know, but there are guys across
(08:43):
the region that are showing out on Friday nights that
we know are committed places. I know it's a lot
of names, but just in terms of the biggest prep
high school football names that are you know, we're keeping
an eye on and monitoring each and every week.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Who would that be for you? Yeah? For me?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Off the jump, as Jamal and Nichols quarterback at West Charlotte.
I mean with every game, every week, he just continues
to get better and better and better as a soft boy.
He led them to a state championship. And now he's
really having to take another step forward because Katie Cotton,
who's committed to do has transferred out to Weddington. He
did that a couple of weeks ago in the in
the season, so now even more of a and Katie
(09:19):
kind of went to coach Grinder and said, hey, this
is Jamoor's team.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
He's going to be the leader.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He had already kind of conceded that over to Jamoory,
and he took it and ran with it. Now that
Katie's gone, he's already in that spot and he's just
his leadership is going up. His play is going up
every week, running the ball, throwing the ball. He's simply dynamic,
and he's he's gonna quickly rise up up the up,
the up the stars. Let's just call it that way
for him. So that would be the eight number one.
(09:47):
It's that's a that's a big, big, big, big, big
big question right there. But you know, Gordon Seller is
from He's committed to Clemson, but you know wide receiver,
so absolutely. So you know, we got a lot of
guys in this area that are just you know, that's low stars,
but you know they're gonna get to college and they're
gonna develop. Yeah, and then sooner or later you're gonna
(10:07):
be like, well, I didn't see that in high school,
but here they are in the pros.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Well on that thing, Providence Day team. What Lego Delaney
the left tackle also going to Clemson two. So I mean,
listen this as everybody knows, this region is rich with
college football talent. You mentioned Katie Cotton, and I go
back to week one to keep pounding classic. We found
out minutes before the game that he wasn't dressed out
that night, and as you pointed out, he's now at Weddington.
So things change quickly sometimes too. In terms of the
(10:31):
games tonight that you're keeping an eye on where you're going.
By the way, what are you spotlighting? I'm going Butler Chambers.
Both teams coming in with some losing streaks. Butler started
out two and oh they've lost three and three in
a row. Chambers started out three and oh they've lost
two in a row. Both teams are just kind of
just trying to figure themselves out. I think Chambers is
in a better position because they got Zion Haley, you know,
(10:52):
that dual threat quarterback. But you know, throwing the ball
is struggling, you know, with four interceptions and only two
days time passes. But he can't change the game with
his legs. So that's going to be a very interesting
contest right there in the first game of the MECH
Power sixth Conference tonight.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
That that conference is hands down the best in the state.
In our game of the Week is Whst. Charlotte mallac
Creek in that conference. You know, we've already talked about
jimur and Nicholas, but Mala Creek's defense is just they're
the truth. After they lost to Grayson a few weeks
ago down in Georgia sixty three to thirteen, they have
come back and beaten Myers Park twenty to thirteen, and
(11:29):
they beat Cardinal Gibbons last week twenty to sixteen. Defense,
and they run the ball and they get timely throws
when they need them. They don't ask their quarterbacks to
do a lot and they're running like a two quarterback system,
but they run the ball so much and everybody keys
that run and then Sam Cheeseboro at quarterback can just
kind of just hit it there and throw up a
pass and then you know they're off out the gates
(11:51):
and they're they're scoring with the touchdown pass. So it's
a very interesting game tonight right there.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I don't know that this one's going to be super compact,
but I am just curious Hickory at North Lincoln tonight.
The reason Smoke's ducking you and he's not here tonight
is that he's filling in as the PA announcer for
the game tonight at North Lincoln and Hickory, So listen.
Hickory's very good. I think North Lincoln struggling a little bit.
But if we can get some TV cameras up to
North Lincoln tonight just to get some Smoke audio on
the PA, that'd be great. I'd appreciate that we're not
(12:19):
gonna be You're not gonna be there, Okay, Hickory's gonna probably,
you know, even though No Lincoln.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Agy to running back is pretty good at North Licoln
but they're kind of struggling. Hickory's got a big game
next week against Maytan. The only thing that I would
say is if they're caught looking ahead because that's going
to be a game for the conference championship next week
between May and Hickory, uh And and East Lincoln as
well as in that conference. But they've got a big
game next week against mate. If they overlook North Lincoln
to night, they could get surprised. So if there's an
(12:48):
overlooking factor, there's a chance. Okay, all right now, before
we get you out of here. There was also news
it's not it doesn't feel like that time of year,
but it's very close to being the time of year
where the Charlotte Hornets re enter our collect consciousness. Yesterday,
the Hornets parted ways with Nick Smith Junior, a late
first round pick from two years ago. I had a
few people, you know, lamenting that decision or feeling like
(13:10):
it might be a questionable decision.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But I think most people just saw the writing on
the wall with everybody they brought into this backcourt this offseason.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
That's I was thinking that same thing. I was like, Man,
you're letting this guy go. I mean, like he's got talent,
and I just don't think he got the I just
don't I think he's gonna go somewhere.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
He's gonna flourish in this league. He's gonna go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
He's gonna latch onto somebody else, and he's gonna be
a good six man off the bench for another team.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
But because they.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Signed and drafted and traded for so many guards, there's
only so many spots that you can can have on
the team, So you know, he's just the odd man out.
But I think we're gonna look down the road and
we're gonna be like, Wow, we had Nick Smith Jr.
And now he's out here doing it with X or
whatever team there is gonna be. I think it's gonna be,
but you can't really be mad. Because of the dishes
(13:58):
that they made this year. He has to go and
it's just NSJA right now. Yeah, I hate it, though
I really think he's a good player. He'll be a
good player.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I don't disagree with that.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
I've said a couple of times that I could absolutely
see us looking up in six months and feeling like, oh,
we probably shouldn't have let him go. But at the
same time, there hasn't been any massive jump in development
since he's been here, and he has had the minutes,
especially with all the injuries last.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Year, he did.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, you know, you know, nine points per game in
career high last year. But you know, I think it
just I don't know if it was just ready to
click here, but I think it's going to click somewhere.
And there's tons of examples of that in this league.
I mean, it happens all the time in sports. You know,
it doesn't work here, Baker Mayfield didn't work, didn't work
at Cleveland, didn't work in Carolina, went to Temple. Now
(14:41):
look at him, and I think, you know, a news
news scenery, new scenery is going to be good for NSJA,
and we're gonna look back and be like, eh, maybe
we should have kept him. But like I said, you
can't be mad at it because of the numbers of guards.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
It's simple.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's LaMelo, Brandon Miller, Collin Sexton, Trey Man, kN Ka Nipple,
Like where of the minutes come from. They're just simply
not there. Uh, And they probably have another, you know,
another cut to make. I don't know that Pat Connaton
makes this team, if I'm being honest with you, I
don't know. With the additions of Canipple and Liam McNeely, Like,
I just don't know if Pat Connaton actually has a
(15:16):
place on this roster by the time the season rolls around.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I know he's a vet.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I know he's had a nice run of the NBA,
but his numbers have dropped off a little bit. And
you've got some younger guys who you think are gonna
be and become what he has been in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, man, are we sure about Man's back?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I guess we can never be sure about it.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
That's That's where I'm like, Okay, we're there. I love
all the moves they made this offseason. I love them,
you know something something, And I think they've protected themselves
against LaMelo getting hurt. I think if LaMelo gets hurt,
kind of sex and should come in And they've done
things that can, you know, mitigate the fact that if
you lose somebody, you might be able to still hang
(15:58):
in here. And that's what I love all the moves
they've done, and you know, but I don't know, I
really want to see Pat Conton in the Hornets uniform
uniform this year and see what he can do.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Since you mentioned Baker, how about the gall of that guy?
Like I was just singing his praises a couple of
days ago. Then he comes out and blames Steve Wilkes
for getting him cut in Carolina, and it's like, hey, buddy,
the internet exists. I mean, there's a dozen other articles
reporting that you requested your release when you were here.
And then Steve Wilkes comes out earlier today I think
it was and says I'm pretty sure interim coaches don't
have that much say in personnel because if they did,
(16:31):
I would have never cut our best player career, would
have never traded our best player, Christian McCaffrey. So I
think Steve wins that one. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, Noah, this
was fun, buddy. Hey, y, you handled it well as
I figured you would. Look, I'm a realist. I'm a
real Falcons fan. When they think they stink, and they
stunk stunk. But I'm going down to Atlanta to go
(16:52):
see him play wise.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Okay, there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
He's he's not jumping off the wagon yet, but we'll
see you next Friday.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
I have a good weekend on
Right now, as promised. He's a good man. He is
a great reporter. He is the sports director, sports anchor
a WBTV. He's an institution here in Charlotte. He should
be respected as a man and as a broadcaster. But
he's also a Georgia native and a dirty Falcons fan,
and he is here to take his beating like a man.
I'm kidding, Nate Wemberley, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Brother? How are you? Man?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm good. I'm still down. I'm not gonna lie like
how much, like just utter shock were you at? Because
I saw let me say this, I was in the
postgame press conference last week, right you were sitting like
three or four rows behind me.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I think. So.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
After Dave Canalis finishes his postgame press conference, I stand up,
I walk into the Panthers locker room. I'm in there
for a couple of interviews with Shaw Smith, Wade and
Mike Jack and a few others, and I'm like, you
know what, I'm going home. I've been here all day.
So I turn around and I walk out, and I
walked through the press conference room and there's Nate sitting
like basically by himself in the fourth row. And I
left you alone. I left your loon. But how much
(00:56):
shock were you in watching that? Fle appreciation.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I appreciate you leave me alone because I was not
too happy. You know what, I really wasn't let me stop.
Some of it shocked me. The score shocked me. H.
The result didn't shock me, you know. And when I
was leaving last week, the last comment you made was about,
you know, coach Rod saying that you know, Bejon Robinson
(01:20):
is the best player in the league, hands down, And
at that point, I was like, when I heard that
on WINND, I was like, man, we don't need to
be going down, dude, you just you just had one
good game.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Chill out.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And when you know, they're coming out on the field
and Parker Romo, the kicker who just got signed, they're
booing them and he's like, hey, yeah, give it to me,
come on, get get up, get up. I'm like, dude,
I just watched you miss some kicks in pre game.
Calm down. So look the third of the nutting shocks me.
The result. After hearing I was like, yeah, they said
(01:52):
they walked right into this one. They walked right into it.
And you know, they didn't help with the game planning.
Panis out here and not throwing the wide open. It
was just a recipe for disaster, and they got exactly
what they deserve.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
How about a royal whipp it?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
How about and I want to credit Panthers fans because
I thought that it was only about seventy percent full
of last week, Let's be honest about that. However, it
was about ninety six percent Panthers fans in there, and
that made all the difference in the world. I haven't
heard the bank like that since the end of the
Steve Wilks era, probably Christmas Eve twenty twenty two or whatever.
That was right, So the fans had a reason to cheer,
(02:28):
to get loud, to do things that fans do. But then,
how about you, guys, Zach Robinson, the offensive coordinator. Well,
you guys know that's a really sleepy place to play.
Oh yeah, you look pretty sleepy on Sunday, Zach. How
about the fact that, and this ties back into the
Panthers defense. Atlanta never got past the thirty yard line
of Carolina on Sunday. Now, that's not sustainable week over
week in the NFL. But boy, this Panthers defense the
(02:50):
last game and a half has really started to come
a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, they flipped the switch a little bit there.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
They're looking a lot better, and they're doing it with
a lot of guys banged up. You know, Towark Wharton,
I mean, like man Game one he was I.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Was like, jeez, that's a good run stop. He hadn't
been playing.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
So they're pretty banged up on that side of the
ball and they're still playing well. And you know, big
shout out to Mike Jack and j C. Horn, two
of the better corners in the league right now, great contrade,
And I'm like, you know, they're they're they're playing. They
flipped the switch. Now you got to keep doing it.
And this this Patriots team is going to present some problems.
You know, Drake may would the ability to run and pass. Uh,
(03:29):
the pass catchers don't not give socks off. But Hunter
Henry to tight end, he's there leading rusher and what
I mean receiver. What do they have a problem doing
covering tight end?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Right?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
So this team is going to challenge them. You know,
this Sunday's game is gonna be a real good game.
But there's no reason why this team shouldn't go up
there and get a win.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I feel yes to your point. The Patriots aren't a
great football team. We all know that, but it's a
tough place to play. And let's be honest, the last
several years, nobody counts on the Panthers going on the
road to get a win anywhere. So for this it's
huge for the organization, Yes, for the continued building and growth,
and if you believe that there's a process taking place
with Dave Canalis and Dan Morgan and Bryce Young in
(04:07):
this group, it would be so huge for this organization
and it's momentum to go up there and get a
win and come back home and not be under five
hundred for the first time and I don't even remember
how long like that.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
If they can go up there and get a win.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Not to look ahead, but boy, the game against the
Dolphins the following Sunday should be an incredible atmosphere on
the back.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Look, the thing is, and you just beat a team
thirty to nothing, and naturally no one really cares. The
whole narrative is the Falcons had a terrible play a
game plan. You know, they're running a pistol too much,
and there's nothing really talking about that. There's no one
really talking about what the Panthers actually did. It's all
about the falcons, and if they continue to do this,
(04:47):
they can change all of this. But you know, I
find that just like, man, wow, I mean, you just
shut a team out, you beat it, You just molly
whopped them and you didn't let them cross the thirty. Locally,
we're hearing that naturally, no one's no one's talking about that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, it's funny. I said the other day. I joked
that Tea's going to break. I was like, what are
the Panthers in the Indiana Hoosiers have in common? And
it's coming out of last weekend. They beat their opponents
so badly that now everybody's not even focused on who
won the game. It's how bad the losing team was. Right,
that's what we're talking about this week nationally, absolutely, and
they just mind blow. It's just mind blowing to me.
But if you go up and take care of business
(05:22):
against New England and then you come back you're two
and two, the narrative will start to change. But it's
completely on this team.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
They put themselves in this situation because they've been so
in up for many years. No one's really I mean, oh,
they won a game Okay, great, and they'll go back
to being the Panthers. Right, So, now you know you
got that they're in the process and they and they
talk about it. They're like, dude, we got to earn
this thing. There's nothing guaranteed. So you know, the team
has got the right mindset to be able to go
out there and change this whole narrative.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And that's where it starts. You know.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
You know, fans are going to be fans regardless, but
if the team has the right mindset to be able
to change this narrative, which they do, I think that's
a very positive step.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Now I'm not going to play the entire audio clip,
it's a little bit lengthy, but yesterday after practice, Xavier
League get met with the press and he was peppered
with questions from Joe person David Newton about the hamstring,
and without saying it, he pretty much said, I feel fine,
I'm solid, the hamstring solid. I'm just doing what the
coaches are telling me to do. I'm just doing what
the coaches and trainers are telling me to do. Would
(06:18):
not say that he's too injured to play when asked repeatedly,
and it's led to a lot of speculation this week,
and it looks like he's gonna miss his second string game.
What do you make of this?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, he's out. They've already they already deemed him out.
So I really don't know what to make of this.
And you know, and I think he kind of admitted that,
you know, it's been a mental thing for him all
the way up to this point. Is this another way
of instead of just saying we're gonna flat out Benjamin
like they did Bryce Young last year? Maybe this is
(06:47):
the Bryce Young treatment, just in another fashion, like we're
gonna sit you down, just sit there, work it out
in your head, sit out here and look at what's
going on on the field, get your mental reps in,
and then we're gonna put you back out there. So
this might be that situation without them actually saying, hey,
we're gonna bench you, so you know, and I think
that's what he might need is just to get his mind.
He definitely has to get his mind right, because he's
(07:08):
already admitted once you already admitted that's a step for it.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
But you know that your mind is working.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
He just needs to slow that thing down and get
i mean, look, severely gets too talent it to be
playing the way he's playing. If he gets his mind right,
everything else will take care of himself.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I do believe that.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
I mean, like he's a first round draft pick for
a reason. They saw something in them. He's got talent,
and you know, it still is a mental game. You know,
you can have all the physical traits that you want,
you still got to be able to know where you
need to be and have your mindset right to be
able to catch the ball when it comes to you.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's concentration, that's mental. So you know, let's give it time.
You know, I don't. I'm not gonna.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I'm not ready to throw him out and throw him
away and say, oh he's a bus. Gotta give it time,
like with this entire team, because it's a young team,
it's a developing franchise. It's a developing program and a
franchise right now. You got to give them time. You
got to give Xal time too.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I mean, is Abum on the text line just said
it's the Bryce treatment for Excel. And there's speculation about
trades and this, that and the other, and it's like
this just might simply be exactly what they did to
Bryce last year. Sit him down, keep him out, out
of sight, out of mind for a couple of weeks,
let him regroup, and then try to bring him back
in a week or two.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
That's just not labeling as a benching. It's just an
injury and we're just gonna let them stay well.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
We've certainly seen it before, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Nate Wimberley WBTV in studio with us, I wanted to
ask you this. We had a Texter also ask I
got this question for you last week too, as we
kind of look ahead to high school football tonight, some
big games on the docket. But I've gotten a question again,
what local kids are bawling out that are three four
five stars for high school that we need to be
on the lookout for. I know it's a big question,
but you know, I know, but there are guys across
(08:43):
the region that are showing out on Friday nights that
we know are committed places. I know it's a lot
of names, but just in terms of the biggest prep
high school football names that are you know, we're keeping
an eye on and monitoring each and every week.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Who would that be for you? Yeah? For me?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Off the jump, as Jamal and Nichols quarterback at West Charlotte.
I mean with every game, every week, he just continues
to get better and better and better as a soft boy.
He led them to a state championship. And now he's
really having to take another step forward because Katie Cotton,
who's committed to do has transferred out to Weddington. He
did that a couple of weeks ago in the in
the season, so now even more of a and Katie
(09:19):
kind of went to coach Grinder and said, hey, this
is Jamoor's team.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
He's going to be the leader.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He had already kind of conceded that over to Jamoory,
and he took it and ran with it. Now that
Katie's gone, he's already in that spot and he's just
his leadership is going up. His play is going up
every week, running the ball, throwing the ball. He's simply dynamic,
and he's he's gonna quickly rise up up the up,
the up the stars. Let's just call it that way
for him. So that would be the eight number one.
(09:47):
It's that's a that's a big, big, big, big, big
big question right there. But you know, Gordon Seller is
from He's committed to Clemson, but you know wide receiver,
so absolutely. So you know, we got a lot of
guys in this area that are just you know, that's low stars,
but you know they're gonna get to college and they're
gonna develop. Yeah, and then sooner or later you're gonna
(10:07):
be like, well, I didn't see that in high school,
but here they are in the pros.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Well on that thing, Providence Day team. What Lego Delaney
the left tackle also going to Clemson two. So I mean,
listen this as everybody knows, this region is rich with
college football talent. You mentioned Katie Cotton, and I go
back to week one to keep pounding classic. We found
out minutes before the game that he wasn't dressed out
that night, and as you pointed out, he's now at Weddington.
So things change quickly sometimes too. In terms of the
(10:31):
games tonight that you're keeping an eye on where you're going.
By the way, what are you spotlighting? I'm going Butler Chambers.
Both teams coming in with some losing streaks. Butler started
out two and oh they've lost three and three in
a row. Chambers started out three and oh they've lost
two in a row. Both teams are just kind of
just trying to figure themselves out. I think Chambers is
in a better position because they got Zion Haley, you know,
(10:52):
that dual threat quarterback. But you know, throwing the ball
is struggling, you know, with four interceptions and only two
days time passes. But he can't change the game with
his legs. So that's going to be a very interesting
contest right there in the first game of the MECH
Power sixth Conference tonight.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
That that conference is hands down the best in the state.
In our game of the Week is Whst. Charlotte mallac
Creek in that conference. You know, we've already talked about
jimur and Nicholas, but Mala Creek's defense is just they're
the truth. After they lost to Grayson a few weeks
ago down in Georgia sixty three to thirteen, they have
come back and beaten Myers Park twenty to thirteen, and
(11:29):
they beat Cardinal Gibbons last week twenty to sixteen. Defense,
and they run the ball and they get timely throws
when they need them. They don't ask their quarterbacks to
do a lot and they're running like a two quarterback system,
but they run the ball so much and everybody keys
that run and then Sam Cheeseboro at quarterback can just
kind of just hit it there and throw up a
pass and then you know they're off out the gates
(11:51):
and they're they're scoring with the touchdown pass. So it's
a very interesting game tonight right there.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I don't know that this one's going to be super compact,
but I am just curious Hickory at North Lincoln tonight.
The reason Smoke's ducking you and he's not here tonight
is that he's filling in as the PA announcer for
the game tonight at North Lincoln and Hickory, So listen.
Hickory's very good. I think North Lincoln struggling a little bit.
But if we can get some TV cameras up to
North Lincoln tonight just to get some Smoke audio on
the PA, that'd be great. I'd appreciate that we're not
(12:19):
gonna be You're not gonna be there, Okay, Hickory's gonna probably,
you know, even though No Lincoln.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Agy to running back is pretty good at North Licoln
but they're kind of struggling. Hickory's got a big game
next week against Maytan. The only thing that I would
say is if they're caught looking ahead because that's going
to be a game for the conference championship next week
between May and Hickory, uh And and East Lincoln as
well as in that conference. But they've got a big
game next week against mate. If they overlook North Lincoln
to night, they could get surprised. So if there's an
(12:48):
overlooking factor, there's a chance. Okay, all right now, before
we get you out of here. There was also news
it's not it doesn't feel like that time of year,
but it's very close to being the time of year
where the Charlotte Hornets re enter our collect consciousness. Yesterday,
the Hornets parted ways with Nick Smith Junior, a late
first round pick from two years ago. I had a
few people, you know, lamenting that decision or feeling like
(13:10):
it might be a questionable decision.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But I think most people just saw the writing on
the wall with everybody they brought into this backcourt this offseason.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
That's I was thinking that same thing. I was like, Man,
you're letting this guy go. I mean, like he's got talent,
and I just don't think he got the I just
don't I think he's gonna go somewhere.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
He's gonna flourish in this league. He's gonna go somewhere.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
He's gonna latch onto somebody else, and he's gonna be
a good six man off the bench for another team.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
But because they.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Signed and drafted and traded for so many guards, there's
only so many spots that you can can have on
the team, So you know, he's just the odd man out.
But I think we're gonna look down the road and
we're gonna be like, Wow, we had Nick Smith Jr.
And now he's out here doing it with X or
whatever team there is gonna be. I think it's gonna be,
but you can't really be mad. Because of the dishes
(13:58):
that they made this year. He has to go and
it's just NSJA right now. Yeah, I hate it, though
I really think he's a good player. He'll be a
good player.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
I don't disagree with that.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
I've said a couple of times that I could absolutely
see us looking up in six months and feeling like, oh,
we probably shouldn't have let him go. But at the
same time, there hasn't been any massive jump in development
since he's been here, and he has had the minutes,
especially with all the injuries last.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Year, he did.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, you know, you know, nine points per game in
career high last year. But you know, I think it
just I don't know if it was just ready to
click here, but I think it's going to click somewhere.
And there's tons of examples of that in this league.
I mean, it happens all the time in sports. You know,
it doesn't work here, Baker Mayfield didn't work, didn't work
at Cleveland, didn't work in Carolina, went to Temple. Now
(14:41):
look at him, and I think, you know, a news
news scenery, new scenery is going to be good for NSJA,
and we're gonna look back and be like, eh, maybe
we should have kept him. But like I said, you
can't be mad at it because of the numbers of guards.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
It's simple.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's LaMelo, Brandon Miller, Collin Sexton, Trey Man, kN Ka Nipple,
Like where of the minutes come from. They're just simply
not there. Uh, And they probably have another, you know,
another cut to make. I don't know that Pat Connaton
makes this team, if I'm being honest with you, I
don't know. With the additions of Canipple and Liam McNeely, Like,
I just don't know if Pat Connaton actually has a
(15:16):
place on this roster by the time the season rolls around.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I know he's a vet.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I know he's had a nice run of the NBA,
but his numbers have dropped off a little bit. And
you've got some younger guys who you think are gonna
be and become what he has been in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, man, are we sure about Man's back?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I guess we can never be sure about it.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
That's That's where I'm like, Okay, we're there. I love
all the moves they made this offseason. I love them,
you know something something, And I think they've protected themselves
against LaMelo getting hurt. I think if LaMelo gets hurt,
kind of sex and should come in And they've done
things that can, you know, mitigate the fact that if
you lose somebody, you might be able to still hang
(15:58):
in here. And that's what I love all the moves
they've done, and you know, but I don't know, I
really want to see Pat Conton in the Hornets uniform
uniform this year and see what he can do.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Since you mentioned Baker, how about the gall of that guy?
Like I was just singing his praises a couple of
days ago. Then he comes out and blames Steve Wilkes
for getting him cut in Carolina, and it's like, hey, buddy,
the internet exists. I mean, there's a dozen other articles
reporting that you requested your release when you were here.
And then Steve Wilkes comes out earlier today I think
it was and says I'm pretty sure interim coaches don't
have that much say in personnel because if they did,
(16:31):
I would have never cut our best player career, would
have never traded our best player, Christian McCaffrey. So I
think Steve wins that one. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, Noah, this
was fun, buddy. Hey, y, you handled it well as
I figured you would. Look, I'm a realist. I'm a
real Falcons fan. When they think they stink, and they
stunk stunk. But I'm going down to Atlanta to go
(16:52):
see him play wise.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Okay, there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
He's he's not jumping off the wagon yet, but we'll
see you next Friday.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
I have a good weekend on
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