The Best of the Sports Shop

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss college football action this weekend. The Tennessee Volunteers will face the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 3:30 PM ET in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium. This matchup marks the 55th meeting between these SEC rivals, with Georgia leading the all-time series 29–23–2 and having won the last eight consecutive games. The last time Tennessee beat Georgia in football was on October 1, 2016, when the Vols pulled off a dramatic Hail Mary win in Athens, 34‑31. Will Tennessee beat Georgia tomorrow.  The UNC Tar Heels football team is off to a mixed start in the 2025 season under new head coach Bill Belichick. The North Carolina Tar Heels opened with a rough 48-14 home loss to TCU and then bounced back in their second game with a 20-3 win over UNC-Charlotte, marking Belichick’s first collegiate victory. UNC is set to face the Richmond Spiders tomorrow, Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 3:30 PM ET at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pam will be in attendance (maybe). UNC aims to build momentum and confidence in this matchup against the 1-1 Richmond Spiders. Will Belichick get his first home win with the Heels? The Alabama Crimson Tide football team will host the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Alabama enters the game with a 1-1 record, coming off a dominant 73-0 victory over UL Monroe in Week 2. Unranked Wisconsin is undefeated at 2-0, but they will be without starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who is unlikely to play due to a knee sprain sustained in the season opener. Sophomore transfer Danny O'Neil is expected to start in his place. Will Alabama win?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Karida Giddings. Karida Giddings is a public policy professional and social justice advocate currently serving as the Access to Healthcare Program Coordinator at the North Carolina Black Alliance. She is leading an upcoming initiative called “Rooted in Wellness Day.” What is “Rooted in Wellness Day”?  For more information visit:  www.ncblackalliance.org  

Reese, Pam and Alex speak with Ian Parks and discuss his NFL picks for this weekend. Ian Parks from Always Bet On Black w/ Ian Parks shares his picks in the NFL. Who will win this weekend: Chicago Bears or Detroit Lions? New England Patriots or Miami Dolphins? Atlanta Falcons or Minnesota Vikings? The 1-0 Las Vegas Raiders will host the 1-0 Los Angeles Chargers Monday night at 10pm. Will Omarion Hampton record more than 57 rushing yards against the Raiders Monday night?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the Commanders loss to the Packers and if the Packers are the best team in the NFC. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Washington Commanders 27-18 last night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Quarterback Jordan Love led the way with 292 passing yards and two touchdowns, showing strong command of the offense despite missing key offensive linemen. Defensively, the Packers controlled much of the game, pressuring Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, sacking him four times and limiting Washington's offensive rhythm until the final quarter. Micah Parsons had a strong showing, managing to consistently disrupt the Commanders’ offense — notching a sack, generating multiple QB pressures, and helping force Washington’s rookie QB Jayden Daniels into uncomfortable situations. Green Bay looked in control for most of the night and continued to show promise on both sides of the ball. Are the Packers the best team in the NFC? What went wrong for the Commanders? How is Kmac feeling today?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss NC State's 3-0 record after last night's win over Wake Forest. Dave Doeren and the NC State Wolfpack defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 34-24 in a comeback win last night. Wake Forest started strong, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a 98-yard kickoff return and a big reception by Chris Barnes. However, NC State took control in the second half, shutting down the Demon Deacons' offense, which managed just two first downs and 39 total yards after halftime. Running back Hollywood Smothers led the charge for the Wolfpack with a dominant performance, rushing for 163 yards. The Wolfpack are now 3-0 and CJ Bailey has been balling. How good are the Pack this season? The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 4:25 PM ET at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The game is highly anticipated as a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, where the Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22. Kansas City is looking to bounce back after a Week 1 loss to the Chargers in Brazil, while Philadelphia enters the game with momentum after a win over the Cowboys. Who will win?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss the wave of threats targeting HBCU's.   In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States received threats that prompted lockdowns, class cancellations, and heightened security measures. Affected institutions included Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University, Southern University in Baton Rouge, Bethune‑Cookman University, and Clark Atlanta University, among others. Some of these threats were described as “terroristic” in nature. Why is this happening?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and discuss the Packers win over the Commanders and NC State's win over Wake Forest. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Washington Commanders 27-18 last night, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Quarterback Jordan Love led the way with 292 passing yards and two touchdowns, showing strong command of the offense despite missing key offensive linemen. Defensively, the Packers controlled much of the game, pressuring Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, sacking him four times and limiting Washington's offensive rhythm until the final quarter. Micah Parsons had a strong showing, managing to consistently disrupt the Commanders’ offense — notching a sack, generating multiple QB pressures, and helping force Washington’s rookie QB Jayden Daniels into uncomfortable situations. Green Bay looked in control for most of the night and continued to show promise on both sides of the ball. How good are the Packers? What went wrong for Washington? The NC State Wolfpack defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 34-24 in a comeback win last night. Wake Forest started strong, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a 98-yard kickoff return and a big reception by Chris Barnes. However, NC State took control in the second half, shutting down the Demon Deacons' offense, which managed just two first downs and 39 total yards after halftime. Running back Hollywood Smothers led the charge for the Wolfpack with a dominant performance, rushing for 163 yards. The Wolfpack are now 3-0. How good is NC State?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss Fran Brown making his players run sprints after an overtime win against UConn. After Syracuse's 27-20 overtime win against UConn on September 6, 2025, head coach Fran Brown made headlines by having his players run sprints on the field immediately after the game. Despite the victory, Brown was visibly frustrated with his team’s performance, particularly their lack of hustle and poor effort throughout much of the game. The move sparked mixed reactions — some praised Brown for holding his team accountable and demanding high standards, while others questioned the optics of punishing players after a win. Was Fran Brown in the right or in the wrong? What do you think?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the Commanders vs Packers game tonight. The Washington Commanders will face the Green Bay Packers tonight, Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Packers’ newly acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons will play his 2nd game as a Packer but this time against Washington’s offense. It will also be the first time these two teams meet on Thursday Night Football. Kmac is very confident in his Commanders. Who will win this game tonight? Reese and Kmac have a bet in place. Will Parsons record at least two sacks tonight?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Dr. Deborah Stroman. Dr. Stroman discusses the financial situation involving Kawhi Leonard, Steve Balmer, the Los Angeles Clippers, Aspiration and the NBA.

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Game Day Charlie. GameDay joins the Sports Shop to discuss NC State football ahead of their game tonight against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Kenton Gibbs. Gibbs is a cohost of the Locked on ACC Podcast. Kenton joins the Sports Shop to discuss NC State football ahead of their game tonight against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Follow Kenton: Locked On ACC or Locked on Wolfpack or on X @tgif_kenton

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss 9/11, the multiple shootings of yesterday, the Green Bay Packers, Micah Parsons and more. It is Throwback Thursday! Today is the anniversary of 9/11. What are we doing this Throwback Thursday! The Washington Commanders will face the Green Bay Packers tonight, Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Packers’ newly acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons will play his 2nd game as a Packer but this time against Washington’s offense. It will also be the first time these two teams meet on Thursday Night Football. Kmac is very confident in his Commanders. Who will win this game tonight? Reese and Kmac have a bet in place. Will Parsons record at least two sacks tonight? How good is Micah Parsons? The NC State Wolfpack will play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tonight at 7:30pm. Who will win?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the AP Top 25 College Football Poll and the Coaches Poll Top 25.

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss this year's Super Bowl contenders. Week 1 of the NFL season is done. Who are the Super Bowl contenders?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss tomorrow's Thursday night football game and the WNBA.  Caitlin Clark’s 2025 season came to an early end after she suffered a right groin injury during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun on July 15, 2025. Following the injury, Clark was sidelined and recently announced that she would not return for the remainder of the season. The official announcement came in early September 2025, confirming that she is done for the year. What else is going on in the WNBA? The Washington Commanders will face the Green Bay Packers tomorrow night, Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Packers’ newly acquired star pass rusher Micah Parsons will play his 2nd game as a Packer but this time against Washington’s offense. It will also be the first time these two teams meet on Thursday Night Football. Kmac is very confident in his Commanders. Who will win this game tomorrow night? 

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss Coach Shawn Gibbs' comments about "money games". Following a 68-7 blowout loss to UCF, North Carolina A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs candidly questioned the value of so-called "money games"—non-conference matchups where smaller programs like A&T get paid to face much larger opponents. Despite the financial benefit, Gibbs said bluntly, “I don't think it's worth it.” These games bring in vital revenue that supports athletic budgets and non-revenue sports at HBCUs, but they often come at a steep competitive and physical cost. The Aggies not only suffered a lopsided defeat but also significant injuries (losing three quarterbacks to injury during the game) that could impact the rest of their season, particularly with important conference and rivalry games ahead. Is the financial gain from money games worth the potential toll on the team’s health and season?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss NC State and UNC’s basketball schedule for the 2025-26 season. The NC State Wolfpack and North Carolina Tar Heels released their full ACC basketball schedules for the 2025-26 basketball season. What are some notable games for UNC and NC State? What challenges does Will Wade have on the schedule for his first season?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss Jalen Carter avoiding additional suspension after spitting on Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones trading Micah Parsons. Jalen Carter was not suspended beyond his immediate ejection during the Eagles' Week 1 game against the Cowboys. The incident occurred just six seconds into the season opener when Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play. The NFL ruled that the ejection would count as a one-game suspension, and Carter forfeited his Week 1 game check, amounting to approximately $57,222. He will not face any additional disciplinary action and is eligible to return for Week 2, when the Eagles face the Chiefs. Is this fair? Should Carter have been suspended for Week 2 against the Chiefs? In August 2025, Micah Parsons requested a trade from the Dallas Cowboys amid a contract dispute, stating that he no longer wanted to play for the team. Initially, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones downplayed the request, calling it part of the negotiation process. However, the situation escalated, and later that month, the Cowboys traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks (2026 and 2027). Shortly after the trade, Parsons signed a four-year, $188M contract with the Packers, including $136M guaranteed—making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Over the weekend, Parsons made his debut for Green Bay in their season-opening win over Detroit, where he notched a sack and made an immediate impact on the team’s defense. Were there better offers on the table for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the NFC North division, Carolina Panthers football and college football in the triangle. In the NFC North, both the Green Bay Packers and Minneosota Vikings are 1-0, while both the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are 0-1. Are the Detroit Lions in trouble? Who will win the NFC North division? The Jacksonville Jaguars overcame a weather delay to defeat the Carolina Panthers 26-10 over the weekend. Panthers QB Bryce Young struggled with multiple turnovers and poor execution throughout. Was Bryce Young the reason the Panthers lost? Is Dave Canales to blame for loss? The NC State Wolfpack secured a 35-31 comeback victory over Virginia over the weekend. Duke suffered a harsh 45-19 loss at home to No. 11 Illinois over the weekend. Should Duke be the favorite to win the ACC? North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick, picked up his first collegiate win with a 20-3 victory over Charlotte over the weekend. This followed a rough opener against TCU, where UNC was overwhelmed in a 48-14 loss. Can Belichick and the Tar Heels win the ACC? What are the expectations? What's going on with college football in the triangle?