Advertise on podcast: Adam Cheek's Sports Week

I got the chance to talk with Denny Hamlin for an extensive Richmond Magazine feature article; this episode is in partnership with the publication, featuring an extended version of the interview. Denny Hamlin is a Chesterfield native, a 64-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, a 20-year veteran of the series and co-owner of 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan; I have covered stock car racing for a decade and he has become more and more a face of the sport. I talked with him about coming to Richmond Raceway, where he's won five times in Cup, and his racing origins in Virginia. We also talked about continuing his quest for his first NASCAR Cup Series title despite coming up short in the past, and how he's continued competing at an elite level well into his mid-forties. Denny also took me through his mindset after a tragic offseason, how he refocused for 2026 and much more. You can read this story online here or find copies of Richmond Magazine's October 2026 issue, featuring this interview, in stores now! ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

After VCU men's basketball made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament under head coach Phil Martelli Jr. in his first year, the Rams retained seven players and aim to make an even deeper March Madness run -- and I sat down with the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Zach Joachim and WVCW Sports' Ben Rekosh to talk all things Black and Gold hoops before the 2026-27 season gets underway. With about 25 years of covering VCU sports between us, Zach, Ben and I sat down after the Black and Gold game/scrimmage in early October to get some early reactions and preview things. VCU brought back the likes of Nyk Lewis, Lazar Djokovic, Brandon Jennings and others; we talk about the roster, some of the new players, bringing back the staff, how the team looked and much more. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

As many of you know, I used to do a lot of radio work at VCU (sports and otherwise). Included in the latter was the show Cinemania, which I did with my friends Brandon Shillingford, Landon Roberts and Sam Goodrich. So I reunited the group for this episode of the Sports Movie Showcase! We talk all things Challengers, released in 2024 and starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor. The movie is about much more than just tennis, so we get into tennis as a metaphor and what it means in the larger structure of Luca Guadagnino's arguably most-accessible film. The four of us also talk about the performances, the incredible Reznor/Ross score and how the tennis scenes are executed, right down to the insane ball POV shots during the final match. Plus, we talk about how well it portrays the love triangle between the three main characters. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

As has become yearly tradition, so great to catch up with Marc "Cheats" Cheatham -- of The Black Baseball Mixtape -- to talk MLB and postseason baseball! We break down the wild-card matchups first, discussing if my Cubs can make a run against the Padres, if the Braves are being somewhat slept on and if the Chicago White Sox can keep their dream season alive. We also talk about the marquee Yankees-Red Sox rivalry series matchup in the American League, as well as how underwhelming the AL has been all year compared to the National League. Cheats and I also get into how difficult it will be for any teams to get past the Rays, Dodgers and Brewers and if anyone *can* do that. In addition to playoff baseball, Cheats and I also talk about our favorite storylines and moments from the 2026 MLB season, along with our thoughts on the first year of CarMax Park in Richmond -- from the Flying Squirrels' playoff run to the new ballpark as a whole. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

It's been a minute since I last talked with any Richmond-area musicians, but I got to sit down with Eric Sites -- frontman of Virginia band Madly Backwards -- and talk about a ton of different stuff! Eric takes me through his history with music and explains what he calls "denim jacket rock," along with how he's seen the Richmond music scene evolve and some of his favorite places to play in the city. We also dive deep into how much we love Warren Zevon, as well as Zevon's influences on Eric's music, and what Madly Backwards has coming up in the near future. Eric's also a huge fan of the Flying Squirrels, Kickers and Ivy, so we talk about RVA sports a bit too. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

I have no idea if anyone will actually listen to this, but on my drive home from Richmond International Airport at like 1am, I figured I'd yap about my trip to Seattle because why not (also I was half delirious from the delayed flight at that point). I visited the city for the main reason of attending the Seattle Seahawks' home opener (and the kickoff to the 2026 NFL season, hence the sports focus here). As a Hawks fan who missed their visits to DC and Carolina last year, I decided to be with my fellow 12s in the loudest house in the league as their Super Bowl LX defense begins -- and it was one of the single most incredible experiences and easily my favorite sporting event I've ever been to. Along with Lumen Field, I also caught a Mariners game at T-Mobile Park, which is my fifth ballpark visited and a really neat ballpark; Jacob deGrom and Logan Gilbert pitched spectacularly until some similarly spectacular offense kicked the game into gear. I also briefly talked about my visits to the Space Needle and the Museum of Pop Culture, which were also incredibly cool. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

As the podcast crosses the 100-hours-recorded (!) mark, I'm joined once again by Alex Soderstrom and his girlfriend Karah to talk about The Game Plan, released in 2007 and starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. We talk about the dynamic between The Rock and Madison Pettis in the movie, along with how it stands with some of the other sports comedies of the mid-to-late 2000s (and how there used to be more comedies overall). We also go over The Rock's career and how it's evolved, along with how football plays into the film's plot and how it's surprisingly funny at times. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

After spending 2005-2011 in Major League Baseball, closer Chris Ray opened Center of the Universe Brewing near Ashland. I got the chance to visit COTU and sit down with the MLB veteran to talk about his career and post-baseball focus. Chris became a World Series champion in 2010 with the San Francisco Giants, but spent most of his career with the Orioles; I talked with him about his path through baseball up to getting drafted by Baltimore, along with what his first times out on the field at Camden Yards were like, his path to recovery from Tommy John surgery and how he strategized closing out games. In 2010, Ray was part of the trade that sent Bengie Molina to the Rangers and sparked "will he get a ring" conversations when the two teams faced off in the World Series, so I also asked him about that and what the playoff run was like. We also talk about when he realized his career was winding down and how he got into brewing beer, along with how he and his brother worked towards opening Center of the Universe Brewing nearly 15 years ago. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

The second of two "from the archives" episodes this summer -- a throwback interview I did back in 2022 with actor Forrest Vickery, who played Billy "Coma" Johnson in the 2016 Richard Linklater baseball film Everybody Wants Some!!. This was part of a series I wanted to do with actors from the cast, sort of an oral history of the movie, but never got around to publishing. I also interviewed Temple Baker in 2022, which I posted last month; I also talked with Will Brittain more recently in the spring about making the film. Forrest takes me behind the scenes about getting the role as Coma and how the production unfolded, including his background in baseball; working with a cast that included Glen Powell, Zoey Deutch and Wyatt Russell; how Linklater brought a 1980s Texas college town to life; and some of his favorite memories from the production. EWS!! is one of my favorite baseball movies, so I continue to hope putting this together in the coming months! ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

NASCAR visited Richmond Raceway for its lone race weekend in 2026, and I was on the ground (42,000 steps' worth) covering all the Cup and Truck Series action for Richmond Magazine. My Frontstretch compatriot Michael Massie was there for the website, so we talk about everything that went down as the track celebrated its 80th anniversary. Kaden Honeycutt dominated a truck race that featured seven Virginia drivers in the field, including veteran Elliott Sadler, trailblazer Dystany Spurlock and -- making his first-ever start -- Tristan McKee. On the Cup side, Joey Logano won and kept racking up points as Ryan Blaney faded late and Chase Briscoe couldn't close a dominant evening. We also talk about the points outlook as both series near their respective Chase cutoffs, and who we expect to contend as we get closer to the postseason. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

With the VCU basketball season -- and Gold Rush auditions -- rapidly approaching, I sat down with Yvahn Karp, the new co-director of the dance team, to talk about everything that goes into a season for them and her new role coaching the entire squad. Yvhan -- who is a VCU grad, Gold Rush alum, owner of Reya Beauty and former Richmond Roughriders dancer -- takes me through her time at VCU as a student/Gold Rush member and eventually an assistant coach with the team. We then talk about longtime coach Vicki Wells' retirement from the Gold Rush and how she passed the torch to Yvahn and Christian Robb last season; both will serve as co-directors for the 2026-27 campaign. Dancers are athletes as much as the guys on the court at these games, so Yvahn also discusses how the art form has evolved since her time on the sidelines and how the Siegel Center atmosphere continues to get even better over time. She also talks about her memories from Rams basketball games, the audition process, choreographing routines and more! ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

For the to-the-day 20th anniversary of the film, I sit down with my buddy Alex Soderstrom to reflect on Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The Will Ferrell comedy was part of a big summer for NASCAR on the big screen, along with Cars a couple months prior, in 2006. We talk about how Talladega Nights approaches satirizing NASCAR and how it's aged over the two decades since its release, along with the racing action (including involvement from tons of actual drivers and people involved with the sport) and how it represents that 2000s era of NASCAR. Alex and I also go over the sequence of Ferrell-McKay and Ferrell-John C. Reilly team-ups during the 2000s, along with Ferrell's run of sports comedies from 2005-2008. It's also one of the most quotable comedies of its era; the cast is complemented by a great supporting group including Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Bibb and Michael Clarke Duncan; and has a lasting legacy of references and schemes in NASCAR. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

I caught up with one of my favorite recurring guests, Richmond Flying Squirrels manager Dennis Pelfrey, in the home dugout at CarMax Park this summer. Pelf led the Squirrels to a first-half championship in the Eastern League Southwest Division, clinching a playoff spot thanks to a 40-20 record (and a franchise-record 10-game win streak in April). Pelf also talks about what it meant to be invited back as manager for another year, along with some of the biggest differences between managing at The Diamond and CarMax Park. He also talks about the team's "controllers of chaos" approach to the season, some memorable 2026 moments and his favorite spots in RVA. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

Jason Boleman returns for another edition of the Sports Movie Showcase, this time for another racing-themed feature: Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann and released in 2023. This comes on the heels of marathoning all of Mann's films this summer -- Ferrari is the most recent film from the director of Heat, Thief, Manhunter, Collateral and much more. We talk about Mann's style of filming and how the film depicts both Enzo Ferrari's personal and professional lives, with the latter centered around the 1957 Mille Miglia and the horrific crash that ended the event as it existed around that time. Jason and I also discuss the cast, which includes Adam Driver as Enzo and a phenomenal performance from Penelope Cruz as his wife Laura, and how the racing scenes are beautifully staged along the Italian countryside. ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco

The first of two episodes "from the archives" this summer -- a throwback interview I did way back in 2022 with actor Temple Baker, who played Tyrone "Plum" Plummer in the 2016 Richard Linklater baseball film Everybody Wants Some!!. This was part of a series I wanted to do with actors from the cast, sort of an oral history of the movie, but never got around to publishing. I also interviewed Forrest Vickery in 2022, which I'll post next month; I talked with Will Brittain more recently in the spring about making the film. Temple talks about how getting the role as Plum came about in the movie and takes us behind the scenes of the production: from how much baseball the guys played on set and working with the cast to how Linklater brought a 1980s college town to life and some of his favorite memories from the film. EWS!! is one of my favorite baseball movies, so I continue to hope putting this together in the coming months! ------------------------- Original intro/outro music created by Christina von Claparede-Crola and Justin Paciocco