Street Knowledge With Chris Graham

The UVA Basketball team, which has lost its last five, and is 1-6 in the ACC, gets Boston College, which has lost its last four, and is 1-6 in the ACC, in JPJ on Tuesday night. The only reason this one is on TV – ACC Network, 7 p.m. ET – is because every game is on TV in this day and age. True story: my wife gave up her season tickets this season (we might have anticipated … something), so she buys single-games each time out. The gamble: that she’d get ‘em cheaper than what we’d pay for the season tickets plus VAF donation. The price for her tickets in the 300s for this one: 80 cents each. Even with fees, she’s out eight bucks for two tickets. My, how the mighty have fallen. Still, I feel worse for the BC folks, because that program has had three winning seasons since cutting bait with Al Skinner (247-165 in 13 seasons there) way back in 2010. Earl Grant got the Eagles into the NIT last season, but he lost Quinten Post to the G League, Claudell Harris to Mississippi State, Jaeden Zackery to Clemson, Devin McG

The reactions to the news that UVA President Jim Ryan has finalized an extension with Athletics Director Carla Williams that includes a substantial raise for Williams aren’t trending in a good direction. Fans and alums are in meltdown mode on social media over a raise for an AD whose football and men’s basketball programs are in free-fall. Meanwhile, the blowback at the highest levels is on Ryan, involving the part about the substantial raise. “The Board of Visitors Executive Committee approved an extension of her contract last June before football

The UVA Basketball program has taken up residence on the Left Coast, with a two-game road trip to new ACC members Cal and Stanford. The 75-61 loss to Cal on Wednesday revealed more in the way of warts for the ‘Hoos, who were awful on offense, and worse on defense. Interim coach Ron Sanchez, for his part, seems at a loss for answers. It’s feeling like a lost season for Virginia fans. Stories covered in this podcast A not good Cal team dominated Virginia: The writing is officially on the wall UVA Basketball: Tony Bennett didn’t do his buddy Ron Sanchez any favors UVA Basketball: Staff frustration with Christian Bliss bubbling to the surface UVA Basketball: Ron Sanchez has a Dai Dai Ames problem  

AEW finally played the back half of the home-and-home with New Japan, sending a handful of stars to Tokyo last week for “Wrestle Dynasty.” I had resident #TeamAFP AEW beat writer Ray Petree on for our weekly wrestling podcast, and the relationship between AEW and NJPW was a focal point. Among the discussion points: Kenny Omega made his in-ring return at “Wrestle Dynasty,” an interesting choice, given that AEW is where he makes a tony of money. Despite telling the AEW audience on this week’s “Dynamite” that he may never again be the Kenny Omega of old, Omega was, pretty much, the Kenny Omega of old in his match with Gabe Kidd. We’re told that NJPW suspended commentator Chris Charlton for his comments during the Omega-Kidd match directed at Tony Khan and AEW’s booking of former New Japan stars. One way to look at this: there’s a strain in the relationship between the companies. Which would make sense from New Japan’s perspective, since AEW raided the top of its roster. But why would AEW have an issue going for

UVA Basketball gets Louisville on Saturday in JPJ, with the Cardinals fresh off a 13-point win over North Carolina. In this podcast, we preview the UVA-Louisville matchup, with updates on the status of point guards Dai Dai Ames and Christian Bliss, and we get a glimpse into the thinking of interim coach Ron Sanchez, with every game, at this point, being a must-win. Online Preview: What UVA Basketball fans need to know about Louisville UVA Basketball: Updates on point guards Christian Bliss, Dante Harris UVA Basketball: Ron Sanchez not focused on what happens ‘three months from now’

The UVA Basketball team hosts NC State on New Year’s Eve in the ACC home opener for the ‘Hoos, with a lot on the line, including, apparently, the job prospects of interim head coach Ron Sanchez. I’m overstating that, as I discuss in this podcast – the writing is on the wall as far as the coaching search is concerned. We go into that, and also get into the weeds on the odd story coming out of Tallahassee regarding a suit filed against FSU Basketball coach Leonard Hamilton over NIL payments. ICYMI UVA Basketball: Our first dive into the pool of guys who could be the next head coach Preview: What UVA Basketball fans need to know about NC State Suit: FSU Basketball team threatened to boycott Duke game over NIL payments

AEW has had a nice run of shows as lead-ins to Saturday night’s “World’s End” pay-per-view, which will feature the semifinals and final of the Continental Classic and a four-way match for the AEW world championship. I had #TeamAFP resident AEW beat writer Ray Petree on the podcast today to review this week’s “Collision” and “Dynamite,” as the basis of us then trying to forecast the eight-match “World’s End” card. The card: MJF vs. Adam Cole for possession of the Dynamite Diamond Ring AEW International Title match: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs TBS Title match: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Kris Statlander Continental Classic Semifinal: Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher Continental Classic Semifinal: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Ricochet Continental Classic Final: winners of Ospreay/Fletcher and Okada/Ricochet AEW Women’s World Title match/Tijuana Street Fight rules: Mariah May (c) vs. Thunder Rosa AEW World Title Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Orange Cassidy vs. “Hangman” Adam Page vs. “Switchblade” Jay White

AEW returned to Washington, D.C., this week, for the “Holiday Bash” edition of “Dynamite.” The show, which featured an instant classic between Darby Allin and Will Ospreay, a TBS title defense by Mercedes Mone and backstage musings from Swerve Strickland, Ricochet and Toni Storm, got a nice jolt in the ratings, and drew 3,000 people to the Entertainment & Sports Arena. #TeamAFP’s Ray Petree was there live, and I had him on for this week’s podcast to talk about how the TV show played to the live crowd.

For some reason, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway played UVA Basketball for the first 20 minutes on Wednesday night – measured, precise, largely halfcourt basketball. Go figure, it didn’t work – the Cavaliers led 30-21 at the break, and seemed poised for the upset of the 21st-ranked Tigers. Hardaway unleashed the hounds of hell on the ‘Hoos in the second half, pressing full court after makes and misses, utilizing halfcourt traps to get Virginia out of its offensive sets. The stratagem turned the nine-point halftime deficit into as much as a nine-point second-half lead before UVA was able to right the ship. Ron Sanchez’s steering corrections came too late in what turned into a 64-62 Virginia loss.

AEW continues to struggle in the ratings, averaging 594,000 viewers for its two-hour “Dynamite” on Wednesday. The show had more ups than downs, though. I talked with Ray Petree, our resident AEW beat writer here at AFP, to review the show. We also discussed the controversy that has arisen backstage with Toni Storm making her return on Friday’s “Rampage,” and the lingering issue with the contract status of Ray Fenix.

You want to blame UVA Football coach Tony Elliott, or UVA Basketball coach Ron Sanchez, or the athletics director, Carla Williams, but the truth is, the problems with UVA Athletics are more than what you think. Our #TeamAFP resident Chicken Little, Scott German, joins me on the podcast for a rousing discussion of all that ails UVA Athletics. Included in our rather depressing chat: We’re losing the starting quarterback, Anthony Colandrea, for no good reason. We’re keeping the offensive coordinator, Des Kitchings, for no good reason. Is Carla Williams even around in a few months to have to deal with all of this? Do the issues involving UVA Health and the external review of the Nov. 13, 2022, shootings play a role in all of this? Photo: UVA Athletics

UVA Football showed improvement in 2024, winning five games in coach Tony Elliott’s third season, after back-to-back three-win seasons. But with Elliott facing having to replace 43 seniors and grad students off the 2024 roster, and his starting QB, Anthony Colandrea, hitting the transfer portal, his career at UVA, and the UVA Football program itself, is at a crossroads.

AEW dropped the ball with a lackluster “Dynamite” following the solid Nov. 23 “Full Gear” pay-per-view. I welcomed AFP resident AEW beat writer Ray Petree to break down the past week in All Elite Wrestling. We discus “Dynamite,” “Full Gear,” look ahead to “World’s End,” and discuss the ongoing odd behind-the-scenes drama with Ricky Starks, and the booking for Darby Allin, who is either headed toward a main-event run with AEW world champ Jon Moxley, or is being booked into oblivion after suffering two squash losses in recent weeks.

It’s not a rivalry, any more than there’s a rivalry between bugs and a bug zapper, but anyway, this week is UVA-Virginia Tech football week. It’s my job to get you ready for the annual beatdown, so, here goes. Virginia Tech may have to go with freshman Pop Watson at QB for UVA game The folks in Vegas aren’t fooled by the strong possibility that Virginia Tech is going to have to go with its third-string freshman quarterback. UVA Football Injury Report: Vaughn needs to step up at RB, good news with Trell Harris UVA Football lost tailbacks Xavier Brown (broken collarbone) and Kobe Pace (knee) during last week’s 33-7 loss to College Football Playoff contender SMU. UVA Football: Can we stop calling UVA-Virginia Tech a ‘rivalry,’ please? “It’s two in-state schools. It’s houses divided. It’s bragging rights,” UVA coach Tony Elliott said on Tuesday, musing on the topic of, ahem, rivalry week, such as the annual UVA-Virginia Tech football series can be considered a “rivalry.” UVA Football: The suits running the show

That’s just an expression, the thing about sniffing glue, and I doubt many UVA sports fans actually partake, but whatever the vice is, you’re probably doing more of it now, with your football and basketball teams partying like it’s 2009. My effort at helping you find healthier ways to deal with your anxieties is this podcast. The topics: UVA Football: How bad have things gotten, really? An examination SMU left its starting quarterback in to throw a TD pass with 1:42 to go up 33-7, which should p— you off, if you’re a UVA Football fan, because SMU doesn’t need the style points, since the win here on Saturday puts the Mustangs into the ACC title game, and in control of its own CFP destiny. UVA Football: Tony Elliott isn’t interested in your opinion on who should be his QB UVA Footballcoach Tony Elliott has clearly had enough of you idjits who didn’t call the plays for Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence as Clemson was winning natties trying to tell him who to play at quarterback. Inside the Numbers: Simplified g

AEW is headed to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for its annual “Full Gear” pay-per-view (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET). I had #TeamAFP AEW beat writer Ray Petree on my “Street Knowledge” podcast today to help me break down the card. To help you follow along, here are the matches: MJF Roderick Strong Will Ospreay Kyle Fletcher “Hangman” Adam Page “Switchblade” Jay White Bobby Lashley vs. Swerve Strickland Four-way match for the AEW world tag team titles: Private Party (c) The Acclaimed vs. The Outrunners vs. Kings of the Black Throne TNT title match: Jack Perry (c) Daniel Garcia TBS title match: Mercedes Mone (c) Kris Statlander International title match: Konosuke Takeashita (c) Ricochet AEW world title match: Jon Moxley (c) Orange Cassidy

It’s a busy week for UVA sports fans. The UVA Football team has #12 SMU coming to town, and the UVA Basketball team is in the Bahamas getting ready for two games against Top 25 opponents. AFP editor Chris Graham covers the big topics of the week. On this podcast: Preview: A lot has to go right for UVA Football to pull upset of #12 SMU The UVA Football program is one win away from going bowling for the first time since the 2019 Orange Bowl. #12 SMU is one win away from a berth in the ACC Championship Game in its first season in the league. Both have a lot to play for on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN2). Injury report: ‘Hoos in, ‘Hoos out for UVA Football for this week’s game with #12 SMU UVA Football coach Tony Elliott confirmed on Tuesday that middle linebacker James Jackson will not be available for this weekend’s game with #12 SMU. “He was nursing a foot, and then gave us everything he had and about 22 plays in, he couldn’t deal with the pain anymore,” Elliott said. UVA Football: Tony Elliott is trying to convince

President-elect Donald Trump isn’t done raiding Fox News for his Cabinet, which is what we expected from the failed TV game show host elected to a second term in the White House. It’s not quite the end of the world as we know it, but apologies if it feels like it sometimes. On this week’s politics podcast, we dive head-first into: Donald Trump might have to give up on his first Attorney General nominee, Matt Gaetz, who we’re now learning as the new week starts reportedly participated in drug-fueled orgies that included underage girls during his first term in Congress. From Warner, Kaine raise issues with Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard Cabinet nominations We got ourselves a 2025 Virginia politics cycle shocker on Monday: Jason Miyares is going to run for a second term as attorney general, ceding the Republican Party gubernatorial nomination to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. From Shocker: Jason Miyares passes up run for governor, going for second term as AG instead Ken Mitchell, fresh off getting 34.6 percent of the

Joey Logano was the big winner on Sunday at Phoenix, bringing home his third NASCAR Cup Series championship, a month after leaving the track at Charlotte thinking he had been eliminated from the 2024 playoff race. It was a remarkable turnaround for Logano, and an end to the 2024 NASCAR season that had begun nine long months ago in Daytona. Chris Graham and Rod Mullins recap Logano’s victory and the highlights of the 2024 season on this week’s podcast. Also on this week’s show: How will 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports approach 2025 without team charters as their antitrust lawsuit plays out? The latest silly season news Who would have won the 2024 championship under the pre-playoff scoring system?

The road to “Full Gear” continued last night when AEW made its debut in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the Southern New Hampshire University Arena for Wednesday Night “Dynamite.”  Last night, wrestling fans relived the “Wednesday Night Wars.” WWE’s “NXT” aired head-to-head against “Dynamite,” on The CW Network from the famed 2300 Arena, invoking shades of ECW. Tony Khan needed to swing for the fences to compete with “NXT” in the ratings. Thankfully, he hit a homerun.