Adam Cheek's Sports Week

Can't believe I hadn't had Parney on the podcast before now, but here we are -- Todd Parnell, the man himself, former CEO of the Flying Squirrels and Richmond icon, joins to talk about how his role with the team has changed the last two years, what he's up to and looking ahead to CarMax Park. Parney also gives some really in-depth perspective about his life in baseball, the relation...

After Banana Ball visited Richmond for the first time in late June, I sat down with Tyler Rigot -- former University of Richmond pitcher and current Firefighters pitcher in Banana Ball -- to talk about his career and much more. We discuss the adjustment from regular baseball to Banana Ball, some of the personal touches he adds to the game, how he found his way from the college diamond to the natio...

Christian Robb, who was part of the VCU Gold Rush Dance Team from 2004-08, sits down with me to talk about her time as an athlete on the sidelines of VCU basketball games, serving as a lieutenant for the team and eventually returning in an assistant coaching role. She also talks about working with head coach Vicki Wells, as well as past podcast guests like Naome Mesfin and Kayla Brazil! We also ta...

The Tostado Section (™) guys are back! Evan Zalewski and Andy Blum return to the podcast for another edition of the Sports Movie Showcase, where we talk about one of the best baseball films ever made. We discuss Brad Pitt's performance, where the hell Bennett Miller went after making this and  Foxcatcher (two bangers) and then seemingly vanishing forever, how it handles baseball itself and th...

After we saw 'F1' and Brad Pitt on the Short Pump IMAX screen in Richmond on Saturday, I sit down with my friends Adam Harrell and Jason Boleman, who both return to the podcast to talk about the movie. We don't get too far into spoilers, but discuss our thoughts on the movie, the IMAX experience and all the technical aspects that were aimed at providing audiences with the most immer...

Banana Ball came to Richmond for the first time last weekend! I was fortunate enough to cover it for the podcast for one of the games, and had such an awesome time talking with some of the players, seeing the amazing turnout and, of course, watching my first-ever Banana Ball game. Huge thanks to the Firefighters for the access and accommodation, all the guys for taking the time for interviews and...

Andrew Rapisarda performs vocal and guitar duties in the Richmond-based band Mekong Xpress, and he joins the podcast for a two-way episode: after I interviewed him for Richmond Magazine a few months ago, we talked about sports so much that I knew there was a podcast episode in there. So, a week after he and the band performed in the penultimate Friday Cheers show of the 2025 season, I catch up wit...

VCU Gold Rush and Washington Command Force alum Jordan Frauenheim joins to talk about her career dancing on the college basketball sidelines at the Siegel Center and on the NFL sidelines for five seasons at FedEx Field! You all might remember Jordan also appearing on my old radio show back in late 2022, as Jordan Shortnacy. Huge thanks to her for jumping back on with me as we discuss her nine tota...

A few weeks ago, Milt Wilcox was announcing the Ultimate Air Dogs dock jumping at Richmond Riverrock and talked about his MLB career; I reached out and we sat down when he visited the Chesterfield Fairgrounds a couple weeks later. Milt was so much fun to talk to and incredibly gracious with his time. We talked about his 16-year career in Major League Baseball, where he played for the Reds, Indians...

I had the opportunity to sit down with new VCU men's basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. to talk all things Rams hoops -- from the hiring process that landed him in Richmond and his approach to filling out the roster to the offseason and his basketball influences growing up. We talked about his dad's legendary coaching career and how it influenced his own career path, as well as his...

Seattle Mariners first baseman and VCU alum Tyler Locklear joins the podcast this time around! Tyler made his MLB debut last year for the M's and spent a couple weeks at the big-league level, hitting a couple of homers for good measure, and began 2025 with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Tyler also set a ton of records while playing for the Rams, so he and I talk about what led him to VCU, how...

Big thanks again to Ben Dum, a former VCU baseball pitcher and player in the Braves' and Twins' organizations, for jumping back on the podcast! We talked last year about his days as a Ram, and for this second part we recorded a conversation back in January about playing Banana Ball in 2025. Ben just announced that he'll be playing for the Firefighters, who will come to Richmond and...

Though the festivities of my birthday weekend limited my ability to get out to GalaxyCon Richmond 2025 (celebrations come first!), I managed to stop by for bits of three of the four days it went on at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. I caught up with Brian O'Halloran, star of  Clerks and several films in the View Askewniverse, about his best hangover preventatives and what the past cou...

The Rams are dancing! With March Madness tipping off in less than two days, our Atlantic 10 Championship crew reunites -- we drove up to DC a couple days ago to see VCU-George Mason in the conference title game, so I'm joined by Jason Boleman and Cam Quinn to recount our travels and experience as well as look forward to March Madness for both VCU and the bracket at large. We get into the atmo...

With VCU's first game in the Atlantic 10 Tournament tipping off Friday at 11:30am, I'm joined by two fellow campus newspaper and radio alums -- Richmond Times-Dispatch deputy sports editor Zach Joachim & WVCW Sports director Ben Rekosh -- to talk about the Black and Gold on the hardwood. In this extended episode, we discuss what we've seen from the team so far, especially with s...

I sat down with VCU basketball freshman forward Luke Bamgboye -- the current Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week -- a couple days before the Rams hosted Dayton in their regular-season finale to talk all things Black & Gold hoops. Luke and I discuss the path that led him from London to Richmond, plus his expanded playing time this year -- that eventually came with a perennial starting spot -- and hi...

A couple weeks after the NASCAR season kicked off, and a few months ahead of the 35th anniversary of the film, I sat down with my Frontstretch compatriot Vito Pugliese to talk all things Days of Thunder . We talk about how its reputation as " Top Gun on wheels" is selling it short, Vito's memories of seeing it in the theater when it came out, how it's aged since its release and...

A few weeks ahead of the 45th anniversary of the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980, my buddy Ryan jumps back on the podcast to talk all things hockey -- and  Miracle , the 2004 film based on one of the greatest sports upsets of all time. We revisited the film and talk about one of Kurt Russell's greatest -- yet most underappreciated -- performances, an excellent overall portrayal of the ragt...

Big thanks to my guy and SB Nation's Mark Schofield for jumping back on the podcast! We previewed this weekend's divisional round of the NFL playoffs, recapped a few storylines from the Wild Card round, talked offseason moves and more. Ahead of this weekend, we discussed the battle of MVP candidates in Bills vs. Ravens; if the Chiefs can keep scraping by against the Texans in the first d...

For the first episode of 2025, I sat down with Mackenzie Roark, a singer and musician who also fronts Mackenzie Roark and the Hotpants here in Richmond along with her solo work. This episode is in partnership with Richmond Magazine , who allowed me to publish this as a companion to my piece on Mackenzie in their January issue: there was so much we talked about that couldn't be included within...

In our final episode before 2025 begins, my friend and coworker Alex Soderstrom joins me to talk all things college football ahead of the playoff beginning on Dec. 20. As a Georgia alumni and former Bulldogs football journalist, Alex offers a lot of insight into what's made UGA one of the most intriguing and inconsistent teams during the 2024-25 season, and talks about what could be their und...

With Formula 1 ending its season this weekend in Abu Dhabi, the Sports Movie Showcase returns as my buddy Jason Boleman and I reflect on "Rush", the 2013 F1 movie starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl. We discuss its portrayal of the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 season, Ron Howard's direction and the two actors' performances, including Hemsworth...

Former VCU baseball & MiLB pitcher Ben Dum joined the podcast for part 1 of a wide-ranging episode -- in this first half of the interview, we talk about his time playing with the Rams, what it was like to pitch at the Diamond and more from his time wearing the Black and Gold. We also discussed being signed by the Twins and Braves, playing in those organizations, life on the road in MiLB and wh...

My Frontstretch compatriot Michael Massie joined me to break down the 2024 NASCAR season the day after it concluded in Phoenix, with Joey Logano having taken home the Cup Series crown -- his third. We discuss our favorite moments of the 2024 season -- from the three-wide Atlanta finish to Ryan Blaney's clutch Martinsville win and everything in between -- as well as multiple cars getting airbo...

I was able to cover Galaxycon's Nightmare Weekend Richmond 2024 again this year, and had the chance to chat with a variety of actors and directors from decades' worth of horror -- people involved with the Halloween franchise, an actor from my all-time favorite film, The Thing , and so much more.  I chatted with: - Nick Castle (Halloween 1978, Halloween 2018, Escape from New York) - Tom A...