Culture State

The Carolina Hurricanes are moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 2-1 overtime win over the New York Islanders. Remember when fans weren't happy over the lack of production from the Canes at the trade deadline? Chris and Dennis remember. They break down how other teams have failed in the playoffs despite the players they acquired at the deadline, and how the Canes are doing just fine. 

Yesterday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers held their introductory press conference at Bank of America Stadium for the first overall pick, Bryce Young. Some of the topics he addressed were earning the locker room's respect immediately, his relationship with the second overall player drafted, CJ Stroud, and whether or not he'll wearing the No. 9 in Carolina. One quarterback already wearing the No. 9 is Matt Corral who didn't seem too pleased on Thursday night during the draft. Also, the Panthers selected an edge rusher from Oregon, DJ Johnson with the 80th pick last night after a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Paul Ihander, brand manager and program director of 99.9 The Fan, and University of Oregon graduate backs up the prosecutor when it comes to the pick.  

Bryce Young was the number one guy for the Carolina Panthers with their first overall pick. In honor of Bryce's birthday year which is 2001, Chris and Dennis recap the Panthers' draft history in 2001 and what they went on to accomplish that season. Apparently, Panthers great Steve Smith is a Carolina Panthers expert. He called it when it came to the Panthers selecting Mingo Johnson in the second round of the draft last night.  Also, Culture State producer Graham Hill admits that even though he's grown up in the state of North Carolina his entire life, he's never taken an interest in the Panthers until now due to the off-season excitement. 

Paul Stastny's overtime goal gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 2-1 victory in game six over the New York Islanders and the Canes are now moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They'll now await the winner of the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers series. Also, with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Bryce Young. The Panthers held their introductory press conference yesterday to introduce the quarterback. 

History will be made at the Kenan Memorial Stadium on July 19th, as the home of North Carolina's football team will host a different kind of football. Wrexham AFC will meet Chelsea in an international friendly as part of the 2023 FC Series. This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two clubs at a natural site. UNC women's soccer head Anson Dorrance describes the significance of an event like this coming to the campus of North Carolina and the program's success during his tenure. Also, in honor of the NFL Draft taking place this week, Chris, Dennis, and Graham hold their own draft in regard to North Carolina sports figures. 

After the Carolina Hurricanes' 5-1 loss to the New York Islanders in Game 3, do the Canes actually have the Islanders in a position they want them to be in? They can win Game 4 tomorrow, return to Raleigh on Tuesday for Game 5, and clinch the series in front of their home crowd. Hanna Yates, Hurricanes Bally Sports South host/reporter discusses the team's strategy moving forward in the remainder of this series.  Also, now that we've finally reached the week of the 2023 NFL Draft, is it safe to say that the Carolina Panthers know that they're picking Bryce Young with the first overall pick?

Everything was looking good for the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of their Game 3 matchup against the New York Islanders in their first road trip of the playoffs. In Game 1, the Hurricanes scored two power-play goals in a 2-1 win. In Game 2, Jesper Fast came up huge in overtime as they won 4-3. Yesterday, the Hurricanes had a solid effort the whole game until the third period, when they allowed the Islanders to score 4-goals. How do they regroup before Game 4 tomorrow?

Graham Hill, producer of Culture State was born in the year 1998 and that has Dennis and Chris feeling old. So, they decided to take a trip down memory lane and discuss all the things that took place between the year 1997, and '98 that he missed out on. Also, is it officially time to be concerned about Zion Williamson's having a long-term career in the NBA since he hasn't played a full season yet?

Last weekend was very eventful for show host Dennis Cox to say the least... On the way to do play-by-play commentary for the ECU women's Lacrosse game, he was in a wreck on US-264 near Wilson. The good news is that Dennis was fine, but the bad news is that Dennis's car wasn't and the two trucks went to the wrong location to pick it up.  Also, last night former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was spotted at Friday Night SmackDown... Fake Matt Rhule talks about the experience of how the WWE superstars have inspired what he wants the Nebraska program to look like. 

As we get closer and closer to the NFL Draft have the Carolina Panthers already decided who their guy is? Apparently Bryce Young is the current betting favorite to be taken as the first overall pick. How much value does this actually hold within the Panthers organization?  Also, it's common for fans to purchase the jersey of a college athlete, but now that the transfer portal plays a major factor into things, which local athlete is the safest jersey to purchase? 

The stage is now set... After winning the Metropolitan Division for a third straight season, the Carolina Hurricanes will now face the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hurricanes will play Monday and Wednesday at home both at 7 PM. Friday and Sunday they'll be on the road. What are the chances that the Canes don't even have to worry about playing games five-seven in this series? 

It feels like it's a new era for the Carolina Panthers getting ready to begin in Charlotte with the hiring of Frank Reich who brought in a new coaching staff with him, they've made good acquisitions during free agencies, and they have the first overall pick in this year's draft. Chris and Dennis discuss how serious our expectations should be for this team while breaking down this year's schedule. 

The big news coming out of yesterday was that former North Carolina Guard Caleb Love would be transferring to Michigan. The Tar Heels have only grabbed one player out of the transfer portal thus far, but how long does Hubert Davis have to keep improving next year's squad? Speaking of next season for local teams, Duke has had some players declare for the draft, but they also have players returning such as Tyrese Proctor. Chris and Dennis discuss how Kyle Filipwoski's decision will be a big factor for the Blue Devils. Also, the Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Nashville Predators this past Thursday 3-0. Chris and Dennis, feel they've seen this story already from last season, and have concerns that it will carry over into the upcoming playoffs. 

This past Wednesday it was announced that the endeavor group which owns the UFC is merging UFC and WWE to be sold as a stock together. Now that they're under the same parent group, they can collaborate on resources. Chris and Dennis discuss how the live programs are such a premium when it comes to television since UFC already has a deal with ESPN and WWE has contracts with FOX and USA, how can this merge improve and evolve casual fans into viewing these programs?   

Yesterday, North Carolina Guard Caleb Love announced that he will be transferring to Michigan. Love averaged 16.7 points as a junior, but shot just 29% from 3-point range for the Tar Heels. How will this move affect the new career that he's about to begin and can he regain the flash that he had during North Carolina's NCAA tournament run? 

Earlier this week, Senate Bill 430 was introduced by the North Carolina General Assembly. The bill will prohibit awards in youth recreational activities of local government based solely on participation. Chris and Dennis have a deep discussion on how there are a lot more important issues to be focused on rather, than participation in youth sports. Also, in honor of Wrestlemania taking place this weekend, Chris and Dennis give examples of how wrestling moments can be tied into other sports. 

As if the Carolina Panthers needed to look at any more quarterbacks in this year's draft class, they decided to attend Anthony Richardson's pro day last week. Dennis believes this is a bad move, even though Richardson has the body and structure of an athlete you would want as a quarterback, but how reliable are his playmaking abilities? Also, Dennis was under the impression that it was either going to be CJ Stroud or Bryce Young as the guy, how did Richardson enter the conversation? 

Regarding the transfer portal and the number of players in it currently from North Carolina's basketball team, what other programs would work out best for them? Chris gives a full breakdown for Duke, NC State, and UNC of players in the country that each team should look at recruiting. Also, two years ago today was the announcement of Roy Williams's retirement from UNC. Dennis explains how Tar Heels fans on that day went into full freakout mode, and why not much has changed since then.

Happy April fool's day folks... Be careful with what headlines you read today, Chris Lea already got GOT this morning. Speaking of Chris, he's upset because Dreamville is taking place today in Raleigh, and the Final Four and Wrestlemania are also happening, but Chris has to be a responsible adult and not attend any of them. Also, Caitlin Clark is an honorary North Carolinian today as Iowa defeated South Carolina last night in the women's final four games. 

Out of our three triangle teams, which program has the early advantage heading into college basketball next season? NC State is looking at two Kinston natives in Dontrez Styles, and Damian Dun, an All-AAC player from Temple. North Carolina, received good news within their program at Bacot and Davis would be returning, but the question remains of what Caleb Love will do next season. Finally, could we be seeing a change in culture over at Duke as far as players staying for more than just one year? 

Chris and Dennis break down all the moves that the Carolina Panthers have made so far during free agency. Chris believes that he's never worked an off-season in his career where he's felt so optimistic about the Panthers. Just like Chris, should Panthers fans also be scared about the hope they have in the upcoming season? Also, Dabo Sweeny said some things about Winston-Salem, but he needs to take a look at where he lives before speaking about any other town. 

What are we going to expect from North Carolina and NC State after this season? Obviously, the main storyline for the Tar Heels is the four players that have entered the portal, but there is hope for Bact and Davis to return. For NC State how does Kevin Keatts plan on replacing Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner? Both Hubert Davis and Kevin Keatts are going to have to hit the transfer portal hard to add some extra depth to their roster. Also, people are going to point out to UNC not making the NCAA tournament and UVA getting bounced in the first round again that the ACC stinks, but that may not be the case.

This past week the Carolina Panthers organization hit the road to visit C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young at their individual pro days. It seemed like everyone in attendance was vibing with Stroud after they saw him throw and one coach even told him they'll find a court to play basketball at once he moves to Charlotte. With all that being said, how much stock should Panthers fans invest in over the idea that Stroud will be the quarterback this season? 

Chris thinks it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Carolina Panthers to draft two quarterbacks in this year's NFL draft, but Dennis thinks they shouldn't waste a pick on a quarterback when they already have Andy Dalton and Matt Coral under contract. Chris's argument is that they've already filled a lot of holes at other positions during free agency. Dennis says you can find a backup quarterback every year if you really want to, but the Panthers are not in a position to get a luxury pick.  NC State after having a successful bounce-back season loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament yesterday to Creighton. DJ Burns still has a year of eligibility left, but Jarkel Joiner, Casey Morsell, and most likely Terquavion Smith's careers are now done. What will next season's roster now look like for Kevin Keatts? 

After dominating Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Duke will now switch their attention over to Tennessee. Now that Purdue has been eliminated and if Duke is able to get past Tennesee, the bracket could open up for Duke to make a run, similar to what happened with UNC last season. Adam Rowe of the Devils Den joins Chris and Dennis to discuss the Blue Devils' chances of a successful tournament.  Also, Dennis was in attendance for the NCAA tournament yesterday in Greensboro while Chris is down in Orlando covering Duke. After attending these games, there are a few rules that the NCAA has in place for media members that don't make a lot of sense to Chris and Dennis. 

The Panthers have stepped up as far as moves they're making during free agency. They've acquired DJ at wide receiver, Hayden Hurts at tight end, and Miles Sanders at running back, and they've added depth on the defensive line. On paper, the Panthers are doing all of the right things, but they still need to make the right choice with the number one pick in the draft.  Also, North Carolina so far has had three players enter the transfer portal, but it's not just because of NIL opportunities, players actually want to play elsewhere. 

After two days of the NCAA tournament being played, we've already seen some crazy upsets. The biggest one in the tournament came last night as the No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson upset No. 1 Purdue making it only the second time in NCAA tournament history that a No. 16 seed team has beaten the No. 1 seed team. Also, it's safe to say that you can't trust a Virginia school to beat a South Carolina team. Five years to the day when UVA lost to UMBC (03-16-18), UVA lost to Furman. 

The NCAA tournament selection committee will announce their tournament fields tomorrow evening and Greensboro will be a host city for the first and second rounds. Games from both the south region and the east region will be taken place there. The question is which teams from the ACC will have the opportunity to play there? Also, with the news of the Carolina Panthers moving up to the first pick in this year's NFL draft does this current coaching staff have the solidarity to draft a franchise quarterback and be successful? 

Fake Matt Rhule shares his reaction to the Carolina Panthers' big trade. What's this all a part of Matt Rhule's seven years and based on Frank Reich's track record as a head coach in the NFL can this process be trusted? The ACC tournament is in Greensboro for what could be one of the last times. In an effort to try and keep the tournament in the city, Greensboro Coliseum almost had some rebranding done to it. 

UNC Asheville head men's basketball coach Mike Morrell joins Chris and Dennis ahead of selection Sunday as his team has already punched their ticket into the NCAA tournament. UNC Asheville defeated Campbell 73-77 in the Big South championship game to give them an automatic bid into the big dance. Coach Morell shares what's been the key to the team's success this season and how he's been able to compete in recruiting with the other power-five schools in the state. Also, North Carolina will likely not make the NCAA tournament following their loss to Virginia in the ACC tournament. Hubert Davis did the best he could this season, but there's room to be critical of him as an in-game coach. 

Yesterday, it was announced that the Carolina Panthers would be sending the Chicago Bears the 9th overall pick in this year's draft, along with the 51st overall pick, next year's first-round pick, a 2025 second-rounder, and wide receiver DJ Moore all for them to acquire the first overall pick in this year's draft. Chris and Dennis give their instant reaction on if it was the right move or not. Also, Chris and Dennis have been in Greensboro all week covering the ACC Tournament and share some of their favorite moments throughout the week. 

Dennis tries to figure out why so many people are upset over the fact that ESPN College Gameday was live in Chapel Hill to preview Duke vs North Carolina. After all, it's one of the greatest rivalries in all of college basketball, and it's not like they had some better options to choose from. Also, what's at stake between Duke and North Carolina tonight, and which team needs the win more?

Does a local triangle team have the chance of making a run to the Final Four as Duke and North Carolina did last season? Dennis doesn't believe so due to each team being flawed in their own way. Chris believes we could see some teams making it as far as the Elite Eight. Also, Chris has the data to support his case that players from the transfer portal are better than true freshman players.

Culture State with Dennis Cox and Chirs Lea returns for a March madness edition as they discuss the remainder of the college basketball season. Of course, the big game to discuss today is the battle of the blues, part two, between Duke and North Carolina. Dennis and Chris discuss what's at stake for both teams tonight, and possible men's ACC Tournament seeding scenarios.

Big day with the Celebration Bowl taking place of course. You'll have the North Carolina Central Eagles taking on the Jackson State Tigers. Somebody who knows a lot about the Celebration Bowl is Brandon Parker who played at North Carolina A&T and was a part of two Celebration Bowl appearances. Parker is now a part of the Las Vegas Raiders organization and recently posted on social media about the issues regarding the transfer portal.

The momentum is going up for the Carolina Panthers at this point of the season. They've won two in a row, have a chance to clinch the division, and possibly even sneak their way into the playoff. Steve Wilks has weathered the storm since taking over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Panthers control their own destiny and David Temper controls Wilks's position as the permanent head coach.

WWE Hall of Fame inductee, and WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, Shawn Michaels spoke with Chris Lea & Dennis Cox about NXT Vengeance Day 2023, which is coming to the Spectrum Center in Charlotte NC, on February 4th, 2023.

The MEAC champions, the North Carolina Central Eagles come into the Celebration Bowl with an overall record of 9-2. The SWAC champions, the Jackson State Tigers come into the game undefeated. It's the second straight Celebration Bowl for Jackson State under head coach Deion Sanders, who will coach his final game for the Tigers before taking over as head coach at the University of Colorado. For NCCU, it's their first bowl game since 2016 when they lost by a single point.

Sylvain Greiner is a former WWE Superstar and backstage agent and producer. He shares stories of his time with the company, and what he learned both in the ring and behind the scenes. He also previews FWE Wrestling's upcoming show, as they return to Dorton Arena again in Raleigh.

On January 10th, the Carolina Hurricanes game promotion against the New Jersey Devils will be "North Carolina Day" in honor of the 25th Anniversary of the team moving to the state. How does the organization plan on recognizing this state? Chris and Dennis have a few suggestions of their own.

We're one week out from the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, GA which will feature our local North Carolina Central Eagles, and on a national level, Deion Sanders and his Jackson State Tigers. Tolly Carr, host of HBCU Gameday joins the show to preview the big game and discuss the importance of what Sanders has done for HBCUs and the Jackson State program.

The transfer portal is wide open this college football season, and locally we've seen Devin Leary enter his name in the portal, and also in the ACC, former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagaleleio is leaving as well. However, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is sticking to his roots and will remain a Tar Heel next season.