Podcast appearances and mentions of Tristan Thomas

Brad Sturdy from Illini Guys joins The Drive to preview Illinois vs. Southern Illinois and break down the newly released 2026-27 Illini men's basketball schedule. The Illini enter Saturday's matchup with SIU looking to bounce back from the close loss to Duke, while the basketball schedule features several major Big Ten tests. Plus, Tristan Thomas joins the show to preview Friday night's high school football action across Central Illinois, including the games, players and storylines to watch. Follow The Drive on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Illinois is 1-0 after defeating UAB 42-23 in the season opener, but was the performance as impressive as the final score suggests? The Drive breaks down the Illini's mixed-reaction victory, including Katin Houser's debut, Ca'Lil Valentine's big-play ability, Collin Dixon's two-touchdown performance, and a defense that struggled to slow down UAB's rushing attack. Plus, WCIA 3 sports reporter Tristan Thomas joins the show to discuss his biggest takeaways from Illinois' season opener and preview this week's Central Illinois high school football action. Topics include: Illinois' 42-23 win over UAB Katin Houser's first start as an Illini Ca'Lil Valentine and the explosive Illinois offense Concerns about the run defense The impact of the Hail Mary touchdown before halftime Ismael Kante's pick-six Tristan Thomas' reaction to the Illini's performance This week's biggest local high school football games and storylines

WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas joins The Drive in-studio to break down Keaton Wagler's impressive Summer League performance with the Los Angeles Clippers, Will Riley's development, and the latest Illinois basketball storylines. The guys also evaluate the St. Louis Cardinals at the halfway point of the MLB season, discussing what's gone right, what needs to improve, and what to expect in the second half. Plus, a recap of Conor McGregor's disastrous UFC 329 return after his comeback ended just 69 seconds into the main event with a devastating knee injury against Max Holloway, raising major questions about his future. Follow The Drive on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Tristan Thomas sticks around for Hour 2 of The Drive as the conversation continues on Illinois basketball, including more thoughts on Keaton Wagler, Will Riley, and the Illini's future. The guys then shift to baseball with a full preview of the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, making their picks for who will take home the trophy before debating one of the biggest questions facing St. Louis: should the Cardinals be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? With the club sitting at the halfway point of the season, the crew weighs the roster's strengths, weaknesses, playoff outlook, and what moves could define the second half. Follow The Drive on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Tristan Thomas joins the show to discuss St. Joseph-Ogden's run in IHSA baseball, the impact of quarterback commit Dane Eisenmenger on the future of Illinois football, and settles the score on whether he or Evan Stone would come out on top in the upcoming charity basketball showdown. Plus, we preview a weekend interleague matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, as well as the Chicago Cubs taking on the San Francisco Giants. We wrap up the week with another edition of Friday Toasts, celebrating the people, teams, and moments that deserve a raise of the glass.

Tristan Thomas joins the show to discuss Andrej Stojakovic officially returning to Illinois, previews of the IHSA State Track Meet, and his latest showdown with Evan Stone in a Champaign-Urbana celebrity basketball game. Can the San Antonio Spurs force a Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals? Plus, Evan somehow finds himself on the wrong side of the law!  Follow The Drive on X, Instagram, and Facebook!      

The guys debate whether the New York Knicks would rather face the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals after OKC grabbed a 3-2 series lead. Plus, Evan  will go head-to-head with WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas on the hardwood, more discussion on Andrej Stojaković's looming decision, Tuesday Draft results for the Best 90's Comedy Movies, and Pierce the Intern steals the spotlight! Follow The Drive on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Tristan Thomas from WCIA 3 joins the show to break down the latest on Brad Underwood's contract update and what it means for Illinois basketball moving forward. The guys also take the “Irritable Sports Fan Test” and see just how fired up fans really get during games. Plus, all of today's biggest Illini headlines and updates from around Champaign-Urbana. Follow The Drive on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Tristan Thomas joined the show to break down the returning Illini players and the impact they'll have heading into next season. He also reflected on Ty Rodgers' legacy, emphasizing his role as a true “culture guy” during his time at Illinois, while touching on Illini spring football storylines. The hour rounded out with NFL Draft discussion, what is the best fit for Luke Altmyer in the NFL, and the latest “Etched in Stone” bets.

WCIA 3 Sports' Tristan Thomas breaks down the latest developments in the college basketball transfer portal. He discussed key Illini-related storylines, including the potential impact and future of Keaton Wagler, as well as the buzz surrounding John Blackwell. The hour wrapped up with the results of The Masters Draft. Kurtis needed A LOT of help from the text line, but was it enough to beat Evan and Coop?  Follow The Drive on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

It's Sweet Sixteen & Opening Day Eve! Jacob Myers of League Him joins the show to preview Illinois vs. Houston and break down the key matchups heading into the Sweet Sixteen. He shares insight on what the Illini must do to advance and how they stack up against the Cougars. Pat McAvoy of Baseball Now and Sports Illustrated stops by to preview the upcoming St. Louis Cardinals season, highlighting expectations and key storylines. Pat tells us why it's not doom & gloom for the Red Birds in 2026. Tristan Thomas adds more Illini coverage, discussing their tournament run and what's clicking at the right time. He also touches on the Parkland Cobras and their continued postseason success. Follow The Drive on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Tristan Thomas from WCIA3 Sports joins the show to break down what the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball must do to make a deep postseason run. He highlights the importance of consistency on both ends of the floor and improved shot selection in key moments. The conversation also touches on leadership and the need for veteran players to step up in high-pressure situations. Plus, Keaton Wagler earns recognition as a Consensus All-American, capping off an outstanding season.

Tristan Thomas from WCIA 3 Sports joins us for live reactions after Illinois falls to Wisconsin 91–88 in the Big Ten Tournament. We break down the key moments that swung the game and what went wrong for the Illini down the stretch. Tristan shares his perspective from courtside and what the loss means heading into the NCAA Tournament. Plus, our biggest takeaways from a wild finish in Chicago.

Tristan Thomas previews Senior Night as the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball get set to host the Oregon Ducks at State Farm Center. Dr. Daniel Thompson joins the show to discuss the momentum of Illini Women's Basketball and what to expect in the upcoming Big Ten Conference Tournament. The hour also covers the major NFL news of center Drew Dalman informing the Chicago Bears that he plans to retire. It's a packed first hour with postseason implications on the court and a big roster development in the NFL.

Tristan Thomas from WCIA breaks down Illinois vs UCLA Bruins men's basketball and shares the highlights from the IHSA Wrestling State Finals. He highlights key matchups, postseason implications, and what to watch as the Illini continue their Big Ten push. Kurtis then takes over Etched in Stone with his top picks and best bets. Plus, Cooper O'Kelly from The Champaign Room joins the show to fill in for Evan and discuss his biggest takeaways surrounding Illinois athletics.

Oh hi, Dave Rome here. It's time to get geeky about spokes.  I recently wrapped up a long-term review (now live on Escape Collective) where I compared two identical gravel wheelsets, one built with bladed steel spokes and the other built with Berd spokes, a spoke made from a Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, aka, Dyneema. Those white Berd spokes have been growing steadily in popularity, and off the back of Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand Prevot winning the last Olympic games on them, I was ever more curious. To help with that curiosity, Tristan Thomas of the New Zealand-based wheel company, WheelWorks, lent me some wheels in order to get some answers to questions I had.  This episode is a sit-down with Tristan to discuss spokes and the considerations around an interesting polymer product like Berd. Happy geeking! 

WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas breaks down the matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the USC Trojans, along with the biggest Illinois High School Association basketball headlines this week. He also discusses the new IHSA football rule changes and what they could mean for teams moving forward. Evan's out for today, so Kurtis takes a crack at Etched in Stone. Plus, we reveal the winner of the Oscars-themed Tuesday Draft..

BREAKING: Illinois Football has named longtime Montana head coach Bobby Hauck as its new defensive coordinator, replacing Aaron Henry and bringing decades of experience to Champaign. Hauck, one of the winningest coaches in Big Sky history, recently stepped down at Montana before making the move to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Tristan Thomas joins the conversation to break down the latest with Illini basketball as the team continues its push through conference play. He also discusses standout performances and storylines from the local high school basketball scene.

Chad Westover is a man around my age, who also lives in Oregon. David first learned about Chad because of having kids, and living in the same city as Chad's extended family. Chad's extended family is full of kind and loving people, which, by the accounts of all of them and many others, Chad is, too. Chad's generous nature was exactly what led him to want to stick up for his friend, who was being threatened and bullied by his friend's neighbor. In the ensuing confrontation, the neighbor pulled out a knife and stabbed Chad three times. Chad then managed to get a hold of the knife and stab his assailant, who, very unfortunately, was killed that night in September 2024. Press reports have tended to paint a picture that, naturally enough, positions the deceased, Tristan Thomas, as the victim, and Chad as the murderer. A simple scenario involving a perpetrator and his victim. But if you look a little closer at the details of the whole encounter, it all becomes much more complex. It's obviously incredibly tragic that anyone was killed that night. There are a lot of things that everyone involved could have done differently, that might have avoided anyone getting hurt in the first place. But that's not how things played out, and ultimately, Chad was not the one who pulled out a weapon, and he clearly does not deserve to be charged with murder. If there is to be justice in this case, Chad should be with his family, rather than in jail in Clackamas, facing a possible murder charge, and a potential sentence of decades in prison. “Song for Chad Westover” will drop on all the music streaming platforms on February 1st, as part of the latest album of the Ai Tsuno Project, War with the World.  

Our guy Tristan Thomas from WCIA-3 joins us for almost a full hour and we cover a lot! First, Illinois football unveiled a new state-of-the-art scoreboard that will be the BIGGEST in College Football. We discuss the new renovations to Gies Memorial Stadium. Also, Illini basketball is cruising through the new year. Tristan discusses Brad Underwood's presser before tomorrow night's game against Northwestern. Plus, is there another player besides Keaton Wagler that could be a one-and-done from this year's roster? And its Tuesday Draft Day! Today's top: Our Celebrity Crushes. The rules also require one Man-Crush. Who wins? Vote on the socials @thedrive935 on Twitter, Instagram, and on the ESPN 93.5 Facebook page.

Our coverage of National Signing Day for Illinois Football continues. Tristan Thomas from WCIA-3 joins us this hour to recap Coach Bielema's presentation to the media and the class of 2026.  Evan Stone did an incredible deep dive into the "Best Era of Fighting Illini Football." Evan went all the way back to the 1950s, covered the most successful 5-year periods in Illinois history, and compared it to the Bielema era. The results are fascinating. A must-listen to segment! And who won our Sitcom Draft? The margin of winning was only 2 votes!

Tristan Thomas from WCIA-3 previews the IHSA State Championship games! Maroa-Forsyth, Tolono-Unity, and Rochester are all playing on Friday.  Local celebrities voted in our Thanksgiving Side Dish draft, and one vote really hurt Kurtis' feelings. It's a familiar name... And who WON our draft? The results are crazy! Plus, our Thanksgiving Toasts!

In this episode of Faster Forward, host Grant Johnsey welcomes Tristan Thomas, managing director of Portfolio Strategy at 50 South Capital, for an in-depth conversation about the hedge fund industry's transformation. Tristan shares his personal journey from Wall Street to Chicago, offering a unique perspective on how hedge funds have evolved over the past two … Read More Read More

In this episode of Faster Forward, host Grant Johnsey welcomes Tristan Thomas, managing director of Portfolio Strategy at 50 South Capital, for an in-depth conversation about the hedge fund industry's transformation. Tristan shares his personal journey from Wall Street to Chicago, offering a unique perspective on how hedge funds have evolved over the past two … Read More Read More

We preview tonight's #8 Fighting Illini men's basketball game against #11 Alabama Crimson Tide at the United Center in Chicago! Who's in and who's out?  We'll talk with Tristan Thomas from WCIA-3 about tonight's game, plus 2 area schools are guaranteed to play for a State Championship. We'll preview Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond vs Maroa-Forsyth and Tolono-Unity vs St. Joe-Ogden. Kurtis throws some serious Curveballs at Evan and more on our Denzel Movie Draft.

Tristan Thomas from WCIA-3 joins us to talk about the IHSA Quarterfinals! It's another big weekend for area schools. We also get Tristan's take on Illinois' win over Texas Tech and find out that Evan stole Josh Whitman's chair last night! Kurtis throws some curveballs and we find out who won our Pro Wrestler Draft! Ohhh Hell Yeah! 

Round 2 of the IHSA playoffs features a lot of are schools, including Tolono-Unity vs Monticello. We talk with Trista Thomas from WCIA about all of this weekend's games. Daniel Thompson covers the Bulls and the Illini. He joins us to talk about both, and expectations for this year. And the people have spoken! Who won our Roadside Snack Draft?

Rutgers is riddle with injuries and the Illini are currently 12.5 point favorites for Saturday's sold out game at Gies Memorial Stadium. We dive into the numbers. Plus, there are A LOT of Illinois sports headlines today. Kurtis has the latest. Tristan Thomas from WCIA 3 calls us to discuss the IHSA Playoffs.  And Kurtis throws Evan a bunch of CURVEBALLS including "towns with dirty names."

WCIA-3's Tristan Thomas kicks off the show with boys. We talk about the Illini players that met with the media today, Saturday's game against Washington, and the slate of Friday night football. It's the last week of regular season for IHSA play and a lot of schools are trying to land postseason bids. Plus, Illinois Women's Gymnastics head coach Josh Nilson talks about the upcoming season and next week's Halloween event. And Kurtis' CURVEBALLS!

Our friend Tristan Thomas from WCIA 3 joins the show to talk about Bret Bielema being on the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List. Plus we dive into this week's local high school games. Are the Brewers cursed since Flying the L? They're down 2-0 to the Dodgers and the Mariners are up 2-0 on the Blue Jays. Former Illini player Kam Buckner is now a state representative and has proposed a bill that could keep the Bears at Soldier Field & out of Arlington Heights. 

Is this Saturday's game against the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes the biggest in Illinois football history? It very well could be. Plus, shoutout to the Marching Illini! They'll be participating in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Is it too early to talk turkey? WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas joins us for more Illini talk and a preview of all the local high school games. And another one of Kurtis' CURVEBALLS!

What are the least respected professions in the United States? Find out with today's edition of "Kurtis' Curveballs." Breaking Big Ten news that could prevent a Super Conference. We'll discuss with WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas and get a preview of the local high school games. And it's Spooky Season! Kurtis & some texters school Evan on what he should be watching this month.

The man behind IlliniBoard.com Robert Rosenthal joins us in-studio to talk about Illinois vs USC, his awful experience in Bloomington during the Indiana game, and taking things one game at a time. Plus WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas is back with a preview of the local high school games in Central Illinois.

WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas will be all over Central Illinois on Friday for "Friday Football Fever" and then head to Bloomington on Saturday for the Illini's showdown with the Hoosiers. But first, he joins us in-studio to preview all of this weekend's football action. Plus, the Cubs have clinched a postseason birth. Are they peaking at the right time?

We're a day removed from Larry Gies' $100 million donation. We chat more about fans' reactions. Also, Tristan Thomas from WCIA calls in with a preview of Friday Football Fever.

It's a full first hour on The Drive! Dave Harding is a former Duke Blue Devil team captain, O-Lineman, and current play-by-play man for the team. He joins us to talk about this weekend's Illinois vs Duke game. Plus, WCIA 3's Tristan Thomas is in-studio to break down the local high school games happening this Friday night. 

There were a handful of Illini alum that were cut from NFL rosters yesterday. We'll update you on where Tommy DeVito and others landed. Plus, Tristan Thomas of WCIA3 joins us to talk about some of the big high school football games this Friday night.  And Evan has 4 bold predictions for this Friday night's Illini game. It's The Drive!

On episode 270 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Podcast, Glenn Kinley and Tristan Thomas are talking all things fall camp as the Illini prep for the upcoming football season, plus a little roster news for Brad Underwood's squad.

In episode 269 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Podcast, Glenn Kinley, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas recap Illinois's appearance at Big Ten Football Media Day and introduce the first commit of the 2027 class.

In episode 266 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, sports director Glenn Kinley and reporter Tristan Thomas touch on some of the top storylines of the summer offseason. Hear from lineman Melvin Priestly about this year's football team on Illini x Cards Night, and from Josh Whitman on the changing world of college sports.

In episode 264 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Glenn Kinley, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas look back on the 2024 Illinois football season, which ended with a tenth win in the Citrus Bowl over South Carolina. Plus, Illinois men's basketball hit the road to face Oregon and won in historic fashion.

In episode 264 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Tristan Thomas and Courtney Layne Brewer break down the first loss of the Illinois basketball season, a Top-25 clash in Birmingham, Alabama against a Final Four team.

In episode 263 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Glenn Kinley and Tristan Thomas discuss Illinois football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

In episode 262 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Glenn Kinley, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas recap Illinois's major win over SIUE which saw several players in double digits and Kasparas Jakucionis just two rebounds from a triple-double.

In episode 260 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas break down Illinois's 25-17 loss at home against Minnesota.

In episode 259 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas break down Illinois's 38-9 loss on the road against No. 1 Oregon.

(WCIA) -- In episode 258 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Glenn Kinley, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas break down Illinois's historic win over Michigan, 21-7 in the Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary game.

(WCIA) -- In episode 257 of the WCIA 3-in-1 Pod, Glenn Kinley, Courtney Layne Brewer and Tristan Thomas recap Illinois's overtime win over Purdue to reclaim the Purdue cannon.

Plus why modern bikes require more frequent headset inspections, Ridley's new gravel bike, and a tonne more.It's a big episode this week as the geeks, Dave and Brad, cover a whole lot of ground including the latest new products, a rant on silly-priced items, a little on chain wear, why headset inspections matter more than ever, and there's an in-depth chat with a true geek of the wheel building world.That opening chat related to chains comes off a recent Threaded article about chain wear.Meanwhile, Dave jumps on a call with wheel build extraordinaire Tristan Thomas of WheelWorks to answer a multi-part Ask a Wrench question. It quickly gets detailed and geeky, but we figured that's exactly what you're here for.As a reminder, the Geek Warning podcast is only made possible through members of Escape Collective. We intentionally don't have any advertising, affiliate links, or sponsored content, so if you love this podcast, please support it (and then enjoy all the member-exclusive content you've been missing out on).Time stamps:5:30 - Chain wear, for those that missed it13:00 - Ridley's new Astr gravel race bike and thoughts on BB8624:00 - The Pro's Closet is shutting shop31:40 - On Dave's mind are silly-priced “limited” pulley wheels44:00 - a PSA on the increased importance of headset inspection58:10 - Ask a Wrench, all about wheel building with Tristan of WheelWorks1:25:00 - Bosch's new Performance Line CX e-bike system1:26:50 - PNW releases silver anodised dropper posts

Rideshare Rodeo Podcast (episode 347) State of the Gig Economy (w/Tristan Thomas) .:: Check Out Tristan on Twitter ::.  https://twitter.com/TristanThomasYT & also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TristanThomasYT ***** Support Rideshare Rodeo Patreon Page: https://patreon.com/ridesharerodeo