Month: August 2020

With so much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 college football season, both in regards to what it will look like and how it can be completed safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Connecticut has decided to take a drastic step. It was announced on Wednesday morning that the Huskies’ football program would not compete this fall, giving them the distinction of being the first FBS university to make the decision to pass on playing football this year.

“We engaged and listened to the concerns of our football student-athletes and feel this is the best decision for their health, safety, and well-being,” UConn head coach Randy Edsall said in a release. “Our team is united in this approach and we will use this time to further player development within the program and gear ourselves to the 2021 season.”

Edsall’s players also put out a statement, explaining that they “are in full support” of the decision to pass on playing this year.

“We have many health concerns and not enough is known about the potential long term effects of contracting COVID-19,” the players said. “Additionally, we have not had the optimal time to train mentally & physically to be properly prepared to compete this season. We love this game and love competing. We came to campus in the beginning of July knowing there would be challenges presented by the pandemic but it is apparent to us now that these challenges are impossible to overcome.”

The Huskies were slated to play this season as an independent following their final year as a member of the American Athletic Conference this year. While no other FBS schools have announced a similar decision, some smaller schools have opted to not play this fall, while a collection of players from FBS schools like Minnesota, Penn State, and Virginia Tech have decided to opt out of this season with an eye on the 2021 NFL Draft.

(Via ESPN)

Fontaines DC earned critical respect from American indie music publications for their 2019 debut album Dogrel and for their new one, A Hero’s Death. While they are a very good band, they haven’t exactly dominated the charts on this side of the Atlantic: Their lone chart appearance in the US was a No. 14 peak for Dogrel on Billboard‘s Top Heatseekers tally.

That said, the Irish group is much more appreciated in the UK, where Dogrel peaked at No. 9 on the charts. Now, the band has a shot at going No. 1 in the UK with A Hero’s Death. Taylor Swift’s Folklore is also vying for the top spot on the August 7 chart, and it might be surprising to American music fans, but the race between Swift and Fontaines DC is actually really, really close.

The Official Charts Company, which is responsible for the official UK charts, publishes its weekly rankings on Fridays. Ahead of then, though, they offer a mid-week update. On Monday’s update, Fontaines DC led the tally while Swift was in third, after Folklore debuted in the top spot on the chart dated July 31.

However, it looks like Swift and her team are making moves to try and keep Folklore on top for a second consecutive week. EMI, Swift’s UK record label, brought the CD release of Folklore forward to August 4, presumably in an effort to keep the album at No. 1.

To compare both artists’ global reach, Fontaines DC currently boast about 961,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, which is a big number that’s far from paltry. However, Swift has about 46.1 million monthly listeners, which is nearly 50 times as many and 17th in the world.

Mad Men famously paid $250,000 for the rights to use “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles in a season five episode (Don was not a fan), but a TV show simply quoting a famous song can still cost tens of thousands of dollars in licensing fees.

For this week’s episode of the Office Ladies podcast, via Mashable, former-The Office co-stars/current co-hosts Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey spoke to Jen Celotta, who wrote season three’s “A Benihana Christmas.” Early in the episode, Michael discusses his plan to surprise Carol with two “all-inclusive” tickets to Jamaica for Christmas. It was a pricey present for Michael, and, as Celotta revealed, a pricier expense for the show:

“I wrote a joke where Michael says, ‘I got two tickets to paradise.’ And he says, ‘Pack your bags we leave day after tomorrow.’ At the sound mix, I found out from [producer Kent Zbornak] that was a $60,000 joke… I was like, ‘It’s a fine joke, but none of my jokes I’ve ever written have been $60,000 jokes.’ But I remember not so long after that we had some of our music budget pulled away from us, and I can’t help but think… [I] had no idea that because we sang that song, the song had to be cleared, and that joke was $60,000.”

More like Eddie money.

“A Benihana Christmas” also memorably featured Michael and Andy singing “Your Body Is a Wonderland” to their holiday party dates, but the process of getting the rights to that song was smoother, as John Mayer was a fan of the show. “One of my favorite shows on television, The Office, wanted to use my song, but it’s safe to say I don’t get asked to use ‘Wonderland’ for strongman competitions. I get asked so that people can goof on it. I initially turned the request down, but after hearing the details on the incredibly funny sounding scene, I decided to go for it,” Mayer wrote on his blog at the time. His only request: that he get a Dundie. Congrats to John Mayer, tall music dude.

You can listen to the Office Ladies episode below.

(Via Mashable)

As DC FanDome gets ready to drop towards the end of August, James Gunn is making it known that The Suicide Squad will have a big presence at the online fan event. But first, the director wanted to show off his awesome birthday present: brand new title logos for his sequel/quasi-reboot of the villainous mercenary squad.

“#TheSuicideSquad team just got me these amazing new official title treatments for my birthday today,” Gunn wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. “And the cast and I have so much more to show you guys on Aug 22 at DCFanDome.com. See you there!”

You can see the official The Suicide Squad logos below and in several languages:

The logos marked the second time Gunn pumped up DC FanDome in the past 24 hours. The online event is a “free, global, 24-hour virtual convention” that’s basically DC Comics’ own Comic-Con. Speculation is swirling that new revelations will come for The Batman, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Suicide Squad. While Gunn hasn’t confirmed (or denied) that a trailer is dropping at the online event, he is promising fans that they will be getting a good look at his film. Gunn also told a concerned Twitter user that his take on the Suicide Squad will be “100%, zero interference, no-holds-barred ME.”

You can see Gunn’s tweet below:

Of course, in these crazy times, the big question is how the pandemic has affected The Suicide Squad. So far, not at all. Back in April, Gunn confirmed that shooting had already wrapped before production shutdowns began sweeping Hollywood. Since then, his post-production team has been working without issue from home, and Gunn confidently tweeted that the film is “on or ahead of schedule.”

Boasting a massive cast that includes original Suicide Squad stars like Margot Robbie, Jai Courtenay, and Joel Kinnaman alongside newcomers Idris Elba, Pete Davidson, and Taika Waititi, The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6, 2021.

(Via James Gunn on Instagram, James Gunn on Twitter)

As more and more rappers take to Twitch to stream themselves playing video games, one rapper in particular is distinguishing himself as as much of a standout entertainer on the streaming platform as he is a musician. Soulja Boy, whose antics generally make for great viral meme fodder — see: his response to being told Drake is the most influential artist of the 2010s — has been playing Call Of Duty: Warzone on Twitch and clips have filtered their way onto Twitter, where the reaction has been one of hilarity and enjoyment.

The thing that makes him so much fun to watch is his typically exuberant, sort of unhinged reactions to the onscreen action. We’ve all gotten a little bit excited during a particularly rousing round of multiplayer, but Soulja Boy literally screams at the top of his lungs, shouting out his “All Money Gang” and celebrating winning a heart-pumping shootout long after all his enemies have been sent to respawn. Naturally, fans have thoughts, mostly in the realm of bemusement at his overreaction to a fairly typical gaming situation; one fan joked, “Soulja Boy don’t need Call Of Duty,” while another wondered, “Who let this n**** Soulja Boy get on Warzone?”

It seems, though, that most of the reactions are just joy at seeing the now 30-year-old rapper enjoying himself as the world falls apart around us all. At least someone is enjoying something while pandemics rage on and sharks invade the waters of the Los Angeles coastline. Watch Soulja Boy have way too much fun playing video games online above.

After Toronto-based four-piece pop punk outfit Pup shared their acclaimed third record Morbid Stuff last year, the group has stayed busy with other projects. Pup released a benefit live album in July that was available for only one day and ended up raising over $27,500 for charity. Now, the group returns with a lively cover of one of their favorite rock bands, Grandaddy.

Pup came together to record a cover of Grandaddy’s 1997 song “A.M. 180.” The group manages to capture the disgruntled energy of the original track while infusing their fuzzy and endearing sound. Speaking about their decision to cover the song, drummer Zack Mykula praised Grandaddy as one of indie rock’s “best kept” secrets: “Grandaddy are one of the unsung hero bands of indie rock,” says Pup’s drummer . “A best kept secret. I mean, forgive me for going ham, but this song is like a lily in an otherwise barren valley. An outstanding piece of songwriting, doing more with less than most any other song of the same caliber. So, that’s why we decided to cover it.”

Along with sharing the lively cover, Pup has unveiled a new edition of their zine, PupTheZine Vol. 4: Quaranzine. The booklet contains cut-outs of drawn Pup figurines, a postcard, each band members’ resume, guitar tabs for “Anaphylaxis,” a pedal board breakdown, a disc of a ska song written in while they were quarantine, and much more. About the zine, Pup said they had originally created it at the onset of the pandemic lockdown before the country turned their focus to elevate the Black Lives Matter movement:

“This zine was created in the first few weeks of our mandatory quarantine. It was printed and ready to ship before the full impact of COVID-19 was felt across the world and before the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, and Breonna Taylor (to name but a few) further exposed the foundational white supremacy and structural inequality at the heart of American, Canadian, and other capitalist societies. We are grateful for the voices and perspectives of marginalized peoples that continue to play a central role in this worldwide awakening and in the sustained call to dismantle racist and patriarchal structures that have perpetrated violence in our communities. We stand in solidarity with all those trying to envision safer and more just communities and will continue to do our daily best in amplifying and uplifting these voices as we move forward in the world.

With that in mind, we hope you’ll view this thing for what it is: a time capsule. It is the four members of PUP, bored as fuck, fresh off a cancelled tour, trying to create something as silly as possible because, at the time, we wanted a distraction. Although it doesn’t necessarily represent our current emotional states, we had a good laugh making it and had a good laugh revisiting it all these months later. Honestly, that’s why we started making these zines in the first place. If you buy this thing, we hope it helps you find a bit of levity in what has been an incredibly bleak few months.”

Listen to Pup’s “A.M. 180” cover and find the Quaranzine cover art above.

Following the lead of Pac-12 athletes, the athletes of the Big Ten have stepped forward in a new article at the Players Tribune to lay out their own proposal for how fall sports should happen this year, if they are to happen at all. Their letter was penned in conjunction with College Athlete Unity, a nationwide organization of college athletes that seeks to “effect positive change” in the NCAA.

It was released, likely not coincidentally, on the same day the Big Ten announced a condensed college football schedule that is set to begin in less than a month.

“The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition, yet it has done nothing,” the statement reads. “Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan, resulting in inconsistent policies, procedures and protocols.

“Given that the NCAA and conference leadership have not asked for our input, we feel compelled to call for clarity, commitment, and action regarding our common-sense proposal below.”

The Big Ten athletes go on to list their demands for a successful fall sports schedule. The big bullet points include:

• Third-party testing staff as well as a third party to enforce all public health protocols, and “sufficient penalty for noncompliance” and a requirement for all athletic staff to report violations
• “Adherence to WHO and CDC guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations” with regard to attendance and fan interaction
• Appropriate social distancing, masking, sanitation and temperature checks across all sports
• Highly accurate, quick-result testing three times per week as well as extensive contact tracing and strict quarantine rules for those who test positive or come into close contact with an infected individual
• Protect “whistleblowers” who come forward to report noncompliance and ban COVID-19 waivers for college athletes
• Continued scholarship funding if sports are delayed or canceled, as well as coverage by schools for medical expenses related to COVID-19 in the short- and long-term

With athletes from two Power 5 conferences now aligned on a sweeping set of demands that would go a long way toward securing collegiate sports complexes and caring for the people on the field, the ball is now in the court of the NCAA and the conference commissioners when it comes to how to protect student-athletes playing during a pandemic.

Griselda Records first lady Armani Caesar has always boasted of her versatility since officially signing with the Buffalo, New York-based label in March of this year and with her new single, “Simply Done,” she proves it in spades. Although she’s been great at crafting the so-called “stripper rap” that marries bass-heavy, twerk-ready beats with money-hungry lyricism, on “Simply Done,” she proves she’s more than capable of hanging with the grimy guys of Griselda, employing a classic DJ Premier production to channel the tough spirit of ’90s Kim and Fox with fierce, chest-puffing rhymes alongside Benny The Butcher.

“My n****s sharpshooters, aim and click, I ain’t talkin’ no Twit’ pic,” Armani growls in her verse. “I get in that booth and I rip sh*t / No playin’, no kid sh*t.” DJ Premier provides a typically soulful beat, looping up a cinematic sample with his signature boom-bap drums to give Caesar the perfect backdrops for her threats. Benny runs the anchor leg, sneering at his opponents, “You get what you pay for, you wanna be a hustler / But you can’t afford the work, n***, don’t quit your day job.”

As Westside Gunn teases his departure from the rap game and passes the torch to Conway, Benny, and Armani, it appears Griselda is in good hands as they become one of the premiere (heh) labels in traditionalist rap today.

Listen to Armani Caesar’s “Simply Done” featuring DJ Premier and Benny The Butcher above.

After nearly five months in the wilderness, the NBA season is underway again and, as a result, DIME is back with power rankings. A lot has changed in the world since March 10 but, in basketball circles, the status quo is largely still in play, even with a few exceptions.

If nothing else, 22 of the league’s 30 teams are in Orlando taking part in seeding games and each franchise has at least two games under the belt at this juncture. That gives us just enough to provide overreactions and, with a long way to go before the marathon postseason even begins, let’s get weird with power rankings that are (almost) entirely focused on what’s happening in the bubble.

1. Toronto Raptors (2-0, Last week — n/a)

Are the Raptors actually the best team in the NBA? Maybe not. However, Toronto began their Orlando run with a 2-0 record that included wins over the Heat and the Lakers. In general, the Raptors are for real, and they shouldn’t be ignored.

2. Phoenix Suns (3-0, Last week — n/a)

Well, I tried to tell you that these were bubble-based rankings, so let’s have some fun. Obviously, the Suns aren’t the second-best team in the league, but Phoenix is 3-0 in Orlando and they are riding high after wins over the Mavericks and Clippers. Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and company are generating buzz as a playoff sleeper for 2021, but they aren’t quite dead in 2020 either.

3. Indiana Pacers (3-0, Last week — n/a)

In three games in Orlando, TJ Warren is averaging 39.7 points per game. That’s not a misprint. He’s not the only reason that the Pacers are 3-0 but, given that Indiana is operating shorthanded in the bubble, Warren’s stellar performance has been huge.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1, Last week — n/a)

With only three unblemished teams, somebody had to be here, and it probably needs to be the Lakers. LeBron and company did run into the Toronto buzzsaw but, otherwise, the Lakers have quality wins over the Clippers and Jazz. They also happen to the betting favorite (or at least one of them) to win the title.

5. Miami Heat (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Oh look, another team that lost to the Raptors. Like the Lakers, the Heat have two really good wins (over the Nuggets and Celtics) and Miami’s most recent performance was stellar to get a victory without Jimmy Butler on Tuesday.

6. San Antonio Spurs (2-1, Last week — n/a)

In stunning fashion, the Spurs are playing quite well in Orlando. They came quite close to a 3-0 start and, while DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay are prominently involved, there is a real youth movement happening. Gregg Popovich has (rightly) unleashed Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, and company, with Derrick White looking good as well. The Spurs are interesting again.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Jusuf Nurkic is back, Damian Lillard is Damian Lillard, and the Blazers are good at basketball. Portland nearly toppled Boston to stay unblemished but, after a close loss, the Blazers beat the Rockets in prime time on Tuesday. Seeing this makes you long for what might have been if Nurkic was healthy all season.

8. Houston Rockets (2-1, Last week — n/a)

The Rockets are wild, but we already knew that. Houston is playing incredibly small and, for the most part, it’s working. Whether they can keep it up over the long haul is something else, but the high-variance approach is ripe for intrigue.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1, Last week — n/a)

It’s only been two games, but there isn’t much to dissuade anyone from continuing to believe in the Thunder. This is a good basketball team, and Chris Paul is must-see TV with the ball in his hands.

10. Orlando Magic (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Unbelievably, the Magic have morphed into an offense-first team and they look pretty good. The injury to Jonathan Isaac is brutal for the long-term, but the “hometown team” in the bubble is genuinely playing well. Of interest, though, is the fact that the Magic have deployed 2018 lottery pick Mo Bamba for only 10 total minutes in the restart, leaning on Khem Birch instead.

11. Brooklyn Nets (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Break up the Nets! Brooklyn would’ve avoided the basement by simply beating Washington but, for good measure, the Nets pulled off a massive upset against the Bucks on Tuesday. Make no mistake, this is still a bad basketball team as currently assembled, but they’re playing really hard and getting results.

12. Philadelphia 76ers (1-1, Last week — n/a)

God bless Shake Milton. If not for Milton’s game-winner against the Spurs, Philadelphia would be considerably lower on this list. Ben Simmons has been out of sorts and, to be honest, the Sixers have a lot of the same problems they had before the hiatus.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (1-2, Last week — n/a)

Quite obviously, the Bucks remain very good and they don’t need to care about the seeding games. Milwaukee did lose to the wildly shorthanded Nets on Tuesday, though, so they have to pay a penance.

14. L.A. Clippers (1-2, Last week — n/a)

No one should worry about the Clippers. Even without Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, L.A. was competitive against the Lakers on Thursday and they trounced the Pelicans after that. Devin Booker delivered a second loss, dropping them down the rankings in hot take fashion, but all is well.

15. Boston Celtics (1-2, Last week — n/a)

Losing to the Bucks in the bubble opener was totally reasonable, even if there were some warning signs. Losing to the Jimmy Butler-less Heat on Tuesday evening was less ideal, even if Boston is clearly still rounding into form as the playoffs loom.

16. Dallas Mavericks (1-2, Last week — n/a)

The Mavs lost their first two games by six points combined. Honestly, that is kind of on-brand for a team that struggled in clutch situations all season long but, on the whole, Dallas has been just fine. They’ll have a chance to make a statement against the Clippers on Thursday evening.

17. Denver Nuggets (1-1, Last week — n/a)

Denver’s roster wasn’t anywhere close to full strength in their opener, and a 20-point loss arrived as a result. The Nuggets looked (much) better in the follow-up, though, with Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. cooking on the offensive end.

18. Utah Jazz (1-2, Last week — n/a)

The Jazz actually have the third-worst net rating in the small sample since teams arrived in Orlando. Utah did beat New Orleans in the opener, though, and that allows them to slide up one slot. It isn’t too shocking that the Jazz have struggled given their roster constraints, but they will have an interesting match-up against Memphis on Wednesday.

19. New Orleans Pelicans (1-2, Last week — n/a)

After a shaky loss to Utah and a terrible showing against the Clippers, the Pelicans did bounce back to edge the Grizzlies. Zion Williamson even flashed some of his otherworldly traits in that match-up. It would still be fair to say the Pelicans have underperformed, but the remaining scheduled is forgiving.

20. Memphis Grizzlies (0-3, Last week — n/a)

On the bright side, Taylor Jenkins’ team had a big cushion as play began. They might need it. Memphis has at least been competitive in their three losses, but with Jaren Jackson Jr. now on the shelf, the team’s perimeter shooting issues are even more dire.

21. Sacramento Kings (0-3, Last week — n/a)

The Kings had some “don’t forget us!” vibes in advance of the seeding games, but things haven’t gone well. Sacramento is winless and, with a -10.1 net rating, they’ve really earned it. De’Aaron Fox is a bright spot, but any optimism about a Cinderella run to the play-in is now gone.

22. Washington Wizards (0-3, Last week — n/a)

It’s not as if Washington is the only win-less team in Orlando, but this is still an easy choice. The Wizards are playing without Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, but the team has a -10.8 net rating in three losses. On top of that, Washington lost to Brooklyn, and that clinched this placement.

Phoebe Bridgers released her stunning sophomore album Punisher in June and since she can’t tour behind the record, the singer has come up with creative ways to keep her fans entertained on livestreams. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in April, Bridgers performed her track “Kyoto” from her bathtub and for her recent set on Seattle’s infamous KEXP radio, the singer sang from outer space.

For the live performance, Bridgers was joined by her full band all sporting the singer’s signature skeleton costume. The group positioned themselves in front of a green screen and projected images of outer space and the solar system while giving lively renditions of the Punisher tracks “Chinese Satellite,” “I See You,” “Kyoto,” and a cover of Sinèad O’Connor’s song “Black Boys On Mopeds.”

Speaking to KEXP host Cheryl Waters about “Chinese Satellite,” Bridgers said she penned the song as a reflection on religion: “It’s kind of about faith weirdly. I wasn’t raised religious and I think I’ve always been jealous of people who’ve always had some sort of drive in life. But I can’t make the leap, I can’t bring myself — even conspiracy theories and stuff — I just can’t. It’s just that wanting to feel like somebody has your back but feeling totally alone.”

Watch Phoebe Bridgers perform on KEXP above.

Punisher is out now via Dead Oceans. Get it here.