Month: February 2021

Tom Brady has been through a whole lot of championship celebrations in his decorated career. Thanks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 win in the Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Brady got to participate in his seventh ceremony, and he made the most of it by getting so drunk that he needed someone to help him stand upright.

Everyone who has ever, uh, gone outside has seen someone get to this level of belligerence, and you know that it requires a serious commitment to consuming as much booze as possible along with skipping lunch or something. As for what caused this, Brady took to Twitter to explain, and as it turns out, it was not “I stood next to Rob Gronkowski while he was partying,” which is what I assumed the answer would be.

It is very easy to envy Brady here because not a lot of people have gotten to have A Good Time lately due to the whole COVID-19 pandemic thing, but one person is particularly envious. LeBron James took to Twitter and claimed that if the Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold a parade after winning a ring last year, he would have done one heck of a Brady impression.

The Lakers were unable to have a parade due to the pandemic, and while they are apparently looking at other ways to celebrate it like bringing back the traditional trip to the White House, it is unfortunate that we missed out on Bombed LeBron James.

Officer Eugene Goodman may have saved Mitt Romney’s life.

During the second day of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, House impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett (D-United States Virgin Islands) introduced footage of Officer Goodman alarming the Utah senator about the approaching mob inside the Capitol building on January 6.

“Officer Goodman passes Mitt Romney and directs him to turn around in order to get to safety,” she said during the proceedings. “On the first floor, just beneath them, the mob had already started to search for the Senate chamber. Officer Goodman made his way down to the first floor, where he encountered the same insurrectionists we just saw breach the Capitol.” Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict President Trump in his first impeachment trial (in fact, he was the first senator ever “to vote to remove a president of his own party from office”), making him a target of the MAGA rioters.

At the time, rioters had already broken windows and were pouring into the building one floor below. Goodman then ran down the stairs to confront the crowd. Vastly outnumbered, Goodman steadily retreated, leading the crowd away from the Senate chamber and into a hallway where other Capitol Police could finally block the advance of the rioters.

Goodman, who served as acting deputy Senate sergeant-at-arms at Joe Biden’s inauguration, is the one thing Republicans and Democrats can both agree on: a bipartisan bill was introduced last month for the veteran to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom “for his bravery and quick thinking.” He deserves it, and so much more.

In Lil Yachty’s brand-new “Asshole” video, alt singer Oliver Tree is a burglar breaking into the Atlanta rapper’s dapper mansion only to be caught mid-heist. The rest of the video is given over to Lil Yachty’s depiction of a dandy out for a drive with a few lady friends. In the end, the two storylines dovetail to reveal the leisure drive doubles as punishment for the captured would-be thief, who goes along unwillingly, tied to the back of Yachty’s moped.

“Asshole” is just the latest part of Lil Yachty’s impressive comeback, which he started in early 2020 with the “Oprah’s Bank Account” video featuring DaBaby and Drake and continued with the release of Lil Boat 3 and its deluxe version, Lil Boat 3.5. Releasing videos for the Future-featuring “Pardon Me” and “Split/Whole Time,” the former “King Of The Teens” found his footing once again, leading to a host of new opportunities.

He competed on Eric Andre’s Rapper Warrior Ninja with Jpegmafia and Trippie Redd, contributed a theme song to the Saved By The Bell revival that debuted in November, announced a new movie based on the card game Uno, and lent his voice to the burgeoning Michigan underground rap movement with “Not Regular” and “Royal Rumble.”

Watch the “Asshole” video above.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of streetwear’s best sneaker and apparel drops. And what a week it is! On this glorious Wednesday, hardcore Jordan heads are in for a treat — this week is packed with must-cop pairs. Whether it’s classic colorways like the Neutral Grey or Carmine, more modern designs like the Jordan 14s, or a brand new take on the Jordan 3s, this week has a little bit of something for everyone.

We couldn’t fit all of them — with the biggest omission being Trophy Room’s Jordan 1 drop. Why are we leaving it out? Well, it’s already sold out for one. But mostly it’s because the pair is already hitting $2.5K on the aftermarket.

They’re dope, but they aren’t that dope.

Aside from Jordans, this week brings new releases from Stüssy, Palace, NOAH, and HUF, so let’s stop talking about it and just get into it.

Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 Neutral Grey

One of the original Air Jordan 1 colorways, the coveted Neutral Grey high top returns 35 years after first hitting store shelves and making history. The Neutral Grey features a clean monochromatic grey colorway with a leather upper with suede detailing and a commemorative hang-tag depicting an alternation of the Jump Man logo over the Chicago skyline. A classic and a must-cop for Jordan heads.

The Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 Neutral Grey is set to drop on February 10th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a through the Nike SNKRS app or via Foot Locker.

WMNS Air Max 90 Valentine’s Day

You had to expect this week was going to bring its fair share of red, pink, and white colorways in celebration of Valentine’s Day, but most of those designs are forgettable. These WMNS-sized Air Max 90s on the other hand? They are a future classic.

Featuring a mix of Nike’s custom University red, tulip pink, and white with a leather upper and a layered swoosh, the Air Max 90 Valentine’s Day almost reaches last year’s Strangelove Dunks level of cool.

The WMNS Air Max 90 Valentine’s Day is set to drop on February 13th for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Palace x Adidas Stan Smith Collection

The Stan Smith is one of Adidas’ strongest silhouettes. The sneaker’s iconic design is so effective that Adidas is usually able to inspire hype simply by changing up the color of its heel tab. While less is usually more when it comes to the Stan Smith, this wild reimagining by Palace has us rethinking that approach.

Yes, in a way this Easter-ish colorway can be seen as a little clownish, but that really depends on your entire fit. If you’re going to match the pastels, you’re going to look like an Easter picnic blanket, but working as a contrast to a more monochromatic fit? Could be quite nice.

If you rather keep things classic, Palace also did an iteration on the classic green and white color scheme, but I think we can all admit that they just aren’t as fly. Got to go pastel on this one.

The Palace Adidas Stan Smith collection is set to drop on February 12th for a yet to be announced price. Pick up a pair exclusively at Palace.

Air Jordan 6 Carmine

It’s not normal that for the last three years the Jordan drops have just been getting stronger and stronger. Surely at one point, we’re going to hit a plateau, right? Well, not this week!

We could’ve filled the top five with just Jordans this week. One of the strongest of the bunch is this Carmine colorway of the Jordan 6. In celebration of the silhouette’s 30th anniversary, the Carmine is a refresh of one of the AJ6’s debut colorways.

The Air Jordan 6 Carmine is set to drop on February 13th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or select Nike retailers.

Stüssy x Nike Air Huarache Desert Oak/ Dark Olive

While Nike is busy hyping up the 30th anniversary of the AJ6 it’s easy to forget that another classic silhouette dropped 30 years ago as well, the Nike Air Huarache. Okay, it’s not an Air Jordan 6, but it’s still one of Tinker Hatfields dopest designs and it’s here in a loving refresh with Stüssy.

Dropping in both an irresistible Desert Oak and Dark Olive colorway, here’s to hoping this drop reintroduces this often overlooked silhouette into this new era of footwear. Our money is on the Dark Olive being the more popular of the two.

The Stüssy x Nike Air Huarache Desert Oak Dark Olive is set to drop on February 12th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair exclusively at Stüssy.

NOAH Spring/Summer 2021

This Spring/Summer 2021 collection by New York-based NOAH is one of the label’s best. Things are kept refreshingly gender-neutral in this collection of streetwear staples. Featuring an extensive collection of crewnecks, graphic t-shirts, headwear, and coats that look designed to last.

Don’t be surprised if 10 years down the line you’re still rocking a NOAH piece from this collection. This brand is consistently improving drop after drop by putting a focus on quality fabrics, tailored cuts, and most importantly, wearability.

The NOAH Spring/Summer 2021 collection is set to drop on February 11th. Shop the drop at the NOAH webstore.

Palace Spring 2021 Collection

For the Spring 2021 season, Palace Is bringing a massive collection of cool-weather outerwear that liberally borrows from classic ’90s British skatewear. Highlights of the collection include GORE-TEX equipped jackets and sweaters, knitwear, and all kinds of random graphic adorned pieces, from jackets to pants, to hats.

Any of Palace’s offerings will pair nicely with the brand’s aforementioned Adidas collaboration, so if you’re still trying to figure out how to make rainbow pastel sneakers work, look no further.

The Palace Spring 2021 collection is set to drop on February 12th. Check out the full collection at the Palace webstore.

HUF Spring 2021 Collection

If late 2010’s fashion was inspired strongly by some of the looks out of the ‘90s, it’s not completely unreasonable to believe the early ‘20s will be inspired by ‘00s fashion. That’s the 20-year rule at work!

HUF’s latest Spring 2021 collection banks on that assumption with a collection of streetwear that recalls ‘00s skatewear. Vapor-wave inspired clip art and the lo-fi aesthetic of early internet culture meets modern trends like graphic-heavy patterns, baggy silhouettes, and color-blocking for a collection of nostalgic streetwear staples from a classic brand.

The HUF Spring 2021 collection is set to drop on February 11th. Check out the full collection at the HUF webstore.

After years of controversy over players kneeling during the national anthem before sporting events, an NBA team has done something unique. They simply stopped playing the anthem altogether.

They didn’t make an announcement. No one on the team or in management or ownership mentioned it. The 13 games that the Dallas Mavericks have played at home this preseason and regular season did not start with the national anthem, and pretty much no one even noticed.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed today that he had nixed playing the anthem at the American Airlines Center games and had no plans to play it in the future. He told ESPN that he had made the decision after consulting NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Cuban has expressed support for and solidarity with players who knelt during the anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality in recent years, after saying in 2017 that he hoped players would stand.

After news broke about Cuban not playing the anthem at games, the NBA issued the following statement:

“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy.”

Welp, that puts Mark Cuban in a bit of a pickle. Cuban has reportedly said they will abide by the NBA’s rule and begin playing the anthem tonight. He also responded issued a statement of his own:

“We respect and have always respected the passion people have for the anthem and our county. But we also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them. We feel that their voices need to be respected and heard, because they have not been.

Going forward, our hope is that people will take the same passion they have for this issue and apply the same amount of energy to listen to those who feel differently from them. Only then can we move forward and have courageous conversations that move this county forward and find what unites us.”

So here we are in another debate about the anthem, this time about whether or not teams should be forced to play it if they don’t want to. But the question remains: Why do we even play it at sporting events in the first place?

Playing the national anthem makes sense in international competitions because nationality is inherent in the matchup. But when an American team is playing an American team, playing the anthem feels like nationalism for the sake of nationalism. And when people playing those sports share that conditions in the country make them feel like the anthem doesn’t fully represent them, forcing a display of patriotism starts to feel gross.

The fact that the Mavericks didn’t play the anthem before 13 games and no one cared until it was pointed out is a sign that the controversy isn’t really about the anthem at all. People are welcome to sing the national anthem any time they want. What exactly is the point of doing it before every professional sporting event? What do sports have to do with patriotism in the first place?

Some will say the anthem is played to bring people together, to share a sense of national unity. But if that’s really what the purpose is, it’s obviously not working. Until we make the country what we’re supposed to be and what we claim to be—one in which liberty and justice truly exist for all—forcing the anthem at every game feels wrong.

As Shannon Sharpe pointed out, the national anthem is not the law of the land. There’s no law that stipulates that the anthem be played at sporting events—it’s a choice. And the anthem means different things to different people. “We have to stop with this notion that gestures and symbols are a sign of patriotism,” he said. “Actions and deeds make you a patriot…Sporting events will be just fine.”

If the anthem means a lot to you, you have every right to sing it whenever and wherever your heart desires. But the idea that playing it ahead of every sporting event is some kind of sacrosanct thing that can’t be changed is simply wrong, and denying a team the right to choose for themselves whether or not they play it feels awfully unAmerican.

American freedom means we don’t do forced patriotic displays. And the fact that the Mavericks haven’t played the anthem for 13 games and the world hasn’t come to a crashing halt means that we’d surely survive not playing it before every sporting event. Save the anthem for international competitions when it serves a clearer purpose, and let teams decide for themselves if they want it played on their home turf.

Education is one of the most reliable ways for people to climb the economic ladder. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that in 2018, college graduates earned weekly wages that were 80% higher than those of high school graduates.

Americans with a bachelor’s degree have median weekly earnings of $1,173, compared to just $712 a week for those who have a high school diploma.

One of the most affordable ways for people to get a college degree is to first start at community college. However, only 42% of first-time college students who attend a community college eventually complete a degree within eight years.

One of the major reasons these students fall through the cracks is the cost of their education. Studies show that graduation rates increase dramatically at community colleges with better public funding.

That’s why the Biden Administration is pushing for free community college as a way to improve America’s economic standing after the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a longtime community college professor, reiterated the Biden Administration’s goal of free community college in taped remarks aired Tuesday during a virtual legislative summit hosted by the Association of Community College Trustees and the American Association of Community Colleges.

FLOTUS: “We’re going to make sure that everyone has access to free community college”

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“We have to get this done. And we have to do it now,” Dr. Biden said. “That’s why we’re going to make sure that everyone has access to free community college and training programs.”

“We’re going to make sure students have the support they need to cross that finish line,” she said. “We’re going to invest in programs that prepare our workers for jobs of the future.”

Dr. Biden continues to teach virtually during the pandemic. She is the first first lady to have a paying job outside of the White House.

Last December, then-President-elect Joe Biden shared his pledge to make community and public colleges free. “That’s why under the Biden-Harris plan, community college will be free — and public colleges and universities will be tuition-free for families earning less than $125,000 a year,” he tweeted.

Biden’s Twitter announcement echoed pledges listed on his campaign website, which spoke to “invest[ing] in community colleges and training to improve student success” for the benefit of the middle class.

“All of these proposals will be implemented in partnership with states as well as school faculty and staff. Educators must play a key role in decisions affecting teaching and learning,” read a statement on his webpage.

The announcement comes as community college enrollment is on a steady rise. Between 2000 and 2017 undergraduate enrollment in community colleges grew from $13.2 million to $16.8 million. It’s expected to rise another 3% over the next seven years.

When the free college debate comes around, cost will no doubt be at the forefront of the discussion. But that assumes we can attach a price tag to the benefit of living in a society that places a higher value on education. A better-educated populace is one with greater opportunities and can allow for greater aspirations.

The bigger question should be, what’s the cost of living in a society where many don’t have access to a quality education?

Following a whirlwind run on GameStop stocks that saw prices surge by over 1,000%, Reddit traders have turned their attention towards a different industry: weed. Prices for three cannabis companies skyrocketed on Wednesday, due to the WallStreetBets subreddit, which sees the marijuana stocks as their next moneymaker thanks to the Biden administration’s plans for decriminalization. Like the GameStop situation, the Reddit traders also noticed the companies were being short sold, which has given them an opportunity to potentially pull another pump and dump that could pay off big time. Via CNBC:

The group of cannabis companies are garnering attention from the same WallStreetBets Reddit army that contributed to the epic short squeeze in GameStop last month. Several posts on the social media forum show users expressing optimism about the stocks’ upside.

″$TLRY $APHA calls since 1/5/2021 got me to over $500k today. Still think it has much upside,” one Reddit post said.

“Weed about to make me a millionaire in 2021,” another post, with more than 107,000 likes, said.

While the Reddit traders continues to stay focused on taking advantage of short stocks like GameStop, AMC, Nokia, and at one point, Blockbuster Video, one of their biggest backers, Elon Musk, has moved on to a different target: cryptocurrency. Following his championing of the Reddit subgroup and demanding answers from the CEO of Robinhood after the trading app temporarily blocked the purchase of GameStop stocks, Musk’s Tesla company shook the markets by making a massive $1.5 billion Bitcoin buy. Although, the eccentric CEO is still here for the memes, and he continues to make that clear with his non-stop Dogecoin posting, which he has admitted is a joke in case the $1.5 billion purchase of actual Bitcoin wasn’t evidence enough.

(Via CNBC)

When it comes to power couples, few have as much juice as DMV rapper Cordae and tennis champion Naomi Osaka. Both in their early 20s, the pair has already become “goals,” even for fans decades their seniors. And why not? Cordae was nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy for his debut album after exploding onto the public stage in 2018 with the YBN crew. Meanwhile, Naomi made her presence known on one of tennis’ grandest stages, defeating her hero Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open in a controversial match that made her an instant star.

So it makes perfect sense for GQ to tap the couple for its “Modern Lovers” issue this month, complete with a feature profiling their prolific accomplishments, as well as putting them through the requisite couples quiz challenge, just like Rihanna and ASAP Rocky a few months ago. The questions here remain surface level, but it’s still fun to watch the duo compliment and side-eye each other all through the video as Cordae buries his face in his hoodie and tries to charm his athletically inclined girlfriend.

As far as the profile goes, Naomi addresses the controversy surrounding her US Open win over Williams, as well as her relationship with the late, great Kobe Bryant, who she counted as a mentor. Meanwhile, Cordae talks about going to a majority Black school all his life and the culture shock of the new world in which he finds himself.

Aside from collecting corporate sponsorships like Pokemon cards — Cordae appeared in a Beats ad, while Naomi has her own line with Nike — the two were also involved in activism last year, with Naomi sporting face masks bearing the names of victims of police brutality and Cordae participating in a sit-in at Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home to protest his inaction in the Breonna Taylor shooting by Louisville police.

Watch Cordae and Naomi take GQ‘s couples quiz above.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Netflix series) — Director Joe Berlinger (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron and Paradise Lost, the HBO documentary trilogy about the West Memphis Three) launches this new anthology series that explores why some notorious crime locales gain their reputations. This season’s all about L.A.’s so-called “hotel death” and what happened when a young woman named Elisa Lam disappeared without a trace and after behaving bizarrely. Along the way, Berlinger seeks to crush conspiracy theories and vanquish ghost stories, although the whole affair is still a spooky ride.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00pm) — Archie’s been at war, and it’s been seven years since he’s been to Riverdale. When he returns, pretty much everyone (including him) looks the same, but the town itself is on the verge of desertion.

Nancy Drew (CW, 8:00pm) — Nancy and the gang are working to take out the Aglaeca before it’s too late, and the opposite happens. Elsewhere, Carson receives a favor request from Ace.

Resident Alien (SyFy, 10:30pm) — Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Rogue One) is an alien. Alan plays Harry, an alien who crash-landed on Earth, who’s beginning finding it difficult to keep his secret safe, and Asta is confronting her own history.

C.B. Strike (HBO, 10:00pm) — This series is adapted from the novels of Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) and follows a London-based private detective who investigates the most complex cases with the help of his military training. This week, Robin admits something difficult to Strike, and they must just solve their current case.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Kristen Wiig, Rebecca Breeds

Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Mila Kunis, KJ Apa, Sam Dew

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Kaluuya, Chris Stapleton

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Noah Centineo, Madison Cunningham

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Allison Janney, Rep. Cori Bush

In case you missed these recent picks:

Modern Family: All Seasons (Peacock and Hulu) — The enormously popular series that ran for eleven seasons left the airwaves in 2020 will now be available for streaming in its entirety. In addition, Peacock is adding curated collections, bonus content and more goodies to create a “fan experience,” This show has more Emmys than anyone could possibly count, so perhaps that exercise can be part of the bonus content? Do it.

Firefly Lane (Netflix series) — Katherine Heigl returns to TV with Sarah Chalke as co-star, as the duo portrays two women over three-to-four decades of best friendship. Expect laughs and sentimentality, all based upon the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, and a brunette Heigl.

Tacoma FD: Season 2 (HBO) — The Broken Lizard comedy troupe returns with this hit TruTV comedy series about a true mess of a firefighting group with outlandish exploits that rival that of Reno 911 and Super Troopers.

The big news networks have been covering Trump’s second impeachment trial all day, which might be why CNN anchor Jake Tapper seems fed up with the childish behavior of some of the GOP senators disrupting the prosecution’s arguments.

Tapper — along with co-hosts Abby Phillip and Dana Bash — was recapping the house manager’s presentation of evidence that places the blame for the Jan. 6th insurrection squarely on Trump’s shoulders when talk turned to why the public wouldn’t be seeing leaders like Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lindsey Graham on camera during the trial. Apparently, the heads of both parties agreed that the reactions of lawmakers wouldn’t be filmed during the hearing. That lack of media scrutiny has emboldened some politicians to behave like, well, bratty teenagers. Mediate has video of the moment; Phillip, Bash, and Tapper did not tread lightly.

“Some of them are explicitly not listening,” Phillip said after detailing how Graham, Hawley, and Cruz might be implicated in the house manager’s arguments. “Feet up on desks, they’re reading books, they’re reading briefing papers on other topics. And they’re doing it intentionally because I guess it gives them plausible deniability with their supporters, that they weren’t even going to take in the information that’s coming to them today.”

That kind of willful ignorance must be a pet peeve for Tapper because he refused to hold back when criticizing these men who, in a way, helped us get here.

“They’re really tough and defiant about the fact that they’re not participating, except that they won’t allow cameras there to show that,” Tapper said. “It’s real easy to be defiant when no one’s looking.”

In fairness, it’s got to be embarrassing to have supported a “Stop The Steal” campaign that ended with your own supporters sacking your place of work. We’re pretty sure that’s what the kids call an “epic fail.”

(Via Mediaite)