Month: July 2021

The “serial killer gets impregnated by a car” movie of your dreams is almost here.

When Neon released the first trailer for Titane, director Julia Ducournau’s follow-up to Raw, the distributor provided no information about the plot. All we had was the definition of the title (“A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys, often used in medical prostheses due to its pronounced biocompatibility”) and an orgasm of visuals, including a shirtless buff dude, a woman in ecstasy on the hood of a car, and a child that looks like season one Eleven from Stranger Things.

But after Titane won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival (previous winners include Parasite, The Tree of Life, and Dancer in the Dark), Neon announced a release date — and we finally know what the heck it’s about.

Titane will hit theaters on October 1. As for the plot:

The film centers around Alexia (Agathe Rousselle), a serial killer impregnated by a car who disguises her gender and goes incognito as a lonely fireman’s (Vincent Lindon) long-lost son.

A tale as old as time, really.

Between The Many Saints of Newark, No Time to Die, Halloween Kills, Dune, Jackass Forever, The French Dispatch, Last Night in SoHo, and now Titane, October 2021 is shaping up to be a movie month for the ages.

(Via Variety)

Veteran Chicago radio personality “Ramblin’ Ray” Stevens was driving in his car two weeks ago when he passed Braxton Mayes, 20, several times.

“I was on my way home from work Friday and saw a young man walking down Kirk Road,” Stevens later recalled. “I dropped my friend off at the studio I work out of and headed home. This young man was still walking. So I drove around the block and asked him if he needed a ride.”

“In our town, we help people out,” Stevens said.

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After some hesitancy, the young man agreed. During the ride, Stevens learned that every day Mayes walks 12 miles between the west suburban towns of Montgomery and Batavia just to get to work. “It’s just one of those things,” Mayes told ABC 7. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”

Chicago area man’s car fixed after having to walk 6 hours a day to and from work

www.youtube.com

Mayes hits the road walking every morning at 4 am to make it to his 7 am shift on time. Then, after his shift, he walks another three hours home. His long commutes on foot started after his 2006 GMC truck broke down.

The former high school football star says that he had no trouble walking because he was raised with a strong work ethic. “I was struggling to get a job for a good amount of time, and once I finally got a job, I mean, that was my chance, I had to keep it,” Mayes said according to FOX 32. “So I had to do whatever I had to do.”

Inspired by Mayes’ commitment, Stevens put together a social media campaign to help get his car fixed. “Let’s help Braxton get his truck fixed! Any other leftover money will go to Chicago area food banks,” Stevens wrote on a GoFundMe page.

In just a few days, the campaign raised enough money to get the car fixed. “It brought me to tears,” Mayes said. “I didn’t know when I would come up with the money to fix it or how many times I would have to walk.”

Over the course of two weeks, the campaign has already raised nearly $11,000.

“This guy checks all the boxes,” Stevens said, according to People. “He’s a good, solid human being. People are having a hard time finding people to work and here’s a guy walking three hours one way just because his truck broke down.”

A local Ford dealership stepped up and paid for all of the repairs the car needed to get it rolling down the road again, so the money from the GoFundme campaign will go to local food banks.

Now, Mayes should be able to get to work in about 25 minutes.

Thanks @BurtonABC7 and @KrasheskyABC7 for telling Braxton’s story pretty cool ending) @friendlyfordros https://t.co/ku4JNkR1KM

— Ramblin’ Ray (@ramblin_ray)
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“The story of Braxton who was walking 3 hours to work one way has come to an end! Thanks to. @friendlyfordroselle for picking up the bill,” Stevens wrote on Instagram.

Stevens hopes to take Mayes and his family to dinner in the near future to get to know them a bit better.

With the Olympics officially beginning we’re about to see much of the world’s attention turn to Tokyo as fans cheer on their country, favorite athletes, or for the sake of sport itself. We’re also going to see many celebrations of the Olympics. One of those celebrations is coming from Friday’s Google Doodle.

The Google Doodle for Friday is a JRPG starring an adorable cat named Lucky competing in the Olympics. Players will take Lucky on a mini-adventure where she will compete in events like skateboarding, table tennis, and rugby to become the ultimate Olympian. Of course, since this is a JRPG, that means there is an anime-inspired art style alongside a handful of quests that the player can complete.

There’s actually a decent amount of content in the Doodle so anyone that wants to complete it may want to set aside a little bit of time to do so.

Welcome to the Doodle Champion Island Games! Over the coming weeks, join calico (c)athlete Lucky as she explores Doodle Champion Island: a world filled with seven sport mini-games, legendary opponents, dozens of daring side quests, and a few new (and old ;)) friends. Her ultimate goal? Defeat each sport Champion to collect all seven sacred scrolls—and complete extra hidden challenges across Champion Island in the purrr-ocess.

Are you feline Lucky ? Click on today’s Doodle, join one of the four color teams to contribute to the real-time global leaderboard, and let the games begin!

As for the game itself? It’s nothing too overly complicated, nor should it be considering you play it in a browser, but it is radiating with charm. The character sprites are all detailed and the character portraits all feature just enough detail to get the personality of whoever is being spoken to at the moment.

The entire game can be played with an arrow key and the spacebar so it should be relatively accessible to most players. The games themselves aren’t really meant to be a challenge, but there is a scoreboard for anyone that wants to compete in getting the highest scores. There’s a little bit of exploration, with a few NPC’s to talk to, and it hits all the right notes that one would expect from a JRPG. The only thing it’s really missing is a save the world plot, but maybe that is simply the start of the next great JRPG.

Washington DC hardcore punk band Minor Threat was only active for a few years in the early ’80s, but despite their short tenure, they’re regarded as one of the most important bands of their genre. The group’s members have gone on to great success outside of the band, including Ian MacKaye (who went on to form Fugazi) and Brian Baker (now a member of Bad Religion).

Then, there’s Buckcherry, who had some success in the mid-2000s — including a top-10 album with 2008’s Black Butterfly and a pair of multi-Platinum singles, “Crazy B*tch” and “Sorry” — but are not as historically revered. So, when Buckcherry singer Josh Todd recently brought up the idea of himself fronting a potential Minor Threat reunion, people weren’t feeling it.

In a recent interview with Classic Rock (as Consequence notes), Todd spoke about running into Baker and saying to him, “Hey, man, if you ever want to do a Minor Threat tour and Ian doesn’t want to do it, I’ll shave my head and we’ll f*cking do it!” As for Baker’s reaction, Todd reported, “He just laughed.”

Also laughing were Twitter users, many of whom were decidedly not into the idea of Todd taking the Minor Threat reigns. Classic Rock summarized the differences between Todd and MacKaye well: “Given that Todd is best known for the song ‘Crazy B*tch’ and the lyric, ‘I love the cocaine” (from ‘Lit Up’), whereas MacKaye is the author of the song ‘Straight Edge’ and sang, “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t f*ck…” on the title track of Out Of Step, this would be a bold recruitment by Baker, to put it mildly.”

That Baker anecdote came after Todd spoke about his admiration for Minor Threat and the band’s lone studio album, 1983’s Out Of Step, saying, “I was fifteen and I felt like an outcast. I was dealing with a lot of dysfunction in my personal life at that time, a lot of adversity at home. I couldn’t trust the men in my life. There was a lot of anger inside of me. So I spent all my time at the record store. I had a crazy independent punk rock collection – and Minor Threat’s Out Of Step was one of them. I felt like it was describing what was going on with me at that time. I truly connected with the recklessness and aggression of songs like the title track. It made me feel like I was part of a tribe when I listened to Out Of Step. You can hear Out Of Step in what we do, too.”

Check out some more reactions below.

USA Basketball will begin Olympic play on Sunday morning when it takes on France at 8 a.m. EST. It’s a highly-anticipated game, as the French — which are ranked seventh in the world in the most recent FIBA rankings — shocked the United States by knocking it out in the quarterfinals of its last major international tournament, the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

One major issue facing the Americans is that three of its most important players are flying to Tokyo after battling in the NBA Finals, with Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns hopping on a flight alongside Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks. The trio are expected to arrive by Saturday, and according to U.S. coach Gregg Popovich, the team is hopeful they’ll be able to play against France.

“I have no idea [how to use them],” Popovich said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. I’m not trying to be glib. I’m trying to be transparent. Maybe they’ll be OK for the game [Sunday] and it’ll hit them two days later. Maybe we should play them in the first half and see what they’re like.”

It’s certainly going to be a tricky needle to thread for Popovich, who will need to figure out on the fly whether to throw them in right away during the United States’ presumptive toughest group stage game — Iran and the Czech Republic round out Group A — with the hopes that they carry over their form after the playoffs, or let them gradually ramp things up. All three should, theoretically, play important roles for the Americans, which lost Bradley Beal’s scoring punch in the lead-up to the tournament and could have used reinforcements in the backcourt even before that.

Just as no one feuds as hard as celebrities, it turns out that no one pranks as hard either. Yesterday, actor and comedian Kevin Hart took his funny guy status to the next level in a prank involving some giant billboards and “best friend” Nick Cannon’s supposed phone number. For lucky passerby’s in Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta, you might have seen the prank in action, as Hart paid for billboards advertising “For any advice on fatherhood? Call my best friend Nick Cannon” followed by the star’s phone number.

The cheeky prank pokes fun at Cannon’s ever-expanding family, as the actor just welcomed twins twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir with their mother Abby De La Rosa on June 14, followed by newborn son Zen — whom he shares with model Alyssa Scott — on June 23. Cannon is also a father to four other children: Powerful Queen and Golden, whom he shares with Brittany Bell, and twins Moroccan and Monroe whom he had with his ex-wife Mariah Carey.

However, Hart’s little jab was not unprompted. According to Hart’s Instagram, he organized the stunt after Cannon surprised him with a llama on his birthday earlier in July. On July 9, Hart shared pictures of him with said llama, along with a caption to call Cannon “one of the biggest a**holes on the planet.”

Since then, Cannon has shared his phone ringing nearly off the hook on his Instagram story, along with the simple caption, “thanks Kevin Hart.” No telling on how much further things will escalate between the pair, but we’ll be watching eagerly.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party destination, music festival, and anywhere it’s acceptable to have a cocktail before 5 p.m. However, we all need to take a break from the busyness sometimes. Hopping on a cross-country flight might not seem like slowing down, but this was exactly the remedy I needed to chill the f*ck out. As someone who thrives on the stress of filling my everyday schedule and social calendar to the maximum, “relaxing” isn’t exactly my forte. But to my burnout’s delight, the low-key vibes and smalltown feel of Providence, Rhode Island brought some serious zen into my life (even if just for a few days).

I had been to Providence a few times growing up because my grandparents lived there sporadically over the years. Though returning for the first time as an adult shifted my perspective of what it means to be a must-visit city. Sure, all-inclusive resorts and packed travel itineraries are great. But it’s the under-the-radar places and laidback plans that might surprise you the most.

Providence is chock-full of historic landmarks, lush public parks, and tasty eats that deliver well-deserved R&R. If you’re in the market for a calm weekend getaway, check out my guide below. I’m sharing a few of my recommendations for what to do and eat in Providence, one of New England’s oldest gems.

PART I – What To Do

Benefit Street’s Mile of History

One of my favorite parts about visiting New England is that its old brick buildings, long-lived traditions, and American monuments offer a glimpse into our country’s rocky past. Being the oldest colonial region in the United States, centuries of history can be found around every cobblestone corner. In Providence, Benefit Street is the best place to start. Here you’ll find a mile-long stretch of original colonial homes, a restored cathedral, museums, and even a historic cemetery, all of which date back to the 18th century.

The colorfully painted sidings and antique lamposts felt like they were part of a miniature model neighborhood. Picturesque and perfectly spaced in a tight row, each landmark is adorned with a plaque indicating when it was built and who its original owner was. The oldest home on the block is the Stephen Harris House, which was constructed in 1763 and belonged to a successful merchant. I couldn’t help but peer into the windows of these homes to catch a peek at the new owners’ belongings that have replaced the ghosts of early American history.

Fun fact: Providence was home to H.P. Lovecraft, a legendary writer of all things weird in horror fiction. One of his novelettes, The Shunned House, is based on an actual home on Benefit Street.

Downtown Providence Riverwalk

Nothing says relaxation like a leisurely stroll by the water. While I’m used to the oceanview walks in my home city of L.A., the Providence River made a commendable substitute. For a tranquil morning or afternoon excursion, head downtown to the Providence Riverwalk. Go for a jaunt on the gray brick pathways and stop in at one of the many cafes. If you’re in the mood for some romance, see the city from down below by taking a gondola ride through the river. I was visiting with my brother who refused to take a ride with me. But the couple we saw floating in their dreamy Venetian boat, paddled by a man in a striped shirt and gondolier hat, looked like they were having a whimsical time.

While promenading the riverside paths, you’ll come upon Memorial Park. Directly across from the Providence County Courthouse, the public square houses the Providence World War I Memorial, a Holocaust Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial of Rhode Island. These stand as just another reminder of our nation’s turbulent history.

Brown University

The one thing Providence is most recognized for is probably Brown University. My grandpa was a creative writing professor here, which is how I ended up touring this little city in the first place. It wasn’t until my teen years when the school became part of a storyline on Gossip Girl that I realized how cool he really was. Although I didn’t get his ivy league genes, I still enjoyed perusing the campus on my visit. The majestic old-school architecture, art sculptures sprinkled throughout the quad, and herds of hopeful young dreamers touring the grounds make Brown an idyllic, centrally located resting spot between activities. Founded in 1764, Brown is also brimming with historical significance.

For a dose of creative inspiration, head to the neighboring college of Rhode Island School of Design. The RISD Museum of Art houses more than 100,000 works of art and design dating from ancient times to today — it currently displays approximately 2,300 of these pieces. From ancient Greek and Roman galleries to contemporary ceramics, RISD Museum’s eclectic exhibits take you on an artistic journey through time.

The John Brown House Museum

The American history marathon continues at The John Brown House Museum. John Brown was a leading merchant and businessman who secured much of his fortune through corruption, such as his involvement in the slave trade and human trafficking. The museum sheds a light on the dark realities of how many of Rhode Island’s developments came to fruition. It also gives a first-hand look into what life was truly like for predominate families, as it’s the actual home (or should I say mansion) where the Brown family lived back in the day. Each room in the residence felt like a scene from an Americanized Bridgerton, complete with handpainted portraits and exquisite porcelain china.

The Brown family was influential enough at the time to have connections to President George Washington. In fact, the museum showcases John Brown’s chariot that is believed to be the oldest American-made vehicle in existence today. It’s known as the “Washington Chariot” because Washington himself is said to have ridden in it while visiting Rhode Island.

PART II – Where to Eat

Haruki East

Sushi lovers, rejoice! Haruki East‘s extensive list of Japanese and Asian fusion favorites will have something for every taste palate. Make a reservation for an elegant sit-down dinner or sushi bar experience. The restaurant serves up mouth-watering appetizers (order the softshell crab, trust me), fresh sashimi that basically melts in your mouth, and specialty rolls that will have you calling the waiter back for more. The menu also features a collection of Japanese beers to complement every bite of your meal.

By CHLOE.

Maybe I’m biased because my name is Chloe, but By CHLOE. is the ultimate spot for a quick and easy afternoon meal. Right off the Brown University campus, it’s a 100 percent vegan menu of American favorites like burgers and fries, mac and cheese, hearty salads, and “chicken” strips. If you’re a meat-lover then you’re probably doubting this pick, but my carnivorous brother even agreed that By CHLOE.’s options were (almost) as good as the real deal.

The casual, grab-and-go style restaurant is on Thayer Street, which is always bustling with both students and locals. The vibrant area in the College Hill neighborhood is home to more than 70 unique businesses including quirky boutiques, mainstream shopping, a hookah lounge, other restaurants, and even an independent art deco movie theater.

Pane e Vino

At least once throughout your chill weekend in Providence, you need to make your way into Federal Hill. This neighborhood is best known for its tight-knit Italian-American community that operates an abundance of authentic Italian restaurants and small businesses. After exploring the historic area, get a table at Pane e Vino. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but the lobster ravioli was like an edible euphoria. Awarded the best wine list in Rhode Island, you can’t finish your Italian meal without a glass (or bottle) of Italian vino.

Insomnia Cookies

No weekend of treating yourself is complete without dessert. Head back to Thayer Street for goodies that will warm your belly, heart, and soul. Insomnia cookies has a collection of fresh-baked signature cookies that can satisfy the strongest of sweet tooth cravings. The gooey interior of the classic chocolate chunk, the sweet and savory goodness of the salted caramel — it’s safe to say any sense of self-control I had went out the window instantaneously. But, hey, I’m not mad about it. Take the sugary pleasure up a notch by turning your order into a cookie ice cream sandwich and devour it while you window shop in College Hill.

After a few short days in Providence, I left the quaint atmosphere and scenery behind to return to my hectic everyday life in LA. But what I brought home with me is an appreciation for all places. The farfetched destinations that leave me in awe, the outdoorsy adventures on my bucket list, and, yes, the unexpected places that remind me to take a breath.

Hopscotch Music Festival has announced its 2021 lineup. Taking place over the weekend of September 9 to 11, the Downtown Raleigh fest’s headliners include Animal Collective, Flying Lotus, Dr. Dog (an appearance that’s part of the Philly mainstays’ farewell tour), Parquet Courts, Archers Of Loaf, Caroline Polachek, and more.

Additional performers include Hippo Campus, Shannon And The Clams, Heledo Negro, Makaya McCraven, Lido Pimienta, Colin Stetson, Sarah Shook And The Disarmers, The Dead Tongues, Bowerbirds, Dougie Poole, Body Meat, Wednesday, Garcia Peoples, Hubert Lenior, Libby Rodenbough, Hannah Jadagu, Tatois Conselors, Sonny Miles, Kate Rudy, Lesthegenius, Sluice, and Magic Tuber String Band. Have a look at the full lineup below.

To accommodate COVID-19 protocols, Hopscotch’s website says that it will introduce a new layout “with programming across two main stages in Downtown Raleigh, one at Raleigh’s City Plaza and one at the newly redesigned Moore Square.” Additionally, the outdoor shows will only be filled to 75 percent capacity.

“Many of the venues will still present day shows across Raleigh (and hopefully some late night shows) so the vibe and spirit of the festival will be there across our three days in September,” the website says.

Finally, the festival poster bills “90+ local vendors and more to be announced.”

Learn more about the festival and tickets here.

Ahmad Rashad has had an absolutely fascinating life. He was an elite athlete dating back to his days as an All-American at Oregon, going on to become a Pro Bowl receiver in the NFL and being elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. However, to many in my generation, he was the NBA’s premier storyteller in the 1990s, the man who brought us closer to our favorite players — most notably Michael Jordan — through interviews and stories told both on the sidelines for the NBA on NBC and Inside Stuff.

Few athletes have made the transition to broadcasting so smoothly and successfully as Rashad, particularly going into a sport other than the one they starred in. Now 71, Rashad can offer a unique perspective on the ever-changing sports landscape, one in which eras are often put against each other for comparing and debating rather than simply celebrating the greatness we’ve seen over the history of sport. To that end, Rashad has a new series available to stream on ESPN+, Ahmad Inside, in which he interviews five legends from the NBA in the ’80s and ’90s — Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Gary Payton, and Pat Riley — to look back on their careers, swap stories, and reminisce about a time in the NBA that was dominated in championships by a few teams, but had plenty of great teams and stars beyond those that won rings.

This week, Rashad spoke with Dime over the phone about the series, why he wanted to tell these stories, appreciating greatness beyond just championships, and why he’s not one to compare eras, instead choosing to celebrate the uniqueness of each one.

We talked last year about The Last Dance and the Inside Stuff reunion. Getting back together and The Last Dance bringing up all those memories, did that have a role in sparking your interest in doing this series with ESPN and talking with these guys about the ’80s and ’90s in the NBA?

Well, maybe a little bit, because I think that I was trying to explain how competitive that era was. How many great teams, how many great players they had during that era. And that sort of gives you a different look at The Last Dance, and what they did was incredible, you know? To win six championships when the league was so competitive is a step up, you know, as opposed to just running through everybody. They didn’t run through everybody. It was competitive every single year that they won that title. So I thought by talking about the league and how the league was during that time would give you a little more insight into what that was all about.

So much of the basketball conversation revolves around rings and revolves around championships. But to be able to go back and celebrate these players who didn’t win a championship, but are Hall of Famers and were the greats of that era, I think that’s important the further you get removed from it to remind people of that, right?

Yeah, Robby, you’re absolutely right. And I thought that I was doing these guys a service to sort of show how great the league was at that time, how competitive the league was at that time, and how great these players were. They weren’t just like kind of good, they were serious superstars. And it was a lot of them. It wasn’t like a few. And a lot of teams that had them. You know, it was never … at the beginning of the season, you might think who might win the championship, but there was never just a lock. There was never a lock of “this team’s gonna win.”

What were the things that you found most enjoyable about being able to go back down memory lane with these guys, and relive some of these stories? And what does it mean to you to be able to be the storyteller of this era?

Well, I felt like it was my role because I did have relationships with all these guys during that time and even still now, but to sort of show … there’s a lot of young people that never saw these guys play. They’ve only seen the nowadays players play. So they are making comparisons without really knowing what it was like during that time. So it was my way of saying, “Let’s just take a look at some of these great players that played during that time,” to realize how great this era was, how great these teams were, and really, how great these players were. I mean, almost each one of them had something to do with the Dream Team, which is one of the greatest teams ever assembled in any sport. And when they picked the top-50 players — remember back in the ’90s, the top-50 players they came up with? Over 30 percent of them were from the ’90s.

It’s an interesting group that you talk to for this series. All of them pop up in The Last Dance in different ways because they all intertwined with Michael Jordan throughout this era and had great battles with him. When you talk to these guys about that, what do you see from them and in how they remember those battles? Because obviously for the guys who came up short it’s painful, but also, do you find that there’s a sense of pride in, “We were the guys that pushed Michael, that made him push to be as great as he was. Because he couldn’t have been that without us necessarily in the way, always providing that resistance”?

Yes I do, because everybody gets pushed to greatness. You need greatness around you to achieve greatness. And they all were relishing in the past, and really having fun talking about how great it was to compete for a championship against the best player that ever played the game and the Chicago Bulls. Man, they all had something to say about that. It was kind of interesting, their relationships with Michael, some of them started in college or the Olympic team or they had known each other from way back. So, it was one of those kinds of things that they went through. So it wasn’t like, nobody is really down. And I think Charles Barkley probably said it best when he said that, “We thought we were gonna beat him. And we brought our guys, but you got to realize that they didn’t sweep us.” You know, they didn’t sweep anybody. That’s how good the competition was.

So I think every player, really, when you realize that competition makes you great — and each one of these guys were great competitors, I mean, the top of the list competitors — that was like a highlight to be in that situation to play for championship. The fact that they didn’t win it, well they lost to one of the greatest players that ever played. And so there’s a respect. There’s a respect there. I think they did all they could. A few of them won later, but they did all they could to try to win at that time. And they also feel, even when you see these guys together, they really respect each other. That was a great time to play with great rivalries and they really have wonderful respect for the greatness in each player.

Pat Riley, in particular, I think has an interesting perspective because he’s still involved in the day to day of the NBA today running the Miami Heat after coaching in the ’80s and the ’90s with the Lakers, and then the Heat, and the Knicks, and now running the Heat. What were the conversations you were able to have about him and about — so often we compare eras — just talking about the differences in the eras and how there’s greatness in all of them?

Well, when talking to Pat Riley, one of the things that really comes to mind is this guy won in six different eras, different positions, right? As a player, as a coach. One thing that you don’t see about coaches is coaches usually have a style of play, and they get players that play that particular style. But when you look at Pat Riley, he had the Showtime Lakers and the hard hat New York Knicks. There’s no comparison to either one in terms of style. So you have to give it to Pat Riley, who was able to adjust his style and still win. Because nobody was like the Lakers that Pat coached. Nobody was like New York that Pat coached. Nobody was like Miami that Pat coached. Those are three different ways that you know that’s how great of a coach he was. Every one of his teams were so competitive with a different personality. That’s almost unheard of.

Yeah, I think it is one of the differences in a great coach, especially a great coach for a superstar team and I think that’s what Pat Riley is more than anything. He’s such a good manager of talent and recognizes what the talent he has is, right? That’s why he was so adaptive. He said, “Okay, the Lakers: I have Magic Johnson. I have Kareem. I have James Worthy. We’re gonna play to their strengths.” On the Knicks you have rough and tumble guys. “All right, we’re gonna play like that.” And then the Heat were different. “I’ve got Dwyane Wade. I’ve got Shaq.” And it’s being able to recognize what your talent is gonna be maximized doing, right? Not saying, “We’re gonna fit you into a box.”

And you adjust to it. You adjust to what you have. As opposed to saying, “This is my style. This is the way I coach.” Well sometimes that doesn’t work. Maybe you don’t have those kind of players that can play your style, or whatever it is. But when you look at him, this guy found a way to win at every style. He was just one of these guys that could bring it. I enjoyed talking to him so much. You know, one of the funny things was he wouldn’t let me go in his locker room when Michael was playing because he thought I was gonna go tell Michael something that happened, that was gonna get him all fired up. So when Michael quit, I was walking through a hallway one time. He says, “Hey Ahmad, you can now come in our locker room because Michael ain’t in the league anymore.” [laughs]

I wanted to ask about that because your relationship with Michael is obviously so unique to the sports media and player landscape. How did these guys feel? Did you ever get that sense from some of the other players like that? Because that’s such a fantastic story.

One of the things is I had the same sort of relationship with every player. With Charles [Barkley], with Clyde [Drexler], with [Gary] Payton, with Pat [Ewing], with all of them. I think one thing that helped is I was a pretty good football player. I mean, I walked in there from the battlefield and was a sports reporter that had actually played, and played at a very high level. So it was all those things that enamored me to the players that I was covering. They had watched me play football. It wasn’t like I just walked in and it’s like, “Who is he?” And you couldn’t bullshit me because I had been in that arena before, so that was also a plus. And it wasn’t just Michael. It was all those guys. All the guys, I knew every single one of them, and had relationships with every one. I could call at any time to ask them something, or about something, or this, and that, and the other. So it was a wonderful situation for me. And I think that it helped because, I thought I was a very good reporter, but I also had experience having been in that arena.

And spinning it forward to now, we just watched Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a historic night in Game 6. You’ve been in the building for some of the most iconic NBA moments from this era of the ’90s. What does it take now to wow you and what are the moments that you look at, like last night, that still really impress you?

Well, I think athletes are still great athletes, and the competition, even in this last series, was fantastic. The games were great. Absolutely great, and they haven’t changed. Because one thing you learn about playing basketball is, in a series there’s no carryover from one game to the next. You can blow the team out in the first game and get blown out yourself in the second game. So you watch these people change and adjust and try to do what they do. And you watch the ones that are going to keep diving for the ball and keep playing hard or playing smart, and it’s so much fun to watch that kind of competition. And that hasn’t changed.

I think that’s the beauty of the sport, that these guys find a way to win. And they have some talented players playing now that are physically just way better than a lot of people were. As the eras keep going and time keeps going, the athletes get better. They never had a seven-footer shooting three-point shots, or they never had seven-footers being a point guard. So it’s a lot of different things to watch. And just in terms of a fan, I enjoy every minute of it. I don’t try to compare. I don’t compare it to the Detroit Pistons where they would beat you up and knock you down and play real hard. I don’t compare that because that worked during that time, but now they have new rules and different things like that. It’s still a beautiful game. It’s a really beautiful game of basketball.

I think that’s a really great perspective. We get so caught up in trying to compare eras where I think it’s just celebrating the eras for what they were. Because like you said, you can do this in any sport. You can look at the evolution of talent, and everything builds on what came before it and is pushing the boundaries further and further, but you have to have that appreciation, which seems to be what this series that you have with ESPN is doing for the ’80s and ’90s.

I agree with that, but people do have to understand that, like for me, I led the league in receiving a couple times, one with 50 catches and another one 70 catches. The fourth-string receiver on [today’s] bench is catching that many balls. It’s just changed. I mean when I caught 70 it was like, “Whoa! That’s amazing!” Now it’s like, shoot, the guys in the first row might catch that much with these rules. So it changes. It just changes all the time, and you just have to enjoy it for what it is, and you get used to it. You get used to guys taking three-pointers rather than taking a layup. But, I think that sports is so entertaining because you just don’t know the outcome. You sit down and you’re watching now like, “Entertain me,” and that’s what they’ve been doing.

Last thing, was there a particular story in the series that came up that you really enjoyed particularly that you think is a great way for people to know what’s going to come their way when they sit down to watch these?

What you’re going to see is these players like you’ve never seen them before in terms of being comfortable, the stories that they tell. You see Patrick Ewing smile and laugh, I mean here’s a guy whose nickname was The Beast, and it was The Beast for a reason. Because he was all serious. He didn’t talk to media after games. He was a tough guy. And here we are sitting down there laughing, and joking, and just reminiscing and having a great time. And everybody sort of felt the same way. They talked about how nobody thought they were really good when they first started, you know? Charles Barkley said he was a 5’10 250-pound point guard who couldn’t even dribble. So there’s all kinds [of stories], and Clyde Drexler says the same kind of thing.

And some interesting stories from Pat Riley about how when he first started — and I think these hardworking teams are an extension of Pat Riley — Jerry West told me that the hardest guy he had to play against was Pat Riley in practice. And then when I asked Pat about that he said, “Yeah, my job was to rough him up. Just be out there and just play tough defense on him every single day.” And it’s so funny to compare those two and Jerry always said, “Man, this guy, I swear to God every time I looked around he’s right next to me, guarding me, and it’s Tuesday in practice.” And I’d talk to Pat about it and he goes, “That was my job.” [laughs]

Never one to mince words, comedian Bill Burr absolutely unloaded on the anti-vaccine crowd while in the middle of congratulating the Milwaukee Bucks on their first NBA title in 50 years. During the latest episode of his Thursday Afternoon Monday Morning podcast, Burr blasted the Bucks fanbase “who probably created a new variant of the f*cking coronavirus” during its unruly “no masks no condoms” celebration, as the comedian described it.

“Jesus Christ, they [may as well] have put f*cking Covid in liquid form and just put it into a crop duster and just f*cking flown right over that goddamn crowd,” Burr metaphorically said before launching into a justifiably angry rant about anyone who’s still refusing to get the COVID vaccine at this point. Via Mediaite:

“It’s so f*cking dumb, this ‘I don’t trust it,’ you’re full of shit that you don’t trust it,” Burr said, speaking about the totality of unvaccinated people, not just Bucks fans. “Cause I’ll tell you right now, if they came out with a shot that gave you a flat stomach and abs, all of these same people that ‘you ain’t f*ckin with my freedom,’ they’d be right down there getting that f*cking thing.”

Throughout the pandemic, Burr has been an outspoken advocate for following safety protocols and listening to infectious disease experts. During an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he called out Rogan to his face when the podcast host said wearing a mask is “for bitches.”

“I don’t want to start this bullshit,” Burr said while shutting Rogan down. “I’m not gonna sit here with no medical degree, listening to you with no medical degree, with an American flag behind you smoking a cigar, acting like we know what’s up, better than the CDC.”

Of course, Burr is a comedian, and he has cracked a few jokes about the pandemic including one that left Conan O’Brien in stitches. While filming his final appearance on Conan’s show, Burr quipped that his one “honest, selfish thought” is that he wished the coronavirus killed more people so the traffic in LA wouldn’t be so bad.

(Via Mediaite)