Halloween is a holiday where those who are into are often really into it. It’s not for everyone, but those who love scary movies, dressing up, or seasonal candies get fired up as the end of October rolls around. There are plenty of NBA players who fall into that category of those who are all about Halloween, and with October 31 landing on a Sunday this year, it meant a weekend of costumes, team parties, and players putting on some elaborate costumes to celebrate.
The Lakers, as a team, went the most all out as LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis all spared no expense with their costumes and makeup this year going as various scary movie villains.
Unsurprisingly, Robin Lopez and his significant other also spared no expense as Batman and The Penguin.
Damian Lillard had his whole family dressed up as the Flintstones.
Republicans are big mad about the Capitol siege of Jan. 6. They aren’t angry it happened; they’re angry that its origins are being investigated. Despite their best efforts to stop it (while letting perpetrators rot), damning intel has already been made public, connecting multiple Trump allies, and the big guy himself, to the day’s grim events. Some on the right have been trying to simply ignore it. Others have attempted to whitewash it. Tucker Carlson even has a forthcoming “documentary” series that ties to do just that. And Jim Acosta is not having it.
On Saturday, the CNN reporter went off on the series, which promises to tell “The True Story Behind 1/6″ and which is scheduled to air on Fox Nation. (That’s right: It’s too hot for Fox News prime time.) Among its claims, as one interviewee puts it in a preview, is that “The left is hunting the right.” Acosta called it out for its BS.
“Tucker is calling his propaganda flick The Patriot Purge. It’s nothing more than Proud Boy porn,” Acosta railed. “And the worst part is that a major corporation in America, Fox, is bankrolling it. Now Fox is insisting Tucker’s manifesto will only be seen on its streaming service, Fox Nation. Please, no matter how you slice it, the Murdoch family, which controls Fox, is cashing in as American democracy is being set ablaze.”
Acosta also singled out the Murdoch family for letting a lie-strewn letter from Trump, airing yet more voter fraud misinformation, be published in The Wall Street Journal.
“My question to the Murdochs is this: ‘Why are you doing this to us? Why are you doing this to America?’” he said.
Acosta also called Carlson “their prime-time pyromaniac,” and that they all “appear to be hellbent on dragging this country into a civil war. Jefferson Davis would be proud.”
Dave Grohl is already known as one of the most lovable, genuine rockers in the industry, but he really got to top it all off last night by pairing up with the guy who occupies that role in the generation right above him. Grohl and the rest of The Foo Fighters had the chance to perform “Get Back” with Paul McCartney himself during The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction ceremony, where McCartney did the honors of inducting the band into the hall.
Interestingly enough, McCartney found a lot of parallels between what has happened throughout his life and what has gone on with Grohl. “We had a great time with our groups, but then eventually tragedy happened, and my group broke up,” McCartney said. “The same happened with Dave: His group broke up under tragic circumstances. And so then the question is, what do you do now?” he said. “And we both were presented with that question. In my case, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll make an album where I play all the instruments myself.’ So I did that. Dave’s group broke up — what’s he do? He makes an album where he plays all the instruments himself. Do you think this guy’s stalking me?”
Stay till the end of his speech to catch Paul’s expert dropping of the F bomb. Jokes aside, it was a brilliant introduction for such a great band that is a massive part of modern rock history. Check out the speech above and clips of their performance with McCartney below.
Donald Trump may be doing all he can to avoid punishment for helping incite the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but the supporters who took part aren’t so lucky. Hundreds of people have been arrested for their role in the failed insurrection, and some of them are playing ball, even if it means incriminating their favorite former president. And then there’s Jenna Ryan, the “influencer” who documented her exploits online on that fateful day, and who was sure she was above the law because she was blonde and white.
As per HuffPost, prosecutors are seeking 60 days in prison for Ryan, a life coach and real estate broker from Fresno, Texas who took a private plane to D.C. the day of Joe Biden’s certification. She took pictures of herself standing next to broken windows, Facebook livestreamed herself inside the Capitol building, chanted “hang Mike Pence,” kicked some journalists’ media equipment around, and generally made it very, very easy for prosecutors to prosecute her. Which is what they’re doing.
Did Ryan think she could get off scot-free? She sure did. Among the evidence prosecutors are using against her is a tweet where she wrote, straight-up, that she would never go to jail because she has “blonde hair white skin a great job a great future.”
“A defendant who believes she is immune from strict punishment because of her race and physical appearance may reoffend because the consequences for wrongdoing will never, in the defendant’s mind, be severe even when severity is merited,” the prosecutors wrote. “Perhaps the most compelling need for specific deterrence arises from the defendant’s misguided belief that she is above the law, or at least insulated from incarceration.”
Feds also didn’t appreciate that she was hawking her real estate business while she was carousing inside the Capitol, telling people, “You guys, will you believe this? I am not messing around. When I come to sell your house, this is what I will do. I will f*cking sell your house.”
That is, she will “f*cking sell your house” after a likely stint in the slammer. Ryan will be sentenced on Thursday.
There’s nothing on the planet like a Harry Styles live show. Ok, well, I’m not speaking from personal experience because I’ve yet to see him myself, but based on the way people travel around the world for his shows, and the clips we’ve all seen, it looks like a pretty glorious time. And that would be amped up to a whole new level on a holiday, right? After announcing the dates for his Love On Tour shows, Harry also let fans know that Halloween night, October 30th, was going to be dubbed “Harryween” and would be a special show.
Along with including Orville Peck on the bill (see him and his crew decked out to the nines above), Harry himself opted to get into costume for the special occasion, becoming Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz and even going so far as to sing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” during his set. Was he rocking ruby red slippers when he did it? Why absolutely he was. Check out a clip from the cover below:
| Harry covering Somewhere Over The Rainbow dressed as Dorothy tonight! #Harryween
Possibly the only way he could’ve made that better was to bring out Jenny Lewis, who has been opening him on most dates, to do the cover as a duet? But there’s always next year…
The Atlanta Falcons entered Sunday’s divisional matchup with the Panthers without their top receiver, as Calvin Ridley was a late scratch due to personal reasons. It’s the second time Ridley has stepped away from the team to deal for personal reasons, as he didn’t make the trip to London earlier this year.
During the game, Ridley released a statement further explaining the situation, and while he didn’t provide specifics, he did note that he would be stepping away from football to take care of his “mental wellbeing.”
Hopefully Ridley is able to get whatever he needs to taken care of off of the field so he can be in the right mental space to play on Sundays again, as he has steadily emerged as one of the league’s best receivers — and his presence was a significant reason why the Falcons were willing to accommodate a Julio Jones trade this offseason. As Ridley notes in his statement, the Falcons have given him the time and space to take care of himself, which is not always the case in professional sports, but as more players have spoken up about mental health battles they’ve faced, it has become more common for teams to provide time and resources to players who need it.
The induction ceremony for The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is always a star-studded event, but this year’s proceedings seem to have been unusually packed. Aside from Jay-Z getting inducted with speeches from former president Barack Obama and Dave Chappelle, one of pop’s biggest stars, Taylor Swift, was also on hand to honor songwriter Carole King. Kicking off the evening’s events with a cover of King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” Swift also performed the hit with such poise that King herself was brought to tears. Some eagle eyed fans captured the moment and posted a few shots of the moment.
As if all that wasn’t enough, in her speech inducting King into the Hall, Taylor noted that King makes what she’s done look effortless — but that doesn’t mean it was. “Just because Carole King makes what she has accomplished look so effortless doesn’t mean it has been,” Swift said. “Her persona on Tapestry feels like listening to a close friend intimately sharing the truths of her life so that you can discover the truths of your own. It feels like sage wisdom, gentled comfort and reassurance that you aren’t alone in this life.”
Check out more from Taylor’s speech in the social media post below, or Variety has the full text of the speech right here, and watch Swift cover King up above.
As if all that wasn’t enough? In her acceptance speech King praised Taylor for “carrying the torch forward.” Yup, it won’t be long before Taylor’s getting inducted into the same hall, probably by Carole King.
Age statements and bourbon whiskey don’t go hand-in-hand in quite the same way that age statements do with Scotch. That’s not to say that bourbons don’t come with age statements — some of the most beloved ones do. But you’re far more likely to see a bottle of bourbon (or rye) on the shelf with the words “straight,” “small batch,” or “single barrel” on the label than “12-year,” “18-year,” or “20-year.”
Part of that is due to current supply and demand. Iconic age statement expressions like Elijah Craig 12 became Elijah Craig Small Batch so that Heaven Hill could add younger bourbons into the mix to keep up with skyrocketing demand from consumers while maintaining the integrity of what’s in the bottle. Likewise, common straight bourbons are a mix of barrels that range from two to six/eight/ten+ years in a single batch. That, folks, is just the tip of the iceberg, and, in the end, what’s labeled with or without an age comes down to the whim of the producer (based on quality, needs, and the market itself).
Since there are so many bourbons on shelves without an age statement, we once again turned to the bartenders for a little guidance on which bottles they seek out this time of year. Check out all of their answers below and click on the prices if you want to try them too.
Michter’s Small Batch bourbon — also known as US-1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon — sets the standard to which I compare other bourbons. It’s the “bourboniest” bourbon. All the classic notes you expect from a quality bourbon: oak, vanilla, cinnamon spice, a hint of leather, with a medium intensity finish.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades. There is no age statement on this bottle, but master distiller Eddie Russell mingled barrels ranging from 10 to 20 years old in order to strike this balance and complexity. His method displays the potential of combining extremely old stocks into batches with younger barrels to build a great whiskey.
1792 Small Batch
1792
Sue Stia, bartender at TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton, New Jersey
If I have to pick one specifically, I’d choose Barton 1792’s Small Batch expression. It’s rich, full flavor. It’s smoky with caramel and vanilla. All in all, a great sipper perfect for cool fall weather.
Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses
Joel Schneider, tasting room manager at SLO Stills in San Luis Obispo, California
Four Roses is not afraid to disclose their recipes, down to the yeast, so that means they don’t shy away from showcasing the varieties. A hint of wildflower stem segues into cinnamon graham cracker and leads to a long, well-rounded finish.
The best bourbon that carries no age statement is Little Book. It has a little heat and tastes like the perfect blend of ryes and bourbons. It is a great way to kick off the fall season.
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
Nicole Fas, beverage director and bar manager at La Pícara in Santurce, Puerto Rico
In my opinion, Woodford Reserve Bourbon is a great answer to this question. Their consistency in flavor and quality are beyond great. Woodford Reserve Bourbon is such a well, all-around balanced whiskey. It has sweetness, grain, wood, spice, fruit, and floral notes.
Willett Pot Still
Willett
Eric Heinel, certified sommelier and beverage director for David Burke in New York City
There are many great choices here, but I always find myself reaching for Willett Pot Still Bourbon. It’s a very unique bourbon with a great combination of rye and bourbon flavors. Spicy, sweet, and very easy to drink.
Smooth Ambler Contradiction
Smooth Ambler
Jessica King, master mixologist at Brother Wolf in Knoxville, Tennessee
I’ve been drinking a lot of Smooth Ambler Contradiction since its recent release. It’s a blend of Ambler’s own whiskey as well as nine-year-old whiskey from MGP of Indiana. Smooth Ambler is a growing distillery, and while I’m happy to support them, I also really like what they’re producing.
Contradiction has a bright, dried fruit nose, but a much warmer and drier flavor due to the rye, with a long-lasting finish.
Elijah Craig Small Batch
Elijah Craig
Emily Lawson, bartender and owner of Pink House Alchemy in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Often, a bourbon that doesn’t carry an age on its label is blended with some fabulous older bourbons. One that is worth noting is Elijah Craig — specifically its Small Batch expression. It’s creamy, rich, and has all the right notes.
Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace
Stephen George, director of outlets and bartender at 20 | Twenty Grill in Carlsbad, California
I’m going to go with Buffalo Trace Bourbon. I feel that it over-delivers from a bourbon flavor profile, as well as from a cost perspective. This bourbon is definitely a crowd-pleaser, and at a price point that doesn’t make you feel guilty for mixing it in a cocktail.
Frey Ranch from Fallon, Nevada brings on great complexities through its four-grain mash bill. Their non-chill filtered 90-proof bourbon consists of winter cereal rye, winter wheat, two-row barley, and corn. Flavors of vanilla, caramels, cedar, and leather make their way on the palate for a great bourbon experience carrying no age statement.
Ezra Brooks 99
Ezra Brooks
Katherine Ball, consumer engagement & mixology director at Black Button Distilling in Rochester, New York
Ezra Brooks 99 is charcoal mellowed, super approachable, and extra sweet. It’s just truly a well-rounded bourbon. It doesn’t need an age statement to prove to me that it’s great.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style was made to replicate the Old Forester during the Prohibition. The Volstead act of 1920 kicked off prohibition in America while granting permits to six distilleries in Kentucky to continue distilling for medicinal purposes. They say they are the only bourbon continuously sold by the same company to produce before, during, and after prohibition.
It’s feisty, but well balanced with orange, caramel, and peppercorn present.
Definitely Angel’s Envy. It’s a really light and smooth bourbon aged in port wine barrels with a sweet finish. It’s great for sipping. Angel’s Envy is the perfect after-dinner choice to really enjoy the smoky undertones and port-esque flavors, like vanilla, maple, and a slight touch of berry jam.
Noah’s Mill is a fantastic and underrated bourbon from Willett Distillery in Kentucky. At 114 proof, aromas of walnuts, prunes, and floral notes mimic the flavors of baking spices. The finish leads you down a path of lavender and burnt caramel.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
The Steelers and Browns met on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s Wild Card round game that saw a combined 85 points. This year’s first matchup between divisional rivals, however, featured far less offensive firepower, as both teams limped in with some injuries and, just generally, offensive woes.
It was clear by the end of the first half that points of any kind would be at a premium, so after driving down the field to get into the red zone, when Pittsburgh had a drive stall, it seemed as though they would simply kick a field goal to take a 6-3 lead to the locker room. However, Mike Tomlin decided to try and spring a fake on the Browns, who were more than ready for it in a field goal safe defense, and what resulted was disaster for the Steelers as they not only failed on the fake field goal pass, but saw their kicker Chris Boswell get absolutely smoked as he held the ball too long and got drilled right after he threw it.
Steelers with a fake FG … it doesn’t work and kicker Chris Boswell took a shot and stayed down after the play. pic.twitter.com/gRM7WKyJAo
There’s an argument to be made for trying to score the touchdown in this spot because a 7-point lead would feel almost insurmountable for a Browns offense that sputtered after a good opening drive. That said, sending your kicker out there and putting him in harms way in a game where you are likely going to need some field goals was quite the risk, and poor Boswell found himself in the crosshairs of a defensive lineman, which is never where a kicker wants to be.
K Chris Boswell is being evaluated for a concussion. His return is questionable.
There was a legitimate question about whether that was late enough to be roughing, but the referees didn’t think so and the Steelers now enter the second half with very real kicking concerns.
For Jay’s induction, hip-hop magnates like Eminem, Pharrell, Beyonce and Rihanna, and many more were all part of a tribute video acknowledging the vast impact of his words and rhymes on culture at large, and Black culture in particular. Appearances just kept pouring in, with cameos from LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Blue Ivy, John Legend, Questlove, P. Diddy and so many others. With induction speeches from both former President Barack Obama and comedian Dave Chappelle, it’s hard to understate the breadth of Jay’s influence.
Barack Obama’s induction speech included references to how much Jay’s music has helped him personally over the years, and praised the way he’s brought up so many other people along with him. “I’ve turned to Jay Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail,” Obama said. “Or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery. Today Jay-Z is one of the most renowned artists in history and an embodiment of the American dream, a dream he has helped make real for other young people like him.”
In my excitement , I failed to prize, and acknowledge JAZ-O, he was the hometown hero that made the dream tangible . Thank you good man… ok let me lose this password for another year or so . Thank you all again , incredibly humbled by your love .
Hopefully full-length copies of these speeches and tributes will be available soon, for now enjoy the social media clips above.
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| Harry covering Somewhere Over The Rainbow dressed as Dorothy tonight! 
(@lovee13e) 
