Year: 2022

When news broke that Bob Saget had suddenly died in early January, investigators were quick to rule out drugs or alcohol as contributing factors. But it was another month until more details were made known. Earlier this month, it was revealed an autopsy had ruled that his death was the result of severe head trauma. One doctor said it was “something I find with someone with a baseball bat to the head, or who has fallen from 20 or 30 feet.”

Now, as per People, there’s a clearer picture of what may have happened to Saget on that fateful night. The actor, comedian, and filmmaker was doing a show in Orlando. Afterwards he went back to his hotel, where he seemed animated and excited, chatting with the staff. Between when he went to his hotel room and when he was found the next morning, lifeless in his bed, remains murky. But investigators have now pieced together semblance of what may have happened:

Authorities checked the marble end tables and counters in the bathroom, but found no traces of blood or hair. Now, they believe that Saget lost consciousness in the bathroom and fell backward onto the marble floor, striking his head.

Police believe that a groggy Saget regained consciousness and stumbled into bed, where he again lost consciousness and died. His time of death was estimated to be around 4:00 am, approximately 12 hours before his body was found.

It’s not known how Saget lost consciousness; that may remain a mystery. But now there’s more closure on what happened than there was before.

Saget’s death prompted widespread shock and mourning. Family, friends, and well-wishers offered tributes that stayed true to someone who was known as both a kindly patriarchal TV figure and a hilariously blue comic. It was his longtime Full House costar John Stamos who pointed out that, even after death, he managed to slip in “one last d*ck joke.”

(Via People)

You know what they say: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. For Ben Stiller, those lemons were the box office returns for Zoolander 2, his 2016 sequel to his sleeper hit about a dingbat male model he made 15 years prior. And in a new Esquire profile (in a bit teased out by The AV Club), the actor and filmmaker discusses the lemonade he made from that critical and commercial disaster.

The lemonade, if you can excuse the dodgy metaphor, came in the form of two TV shows: Escape at Dannemora and Severance. The first is the Emmy-gobbling thriller with Patricia Arquette and Benicio Del Toro that aired two years after Zoolander 2 croaked. The second, a sci-fi thriller about a disturbing workplace, is one of the most hyped shows of the new year. (Its run on Apple TV+ began last week.) Neither are comedies, though they can be funny. But both were directed (in the latter’s case, mostly) by Stiller, who was nominated for an Emmy and won a DGA award for his work.

Perhaps this is not the path Stiller’s had taken had a certain aforementioned sequel not tanked. “If Zoolander 2 had been a huge hit, and then people were saying ‘Zoolander 3! Do this movie! That movie!’” he said. “[T]hat might have taken me off the road of having the space to work on developing Dannemora.”

He imagines what could have happened otherwise. “I might have gotten distracted by other bright shiny objects, but instead it opened a path where I could just do what I’d honestly wanted to do for years and years, which was: just direct something!” Stiller said. “To say, I’m just going to work on this project that I want to work on, because it takes a little time to get these things going, and if you don’t stick with it you don’t get there.”

Stiller has done plenty of serious work before. Indeed, his big screen directorial debut, Reality Bites, is a drama-comedy-romance that was also one of Hollywood’s first looks at then-still-young Gen X. But people still seem surprised that he’s not exclusively cranking out comedies in which intellectually impaired guys set themselves ablaze.

“People do ask me, ‘Why were you drawn to this? You’re not a guy who does these kinds of things,’” Stiller told Esquire. “I get asked that about Severance, I heard it a lot about Dannemora. ‘You’re funny. Be funny.’ I get it. But I don’t analyze it. In my mind, it made total sense.”

Severance drops new episodes every Friday through April 8 on Apple TV+.

(Via Esquire and The AV Club)

For quite some time, Britney Spears has used her Instagram account to air grievances. She’s used it to discuss her former conservatorship, which lasted 13 years, as well as her relationship with her sister Jamie Lynn. It’s become a diary of sorts for the singer, and in a recent post, she used her account to go after her former business management firm Tri Star Sports & Entertainment and her former business managers Lou Taylor and Robin Greenhill.

In an Instagram post she shared on Wednesday, Britney said that before “they sent me away” to a treatment facility, Tri Star brought her into their offices. “The swanky suited up b*tches … SO NICE with their ‘We are here to make you feel SPECIAL’ [thumbs up emoji],” she wrote, before specifically calling out her former business managers. “I had lunch with Lou Taylor and Robin Greenhill … they said ‘Britney, look at your picture on the wall!’ With a huge black and white framed picture in the hall of their office !!!!! Kate Beckinsale was there too !!!!! They sucked up to me and ‘made me feel special’ … RIGHT …. Ha those same b*tches killed me a week later !!!!”

Britney added that her father Jamie Spears “worshipped” Taylor and Greenhill and claimed he “would have done anything they asked of him.” She concluded, “Nobody else would have lived through what they did to me !!! I lived through all of if and I remember all of it !!!! I will sue the sh*t out of Tri Star !!!! Psss they got away with all of it and I’m here to warn them every day of my precious life !!!!”

Britney’s post comes after she reportedly signed one of the biggest book deals ever.

The anti-vax trucker protests that plagued parts of Canada over the last month are currently winding down, though they did more than clog cities like Ottawa. They also inspired copycats in France. But a MAGA-themed version, which was set to “choke” D.C. on Wednesday, stumbled right out of the gate.

As per The Daily Beast, MAGA trucker Bob Bolus had hyped up a convoy of 10 to 20 trucks that would march from Scranton to D.C., which it would treat like the Canadian truckers did Ottawa. Their purpose? To protest vaccine mandates. He later added other grievances, including immigration, the death of Jan. 6 protester Ashli Babbit, and, of course, Critical Race Theory.

“I’ll give you an analogy of that of a giant boa constrictor,” Bobus boasted. The threat was so real that the Pentagon approved of nearly 700 National Guards personnel to assist local authorities should multiple convoys create gridlock.

But no such constricting was to happen. Why? Because no one showed up. That’s not true. Bolus showed up with his 18-wheeler, though he was late to arrive because he got two flat tires. Reuters reporter Julio-César Chávez, who traveled alongside the much diminished convoy, counted five pick-up trucks, one SUV, and one Sedan, for a total of eight vehicles of varying sizes, most of them quite small.

“We’re not putting a chokehold on D.C. today,” Bobus told The Daily Beast by noon, when he and the massive convoy that never materialized was originally supposed to have D.C. at its knees. “Not to say that it wouldn’t happen in the very near future. It’s just going to be an idea of what’s to come.”

For now, though, whatever shape the American version of the Canadian convoys takes on in the future, it at least had a start that was even more disastrous than the first day of Trump’s new Twitter clone.

(Via The Daily Beast)

The Rich sisters are unusual for their shared basketball skills. All four of them—senior Mackenzie, junior Courtney, sophomore Avery and eighth-grader Dakota—play for the top-ranked New London-Spicer High School basketball team in New London, Minnesota. But according to a report by KARE 11, the fact that four sisters all play for the same high school team at the same time isn’t the most interesting part of their story.

The Wildcats are ranked No. 1 in the state and are coached by Mike Dreier, who has been coaching the team for 43 seasons. One of the reasons Coach Dreier has been there for so long? The Rich girls’ dad, Earl.

Earl Rich attended New London-Spicer High School himself and played sports, like his daughters. He was also a foster kid who caught the eye and heart of caring coach Mike Dreier.

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Earl’s mother became unable to care for him due to illness when he was in second grade. His biological father wasn’t in the picture, and Earl ended up living in five different foster homes.

When Dreier found out that Earl was going to be transferred to a different school his sophomore year because his fifth foster family was giving him up, the coach made a quick decision.

“I was in the lunchroom one day,” Dreier told KARE, “and the music teacher was saying, ‘Aww, Earl’s gonna have to move to Willmar.’ Listened to him and I said, ‘Well he can come live with me.’”

Earl knew Dreier, having been coached by him in seventh grade football, but he was still shocked to find out he was offering to take him in.

But they got the paperwork completed, and Earl lived with Dreier from his sophomore year until he graduated high school. What’s more, Dreier served as a father figure for Earl—something he hadn’t experienced up until then.

“I never spent three years at one place,” Earl says. “He just gave me every aspect of a dad that I never had.”

Earl went off to college at Southwest Minnesota State University, where he played football and baseball. Then he returned to New London to start his own real estate business.

Dreier, now 69, had planned to stop coaching by now, but Earl implored him to stick around so that he could coach his daughters.

“You gotta keep coaching, you’ve got to coach my kids,” Dreier recalls Earl saying. “I just said, ‘I can’t. I don’t think I’ll be hanging on that long, Earl.’”

Earl told his girls, “If there’s any coach I want you to play for, it would be him.”

Dreier decided to stick it out. Now, he coaches the four daughters of the man he helped raise through his teen years. And his team, with the four Rich girls playing on it, is undefeated.

Not a bad legacy to leave on all fronts, Coach Dreier.

Nearly two years after the incident that left her shot in the foot, Tory Lanez and Megan The Stallion’s felony assault case had a pre-trial hearing today. Tory is accused of shooting the rapper back in the summer of 2020 and he faces felony charges for assault with a semi-automatic firearm and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in his vehicle. Before the hearing began today, things took a turn when DJ Akademiks tweeted that Tory Lanez’s “DNA WAS NOT found on the weapon” that was used in the alleged crime. This sparked a war of words between the two, while Megan pointed out that the hearing had not begun at the time of Akademiks’ tweet.

Things cooled down for a bit, but picked back up after Tory Lanez himself jumped into the mix. Megan shared a screenshot of Tory apologizing to her the morning after he allegedly shot her. In response to the screenshot, Tory tweeted, “Good D*ick had me f*cking 2 best friends …. and I got caught [shrug emoji] … that’s what I apologized 4 . … it’s sick how u Spun it tho.” This sparked a brief back and forth between Tory and rapper and Megan’s boyfriend Pardi who wrote, “put the phone dwn let’s link .. you n me .. ain’t nothin to talk about.” Megan also responded to Tory’s tweet. “F*cking two best friends… n**** you SHOT ME YOU KNOW WHATS WHAT YOU WERE APOLOGIZING FOR,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “YOU KEEP PUTTING A NARRATIVE OUT THAT ME AND MY FRIEND FELL OUT ABT YOU AND THATS NOT TRUE! WHY ARE YOU SKIPPING OVER THE SHOOTING JUST ADMIT YOU SHOT ME! BC SHE DEFINITELY AINT DO IT AND I AINT SHOOT MY DAMN SELF.”

Megan continued, “YOU THINK ITS OKAY TO SHOOT ME THEN HARASS ME ONLINE AND MAKE IT LIKE THIS WAS SOME WEIRD CAT FIGHT WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK IS WRONG WITH YOU.” She also took a moment to address Akademik’s response after she called him at for falsely reporting things. “Big AKKKK??? LITTLE
Boy please,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “Why would you post there was no DNA FOUND but now saying it’s inconclusive ?? How are YOU Specifically able to see documents before they come out in court?”

Akademiks jumped in with a message of his own on Twitter. “Aye.. i dont give a f*ck bout what u got with tory,” he wrote. “Yall can play yall PR games.. we kno what u n roc nation is doing. i dont care. Just dont try to bring in my brand in there. U literally a Peon in the game. 1501 OWNS u and u beg them everytime to drop a song.” He continued, “U so bothered over my TWEETING out FACTS about tory case. GO ASK THE DA… DNA RESULTS WAS SUBMITTED in discovery… why u care so much what the internet says? OH i know.. U been living off a narrative and its sad u made it where if tory dont go to jail u dont win.”

“WHERE ALL MY HOT GIRLS AT?????” Akademiks continued in another tweet. “Meg.. idc what u n tory had. but dont address big ak unless u talking what the DNA report said. Holla at the DA and figure out what they said and if i Lied. If i Lied.. File the lawsuit babe.”

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

There has been an expectation for some time that Troy Aikman will be leaving Fox, with reports that he was being strongly pursued by Amazon to join Al Michaels in their Thursday Night Football booth (although Michaels has, likewise, yet to ink an official deal.

Aikman was not shy about making his frustrations felt when it came to Fox’s draw of games during the playoffs, and it certainly seemed as if he had taken the filter off for the end of his tenure at Fox. Amazon had long been rumored to want to spend big for its Thursday Night booth and poach some big names to give their broadcast some star power, but it appears they aren’t the only ones who had big plans for 2022.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN has swooped in on Aikman and is expected to hire the Hall of Famer to take over in the Monday Night Football booth, finally landing the big name they’ve been desperately seeking since the departure of the since disgraced Jon Gruden.

ESPN is deep in negotiations with Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman to make him its lead analyst on “Monday Night Football,” The Post has learned.

Aikman’s deal is not completed yet, but there is an expectation that it will be finalized. Aikman has also been courted by Amazon.

The exact figures of Aikman’s deal are not yet fully finalized, but for him to leave Fox it is expected to be comparable to or exceed Tony Romo’s 10-year $180 million with CBS.

What is arguably more interesting than ESPN landing Aikman is what it could do for them in terms of a play-by-play hire to go next to him. Michaels has been targeted by ESPN in the past but is picky about his color commentator and wouldn’t jump ship without a big name by his side — ESPN wanted a Michaels-Manning booth a couple years ago — but Aikman was on his list for Amazon and that could swing him away from the streaming giant and give ESPN the star-filled booth they’ve been dreaming of since acquiring Monday Night Football. Marchand also notes that Joe Buck has a strong relationship with Aikman and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that ESPN could try to poach him as well, although he has so many roles at Fox, including as their lead on baseball, that the network would surely fight hard to keep him.

Normani isn’t one to be shy about promoting her music on social media, even if she thinks she’s bad at using the platforms. The rising pop star greeted 2022 by playing her new single in the car, and now she’s given fans a brief live rendition of the track. She also let listeners know that the new single is “genre-bending” and unexpected from her, while also casually dropping the news recently that her debut album is all but done. Now that’s good news!

Since the release of last year’s Cardi B-featuring fan-favorite, “Wild Side,” Normani has been riding pretty high. And fans are more than ready for her to double down on the momentum and get this album out into the world. Check out her live rendition of a snippet from the upcoming single up above, and keep your eyes glued to her social media, because earlier today Normani tweeted that she has an announcement coming very soon.

Since her first single, “Motivation,” was co-written with Ariana, and her second single,”Wild Side,” featured one of the biggest rappers in the world, maybe there’s another musical mentor involved with this third release. Or, maybe it’s just her flexing her own substantial talents. Stay tuned to find out.

Donald Trump has done all he can to impede the House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He’s tried to block hundreds of documents. He’s instructed his cronies to ignore subpoenas (at their peril). He’s bad-mouthed them with non-clever name-calling. And yet tons of employees have cooperated with them, sometimes willingly. Not long after his sometime lawyer Rudy Giuliani entered talks to speak with them, the committee is reportedly on the verge of another key get: His oldest daughter.

As first reported by The New York Times, Ivanka Trump is in talks to “voluntarily” sit down for an interview with the committee. The news was confirmed by two sources and by her spokesperson. Currently the discussions are being dubbed “preliminary,” but the committee reportedly reached out to her in January, asking for her voluntary presence. Should it work out, Ivanka can provide key details about what was happening in the White House during the riot that ended in five deaths and dozens of injured Capitol police officers.

It’s long been discussed which of the former president’s children he would willingly throw under the bus should he face jail time. Conversely, it’s also been debated which of his kids would turn on him to save their own hide. Ivanka chatting with the Jan. 6 committee may not go that extreme, but since her father left office, she has been sucked into his legal whirlpool, facing all manner of trouble. Besides, unlike her older brother, she’s not prone to late-night slurry video rants.

(Via NYT)

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Brace yourself, because to call this week “jam-packed” would be a major understatement. We’re not coming at you with a pathetic list of the five best sneakers of the week (RIP the month of January 2022, an all-time worst in sneaker drop history) we’re detailing 10 sneakers, with new kicks from New Balance, Adidas, Yeezy Brand, Nike and of course Air Jordan.

We haven’t been this hyped up about a sneaker release week since the summer of 2021 and it couldn’t have come at a better time as the weather starts to heat up and we get ready to gear up for the coming festival season. If you’re looking for some new clothes to complete your fit, be sure to hit up our weekly Euphoria Style Watch series.

But first, let’s get into this week’s kicks!

Adidas Italia CP SPZL Shoes

It’s been a minute since we’ve shown some love to Adidas’ classic Spezial sneaker but this UK market iteration of the sneaker is too dope to pass up.

Made in collaboration with C.P. Company, this sneaker is a tribute to Italian terrace culture and features a premium leather upper, leather lining, and an eye-catching mix of cloud white, bold green, and creamy off-white colors with gold leaf lettering and dual C.P. Company and Adidas branding.

The Adidas Italia CP SPZL is out now for a retail price of $216. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Adidas UK webstore or on aftermarket sites like StockX.

JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive

New Balance is a funny brand. Almost all of their own sneakers are boring, it’s like they don’t know how to mix colors over there, and yet anytime the brand links up with another label it’s sneaker perfection. Case in point, the New Balance MADE 990V3, made in collaboration with JJJJound.

The sneaker features a mixed upper of layered suede and mesh in a soothing olive green colorway with reflective N logo detailing, an ENCAP midsole, and white or matching olive cotton laces. As with every sneaker in the MADE series, this New Balance is 100% made in the USA.

The JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive is set to drop on February 24th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair exclusively at the JJJJound webstore.

PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex

Why we’re never shy about showing our love for UK streetwear label PALACE (see our Euphoria Style roundup) Reebok is another story. While the brand is capable of some interesting hype-worthy designs, generally nothing the brand drops is interesting enough to warrant a spot on SNX, but this week, thanks to PALACE, things are different.

Featuring a reinforced GORE-TEX equipped upper, this take on the Victory G features a leather and mesh upper in three colorways with spring-ready accents on the sneaker’s logo and stripes.

The PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex collection is set to drop on February 25th for an unannounced retail price. To pick up a pair hit the PALACE webstore.

BAPE x VANS Old Skool/Sk8-Hi

It’s BAPE and Vans folks, when two brands this huge come together it’s an instant pick up! The always cool Japanese streetwear label has teamed up with So-Cal skateboard label Vans for camo-infused iterations of the classic Sk8-Hi and Old Skool.

Both the Sk8-Hi and Old Skool feature mismatched colorways with a custom Bape camo pattern that was made exclusively for this collaboration. The unique pattern is slightly more psychedelic and wavy than the typical BAPE camo print. The Sk8-Hi features a mismatched colorway that combines Bape’s camo with Vans’ classic checkerboard pattern, while the Old Skool keeps things simple with an army green colorway.

The BAPE x Vans Old Skool and Sk8-Hi are set to drop on February 26th for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair at the Vans or BAPE online stores or at select Vans retail locations.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue

We’re in a Kanye news cycle. It’s no accident that Kanye West was making headlines for his juvenile, psychotic, and emotionally abusive behavior towards Kim Kardashian a few weeks before a documentary covering his better years dropped, as well as a sequel to his sprawling album DONDA. Ye feeds on the chaos of dominating news cycles (why do you think he liked Trump?), but there is a sect of streetwear fanatics who just wish Ye would ditch it all for a tiny cabin in the woods where he could work on his sneakers quietly like a retired Daniel Day Lewis.

I’m one of those fanatics. This week brings another great Yeezy colorway, a simple Core Black and blue iteration of the 350 V2. As has been the case with all of the recent V2s, be sure to order half a size up from your normal size if you’re planning on picking up a pair this week.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue is set to drop on February 26th for a retail price of $230. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App, the Yeezy Webstore, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Dunk High 1985 Yellow Acid Wash/Orange Acid Wash

If you’re a Dunk fan, this is your week as Nike readies several different drops of the evergreen silhouette. First up is this Yellow and Orange Acid Wash collection that features the 1985 high-top silhouette shape with a padded collar, premium leather uppers, and a washed-out screen print upper.

The Yellow Acid Wash iteration features a queazy mix of yellow and black while the Orange Acid Wash iteration keeps things on the lighter end with an orange, blue, and aged-yellow midsole. It’s almost NY Knicks esque!

The Dunk High 1985 Acid Wash in yellow and orange are out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or at your favorite aftermarket site.

Dunk High Light Chocolate

Last week was all about Jordans, and this week is all about the Dunk High. You have to give it to Nike, they certainly let us down at the beginning of the year, going entire weeks without releasing any sneakers of note, but now they’re firing on all cylinders. If the Acid Wash Dunks were a bit too loud and garish, you’ll probably dig on this Light Chocolate iteration of the Dunk High.

This design features the more modern 21st century Dunk shape and features premium sail leather overlays over a mixed suede and leather upper in khaki and light chocolate. It’s simple and classy.

The Dunk High Light Chocolate is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot

Nike is set to drop a new WMNS-exclusive iteration of the Air Force 1 dubbed the Dark Beetroot. The design features shiny beet-colored patent leather overlays over a white leather base on top of an off-white chunky midsole with an altered tongue tag logo. It’s not the most exciting release from Nike this week, but if you’re an Air Force 1 fan it’ll be a nice addition to the collection.

The WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux

You’re killing us, Nike. The Dunks, the AF-1s, and now Jordan 1s in what are essentially Laker’s colors? It’s too hard to choose between all these sneakers but gun to our head… we’re going with this University Gold and Light Bordeaux Air Jordan 1. How could you not?

While your instincts might immediately gravitate towards associating this sneaker with the Lakers, it’s actually meant to represent the colors of MJ’s UNC Chappel Hill frat Omega Psi Phi, where MJ first made waves as a young student-athlete. The sneaker features a mix of University Gold and Light Bordeaux colors over a premium leather upper. Like the best Jordans, the sneaker is equal parts luxurious and fashionable.

The Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Kwondo 1 White

Closing out our jam-packed list this week is a brand new silhouette from Nike and Korean sensation G-Dragon. The Kwondo 1, as its called, is a mashup of the words Tae-Kwon-Do, which is a Korean martial art, and Nike’s slogan Just Do It according to the Nike website. That’s what they say but… considering “Kwondo” is already present in the word Tae-Kwon-Do, it seems to us like Nike is really trying to shoehorn (no pun intended) themselves in there. Your name is on the fucking shoe Nike, chill.

Anyway, the Kwondo is an interesting design, its equal parts casual and dressy, with a classic white upper with Brogue-like accent work along the sneaker’s paneling that is reminiscent of certain hard-bottom dress shoes. It looks equally like something you can wear at a big Friday night premiere and at the park courts the next morning for a weekend game of street ball.

The Nike Kwondo 1 White is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.