Month: July 2023

The Milwaukee Bucks came into this offseason with some apparent work to do after getting upset by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. That performance led to Mike Budenholzer’s firing, prompting the team to hire Adrian Griffin out of Toronto, hoping that a new voice can bring something more out of this core and freshen things up offensively.

With a new coach in place, the focus then shifted to retain their biggest free agents and then make moves on the periphery to build out their bench rotation. While there was some wonder if the Bucks might try to make some sort of bigger change to their roster, they chose instead to run it back and hope a new coaching staff can bring out their best again in the postseason. What remains to be seen is whether they’ll take any steps back in the regular season, where Budenholzer had turned them into a machine, amid a change in system, but that’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make if they think they can become more dynamic (and less prone to upsets) come playoff time.

Here we’ll grade out their work this offseason in the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and on the trade market.

Draft: B

The Bucks, like any capped out contender, has to find ways to add talent through the draft to bolster the end of their rotation. This year Milwaukee traded up for the 36th overall pick to take Andre Jackson Jr. out of UConn before using the last pick in the draft, No. 58 overall, to take Chris Livingston out of Kentucky. Jackson was a key piece of the Huskies title team a year ago serving as a solid connector offensively and a good defender. Like many of the second round wings that got drafted this year, his biggest question is whether he can develop as a shooter to provide the spacing teams crave out of wings. Livingston likewise is a big wing with a strong defensive profile given his strength and athleticism, but also has questions about his offensive impact after a rocky season at Kentucky. The Bucks will hope one of them can pop and become a part of their rotation in the future, even if they’ll likely both spend plenty of time in the G League.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: B

The most important part of the Bucks offseason was keeping Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez long-term, as there was simply no way for them to replace either’s production should they walk. Middleton was seen as a formality and quickly signed a 3-year, $102 million deal, but Lopez took a long look at Houston before finally agreeing to a 2-year, $48 million deal to return to the Bucks. It’s hard to overstate Lopez’s impact defensively, as he was a worthy DPOY finalist a year ago and is the anchor that allows Giannis Antetokounmpo to roam and Jrue Holiday to pressure opposing guards relentlessly, knowing if they get beat Lopez is always there to clean things up at the rim. His unique ability to be an elite rim protector while also spacing the floor on offense to create space for Giannis and others makes him a necessity to this current roster. Had they seen him walk to Houston, this offseason would’ve been a minor disaster for Milwaukee, but with him (and Middleton) back, it’s pretty much a success.

From there, the Bucks turned to the vet minimum market to fill out the roster, re-signing Jae Crowder, signing Malik Beasley after he was let go by the Lakers, and adding Brook’s twin brother, Robin, for some frontcourt depth. There is still a very real question about the backup point guard spot after Jevon Carter left for Chicago on the taxpayer midlevel after a strong year in Milwaukee. He has not been replaced as of yet, and for a team that already has issues with their offense bogging down in the halfcourt, not having a clear backup guard who can run things is a concern. Still, overall the Bucks did what they needed to this summer in free agency to keep their core intact and give themselves a chance to once again be among the East’s top teams, even if the roster isn’t perfect.

Trades: INC

The Bucks have not gotten involved in the trade market at all this summer aside from landing the 36th pick from Orlando for a 2030 second round pick, doing all of their work in free agency to bolster the roster.

Last week, Harry Styles might hagve said goodbye to the demands of life on the road after wrapping up his Love On Tour in Italy. However, some things aren’t as easy to walk away from, especially past romantic endeavors. Fans online have speculated that despite his rumored fling with Emily Ratajkowski, he could still have some lingering feelings for his Don’t Worry Darling co-star Olivia Wilde.

In a picture shared by Pop Crave, Styles has a thigh tattoo of the actress’ name. Based on how healed the area is, it’s clear that this isn’t new ink. Wilde and Styles reportedly dated for two years, splitting before their on-screen debut hit theaters.

After the image was posted to the account, people flooded the platform with mixed responses to the image. One wrote, “I know that’s right,” cheering on the body art.

Others emphasized that no one should get worked up over it, as Styles and Wilde are no longer an item, writing, “It’s not new he had it over a year ago. They broke up months ago. It’s obviously old.”

Another pointed out that a 2015 song by Styles’ former group One Direction by the name could have been the true catalyst of the singer’s ink. “Ok and? I would’ve gotten the same tattoo when this banger dropped,” penned the person.

When the Denver Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett in 2022 they did so in part hoping he could help them lure Aaron Rodgers out of Green Bay given his close connection to the MVP quarterback from their time together with the Packers. That didn’t happen and instead the Broncos went out and traded for Russell Wilson, who had a disastrous year that was not aided by Hackett struggling to run the team and make timely decisions in games.

Hackett was fired late in the season and new Broncos coach Sean Payton made waves last week when he ripped Hackett for what he called “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” While Payton has since tried to walk back those comments (and a shot taken at the Jets in the same interview), he’s certainly made a few enemies in the Jets camp. Robert Saleh took exception to Payton’s comments about his team last week, and on Sunday Aaron Rodgers made it clear that he was furious with how Payton threw Hackett under the bus, calling his comments “out of line” in a sitdown with Peter Schrager on NFL+.

“I thought it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coach’s name out of his mouth,” Rodgers said. He would add that Hackett was arguably his favorite coach he’s played for in his NFL career, noting he loves Hackett and still speaks with him regularly. Rodgers then turned the comments around and noted he felt Payton was trying to deflect blame towards the previous regime in case the Broncos fall short again this season.

“It made me feel bad that someone (Payton) who’s accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers said.

The Jets and Broncos will meet in Week 5 of this season, and Payton has ensured Rodgers and the Jets will be preparing for that game with their full attention to try and deliver a message in Denver.

The rebranding of X, formerly known as Twitter, has seen the return of some who had left the platform, some by force. One of the most notable one is Kanye West, or Ye. His account was suspended in December 2022, but on Saturday, July 29, West’s Twitter account has been reinstated. However, according to WSJ, he had to make a few promises beforehand to make it so.

An anonymous source told the publication, “After receiving reassurance that he wouldn’t use the platform to share antisemitic or otherwise harmful language,” which was the reason behind his suspension back in December 2022. In a now-deleted post, West shared a photo of a Nazi swastika embedded inside the Star of David. Musk, who then served as the platform’s CEO, commented on the matter, saying West’s account was suspended for “incitement to violence,” violating the platform’s user terms.

Elsewhere in the platform’s report, West won’t be eligible to monetize his account. Advertisements won’t appear next to his posts either. That said, West’s verified status has at least been reinstated.

Weeks ago, Musk uploaded cover art for West’s 2018 album Ye, which people found to be random. Now that West has rejoined the platform, it could have been a tease of his social media return.

Life moves pretty fast. This time last week the social media service known as Twitter was still known as Twitter. Now it’s X. Being an Elon Musk production, the transition has been speedy but it’s not been smooth. Are posts now called Xes? Will the word “Twitter,” still present in the search function and elsewhere, eventually be completely removed? Who knows! But it’s not just the service itself that’s been thrown into chaos. The company’s San Francisco headquarters is a mess, too, including with a new sign that’s already annoying neighbors.

On Saturday, someone posted a video of the new X sign that’s now perched atop the company’s main building. At night it gets awfully bright. Really bright. “I would be f*cking LIVID,” wrote the poster. “Imagine this f*cking X sign right across from your bedroom.”

The video eventually caught the eye of Christopher J. Beale, a journalist and audio engineer whose apartment is directly across from the Twitter/X building. They posted their own videos, showing the sign beaming blinding light across the way.

“Imagine no more. This is my life now,” Beale wrote. He posted another video, in which the sign segued into strobing effects.

Beale also replied to someone who took pity on him, writing, “It legit hurt my eyes when they were testing it in daylight…it’s hard to describe how bright it is.”

Beale elaborate further in an interview with local news station KTVU. “Around 11 last night they had it at full blast, strobing, and it lit this entire area up like it was daylight,” he explained. “Even with the shades down…, it was to the point where we couldn’t even watch the movie we were trying to watch in the living room and we had to move to the other side of the apartment.”

Annoyed as he is, Beale won’t be filing a complaint with the city. But he does hope one of the many other neighbors will do just that.

Last week, as Musk aggressively rebranded the company he purchased — and has subsequently turned into a trainwreck — late last year, he ran into problems with city police, who briefly halted removal of the famous Twitter sign. There were also lots of weird business inside the headquarters involving terrible renamings of conference rooms. It’s Elon Musk’s world, and we’re just stuck inside it.

(Via Insider)

The disturbing trend of assaulting musicians at their concerts might have just come to an end, and it’s all thanks to Cardi B. Over the past few months, several entertainers have had objects hurled at them in the middle of their sets, including Lil Nas X, Drake, and Bebe Rexha. While singer Adele gave fans a stern warning if they dared to attempt such a thing, rapper Cardi B took it a step further.

While performing in the Las Vegas heat, a fan in the crowd tried to douse Cardi B with a drink. It was probably meant as a joke. Cardi B didn’t find it funny. Soon after the liquid from the fan’s styrofoam cup made contact with Cardi B’s skin, the rapper leaped into action by throwing her mic in retaliation.

After one clip of the incident went viral, people on social media were upset that the concertgoer who threw the drink was not hit directly with the microphone. However, from another angle, it seems that the person was hit, thanks to Cardi B’s precise aim.

Cardi B spoke her piece with the fan as they were escorted out by security, after which she went back to her set.

Later, Cardi took to Instagram to issue a simple response. “Jealous ass b*tch,” she wrote, while continuing to promote her new single, “Jealousy,” made with her husband and fellow rapper Offset.

People on social media praised Cardi for standing up for recording artists that have been grazed by objects in the past few weeks. “Even Adele said you throwing stuff at her, she would be throwing hands,” wrote one fan. “Why are people thinking this is an acceptable thing to do. I don’t condone violence but come on now some people gonna react like Miss Cardi, don’t be shook when you acted first.”

Another wrote, “She did what exactly needed to be done. now we can finally stop the trend of throwing objects at celebrities on stage.”

“People need to seriously stop throwing stuff on stage… like I thought people would’ve learned that by now,” penned another.

One person complimented Cardi B form, writing, “Watch the switch to the left hand. Watch the aim and precision. Watch a random woman point down to single out who threw the drink in case it wasn’t clear. This is art. ”

“If Cardi wasn’t famous, baseball would’ve been her thing,” declared another.

Las Vegas hasn’t been too kind to Cardi B. Prior to her performance, the musician’s husband, Cardi B, allegedly launched a microphone at her on-stage DJ while performing in Las Vegas. The reason behind this incident has not yet been revealed.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

So what if John “Jigsaw” Kramer died at the end of Saw III? Horror franchises have routinely resurrected baddies. Usually they’re supernatural monsters, like Freddy or Jason. Still, why not bring back a very human quasi-baddie with terminal cancer? So it goes with Saw X, which has a semi-sensible reason for bringing Tobin Bell back to the fold: It’s actually set in the early days of the franchise.

A new trailer dropped for the nearly two decade-old series, which finds Jigsaw still very much alive if seeking experimental treatment to have that pesky tumor removed. After the doctors turn out to be grifters, he does what he does best: He kidnaps everyone involved and treats them to some death-defying games. Even if they survive, they’ll probably be missing a body part or part of their brain.

Not mentioned in the trailer is that Saw X takes place between the events of the original Saw and its first sequel. That means it’s set in or around 2004 and 2005. Bell, now 80, hasn’t been treated to de-aging CGI à la The Irishman or Indy 5. We’re either supposed to believe Bell is almost 20 years younger — or we’re just not supposed to care. It’s a Saw movie, and one that won’t have to deal with the Chris Rock-starring ninth entry.

You can watch the trailer for Saw X, which hits theaters on September 29, in the video above.

The 2024 election is still a good year-and-a-half away, but things are already heating up. Unless Ron DeSantis somehow gets his stuff together, it looks like it will be a repeat of 2020, with Donald Trump once again facing off against Joe Biden. Last time they duked it out, Trump did things like sadistically mess with Biden’s stutter during a debate. Trump is already going way low, including hitting him with a classy slur on the trail.

At a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump talked up all the “smart people” in his camp, who “know what they’re doing.” (Nevermind that he has a long history of hiring what he calls “the best people,” only to wind up firing and/or turning on them when they disappoint.) He then turned to his successor, who has actually gotten a lot done in his two-and-a-half years in office.

“We have somebody who’s not at the top of his game — never was the top of a game,” Trump said. “We have a guy who’s a dumb son of a b*tch.”

Speaking of being at the top of his game, Trump is currently drowning in legal woes, including three separate charges from Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith. Perhaps one is the top of their game if they can juggle all that and run a so-far-successful campaign for a job he already lost once.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Special Ops: Lioness: (Paramount+ series)

The newest Taylor Sheridan series is only getting started, but this joint places Zoe Saldaña back into non-MCU ass-kicking mode, over a decade after Colombiana put her on the action map. Nicole Kidman co-stars as the chief of the Lioness Program, meant to ward off any future 9/11-type plots, and Saldaña portrays an operative who works with recruits to mold them into fearsome assassins. Expect the personal to clash with the professional and dramatic sparks to fly along with the action.

TIE: 10. Foundation (Apple TV+ series)

Lee Pace has a naked fight scene this season because he can’t let Alexander Skarsgård have all the fun. Beyond that treat for Pace fans, this Isaac Asimov adaptation pays equal attention to striking visuals and a slow burn of a script to keep expanding this show into the Milky Way-spanning, world-building heights that it deserves to be. This show should hit a sweet spot for those who are frustrated with Dune 2 delays, and Jared Harris as a prophet is icing on the existential cake.

9. The Deepest Breath (Netflix documentary)

This project inadvertently has both the worst and best timing possible. Feathers did get ruffled when promotion began amid the recent plight of Oceangate submersible passengers, none of whom survived. On a related but still contrasting note, this documentary revolves around the sport of freediving, which does involve a substantial risk, given that divers head as deep as possible without taking an air supply with them. In other words, they had better be able to hold their breath as long as humanly possible because this is one hell of a risky pastime.

8. Twisted Metal (Peacock series)

Anthony Mackie will soon resurface as Captain America in the MCU, but he’s sliding in on the more profane side in this video game adaptation that hopes to match the streaming success of The Last Of Us. Can it succeed? This year has seen some unusually well-received adaptations including The Super Mario Bros. Movie (even with Chris Pratt’s Mario voice), and Anthony Mackie portrays a wise-cracking outsider who would probably be satisfied if he could only find some toilet paper in the post-apocalyptic hellscape. Sweet Tooth, the killer, ice-cream dealing clown jointly played by Samoa Joe and Will Arnett, will terrorize all, and other costars include Neve Campbell, Richard Cabral, Stephanie Beatriz, and Thomas Haden Church.

7. They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix movie)

John Boyega recently told Uproxx how he’d love to have some romance onscreen, but before that happens, he stars in this homage to Blaxploitation cinema. The story revolves around Boyega as an antihero/drug dealer, along with Teyonah Parris as a sex worker and Jamie Foxx as a pimp, who descend into a conspiracy-laden rabbit hole after they discover that a government agency has weaponized Black cultural tidbits against the Black community. Expect reality to bend in upon itself in a funny and sharply absurdist adventure.

6. The Crowded Room (Apple TV+ series)

After a rough launch, this drama earned the loyal viewership of Tom Holland devotees, who received a handsome reward in the form of a devastating overall performance from the sometimes-Spider-Man actor. The story takes plenty of creative liberties but found inspiration in the real-life story of murder defendant Billy Milligan, who invoked a legal defense that had never been successfully used on a previous occasion. Holland’s character, Danny Sullivan, slowly unravels through his alternate personalities that emerge while an investigator (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried) explores what really happened inside of his terribly troubled mind.

5. The Bear (FX series streaming on Hulu)

This kitchen isn’t cooling down yet, so gather round for another pressure-cooker of a season with Carmy Berzatto, his legion of Chefs, and so many stellar guest stars as wayward (to put it mildly) family members. Surely, FX will begin discussing a third season soon, and we’ll find out if Carmy got out of that bind that he found himself in the season finale. Dude needs to realize that he is bad at romance and not gather any more collateral damage in that way, but nearly everyone else made genuine strides this season and are living their best lives. That especially goes for Richie, but I’m plenty pleased for Marcus, Tina, and Sydney, too.

4. Justified: City Primeval (FX series streaming on Hulu)

Clement Mansell and his tighty-whiteys proved to be even more fixated upon The White Stripes this week, and boy, he knows how to get under Raylan Givens‘ skin. He does so with ease, and since his attorney, Carolyn Wilder, won’t roll over, and Willa Givens knows exactly how to push buttons, the Cowboy Hat is not having a swell time in Detroit. Of course, that means that the audience is having a fantastic time as this season swaggers along.

3. Suits (USA series streaming on Netflix)

What is (still) happening? This series ended in 2019 after nine seasons, but what’s old is apparently new again. This show somehow ended up being the summer streaming hit that no one expected, so let’s hope that the castmates (including Meghan Markle) enjoy their places in a renewed pop-culture phenomenon. They probably earn more residuals through syndication rather than streaming, but I suspect that they are nonetheless tickled, although Prince Harry surely isn’t rewatching those sex scenes that disturb him.

2. Bird Box Barcelona (Netflix film)

Sandra Bullock launched this franchise, which still easily sits in Netflix’s all-time most-streamed lists. This Spanish-language followup goes back in time a bit to where the outbreak began in Spain. Keeping with the brand appeal, of course, this story doesn’t make total sense and still goes for easy thrills, but the franchise remains solidly B-quality, and there’s both the promise of fun and watchability in that kind of universe. Given the success of this second installment, we may very well hear about a third story in the works, too.

1. Interstellar (Paramount movie streaming on Paramount+)

Oppenheimer has already exceeded box-office expectations with Cillian Murphy starring as the so-called “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” The film almost rolls out like a theater production, albeit an explosive one, with an ensemble cast (Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and so many more) that cannot be beat. If you haven’t caught it yet, go now, but additionally, Christopher Nolan fans are tucking into some of his most well-regarded hits, and that includes this twisty Matthew McConaughey/Anne Hathaway wormhole jaunt with Damon in an uncredited but essential role.

The most anticipated fight of the year in boxing arrived on Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Terence Crawford (39-0-0, 30 KOs) met Errol Spence Jr. (28-0-0, 22 KOs) for the title of unanimous welterweight champion of the world, as the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO belts were all on the line at T-Mobile Arena.

Crawford entered the ring with Eminem, as the stars were out for the massive event, with Spence Jr. being joined by fellow Texas native BigXthaPlug, and with the atmosphere in T-Mobile absolutely electric, the fight began. However, it became clear early that Spence was going to have his hands full, as he simply could not figure out the Bud Crawford jab, as he peppered him early and often, earning a knockdown in the second round with a jab combination to give Spence his first taste of the canvas in his professional career.

The early rounds didn’t see Spence gain much ground, as he just consistently got outworked and outlanded by Crawford, who was absolutely on top of his game in this fight. In the seventh round, things began to spiral for Spence as he got sent down for the second time by a counter right hand.

Then, right before the bell Spence took another flush right hook to the chin that dropped him for the third time, as it was starting to get late early.

In the ninth round, Spence continued to take a beating and after a flurry of punches with no real response, the referee jumped in to mercifully stop a one-sided beatdown, giving Crawford a TKO win and the title of the first 4-belt welterweight champion in boxing history.

It was an absolute clinic from Crawford who landed 185 of his 369 punches in the fight including 87 of 206 with the jab and 98 of 163 power punches, as he was simply lethal with the counters. Spence, meanwhile, could not hit Crawford much of anything, as he landed just 96 of 480 punches overall, including a dismal 33 of 296 with the jab. There will be no disputing whether Crawford earned the crown of undisputed welterweight champion of the world, and now the question is simply who is next after an all-time performance.