Category: News

Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday night. An institution in the world of American culture, SNL has made it a point to touch on everything over the years, and the world of sports has been a big part of that. For years, athletes have hosted or made cameo appearances on the show, and while they’ve not always been big hits, some of the most memorable moments in the show’s history have come as a result of athletes getting involved. Usually, they poke fun at themselves when that happens.

To celebrate the show’s anniversary, we looked back at some of our favorite cameos from athletes in SNL history. This isn’t a comprehensive list, because there have been plenty of other times when athletes have made their mark at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, but these are certainly some of the best moments.

Charles Barkley as Shaq on “Inside the NBA”

There is zero doubt about this getting a spot on the list. Charles Barkley making fun of Shaq is always good television, and for it to happen on SNL is even better, particularly because this sketch hits on a lot of the notes that make Inside so much fun. Kenan Thompson’s Chuck impression is terrific, and you just know that Barkley loved looking at him and saying “people love you, Charles Barkley.”

Michael Jordan gets a Daily Affirmation

The Stuart Smalley x Michael Jordan collaboration that no one knew we needed ended up being a real joy. Unfortunately, Jordan was able to keep himself from busting out laughing, but he sure did come close. I like to think that, even after this segment came to an end, Jordan continued to do this exact thing as a daily affirmation every day for the remainder of his professional career.

Peyton Manning for the United Way

I mean, yeah. This is just flat out one of the funniest things SNL has ever done, and that would’ve been the case if this was someone just doing a Manning impression. Instead, you have Manning being the absolute worst influence in the world, and the result is pure magic.

Point/Counterpoint, with Derek Jeter and Red Sox fan Seth Meyers

The balance between Jeter acting like this is a real point/counterpoint and Meyers (I presume) just repeating stuff that he’s said while he was three beers deep at Fenway really is terrific. My only complaint as a Yankee fan is that Jeter leaned in a bit more to the fact that he won four rings in six years at the time of this sketch, but that’s fine.

LeBron’s Read to Achieve ad

Jason Sudeikis does a fantastic job playing every guy who has ever talked about their high school basketball accomplishments like they’re on the same level as anything LeBron James has done. The line about Dwyane Wade having a ring three years before James joined the Heat is fun to watch in retrospect, and James looked incredibly proud of himself after he caught Sudeikis with an elbow before dunking and reading his line.

John Cena in The Karate Teen

This is here because of John Cena’s weird accent, which is very funny, and the final battle between Cena and Mikey Day, which goes exactly how this exact thing should go.

Wayne Gretzky goes fishing with the Anal Retentive Chef

Admittedly, this is mostly on here because it’s a reason to watch Phil Hartman, but Gretzky does a good job as the person who is trying to do something urgently while Hartman is, well, not doing that. Plus the visual of Gretzky trying to beat the hell out of a giant fish with a net is terrific, too.

Eli Manning embarrasses himself to get found not guilty

I absolutely hate watching this sketch, which I am pretty sure is the point. It’s hilarious in a deeply uncomfortable way, as Manning has to act out a bunch of emojis and read out his texts and search history on his computer. It’s awful, and it’s so funny.

Travis Kelce teaches self-defense

Just in general, Travis Kelce playing a self-defense instructor named Curt Lightning whose hair looks like that is extremely good. The sketch itself is incredibly chaotic, as well, between Kelce throwing some monster right hands, a game of Russian roulette that is initiated by a grandma, and a whole lot else.

Reacher will soon return with a third season that is putting a new twist on “bigger and better” by lining up Alan Ritchson’s Big Guy against an even Bigger Guy (portrayed by Oliver Ritchers), and man, the craft services binges must have been a sight to see between the two of them. Get ready for more toe-to-toe fights and Reacher also going head-to-head with another villain, who he supposedly killed but who has miraculously resurrected himself. It happens.

The third season will be based on Lee Child’s Persuader novel, which will take the show’s wandering protagonist up into Maine (maybe he can go punch Pennywise) and down into Boston, and our dude is going undercover, so that leads to a question of how Prime Video/Amazon is rolling this season out.

Will Reacher Season 3 Premiere All At Once?

Negative, but three episodes will debut on Thursday, February 20. From there, five more weekly drops will happen on Thursdays until March 27.

It’s almost time for junk food and muscles, but let’s do the synopsis thing first:

Based on Lee Child’s novel Persuader, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise when trying to rescue an undercover DEA informant whose time is running out. There, he finds a world of secrecy and violence and confronts some unfinished business from his own past.

In addition to Ritchson vs. Ritchers, Reacher‘s third season brings back Maria Sten’s Frances Neagley. Additional co-stars include Brian Tee, David Daniel Stewart, Anthony Michael Hall, and Sonya Cassidy as a love interest who is not Roscoe, but we guess that’s alright (actually, she is pretty awesome).

To get something out of the way before we dive in: The NBA might have something cooking with its new All-Star Game format. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but the general idea of how a mini-tournament format would work ended up doing what the league clearly set out to achieve. The games were a little more competitive than the last few years of All-Star, although they weren’t Game 7 of the NBA Finals levels of intense or anything — there were still plenty of uncontested threes and matador defense that led to dunks. The shorter games meant guys didn’t stop caring by halftime. Adam Silver wasn’t visibly furious handing out trophies after the game.

And yet, no one seems to care. This is based on totally anecdotal evidence, but in conversations with people who watched, the NBA’s attempt at reinvigorating the All-Star Game was a total flop. Even beyond conversations with friends or just scrolling X, The Everything App and seeing people wonder what the point of all this was, Draymond Green couldn’t hide his disdain on TNT, while players straight up said there were too many stoppages.

Those stoppages were the biggest problem on Sunday night. More broadly, the problem was that the NBA’s solution to its All-Star Game problem — which is, it must be stressed, not a real thing — was to do other things than just playing basketball.

TNT’s coverage of the All-Star Game began at 6 p.m. ET, with the main broadcast beginning at 8:15 p.m. Things went off the air around 11 p.m. That’s right around five hours of coverage. After finding a replay and using the stopwatch on my phone to track just how much basketball there was (i.e., I stopped it for commercial breaks and the Inside the NBA tribute that we will get to), here’s what I found:

Game 1: 13 minutes, 13 seconds
Game 2: 16 minutes, 24 seconds
Game 3: 13 minutes, 49 seconds

I will say that this probably isn’t perfect, just because there were a few times when the desire to have Kevin Hart yell about big men getting into the post outweighed the desire to put the cameras on the game, so I missed a few seconds here and there. Regardless, whether you want to say it was five hours of coverage or 2.5ish hours of the actual event (aside: my goodness, they did not respect the announced start time!), cutting down the amount of basketball to about 43 and a half minutes is completely ridiculous.

The amount of time between games, once again, was a complaint, so I wondered just how much time was spent from the final basket of one game to the opening tip of the next. The time between Game 1 and Game 2 was largely spent watching Mr. Beast yell into a microphone about giving away money, while a chunk of time between Game 2 and Game 3 was spent with a halftime show that was the exact opposite of the Mr. Beast thing, in that it was good and entertaining, a statement that comes with the obvious caveat that I am not the target audience for a Mr. Beast segment. Here are those numbers:

Game 1 to Game 2: 26 minutes, 24 seconds
Game 2 to Game 3: 27 minutes, 25 seconds

There was also the tribute that broke up the championship game. A timeout was taken by Charles Barkley’s team, which found itself down 11-1 at that point, and then, it took 17 minutes and 56 seconds to inbound the ball again. The tribute itself was nice (albeit a little strange due to the fact that Inside the NBA will be on ESPN next year and Turner will continue to broadcast important basketball games for a few more months), but also, this took more time than any of the games! As did the breaks in between them!

Again, compared to the last few All-Star Games, the basketball in this one was pretty good. Victor Wembanyama’s inability to chill added something to his two games (his semifinal more than the final, which we’ll get to in a sec), while the second game — between the Rising Stars winner and the Steph Curry-led team put together by Shaquille O’Neal — was the best of the bunch, because you could tell a collection of All-Stars legitimately did not want to lose to a bunch of young guys who were competing. The third game fell flat, but I think you can argue that’s because Barkley’s team went an hour and 19 minutes from the end of Game 1 to the start of Game 3, and then there was a huge break in the middle of it.

The problem was that basketball — this wonderful game that brought people to the Bay Area in the first place this weekend — never felt like it was the centerpiece. In trying to get fans to believe that the All-Star Game is back, the game of basketball was made to feel less important than ever. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the gripe for years has been that players don’t take the All-Star Game seriously enough if this is what the NBA thinks it has to do to get them to care. Hell, I think you can make the argument that it’s not surprising that players don’t take All-Star seriously when they’re constantly being made out to be the bad guys for this, sometimes directly by the league.

It’s unfortunate, all of this. I’m not someone who believes the lack of effort in the All-Star Game is an existential crisis — it’s a game that does not count for anything other than the NBA’s ability to have something to sell to media partners and an opportunity for brands to put their logos on things — but I do think that the NBA’s insistence that it is a problem and its never-ending quest to Streisand Effect this into a bigger and bigger deal is a huge issue. Like the never-ending ratings discourse that goes on unabated in spite of the regular season being compelling on a nightly basis and a $76 billion media rights deal, the league’s insistence on responding to every bit of criticism with the hopes that another change will be the thing that makes everyone happy just makes things worse.

The result of this on Sunday was an All-Star Game that wasn’t, a low point for the NBA on an evening where it got exactly what it wanted: Players, on the floor for this event, trying harder than they have over the past few years. You’d be forgiven if that wasn’t your primary takeaway amid everything else that took the spotlight off of the actual playing of basketball at the NBA’s All-Star Game.

Despite her giving a superstar performance, some people seem to think Doechii was lip-syncing at the 2025 Grammys. That is unequivocally not the case, the “Denial Is A River” rapper responded on TikTok.

In response to a user who claimed that “some parts of the live song you can see that she’s not saying anything and the song is still playing with her pre-recorded voice,” Doechii said, “That entire performance was LIVE. I was sick as a dog with bronchitis and the flu performing my ass off in a straddle on top of human men. You can hear my beads slapping the mic in the beginning.” She continued, “Worked my ass off to build my stamina for that for y’all to play in my face. I don’t lip sync, don’t ever f*cking play with me like that.”

You can watch the TikTok video here.

Doechii gave an emotional speech after winning Best Rap Album (only the third woman to do so) at the 2025 Grammys. “I know that there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there, that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it,” she said. “Anything is possible. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony right now.”

A huge night in comedy went down this weekend with SNL50, a look back at half a century of Saturday Night Live. While the show has produced essentially countless cultural highlights over the past 50 years, not every moment from the show’s rich history has aged well.

SNL50 acknowledged and poked fun at that with an “In Memoriam” segment, which didn’t honor deceased cast members, but instead laid to rest some elements of the show they wouldn’t exactly re-introduce today.

Included in the segment was a look back at “problematic guests,” and they highlighted Diddy (who is currently facing a wave of sexual assault and other allegations) and R. Kelly (who is currently set to spend the next couple decades in prison on child pornography charges).

Diddy was a musical guest alongside Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page on a 1998 episode, and again in 2010 as part of the trio Diddy-Dirty Money with Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper. Kelly has never been a musical guest himself, but he did perform with Lady Gaga on a 2013 episode.

Others who were highlighted were OJ Simpson (who was famously charged with murder in the ’90s and with armed robbery and kidnapping in the 2000s), Robert Blake (also accused of murder), and former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle (who is currently in prison for child sex tourism and child pornography).

Watch the “In Memoriam” segment above.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Drake bounce back from a tough 2024 and Selena Gomez adopt a renewed vigor for music. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

PartyNextDoor and Drake — “CN Tower”

Word of a joint album from Drake and PND surfaced as early as last August, and now the project, Some Sexy Songs 4 U, is finally here. Across the 21 tracks are highlights like the album-opening “CN Tower” (shout out Toronto) and the “Not Like Us”-referencing “Celibacy.”

Sabrina Carpenter — “Please Please Please” Feat. Dolly Parton

After having one of the biggest albums of 2024 with Short N’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter still has something left in that tank: Last week, she dropped a deluxe edition of the album featuring a twanged-up version of “Please Please Please” featuring country icon Dolly Parton.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco — “Scared Of Loving You”

Gomez teased some new music in January, and now we know what’s going on: Last week, she and super-producer fiancé Benny Blanco announced a collaborative album and shared the ballad “Scared Of Loving You” (which was co-written by Finneas, by the way).

Jack Harlow — “Set You Free”

Does Jack Harlow have a new album on the way in 2025? Maybe. He hasn’t announced one, but his recent run of singles is an apparent indicator, like last week’s “Set You Free,” which sees him grappling with relationship issues.

SZA — “Open Arms”

SZA had quite the Super Bowl weekend when she joined Kendrick Lamar on the Halftime Show stage. She also took advantage of the big day by adding even more songs to Lana (SOS Deluxe) as the game was going on, bringing the full album to a whopping 38 tracks.

Zach Bryan — “Dear Miss”

Congratulations are in order for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Zach Bryan fans: The NFL team beat the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, and because they did, Zach Bryan delivered on his promise to release a new song, “Dear Miss.”

Bon Iver — “Everything Is Peaceful Love”

We haven’t had a new Bon Iver album in six years, but that changes soon with the recently announced SABLE, fABLE. He followed up the announcement with “Everything Is Peaceful Love,” which arrived alongside a delightful video directed by How To With John Wilson creator John Wilson.

Addison Rae — “High Fashion”

Rae had a bit of a surprise hit last year with “Diet Pepsi,” and now she’s riding the wave into 2025 with another new song: “High Fashion,” a smooth number that continues the social media star’s bid at pop stardom.

Jisoo — “Earthquake”

Jisoo announced her signing with Warner last month, and the Blackpink member didn’t waste any time getting a release out on her new label with the Amortage EP, featuring the thumping “Earthquake.”

Daniel Caesar and Rex Orange County — “Rearrange My World”

Who’d have thought that Daniel Caesar and Rex Orange County would be a natural pairing? Well, it turns out they are: They two came through with two surprise songs last week, and the Venn diagram of their individual styles has a compelling overlap.

Chappell Roan’s “The Giver” is the best musical performance from this season of SNL — but the Best New Artist winner hasn’t officially released the song yet. That could soon change.

Over the weekend, Roan shared the phone number “620-468-8646” (or “620-HOT-TOGO”) in an Instagram Story. When you dial the number, you’ll be presented with different scenarios: press 1 to book a dentist appointment, press 2 to reach an attorney, press 3 to report a plumbing issue, etc. Each option leads to a different lo-fi snippet from “The Giver,” which will presumably be her first single since “Good Luck, Babe.” Maybe with a music video where one of her new “iconic looks” is a plumber?

You can listen to the complete collection here.

Last November, Roan described writing “The Giver,” a country song about how women “get the job done” (wink) better than men, in an interview with Brandi Carlile at the Grammy Museum. “It’s country, and we played it on SNL. It will come out! It will come out; don’t worry. But that was so fun to write,” she said. “I got to bring what I knew to the table, ’cause I’m a country girl. So I got to be like, ‘No, no, no, like, let me show you some country songs.’”

Sinéad O’Connor had one of the most memorable moments in Saturday Night Live history, when in 1992, she tore a photograph of Pope John Paul II while performing. It has long been rumored that she was banned from SNL (Lorne Michaels says that’s not true of her or anybody), but on the SNL50 special this weekend, the show took a moment to honor O’Connor, who died in 2023.

After being introduced by Aubrey Plaza (making her first public appearance since husband Jeff Baena’s death in January), Miley Cyrus, Brittany Howard, and The Roots covered “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which was written by Prince for his band The Family but was most famously recorded by O’Connor.

Elsewhere in the show, Dave Chappelle introduced a performance by Lil Wayne, who was also backed by The Roots. He performed a medley of hits featuring “Uproar,” “Lollipop,” “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “Mrs. Officer,” and “A Milli.”

There was a ton of music on SNL50 outside of the aforementioned. Sabrina Carpenter appeared in a new “Domingo” sketch, and she also joined Paul Simon to sing “Homeward Bound.” Paul McCartney also showed up and ran through a three-song medley.

Watch the performances from Cyrus, Howard, The Roots, and Wayne above.

The “best-known artist-curated festival around” is back. The 2025 lineup for The Roots Picnic was announced today (February 16), and the headliners include D’Angelo with The Roots, Lenny Kravitz, Meek Mill, and GloRilla.

The two-day festival — held at The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 31 to June 1 — also features Miguel; Latto; Kaytranada; Jeezy (celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101); J.Period Live Mixtape’s series featuring Black Thought, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz; Rich Medina’s Black House Set featuring Crystal Waters and Cece Peniston; Musiq Soulchild, Kur, Elmiene, Jagged Edge, Crystal Waters, Lay Banks, Laila!, and Kur.

The Roots will also give the anniversary treatment to their classic album Do You Want More?!!!??!, which came out 30 years ago.

Outside of the performances, this year’s The Roots Picnic also features a day party lineup, including Trap Karaoke, Doo-Wop… That R&B Party, Girls Love Karaoke, Kirk Franklin’s Sunday School w/ DJ Mal-Ski, Philly Black Pride, Interna$hional Bounce, All Spice World Dance, and World Series of Spades.

Presale tickets for The Roots Picnic 2025 will be available starting February 18, at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday, February 20, at 10 p.m. ET. The general on-sale begins Friday, February 21, at 10 a.m. ET. You can find more information here.

The occasional Saturday Night Live anniversary celebrations are one of the best ways to get dozens of comedy titans together in one studio. Well, SNL50 was this past weekend, and amid all the icons, Sabrina Carpenter, found a way to shine.

Carpenter has been cemented in modern SNL lore thanks to the instant-classic “Domingo” sketch, which is based on a parody of her 2024 hit “Espresso.” Well, for the anniversary show, Carpenter herself participated in a new rendition of the sketch, which follows the same formula as the other ones: A bunch of bridesmaids share some uncomfortable revelations via a song parody.

Naturally, this sketch had a lot more star power, though, as featured were Bad Bunny, Pedro Pascal, Martin Short, Molly Shannon, and a handful of other SNL alums.

Elsewhere in the episode, Carpenter had the honor of sharing the stage with Paul Simon for a performance of “Homeward Bound.” First, Simon explained that he sang the song with George Harrison of The Beatles on SNL in 1976. Carpenter saw the opportunity for a joke and took it: “I was not born then, and neither were my parents,” she added.

Check out the “Domingo” sketch and Carpenter’s performance with Simon above.