Category: News

Hours after an encouragingly positive update from medical personnel on the health of Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, the NFL announced Thursday night that the Week 17 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals will not resume and will be cancelled. This comes after considerable speculation on how the league would address the on-field issues created by the suspended game, with all acknowledging that, of course, the football-related fallout pales in importance to Hamlin’s health.

The NFL noted in its announcement that neither Buffalo nor Cincinnati was in danger of missing the postseason, and there would be no elimination or qualification for the playoffs based on the result. In addition, the decision to cancel also allows for the postseason schedule to remain in place, but there are complicating factors with regard to seeding and fairness. As such, NFL clubs will meet on Friday to consider a resolution from Commissioner Roger Goodell, with approval from the league’s Competition Committee, with two prominent elements in play. The most prominent is that there are three scenarios in which the AFC Championship Game would be played at a neutral site if home-field advantage could have been affected by the Bills-Bengals result.

Here are those three scenarios from the NFL release:

Scenario 1: Buffalo and Kansas City both win or both tie – a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

Scenario 2: Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties – a Buffalo vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

Scenario 3: Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins – a Buffalo or Cincinnati vs Kansas City championship game would be at a neutral site.

Each of these scenarios is quite plausible, of course, and the league needs to get this proposal firmly implemented before Week 18’s slate of games begins on Saturday. In addition to the neutral-site scenario, the NFL also proposes that a win by the Baltimore Ravens over the Bengals in Week 18 would create a scenario in which a coin toss would determine the site of a potential Wild Card matchup between the Bengals and Ravens. If Cincinnati wins the Week 18 game or the two teams won’t meet in the Wild Card round, the scheduling reverts back to normal procedure.

“As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities,” said Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. “I recognize that there is no perfect solution. The proposal we are asking the ownership to consider, however, addresses the most significant potential equitable issues created by the difficult, but necessary, decision not to play the game under these extraordinary circumstances.”

All told, this was probably the best solution for the NFL in that a neutral-site AFC Championship Game avoids the scenario where the Bengals or Bills had to travel to Kansas City to play a game that could have taken place in either Cincinnati or Buffalo had the Week 17 result been finalized. This also allows the league to keep a semblance of scheduling normalcy and, while it isn’t perfect, there were no perfect options in this particular case.

One thing not mentioned in the NFL’s release is the 1-seed in the AFC and how they will handle the bye week for the AFC’s top team, which Buffalo would have been with back-to-back wins but, as of now, would be the Chiefs if they win on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Kate Bush had quite a year in 2022. Upon the premiere of season 4 of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, her song “Running Up That Hill” made a resurgence after 37 years. This year, some fans are certain we haven’t seen the last of Bush.

Some of Bush’s fans have taken to social media to share theories that Bush is one of several competitors on the latest season of The Masked Singer UK. In a recent episode, a singer dressed as a singing otter sang “I’m Always Here” by Jimi Jamison, which gained a lot of popularity in the ’90s as it was used as the theme song for Baywatch.

“Can’t believe we live in a world where it’s entirely possible Kate Bush is on The Masked Singer UK, I felt a fool suggesting it earlier but now I’m convinced that’s her voice and diction,” said one fan.

Pitchfork founder Ryan Schreiber quoted the fan’s tweet, adding that he also believes that the mysterious creature is Bush, given her eccentric nature.

“Kate Bush, lover of the absurd and theatrical, has been gearing up in costume to perform quirky songs on British television her entire adult life,” he said. “This honestly tracks.”

Check out the clip above and let us know what you think.

Nicki Minaj officially broke a new record this week after unseating Missy Elliott as the longest-charting female rapper on Billboard’s Hot 100. Minaj’s song, “Super Freaky Girl,” charted again this week, earning the hit a 20-week total. It previously peaked at No. 1.

“@NickiMinaj becomes the female rapper with the most consecutive years charting a single on the Hot 100 (2010 – 2023) breaking a tie with Missy Elliott (1996* – 2008),” Chart Data reported.

Still, the two rappers have had nothing but respect for one another throughout the years. Elliott even sent her best wishes to Minaj when she received MTV’s Video Vanguard Award at last year’s VMA’s.

“Congratulations to @NICKIMINAJ on this achievement!” Elliott tweeted at the time. She was the recipient of the same award in 2019, adding to their career similarities.

“Mumbling & cackling??? nah omg thank you Missy. You kicked down this [door]. Nothing but Love & Respect for your iconic artistry. #VMAs #NickiVmas #VideoVanguard,” Minaj replied.

Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” previously broke the record upon its release to become the first female solo rap song to debut at No. 1 since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. However, after the news broke, many of Minaj’s fans thought Elliott was shading the fellow rapper after asking what the difference between a hit and a classic record was.

“I love so many of yall answers,” Elliott later added, clearing the air about any rumors of bad blood. “This was a back & forth with my producer friends over music. Is there a difference between Classics & hits & he said it’s more preference. So y’all helped. A few chose 2 be hurtful but understand this came from a positive place.”

The 2022 NFL regular season comes to an end this weekend and, ironically, the calendar has already flipped to 2023. The final slate of the 2022 calendar year was quite kind to us in this space with a spotless 5-0 record and, while that is never the expectation, it is nice when it happens every once in a while.

Famously, the final week of the regular season is a free-for-all, with many teams having nothing to play for, all kinds of uncertainty in the mix, and most eyes on the upcoming playoffs. As such, this week’s column doesn’t feature a full five-game slate because, well, you never have to bet on games you don’t want to bet on. One more time, you don’t have to bet on these games. The weirdness is palpable this week.

Before we roll through Week 18 and a reduced slate, let’s take stock of the full-season progress.

• Week 17: 5-0
• 2022 Season: 46-37-2

Come get these winners.

TEASER: Jacksonville Jaguars (-0.5) over Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings (-1.5) over Chicago Bears

This is pretty square, which I don’t love, but the options are fairly limited on the teaser market in a week with so much uncertainty. Jacksonville should be able to get home against the Tannehill-less Titans in a game with real stakes. I don’t trust the Vikings at all, but the game is early in the day (1:00 pm ET on Sunday) and Minnesota has some incentive to win. Furthermore, the Bears are starting Nathan Peterman and Chicago needs to lose for draft purposes.

Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) over Houston Texans

It’s beyond disgusting to lay points with the Colts right now, but Indianapolis is the better team and the Texans have genuine tanking incentive. That’s where I’ll stop for now.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2.5) over Atlanta Falcons in the first half

All indications are that the Bucs are going to start Tom Brady and a lot of key guys. There is concern Tampa Bay might pull the rip cord at some point, which explains the first half angle here. Atlanta still isn’t very good, and the Falcons aren’t playing for anything either. I’ll take the candy in the first half.

SZA‘s latest album, SOS is maintaining its hype into the new year. Nearly a month after its release, the album has sat at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks. Today (January 5), SZA shared a new version of the album with some outtakes.

One of the songs was “PSA,” which she previously teased in a video clip she shared on social media.

“I don’t want nobody callin’ me anything but number one / Know I got problems, I don’t know how to take losses / Even when, even when they are lost causes / I waste my energy plenty, serve me to bury my envy, but / I’d rather chase it in Henny / I’d rather pay you in pennies,” she sings on the dreamy, harp-driven track.

Additionally, she shared the solo version of “Open Arms.” The version on the standard edition features Travis Scott, but on the solo version, she swaps out Scott’s verse with a third verse of her own.

“I don’t want to hear you trying / I just spent the whole night crying / I’d rather just f*ck on my ex / At least he still loves me for who I am,” she sings on the new verse.

As of now, the new songs are not yet on streaming platforms, and only available for purchase through SZA’s website. In addition to the new songs, fans will get the album’s original 23 tracks, as well as alternate cover art.

You can purchase the album with the new songs here.

Prior to Thursday’s game on TNT between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, Charles Barkley accidentally ushered one of the words barred from live television by the Federal Communications Commission: asshole. As soon as he said it, his fellow panelist, Ernie Johnson, interrupted him with an abrupt “hey, hey, hey!” that spanned roughly eight “heys” to remind Barkley that word is prohibited. That’s a dude who’s on top of things.

Immediately, the Hall of Fame forward repeatedly apologized, and pivoted to “jackass” instead, which I guess is somehow completely fine. I can’t say I quite understand the logic, but it’s not my job to make these rules, so oh well. The damage by Barkley was already done, though, at least as it pertained to igniting the laugh box of his buddy, Shaquille O’Neal, who could not contain himself from giggling and cackling. O’Neal got such a kick out of the moment that he said he’ll pay Barkley’s fine from the FCC, assuming he receives on.

Shortly after, the entire crew had some fun at the expense of Barkley’s gaffe, using words such as assets, ask, and asinine. All four of Johnson, O’Neal, Barkley and Kenny Smith shared a laugh, especially Barkley, who clearly enjoyed the jokes referencing his earlier mistake.

The best part might be Smith deep in thought, trying to build upon Johnson’s quip, while Barkley and O’Neal simply laugh. Smith is clearly trying to add onto the game, but needs a bit of time to think of something. “Ask” didn’t hold a candle to O’Neal’s “asinine” but it was nonetheless a worthwhile usage. Kudos to the team for this funny sequence.

Kali Uchis is kicking off the new year in a major way for her fans: by announcing she’ll be dropping not one but two albums in 2023. The musician recently teased back in April of 2022 that she had completed her third and fourth album.

While she originally polled her fans on which one they wanted first, it seems they’ll be getting both — making everyone happy.

“My third album & the next are both finished, one is an English album one is a Spanish album ¿what my kuchis want first ?” Uchis previously tweeted.

“dropping both 2023,” she added as a new update.

Needless to say, her fans were incredibly excited to hear about the upcoming double drop.

“i am so excited, tears are literally running down my eyes,” one user wrote.

“It doesn’t matter which one you drop 1st. I be singing along with you in either language,” another replied, responding to her initial question.

Uchis’ last album, Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios), was released back in 2020, so fans have been waiting almost three years for another full-length record from their fave. Since then, she has also put out some singles, including the most recent song, “No Hay Ley,” in September.

Continue scrolling for some additional reactions to Kali Uchis’ double album drop announcement.

Saturday Night Live is making its return to our screens next weekend, and they’ve got some promising acts to kick off the midseason. Today, this month’s hosts and performers were revealed via SNL‘s social media accounts.

On the first episode of the month, set to air live on Saturday, January 21, is The White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza, who will host that evening’s episode. The musical guest of the night is Sam Smith, who will be performing a little less than a week before their fourth album Gloria drops.

In an interview with Billboard that took place last August, Smith said the music on Gloria will be centered around queer joy.

“I think joy for me, and for a lot of queer people, is quite a dangerous place,” Smith said. “We’re all masters of pain, and I think it’s actually a very courageous act to step into the queer joy of it all.”’

The following Saturday (January 28), Michael B. Jordan, who stars in Creed III set to premiere in March will host, and rapper Lil Baby will perform.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. EST on NBC. The broadcast also streams live on Peacock.

Gloria is out 1/27 via Capitol. You can pre-save it here.

Despite new legal demands and prior misconduct allegations, Vince McMahon has taken steps to return to the WWE as he pursues selling the company, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

McMahon, who has majority voting power due to his ownership of WWE’s Class-B stock, has reportedly informed WWE that he will be electing himself to its board of directors, along with former co-presidents and directors Michelle Wilson and George Barrios. That move would require three current directors to step down. He plans to be named executive chairman, pending board approval.

The WSJ also details that McMahon believes now is the right time to negotiate a sale with WWE’s media rights set to be renegotiated. According to the report, McMahon has told the board “unless he has direct involvement as executive chairman from the outset of a strategic review, he won’t support or approve any media-rights deal or sale.”

McMahon previously sent two separate letters to the Board in late December in which he expressed the urgency of his return to the company as Executive Chairman and his desire to work collaboratively with the Board and management team, he announced via a press release. McMahon determined, “consistent with his rights as controlling shareholder,” that the steps announced are necessary to maximize value for all WWE shareholders after a review was reportedly initiated, per the WSJ, and it was determined it “wouldn’t be in shareholders’ best interest.”

“WWE is entering a critical juncture in its history with the upcoming media rights negotiations coinciding with increased industry-wide demand for quality content and live events and with more companies seeking to own the intellectual property on their platforms,” said McMahon, via a press release. “The only way for WWE to fully capitalize on this opportunity is for me to return as Executive Chairman and support the management team in the negotiations for our media rights and to combine that with a review of strategic alternatives. My return will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties, to engage in these processes knowing they will have the support of the controlling shareholder.”

On the heels of allegations of misconduct, millions of dollars in reported settlements, and investigations into other nondisclosure agreements, the 77-year-old McMahon retired from WWE, handing the reigns to the company to his daughter, interim chairwoman, and chief executive, Stephanie McMahon and co-executive Nick Khan, the company’s former president and chief revenue officer. There are currently no details on what, if any, impact this return would have on Stephanie McMahon or Khan’s roles.

The news of McMahon’s impending WWE return comes on the heels of new legal demands, per the WSJ report, from two women who allege that he sexually assaulted them. According to the report, a former wrestling referee who accused him of rape three decades ago is also seeking $11.75 million in damages.

With 2022 done and dusted, it’s full steam ahead in the world of festivals. There are tons of experiences to look forward to this festival season but before we close the book on last year’s debauchery, let’s take one final look at one of the most sought-after festival destinations on earth — Holy Ship! Wrecked.

From December 13-17, music-loving, travel aficionados got to enjoy a four-night all-inclusive stay at Hard Rock Riviera Maya, Mexico. With nine restaurants, complimentary tequila bars, twenty-four-hour room service, and a waterpark, this was the perfect place to enjoy the ultimate music experience. Across six stage environments — ranging from beaches to poolside pop-ups — music pilgrims got to experience Dom Dolla, John Summit, Jai Wolf, Chris Lake, and Louis The Child.

Since its humble beginnings on a boat, Holy Ship! Wrecked has taken pride in being a catalyst for the progression of modern American house and also providing a platform for breakout artists. Case and point, the ascension of rising producer QRTR. Beyond a crazy talented group of artists, (who graciously shared with us tips for enjoying destination festival) Shippers also enjoyed plenty of extracurricular fun like DJ workshops, beach games, parties, and much more. Dine, dancefloor, then decompress in a tub, Holy Ship! Wrecked really delivered the best of both worlds.

Check out photos from the wild event and get inspired to make more festival memories this year!