Anyone who was a teen in the ’90s will remember the grunge era. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were topping the charts with their gravely metaphorical lyrics, but they weren’t alone. Soul Asylum burst onto the scene with their solemn anthem “Runaway Train” complete with a video that showcased missing kids.
The video gave missing and exploited children a much bigger platform to be recognized on, because before the video was showcased on MTV, milk cartons were the common method to distribute these photos. In theory, milk cartons seem like a pretty effective way to highlight missing children, but in reality, eventually people would become blind to the photos.
The music video for “Runaway Train” was played all around the world and to the target audience that would most likely recognize the faces. It should come as no surprise, then, that the video helped to bring home 21 missing children. What is surprising, is that the band had to push to keep the pictures of the missing kids in the music video because people didn’t think it was working.
David Pirner, the band’s lead singer, explained to The Guardian that the song was a metaphor for his depression and the line “call you up in the middle of the night” was actually about a friend that would answer his late-night calls no matter what time. He told the outlet that he had a fascination with trains from a young age, so he used the imagery of a runaway train as a metaphor for when his depression was out of control. As cliches would have it, the rest is history.
Well, that is, of course, until you realize that the song did more than give moody teens an anthem for their feelings. It actually brought them home.
When I watched the music video as a young teen, the gravity of the photos that flashed across my screen didn’t truly sink in. What Soul Asylum did in 1993 was the epitome of using your platform for a good cause and unbeknown to young teens like myself, it saved actual lives.
The producer, Tony Kaye, got the idea to put missing children in the video after seeing a billboard of a milk carton that displayed the face of a missing child. He told The Guardian that The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children sent them photos of the missing kids they wanted highlighted in the video and at the end of the video the text would instruct viewers to call a number if they had seen the children featured.
But the record company was fully prepared to pull the plug because it didn’t seem to be working. Kaye insisted on leaving the photos and before too long, the tactic started working. Child after child was returning home and when one was found, they’d replace the photo with a different child. They told The Guardian that 21 of the 36 kids featured were returned home.
That definitely seems like something to brag about and with the group’s 30-year anniversary album release and their upcoming tour, it’s something to highlight and attempt to repeat. In 2019, a different artist recorded their version of “Runaway Train” in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in hopes of bringing more missing children home using updated technology. The song is powerful on its own but coupling it with helping to locate missing and exploited children, elevates it to another level.
If you’re itching for a grunge fix like me, go reacquaint yourself with Soul Asylum’s songs and go catch them on tour with Everclear. The tour starts November 5 in Carrollton, Texas.
Esther Wojcicki has earned the right to tell people how to raise their kids. She’s an educator, journalist and bestselling author of “How to Raise Successful People” who has raised three daughters—two are CEOs and the other a doctor.
Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube, Anne Wojcicki is the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe and Dr. Janet Wojcicki is an anthropologist and epidemiologist who works on HIV progression and obesity risk in children.
In “How to Raise Successful People” Esther Wojcicki says the secret to success is the result of “TRICK”: trust, respect, independence, collaboration and kindness. In a new article she wrote for NBC Chicago, she boiled that down to one rule, “Don’t do anything for your kids that they can do for themselves.”
u201cSisters Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, and Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, are ranked among Americau2019s top women entrepreneurs nhttps://t.co/En8Vin9Zl7 #SelfMadeWomenu201d
“Parents need to stop coddling their kids,” she continues. “The more you trust your children to do things on their own, the more empowered they’ll be. The key is to begin with guided practice: It’s the ‘I do, we do, you do’ method.”
The “I do, we do, you do” method is used by teachers to gradually give students new responsibilities. The teacher first demonstrates the task, then they do it with the student and finally, the student does it alone.
Wojcicki says that parents can start with their children by asking them to make their beds, pick their own outfits and to help with dishes and making dinner. It’s funny that every child is raised by a parent who cooks them meals, but an astonishing number of them grow up having no idea how to boil water. Why? Because nobody bothered to get them involved.
As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he’ll eat forever.”
u201cFor all you parents out there. nYou may want to do something “unpopular” while raising your kids, “How to Raise Successful People” author Esther Wojcicki says. https://t.co/GEkHHnN5q5u201d
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBC10 Philadelphia) 1667227982
“The idea is to teach them how to cope with what life throws at them,” she writes. “One of the most important lessons I taught my daughters is that the only thing you can control is how you react to things.”
Wojcicki’s rules are a reaction to the modern trend of helicopter parenting, which is “overly focused on their children” where parents “take too much responsibility for their children’s experiences and, specifically, their successes or failures.” This can result in children who grow into adults with lower self-confidence and self-esteem, poor coping skills, increased anxiety and a sense of entitlement.
Simply put, when children are too dependent on their parents, they become ill-equipped to deal with real-world challenges. So when parents think they’re helping their children, they are actually setting them up for failure. Is it any wonder why we live in an age where more and more people suffer from crippling anxiety and depression? The world is a lot scarier when you’re not properly equipped to deal with everyday problems.
“When you trust kids to make their own decisions, they start to feel more engaged, confident and empowered,” Wojcicki writes. “And once that happens, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.”
While, at first, this dramatic change in parenting may seem difficult for parents who have a hard time letting go, it’s an opportunity for them to grow. “What I realized, through a lot of conscious effort, is that parenting gives us perhaps the most profound opportunity to grow as human beings,” she writes in “How to Raise Successful People.”
Kyrie Irving tweeted out a link to an antisemitic documentary over the weekend. The Brooklyn Nets guard came under wave after wave of scrutiny for this, something that was made worse when he met with the media and was asked why he did this. Instead of doing anything that could be viewed as showing contrition for that or for a number of other recent social media posts, Irving refused to back down.
Unsurprisingly, the Inside the NBA crew had plenty to say about Irving on Tuesday, with Charles Barkley going as far as to say that the NBA made a mistake in not doing anything in response outside of posting a statement that did not explicitly name him.
“I think he should have been suspended. Adam Silver should have suspended him. They made a mistake. I can’t believe we’re talking about this idiot.”
“I think the NBA dropped the ball,” Barkley said. “I think he should have been suspended. I think Adam should’ve suspended him. First of all, Adam’s Jewish. You can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion. You’re gonna insult me, you have the right, but I have the right to say, ‘No, you’re not gonna take my $40 million and insult my religion.’
“I think the NBA, they made a mistake,” he continued. “We have suspended people and fined people who have made homophobic slurs, and that was the right thing to do. I think if you insult the Black community, you should be suspended or fined heavily depending — I saw they did the same thing to the kid in Minnesota this year when he made the gay slur. I think you should get suspended or fined.”
Barkley went on to say he believed that something needed to happen for Irving acknowledging “the Alex Jones thing,” referencing the time Irving put an old clip of the right-wing media personality on his Instagram page in which Jones discussed the existence of secret societies in America. While Irving said he did not endorse Jones’ comments on things like the Sandy Hook mass shooting being a hoax, he said the clip he posted to Instagram was accurate.
“I can’t believe that we ain’t talking about basketball, we’re talking about this idiot,” Barkley said. “If I say, ‘Hey, I’m agreeing with this movie, this book, or whatever,’ I’m agreeing with it. You know I don’t do any social media, but when you’re somebody as great as basketball as him, people gonna listen to what you say.”
While Ernie Johnson attempted to say that conversations are ongoing about Irving, Barkley made clear that he thinks these are for naught.
“The reason it’s too late, the NBA’s giving into peer pressure,” Barkley said. “If one of our players do something, they have the right — the team or the league has to do something immediately. If you just give into peer pressure, that’s the problem I have. This should have been handled already.”
Shaquille O’Neal was likewise critical of Irving, saying that he dislikes when they have to discuss things that are divisive.
“Now we gotta answer for what this idiot has done,” Shaq said. “I stand for equality of all people, I’ve always been like that — don’t matter what religion, don’t matter where you’re from.”
He continued to excoriate Irving for making him have to “answer questions for what he’s done” before summing up his thoughts on Irving succinctly: “It’s obvious, by his answers and the way he answered, he doesn’t really care.”
Beyonce is classy in many ways, including the fact that she often sends thank-you notes to epople. In August, Madonna posted the one she received from the Renaissance performer: “Thank you, Queen. I’m so grateful for you. You have opened so many doors for so many women. You are masterpiece genius,” she wrote.
Syd, known for her role in the collective Odd Future, is the latest collaborator to share a note she received from the one and only Beyonce. However, this one has more people questioning the meaning. It reads: “Thank you for contributing so much to the film. I’m looking at the footage and you’re incredible. I’m forever grateful. B.”
Fans think a #RENAISSANCE film is coming following a thank you note Beyoncé wrote to musician, Syd:
Could it be true? A Renaissance film? It’s possible, considering the beloved Lemonade movie. “I’m grateful that this body of work has resonated so deeply with so many people,” Beyonce wrote on Instagram on the fifth anniversary of Lemonade last year, alongside images from the Lemonade movie. “I’m so thankful for all the beautiful souls involved in making one of my favorite pieces of art. As I celebrate five years of LEMONADE, I encourage everyone to continue healing, loving, forgiving and uplifting.” She added, “I hope you find joy today.”
The end of the year brings another big budget epic about old Hollywood starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. It’s called Babylon, from Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man director Damien Chazelle, and it goes all the way back to the late 1920s, during the film industry’s uneasy transition from the “silent” era to the infancy of synch sound. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Robbie played a real historical figure (albeit one who avoided the same grisly fate). But is she (or Pitt) playing a real person in Babylon?
The answer is no. Robbie’s character, starlet Nellie LaRoy, may not have ever existed, but like most of the cast, she’s playing a composite, a mash-up of sorts comprised of Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, Joan Crawford, and Alma Rubens. The same goes for Pitt’s aging matinee idol Jack Conrad, who has bits of John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks in his DNA.
In fact, right now it appears only one actor is playing an actual person. That would be Max Minghella, who’s taking on the role of Irvin Thalberg, the “Boy Wonder,” who became the head of production at MGM at the ripe age of 26. He died young, too, succumbing to pneumonia just over a decade later, at the age of 37.
Babylon follows a Mexican-American immigrant (Diego Calva) as he enters the Hollywood system, first as an editor, during perhaps its wildest era (though you wouldn’t know it watching the more lighthearted depiction in the classic musical Singin’ in the Rain). It was a time of debauched Jazz Age bacchanalias, as witnessed in the film’s bonkers trailer, which features such sights as a hopped-up Robbie threatening to fight a dangerous snake. Meanwhile, the industry was in the midst of being upturned by new technology, which would create new jobs while also destroying many others, and not just the “silent” stars who never transitioned to a medium that suddenly boasted speech.
When Babylon comes out on limited release on Dec. 23 and in wide release on Jan. 7. It will be a bumpy — and long (read: 188 minutes) — ride.
While sour beers are nothing new in the history of beer, they’ve become very popular in the American craft beer world over the last decade. They’ve been brewed for centuries but for some reason, American beer drinkers are really embracing them lately. Specifically, in the last five years, the popularity of sour beers has increased dramatically as drinkers seem to be loving this tart, acidic beer style.
Don’t believe us? Visit your local craft brewery and see if they aren’t selling a fruited sour or gose.
For those unaware, the term “sour beer” is an umbrella term that includes many beer styles. This includes traditional lambics, geuze, Flanders red ales, Berliner Weisses, German-style goses, and even fruited sours. They’re known for their sour, acidic, and tart flavor notes. Many of these include different fruit flavors, while the gose-style takes it one step further and adds salt into the mix.
Sour beers are great for the fall months because they’re yeasty, tart, and (in many cases) drink more like a wine than a classic beer. They range in alcohol but are usually lower than most fall beer styles. We love them and brewers agree. So we asked a handful of well-known brewers and craft beer experts to tell us their favorite sour beers for autumn. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.
The Shades Thai Tom Kha
The Shades
Jody Valenta, co-president and COO of Roadhouse Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Shades Thai Tom Kha. Honestly, this brew is consumable all day every day, but the coconut, lemongrass, galangal, kafir leaf, and lactose just work so well together to provide a lighter beer that’s still perfect to put in your pack for winter excursions or to sip around the fire.
Amorphic The Horse You Rode Out On
Amorphic
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
The sour I’m grabbing is the one that makes me feel like it’s not fall/winter because I want to drink something that takes me away from cold, damp weather. For that, I’m drinking Amorphic Beer’s The Horse You Rode Out On which contains loads of cactus fruit and hibiscus. The end flavor tastes like a watermelon jolly rancher and makes you forget it’s below freezing outside.
Blue Owl’s Professor Black, a dark cherry sour stout. It is not super sour, but the tartness really brings out the dark cherry and the darker malts provide balance and a good base. A nice balance between tart fruit and bold malts. A must-try this fall.
Hopfenstark Boson de Higgs
Hopfenstark
Daniel Gadala-Maria, brewer at Finback Brewery in Glendale, New York
Boson de Higgs by Hopfenstark of Quebec, Canada. Crushable at 3.8% ABV, this beer plays a really interesting game between the acid and smoke. Tart enough to be thirst-quenching, while satisfying my craving for more savory flavors the cool weather brings on. A very cool beer.
Rodenbach Grand Cru is an absolute classic when it comes to sour beers. Extraordinarily complex with just the right amounts of acidity, residual sweetness, wood, and fermentation character. There’s a reason it constantly gets added to “best” lists. It’s just a well-made, tart, perfect beer.
Tart of Darkness from The Bruery. The roasted character of the stout coupled with the slight vanilla and oak flavors from the barrel collide gracefully with intense tartness produced by the bacteria and wild yeast that is used to give this beer its signature flavor. They meld together to give you a sour, dark, bold beer. Perfect if you are in the mood to board the tart train on a winter’s night.
This is a party in your mouth and the river of flavors runs deep.
Kriek Lou Pepe by Cantillon. I wish I remembered more Cicerone-approved lingo to describe this beer, but I don’t. First, you see a mesmerizing red color with a beautiful pinkish head which already takes you to a different realm. The aroma is that of red wine poured into a glass that had champagne. The flavor is incredible, I know that’s not a canonic flavor, but that’s what I experienced.
Cherry, tart, intense, Europe, history, the smell of rain on a stone-made road surrounded by a bit of moss.
Another classic and the sour beer that got me into sour beer is New Belgium Brewing’s La Folie. Assertively tart initially, but as your palate gets used to it and the beer warms, complex notes of sweet malt, tart cherry, plum, and dried dates begin to appear. This beer is a true journey of flavor.
I’ve really come to like Allagash Haunted House which is a dark hoppy ale. It’s not like the rest of the fall beers, but somehow still tastes like fall. Smooth, dark hoppiness is a great fall recipe. This Belgian-style ale is also yeasty, funky, slightly sour, and highly memorable.
I used to love to drink Lindeman’s Faro Lambic. It was a younger Lambic that was sweetened and was just insanely drinkable while still having some of that great funky Lambic character that wasn’t too sour and crazy. Maybe I’ll try one again this fall.
Hanson of Sonoma/Humboldt/St. George/Greenhouse/istock/Uproxx
In its most basic form, vodka is a crystal-clear distilled spirit that’s comprised mostly of water and ethanol. If that doesn’t sound enticing to you, we get it. It’s unaged and quite often intentionally absent of flavor. While connoisseurs will tell you that approach is patently wrong and that well-made, high-quality vodkas can be extremely flavorful, it’s unarguable that much of the vodka sector is driven by what mixes easily.
Of course, if you don’t like neutral spirits and don’t taste much difference between basic expressions, there’s always flavored vodka.
Yes, we get it. Flavored vodka can be overly sweet or loaded with strange, generic, synthetic flavors that make you wish you were simply drinking regular vodkas instead. But they aren’t all nightmare-inducing. In recent years, there have been a surprising number of palatable, even memorable flavored vodkas hitting the market.
We found eight flavored vodkas that aren’t completely devoid of flavor but also aren’t cloyingly sweet and unbearable. Keep scrolling to see where they ranked.
Ketel One is a big name in the vodka world. This Dutch brand is known for its high-quality, flavorful vodka. Its Oranje ramps up the flavor with the addition of the flavors of Valencia and Mandarin oranges. Fruity, citrus, and a great base for your favorite cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
Not surprisingly, the nose is completely citrus-centric. There are notes of lemon zest and orange peel and really that’s it. But that’s to be expected. The palate is more of the same. It doesn’t taste super generic, but it’s just orange with just a hint of spice and really that’s it.
Bottom Line:
Ketel One Oranje isn’t overly exciting and that’s the point. There is a ton of orange flavor, but it’s not overly sweet. It’s just kind of boring.
Polish brand Belvedere is renowned for its high-quality vodkas. It’s no surprise that it makes a pretty decent line of flavored vodkas. The pinnacle of its Organic Infusions line is its blackberry and lemongrass-flavored vodka. It’s made with no extra additives, pesticide chemicals, and added sugar.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of lemon zest, ripe berries, and just a hint of peppery sage. Drinking it reveals more berries, lemon, baking spices, and light vanilla. There are a ton of flavors going on with this vodka and that makes it a little muddled — there’s almost too much going on.
Bottom Line:
This vodka can best be described as busy. While the flavors aren’t sugary or overly bold, there are just too many flavors and none really stand out.
If you simply grab a bottle of each of St. George’s flavor vodka lineup, you’ll likely be fairly happy. But, if you only buy one, make it St. George Green Chile Vodka. Perfect for sipping neat or as the base for a bloody Mary, this vodka is flavored with five California-grown peppers (serranos, habaneros, jalapeños, and red and yellow bell peppers) as well as lime peel and cilantro.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very fragrant vodka with notes of lemon zest, cilantro, and peppery spice making strong appearances. The palate tastes like jalapeños, cilantro-filled salsa, citrus zest, and more cracked black pepper. It’s a very spicy vodka that definitely isn’t for everyone.
Bottom Line:
It’s warming and spicy, but not overly hot. There are enough fresh flavors to make this the perfect base for a bloody Mary. It is a little too much for some drinkers though.
This Texas-made vodka is sugar-free and flavored with peach and orange blossom. It’s made with no carbs and artificial flavors. A great fruity, citrus alternative for your favorite refreshing gin-based cocktail any time of the year.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of ripe peach, orange, vanilla, and light spices great your nose before your first sip. The flavor follows suit. It’s surprisingly smooth with a ton of juicy, fruity peach up front that moves into bright, tangy orange. It’s fruity, slightly sweet, and memorable.
Bottom Line:
Sometimes when you combine multiple flavors in flavored vodka, they can seem a little murky and muddled. This one isn’t. Both flavors shine through, but it’s not overly sweet or sugary.
With the rise in popularity of cannabis and weed-centric products in the last few years, it should come as no surprise that there’s a hemp-flavored vodka. This award-winning vodka is infused with locally-sourced hemp to give it an earthy, herbal, piney flavor.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this vodka’s nose. It’s so herbal and earthy, it almost smells like a gin. Pine needles, citrus zest, fresh-cut grass, and herbal, floral notes are noticeable. The palate is surprisingly botanical with more pine, dank pine, and light vanilla. The ending is a mix of sweetness and spicy pepper.
Bottom Line:
This is a very unique vodka and we say that in the best way possible. It’s herbal, earthy, piney, and dank. You’d have a hard time convincing someone this isn’t a gin though. Even our staffers.
One look at this vodka and you know you’re in for something different. This orange-hued vodka is gluten-free, small batch, filtered through lava rocks, and infused with dried California-sourced apricots.
Tasting Notes:
One sniff and you literally feel like you’re smelling a bowl of dried apricots as opposed to vodka. While you can’t really smell anything else, this aroma is totally inviting and asks you to take a sip. The palate, while ripe peach and apricot centered also has notes of vanilla, lemon zest, and light spice. Overall, a fruity, slightly tart, delicious, easily mixable vodka.
Bottom Line:
Don’t let this vodka’s bold color dissuade you from buying it. It’s fruity, sweet, citrusy, and well-suited as the base for your favorite fresh vodka cocktails.
The folks at Hanson of Sonoma Distillery noticed that a local farm was growing Meyer lemons. This made them realize that the tart fruit would be the perfect complimentary flavor to their popular vodka. They’re hand-peeled and macerated in the brand’s Organic Original Vodka.
Tasting Notes:
Another vodka that smells more like a gin, it’s highlighted by the aromas of lemon peel and gentle spices. The nose is actually fairly mild which is a good thing. The citrus is also there on the palate, but it’s not in your face, it’s gently in the background throughout while earthy, botanical flavors make an appearance as well. It’s lightly flavored but has enough citrus to make it a great base for a gin & tonic.
Bottom Line:
The true appeal of this vodka lies in its subtlety. It has a nice tart kick of lemon zest, but it’s so much more than that. A truly special flavored vodka, for sure.
Could there be better playmates than vodka and cucumber? We don’t think so. This award-winning vodka is 100% organic, gluten-free, and flavored with crisp, refreshing cucumber. It’s subtle, fresh, and highly mixable.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find fresh cucumbers, light citrus peel, vanilla, and some pepper. The cucumber does dominate and it’s really inviting. The palate is crisp and light with more cucumber, citrus, vanilla, and herbal, earthy flavors. It’s very refreshing and shines most when it’s just mixed with soda water.
Bottom Line:
This might be the most refreshing, crisp, flavorful vodka on the market. The cucumber and citrus flavors are exceptional. It’s the kind of bottle you’ll always want to have on your home bar for mixing fresh cocktails.
This piece, which has been lightly edited, originally appeared on Mark’s Patreon. To subscribe, click here.
In case you were wondering how things are going in Orlando, we recently saw them close a game against the Dallas Mavericks with this lineup.
Just want to remind people that this lineup actually closed a game, it was not a mirage, and they outscored the Mavericks in their 151 seconds of shared court time*
“Chaos is a ladder built by 7 foot wingspans” – Littlefinger, Game of Thrones, abridged
Chuma Okeke/Franz Wagner/Paolo Banchero/Wendell Carter Jr./Bol Bol is, for my money, the wackiest, funkiest, and most unhinged lineup we’ve seen in a game this season without question. I loved every second of it — 151 seconds, to be exact — as they actually outscored the Mavs by one in their time on court. All five players are 6’6 or taller (Okeke is the shortest at 6′ 6) and has a plus wingspan. If you haven’t watched this game, I so strongly encourage you to do so.
This is Orlando’s ethos, a direct result of their past few years of scouting, draft philosophy, and willingness to experiment to be different. We’ll see how that actually plays out during the coming era of basketball in Orlando, but the results have been intriguing to track without question. Banchero, the top pick in the 2022 draft, has rightfully commandeered headlines and dazzled with highlights. Averaging 22.7 points on close to league average efficiency while being a plus playmaker across your first seven games as a rookie at 6’10, that’s pretty damn impressive!
The collective shooting of the Magic, currently just 27th in team three-point percentage, is slightly indicative of what their shooting talent is. It’s also a product of a slow start and due to their lack of guard play — Jalen Suggs has played two games and Cole Anthony just four. They’ve been forced into the wacky zone due to injury, which stinks, because injuries stink. On the other hand, it makes for some absurd 10:17 P.M. EST television.
Lost in the sauce this season has been Franz Wagner’s improvement. Now, you might look at Wagner’s box score and scoff, but that would be a mistake. Wagner has struggled from deep early. But his exploits inside the arc have been all the more impressive considering that and the overall shooting of the team at present.
His usage has increased, partially out of necessity. Cleaning the Glass has him listed as the point guard in lineups 8 percent of his total minutes this season; it seems like that should be significantly higher. He’s often running lineups even if he’s not the shortest or even close to shortest player on the court, something that isn’t easily parsed out by data, given how much diversification the Orlando offense has in handlers — every player seemingly has gotten opportunities to bring the ball up, which I love.
Franz has found an extra tinge of aggression, seeing red a little more often. What makes that so fascinating is how he finishes inside the arc. So often in watching Franz, I rarely think “that was an aggressive take,” but his finishing is an illusion, in that sense. He’s aggressive in getting to the rim, and will more than occasionally uncork a rim-rattling slam, but his finishing is often craft-based.
That’s not something I’d routinely attribute to a high-level forward driver. His patience and use of angles are reminiscent of watching a below the rim guard sneak their way into craft finishes through limbs in traffic. He’s still most comfortable finishing with his right, but has an adept ability to adjust mid-air to either hand to cushion himself against length and rim protection.
It’s the kind of thing that feels like bad process. You get that crafty finishing guard feel, right? If you’ve ever watched Jaden Hardy, you’ve seen attempts like this routinely. With Wagner’s deft touch, he somewhat bucks the bad process label for me. When you can pull off these funky floaters that have even more separation due to his size and length, by all means Franz, go to work!
Noah Vonleh is in such a bind here. Franz is one of the best at his size at driving through the nail. His strides are so long, he can hit that overhead swing through gather to keep the ball secure, and then a step later, he’s gliding into a floater/finger roll that can’t really be contested. He’s incredible at using his full length. It seems minute, but having the ability and consistent understanding to not just be big, but utilize your own size to the 100th percentile is a due part of what makes Franz so special.
I’m so interested to see how teams start to key in on Franz doing his inside hand finishes, but at the same time, it’s not easy to hone in on one thing he’ll do. He’s really strong at mixing up his finishing package. Wagner is very much a combo puncher. He revels in keeping his opponents guessing by throwing jabs, rangy hooks, and feints from every angle.
Evan Mobley, among other rim protectors who have been handed the same left to right scoop, looked like a batter expecting a fastball or curve, and wound up with a 74 mile per hour knuckle that painted the bottom right corner. You just kind of sit there stunned — “Oh, that was quick as hell and he went inside hand? Against me?” It’s an awesome off-speed pitch to have.
Wagner isn’t getting to the rim all that much more, and he’s only finishing slightly better than he did there last season (up two percent), but when factoring in the improving process, aggression, and what the offensive environment has been, this is intriguing stuff.
The interior passing between him, Paolo, and Wendell has enamored early. Yes, the spacing is weird and the shooting has been rough. I’d love to see the team add a vet or two who can really help ease some of that burden. There’s one player on this team older than 25, Terrence Ross. Adding any shooting guard/small forward hybrid who can move themselves and move the ball while getting threes up on volume is something I’d love to see.
I remain more intrigued by this team than any other in the NBA from a pure amusement factor, scouting perspective, and overall basketball philosophy and understanding point of view. Franz Wagner is a substantial reason for that, and his continued growth into one of the premier young players in the league is something to keep on your radar.
November is here and, on Tuesday, the College Football Playoff selection committee released its first top-25 ranking of the 2022 season. At this relatively early juncture, there is a lot of football left to be played, headlined by massive battle on Saturday between the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers, but the early rankings are often instructive. In the first edition, Tennessee comes in at the top of the heap on the strength of wins Alabama, LSU, and Kentucky.
The rest of the top four features the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 2, the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 3, and the Clemson Tigers at No. 4, meaning that quartet of teams would earn playoff entry if the season ended today. Here is a look at the full top 25 at this juncture:
1. Tennessee
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. USC
10. LSU
11. Ole Miss
12. UCLA
13. Kansas State
14. Utah
15. Penn State
16. Illinois
17. North Carolina
18. Oklahoma State
19. Tulane
20. Syracuse
21. Wake Forest
22. NC State
23. Oregon State
24. Texas
25. UCF
The winner of Saturday’s tilt between Georgia and Tennessee has the inside track for No. 1 next week, with Ohio State heavily favored to remain unbeaten until a late November showdown with Michigan. With those four teams facing each other, Clemson has arguably the clearest path, but the Tigers likely need to run the table given the relatively “down” nature of the ACC.
LSU is the highest-rated two-loss team but, as in most years, the SEC champion projects to receive a bump, so even the Tigers have a path to the final four. No matter what, more intriguing football is on the way, and two of the top three teams in the nation meet on Saturday for the first major domino post-rankings release.
The Supreme Court shaped by former president Donald Trump has proven itself to be a destructive force, decimating Roe v. Wade and much else besides. But every now and then they unpredictably do the right thing. For instance, Lindsey Graham has spent months trying to weasel his way out of a subpoena issued over the summer that would force him to testify about his involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. But surprise surprise: the Supremes won’t let him.
As per CNN, the bench declined to block said subpoena, which would have Graham testify in front of a grand jury in Atlanta, scheduled for November 17. Graham had cited the Constitution’s Speech or Debate clause, which protects lawmakers from certain criminal or civil proceedings pertaining to their legislative duties. But the Supremes were not having it. None of them even wrote a dissent on the order.
Now here’s the rub: Though Graham will now have to testify about allegedly sketchy calls he made to Georgia election officials in 2020, he will have the ability to object to or challenge certain questions. That means the scope of the testimony could wind up being limited.
After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Graham briefly turned on Trump, only to soon return to his side. It remains to be seen how much of that has to do with his role in the failed attempt to keep Trump in power. In late summer, he came under fire for claiming there would “riots in the streets” if Trump was indicted — comments he awkwardly tried to deny saying.
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