Category: News

Things haven’t gone particularly great for the Washington Football Team three weeks through the 2021 NFL season. The team sits at 1-2 at this early point of the year, with their most recent loss being a 43-21 drubbing at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

But despite the loss and the rough start to things, Young is confident that things will get better for the reigning champions of the NFC East. He also is a big believer in setting a standard of accountability, something that he says was instilled in him by his grandfather from a young age. It’s helped Young get pretty far up to this point — a top-10 recruit, a unanimous All-American at Ohio State, a Heisman finalist, etc. — and if all goes well, it should continue to guide him through a promising NFL career.

Uproxx Sports caught up with Young through USAA to talk about his game, Ohio State, his love of dogs, and much more.

What have your thoughts been on your team through three weeks, and what are your thoughts on how you’ve played three games into the season?

Yeah, we definitely can be better as a unit, just in terms of playing together, being locked in with each other. In that sense, I feel like if we can fix that, then you’ll see a lot of things turn around for us. I’m definitely a part of the team, so myself, I have to work on staying locked in with my guys, communicating on the field, and just making sure everything is clear, just try to help the defense as a whole. So, yeah, we’re definitely looking forward to Atlanta, just keep going hard.

I’m always interested in how guys approach their first full offseason in the league, you don’t worry about the Draft anything like that. What was your approach and focus this past offseason and how was that shaped by having a year in the NFL under your belt?

Yeah, I was focused really on being in shape, being at my body weight, working on my feet and ankles a lot. Definitely a lot of little things this offseason, I know from my first year what I needed. So, I just worked on everything, but paid close attention to those things.

Want to ask about how other teams approach you. Have you noticed the way that other teams approach the challenge of keep Chase Young out of the backfield change at all compared to your rookie year?

Yeah, definitely. Chips, slides, you know, that’s what happens. I’m up for the challenge with all that, it just comes with the game. And, you know, the best work through it.

I love watching your entire group play, because you have such a young and deep and talented defensive line that is the foundation for everything the defense does. How do you guys make one another better just by being around each other every day?

I feel like our motors, everybody wants to be great. That right there, just knowing how we practice, put in the effort that the guys around me put in, I just know I have to put in the same amount or even more.

I spoke to Sterling Shepherd last week, and he talked about the guys in the league whose games he really likes studying, taking a bit of their game and applying it to his own. Are there guys in the NFL, either now or from the past, who you’re like that with?

Yeah, definitely. Khalil Mack was definitely, coming out of college, my favorite. I studied a lot of Robert Quinn, great get off. I study Aaron Donald. He’s interior, but he uses techniques that you can use when outside as well. That’s just three dimensions, but definitely a lot more.

I want to ask you real quick about Ohio State and this Ohio State football team, because I live in Columbus and you know the standard that fans have for this program. What have your thoughts been on the team through the first four weeks?

I feel like they’re working through it. At the end of the day, it’s hard to win Big Ten football games, it’s hard to win division one level football games. At the end of the day, they’re winning, obviously they know they got to tighten up as we do on our defense. Coach Day, great coach, player’s coach, that’s my guy. He’s gonna make sure, I know he’s going to get things together, and I know coach J [defensive line coach Larry Johnson] is not going to stop me. He’s always the last coach in their, coaching us, and he’s going hard on those boys and making sure they just keep the standards.

Anyone who follows recruiting know Ohio State’s always elite, but that defensive line recruiting is next level. What is it about the Buckeyes that makes it so the guys like you, the guys like Zack Harrison, the guys like Taron Vinson, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau from last year, go “that is the best place for me”?

Yeah, it’s really the proof is in the pudding. Coach J, I believe he’s the best d-line coach in the country. This is just what it is, you go in there and he shows you the film of how he can change a player’s whole game from their freshman year to their junior year. You just sit there like, man, I can’t give this up, he can do this to me.

Want to ask about USAA. What do you have going on with them?

Yeah, so me, USAA, ESPN, I brought them to my home, showed them around, the things I like, how I go about my business here in VA. I have dogs, always been a dog lover growing up. And just showed them out here in the countryside and how we do things.

You mentioned your grandfather and his military background. How did that help shape you into a guy who became a five star recruit, a Heisman finalist, a top-5 pick and one of the defense best defensive players in the league?

I feel like accountability and just to know how to be a man, not being afraid to get your hands dirty. And seeing that from a young age, seeing that from an infant all the way up to the seventh grade, that was like my foundation that was instilled in me. It’s definitely still in me to this day, just how I handle and carry myself.

On that sense of accountability, how do you bring that and that mentality to everything you do as a football player — practice, games, talking to teammates and coaches, etc.?

Just, what type of pro do you want to be? Are you taking those opportunities to get better every time? That’s really what it comes down to. And right now, we’re doing our best to fulfill every opportunity just to get better.

I also have a dog and I’ve never related stronger to an athlete than when you talk about just how peaceful walking a dog can be. Have you always been a dog person and what is it about draw dogs that you are drawn to?

I was a dog person, I had dogs growing up in my house. I don’t know, I mean, you always can look to a dog for comfort. I guess you being the owner, you’re kind of only family that they have. They’re just a part of the family just like anybody else, and my dogs, they can run out on my land, I can leave them outside all night, it’s real cool, real peaceful. I can wake up and go outside and my dogs will be outside, it’s real peaceful out here in the country.

Earlier this week, a report came out related to the seemingly never-ending saga that is Ben Simmons’ efforts to play his next basketball game with a team that is not the Philadelphia 76ers. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Simmons is of the belief that playing alongside Joel Embiid is no longer tenable, and while there is no personal animosity on his end towards the reigning MVP runner-up, Simmons thinks the two just can’t coexist on the basketball court.

While Doc Rivers apparently had a plan to try and stagger their minutes more and let Simmons play in a role reminiscent to that of Giannis Antetokounmpo — ball in his hands, surrounded by shooting, let him attack the rim and make decisions from there — it apparently did not pique his interest. Amid all of this, Embiid has spoken a few times, but on Thursday, he brought a level of candidness about the whole situation that has been rare.

Embiid met with the media and gave a lengthy answer about Simmons’ apparent gripe about how he fits. The All-Star center posited that the team has largely been built around the skill set of his soon-to-be former teammate, why he believes getting rid of Jimmy Butler was “a mistake,” how the situation as a whole has impacted the locker room, and fact that, despite all of this, the team wants to bring Simmons back.

Whether Embiid is correct or not can (and will be) discussed, but with how this entire situation has played out — players, coaches, etc. in Philly making clear they want Simmons back, reports indicating he has no interest that happen, no real traction on a trade appearing to exist — it’s a bit eyebrow raising that Embiid decided to be this forthright about the current state of affairs with the franchise. Perhaps this will lead to some sort of escalation regarding Simmons’ exit, but probably not.

This article originally appeared on 03.09.20

Somewhere in Salt Lake City, a Girl Scout is getting allll the good mojo from The People of the Internet.

Over the weekend, Eli McCann shared a story of an encounter at a Girl Scout cookie stand that has people throwing their fists in the air and shouting, YES! THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE. (Or maybe that’s just me. But I’m guessing most of the 430,000 people who liked his story had a similar reaction.)

“I just saw the most wild thing!” McCann wrote on Twitter. “A man started walking toward the Girl Scouts cookie stand in front of the grocery store and he yelled ‘My bitches are BACK’ and this Girl Scout just yelled ‘No. Walk away.’ AND HE DID.”

So simple. So straightforward. But it gets even better.

McCann wrote out the full story on his blog, It Just Gets Stranger, offering some extra details to his tweets.

“It was truly jarring,” he wrote of the man’s exclamation. “Like, it was sort of the last thing I expected anyone to say. My mind suddenly rebooted. The six or so other people who were all standing around in front of the grocery store froze and looked at him. I opened my mouth to say something, but then really didn’t know what to say.”

“It was unclear who he was calling ‘bitches,'” he continued. “If it was the Girl Scouts, well obviously that was terrible. If it was the cookies, I mean that’s kind of funny (don’t @ me), but totally inappropriate to say to a bunch of 12 year olds (is that how old Girl Scouts are?). Either way, he shouldn’t have said it and I don’t know what could have possibly made him think this was a fine way to approach a group of Girl Scouts.”

McCann said the girl’s response was immediate, and it floored everyone. “Her tone was so full of confidence and sass,” he wrote. “It was the most perfectly delivered line I have ever heard.”

“This dude completely froze. He just stopped walking. His face went bright red. His mouth was sort of gaping open. He did this very awkward and stilted nod, almost apologetic, abruptly turned around, and shuffled back to his car at like 6-minute-mile pace. The girl just death stared him all the way through his walk of shame.”

I need to vote for her for every office but I think she’s like 12.

— Eli McCann (@EliMcCann)
1583619594.0

McCann says it took him a bit to digest what he’d just seen.

“I ended up walking into the store and the entire time I was shopping I was just trying to process what had happened. I kept replaying it over and over and wondering if I had misheard or misunderstood something,” he wrote.

“Who was this guy? Did he just make the biggest miscalculation of his life? Is he going to move away and start a new life now? Is that girl going to be president one day? Can I adopt her? Can she adopt me? Can I start a cult to follow her?”

As he was leaving the store, he went up to the girl to compliment her—then got another perfectly delivered line from the intrepid Girl Scout.

“Two adult women were standing behind the girl (the troop leaders, I assume),” he wrote. “I said to the girl, ‘I saw how you handled that man earlier. That was really really impressive. Your troop is pretty lucky to have you.'”

“And this girl. This Goddess of a human. The one I’m for sure going to worship if ever she starts a religion. Without stuttering. With perfect comedic timing. She responded:

‘You gotta be pretty tough if you’re gonna go out in THIS outfit.‘”

OMG.

*gotta

I was shaking while tweeting because I was so overwhelmed by the whole encounter. If it had been filmed it… https://t.co/8EhCiVQvLf

— Eli McCann (@EliMcCann)
1583627171.0

Let’s all give this girl a virtual high five for her gumption and wit. It takes a lot of courage to say something to an adult when you’re a kid, especially a man who is doing something inappropriate. The fact that she seemed to have been perfectly prepared for that moment, shutting him down so immediately and decisively that everyone in the vicinity stopped to take note, is so dang impressive.

This is what happens when you teach girls their true worth and encourage them not to accept anything less than respect and dignity. Gotta love it.

This article originally appeared on 09.08.16

92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma’s is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

Jean Makesh, CEO of Lantern assisted living facilities, says he meets folks with stories like these every day. It’s their stories that inspired him to make some changes at Lantern.

“I thought I knew a lot about elderly care. The more and more time I was spending with my clients, that’s when I realized, ‘Oh my god, I have no clue.'”

Confusion is common in Alzheimer’s patients, but Makesh knew there had to be some way to minimize these conflicts.

A big believer in the idea that our environment has an enormous effect on us, he started thinking big — and way outside the box.

“What if we design an environment that looks like outside?” he said. “What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building? What if I’m able to have the moon and stars come out? What if I build a unit that takes residents back to the ’30s and ’40s?”

And that was just the beginning. He also researched sound therapy. And aromatherapy. And carpet that looked like grass. No idea was off-limits.

What he came up with was a truly unique memory-care facility. And after testing the concept in Lantern’s Madison, Ohio, facility, Makesh is opening two new locations this year.

Instead of rooms or units, each resident gets a “home” on a quiet little indoor street reminiscent of the neighborhoods many of them grew up in.

All photos courtesy of Lantern.

Instead of a boring panel ceiling, residents look up and see a digital sky, which grows dimmer late in the day to help keep their biological clocks in tune.

Throughout the day, nature sounds and fresh aromas like peppermint or citrus are piped in.

Some studies have shown that this kind of aromatherapy may indeed have some merits for improving cognitive functioning in Alzheimer’s patients.

There’s even a little “main street” where residents can gather.

For Makesh, this isn’t just about making patients comfortable, though. He wants to change how we think about the endgame of severe dementia.

The insides of the rooms aren’t too shabby, either.

Makesh said one of the frustrating shortcomings of most nursing facilities is that they create conflicts with unnatural environments and schedules, and they try to solve them by throwing antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medications at patients. In other words, when someone has severe dementia, we often give up on them. From there, they stop getting the engagement their brain needs to thrive.

Of course, we’re a long way from a cure for Alzheimer’s.

But Makesh’s project shows that when we think strategically about altering the environment and focus on helping people relearn essential self-care and hygiene skills, the near-impossible becomes possible.

“In five years, we’re going to [be able to] rehabilitate our clients where they can live independently in our environment,” he said. “In 10 years, we’re going to be able to send them back home.”

He knows it’s a lofty goal. And whether he’ll meet it remains to be seen. But in the meantime, he’s proud to own one of the few places that offers something pretty rare in cases of severe dementia: hope.

99 Neighbors issue a smooth invitation on their groovy single “Eastside,” pairing the laid-back, melodic track with a casual performance on the latest episode of UPROXX Sessions. The group, which normally consists of seven members, came through Uproxx Studios with a stripped-down, two-man lineup consisting of rappers Sam Paulino and Hanknative, who provide all the vocals on the song, while Jared Fier, Juju, and Somba make their presence known on the lilting, midtempo beat. Other members of the group include Aidan Ostby, a vocalist, Connor “Swank” Stankevich, also a rapper, and Shane Kaseta, the group’s graphic designer and photographer.

First-time listeners might be surprised to learn that the group hails from Burlington, Vermont, which is not exactly a hotbed of the jazz, R&B, and hip-hop that influences their sound. However, once the band formed in 2018, it didn’t take them long to acquire national recognition, thanks in part to securing the co-management services of Pat Corcoran, who formerly managed Chance The Rapper. 99 Neighbors were included as the first act in Corcoran’s 2019 label deal with Warner Records and they’ve steadily grown their profile since.

Watch 99 Neighbors’ groovy performance of “Eastside” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

99 Neighbors is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It’s only been a few months since the live music and touring industry has reopened, but things have been changing rapidly. Some artists like Jason Isbell have canceled or postponed shows after encountering issues with venues enforcing vaccine policies, while others like J. Cole face complex production issues. Post Malone’s Posty Fest is now falling into the latter category as the event is now postponed due to technical problems.

Though Posty Fest’s lineup was just unveiled two weeks ago, organizers at Live Nation explained to Rolling Stone why they have decided to move the event to 2022:

“Due to logistical issues impacting the production of the festival, Posty Fest is rescheduling to 2022. Refunds available at point of purchase. We can’t wait to make 2022 our biggest year yet. Stay safe everyone, we’ll see you soon.”

Posty Fest was original set to be held outdoors outside of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Along with Post Malone, Posty Fest’s 2021 lineup included sets by today’s top hip-hop stars like Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Roddy Ricch, Jack Harlow, $uicideboy$, Polo G, Rod Wave, Tyga, Iann Dior, Koe Wetzel, Turnstile, Tyla Yaweh, Flo Milli, Kaash Paige, Kenny Mason, Peach Tree Rascals, RMR, Gatecreeper, Clever, LoveLeo, and more. Posty Fest hasn’t yet confirmed whether or not their lineup will stay the same, but it seems as though they’ll share more details about the 2022 event as it draws nearer.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After being praised by Ted Cruz, NBA star LeBron James received an entirely different reaction from Whoopi Goldberg on Thursday morning’s episode of The View. During a panel discussion on James’ controversial decision to not tell others to get the COVID vaccine (“it’s not my job”) while announcing that he was now vaccinated, Whoopi didn’t hold back her thoughts that James could and should do more.

“It’s not your job to tell people what to do, but you can suggest that you figured out that nobody grew a second head or a tail when they got the shot,” a fired up Whoopi said right out of the gate.

As Whoopi continued to call out James and warn him that not speaking out on vaccines was going to “come back and bite you in the behind,” she ended her contribution to the panel discussion by telling the NBA star that we’re in this pandemic together.

“LeBron, whether you decide to talk about why you and your family got vaccinated. It’s important for you as an American citizen, for me as an American citizen, for all of us to do our part here,” Goldberg said.

As the COVID vaccine continues to remain a partisan issue despite the Delta variant wreaking havoc on unvaccinated Americans, James has been praised by Republicans like Ted Cruz who called the NBA player’s stance “courageous.”

(Via The View on Twitter, Mediaite)

The Toronto Raptors endured a season from hell in 2020-21. While every team in the NBA navigated a challenging environment filled with COVID protocols and uncertainty, the Raptors were forced to play the entire campaign in Tampa, living in a hotel and generally just counting the down until the season finished. It is tempting to throw out the results, but the Raptors are in for changes without Kyle Lowry and they are projected for a middling result if one believes over/under projections. If nothing else, Toronto’s next steps will be quite interesting, and the roster still has interesting talent.

Roster:

Precious Achiuwa
OG Anunoby
Dalano Banton
Scottie Barnes
Khem Birch
Isaac Bonga
Chris Boucher
Justin Champagnie
Sam Dekker
Goran Dragic
Malachi Flynn
Freddie Gillespie
David Johnson
Svi Mykhailiuk
Reggie Perry
Pascal Siakam
Gary Trent Jr.
Fred VanVleet
Ishmail Wainright
Yuta Watanabe

Projected Vegas Win Total: 35.5 wins

Biggest Addition: Scottie Barnes

There is an argument to be made for Goran Dragic, who is the best player that the Raptors added for the 2021-22 season specifically. Barnes is clearly the top addition through a future-facing lens, though, as he is a top-five pick with tremendous two-way potential. Barnes is somewhat duplicative with Toronto’s current core pieces, but the front office clearly looked to the future with his selection. At the very least, it would be encouraging to see flashes from Barnes, and his biggest question (perimeter shooting) is something to monitor during his rookie campaign.

Biggest Loss: Kyle Lowry

Since 2012, Kyle Lowry has been a fixture for the Raptors. He is the most accomplished player in franchise history, an NBA champion, and a valuable player in the present, even at the age of 35. It will be strange to see Lowry elsewhere as a result, and the Raptors certainly will take a hit in terms of defense and shooting in his absence. Toronto did add an intriguing offensive creator in Dragic, but the Raptors likely got worse with Lowry out the door.

Biggest Question: Which direction does Toronto pick?

Masai Ujiri does not project as a lead decision maker that is in favor of keeping his team in the middle of the pack. Last season was a perfect example, as the Raptors pulled the rip cord and angled toward the lottery, rather than attempting to compete for the play-in amid odd circumstances. With that in mind, Toronto isn’t currently set up to seriously contend in the East, and they don’t have a top-15 player to build around for the future. The Raptors do have a lot of talent, headlined by Siakam, Anunoby, VanVleet, and Barnes, but Toronto picking a direction in terms of a rebuild or a push toward the present would do a lit to illuminate expectations.

What Makes This Season A Success

If the Raptors are trying to win, they have playoff-caliber talent. If they aren’t, setting up for another lottery pick would be a useful idea. Toronto’s overall direction (see above) is of great intrigue, but the team’s overall forecast also informs what would constitute a success in the short term.

What Makes This Season A Failure

Wouldn’t it be a little bit strange if the Raptors just… kept going on this strange track? They are seemingly straddling the line between a rebuild and a push toward competition for now, but they also clearly wanted no part of the play-in last season. Beyond the overall viewpoint, struggles from Barnes or injury-related issues for Siakam would be unfortunate.

Larry David had a very Larry David weekend when he plugged his ears at a New York Fashion Week show and… plugged his ears at the U.S. Open. I agree, Larry, the world is getting too loud. And don’t even get me started on the price of movie tickets these days. Anyway, the photos of the miserable-looking Curb Your Enthusiasm creator with his fingers in his ears (while sitting next to Jared Leto) went viral for being Peak Larry, but according to his daughter, he could have had a “breakdown.”

While appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, The Umbrella Academy actress Cazzie David was asked about what her father was doing at a fancy fashion show of all places. “Like I’m happy everyone thought it was so funny and relatable. For me, this was like a man who was dragged to some place he doesn’t want to be, that he didn’t know what it would be,” she said, adding that she “found it so disturbing.”

In other words, it wasn’t a bit:

“Someone was like: ‘Will you please come to this fashion show with me?’ But he didn’t want to go, obviously, like I know him. So the moment that’s going viral… He looks like he’s having a breakdown. Like truly… He looks so miserable and I obviously don’t like seeing my dad miserable whether or not it’s funny.”

“It was simply just too loud for him to be there,” she said. So… I guess Larry won’t be going to a My Bloody Valentine concert in season 11 of Curb.

(Via the Independent)

Laura Prepon (Orange Is The New Black, That ’70s Show) recently announced that she’d left Scientology. She apparently did so five years ago and kept things quiet, which isn’t sitting well with Leah Remini, a very vocal ex-Scientologist (and second-generation member), who left the organization (which refers to itself as a church but many consider a cult) in 2013 and transformed into a vocal critic. She published a bestselling memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. She also hosted three seasons of the Emmy-award winning docuseries, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, for A&E. Leah then celebrated the downfall of Scientology-related coverups after the filming of rape charges against Danny Masterson (whose cases were allegedly buried for years) while declaring, “Scientology, your days of getting away with it [are] coming to an end!”

In contrast, Laura Prepon just kind-of left Scientology and didn’t say anything for years after the fact. That’s certainly her prerogative, but it doesn’t impress Leah, who’s keen to inform everyone about her opposition to the L. Ron Hubbard-founded organization, which has been the subject of many allegations of human rights violations.

Here’s what Leah said about Laura’s exit while speaking to The Daily Blast Live, via US Weekly: “Some people, like Laura, feel they don’t have a responsibility to speak out“Do I respect it? I mean, not really.” Leah further elaborated:

“I got people into Scientology; I promoted it most of my life. For those of us who were in the public eye and who were speaking on behalf of Scientology, getting people into Scientology, I feel that we have a responsibility to do the work when we find out that none of those things we were doing was not only [not] helpful, but damaging and very harmful to people’s lives.”

Fair enough. Leah feels like the heavy-recruitment practices of Scientology, especially in the case of influential celebrities, bears some undoing, so to speak. She feels the need to spread the truth about reports of human rights violations, in order to discourage anyone else from falling into the organization’s clutches. And she’s calling out Laura for ducking out of Scientology and not really explaining why. Again, Laura’s free to say (or not say) anything that she wants about the organization, and Leah’s also free to react. You can listen to Leah’s full remarks on the subject below.

(Via The Daily Blast & US Weekly)