Category: News

The Charlotte Hornets enter the 2020-21 season with a few new faces on the roster, most prominently Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball. The former was brought in to raise the floor of this team, providing a sense of professionalism and stability to the wing. The latter, though, will be the player that determines Charlotte’s ceiling for years to come, and, even in a somewhat crowded backcourt rotation, he should be given the reins in his rookie season.

In his first preseason game, Ball wowed with his preternatural abilities as a facilitator, never afraid to spice things up with a behind-the-back or no-look pass, but almost always finding his target with precision no matter how much sauce comes with it. He also showed the benefits of having a 6’7 point guard with his abilities on the glass, where he immediately turns an opponent’s miss into a fast break opportunity going the other way.

Ball didn’t score in his preseason debut, but pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out four assists, leading the team in both categories. There will be those that overreact on both sides to Ball’s preseason performance, but basically this was what most expected from the young hopeful star. His shot remains spotty at best and he has a long way to go to become an efficient scorer, but the way he sees the floor is like very few ever and he has the dexterity to make just about every pass possible and put it on target with pace.

Hornets players are already learning to be prepared for a pass at all times from Ball, which is something that injects so much life into an offense because it keeps everyone engaged all the time. On top of that, in lineups with either Terry Rozier or Devonte’ Graham and Gordon Hayward on the floor, there’s plenty of scoring punch around him — and quality secondary creators who can build on the initial action Ball initiates. Charlotte is in a strange spot this season — clearly hopeful of a return to the playoffs sooner than later, evidenced by the Hayward signing — but with a talent many felt was the top player on the board in this year’s draft who fell to them at No. 3 overall.

With the play-in tournament, there’s certainly an opportunity for the Hornets to be among the 10 best teams in the East, but this is a franchise that has been a fringe playoff contender before. They know what that’s like and if there’s any player on the roster with the potential to lift them to heights beyond that, it’s Ball. It took one preseason game for there to be floods of “LaMelo is in” alerts flying around Twitter every time he checked back into the game, as his mere presence raises the excitement level around this Charlotte team.

The hype may fade away eventually if the production on the court doesn’t match up to expectations, but the Hornets need to recognize they have the potential for something special with LaMelo that they haven’t had in a very long time. Ball has a national profile like no Hornets player…maybe ever? And while that’s not a reason to definitively say he’s their star of the future, it is reason enough to hitch their wagon to him right now and see where he can take them.

There’s going to be bumps in the road with Ball on both ends of the floor. Defense is going to be a work in progress that requires his commitment to constant effort, but one would think with his basketball IQ and length he could at least become serviceable on that end. Becoming a better scorer would open even more things up to him offensively, but those are all things that extended playing time can help create answers for. It’s possible Ball never develops into a superstar, but right now he’s the Hornets’ best shot. On top of that, even at worst, he’s an exceedingly fun player to watch, even if there will be some extremely frustrating moments.

Steering into being fun and exciting when you’re in the bottom half of the conference is a pretty good idea, and Charlotte fans deserve that. Ball might not give them the best chance to scrape into the play-in (and maybe earn a date for a 4 or 5-game series with the Bucks), but he’s the player that will ultimately determine how bright their future is. That’s worth investing heavy minutes in now and hopefully reaping the rewards of that development this season and beyond.

Snot Beautiful Havoc rampage continues with another new video, the antisocial “Watch Out.” Built around several solo performance scenes of the South Florida rapper, the “Watch Out” video sees him isolated but unfazed as he layers up his trademark hoodie and pairs it with monogrammed designer slacks, a pistol, and his usual cold-eyed stare. As he grooves to the Three-6-Mafia-sampling beat produced by Donnie Katana, he warns his enemies not to press their luck.

Half Denzel Curry, half 21 Savage, Snot combines the former’s raucous, devil-may-care punk attitude with the deadpan, American Psycho delivery of the latter. That recipe led to his breakout single “Gosha” becoming a viral hit and fueled fan interest in his flurry of 2020 projects, which included Tragedy + and Beautiful Havoc. The two projects brought him his first inklings of mainstream success and included features from fellow Floridian rappers Curry (on “Sangria“) and Wifisfuneral, buzzing Corpus Christi rap crooner Iann Dior, and breakout Mobile, Alabama star Flo Milli (on “Mean“).

Further singles to receive the music video treatment include “Revenge” and “Who Do I Trust.” Check out the video for “Watch Out” above.

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

After the New York Post inexplicably revealed the identity of a paramedic who’s been using OnlyFans to make ends meet, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dragged the publication for essentially shaming a front line worker for paying her bills during a pandemic.

“Leave her alone,” AOC tweeted. “The actual scandalous headline here is ‘Medics in the United States need two jobs to survive.’”

The controversial article featured 23-year-old New York City EMT Lauren Caitlyn Kwei who defended posing for provocative posts on OnlyFans, which should have no bearing on her day job. “The bottom line: I don’t get paid a lot. I’m just trying to make ends meet,” Kwei said. Via the NY Post:

“What I do in my free time is my business. It has no effect on how I care for my patients. I know when I’m working, I’m a paramedic. I think I’m pretty good at my job.” Kwei added, “There are plenty of people who are medical professionals who have every right to do what they want with their own bodies. I’m not doing it at work. Health care workers aren’t making a lot of money. And I’m not the only one trying to make ends meet.”

At issue is the Post‘s decision to out Kwei who reportedly only agreed to talk to the paper anonymously, according to a GoFundMe page that has already raised over $33,000 in case Kwei is fired because of the article. There’s also the larger debate of why the Post felt the need to highlight something an EMT does in her private life that poses no risk to public health. Kwei’s OnlyFans videos are made in her apartment and involve zero contact with others, which is why other prominent voices on Twitter joined AOC in calling out the Post for its unnecessary shaming.

(Via AOC on Twitter)

Today (December 14) is Offset’s 29th birthday and it looks like he has tonight, Cardi B has some wet-ass plans for him.

A couple days ago, Cardi took to Twitter to express her concern that she wasn’t sure what to get Offset for his special day, tweeting, “I don’t know what to get this man for his birthday. Like he haves EVERYTHING!!!….Like he got me.” A fan suggested that she give him “something money can’t buy” and “something that means something to the both of you,” to which Cardi responded, “I already gave him head 2 days ago.”

Now that Cardi has had some time to think about it, it looks like she has at least part of her gift figured out. Earlier today, Cardi shared a video and captioned it, “How imma do this nikka tonight for his birthday.” In the clip, Cardi is seated on Offset as she moves her body in a suggestive way.

Things have been great for Offset over the past couple months. He and Cardi decided to call off their divorce, he gave meals to Atlanta residents, and he got a part in a Pete Davidson movie.

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

The Office leaves Netflix on December 31, 2020. On January 1, 2021, all nine seasons will appear on Peacock, but only two of them will be free.

NBCUniversal’s streaming service has a free tier for subscribers, but seasons three through nine are behind a paywall. The only way to watch “Beach Games,” “Dinner Party,” and most of the show’s best episodes is to sign up for Peacock Premium ($4.99/month), or the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus ($9.99). Or you can watch the DVDs, or wait for the reruns on Comedy Central, or buy individual episodes on iTunes or Amazon or… Peacock is the easiest option, however. Plus, there’s bonus content.

“Having The Office back in the NBC family opens up access to a lot of extra content that we originally shot,” creator Greg Daniels said in a statement. “The experience on Peacock should feel like a celebration of The Office for fans.” Daniels “went back into the dailies of The Office with the show’s original editors to find footage that was cut for time,” according to Variety, and restored the “fun” footage to the Peacock cuts.

There will also be:

-Curated themed episode collections such as the best of the Scranton branch holiday parties and fan-favorite cameo appearances

-Other behind-the-scenes footage including bloopers, featurettes, and interviews.

-The Office Zen, a 24/7 channel of ambient noise devoted to the sights and sounds of the office for anyone working at home.

-A range of clip playlists to chronicle pranks (featuring Jim Halpert and Dwight K. Schrute); best office romances (featuring Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly); and office words of wisdom (feat. former regional manager Michael Scott).

Many Kevin can pay for everyone’s Premium account. He’s got the dough.

(Via Variety)

If you missed the Wall Street Journal op-ed this weekend that set social media discussions ablaze, here’s a brief recap:

Joseph Epstein, a professor emeritus at Northwestern University, penned an opinion piece titled “Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an M.D.” that was bafflingly sexist in both its premise and its delivery. After an opening line that read, “Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice…” he proceeded to explain how the doctorate that Dr. Jill Biden earned is not the same as having an M.D., and so she should cease using the title of “Dr.”

The entire op-ed reeked of condescension (referring to a grown adult as “kiddo” is rude under any circumstances) and misogyny (imagine addressing an accomplished man in such a manner). It was also just a bizarre and cringe-inducing take overall. Epstein shared how he’d somehow fallen into a 30-year teaching job at Northwestern with just a B.A. degree, whined about the standards for doctorate degrees (which he himself does not have), complained about honorary doctorates (which he does have) and claimed that Dr. Biden using her title of doctor feels “fraudulent” and “comic,” despite the fact that she literally has a doctorate in education and teaches at a university where professors with doctorates are generally referred to as “Dr.”

People pounced in righteous outrage, and understandably so. Women with doctoral degrees of all kinds changed their handles to include their doctor title. Women and men alike explained why the piece was so incredibly problematic. Female former students of Epstein’s shared their experiences in his classes, adding credence to the accusations of misogyny.

Epstein’s article seemed more like a rant you’d read in the comments on a YouTube video rather than a serious op-ed in a well-reputed journalistic outlet. What was the point of publishing such a take? It almost feels purposefully designed to get a rise out of the of the left’s “politically correct cancel culture,” which is just dumb, but here we are. “Look at everyone losing their minds over an academic title, ” as if this guy didn’t manufacture the controversy in the first place. Seriously, nobody actually cared that she was using her “Dr.” title before he made it a thing. Gaslighting at its finest.

While the public reacted as expected, Dr. Biden was quiet about it for nearly two days. Then she put out a one-sentence tweet that was honestly the best possible response she could have given. “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished,” she wrote.

While the beauty of her response is its dignified simplicity, it’s also powerful in what it didn’t say.

Dr. Biden didn’t address, mention, or even allude to Joseph Epstein. While she could have, she didn’t get caught up in the mess of debates over sexism, misogyny, mediocre white men failing up in academia, the WSJ editorial dumpster fire, etc., like everyone else on social media. She didn’t take the bait or provide any oxygen to the op-ed. She didn’t give Epstein any of the attention he seemed so desperate for. Without actually saying it, she basically said, “This drivel is not worthy of my energy,” which is exactly how you should handle drivel that isn’t worth your energy.

And yet, she did address it. When you are in the public eye and the topic of an article that everyone is talking about, it would be odd to pretend that’s not happening. She just addressed it in a way that hit at the heart of the issue, cutting out all the b.s. and acknowledging the fact that women having their accomplishments diminished is something that needs to change. She made it about looking forward and building a future that’s better than the past, which is exactly where we need to keep our focus.

Finally, she provided a contrast to what we’ve become accustomed to seeing in our public discourse, and especially from the White House. In a situation where she could easily have slam-dunked a guy who quite honestly deserved it, she went high. The class and dignity of her tweet highlight a sea change as we leave the era of embarrassing, insulting Twitter rants filled with constant grievances. The maturity is refreshing.

Well done, Dr. Biden. Not only have to earned your title, you’ve also earned the respect of the people you will be serving.

Almost exactly on this date in 2019 (December 16, to be precise), it was revealed that Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has risen to the top of the Hot 100 chart for the first time, 25 years after its initial release. It has looked like that would happen again this year, as the classic had climbed back up to No. 2 on the Hot 100 last week. Now, it’s official: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is once again No. 1, as it tops the chart dated December 19.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” has tied the record for the holiday song with the most time spent at No. 1 on the Hot 100, joining The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song.” Additionally, she and Rihanna are now the only two artists ever to have seven songs spend at least four weeks at No. 1. As for Carey’s new holiday single, “Oh Santa” with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, that debuts at No. 76 on this week’s chart.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” is actually one of five holiday songs in the top 10 this week: Joining it are Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 3, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” at No. 5, Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” at No. 6, and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” at No. 10.

This news arrives shortly after it was revealed that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is also No. 1 in the UK, a feat it pulled off for the first time this year.

CD Projekt Red, the Polish game giant and the makers of Cyberpunk 2077, offered an apology to frustrated gamers on Monday and offered those unhappy with the game’s release a full refund. Just days after the game was finally released, the makers of Witcher 3 issued a statement addressing the concerns of players, promising more updates to fix issues in the coming weeks and months but also offering a chance for those unhappy with the game to return it and get their money back.

Posting to the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account, the message detailed ways the company would issue refunds and gave a brief roadmap of updates as the company works well past release date to improve the experience in what was one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2020.

“We would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, but if you are not pleased with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can opt to refund your copy,” the statement said.

For many, the problems have come on consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Though the game was ultimately designed for these last-gen consoles, the game seems to perform better on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, though that’s no consolation to those who haven’t bought the consoles that came out last month.

“We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,” the company said, the clearest indication yet that the game had a tortured development cycle. Cyberpunk 2077 promised a giant, open-world experience but development delays frustrated gamers as its release date moved later and later into 2020. The game finally hit consoles and PC last week, but the early days have often been filled with glitches and has disappointed some of the game’s most adamant supporters. CD Projekt Red said more than eight million pre-orders of the game were sold, with nearly 60 percent of those coming from PC gamers. The title is also a boon to GOG.com, the online game retailer that CD Projekt Red also owns.

The game, though buggy and without the polish many have come to expect from CD Projekt Red titles, is far from unplayable in its current form. But Cyberpunk 2077 was a title that cultivated a huge following well before the game was ever released. It was those gamers that defended it despite the numerous delays and other warning signs that it may not be completely ready, and it seems many of those same gamers have been ultimately let down by the title’s actual release. As the note mentioned, a hotfix has already updated some issues with the game, and another bug fix coming within “the next seven days.” Two large patches are also expected in early 2021, one in January and another in February.

We’ve seen many games have less than ideal debuts and turn into very satisfying game experiences, but that takes time and a dedicated base of users to encourage that extra work to get finished. The attention Cyberpunk 2077 drew from the gaming community certainly implies the latter will be there, as long as they don’t give up on the title and ask for their money back first.

Ahead of the first night of Chanooka Hanukkah on December 10, Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin announced that for each of the holiday’s eight nights, they would be celebrating by sharing a cover of a song by a Jewish artist. So far, they’ve taken on songs by folks including the Beastie Boys and Drake. For the fourth installment, they covered Peaches’ “F*ck The Pain Away,” a performance that was made extra special as they were joined by Peaches herself.

The performance was driven by aggressive synths and Grohl’s drumming, but perhaps most importantly, it’s a great opportunity to hear Grohl sing “suckin’ on my titties.” Sharing the video, Grohl wrote, “Drake’s not the only musical Jew from Canada…tonight we feature a Canadian rock G-Dess…who coincidentally grew up around the corner from a Canadian Jewish rock G-D (G-ddy Lee). Straight out the mikvah, here’s @peaches!”

When initially announcing the series, Grohl wrote, “With all the mishegas of 2020, @GregKurstin & I were kibbitzing about how we could make Hannukah extra-special this year. Festival of Lights?! How about a festival of tasty LICKS! So hold on to your tuchuses… we’ve got something special coming for your shayna punims. L’chaim!!”

Watch Grohl, Kurstin, and Peaches perform “F*ck The Pain Away” above.

The Sopranos has come and gone and changed prestige TV with its presence, but that doesn’t mean the crew behind one of the most influential shows in modern history can’t add a bit to its canon. Especially when it’s for a good cause.

Which is why the cast of the HBO drama that debuted in 1999 is apparently reuniting to perform new material written by creator David Chase and another frequent show writer, Terrance Winter. According to Entertainment Weekly, the show will perform a new sketch to raise money for Friends of Firefighters, a non-profit that helps New York firefighters:

The cast of The Sopranos — including Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, Steve Schirripa, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Robert Iler, Maureen and Steven Van Zandt, and Steve Buscemi — are reuniting for a virtual event to benefit Friends of Firefighters, a not-for-profit organization that supports active and retired Fire Department of New York firefighters.

The fundraiser, powered by Tiltify, will be available to stream on Twitch Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Buscemi, who worked as a firefighter in New York in the ’80s, is certainly excited to get the show back together for a good cause.

“This has been a very difficult time for everyone, but especially for our first responders,” he said in a statement. “Friends of Firefighters is a crucial support service for our firefighters and I’m looking forward to reuniting with my friends to help raise some awareness and funds for this wonderful organization.”

It’s not the first time the show has seen some of its surviving cast get together for a reunion, as they did hold an event in 2019 to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its debut. And then there’s all of the Sopranos extended podcast universe to take into consideration. But charity is as good a reason as any to get the gang back together. And plenty of show fans are interested in new material.

(Via EW)