Category: News

I tend to avoid addressing specific politicians and prefer to stay out of the partisan political fray. But occasionally a politician will say something so silly, absurd, or flat-out wrong in an attempt to support a position that it needs to be called out.

For the record, I consider myself morally anti-abortion and politically pro-choice. I wrote a whole article explaining that stance, which you can read here. But on a basic level, I am sympathetic to the folks who want to stop abortions. I want there to be as few abortions as possible (which is why I support legislation that has actually shown to reduce them, such as easy, affordable access to birth control and universal healthcare).

So when I say that Senator Ted Cruz’s tweet about the abortion pill is a big pile of hooey, understand that I’m not coming from a super pro-abortion stance. I’m coming from the let’s-do-what-makes-the-most-sense stance. And this tweet does not make sense.

Alright, let’s break this down. First of all, no, pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness because it’s not an illness at all. It is, however, a medical condition that can indeed be life-threatening. Most pregnancies are not, of course, but that doesn’t mean it never is.

In fact, the U.S. has the worst maternal mortality rate in the entire developed world, and it’s not even close. We’re also the only nation in the developed world where that death rate is rising.

Officially, more than 650 women die from pregnancy-related causes in the United States in 2018, but experts say that estimate doesn’t even capture all such deaths. And how many don’t die because they are able to terminate a pregnancy that would have killed them? Because yes, sometimes people have to make terrible choices between continuing a pregnancy and saving their own life.

The claim that Mifeprex is dangerous is also not particularly convincing, using Cruz and his colleagues’ own numbers. In their letter to the FDA, they state that this pill has resulted in 24 deaths out of 3.7 million uses. Considering the fact that there approximately 3.8 million babies born every year, with more than 650 maternal deaths, it would appear that statistically speaking pregnancy is far more “dangerous” for women than the abortion pill.

As Dr. Eugene Gu pointed out, serious complications are also more likely for pregnancy than for use of Mifeprex.

Of course, Cruz’s real beef with Mifeprex is that it induces abortion, which in his view is synonymous with murder. So, of course he’s going to make any argument he can against it.

If he wants to make the murder argument, he’s more than welcome to do that and let people debate it. But to represent pregnancy as non-life-threatening while trying to paint an abortion pill as dangerous is either ignorant or dishonest or both.

This is why so many of women don’t think the government—which is still mostly made up of men who are not doctors—has any business making medical decisions for us. Let the FDA make its own determinations based on science and data, without being pushed by what a group of senators believe.

A TikTok video has gone viral for showing a way to help blind people that most people don’t know.

The video was made by Jemma Brown of England who has a blind mother with a guide dog named Vivvy. She filmed the video as a response to a series of questions she was asked on Twitter.

“How would you approach someone with a cane?” a viewer asked. “I wouldn’t want to scare someone by coming out of nowhere if that makes sense,” Jemma replied.

“Cc: How to tell if someone with a guide dog needs help,” the viewer asked. “Easy, the owner lets go of the handle and places it on the dogs back,” Jemma answered.

In Jemma’s video, her mother walks down the street until she reaches the curb and then drops the handle on the dog’s back while picking up a leash. “Would you like some help?” Jemma asks.

She added that if the person says yes then the bystander should say, “Cool, would you like to take my arm. I’ll come ’round the other side round the dog.”

The video makes note of the fact that Jemma grabs her mother’s elbow on the opposite side of the dog so that it isn’t startled.

It’s really that simple. But for those of us who want to help, and for those of us who sometimes need help, it makes all the difference.

When summer turns to fall, our thoughts turn to Märzen-style lagers and the beer event that celebrates the style. This year, for obvious reasons, Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, has been canceled. This is a real bummer for fans of dirndls, giant beer mugs, day drinking, and pretzels as big as your head. But, while the biggest beer festival on the planet is on hiatus this year, you can still throw on your lederhosen, grab an accordion, and hoist your favorite brews from Löwenbräu, Spaten, Hofbräu. Paulaner, Augustiner, or Hacker-Pschorr. Or, you could try one of the many Oktoberfest-style beers available from U.S. breweries.

“There are many American Oktoberfest-style beers that stand out to me,” says Zachary Shore, bartender at The Nest in Seattle. “The first being from Sierra Nevada out of California.” Shore continues, “For the first time, Bitburger’s house sealed hops and yeast were used outside of the brewery to provide a true German-style Oktoberfest beer in America.” And, although Bitburger isn’t a traditional Oktoberfest beer (the beers have to be brewed in Munich’s city limits), it’s still a win for Sierra Nevada and American beer drinkers.

It seems like every brewery makes an Oktoberfest-style beer these days. To find the best, we asked a handful of bartenders to tell us what Oktoberfest beer they’ll be drinking this fall.

Dry Dock Docktoberfest

Suman Pradham, director of outlets at Viceroy Snowmass in Snowmass Village, Colorado

Dry Dock Oktoberfest has a light but delightful nose of pilsner malt and earthy hops. It’s very biscuity. The flavor is also light yet inviting with a smooth pilsner base from which a gentle caramel flavor builds mild bitterness with a nice earthy hop character. It’s crisp and clean and smooth. The beer finishes almost creamy, lighter bodied, and well carbonated.

Metropolitan Afterburner

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Metropolitan Afterburner is my favorite American beer for the season. The limited release is a shame because this beer absolutely crushes. Balanced and not aggressive with just a touch above that session ABV at around 6%. It’s perfect for a cool autumn eve.

Allagash Tripel

Christopher Farzanrad, bartender at Mila Rooftop Bar in Glendale, California

Allagash brewery beers in general. They have a vast selection. If you are looking for a light, smooth beer, they have the Allagash white. But also have stronger, bitter IPA beers and a perfect beer for fall known as the Allagash Tripel. Technically a Belgian-style Tripel, I still hoist it for Oktoberfest.

Schlafly Oktoberfest

Kurt Bellon, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

For a crisp, cool autumn night, Schlafly Oktoberfest is perfectly crisp and light to match solid windbreaker weather situation.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest

Veronica Flores, bartender in Austin, Texas

I’m definitely going to thank my home state and Sierra Nevada for making a beer that I can still find when I no longer live there. I am a fan of their beer aptly named “Oktoberfest.” I’m typically a sour, gose, or stout beer drinker. But with this one, when it comes to flavor and yearly consistency, is enough to satisfy me.

No Label Oktoberfest

Jon Joseph, director of food and beverages at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas

I am a big fan of No label Oktoberfest beer. It is on a small scale and done correctly. More of a bock than a Märzen, it’s light, refreshing, and perfect for those early fall days.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Aaron Miyakawa, director of restaurants at Prince Waikiki in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Whenever I celebrate Oktoberfest with friends, the first beer to come to mind is Samuel Adams. I love the deep amber hue and slight hints of caramel that always remind me of the fall season. It’s not heavy but easy drinking as you can enjoy more than one when celebrating this festive holiday.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Andrew Erickson, lead bartender at Fable Lounge in Nashville

The best beer to have during Oktoberfest is Brooklyn Brewery’s Oktoberfest. It’s a classic Märzen style with sweet maltiness, bready aromas, and subtle hoppy bitterness. It will pair well with any yeasty bread that can be served with unctuous meats or cheeses. Enjoy a fresh poured Brooklyn Oktoberfest with burgers, sausages, or soft pretzels — all of your classic Oktoberfest grub. Just be sure to buy your lederhosen one size up.

Left Hand Oktoberfest

Zachary Shore, bartender at The Nest in Seattle

My go-to Oktoberfest style beer is from Left Hand brewing out of Colorado. At 6.6 percent, it is one of the higher ABV Oktoberfests you can get, but make no mistake this beer drinks dry and crisp with subtle notes of biscuit and spice.

Rahr and Sons Oktoberfest

Jeff Wood, creative director at Rahr and Sons Brewing Co. in Fort Worth, Texas

Rahr and Sons Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest Märzen Lager is a traditional Märzen. It’s full-bodied, rich, and toasty with a malty sweetness and a balanced finish. It’s perfect for the fall. It’s not only award-winning — with accolades from the Great American Beer Festival, European Beer Star Awards, and more — but it’s proudly brewed in Fort Worth, Texas, by 5th and 6th generation brewers who come from a long line of beer-making that originally started in Germany.

Taco Bell… what are you doing to us? All you have to do as a fast-food brand to continue to succeed is 1) give us what we love, and 2) cave already on the plant-based taco thing. That’s it! So why in the hell do you keep “streamlining” your menu by getting rid of much-loved staples? Last month, the taco chain took a hatchet to their beefy menu and cut the Grilled Steak Soft Taco, Nachos Supreme, Beefy Fritos Burrito, Quesarito, Spicy Tostada, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, Triple Layer Nachos, Loaded Grillers, Chips & Dips (excuse me, why?), the Mini Skillet Bowl, and the fan-favorite 7-Layer Burrito. Which… fine. Whatever.

This time around they’ve done the unthinkable. Yes, they actually cut the Mexican Pizza.

Before you freak out, know that you’ll have until November 5th to enjoy the Mexican Pizza, but after that… it’s gone forever. So is Taco Bell’s shredded chicken option, which will kill the Shredded Chicken Soft Taco, Shredded Chicken Burrito, and the Shredded Chicken Quesadilla Melt. But none of those are nearly as important as the Mexican Pizza.

Just listen to the anger!

The resistance!

The memes!

When Taco Bell made its initial menu cuts earlier this summer, they promised that the “simplified menu and innovation process will leave room for new “fan favorites” but we’ve yet to develop a new favorite that meets the legendary status of the 7-Layer Burrito or the Mexican Pizza. According to CNBC, alongside the cuts on November 5th, Taco Bell will introduce the Dragonfruit Freeze beverage and a Chicken Chipotle Melt.

Yay?

So why cut the Mexican Pizza? CNBC suggests sustainability is Taco Bell’s main concern, as the item’s packaging accounts for more than 7 million pounds of paperboard annually, which is admittedly insane. But couldn’t they find another way to package this thing? I mean, wrap it in the same paper as the tacos. Or just serve it straight onto our hands. We can deal with the inconvenience for this beloved dish.

The No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is No. 1 in the eyes of Rookie of the Year voters. The NBA handed out its award for the top first-year player in the league for the 2019-20 campaign, and unsurprisingly, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant won the award running away, getting first place on 99 of the 100 ballots submitted by voters.

In a minor surprise, Kendrick Nunn of the Miami Heat came in second, while Zion Williamson, who received the only other first-place vote, came in third. Rounding out the top five were Morant’s teammate, Brandon Clarke, and Coby White of the Chicago Bulls.

While the Grizzlies narrowly missed out on the playoffs, Morant was the primary reason why they were one of the best surprises in the league this season. Morant averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 31 minutes per game, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young point guards in basketball and giving a Grizzlies franchise in the midst of a youth movement one heck of a player to build around.

This wasn’t a particularly surprising result, in large part due to the fact that Williamson — the No. 1 pick in the previous Draft — played in only 19 games before the COVID-19 hiatus. Still, while it was inevitable, this was a well-deserved award for the former Murray State standout.

Look, pickings have gotten a little slim in the Bub. Teams and players have departed, are probably right this second departing, naturally lowering the available output and leaving those that are left in what is, unfortunately (for this column) a perpetually “LOCKED IN (steam-nose emoji, steam-nose emoji, steam-nose emoji)” state. That’s ok, because scouring is a job best left to those with the tendencies of steel wool, yours truly included. I will be here until the final bell tolls in Disney, which is probably like a conductor Mickey wailing on a locomotive horn, seeing this thing to its natural conclusion — NBA Summer Vacation Watch.

But right, right, let’s not get too excited or ahead of ourselves, I suppose we have a Finals to get through first.

Jimmy Butler

Butler, who has been handing it to the Milwaukee Bucks all week with a cheeky wink, probably chugging coffee, and refusing to be reunited with his family, took a rare moment (probably literally five minutes, maybe) of downtime this week to watch a match of his beloved PSG. Did Jimmy bring this big red pillow and his own soccer, sorry, football into the Bub? Certainly hope so.

Rating: Do you see what is just to the right of him there? That’s a Big Face coffee, $20.

Jaylen Brown

Brown enjoyed a morning beverage that Jimmy Butler DID NOT make, unfortunately, but you can’t hold it against him.

Rating: Well probably Jimmy Butler would.

Donovan Mitchell

Dearly departed (from Orlando) Mitchell got in one last ice bath across from his pal, Jaylen Brown, and used the time to huck ice cubes at him.

Rating: Glad it’s raining so nobody can see us all crying.

Fred VanVleet

Family arrived to the Bub this week and none made a bigger, sobbing splash than Fred VanVleet’s. His daughter, Sanaa, went hurtling down her dad’s hotel hallway into his waiting arms while Fred Jr. hung back only long enough to assertively announce, “I love you dada!” and tear your heart in two. The foursome spent some Q (as in cute and quality) T together that day.

But when it got down to game time Sanaa took on assistant coaching duties in Raptors Game 2 against the Celtics, I just hope she is promoted for Game 3, because we could all use her encouraging yet no BS style in crunch time.

Rating: Probably the only two Raptors fans not crippled by anxiety at present time.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis was also joined in the Bubble this week by a discerning baby coach, his son Liam and partner Mariah. The two sat courtside for the Bucks Game 1 against the Heat, Liam thoughtfully gumming his fingers as he drummed up some new offence generating strategies for Coach Bud.

Rating: I think he’s translating box-and-1 with his repeated low-five hand slapping and I strongly agree this is something the Bucks should look at for Game 3.

LeBron James

As the Lakers wait to enter the second round they have taken on an internal Madden tournament. They ripped through the first rounds and James lost to Markieff Morris, he wasn’t really letting it get to him though because he has largely been spending his time preparing for Round 2 by smoking cigars alone.

Bringing in Dime’s resident golf and cigar expert, Robby Kalland, for his thoughts here:

I can’t tell exactly what cigar we’re working with here, but I can’t imagine LeBron smokes anything but the best (the tight, even burn on the ash is a good indicator here). There are few better ways to unwind and center the mind than a cigar alone at dusk. It will put you in a very meditative state and calm the nerves. I strongly, strongly recommend it if you are so inclined. Also, the cigar selfie mid-puff is a sure-fire way to look cool. A+ work from LeBron here.

Rating: Mostly I like the hoodie matching the pastel peach walls of the hotel at sunset, that is an immaculate eye for detail and what makes James one of the greatest to ever do it (“it” being play basketball, sit outside smoking a cigar alone at sunset, etc).

Dion Waiters

After ripping through the entirety of Game of Thrones, Waiters moved on to a Criterion Classic, Fifth Element.

Rating: Much better ending, that’s for sure.

Serge Ibaka

Ibaka took care of himself as well as Raptors fans following Toronto’s Game 1 loss to Boston. He gave his back some attention and he gave us a photo to gaze upon that aptly summarizes our mood for all time should this series not be turned around.

Rating: Not sure anyone’s face has ever looked as good at Ibaka’s squished and framed through a massage table’s headrest, upside down, gravity working hard against it.

Tacko Fall, Enes Kanter and Jaylen Brown

Kanter and Brown continued Fall’s swim lessons this week, carefully cradling all 7’4” of Fall, along with the helping and lessened hands of underwater gravity, as he kicked across the 4ft shallow end of the pool and into your heart.

Rating: Fall’s smile as he nears a wall he could probably have reached by the mid-point of his swim?

Luka Doncic

Doncic left the Bubble this week and also left us a clue/promise of how he’s going to enter next season — headfirst and flying or treating the floor like it is of no concern to his mortal body.

Rating: Really however you want to interpret it is fine.

Meyers Leonard

We’ve got a real deal review of Big Face Coffee on our hands here, folks! Well, slightly biased as Meyers Leonard has found a leader and inspiration in Butler, but less fraudulent than a Google review of Baskin Robbins by a bot that raves about hot and fresh food options. I think this looks like an Americano for Leonard, but then all sizes are the same price ($20) and all ostensibly come in the same cups which, did Butler bring these in with him? Like he anticipated setting up his empire as he tore another (#1 seed in the east the Milwaukee Bucks) down?

Rating: Inconclusive, more reviews needed.

Norman Powell

In some unfortunate decision-making by the league, pets were NOT part of the family members allowed into Disney. Powell, who owns two pomskis named Apollo and Odin, quietly lamented the continued separation from his very supportive and tiny dudes.

Rating: Whoever is taking care of them is making sure these guys get their grooming in though because there is no such thing as quarantine hair here. Whew. Gorgeous.

Evan Fournier

Fournier is OUT, like out-out. Not just from the Bubble with the Magic’s elimination, but the country. Fournier travelled back to France and did so with his extremely fluffy dog in tow. The two waited patiently by their gate to board, shared a meal and some moments in first class, wistfully gazing out the window at the clouds and ocean whipping by below.

Rating: Gracious of Fournier’s dog to emotionally support us all, just by viewing these photos.

Since schools shut down last spring, throwing teachers and students into the deep end of virtual teaching literally overnight, questions about how school was going to work in the fall have abounded. And as hopes of a normal school year have been dashed by continuing viral spread and a rising death toll through the summer, schools have had to scramble to figure out the best way to safely meet everyone’s needs.

It’s a bit of an impossible task all around. No one envies those having to make the hard decisions—especially with heated opinions being thrown at them from all sides. There is no way to make everyone happy, and there’s really no way to do school “well” in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t laugh at the absurdity of the whole back-to-school mess. After all, if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry.

Dena Blizzard of One Funny Mother shared a parody video of a school administrator explaining the “simple hybrid model” for pandemic schooling, and oh my word, does it ever nail what parents are experiencing across the country.

It just gets better and better, doesn’t it? I have friends with kids all over the U.S., and so many are so confused about how school is working for their children—and are only more confused by the hundreds of emails from their school districts. It doesn’t help that even if a school district has a clear plan, if that plan involves kids physically attending school in any capacity, there are necessary contingency plans in place for if or when an outbreak occurs.

Parents want simple plans, as do teachers and administrators, but there’s simply nothing simple about making school work in a pandemic. So we can laugh or we can cry. (Or maybe a little of both—that seems to be the healthiest choice.)

If you’re like me and you’d never heard of Adam Trent before seeing this story, you may want to pencil in some time to check out his other videos after this. Like so many of us, the illusionist is finding ways to fill the time during coronavirus lockdown. But what makes this video different is that Trent’s kind but simple gesture had the unintended consequence of literally changing one man’s life for the better.

And it all started with a simple game of trivia and a few envelopes.

As the delivery man is preparing to leave, Trent opens his front door and asks if the man will stick around to play a game, telling him he can keep the contents of various envelopes taped to the wall … if he answers the question on each envelope correctly.

Understandably a little suspicious, the delivery man agrees to the premise. And it turns out he’s pretty good at trivia! Some of the questions are deceptively simple, such as “how many points is a touchdown in football?”

And then there are other more challenging ones, like name the capital of Florida. It’s a question that if you know it, it’s incredibly obvious. And if you don’t, well you might feel a bit silly for not memorizing your state capitals. But the delivery guy nails every question, impressing Trent. Until he doesn’t.

It’s the final question — another of those “incredibly easy if you know it and impossible if you don’t” ones that is entirely out of this guy’s demographic: Name two members of the former boy band N’Sync.

Trent lets the doorman off the hook and gives him all the envelopes. It turns out that each one contains different denominations of cash: $20, $5 and $1. At the end, turning emotional, the delivery guy reveals that the small amount of cash made the difference in him being able to pay rent.

Obviously moved, Trent gives him the final N’Sync envelope, which contains the largest cash amount: $100. Speechless, the doorman turns away, kneels and the video cuts out.

It was an incredibly classy move by Trent. Yes, we’re all entertained by the fun trivia and it’s hard to not be hit by the feels at the end. Of course, we’ve seen enough seemingly heartwarming stories to realize there are often system problems on full display. In this case, why does a man hustling at his job have to win a random trivia game to pay his rent? It’s a little dystopian if you stop to think about it. And that’s why we’ll give Trent more credit for not making the video about himself. There’s no cheesy moment where Trent flips the camera around, no soapbox moment of lecturing us all about economics and no attempt to push out his social media channels, or whatever it is that so-called influencers are up to these days.

It’s simply a human to human moment. Honestly, seeing these two men interact is itself special during the middle of a pandemic and a hugely divisive election season. The fact that it ends in a sweet moment that brings real, if temporary, change to one person’s life just makes it all the better.

Here we are in the third of four weeks in which only one of the Wednesday Night Wrestling shows actually airs on Wednesday. First AEW Dynamite got moved around due to TNT’s NBA coverage, and now NXT is spending two weeks on Tuesday due to USA’s coverage of the NHL. Rumors have also started that NXT might move to Tuesdays for good, and I promise if that happens I will split this column up and start covering these shows separately. But for now, welcome to Wednesday Night’s Alright (plus sometimes other nights, too) on Uproxx Sports.

Nefarious Heel Behavior: Doctor Britt Baker DMD

The All-Out PPV is this Saturday, and Tony Schiavone was trying to interview Big Swole about what kind of match she wants to have with Britt Baker there, when Britt interrupted first by having Rebel deliver a pizza to Tony during the interview. Then while Swole was laughing like “Oh come on, a pizza? And do you think we can’t recognize Rebel?” Britt attacked Swole from behind, driving her face into the pizza and then putting her in the Lockjaw hold.

Everybody loves a wrestler revealing that they’re healed from an injury by attacking someone, and Britt pulls it off perfectly here. Nobody knows what a Tooth & Nail Match is, but this segment made me excited to watch it no matter what it is. Of course, then they revealed that it’s going to be on the pre-show, even though they’ve been building to it for literally months. So that’s a shame. But this segment was still great.

Runners Up

The Young Bucks continue to be jerks, going as far as pouring a beer over an Adam Page fan’s head this week. I’m coming around to believing that they’re evolving into heels on purpose, with Hangman being set up to become a babyface loner, but it could still go either way. I’m not entirely sure that Kenny Omega and the Bucks, as real-life teetotalers, understand that although being an obnoxious drunk is a heel trait, drinking casually is a babyface trait. And while standing up to that obnoxious drunk might be something a babyface would do, telling your friend who enjoys a couple of drinks every week that he’s a worthless alcoholic just because you disagree with his choices is absolutely what heels would do.

MJF gave out this week’s most brutal beating, attacking Jon Moxley with a fury we’ve never seen from him before as the show drew to a close. But I have to say, I’m not wild about that from MJF. I like Maxwell as an obnoxious rich kid who occasionally punches somebody in the face with his big-ass ring on, and I don’t need him to be as brutal and hardcore as Moxley. I understand the thinking that they want him to look like a credible threat for All Out, but shouldn’t MJF be a threat by being sneaky and paying bigger guys to interfere for him? Not everybody needs to be an undershirt-clad brawler.

Lingering Problems: Some Of These Booking Decisions

The prelude to MJF beating up Jon Moxley was Moxley beating up MJF’s lawyer, Mark Sterling, in a match that went on for a while without ever seeming like a real wrestling match, and for some reason held the Main Event slot on this go-home show. I get that Moxley is the top guy, but a match like this makes no sense in the Main Event. Even one of the multi-man tag matches would have fit in the slot better—at least the guys in those matches are pro wrestlers both in and out of character.

Runners Up

And then there’s NXT. They’d never put somebody who can’t wrestle in the Main Event (or even someone like Mark Sterling, who can wrestle but is playing a character who can’t). What NXT is more likely to do is put four of their very best wrestlers in that Main Event, and then give it the entire second hour of the show and end it without a proper winner.

In the Fatal Four-Way Iron Man Match for the NXT Championship, everybody had one fall apiece until the very end, when Finn Bálor and Adam Cole each scored an additional fall and tied. William Regal came out and announced that they’ll have a one-on-one match to one fall next week, and honestly my first thought was relief that at least Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were knocked out, because as much affection as I have for those guys, I’m still burnt out on long dramatic matches involving them. Then I realized that line of thinking was silly, because why did Gargano and Ciampa have to be in this match either? If you wanted to get to Finn Bálor versus Adam Cole, you could have just done that match this week.

I realize the answer is “Ratings,” but I don’t accept that. Once you’ve gotten me to watch the show, I still reserve the right to expect it not to leave me unsatisfied.

Best Promo: Jon Moxley

This was honestly not a strong week for promos, but you can always count on Jon Moxley to be good at talking. I really enjoyed his casual dismissal of MJF as a threat. I suppose the lesson is supposed to be that Jon was wrong to be so dismissive, since MJF then beat the crap out of him, but I don’t really accept that, for reasons I explained above. Based on all of MJF’s previous behavior, and his likely future behavior now that this one episode is over, Jon was absolutely right.

Runners Up

On NXT, Tegan Nox and Candice LeRae both talked separately about their friendship, which was good character stuff without having the shape of traditional wrestling promos. I do wonder, though, if all this talk of Tegan and Candice being former best friends is making Tegan’s former former best friend, Dakota Kai, jealous.

Back on AEW, Jericho cut another promo on Orange Cassidy. No Jericho promo is ever exactly bad, but we sure have heard a lot of them in this feud.

AEW also did a segment meant to build to Saturday’s Casino Battle Royale, and boy was it a mess. They basically put every heel manager and their guys in the ring at the same time, and then they all stepped on each other’s lines and generally seemed confused about what was going on. Eddie Kingston is one of the best promos working, but you put him in the ring with a bunch of 70-year-olds and there’s only so much he can do.

Best Match: Thunder Rosa vs Serena Deeb

You could have given me a hundred tries last week, and I wouldn’t have guessed that Serena Deeb would be in this week’s best match. For that matter, I probably couldn’t have guessed which show she’d be on either. But she was Thunder Rosa’s opponent on AEW, to get everyone hyped for Rosa’s match with Hikaru Shida at All Out.

You could tell this was a really good women’s match because Jim Ross kept saying things like “Believe it or not this is actually technically a very good wrestling match, folks!” I like Jim Ross. He’s a genuine legend. But honestly? It might be about time to let him retire for a least weekly commentary. Replace him with Veda Scott if you can. Then AEW will start sounding more like the future and less like the past.

Anyway, commentary aside this match was so great that a lot of smart marks on the internet have been saying it was too good—that Rosa should have squashed Deeb to make her look strong going into her fight with the Champ. I don’t really agree with that. I think showing what Thunder Rosa can do is more important than making her look so powerful that there’s barely a match.

Also, cards on the table, I’m holding out hope that AEW might hire Serena Deeb full-time, which would be all the more reason to give her some offense. I’d like to see Deeb stay in AEW, not just as a wrestler, but in a backstage role working with the women’s division. We all know that AEW’s women need some time and attention, and as the only female coach to have had a full-time position at the WWE Performance Center and not work there currently, Serena might be the perfect person for the job.

Runners Up

NXT opened with a really fun six-man street fight, with Breezango and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott taking on Legado Del Fantasma. It’s weird seeing that sort of match open a weekly TV show, but these guys gave it there all, and Tyler Breeze wielding a fire extinguisher is an image that will stay with me.

There were several matches this week that felt like they could have been great if they had more time. Bronson Reed versus Timothy Thatcher was one of those, although it became all about Reed’s feud with Austin Theory. The match that opened Dynamite, between Best Friends and Proud & Powerful, had a similar vibe.

And then there was that Four-Way Iron Man Match on NXT, which I really wanted to like. There were some great spots in it, but that ending was a problem. Plus, honestly, somebody needs to explain to NXT and AEW that match length is not the ticket to quality.

That’s all for this week. I’ll have a review of AEW All Out on Monday, and then be back next Thursday to talk about Tuesday and Wednesday one more time.

This bonus episode of the Frotcast is now live on Patreon. To hear it, sign up on Patreon at Patreon.com/Frotcast. I promise, you won’t regret it! Or maybe you will. Hell, I don’t know. Honestly, who can say these days.

Greetings, Frotcast faithful. Sick-skel and G-Bert (aka Vince Mancini and Matt Lieb) return this week to discuss the latest Bill & Ted movie, Bill & Ted Face The Music. To this reviewer’s mind, the best thing about the original Bill & Ted was the implication (tongue-in-cheek, I believe) that a shopping mall in San Dimas, California was the culmination of human achievement up until that point. In Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, all the great men and women of history travel through time to marvel at various aspects of the San Dimas mall circa 1989. That’s a funny idea!

Meanwhile, the most interesting thing about a Bill & Ted installment in 2020 is the realization that virtually all of the cultural touchstones of the original — Val-speak, glam metal, two-hand tapping guitar licks, the suburbs of LA as a center for culture, shopping malls — have since turned out to be, to varying degrees, dead ends. Bill & Ted are almost a perfect anachronism. Rather than take on any of that, Bill & Ted Face The Music basically says “hey, what if 50-year-old Bill and Ted were exactly like teenage Bill and Ted? And also they had teenage daughters who were exactly (inexplicably) like 1989 Bill and Ted? And one of them wore a rashguard that looks like a Crown Royal sack?”

That… seems like a missed opportunity? Which is why part of me hates it. And yet it turns out to be a reasonably tolerable movie. Why? We answer that question and more, including our favorite Chadwick Boseman movies, on this week’s Frotcast. You’ll definitely want to check this one out, and as always, we bid you a most heartfelt “no refunds.”

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