Category: News

This week, Netflix gives us a new season of a breakout German comedy, a sequel to a hit rom-com, and an animated flick starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.

The stakes only get higher in How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)‘s second season as Moritz’s online empire grows. Joey King gives us more comedy and heartbreak in The Kissing Booth 2. And Krasinski, Blunt, and Danny DeVito play a trio trying to save a circus with the help of magical cookies. Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) Netflix this week of July 24.

How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 (Netflix Original)

The first season of this German comedy exploded onto Netflix last year and was quickly renewed for a second season. Based on a weird, unbelievable, true story, the show follows an entrepreneurial high school student, who grows Europe’s largest online drug ring in the hopes of impressing the girl he loves. This season, Moritz gets in over his head as his business continues to boom, costing him relationships in his personal life and leading to some dangerous confrontations with competing drug lords.

The Kissing Booth 2 (Netflix Film)

Back in 2018, this rom-com starring Joey King and Jacob Elordi became the most rewatched original film in Netflix’s content library, and they’re hoping to recapture those eyes for a sequel that sees King’s Elle starting her senior year of high school and fielding new romantic interests while boyfriend Noah attends college at Harvard.

Animal Crackers (Netflix Film)

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt lead the voice cast of this long-delayed animated comedy. The story has something to do with a box of enchanted animal crackers, an evil uncle, and a family trying to save the circus, but here’s what sold us: Danny DeVito as a sad, animated clown.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 7/18
Gigantosaurus: Season 1
The Notebook

Avail. 7/19
The Last Dance

Avail. 7/20
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love (Netflix Family)
How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Ip Man 4: The Finale
Jack Whitehall: I’m Only Joking (Netflix Comedy Special)
Street Food: Latin America (Netflix Documentary)

Avail. 7/22
61
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia (Netflix Documentary)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix Documentary)
Norsemen: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion
Signs (Netflix Original)
Spotlight

Avail. 7/23
The Larva Island Movie (Netflix Family)

Avail. 7/24
A Cantar (Sing On! Spain) (Netflix Original)
Animal Crackers (Netflix Film)
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing (Netflix Family)
In the Dark: Season 2
The Kissing Booth 2 (Netflix Film)
Ofrenda a la tormenta (Netflix Film)

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Leaving 7/25
Dark Places
Ex Machina
Mississippi Grind

Leaving 7/26
Country Strong

Leaving 7/28
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Her

Leaving 7/29
The Incredibles 2

Leaving 7/31
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Can’t Hardly Wait
Casper
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chernobyl Diaries
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Freedom Writers
Godzilla
Guess Who
Hancock
Hitch
Jarhead
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire
Jarhead 3: The Siege
Open Season
QB1: Beyond the Lights: Season 1
Resident Evil: Extinction
Romeo Must Die
Salt
Scary Movie 2
Searching for Sugar Man
Sex and the City 2
Stuart Little
The Edge of Seventeen
The Interview
The Pianist
The Pursuit of Happyness
Twister
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

About 24 hours ago, Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing a new album, Folklore. At midnight last night, it came out, and now there are questions for which fans are trying to find answers.

When Swift announced the album, she thanked some of the people with whom she worked on the album, including Aaron Dessner, Justin Vernon, Jack Antonoff, and somebody named William Bowery. Bowery — who is credited as a songwriter on “Betty” and the Bon Iver collab “Exile” — doesn’t appear to be an established figure in the music world. However, fans have done some sleuthing and come to the conclusion that Bowery is actually a pseudonym for Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Fans believed the fake name is derived from the actor’s great-grandfather William Alwyn (a composer and music teacher) and the Bowery Hotel, where Swift and Alwyn were spotted in 2016. Alwyn apparently used to also play guitar and sing, and he studied English literature and drama at the University Of Bristol.

It certainly wouldn’t be out of Swift’s range to use easter eggs this way. In the chat of the YouTube premiere for her “Cardigan” video, Swift noted of Folklore, “One thing I did purposely on this album was put the Easter eggs in the lyrics, more than just the videos. I created character arcs & recurring themes that map out who is singing about who. For example there’s a collection of 3 songs I refer to as the Teenage Love Triangle. These 3 signs explore a love triangle from all 3 people’s perspectives at different times in their lives.”

Back with another song, Guapdad 4000 and his streak of activity and consistency continue. Kicking off the year with his Rona Raps and Falcon Fridays series, the Oakland native would continue to feed fans with content as we all resorted to the comfort of our homes for quarantine. Guapdad regularly shared content with fans, like his guest appearance in the “Don’t Hit Me Right Now” video with Bas, Cozz, Buddy, and Yung Baby Tate. Adding to his recent streak of releases, Guapdad taps Deante Hitchcock for their interestingly-titled track, “Orgasm Full Of Pain.”

The track serves as the two blossoming rappers’ first collaboration together, but Guapdad and Deante both had standout appearances with their contributions to the Revenge Of The Dreamers III album. With their “Orgasm Full Of Pain” release, the track follows a similar format as his “Lil Scammer That Could” collab with Denzel Curry. Taking a verse each, the two rappers details much of their frustrations in rap as well as their personal lives and describe the overwhelming feeling as an “orgasm full of pain.”

“Orgasm Full Of Pain” comes after Guapdad shared his “No Home For The Brave” track which followed his “Lil Scammer That Could” and as for Deante Hitchcock, the Atlanta-bred act shared his debut album Better back in May.

Listen to “Orgasm Full Of Pain” above.

Guapdad 4000 is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

At the top of 2020, Gunna began teasing what would eventually be his sophomore album, Wunna. Originally teased for a winter release, the coronavirus threw much of its promotional plans arie and forced the YSL rapper to head back to the drawing board to give the album a proper rollout. Months later, Gunna delivered the 19-track effort with help from Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, and more. Two months removed from that album, Gunna joins the recent industry wave and shares a deluxe version of Wunna.

Bringing a total of eight new songs to the table, the Wunna deluxe album sees Gunna working with some new names, one of them being Lil Uzi Vert. The two rappers bring forth their first collaboration since Gunna’s Drip Season 3 where they worked together on “At The Hotel.” Sharing another strong effort with the new track, Gunna and Lil Uzi Vert cruise unfazed on their new effort. The track is supported by its haunting production and the stop-and-go flow from Gunna and Lil Uzi.

As for the rest of the Wunna deluxe album, Gunna calls on Future, Young Thug (tallying his total appearances on Wunna to three), Yak Gotti, and Nav across the seven new tracks. Aiming to give the album a “new look,” Gunna opted to shuffle the original tracklist and randomly insert the new songs into the album for the deluxe rather than place the additions at the beginning or the end.

Listen to “Relentless” in the video above.

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

Thursday seemed to be a regular weekday morning for fans of Taylor Swift until the singer emerged with some very unexpected news. Less than a year after sharing her seventh album Lover, Taylor announced that she would be living up to her last name in making a swift return with her eighth album, entitled Folklore. Along with the album’s release, she also shared the first video from Folklore.

Giving the album’s second track, “Cardigan,” the visual treatment, Taylor announced the video shortly after the album announcement. Written and directed by Taylor herself, it begins with Taylor playing the piano in a dimly-lit room, she then sees a golden light and matching sparkles coming out of the piano’s interior. Stepping inside she ends up in a magical rain forest filled with light and warmth. Witnessing the same light and sparkles come from her seat, she once again steps inside, only this time to end in midst of restless waves in the middle of ocean. For a third and final time, the golden light and sparkles shine from the piano’s interior prompting Taylor to step inside once again where she finally lands back in the dimly-lit room from the video’s start.

With the album announcement, Taylor revealed that Folklore was written during the coronavirus quarantine. In the Instagram post announcing the album, she revealed that she “poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings.” Taylor also revealed that the album, which is composed of 17 songs, was mostly crafted with help from The National’s and Big Red Machine’s Aaron Dessner, who co-wrote 11 songs. The remaining songs were written with help from Jack Antonoff, William Bowery, and Bon Iver, who guest features on “Exile.”

Watch the “Folklore” video above.

NBA teams in Orlando began taking part in competitive scrimmages this week, with plenty of attention paid to how players are rounding into form after the extended hiatus prompted by COVID-19. However, many players are choosing to place the focus on social justice and, in the case of Jerami Grant, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, Alex Caruso and others, athletes are making it a point to demand justice for Breonna Taylor — the woman who was shot and killed by Louisville police while in her bed after they executed a no-knock warrant.

On Thursday evening, LeBron James addressed the media, both in person and over Zoom, following the Lakers’ first scrimmage, and he immediately made it clear that justice for Taylor was his focus. The NBA’s most visible and important player began by offering a statement and, when prompted to elaborate, he didn’t hold back.

After the opening statements, James was prompted about his team’s energy during the scrimmage and, in short order, he pivoted things back to Taylor, saying that energy the Lakers are utilizing on the court is “the same energy we have in seeking justice for Breonna Taylor.” Later, James continued to speak on racial inequality.

James then reflected on the progress, or lack thereof, in recent years, referring to the fact that Barack Obama was president in 2016.

At the conclusion, James pledged to “harp” on seeking justice for Taylor moving forward, using his substantial platform to promote awareness and enact change. As he said during a media availability that extended for more than ten minutes, James has been vocal in the past when he feels informed to do so, and that is certainly the case here. Given that the NBA will draw a great deal of attention in the coming weeks and months, messaging will be key and, in short, James has the largest voice in the sport, with a willingness and passion to speak his mind with passion and effectiveness.

Back in March, J Balvin returned with his fifth album, Colores, which boasted 11 songs as well as big collaborators, including Mr. Eazi, Diplo, DJ Snake, and Ronny J. A handful of months later he’s back with”Un Dia,” another all-star effort, this time Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and producer Tainy.

Opening with a hook from Dua Lipa, the song focuses on struggles within their individual relationships, which her singing, “One day you’ll love me again / One day you’ll love me for sure.” J Balvin and Bad Bunny then each deliver verses of their own.The video presents a woman in her oceanside home seemingly frustrated as a result of the struggles between her and an off-screen partner who’s referred to in the song. However, as the video concludes the woman is able to lift her spirits as the song comes to a close.

Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny have both also shared new projects in 2020. Dua Lipa delivered her acclaimed Future Nostalgia album back in February, while Bad Bunny has been involved in two projects, February’s YHLQMDLG and May’s Las Que No Iban A Salir. J Balvin has shared a number of other videos from his new album, including “Negro,” “Gris,” “Rosa,” and “Azul.”

You can see the video for “Una Dia” above.

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

It is extremely easy for rivalries to feel forced. That’s particularly true in Major League Soccer, which is frequently adding teams and rivalries become borne out of proximity instead of the kind of deep-seeded resentment that can only come when bad blood is given a chance to fester over years and years.

But every now and then, MLS manages to catch lightning in a bottle, turning a new, regional showdown into a rivalry that feels authentic. No better example of this is El Tráfico, which pits arguably the league’s most visible side, Los Angeles Galaxy, against relative newcomers LAFC. While the Galaxy had the leg up early on in the rivalry, picking up a pair of wins and seeing out three draws in the first five games, LAFC have been dominant lately, winning a postseason thriller last year and running their rivals off the pitch in their most recent matchup, a 6-2 drubbing on Saturday evening in Orlando.

Mark-Anthony Kaye has been part of this rivalry from day one. Kaye, a Toronto native who joined LAFC ahead of their inaugural campaign in 2018 from USL side Louisville City, has been a staple of the team’s midfield since day one, and has played in five of the seven tilts against the Galaxy, which included captaining the side over the weekend. He, like the rest of his team, is posted up in the Disney bubble that is hosting the MLS Is Back tournament, where LAFC is the favorite to win the entire thing — and, as you can guess, there’s a “positive feeling” among the squad following their most recent win.

Uproxx Sports caught up with Kaye ahead of their final group stage game — which took place on Thursday night against the Portland Timbers — to talk the bubble, the rivalry, and what it was like to play such a hotly-contested game under such unique circumstances.

How were things going on now that you’ve been down to the bubble for a month or so?

Yeah, it’s been great. I think it’s been a process for everyone. There’s a lot of anticipation leading up to what it would feel like once we got here. And I think the staff, they’ve done a good job to keep the players in a good mental space. I think that’s the most important thing, especially whenever you’re in a hotel for so long, away from your family, we feel cooped up.

But yeah, once the game started, it starts to get a little bit easier to deal with, I think. We’re here to play soccer and whenever you have an opportunity to do that, it’s like euphoria, you forget about everything else that you have to deal with in that moment. So yeah, the guys have been doing really well dealing with the situation and we’re just trying to do our job here and then the quicker we do that, the quicker we’re out.

How long did it take to get used to being down there? Is that something where, you mentioned the process, is it still a process for all of you because you just can’t get used to a situation this unique?

I think so. I don’t think many people here have really adapted yet. Whether it’s the time change, or the training times, or the temperature, or the weather. I think that everyone is trying to find the best way to manage it. I know that I haven’t. I think it’s a process for me. Some days I wake up and it’s good and some days I wake up and I’m exhausted, mentally drained and I haven’t done anything.

So yeah, it’s definitely a battle of the strong-willed right now. And like I said, I think the best thing about it is the fact that you’re around your team and you can play the sport you love. I think once we get out to training, everyone’s in a good mood and then you get a game, everyone’s excited. But for the rest of the, say, I don’t know, eight to 12 to 16 hours of the day, there’s a lot of ups and downs.

Can you just quickly bring me through a day in the life of Mark-Anthony Kaye while he’s hanging out down at Disney and in the bubble?

So we’re pretty fortunate with having a late breakfast time. So I’ll probably wake up, go downstairs, get some breakfast. I try to keep growing the relationship I have with my girlfriend, even though we’re far away from each other right now. So we’ll actually do Peloton, yoga sessions together on FaceTime just to keep that engagement high and just have some sort of social interaction outside the bubble.

And then there’s a lot of downtime, so either there’s Premier League games on, or there’s MLS games on, and then I’ve been pretty big into some self help books and just reading, trying to calm my mind down. So usually consists of yoga, watching some Premier League games, and then reading a little bit. And then by that time, the day has rolled on and you’re getting ready for training, and then that’s when all the excitement comes in.

Reading anything particularly good, or anything that’s been really helpful for you, while you’re down there?

What I’m reading right now is How to Win Friends and Influence People. A lot of people have recommended the book to me and I had started it maybe two months ago, but now being in a situation where I’m called on to be one of the leaders in the group, I think it’s important to find ways to communicate with your teammates in a stressful time like this, so this book has helped me to understand how to see people’s views and go about trying to get them to see the greater picture that we’re trying to achieve right here. So it’s been good and it gives me a sense of calmness before you go in, you engage with new players. And it’s always good to learn stuff, I’m always open to that.

Is there anything about being down there that’s really surprised you?

No, not really. I think we all had this idea in our head that it was going to be a miserable, miserable time. And I’m not saying it’s the best time, but it’s definitely not what our imagination was perceiving it to be. The resort is nice. There is a lot of things you could do with your free time, if you want to be out in the muggy heat all day. But it is what it is, I don’t think a lot of us are used to being in hotels for this long. The food is hotel food, and you can get fed up with it eventually. But other than that, it’s a nice resort, it’s just the situation where you can’t go anywhere. I think that’s the part that weighs on people a lot.

I am going to guess though, you can correct me if I’m wrong, the fact that they’ve been doing testing and it seems like after that initial rough patch with a few teams, they haven’t found any positive cases, that’s something that’s brought you guys a bit of calmness.

Yeah, no, 100 percent. Coming in, I really appreciated that we came in late. We came in later, so I think they shored up on all their protocols and made them much more efficient after Dallas and Nashville. So there was a sense of calmness now that it’s like, “Okay, there’s no cases in the hotel. You can breathe a little bit now.” Because safety is a big thing, right? And I think the safety is the big stressor in this situation, and the fact that we’ve done a good enough job to make the bubble pretty safe right now, I think players are now enjoying their time a little bit more because they don’t have to worry about that health concern. So, yes, you’re right.

So let’s talk about the Galaxy a bit. In sports, rivalries can feel pretty forced and inauthentic, but in the two years or so this has gone on, this truly feels like a rivalry in every sense of the word. As someone who’s been in it since day one, why do you think that’s the case?

Well, there’s two things. One of them is the fact that LA Galaxy is such a historic club within MLS. Winning five championships, I think they kind of set the tone for what MLS wanted to be and bringing over some high-profile players like David Beckham. So I think there’s a lot of pride around MLS on how LA Galaxy has been perceived in the world, right? And then you also have the aspect of L.A., a city of big culture whether it’s the film industry, music industry, sporting industry, it just always garnishes a lot of attention. So the fact that a young club like ours comes into a city where it’s like make or break, you got to do something you’re in the limelight right away.

And the fact that there’s the club that has been doing really well, but is not necessarily injected into the city as much as they would like to, I think right away there’s that little hatred that comes in, because the Galaxy has been doing so well for so long, now LAFC is here it’s like, all right, there’s a real rivalry. And I don’t think it has to be forced or anything.

The perfect example is Manchester United and Man City in England. Manchester United is a historic club, winning the Premier League left, right, and center. And you look at Man City now, the new guys on the block, and they come in and they’ve taken over, right? People still respect Manchester United, but when it comes to comparing the two teams, they’re on different levels. And I think that’s where it’s at in between us and LA Galaxy. Because yes, LA Galaxy has done a lot for the league. We all appreciate that, especially young kids growing up and seeing what they’ve done. But now it’s a new wave of football and LAFC is there and no one wants to be forgotten. So I think that’s what helps create this intense rivalry.

That actually leads up pretty nicely into the next question, which is that there is just so much hype around this, and then you get in there and those first five matches don’t go your way. What does that do when you’re in the locker room when, in the way you’re describing it, everyone is on the same page where you want to do whatever it takes to make L.A. your town?

Obviously winning rivalry games are important. And out of the season, maybe it’s six or nine points on the table for you. At the same time we’re a club who’s trying to continue to create a real football identity, that plays enjoyable football that people like to watch. And we can’t always get caught up in the idea of trying to beat the Galaxy, because if we focused on what we can control and continue to grow as a club and a team, we will have games where we will beat them.

So at the beginning yeah, it was a little frustrating. But we also understood how much the Galaxy needed certain wins against us to keep them afloat, you know what I mean? To keep them relevant. And I’m not saying that we were okay with losing, but we understood that there was something bigger at play and that we wanted to be a championship team.

So yeah, the first games didn’t go our way. But you look at even last year, the way we dominated the league, that’s something we’re proud of. Yes, we want to beat the Galaxy, but we’re more proud of how we’re perceived amongst the entire league and perceived amongst the world, you know? So yeah, it was a difficult time, but now I think times are changing.

The thing that helps is that from day one, it seems like the fans on both sides of this have brought that little extra something every time you’ve played. What does that do for your squad, whether you’re in your building or you’re feeding off of the more negative energy that the fans have in their building?

Obviously it’s huge for our supporters to be able to passionately support a club they believe in against a club that they don’t believe in. So I think the fan part of it, the supporters part, of it is huge. It adds a massive factor to the rivalry. And when we’re in our stadium, no matter who we’re playing, it’s amazing. And when we play the Galaxy, they raise it to another level which is unbelievable. I give them credit all the time for what they’re able to achieve and really bring to our stadium because that’s what really puts us on the map in the world. You look at the most successful football teams, they’re the ones with the passionate fans and the environments that are crazy. So we’ve done a good job to assert ourselves into that category early on in our history.

But even going to Galaxy and playing against them, it’s almost you play to disappoint the opposition supporters, you know what I mean? You want to go into someone’s home and take three points from them because that feels so good because you have so many people who are rooting against you, and everyone loves to be the underdog in a situation and come up on top.

So yeah, the supporters are massive in this rivalry and I think it’s going to continue to grow more and more. And I hope that it grows in a safe way because I feel like the hate is real amongst them but it’s important for the growth of football.

Obviously that leads into Saturday night. What’s it like playing what is the match in MLS right now — one that is defined by, in large part, the supporters on both sides — but doing it in that environment where it’s just you and the other guys.

Yeah. It’s definitely a challenge, you know what I mean? Obviously we want to win every game, and I think that’s something that we really hold firm too. I think we never look into a game different than another one. Maybe tactics change a little bit, but we want to win every game. There’s no way that the group of players that I’m with here are going to be like, “You know what, this game we’re going to actually give 120 percent.” Every game we want to win.

And I think that’s what divides us from the Galaxy in that sense, because you can see that their energy changes when they play us. But then it’s like, I always say, “If you guys have the energy for…” because they don’t have a bad team, but if they have that energy all the time, they would get more results.

So I think we’ve established how we want to play, how we want to be as a club. And whenever we have opportunities to play the Galaxy, we’re excited because we get to test our football up against a team that is just trying to stop us from doing anything. They’ll do whatever it takes. So in a game on Saturday where there’s no supporters, it’s a challenge to mentally get yourself prepared for this battle.

And if you look into the first 30 minutes first half, we didn’t do very well. And you could see the Galaxy were a step quicker than us and winning loose balls and stuff like that. But at halftime, you go in 2-2, it’s discouraging to them to work that hard and to only be tied to half. And we know we trust in our football ability, so we know that as the game goes on they’re not going to have belief in their system.

So like you said, it’s a big game nonetheless and we’re always excited to be on that platform. I think the guys are starting to become more experienced with it and calm in those situations and not feel the pressure to always have to play out of their minds. So no, it’s good. And like I said, we’re always excited to play the Galaxy.

Was it helpful getting a sense of what that environment was like with the game against Houston before? Or was it you knew that when you were stepping on to the pitch with the Galaxy and you hear there’s just nothing around it, that’s not something that you could really prepare for.

Yeah, I think from playing without fans, it’s tough when you’ve been doing that for so long. So I think, yeah, the Houston game definitely helps. Playing a game in that environment and seeing how you have to rely on your teammates to motivate you through certain situations in game. So yeah, I think it was important that we had a game under our belts already. Either way it is a little bit harder without fans. It shows how much appreciation they should get towards the game and for growing the game. But yeah, I think that Houston game definitely helped get us on the right page to understand what we needed to bring in this tournament.

With the game, fell behind early, drew level, fell behind again and then you guys pour it on, [LAFC forward] Diego [Rossi] has the game of his life, all this stuff. What were you guys doing that led to things eventually getting so one-sided?

I think it’s just sticking to our ideas, you know what I mean? Sometimes things aren’t going to go your way in a game, but it’s 90 minutes and you can score a goal in 30 seconds or less. I think it was just understanding that, yeah, you know what, we didn’t win the first half, but we need to win the second half. And I think going into a game with that mentality, knowing that you’re not going to let anything slip in the second half, it puts everyone on this edge, this killer edge. And getting that first goal early on in the second half, I think really took the wind out of them and gave us a real push.

So like I said, we’re a team that will always believe in ideas and we don’t change much. Even if things aren’t working, we’re still going to stick to what we’re doing and figure out a way. That’s how we have to learn as a group. So in the second half, it was a great performance, especially from the subs who had come into the game. They really took it up another level. And that’s the show of a great team, a bunch of players that whether you’re starting or you’re coming off the bench, you’re going to do your best and help your team win.

And I’m going to guess that both in the past two games that you’ve played and then going forward, that inherent trust that you have in one another, in [manager] Bob [Bradley] and all this is something that you think gives you guys a trump card in a way, is that fair to say?

Yeah, because we know who we are, and I think it’s a struggle for, I don’t want to talk about other clubs, but for us, we know who we are. We know what kind of football we want to play. We have ideas we work on all the time. So that trust is there. We trust in our system and in our identity. So yeah, when we go into games, sometimes things don’t work, but we got to figure out a way with the ways we’ve been training to find a solution. And I think that’s why some teams have success more than others because they stick to what they’re working on. Because I think if you change up too often, you know what I mean?

Yeah.

It becomes confusing and then people don’t believe in it and stuff like that. So we’ve done a really good job to stay true to who we are.

So I’m pretty sure I can guess the answer to these next two — goals for the rest of this tournament?

Goals for the rest of the tournament is to win the whole tournament. That is always a goal of LAFC, is to win and to have hardware to bring home. So that is definitely a goal.

And then wild guess, the next time you guys play the Galaxy you want it to be in your building with your people behind you, is that right?

Yeah, that’d be great. I think games at our stadium are just more electric. It’s just a better venue and I’m sure the Galaxy players love playing at our stadium and we love playing there too. So yeah, it would make for a great game.

Though the day began in ominous fashion when Washington Nationals star Juan Soto tested positive for COVID-19, the 2020 MLB season kicked off with a nationally televised battle between the Nationals and the New York Yankees. Much of the attention centered on the debut of Gerrit Cole in a Yankees uniform but, in the top of the first inning, Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton stole the spotlight with a towering home run against Nationals ace Max Scherzer.

Adam Eaton would answer swiftly in the bottom half of the first, with a solo shot to right, as the first game of the season got off to a fast start for the offenses.

Stanton’s home run is not only the first of the 2020 season, but also the first home run ever by a designated hitter in a National League ballpark. In part due to COVID-19 rule tweaks, the universal DH is now in place across baseball and, in short order, that paid dividends for the Yankees.

As for Stanton, this is undoubtedly an encouraging sign, as the highly paid masher appeared in only 18 games during the 2019 campaign. Though the Yankees were able to weather his absence to the tune of 103 wins and a division title, New York’s lineup is even more terrifying with a full-strength Stanton in the middle of the action.

It was just one swing, but Stanton announced his presence with authority and made a bit of history in the process. In a season that will be one-of-a-kind for myriad reasons, things began in encouraging fashion for the Yankees, as they aim to vindicate their status as the betting favorite to represent the American League in the 2020 World Series.

Ever since its first show was personally greenlit by Desilu Productions head Lucille Ball over 50 years ago, Star Trek has never not been around. And now, thanks to our ravenous streaming future, we have more Trek than ever before. Along with Discovery and Picard, CBS All Access also promises that the teen-driven Prodigy, the early days-centered Strange New Worlds, and a spin-off about Michelle Yeoh’s Discovery character Philippa Georgiou are en route. And of course, there’s Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated series from Rick and Morty writer and producer (as well as Solar Opposites co-creator) Mike McMahan.

The latter is due in a couple weeks, on August 6, and during its requisite panel at this year’s at-home Virtual Comic Con, they were confident enough in its abilities to show the opening scene.

If you saw the trailer from a couple weeks back, not all of it is new. They open the same way, with Jack Quaid’s Brad recording what seems like a traditional Captain’s Log only to reveal he’s merely an ensign low down on the food chain. They don’t do first contact, he says, but “second contact,” which he claims is “still pretty important: we get all the paperwork signed, make sure we’re spelling the name of the planet right, get to know all the good places to eat.”

What is new is what happens next: He’s mocked and attacked by Tawny Newsome’s fellow ensign Beckett Mariner. Drunk on illegal Romulan wine, she starts wielding a sharp Klingon weapon, and, well, let’s just say it’s here that the presence of a Rick and Morty writer can be most felt.

You can watch the full Star Trek: Lower Decks panel below and watch the show itself starting on August 6 on CBS All Access.