Category: News

During the current worldwide pandemic, movie studios are no longer providing box-office figures because theaters have been shut down around the nation and the world. Because we are less interested in the actual figures themselves and more interested in what people are watching over the weekends, each week we will dive into Most Streamed and Bestseller Lists on Fandango, iTunes, Netflix, and Hulu to pinpoint the weekend’s most watched films.

Ahead of next week’s Fourth of July weekend, the studios are dropping some of the better titles of the summer this weekend, or at least, what were supposed to be. On the VOD and iTunes charts, Jon Stewart’s Irresistible has knocked King of Staten Island off the top spot after two weekends. Stewart’s film, which stars Steve Carell and Rose Byrne, has not gotten great reviews, so far, and I think even the 40 percent it has received on Rotten Tomatoes is charitable, given the media’s rightful affection for Stewart after 16 years as the host of The Daily Show. Reviews for the film were mixed here on Uproxx, too, with Mike Ryan liking it OK until the twist and Vince Mancini enjoying it (I was more in Mike’s camp on this one).

Again, being the top movie on VOD/iTunes is relative, and we don’t have actual figures or even the budget, but it is safe to say that the budget was modest (it’s a Focus Features film), and the revenue is (likewise) probably modest. Meanwhile, King of Staten Island, by virtue of being in the top two for the last three weeks, has probably generated some pretty solid revenue. Other than the appearance of Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried’s You Should Have Left (#3 on Fandango/#6 on iTunes), the digital charts look largely the same this week, although — as always — there are some fun little curiosities. Crazy Stupid Love is tenth on iTunes, for instance (probably because Carell fans wanted to watch a good movie after Irresistible). Meanwhile, number four on iTunes is a 2019 horrormovie called Sea Fever, which looks like some underwater alien film whose biggest star is Dougray Scott.

Scoob had a dramatic fall on both the iTunes rental and Fandango VOD charts this week because the film — after being available for $20 digital rental over the last six weeks — is now available for free to HBO Max subscribers. I wonder if that is to entice more HBO Max subscribers, or if there wasn’t much more money to make from the film on VOD?

Amazon Prime doesn’t provide charts, but My Spy — which looks like an old Dwayne Johnson movie that hired Dave Bautista because The Rock was busy — is the top family film on the service, after skipping a theatrical release for Prime Video. Hopefully, for the sake of their original slate, Joseph Gordon Levitt’s 7500 (released last weekend) is the top original movie overall movie on Amazon Prime Video.

The big movie this weekend on Netflix is Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga. I have heard mixed things about it, and the critics’ reviews echo that (58 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), but it seems to please those who have sought it out (82 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes). The second biggest film of the weekend on Netflix is, again, 365 Days, the Polish erotic drama that sits at 0 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s been in the top five on Netflix for a month now, so I finally broke down and watched it, and it is every bit as awful as the 0 percent RT score promises. Absolutely horrendous!

The rest of Netflix’s top five chart sees the family film, Nut Job at number three; Athlete A, the new documentary on Larry Nassar’s abuses as the gymnastics doctor, at number four; and strangely Gaspar Noe’s 2015 French film, Love, at number five. I have no idea where this one came from: A five-year-old art-house French flick with bad reviews? Maybe it’s an “erotic drama,” too.

From what I can tell of next weekend’s new releases, aside from John Lewis: Good Trouble on VOD, it looks like it’ll be a good weekend to catch up on movies you have already missed, like 7500, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s first film in several years, and yet no one has really said anything about it, despite decent reviews (69 percent on RT). The huge draw, however, will be Hamilton, which is coming to Disney+ on July 3rd.

Source: Fandango, iTunes

The rise of streaming services brought with it easy access to hundreds of shows and their entire back catalog, but as America reexamines its difficult history with race some services have removed episodes in an effort to be more sensitive to modern societal decency. The latest example of this is Hulu, which reportedly removed an episode of The Golden Girls because two of the titular girls wore blackface.

The Hollywood Reporter said Saturday that Hulu had removed the episode, “Mixed Feelings,” which includes a scene of unintentional blackface played up for comedic effect.

“Mixed Feelings”, episode 23 in season 3 of the sitcom, aired in 1988 and shows Michael (Scott Jacoby), the son of Dorothy (Beatrice Author), planning to wed a much older Black woman, Lorraine (Rosalind Cash).

Dororthy is concerned over the age difference while Lorraine’s family disapproves of their daughter marrying a white man, and thus the two families attempt to end the marriage. In the episode, Lorraine’s family finds Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) trying a new mud facial treatment, and as they greet their family, Rose states, “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.”

Blackface, even a seemingly innocent portrayal, is an allusion to an entertainment trope regarded as racist and hurtful. The practice has a long history in minstrel shows and was used to depict Black people as stereotypical side characters to a white character’s heroics. The Golden Girls joins shows like Community, The Office, 30 Rock, and Scrubs that have seen episodes featuring blackface removed from services in recent days. Other performers like Jimmy Kimmel have publicly apologized for the use of blackface in the past as well.

[via THR]

Sunday, June 14th, was National Bourbon Day, a celebration for lovers of the spirit around the country. This year, the context for the holiday was drastically different than years past. The widespread Black Lives Matter / Defund the Police protests touch on all parts of our lives (certainly how we eat and drink) and systemic inequity affects bourbon as much, if not more than any other industry. As UPROXX writer Gabrielle Pharms and Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver both recently noted: industry-wide change is overdue.

That’s why Samara Rivers founded the Black Bourbon Society. Her goal in creating the group — active on IG and Facebook, with IRL tastings and events, pre-COVID — was to spark a shift in how bourbon is marketed, made, and enjoyed. In short, she was tired of waiting for Black people to be accepted in the whiskey world. So started a group that would command the respect of brands while also helping Black bourbon aficionados find each other.

This week, Rivers was kind enough to answer a few questions about the industry, the challenges she’s faced, and the changes that need to be made to the bourbon industry.

***

Why was it important for you to found the Black Bourbon Society?

I wanted to create the change I wanted to see. There’s been a longtime disconnect between whiskey and bourbon marketers, as it relates to the African American demographic. Many were shocked that we even enjoyed bourbon — though consumer insights suggest that African-Americans are buying premium brands.

What are some of the challenges you’ve experienced in the industry?

Being an African American woman in a male-dominated industry. Being a black woman in the spirits industry definitely can be challenging at times, but it also means that everyone notices your presence. I’ve gotten used to being “the only” in the room, knowing that I represent an entire demographic of tens of thousands.

How do you approach those situations?

I’ve learned to use my voice and platform to continue to create conversations for African Americans who love bourbon; the numbers speak for themselves [the BBS Facebook and IG accounts are both in the 15K range]. We are in the room — the events that I coordinate are proof of that. We are bridging the gap between African American consumers and bourbon makers to increase awareness, make our presence known, and continue to push change. I am doing the work to become known as an organizer and advocate for making real change in this industry; a voice for diversity and inclusion.

When it comes to the bourbon community, where have you felt the most welcome?

We’ve been able to have amazing experiences with brands like Maker’s Mark, Four Roses, etc and have great connections with cities such as Louisville, New Orleans, and Chicago.

When and where have you been frustrated with the bourbon/whiskey community?

There’s still a ton of work to be done in terms of diversity and inclusion. We recently put out an “Open Letter to the Whiskey Industry” in light of all that has been happening with George Floyd and beyond.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

It is known that African Americans spend at least 3.5 Billion dollars on wine, spirits, and tobacco annually. Our demographic over-indexes in spending and is a major source of revenue that the brands and the whiskey community benefit from and rely on. African Americans have long supported this industry – from the very beginning. We have made your barrels. We have built your rickhouses. We have harvested your corn. We have bottled your product. We have played every role except one of leadership to make this industry what is today. And even with that, we purchase (and collect) your products, we visit your distilleries, and we use our influence to share our love for Bourbon and American Whiskey with our families, friends, and networks.

Your silence over the past two weeks has not gone unnoticed. In fact, it’s deafening.

What conversations need to happen in the bourbon world?

As a society with over 17,000 members, we need the industry to openly and publicly stand with the millions
of voices demanding change in this country. We need to know where you stand, and we need you to show that you care. We also need tangible action to take place within our industry, to address issues of racial stereotypes and biases, lack of diversity and inclusion, and the erasure of our significant contributions in building up this industry — so that we are never faced with these issues in the future again.

We need permanent programs that foster more inclusive and diverse environments within your organizational structures and marketing practices. We need additional funding for targeted marketing campaigns for consumers of color.

As a result of declining health conditions within ICE Family Retention Centers, a U.S. District Judge from California has ordered the release of all detained immigrant children by July 17. While this is presented as a victory on a humanitarian level, it still leaves a copious amount of questions. Why can’t all families be released while the coronavirus is running rampant? Why are kids the only concern? How long do kids have to wait to see their families again? Will they ever see them? If no one in the U.S. will sponsor the kids or they don’t have a relative on site, will they be placed in better conditions?

Children are locked in cells and cages nearly all day long. Yazmin Juárez, a Guatemalan woman, watched her 19-month-old daughter Mariee die of a viral lung infection from neglect and mistreatment after being held in an ICE facility in 2018. She told a congressional panel that she begged for medical staff for help. She watched as her daughter got more and more sick, while doctors and nurses barely treated her. “We made this journey because we feared for our lives,” she said in Spanish at the hearing, with a photograph of her and her daughter next to her. “I hoped to build a better, safer life for my daughter. Unfortunately, I watched my baby girl die, slowly and painfully.”

This shouldn’t be happening. Why are the detention centers in such poor conditions? Babies should not be dying. Families shouldn’t have to lose their loves ones. Although children being released may seem like a victory right now, it’s a very small one, as there is still an overall systemic health and human rights problem at these detentions centers continually plaguing the United States.

Upon hearing reports from federal court monitors, Judge Dolly Gee referred to the ICE-operated facilities as being “on fire.” According to NPR, Gee wrote, “Although progress has been made, the Court is not surprised that [COVID-19] has arrived at both the [Family Residential Centers] and [Office of Refugee Resettlement] facilities, as health professionals have warned all along.”

ICE has been reluctant to release children being held in retention centers. “In order for [ICE] to do it in a humane way, they have to release the child with the parent,” says attorney Holly Cooper, co-director of the University of California and Davis Immigration Law Clinic. She tells NPR, “What we’re hoping is that ICE will do the humane thing and not separate any child from their parents because that’s what the children want. That’s what the advocates want. That’s what the parents want.”

Gee’s orders can be carried out in two ways: one is that minors can be released to suitable sponsors provided there is signed consent from their parents or guardians. Secondly, minors can be released along with their parents or guardians in the event ICE, or a court document, determines that the conditions at their current facility justifies a transfer to a non-congregate setting.

The real problem lies with our definition of “humane.” These families risked everything to come to this country for a better life. It is easy to say they broke the law because they didn’t go through the appropriate channels, but not everyone is educated on American law.

These families risk so much to start another life in America. Let’s be honest, it’s probably not the best environment where they are escaping from. But these detention centers may even be worse. President Trump kicked off his 2015 campaign calling immigrants from Mexico “rapists” and “killers.” Our country can do better.

Perhaps some may have unsavory intentions, but last time I checked, so do American citizens. So, put yourself in their shoes. Unless your children have a safe place to go with a relative or close friend, would you really let them go to a foreign building where you cannot protect them?

Ask yourself, is this really a victory for humanity? What would wealthy and privileged Americas do if faced with this issue? Our government can do more.

The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, which is as unfortunate a statement as it is true. Cases are rising in many states, including an exponential explosion of positive test results in states like Florida. The bad news is worrying as states try to emerge from this spring’s full shutdown, and industries are looking closely at trends and what’s considered safe as conditions change.

One industry looking closely at southern states is movie theaters and studios, as the delicate balance between opening for business and keeping customers safe has made a mess of the movie release schedule this year. Theaters have largely been shut down since March, and with that shutdown a number of movies have been pushed to the fall at the very least. Movies like Tenet were supposed to be the first to hit newly-reopened theaters, but another delay earlier in the week has the movie industry worried that more delays are coming.

The Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, are beloved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for helming the latter Avengers films. But according to an interview with Kevin McCarthy, both directors are rightfully skeptical about when it will be safe to return to theaters.

“I think everyone has a different threshold for risk, it seems, in the country right now. I think that really depends what your threshold for risk is, but certainly being in an enclosed space is a high-risk situation,” Joe Russo said in the interview. “So there’s the question of whether we want that to happen, which we do, but whether that’s practical and safe and whether we can recommend it, which I don’t think we could. Just from the way that I’m approaching the pandemic with my family is we’re very conservative about it.”

The analysis is completely factual, but definitely not what theater owners and the rest of Hollywood would like to admit. Even wearing a mask in a theater is a minor controversy that theaters haven’t fully settled on, and it’s entire unclear what percentage of the movie-going populace will feel comfortable heading inside darkened theaters with strangers.

Anthony Russo described himself as “desperate” to go back to the movies, but also worried about the risk of opening theaters and leaving it up to individuals to make that decision.

“At the end of the day, where are you gonna put the risk? I think there are more immediate places to put the risk in terms of human connection than a theater full of strangers, unfortunately,” Russo said. “It’s a very personal question, and it depends on people’s individual circumstances, but unfortunately, I don’t see myself getting into a theater in the foreseeable future.”

All that said, Joe Russo said he thinks people will show up whenever Tenet hits theaters. But like many people, even two huge directors who make movies aren’t sure whether they’re willing to be among that crowd.

[via ComicBook.com]

Super Mario World was slated to be a huge expansion to Universal Studios Japan ahead of the Tokyo Olympics this summer, but with the Olympiad delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, the park is officially on ice “until further notice.”

Nintendo Life reported via Nikkei that the international expansion to Universal’s Japanese park has been officially delayed. Originally supposed to open this month ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games, official word came down that the park will not happen as scheduled as the COVID-19 crisis continues to interrupt ordinary life around the world.

The expansion of the park, which is located in Osaka, has been in the works for years, and there’s been plenty of hype since it was first announced. Real-life Mario Kart is perhaps the most exciting attraction teased, and the layout of the park itself has been the subject of intense scrutiny. But with international travel severely hampered by coronavirus and gathering in mass groups inadvisable until there’s a vaccine, the park will remain a dream until we hear word from Universal otherwise.

There have been some early glimpses of what the park will have, including some spinning coins and Yoshi walking in a surreal-looking Mario landscape. So hopefully it’s really happening, it just will take a bit longer than we’d like to see made real.

Details are still scarce about what NBA 2K21 will look like. The longest glimpse into the game that we’ve gotten so far came during a PlayStation 5 event put on by Sony, in which New Orleans Pelicans standout Zion Williamson introduced a collection of clips of himself playing in an empty gym. Still, that was barely anything other than some brief info about gameplay, and there are still a number of questions about the game that need answered.

For one, there’s no word on who will grace the cover of this year’s game. Last year, NBA 2K20 featured Anthony Davis on the cover, with Dwyane Wade gracing the cover of the game’s Legend Edition. The good news is that we’re only a few days away from finding out this year’s multiple covers.

Davis appeared in a video on 2K’s official TikTok account earlier this week. In it, the Lakers star let it be known that covers will be announced on June 30, July 1, and July 2. Beyond the covers, Davis teased that info on 2K21 will come out throughout the week.

Perhaps Williamson’s cameo in the PlayStation 5 event is a clue that the former No. 1 pick will make an appearance on one of the covers, and following the passing of former cover athlete Kobe Bryant earlier this year, it would just seem right to have Bean on one of the covers of this year’s game. This is, however, 100 percent speculation, and we’ll have to wait until Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to see what 2k has in store this year.

Back in April, Global Citizen teamed up with Lady Gaga to deliver a massive livestream concert, Together At Home. The concert featured a long list of well-known musicians and other celebrities performing including Taylor Swift, Pharrell, Camila Cabello, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, and Gaga herself. Returning with another livestream concert on Saturday, Global Citizen has rallied a number of artists once again to deliver at-home performances to fans everywhere.

In addition to performances from Usher, Shakira, Coldplay, Chloe x Halle, and more, Justin Bieber and Quavo joined the long list of livestream performances to perform their recent Changes collaboration, “Intentions,” as a part of Global Citizen’s Global Goal: United For Our Future concert. Sharing distance and a studio together, Bieber and Quavo stripped the song’s production to just a lone piano for the performance. With Bieber leading the way, Quavo performs his verse and Bieber adds a bit of jazz to the piano he played throughout the performance.

The performance comes after Bieber reportedly filed a $20 million lawsuit against his sexual assault accusers. On June 20 an anonymous woman accused Bieber of sexually assaulting her at the Four Seasons on March 9, 2014, a claim that Bieber refuted as “factually impossible.” Watch Bieber’s and Quavo’s performance above and check into the full Global Citizen Global Goal: United For Our Future livestream here.

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

Do you ever wonder if you can trust your own thoughts? Maybe you have looked at pictures of your childhood and have been confused when you saw the old, blue family station wagon that you vividly remember as being red. Maybe you remember you’re your high school gym teacher having a handlebar mustache. But, at your ten-year high school reunion, he tells you he’s always been clean shaven. Or perhaps you recall Donald Trump defeating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Oh, wait, that might have happened. I’m pretty sure that happened. That happened, right?

For those of you who don’t know about the Mandela Effect, it’s an unexplained phenomenon that makes us question our memories from the past. The effect got its name from paranormal researcher Fiona Broome, who noticed that people have crystal clear memories of things that never happened or existed. It’s origin stems from the thousands of people who have a vivid recollection of former South African President Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s, right down reading the article in the newspaper or seeing his funeral televised. The truth is, Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and lived to be 95 years old until passing away in December 2013. This is one of the numerous examples of shared memories by the masses that appears to be completely false. It’s insane to think so many of us have the same false memories.

The Monopoly man definitely has a monocle. I can see it in my mind as clear as day. It is on his right eye as he is leaning forward. The thing is, he never donned such eye wear.

Do you remember Jiffy peanut butter? You are not alone, but the fact is you won’t find a peanut butter jar with said moniker. It’s Jif.

How about reading the children’s book The Berenstein Bears? You would be mistaken, as it’s actually The Berenstain Bears.

The last time I checked, no one is going to confuse Shaquille O’Neal with 90’s comedian Sinbad. That being said, there are thousands who remember Sinbad playing the Genie in Kazaam and not Shaq.

[INSERT VIDEO CLIP of star wars]

What about Star Wars? That iconic moment when Darth Vader tells Luke the truth about his family history. But Vader never said, “Luke, I am your father” in The Empire Strikes Back. He actually says, “No, I am your father.” Is this just a misremembered movie line?

[INSERT VIDEO CLIP of forrest gump]

We all recall Forrest Gump saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” You know, you’ve quoted it before. It turns out, the actual line from the movie is “Life was like a box of chocolates.” Have you ever eaten a box of Fruit Loops cereal? You haven’t, because they don’t exist. They’re Froot Loops. Is your mind blown yet? These are just a few examples of the Mandela Effect.

Another possibility is that we don’t know as much as we think we do. There could be alternate universes at hand, but that would be crazy, right? Think about how primitive our way of life and understanding of the universe was even 100 years ago. Then think about how far we have come and the rate at which science is progressing. It would be one thing to pay heed to the waxing theoretical of Donald Sutherlands character in Animal House. But when you have scientific heavy weight minds like astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and iconic physicist Stephen Hawking saying that it is entirely possible that parallel universes exist— we might want to leave the light on for that possibility.

Now, more than ever, we tend to go all in on our beliefs. The truth is, we very seldom have all the facts. It is okay to be a skeptic—that mindset keeps us honest. But to be closed off to possibilities based on what we supposedly know to be true can certainly be a dangerous impediment to progress.

The concept of the earth rotating around the sun seemed insane until it was proven. The two most important concepts we can anchor ourselves with are logic and humility. Is the Mandela Effect a result of parallel universes or just a product of our imperfect minds? If the greatest scientific experts we have ever known are not closing the door on such a concept, then maybe we should keep an open mind. By the way, the Monopoly guy definitely had a monocle.

The National Women’s Soccer League was the first American sports league to return during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns took to the pitch on Saturday and in the first match of the Challenge Cup. The month-long tournament in Utah includes 16 preliminary round matches — with seven of the league’s eight teams participating due to the Orlando Pride pulling out earlier this week — and a knockout tournament culminating in a championship game on July 26.

With no fans, extra substitutes, and socially distanced TV interviews, the games do look a bit different as the league hopes to keep all its players and staff healthy during the pandemic. All 22 starting players from the Courage and Thorns wore Black Lives Matter t-shirts and took a knee prior to kickoff on Saturday, continuing the nationwide protest against racial injustice and police brutality. The Courage won the game 2-1, thanks to Debinha’s glancing header off a Hailie Mace cross and a slick finish from Lynn Williams in the 94th minute.

A handful of players — including U.S. women’s national team stars Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press, and Tobin Heath — have opted out of playing altogether, but fear not, there are still plenty of exciting teams and players to watch in Utah this summer. Here’s a quick guide to each team.

Chicago Red Stars

Best players: USWNT regulars Alyssa Naeher (GK), Julie Ertz (CB), and Tierna Davidson (CB) protect the back line of the Red Stars while central midfielder Morgan Brian controls the tempo. Look out for how they replace the scoring threat of Sam Kerr, the 2019 league MVP and Golden Boot winner who scored a league-high 18 goals last season and has since departed for Chelsea.

Jersey rating: 10/10. The Red Stars came out with one of the coolest kits in the league this year, and their jersey reveal campaign was even cooler. Inspired by the different neighborhoods that make up Chicago, the white secondary kit has the city flag on the front and skyline on the back made up of the names of city neighborhoods.

Why you should root for them: Last year, the team advanced to the NWSL Championship for the first time in the team’s history but fell to the Courage, 4-0. With some fresh attacking talent and an experienced defense, the Red Stars look to be an exciting team for years to come.

Houston Dash

Best players: Starting goalkeeper Jane Campbell is a solid keeper despite having had a bit of an up-and-down year last season, finishing fourth in the league for most saves but giving up 36 goals, the second-worst tally in the league. Fellow U.S. national Kristie Mewis and her girlfriend, England player Rachel Daly, control the midfield for the Dash.

Jersey rating: 9/10. These are fire, and not just because the primary kit is orange.

Why you should root for them: Last season, the Dash only managed a seventh-place finish and they lost attacking talents Sofia Huerta, Kelia Ohai, and Kyah Simon in the offseason. Questions certainly remain surrounding this team, specifically whether their defense will hold up against more potent attacking threats.

North Carolina Courage

Best players: The Courage are stacked with USWNT talent. With the lightning quick speed and skillful Crystal Dunn in midfield alongside Sam Mewis and Brazil’s Debinha, defensive stalwart Abby Dahlkemper, and Jessica McDonald and Lynn Williams in attack, this team can be astoundingly good.

Jersey rating: 5/10. The navy primary kit and all-white secondary jersey could use some more spice but there’s nothing wrong with simplicity.

Why you should root for them: If you want to hop on a bandwagon, the reigning champions are your best bet. In the NWSL’s seven-year history, the team from NC has played in five of the last seven championship games. Few, if any, teams in the league can stack up against them at their best.

OL Reign

Best players: Rapinoe won’t be playing, but fellow USWNT midfielder Allie Long and 2019 Rookie of the Year Bethany Balcar will be. Former Houston player Sofia Huerta should also be an exciting addition to their midfield.

Jersey rating: 3/10. They look less like Seattle jerseys and more like knock-off OL Lyon jerseys.

Why you should root for them: The Reign has undergone some changes this offseason. After France’s OL Groupe — which owns the most successful club women’s team in history, Olympique Lyonnais — bought the Seattle-based team in March, the club name changed from Reign FC to OL Reign. Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski has departed to lead the USWNT after leading the team to the semifinals last season and the team is without Rapinoe, so some of these players may show up with something to prove.

Portland Thorns

Best players: There are so many! The team will be without Tobin Heath and goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, but Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Lindsey Horan give you plenty of other options to root for.

Jersey rating: 10/10. Portland often has really awesome jerseys, but this year’s black kits with red rose detail are especially dope and really show off the spirit of the city. The secondary white jerseys are quite sleek as well.

Why you should root for them: The Thorns have long been one of the most popular teams in the NWSL with a passionate fanbase that has set multiple attendance records over the years. Two-time World Cup winner Sauerbrunn is finally at home in Portland, which should delight fans immensely, and the team has another international legend with Sinclair, the greatest player in Canadian history and the most prolific international scorer ever, leading the line.

Sky Blue FC

Best players: USWNT stars Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh will not be playing as they recover from injuries, so look out for forwards Imani Dorsey and Margaret “Midge” Purce, who was recently acquired from Portland.

Jersey rating: 7/10. I like the dark grey kit with the sky blue lightning bolt-esque lines running down the front! The club just released their new kit and the jersey sold out almost immediately, but fear not, they have been restocked.

Why you should root for them: Though Sky Blue FC have been a bit of a mess in the past (they finished eighth in the league last season), the team has undergone top-down changes in the offseason and even picked up USWNT up-and-comer Mallory Pugh. Though the team will likely struggle in the Challenge Cup without Pugh and Lloyd, they are still very much a club on the rise under new GM Alyssa LaHue and new coach Freya Coombe. And next season, they will play at Red Bull Arena, which will definitely make for a fun viewing experience.

Utah Royals

Best players: No Christen Press this summer, but look out for fellow USWNTers Kelley O’Hara and Amy Rodriguez.

Jersey rating: 8/10. The blue and yellow primary jersey is fun, with outlines of Utah mountains on the bottom but I’m not as huge a fan of the secondary kit with a bunch of grey crowns on the front.

Why you should root for them: The team finished in sixth place last season, and veteran striker and captain Rodriguez showed she still has it after scoring nine goals last season. Utah is of course the home team for this tournament, and boasts an exciting youthful group of players.

Washington Spirit

Best players: Andi Sullivan and Rose Lavelle, one of the USWNT’s best young talents, run the midfield for the Spirit while goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe tied for the most number of saves in the league last season with 86. Ashley Hatch and Jordan DiBiasi combined for six goals last year, and will look to provide the scoring spark for this team.

Jersey rating: 5/10. The blue primary kit is nice enough, although the CVS Pharmacy sponsor logo is curiously massive. The white secondary kit is a bit boring, although the Geico logo seems to be a normal size.

Why you should root for them: Rose Lavelle, need I say more? The 25-year-old took the world by storm in France last summer as the USWNT charged to their fourth World Cup win, and is such a mesmerizing player. The Spirit finished in fifth place last season, but has the talent to compete in Utah.