The NFL’s teams officially expanded the playoffs for the upcoming 2020 season to 14 games on Tuesday, completing the final step of the measure that was put in place by the new CBA.

As such, 14 teams (seven from each conference) will now make the playoffs and the Wild Card Round will expand from four to six games, with only the top seed in each conference earning a bye. The games will now be played in a triple-header on both Saturday and Sunday, which means more football for CBS and NBC, who pick up those two additional games in January. CBS will take the extra game on Sunday, but they won’t be the only network carrying the broadcast.

The NFL announced they would be adding a kids-focused broadcast that would simulcast the game on Nickelodeon in an effort to draw in a younger audience to football, in an announcement that caused many to double check that this was still March 31 and not April Fool’s Day.

The details on the Nickelodeon broadcast are scarce, but we can only hope they lean into it and have, like, a guy in a Spongebob costume handling sideline interviews and some Nickelodeon star in the booth — my first inclination was to say put Keenan and Kel in the booth and then I remembered I am old and that wouldn’t be a draw to young kids but instead people in their late-20s and 30s. Maybe the losing coach gets slimed, too. The possibilities here are endless.

In any case, it’ll be fascinating to see what a kids football broadcast looks like — one would assume it will be more discussion and explanation of the basics of what’s going on — and if the NFL sees success, one would think they’ll push for more cross-platform broadcasts.

Tiger King has been the talk of the internet since the documentary series first hit Netflix earlier this month. The show’s subject, Joe Exotic, is an eclectic character and a controversial figure. That’s true for a number of reasons, and now a new one can be added to the list: Old footage of him has resurfaced, in which he complains about not being able to say the “N-word.”

In the video, which TMZ notes is from 2015, Exotic is speaking to the camera and he says, “What’s going on in here, in this country? It’s absolutely pathetic. I can’t say the N-word, but you can get on YouTube and watch any Black man’s rap video, and they’re calling each other the N-word. What the hell, is this discrimination? I’m white, I can’t say the N-word and they can?”

Since the clip emerged, Exotic has not gotten much sympathy online for his views. One of his detractors is Bun B, who shared the video and added a simple message: “No Joe. You’re pathetic. Later for this clown.”

Speaking of old footage resurfacing, fans have recently discovered that some of the personalities from Tiger King were actually involved with Britney Spears’ 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance. Meanwhile, Cardi B said she wanted to start a GoFundMe campaign for Exotic, although she later insisted she was joking.

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

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The COVID-19 pandemic is different from many crises in that it has affected all of us regardless of politics, economics, religion, age or nationality. This virus is a good reminder that humanity is vulnerable to what nature throws at us, and that we are all in this together.

I am an academic psychiatrist specializing in research and treatment of anxiety and stress. Believe me, you are not alone if you feel like complaining.

COVID-19 has affected us if not infected us

This pandemic has profoundly changed our way of living. Overnight, dining out, exercising at the gym or seeing friends in person became impossible for millions of Americans. Remote working, reduced work hours and income, and uncertainty are indeed stressful. Most of us are having to make important adjustments and quickly learn new skills, such as how to do virtual meetings or be motivated to work from home. Given we are creatures of habit, these adjustments can be hard.

We are also stressed by continuous exposure to sad news, often contradictory predictions and recommendations coming from different sources. The constantly changing and evolving nature of this situation is very frustrating.

We humans hate the unknown and limited sense of control over life. Worse, our fear system is designed for fending off dangers, not for modern life crises where we do not need to fight or escape a predator. Hence, we need to find creative ways of responding to crisis, some adaptive and some not.

This angry mom’s rant about homeschooling children while in quarantine goes viral

www.youtube.com

Complaining and venting

Humans are a social species, which means sharing one’s thoughts, feelings and experiences. Successful social connection involves the ability to share both positive and negative emotions. During crisis, we can get comfort in sharing our fears and receiving calming and objective feedback from others.

The question is: How much can I complain without being the person everybody avoids? We don’t want to be an Eeyore.

To answer this question, consider what we and others get out of such communication. Is the end result for us feeling less worried or sad, and others feeling supportive? Or are both parties emotionally exhausted and feeling worse?

Benefits of venting

Venting our fears and concerns can be beneficial. Sharing feelings with others, just the act of verbalizing those feelings will reduce their intensity.

Others may provide support and care, and soothe the negative feelings. And we can do the same for them. We learn that we are not alone in this, when we hear others are also having those feelings.

And, we may learn from others, how they cope with their frustration or fear, and that can help us adopt those methods in our life.

When to know the limits

Venting should not become a habit, though. At the end of the day, it won’t fix the problem. Here are suggestions on when to stop sharing negative emotions:

• When venting becomes the main coping style, and importantly, when it delays adaptive necessary action. Venting about homeschooling children will not take care of their education.
• When sharing with others stresses them. It is unfair to make myself feel better at the expense of others’ sanity. When people start avoiding you in response to your venting, it means you are stressing them out.
• When venting does not achieve the goal of feeling better, and one or both of us feel worse. Do not vent just for the purpose of complaining. Your mind is like your stomach: If you feed it good food, you will be healthy and happy. If you keep feeding it garbage, you will feel sick.
• Young children are not there to listen to our problems, and their job is not to soothe us. Being parents’ therapist can have negative long-term effects on children, the least of which is that they may learn that complaining as a main coping style.
• When you experience signs of clinical depression (depressed mood, low energy, poor or increased appetite, insomnia, poor concentration, among others), talk to your doctor to see if you need professional care beyond just a listening ear.

images.theconversation.com

Other ways to cope

Here are a few tips on how to cope with the stress of these days:

• Get your facts from medical experts, and websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities, not from rumors or random social media posts. By knowing the facts, you get an objective estimate of the risks. Knowing legitimate ways of protecting yourself and your loved ones provides a sense of control and reduces anxiety. Just know enough to protect yourself and your family.
• Do not get obsessed with the news, and do not keep checking for hours and hours. Make sure to give yourself hourslong breaks from the news. Don’t worry – the network anchors will always be there for you to come back to them.
• Give yourself a chance to be distracted from bad news. Watch movies or TV series, documentaries (animals are awesome), or comedies if you want to watch something.
• Remember all the activities you always wanted to do but did not have time. This does not have to always be errands or housework. It could, and should, include fun activities and hobbies.
• Keep your routines. Go to bed and leave bed at the same times you did before, and eat your normal meals. Now you can spend more time cooking and eating healthy.
• If you are a social person, stay connected via phone, video chat or other technology. Physical isolation should not lead to social isolation. Connect, especially now that you have free time.
• Stay physically active. Regular exercise, especially moderate cardio, not only improves physical health and immune system but also helps with depression and anxiety. Trainers are offering free home exercise training these days online. You can also use exercise as a means for bonding with your loved ones.
• Meditate and use mindfulness techniques.
• Work on your yard or gardening projects. You will be safe, active and productive.

Finally, know that this too shall pass. Medicine will ultimately control the pandemic. We are a very resilient species and have been around for millions of years. We can survive this with wisdom.

Arash Javanbakht is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University

This story originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read it here.

Asheville crooner Moses Sumney debuted the first side of his two-part studio LP Grae in February. His first release since the 2017 project Aromanticism, Grae: Part 1 arrived as a 12-track effort crafted with careful emotion. Ahead of the record’s release, Sumney debuted videos to accompany the singles “Virile” and “Polly.” Now that the first part of the record has been released, Sumney has returned with the enthralling single “Cut Me” and a video for the track.

Directed by Sumney himself, the video opens with an ambulance rushing through a deserted road. Sumney begins singing through a ventilator, with others in the ambulance joining him on the trombone. The remainder of the visual shows Sumney admitted to a ward in the hospital.

Along with his backup dancers, Sumney performs a choreography throughout the hospital. Sumney moves on an auditorium stage, on hospital beds, and throughout the hospital’s hallways before eventually escaping atop the same ambulance that brought him in. “Might not be healthy for me but seemingly I need / What cuts me, cuts me, cuts me, cut me, cut me, cut me,” Sumney sings in unison with the jagged swaying of his choreography.

Watch Sumney’s “Cut Me” video above.

Grae: Part 1 is out now via Jagjaguwar. Get it here.

As the coronavirus pandemic forces festivals, concert tours, and album releases to be postponed or canceled entirely, musicians across the globe are coping with the financial effect of the virus in their own way. Some big-label artists are fortunate enough to be able to donate funds to benefit those in need. Other artists who are more independent, however, are coming up with creative ways to substitute revenue. Mac DeMarco and a group of collaborators shared their new subscription-based web platform Eternal Family as a way to stay creative and support themselves through the pandemic.

DeMarco shared a surreal and esoteric trailer to the site. Animated to be an otter-like character grinning at a computer screen, DeMarco explained the new platform: “Hi. I want to tell you about a new entertainment service. It’s called Eternal Family and you can gain access through eternal.tv,” DeMarco says in the trailer’s opening. “It’s an artist-run membership experience and a place to try out new ideas.”

Essentially, the new site is similar to that of a Patreon. Those who choose to subscribe for $5 a month of $50 a year get exclusive access to entertaining videos and other content from DeMarco and his musical friends. Fellow musician Jerry Paper will be creating his own videos to add to the website and DeMarco will share segments about his favorite audio recording techniques.

Sharing the trailer to Instagram, DeMarco’s longtime collaborative partner Cole Kush further explained the site, saying its a way to financially help out musicians and creatives: “60% of the monthly revenue goes to our creators and the rest to operations & funds to create and license more interesting things,” Kush wrote. “You can cancel anytime if you do NOT enjoy this service. The goal is to create stable income and a place to try out ideas that can be self-produced and perhaps hard to pitch.”

Watch DeMarco’s Eternal Family trailer above.

We’ve been loudly beating the “give Rhea Seehorn an Emmy for her performance as Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul” drum for years now, to no avail. It’s like Carrie Coon on The Leftovers all over again, except Carrie Coon was eventually nominated for an Emmy (for Fargo, but still good!). There’s concern about the Primetime Emmys even occurring this year, due to obvious, more-important-than-saluting-Modern Family reasons, but whenever the ceremony does happen, Rhea Seehorn better get her Emmy.

But don’t take my word for it. Take Patton Oswalt’s.

“If @rheaseehorn doesn’t get the Emmy for this season of @BetterCallSaul I just don’t know. That opening scene, everything she says WITHOUT speaking. Good Lord,” the comedian tweeted, referring to last night’s episode. In response, Seehorn wrote, “PATTONNNNNNN!!!! (The N’s should have a little sing-song quality when spoken in my voice.) Thanks for this. Really. Really.” But Oswalt wasn’t done with his compliments.

“I love that Kim’s dialogue is so terse and bland because in her head she’s making a million decisions a second. You can SEE all of that turmoil in her eyes and it’s thrilling and tragic. She’s an intelligent person whose thoughts are killing her.”

Hopefully not actually killing her, though. We don’t want that.

On Monday evening, Sony Pictures announced delays for three of its upcoming blockbusters as the coronavirus continues to drastically affect the global box office leaving studios in an unprecedented state of uncertainty. The three titles pushed back by Sony are Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Uncharted, which immediately raised concerns on social media that Venom 2 would no longer hit its October 2 release date.

However, both IGN and Deadline report that Sony is still holding strong on Venom 2‘s release date for the time being. While medical experts have cautioned that Covid-19 will be a health concern for the next one to two years, drastic social isolation measures could subside by the summer, but again, these are uncharted waters. If that optimistic outlook holds, Sony could be looking at a massive hit on its hands as eager fans flock to the theater after months of being trapped indoors and watching slew of anticipated blockbusters get pushed into 2021.

Here are just some of the strong reactions when it looked like Venom 2 was in trouble:

And here are the cries of joy when the smoke cleared and Venom 2 was still standing. For now.

With Tom Hardy reprising his role as Venom/Eddie Brock, the sequel directed by Andy Serkis will feature the symbiotic anti-hero facing off against Woody Harrelson’s Carnage in a showdown that comic book fans have been waiting to see on screen since the ’90s. There are also reports that the film could also feature another villain, Shriek, who has a long, complicated history with Carnage that could stir things up.

Spider-Man fans are also curious to see if Sony and Marvel’s new agreement will officially mesh the MCU and Sony’s Spider-verse by allowing Tom Holland to make a cameo. He was originally supposed to appear in the first Venom, but Marvel’s Kevin Feige pulled the plug even after the scene was already filmed. However, this time around, the studios are on friendly, more collaborative terms, so anything is possible.

(Via IGN, Deadline)

We know this term gets tossed around a lot, but Morgan L. Sykes is a legit hero. She’s just one of the volunteer delivery people working for Corona Couriers, a group of healthy, able-bodied cyclists offering free-of-charge drop-offs to New York City’s at-risk population(the elderly, sick, and people with pre-existing conditions) during the coronavirus pandemic. Morgan got involved with the organization after being laid off — like so many people around the country — from her job in a bike shop on March 17th, the second layoff she experienced in just under a calendar year (Morgan was let go from New York Magazine last February). She’s spent the rest of the quarantine riding as many as 50 miles a day across four boroughs — a specialist in long-haul deliveries.

Whether it’s groceries, medical supplies, or other essentials, the Corona Couriers offer no-contact delivery for nothing more than reimbursement of goods. They’re doing the vital type of community-driven work that makes social distancing effective and helps keep people safe. And they’re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

Started by Liz Baldwin, a New York City librarian who put out a call-to-action to cyclists around the city, the Corona Couriers were inspired by the couriers of Wuhan China. Like the Wuhan collective, Baldwin’s idea came to life in a hurry, without red-tape delays. With conversations about a federal bailout dragging and NYC’s official agencies drowning in new cases, it’s proven to be an excellent example of how communities can band together and respond to a crisis more nimbly than a large governing body ever could.

We chatted with Morgan over the phone about life on the job, the eerie, unexpected beauty of a near-empty New York City in spring, and how the city and country could do better to keep essential workers like Morgan safe.

Could you just give us a little overview about the Corona Couriers?

Corona Couriers is a collective, volunteer-run mutual aid organization that is composed of healthy individuals here in New York City willing to help those folks who cannot leave their homes right now to shop for their groceries or go pick up prescriptions or what have you.

The situation here in New York has kind of popped off. It’s been a little crazy for a couple of weeks now. And so Corona Couriers was founded, I think, on the 12th of March by a librarian named Liz Baldwin. She works for New York Public Library and she was told that a lot of New Yorkers basically aren’t going to be able to come into work until at least next month to slow the spread of this virus. She is a long time cyclist here in the city, had never worked as a courier, but was inspired by the couriers of Wuhan China who delivered essentials to their neighbors under lockdown to keep everybody fed and safe and put out this call to action on social media.

From there, it just snowballed. A software engineer named Sasha Verma, she stepped in a couple of days later to organize an online workspace. Where we are now, we have I think over 200 volunteers, and then the core ops team, of which I am a member, is 15 strong.

At what point did you get involved?

I came on board because I got the news on the 17th that I was going to be laid off from my job. The second layoff I’ve enjoyed in the past… just over a calendar year. I got laid off from New York Magazine last February. I got laid off from my bike shop job on the 17th, and I put out a tweet being like, “yeah, let me know if you need help.” And the thing blew up. I mean, holy smokes, it was bananas. And it was bananas dealing with just like this experience of going viral during this particular time. So I was fielding requests for help, doing deliveries on my own following.

What’s special about our service, we provide free deliveries to people in need, reimbursement only. We have funds available to assist people who cannot pay for their food right now. We also do no contact deliveries. What that means is all of our couriers are required to sanitize their hands, monitor their own health and then when they’re on delivery, they must wear gloves, have hand sanitizer, vigorously sanitize their hands and their gloves, and also wear a mask.

When the drop off happens, it’s usually dropped off maybe in a stoop or a vestibule or something like that. I usually watch the person from a distance pick up their essentials to make sure that it goes to the right person. But there is no hand-to-hand, face-to-face contact to ensure everybody’s safety. That’s important to note because there have been some, I think bad faith, alarmist, irresponsible takes that have questioned the safety of these mutual aid efforts during this time.

I just saw that Corona Couriers was doing this and I was getting a little overwhelmed by all of the managing everything on my own. And so I linked up with Corona Couriers and here I am. I’ve been like most of the volunteers, especially the people in the core ops group — eating, breathing, living, pedaling Corona Couriers 24/7.

Could you describe what the vibe out there on the streets is like right now?

The vibe — it cannot be described. It is an experience. It gob smacks you riding around in the streets and there not being New Yorkers. New York is made New York by the presence of New Yorkers. So there is something fundamental missing by the lack of life on the streets. It’s a little creepy. It’s a little eerie. It’s a little weird. But I think there’s a lot of solidarity between the people that are out. Because pretty much everybody that is out right now are essential workers and we’re people that are doing something essential. So yeah, it’s creepy. But it’s still, you know, it’s springtime, so it’s also beautiful. We got an early spring here, for the most part, been warm — unseasonably warm. The warmest spring that I’ve experienced so far here in the city.

It is jarring. Full cherry blossom trees. But nobody, no people, no New Yorkers.

What are you doing to keep yourself safe?

I feel like my highest priority is not being a burden to medical workers or anybody else in my community right now. So I am sanitizing my hands, I’m wearing a mask when I’m out in public doing deliveries, shopping, and interfacing with people. Because still when you’re in the queue to check out your groceries, you still have to be close to people. And New York is not set up for social distancing, it simply is not.

So I’m just taking common-sense precautions and following the CDC’s guidelines and taking care of myself. But I am also somebody that is lucky to have insurance and have very good baseline health. So I’m not worried about my own health at this juncture. But again, I want to emphasize that’s not arrogance or a valorous endeavor or something, it’s just I’m taking care of myself.

How many deliveries or hours would you say you’re riding every day?

It really depends. Basically, I have ridden through four boroughs in one day. My dad is like, “you need to be tracking the miles.” I think I rode about 50 miles, but I’m not 100% sure. I kind of specialize on the team in long haul deliveries. I’m a former courier, I’m a former bike messenger, and I also have a background in endurance mountain bike racing. So I love to ride long miles.

So you’re equipped for this?

Yeah. This is not unusual for me. I am wired in a way that I recognize not everybody is. The longest day of riding is probably about 50-55 miles. But this is from the moment I wake up to when I go to sleep every day.

What has the response amongst the community been?

Well, something that’s a little bittersweet is — while I do try to watch to make sure that somebody picks up their food, I’m not always able to. Especially if I’m just dropping it in front of somebody’s doorway or something, so I don’t necessarily get to see somebody’s physical response. But through windows, through doorways, people have waved excitedly. A gentleman in the Bronx bowed to me, which I felt really moved by and humbled by.

I think that people are just grateful that we’re stepping in to provide a service where our government is not. I feel that there is a sense of gratitude from community members, from neighbors that New Yorkers are stepping in where our government is failing.

There’s been a lot of positive attention put on Cuomo because people are digging his press conferences. Well, where the fuck is the action? Where is it? People are being told to stay home. They’re being told, you know, it’s terrifying the information that we have about the transmission of this disease. How are people who are overwhelmingly laid off in a city that already at best stresses people out financially, how are people expected to feed themselves? I think that people are just really grateful because I think people are genuinely unsure where else to turn.

We’re partnering, we’ve been delivering to hospitals, delivering between nonprofits, food pantries, food banks, social workers. We are providing a service that is assisting what has already been there, if that makes sense. But there’s a question of like, well, how do you get this food and these essentials to people? Because I want to be clear, I’m not denigrating the incredible social network that’s already in place here in New York City, there’s great mutual aid that precedes all of this, but there is this like, well, “How do you actually get it to the people?” We are providing that. And that’s really cool.

How can New York City make your job safer and easier?

Oh man, I don’t know. Dane, let me gather my thoughts here. I am really on fire right now against the City — what can New York City do to make my job safer? I guess provide tests, provide PPE for medical professionals, provide hospital beds. The big issue here in New York that I think is everywhere is that people don’t know if they have it. And that is the big risk to public health and public safety.

I also am seeing what appears to me to be an increased police presence. I have a fairly cynical view of NYPD. I do not believe that they keep me, as a woman, as a cyclist, safe prior to the pandemic and they certainly do not keep communities of color safe.

I don’t know, I guess government just do your fucking job. The onus should not be on the citizens and mutual aid should not be expected to fulfill the role of government. You know what I’m saying? I don’t know. There’s just been a colossal failure.

What advice do you have for the rest of us who are bracing for an outbreak of cases similar to what New York is experiencing? A lot of people say the case in LA is a result of a false sense of security because we have such low case numbers in relation to other big cities. But at the same time, we’re also testing an extraordinarily low number of people. So, that’s likely a fake number, an artificially low number.

It’s not just if, it’s when and my advice, and of course I’m not a medical professional, I am simply a laid-off journalist, a laid-off bike shop employee, doing what I believe is moral and treating people how I want my loved ones treated, who I cannot be around right now due to the fact that I live in New York City and it’s unsafe for me to go home or check on my grandparents or any of these things.

My advice is social distance, stay home, watch your health and listen to scientists, listen to doctors, and remember that you’re being of service by staying home. Not everybody has to do something like what we’re doing with Corona Couriers. I think that’s important because we’re all struggling with our roles in this moment.

I think it’s important for everybody to remember that maintaining your own health and making sure that you don’t put other people at risk, that’s number one. But I would also say check on your neighbors, check on your community, watch out for the people in your community who are already marginalized, that the government has said are expendable, that they’re willing to sacrifice.

I would also say I think that hope is important. It’s so tempting and real right now to just go in a spiral with this insurmountable apocalyptic situation that we’re in right now. But I think it’s important also just to look and see just the heroism that neighbors are showing for each other right now, first responders, doctors, your postal workers, everybody is showing up. So I think it’s important to focus on love and on hope.

Do you think you’ll contract COVID-19?

I think it’s possible. It would be arrogant and ignorant for me to say that it’s not. I feel that as somebody without a lot of the preexisting risk factors that I personally am not very concerned about my own health or experience if I did get sick. But I am monitoring my health closely every single day and if I suspect that I am getting ill, then I will remove myself from service and completely quarantine.

In the meantime, my fear of illness for myself is superseded by the calling that I — and other volunteers with Corona Couriers — feel to put our good health to use to make sure that our at-risk neighbors stay safe.

Most concerts and festivals have either been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are still some events left that haven’t concretely announced that their plans have changed. Today, that list got shorter: Boston Calling has officially canceled their 2020 festival.

Organizers wrote in a statement shared today, “After several weeks of consultation with local and state authorities, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Boston Calling 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. We are heartbroken; however, the health and safety of our audience, artists, partners, vendors, first responders, and staff are of the utmost importance to us, and we felt that this was the only acceptable way forward.”

This year’s lineup was set to feature Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, The 1975, Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, Run The Jewels, Phoebe Bridgers, and others.

Read Boston Calling’s full statement below.

“After several weeks of consultation with local and state authorities, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Boston Calling 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. We are heartbroken; however, the health and safety of our audience, artists, partners, vendors, first responders, and staff are of the utmost importance to us, and we felt that this was the only acceptable way forward.

To our audience, whom we value dearly, we are so sad that we will not be together with you in May. We know information regarding your tickets is extremely important to you. As such, we will be reaching out to all ticket holders in the coming weeks with a detailed outline of options available. This includes obtaining a full refund or rolling tickets to next year’s event – about which we hope to have exciting news to share soon. We thank you for your patience; please stay tuned and we will be in touch with more information in the near future.

To our valued partners, vendors, restaurants, staff and artists, we wish you all the very best during these trying times, and we look forward to collaborating with you all again soon.

With love,
Boston Calling.”

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