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Movie theaters nationwide have been shuttered since around mid-March, but insiders have been cautiously optimistic that they could reopen by July. Will that happen? Will Christopher Nolan’s Tenet really be the first movie people see in an actual movie theater in four months? Maybe! Or maybe not. But whenever theaters do open, one chain won’t make wearing masks a requirement.

This comes from The Wrap, who reported that Cinemark discussed their plans about reopening to Wall Street analysts. And while their employees will be required to wear masks, it will only be recommended that the same extend to their guests.

“We have been intensely focused in developing enhanced health and safety protocols, understanding that these factors will weigh heavily on the confidence and peace of mind of our employees, guests and community as we reopen our theaters,” Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said during the call. “[We will be] requiring all employees to wear face masks and encouraging guests to do the same.”

When The Wrap asked Zoradi to clarify his language, he made it a bit more clear, saying, “outside of those areas where it is required by local mandates, Cinemark will be encouraging — not requiring — guests to wear face masks.”

Wearing masks, or some kind of facial covering, when outdoors, and especially when anywhere near other people, has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control since fairly early into America’s quarantine era. The idea is not so much to protect yourself but to protect others from you.

In the call, Zoradi discussed other ways Cinemark would be adapting to a changing world, saying they would also be looking into “seat buffering technology,” which would ensure that patrons are seated with enough space between each other — social distancing while reclining and watching a movie. They will also ramp up cleaning and sanitation measures, minimize physical interactions, and staggering showtimes to decrease crowds. The chain, which has over 500 theaters in the U.S. and Latin America, is scheduled to reopen on July 17. For now.

(Via The Wrap)

Welcome to this week’s Wednesday Night Wars open discussion thread. This week it’s an AEW Dynamite featuring Cody Rhodes’ first defense of the TNT Championship and the artists formerly known as The Revival against an episode of NXT featuring the finals of the (Interim) Cruiserweight Championship tournament, Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim, and more.

On tonight’s cards:

AEW Dynamite

• TNT Championship Match: Cody (Rhodes) (c) vs. Jungle (Jack Perry) Boy
• AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page (c) vs. Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc
• Nyla Rose vs. Big Swole
• Tony Schiavone interviews FTR
• Chris Jericho vs. Colt Cabana

NXT

• Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Finals Match: Drake Maverick vs. El Hijo del Fantasma
• hopefully nobody else getting abducted by luchadores in the Full Sail parking lot (or attacked by them in the ring) (during tournament finals matches)
• Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim
• whatever else they need to do to sell you on the fact that NXT TakeOver: In Your House happens this Sunday

As always, +1 your favorite comments from tonight’s open thread and if we get enough comments, we’ll include 10 of the best in tomorrow’s Best and Worst of NXT and AEW reports. Make sure you flip the comments by selecting “newest” in the drop down menu under discussion, and enjoy the show!

A ton of attention has been granted the doc-series Tiger King since it premiered in March, and a chunk of that has been about one issue: What happened to Don Lewis, Carole Baskin’s missing husband? The show’s main star, Joe Exotic, has frequently claimed, with not much proof, Baskin, his heated rival, had him murdered. But as per Entertainment Weekly, that part of the story just took a hairpin turn.

On Tuesday, 10 Tampa Bay spoke with Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister, who said that what was purported to be Lewis’ will is, allegedly, a fake. They called in some experts to say that the will was a forgery and I had already told them that two months ago,” Chronister told them. “They had two experts deem it 100% a forgery.”

Lewis vanished in 1997 and was legally pronounced dead in 2002. By the time of his disappearance, he’d become a multi-millionaire, and his will reportedly left it all to Baskin, allowing her to cut off his family. Chronister pointed out that the statute of limitations had expired, so any criminal charges could not be filed if wrongdoing had been provably discovered.

An entire episode of Tiger King was devoted to speculations and theories about what may have happened, while Baskin has maintained her innocence. Even with the declaration of death, Lewis’ disappearance remains an open case.

(Via EW)

Let me get this straight: Colin Kaepernick still doesn’t have a job in the NFL. It’s disgraceful to the league. If the NFL is saddened by the events of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tracy Walker, Ahmaud Arbery and many others, then the biggest statement they can make is hire Colin back. It’s never too late. Even if he isn’t a quarterback, there is such an obvious position for him. I will get to that later, but let us focus on his accomplishments on the field for now.

Stats do not lie. The San Francisco 49ers made a trade with the Denver Broncos to move up and pick Kaepernick as 36th overall in the 2011 NFL draft. After replacing an injured Alex Smith midway through the 2012 season, the quarterback quickly became a defensive coordinators nightmare throwing for 1,814 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 415 yards and five scores on the ground in just seven starts, posting a record of 5-2.

In Kaepernick’s first playoff start, he led his team to a 45-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers while chalking up 181 rushing yards, which was an NFL playoff record for a quarterback. He came within three points of winning the Super Bowl but fell short to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31. The following year, he went 12-4 making it to the NFC championship game.

Football fans know that the eyeball test is often times more important than stats—and to watch Kaepernick play the game was something truly special. He started to tail off after his first initial run. We all saw it. But to say that a talent like his doesn’t belong in the NFL, even as a second or third string quarterback, means you don’t understand football.

But it does mean that team owners and the NFL in general may not understand something essential about race in America in 2020. However, there is a solution.

Not only has Kaepernick been out of the league without the physical wear and tear of four years of playing in the NFL, but he’s entering his 30’s where most quarterbacks hit their prime. The last time I checked, the New England Patriots have won Super Bowls signing players like Chris Long, Jamie Collins and Danny Amendola who were once great and had something to prove. Kaepernick could be the same.

His style fits perfectly with offenses like the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks, where he could easily be a backup. Or if anyone wants to run the wildcat or bring him in as a curveball on third or fourth and short situations. You mean to tell me that the Bengals, the longtime doormats of the league regarding both moral and on-the-field success, can’t use a player like Kaepernick?

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted running back Joe Mixon in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft after a brutal, and I do mean brutal, video that surfaced from a surveillance camera that shows him knocking a woman out. Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was caught on a security camera punching his girlfriend unconscious in an elevator. Ray Rice never played in the NFL again. The difference?

Ray Rice was at the end of his career, so it was extremely easy to say that they didn’t want a guy like that playing on their team anymore. So, what moral high ground did the Bengals take on a guy who had fallen in the draft based on his questionable character? (and by that, I mean, horrifically hurting a woman with one incredibly ruthless and unnecessary closed first to the face). They drafted him.

But heaven forbid any NFL team sign a quarterback who led his team to a Super Bowl his first year playing and decided to speak out on social injustice.

Kaepernick started the movement by sitting down on the bench during the national anthem before a preseason game. The problem people had was that he took a knee in the games to come. For those of you who do not know, Kaepernick took a knee after consulting with his friend and retired green beret, Nate Boyer, who explained the most respectful way to go about making his voice heard. It was Nate who said that it was a sign of respect to take a knee— that’s what soldiers do for fallen brothers.

The question begs which is worse: standing up for something you believe in and being respectful or violently assaulting women? The NFL owners will do right by their fans. Apparently, it is more forgivable to hit women than it is to bring awareness to inequality.

The real reason no team would touch Colin Kaepernick is because they think it will hurt their fan base. Football fans are extremely patriotic and cheer when the national anthem reaches the line “and the rockets’ red glare,” and go nuts when the fighter jets roar above the stadium. Of course, I also love a good flyover. But it was the action of kneeling that people took as disrespecting the flag. Except it wasn’t.

Had Kaepernick raised a fist instead, I don’t know if we would be having this conversation, which is the point. He made us have this conversation. That was his biggest crime. He was simply exercising his right to freedom of speech without saying a word. That sounds pretty damn patriotic to me.

Even if there is not one NFL team that thinks Colin Kaepernick can make their team better, there is the other role he can play. The National Football League, a multi-billion-dollar machine, can hire him to be a racial liaison. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell claims the league is serious about implementing change. He issued a statement on Saturday:

“The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country. The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel. Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. George Floyd and to those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Ms. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions. As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league. These tragedies inform the NFL’s commitment and our ongoing efforts. There remains an urgent need for action. We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society. We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs and partners.”

So, I ask you Mr. Goodell, why not hire Collin Kaepernick as a racial liaison, the man who brought this awareness to the national stage? Rather than talking about change, be the change.

More importantly, say his name: Collin Kaepernick. Hire him.

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A number of athletes from across the sports world have spoken out about the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer that sparked protests in all 50 states (and numerous major international cities) over the past week. Among those was Drew Brees, who like so many participated in #BlackOutTuesday, posting a black square to Instagram on Tuesday in supposed solidarity with protesters and the black community in the fight against racial injustice and police brutality.

However, on Wednesday, Brees was asked about Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players protests about the same thing that has brought millions into the streets around the world, and continued to insist he doesn’t support anything that “disrespects the flag.” Brees spoke of his grandfathers who fought in World War II and how the anthem and flag represent those who fought for freedom, and quickly received backlash from teammates and beyond in the sports world.

Michael Thomas was among the most vocal of his teammates in offering their frustration and disbelief that he still doesn’t get the message and purpose of the protests. LeBron James explained why his comments about his grandfather fighting in World War II fails to understand the thousands of black veterans that returned from war only to be on the receiving end of racism and hate despite also having fought for freedom. Aaron Rodgers even posted to Instagram about how Brees and others continue to misconstrue the point of protests from Kaepernick and others.

Shortly after, Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins joined that group in offering a response to Brees by posting a forceful video echoing what LeBron said about how Brees’ statement fails to understand or care about the experience of the black veterans that fought with his grandfather and ended with a forceful “sometimes you should shut the f*ck up.”

Jenkins said he filmed the video before talking with Brees and posted it after, but would later delete it. Still, the message and fury over Brees’ comments are more than understandable. Jenkins and others who participated in the protests have been saying forever that they aren’t protesting the flag or the anthem, but are protesting systemic racism and police brutality, using their platform prior to games to do so.

Jenkins would later post another video — he said he recorded a number — and while it ends with a less aggressive closing remark (this time he says “I can’t let this slide”) the overall message remains the same, calling out Brees for not understanding his privilege and not being a willing advocate for the people he calls his brothers on the field.

Protests aren’t meant to be comfortable, they’re meant to cause people to take notice and to capture the attention of people otherwise unaffected by these issues, you have to protest during times they are paying attention. Jenkins said he hopes Brees “rectifies [his comments] with real action” and it will be very interesting to see how Brees responds after being swiftly criticized by some of his most prominent teammates.

On Wednesday, John Boyega made a stirring speech at a protest in London’s Hyde Park, where he spoke truth to power, saying, among other things, “Black lives have always mannered.” His voice cracked as he spoke about George Floyd and police brutality. At one point he broke down before rallying back. He wondered aloud if his words would cause any blowback. “I’m speaking to you from my heart,” the actor told the crowd. “Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*ck that.”

Footage of Boyega’s speech quickly went viral, and, as noticed by Entertainment Weekly, it didn’t take long for filmmakers to get his back, reminding him that he has nothing to worry about. Among those to chime in was Matthew A. Cherry, whose credits include directing Black-ish and Mixed-ish and executive producing Spike Lee’s BlackKklansman.

“I would work with John Boyega and I urge other Non-Black creators to affirm that they have his back as well,” Cherry wrote. His post prompted plenty of others to chime in as well, including Lin-Manuel Miranda.

And Chris Miller, of The Lego Movie and the 21 Jump Street films.

And Rob Delaney.

And writer Seth Grahame-Smith, of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker had similar sentiments.

As did Cathy Yan, director of Birds of Prey.

And, of course, Boyega also received support from one of his fellow Star Wars alumni.

(Via EW)

The past week has featured an awful lot of statements from various athletes, sports teams, brands, and any other entity with a social media account on the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, while three other officers watched it happen.

Some have been poignant, like Ben & Jerry’s, commenting on the issues of police brutality, systemic racism, and the ways those are intertwined and have led to the disproportionate targeting and killing of the black community for the entire history of the United States. Others have been vapid white text on black background statements offering an admission that “racism is bad, so is people dying” without ever once mentioning the police or what the current nationwide protests are trying to highlight.

The variance of statements also applies to sports teams and figures, as some have been outspoken — including those that have marched in the streets and organized protests — while others give some sort of milquetoast statement and move on. Drew Brees offered up one of those latter kind of statements over the weekend, but on Wednesday when asked how he would feel if NFL players returned to kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality, Brees showed he’s learned little to nothing in recent years about the point of those protests by saying he’ll never support “disrespecting the flag.”

Brees was quickly ripped by teammates like Michael Thomas for his statement, as well as being taken to task by LeBron James who reminded him, like many others, that there were plenty of black soldiers from World War II (and every other subsequent war) that fought for freedom before returning to the United States to deal with the same systemic racism that existed when they left.

Beyond that, the continued mischaracterization of the protests from Colin Kaepernick and others as a protest of the anthem or the flag or the military or anything other than police brutality and racial injustice infuriated many, including Aaron Rodgers who felt compelled to post a response to Instagram making clear what was what.

A few years ago we were criticized for locking arms in solidarity before the game. It has NEVER been about an anthem or a flag. Not then. Not now. Listen with an open heart, let’s educate ourselves, and then turn word and thought into action.

It’s clear that Rodgers is speaking to Brees and everyone else that trots out that talking point that they were disrespecting the flag or the anthem or whatever else by peacefully and silently protesting. This week has also served as a reminder that no matter the situation, people in power who want the status quo to remain as it is will never tolerate or accept protests in any form. It’s why many of the people who insist protesting during the anthem is bad said this week they’d respect peaceful protests, but not ones like this week that occasionally featured looting or rioting (often after provocation from police).

What Rodgers is saying is nothing the athletes involved in the protests haven’t said for years, but as a prominent white quarterback in the NFL, challenging another to better understand the message and to listen and learn is important.