Few who saw George Washington, David Gordon Green’s low-key debut from the year 2000, could have ever imagined the strange and twisty career that awaited him — surely not even Green himself. It used to seem odd that the guy who made small, sensitive indies like All the Real Girls also helmed the stoner comedies Pineapple Express and Your Highness. Jump a decade and he was suddenly making sequels to Halloween. Now he’s doubling down on old horror IPs: As per The Hollywood Reporter, Green is in talks to remake an even more shocking ’70s classic, The Exorcist.
The news was first reported by Observer, and THR confirms that Green is still “in talks” to redo the biggest hit of 1973, from a time when Nixon-era America couldn’t get enough of watching a 12-year-old girl get possessed by a demon, vomit pea soup, spin her head 360 degrees, shout saucy expletives, and masturbate with a crucifix. We’ll how much of that will remain in a post-Trump/post-COVID world, but surely America will still have some, well, demons to exorcise for quite some time to come.
The news comes mere days after the original’s director, William Friedkin, shot down rumors that he was involved in the reboot. He also had nothing to do with any of its sequels and prequels, including the notorious and brazenly nonsensical Exorcist II: The Heretic, which featured little in the way of exorcising but did include a great uptick in the number of locusts (as well as this deranged banger of an Ennio Morricone track). A threequel, helmed by the novel’s author William Peter Blatty, was better received, as was a prequel by Paul Schrader that was infamously rejected by the studio for being too slow and smart, prompting Cliffhanger’s Renny Harlin to redo it as something a whole lot dumber. In other words, David Gordon Green may find himself among august company indeed.
Nine months after the first pandemic lockdowns began across the US, Congress is finally voting on a second relief bill. Most of the negative attention has gone towards the modest $600 stimulus checks, which got Nancy Pelosi slammed online after she called it “significant.” But because the bill is thousands of pages, there are some peculiar clauses politicians that people didn’t catch on first glance. One provision includes a statement on the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation process and another addresses the punishment for illegal music streaming.
The “Felony Streaming” provision was first presented by Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. According to Consequence Of Sound, Tillis’ proposal suggested to increase the penalty for those found guilty of streaming unlicensed works, whether it be music, television, or film, making it possible for them to face up to ten years in federal prison.
Along with making illegal streaming a felony offense, the bill would help those looking to file copyright infringement claims. Rather than forcing copyright holders to go through the costly process of taking an infringement claim through federal court, the proposed system would make it possible for them to settle cases in a more streamlined manner.
Tillis isn’t the first senator to propose harsher action against illegal streamers. Nearly a decade ago, Senator Amy Klobuchar, who ran for president this year, made a similar proposal similar. That one did not pass, as people were concerned that the increased restrictions may end up sending Justin Bieber to jail.
The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, falling to 5-9 on the season with their sixth defeat in the last seven games. For a team with reasonably high expectations, the 49ers have been disappointing in the grand scheme, though it should be noted that San Francisco has dealt with myriad injuries on both sides of the ball, crippling their once lauded depth. To that end, starting running back Raheem Mostert, who burst onto the scene with 336 rushing yards and five touchdowns during the 2019 playoffs, suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him after just 14 carries and 68 yards against Dallas.
Mostert has been dealing with the ankle injury for most of the season, appearing in just eight of the team’s 14 games, but a particular segment of NFL fans seemed to find his Twitter account and lob what he called “disrespect’ in his direction after the game.
People really think they’re ‘big and bad’ with these Twitter fingers.
Given the presence of the fantasy football playoffs, it was fair to assume at least some of the ire came from overzealous individuals who were invested in Mostert’s success, and he confirmed that as part of an extensive rant.
Do you really think players get hurt on purpose?!! Like we want to spend MONTHS in rehab NOT doing what we love?
Quite honestly, Mostert is in the right here, as players want to be on the field whenever possible, and it isn’t as if it is a pleasurable experience to deal with and rehab from an injury. Beyond that, he was spot-on in expressing a desire for people to be respectful of one another.
Bottom line is — BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE. Always. Disrespect gets you NOWHERE.
Fantasy football is, of course, a potentially enjoyable experience, albeit a frustrating one for many, and has become for some the main lens through which they view the NFL. Still, there is clearly no need to lash out at players for underperformance (and even less of a need to tag them on Twitter), and that is doubly true for injury-related absences. Mostert isn’t the first, nor will be the last, player to push back on fans hurling insults in his direction, but it would be wise to note his objections in this case and, hopefully, folks won’t feel the need to express their displeasure in this way again.
Thankfully, her relationship with current boyfriend, now fiancee, Dalton Gomez, has been blessedly less dramatic, but it hasn’t been significantly longer, either. Quarantining together has certainly brought the new couple close, but let’s keep in mind this is the guy who inspired “Positions,” a No. 1 hit with the most tepid, traditional lyrics a woman could release in the year of our Lord, 2020 (“Cookin’ in the kitchen / And I’m in the bedroom”).
Then there’s the subject of her engagement ring, which is a surprising setting that includes a large oval diamond and a pearl, set east to west on the band together. Eagle eyed fans think they’ve uncovered the source of the unlikely pearl, as a family heirloom previously repurposed into a ring by Ariana’s grandmother that the singer shared back in 2014:
nonna had a ring made for me w/ the pearl from grandpa’s tie pin. she says he told her in a dream it’d protect me. <3 pic.twitter.com/BkvGSfuGWh
If this is the same pearl from her grandfather’s tie pin, transferred from this ring to her engagement band, then it’s definitely a sweet, meaningful gesture.
I’m still not sold on the speed of this relationship though, or those godawful “Positions” lyrics.
Talk about curbing your enthusiasm. Larry David has been one of the more entertaining entertainers during the pandemic, partly because it’s incredibly funny to imagine him — or at least his long-running small screen alter ego — grouchily and stubbornly navigating things like masks and social distancing. He even gave a great New York Times profile about that very thing! But if you were hoping for him to mine that for an entire season of Curb episodes, you’re out of luck: According to producer and writer Jeff Schaffer, Season 11 will skip to a post-COVID world.
To be fair, it actually makes perfect sense. Schaeffer broke the news in an op-ed he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter (in a bit teased out by The A.V. Club), saying they had to consider where America would be when the episodes, which has been shooting since early November, finally dropped.
“We had to make the decision about what era we were writing — before, during or after COVID — and the real factor was when we would be premiering,” Schaeffer said. “We figured we would be coming out in the fall of 2021 and we didn’t want what we were writing in March of 2020 to be so timely that it would feel dated more than a year later.”
That said, it’s not like the pandemic won’t play a sizable role in how the onscreen Larry David navigates the world. “COVID definitely happened and we definitely talk about it…And Larry [the character] has opinions on all of it.” Schaffer adds, “I can’t tell you which characters got COVID, but I can definitely tell you that we do examine peoples’ behavior during the COVID era.”
Schaffer also says they started writing before the pandemic hit, which inevitably caused them to “change some things.” It’s not clear how much they changed — how large the pandemic will loom over the season’s antics. And it’s not even that optimistic to assume things will be (mostly) normal by next fall, what with multiple vaccines en route, and considering that there’s going to a portion of the country who refuses to take it. But even if stuff is still weird and bad, at least we can escape our problems by watching a show where even Larry David seems chiller than we are.
It’s always a good time for tasty, cheap brandy. That’s no small category, either. There’s a lot of quality juice at affordable price points — due to the fact that a fair amount of it is made here in the U.S. So while our parameter here is “under $30,” we’re not talking about swill. Any of these bottles would make a great last-minute holiday present for the dark spirits lover in your life.
At the very least, a bottle of brandy under the tree is a nice break from all the bourbon that gets, gifted, sipped, and talked about this time of year. Life is all about variety, after all.
The 15 bottles below are our picks for the best cheap bottles of brandy to buy right now. Perfect if you’re whipping up a batch of hot toddies to fight the cold winter nights. A quick note on deciphering brandy labels before we begin: In general, you’ll see VS, VSOP, and XO on bottles, like “Hennessey VSOP.” “VS” means “very special” and is a blend of at least two-year-old brandies. “VSOP” means “very superior old pale” and is a blend of at least four-year-old brandies. “XO” means “extra old” and is a blend of at least six-year-old brandies (sometimes this is called “Napoléon” as well). And, lastly, there’s “Hors d’âge” which means the brandy is aged for up to ten years or longer.
Of course, there are different words for each of these terms if the brandy is from, say, Spain. Also, brandy makers in the U.S. often use the French designations with zero respect for the age regulations they’re meant for, which adds a confusing wrinkle. Regardless, the info and the bottles here should get you started on your brandy journey, just in time for the holidays.
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$11.99
The Brandy:
This American brandy is a blend of California winemaking and Kentucky bourbon ingenuity. The grapes are grown in California and the brandy is aged and bottled in Kentucky. According to the label, this brandy spends three years aging in oak before going into the bottle.
The Taste:
A distant note of grape juice underpins clear bourbon caramel and vanilla flavors. Light touches of bitterness and black pepper spice mingle with the caramel sweetness. That light spice carries on to a thin, sweet finish.
Bottom Line:
This is solidly in the “mixing” category. Brandy old fashioned, eggnog, mulled wine, and the aforementioned hot toddy are all viable candidates.
Korbel Brandy
Korbel
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$12.99
The Brandy:
Korbel is a must-have for whipping up Wisconsin’s favorite drink, the brandy old fashioned. As with all the brandies on this list, that also makes it the perfect candidate for a hot toddy.
The Taste:
This Sonoma brandy actually gains a lot of depth over its two years in the barrel. There’s a clear sense of caramel that leans towards a butterscotch sweetness. The oak comes through with a hint of spice. There’s a slight minerality with a clear note of vinous grapes on the warming finish.
Bottom Line:
This is designed for the old fashioned. Use it for that! It also works really well with cola (especially Coke).
E&J VSOP Premium Brandy
E and J
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$13.49
The Brandy:
E&J VSOP hails from the iconic Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery in Modesto, California. The juice is aged for two years before bottling, making it pretty versatile at this price point. You can drink this stuff in a highball or cocktail. It also works as a great dessert brandy. Pour some of this over a sponge cake or ice cream and you’ve got a nice boozy bump to that dessert.
The Taste:
Wet brown sugar mingles with baking spices and a note of sunny meadows. Cream soda dominates the palate with a wisp of bourbon vanilla, maple syrup, and plummy sherry. The end is bold and long-lasting with a return of the warming spice alongside a little bit of oak.
Bottom Line:
We’re still squarely in the mixing category with this one. Still, give it shot on the rocks or in a highball with some fizzy water to cool it down.
Paul Masson Grande Amber VSOP Brandy
Paul Masson
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.20
The Brandy:
We can’t go on without hitting on Paul Masson’s VSOP. This is one of the better brandies you’ll find for under $20 in the U.S. This expression is the blend of Paul Masson’s Grand Amber (above) and imported Cognac. That addition of the real-deal stuff from France sets this brandy above the rest of the pack.
The Taste:
Notes of fatty hazelnuts and dry Champagne grapes lead the way. There’s a matrix of spices at play, with cloves out front. Cigar smoke, oily espresso beans, and freshly ground allspice round out the sip before it reaches a dry finish.
Bottom Line:
This is starting to get into workhorse brandy territory with applications in cocktails, highballs, and on the rocks working well with this expression.
St-Rémy VSOP
St. Remy
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
St-Rémy is a classic French gateway brandy. Its price point is the biggest draw, but the booze is backed up with a decent grape-forward essence. That’s thanks to a base wine that’s a blend of — deep breath — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gamay, Ugni Blanc, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The juice is then aged for four years in small format French oak barrels before hitting the bottle.
The Taste:
This is a big departure from the Californian brandies populating this list thus far. Fruit orchards, rays of sunshine, and wildflowers lead the way on this sip. That wide-focus narrows on the palate to present ripe apricots and peaches with an almost honeysuckle floral hint that’s cut by a lemon rind citrus on the very end with a final dry, vinous touch.
Bottom Line:
You can warm this one up in a snifter, in the sense that it’s a solid entry point French brandy that’ll help build your palate and lead you to better things in the brandy world.
Korbel Brandy XS
Korbel
Style: Blended California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
Korbel XS is the “Extra Smooth” brandy that’s a stand out on this list. The brandy is spiked with vanilla, spices, sugars, and orange essence to really amp up the mixability of the brandy.
The Taste:
There’s a clear bitterness upfront with whiffs of orange and baking spices. Later, the taste leans into cream soda vanilla that errs a little saccharine. The spices, bitter orange, and soda pop vanilla all combine on a quick end that fades with a slight burn.
Bottom Line:
This works really well in an old fashioned or Brandy Alexander (think chocolate and orange with a creamy body).
E&J Brandy XO
E and J
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
E&J’s XO deserves some love. Although this is designated as an “XO,” it’s still only aged for a minimum of two years. It is, however, charcoal filtered. A lot of the harsher edges are whittled away through that process.
The Taste:
That classic creamy vanilla of U.S. produced brandy is front-and-center. There’s a good sense of rich toffee and very dark brown sugar on those vanilla coattails. The finish is velvety, creamy, sweet, and full of that continued presence of vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a dark, spicy, and sweet brandy that suits the Christmas sipping season where the eggnog flows and we all bathe in mulled wine.
Presidente Brandy
Presidente Brandy
Style: Mexican Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$15.99
The Brandy:
Mexico’s Presidente Brandy is making big waves in the U.S. and with good reason. This is a solid brandy at an accessible price. This was also one of the most popular drinks in Mexico for a very long time — so much so that it was the “National Drink of Mexico” at one point.
The Taste:
There are notes of vanilla that are tempered by rich marzipan. The vanilla dries out and has more of a saltwater taffy essence as oak, spice, and a hint of florals linger in the background. The finish holds onto the dryness and ends strong.
Bottom Line:
While you can drink this one neat or on the rocks, it really shines as a base spirit for a great cocktail.
Raynal VSOP Brandy
Raynal
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$16.79
The Brandy:
Raynal is one of the biggest French brandies in the United States. It’s the perfect balance between affordability and quality. The brandy is a blend of white grapes from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne that are then aged in French oak for the requisite four years.
The Taste:
This brandy smells like velvet and nuts (walnuts and almonds dominate). Hints of freshly grated ginger spice things up with a nice underbelly of candied dried fruits next to a wisp of fresh flowers. The finish is vinous and dry, with a lingering moment of ginger and nuttiness.
Bottom Line:
That sharp ginger makes this a nice base for a sidecar cocktail spiked with ginger syrup. It’s also a quality brandy for a highball.
St-Rémy XO
St. Remy
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$19.99
The Brandy:
St-Rémy XO is a mellowed and very tasty brandy that’s always around $20 a bottle. This brandy is a masterclass in French grapes. It blends distilled wines from Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône Valley, Languedoc Roussillon, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, and Beaujolais into each bottle.
The Taste:
Figs, gingerbread, sun-dried grapes, and butterscotch are present up top. The sweetness of figs peak as a clear espresso bean bitterness counterpoints that fruity sweet edge. There’s an echo of wildflowers in the background as the bitterness and sweetness fades with a nice velvet texture at the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid sipper (with a little ice). Take your time with it to let it open up in the glass and then your senses.
Laird’s Straight Applejack 86
Lairds
Style: American Fruit Brandy ABV: 43% Average Price:$25.25
The Brandy:
This apple brandy, or applejack if you will, is 100 percent apple brandy made from 17 pounds of apples per bottle of brandy. This is a very German-American spirit with clear heritage derived from Germanic fruit brandies married to U.S. aging processes like bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.
The Taste:
Granny Smith apples baked in butter, cinnamon, bourbon vanilla and caramel, and brandy lead the way here. Then a billow of smoke arrives with a clear sense of the charred oak barrel. The vanilla, spice, and tart apple carry through to a bold and warm finish that feels like the ghosts of a fallow apple orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is nice on the rocks or as a funky and fruity old fashioned base.
Lustau Brandy Solera Gran Reserva
Lustau Brandy
Style: Spanish Brandy Distillery: Lustau Age: 40% Average Price:$26.40
The Brandy:
This is a shockingly decent brandy at this price point. Lustau is so revered in distilling circles that Ireland’s iconic Redbreast uses their used barrels to age one of their best high-end expressions. The Gran Reserva expression is aged in used Amontillado sherry casks for around three years under the Spanish sun in Jerez, Spain.
The Taste:
Orange, coconut oil, oak, vanilla, toasted almonds, and baking spices lead the way. There’s a real sense of freshly ground nutmeg and allspice that leads to a rich and buttery fruit cake full of sun-dried fruits. Espresso and dark chocolate bitterness cut in and highjack the spices, sending them to a warm and sunny end with a hint of dry Spanish grass.
Bottom Line:
Let this warm nicely in a big snifter and then take your time nosing and sipping. It’ll help you get a deeper knowledge and entry into the world of Spanish brandy.
This a real-deal brandy from Cognac. The heritage of this Cognac house goes back 24 generations to the 1600s. The juice is a blend of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne grapes from some of the best vineyards in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac. The expression is then aged for two years in French oak before direct bottling without any meddling.
The Taste:
This is a dialed-in sip. Equally sweet and earthy prunes and dates lead towards a rush of wildflowers in full bloom. Soft notes of orange zest and lemon citrus dance with wisps of oaky smoke, Christmas spices, and deep green grape leaves. A note of lavender mingles with roasted nuts as the velvet finish hits flowers, fruit, and oak notes. This is pure sunshine.
Bottom Line:
Cognac for under $30? Sign us up! This is a decent sipper with a little warmth that really embraces you as it goes down.
This Greek spirit is a blend of brandy, Muscat wine, and botanicals (not unlike gin). It’s then aged for five years — hence the “Five Star” designation. This process makes for a wholly unique experience with botanicals like anise and rose shining through the distilled grape base.
The Taste:
Bold stone fruit, fresh honeycomb, and a field of wildflowers lead the way. Then the spices hit with a big dose of Christmas spices leading into a bowl of dried roses. The fruit comes back with a note of oak on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a definite mixer for highballs. Really fizzy water, lots of ice, and a twist of lime or lemon really open this blend up in the glass.
This Cognac just squeaks by at $28.99 per bottle. This is a good entry-level brandy that has pretty solid name recognition. The juice is a blend of four to seven-year-old brandies made primarily from grapes grown in the Fins Bois region with a solid percentage of Petite Champagne grapes thrown in to balance things out.
The Taste:
Dried grapes, ripe apples and pears, and creamy chocolate mingle on the nose. The florals feel more like a fruit orchard in full bloom on a spring day. Coffee bitterness arrives next to barrel spiciness with a wisp of smoke lurking far in the background. The fruit and florals bring about a quiet-yet-warming final note.
Bottom Line:
Another Cognac for under $30? That’s a win for this list. It’s also a win for you. This is a very sippable brandy that also works as a great gift for any brandy lover.
Freddie Gibbs‘ Instagram page looks different from the average musician’s. Clicking on his Stories, one finds not typical promotional material but esoteric memes, fighting videos, and other crude content. But when the rapper opened the app Monday to share some more posts, he found his account had been banned.
Rather than getting frustrated at Instagram for kicking him off the site, Gibbs immediately responded with jokes.
This supposedly wasn’t Gibbs’ first time being kicked off the platform for the nature of his posts. In March, he claimed that representatives from Instagram had personally called him to inform him that he was being banned.
U know it’s fucked up when Instagram call u and tell u that u banned
Gibbs isn’t the only rapper to have been banned from Instagram recently. Back in August, Boosie Badazz’s Instagram page was banned from the site after he posted a pornographic photo — and he’s now gearing up to sue Mark Zuckerberg over the incident. “This is discrimination,” he said about being removed from the platform. He continued: “And my Black people are starting to tell me that ‘Boosie, this man is a racist. He knows you affect the Black community and make them smile every morning. Why he’s not giving you your page back when he gives all these people their page back? He might be trying to stop us from smiling.’”
Freddie Gibbs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Evangelicals have stood beside Donald Trump despite everything — despite the “grab ’em by the p*ssy” tape, despite him paying porn stars for sex, despite him being Donald Trump. But perhaps no more. As per Mediate, one of the legends of the Christian movement, Pat Robertson, has had enough, joining the likes of Geraldo Rivera in calling for the outgoing president to finally concede the election he lost nearly two months ago.
It wasn’t that long ago that Robertson stood by Trump’s side. The 700 Club host and onetime failed presidential candidate was one of many conservatives who refused to accept Joe Biden’s win, saying, “It’s not over yet.” But on his show Monday, not only did he publicly say Biden was the nation’s incoming president, he told Trump, “you’ve had your day and it’s time to move on.”
But that’s not all. After a segment concerning Trump’s threatened 2024 run, he unloaded on 45. “With all his talent and the ability to raise money and grow large crowds, the president still lives in an alternate reality,” Robertson told his viewers. “He really does. People say, ‘Well, he lies about this, that, and the other.’ No, he isn’t lying. To him, that’s the truth.”
He wasn’t done: “He is very erratic and he’s fired people and he’s fought people and he’s insulted people… It’s a mixed bag.”
One of the keys to Trump’s presidential success — one of the reasons he still received over 70 million votes in 2020 — is that evangelicals have had his back, truly through thick and thin. Or at least they’ve hated Democrats more. Despite Trump’s Trumpiness, he’s given them what they want, advancing pro-Christian legislation and boasted about his pro-life bona fides. None of this has been particularly convincing, but it’s drawn them to his side, even when his opponent was more openly religious than he is.
So is this the end of Trump’s evangelical support? Can Trumpism survive if even Pat Robertson is calling him out? Will the Republican party move back toward a more traditional direction? It all remains to be seen. But this is more bad news for a president whose base is all he’s got.
In any case, a lot of people couldn’t believe they were agreeing with noted homophobe Pat Robertson.
Less than one month ago, I literally retweeted Jeb Bush. Today, I’m retweeting *Pat Robertson*
Noteworthy: Pat Robertson does a rundown of a bunch of Trump’s lies and notes Trump seems to believe this stuff. He “lives in an alternate reality…very erratic…it’s time to move on.” pic.twitter.com/9XLgIHS3mK
Congress finally passing a coronavirus stimulus bill is good news for the millions of Americans who have endured a difficult year of economic struggles and unemployment. But as is often the case with political dealings and life in 2020, there are plenty of other weird things that were included in the omnibus bill that passed after lengthy negotiations with potentially deadly consequences for Americans desperate for help from the federal government.
Not much gets done quickly in Congress, which is why these large bills often have lengthy addendums and other strangeness. It’s a complicated game of congressmen often slipping other projects into a bill meant for something very different.
the new COVID relief bill includes:
– $4’000’000’000 for navy weapons – $2’000’000’000 for air force missiles – $500’000’000 for israel – tax breaks if you own a race horse
And apparently one of those things is language that could make illegally streaming media content a felony that results in a hefty jail sentence. Via THR:
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony:
It’s been less than two weeks since Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so, the North Carolina Senator flirted with danger. About a decade ago, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar made a similar proposal before it ended up dying as people worried about sending Justin Bieber to jail. (No, seriously.) This time, Tillis’ attempt was winning better reviews for more narrowly tailoring the provisions towards commercial operators rather than users. That said, it’s had very little time to circulate before evidently becoming part of the spending package. If passed, illegal streaming could carry up to 10 years in jail.
THR also notes that tax relief for funding TV and film productions is part of the language as well as a revamping of the U.S Copyright Office. That’s a lot of TV and media importance, but one has to also remember that those industries also provide jobs to many thousands of Americans. There’s no easy answer here, but it’s also clear that Americans are frustrated with the individual “stimulus” portion of the bill, so Congress may end up back where they started, sooner rather than later.
Monday evening was the deadline for contract extensions around the NBA and there was plenty of money flying around as teams locked in players from the 2017 draft class to keep them from hitting restricted free agency next summer.
Among those that got an extension was Luke Kennard, the fourth-year sharpshooter out of Duke who the Clippers traded for on Draft night in a three-team deal sending Landry Shamet to the Brooklyn Nets. Kennard inked a four-year, $64 million extension on Monday, the same money the Clippers gave fellow wing Marcus Morris this offseason, which could very well look like a good deal for both sides provided Kennard’s knee issues don’t keep him off the court — which is why the deal includes $8 million of “reachable incentives” that likely protect L.A. some in case he misses significant time.
The Kennard extension makes sense for a Clippers team that has no real way of adding significant help with their cap situation as it stands and likely won’t moving forward — particularly if they’re able to work out a deal next summer to keep Kawhi Leonard in town. Still, for former Clipper Montrezl Harrell, who is now with the Lakers after not being offered what he wanted from the Clippers this summer or last when he was extension eligible, seeing Kennard get paid when he didn’t as the Sixth Man of the Year caused him to be a bit confused.
Harrell laughs it off in his response on Twitter, but it probably does sting a bit to see this happen given how much he gave to the Clippers. A strong season in the other Staples Center locker room, however, will put Harrell in prime position to get paid next summer and if he can help the Lakers repeat, he will be laughing again in July.
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