The Tennessee Titans were among the most surprising teams in the NFL a year ago, as they made it to the AFC Championship game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans apparently aren’t worried about if last year was something of a fluke, as they’ve now locked up Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry to big, long-term contracts to lead the offense for years to come. Tannehill got a huge contract with $91 million in guarantees to be the quarterback for the foreseeable future in Tennessee earlier this offseason, and on Wednesday, the Titans and Henry were able to agree on a 4-year, $50 million deal (with half of that guaranteed) to keep their star back in town for years to come and avoid the franchise tag deadline.
Titans and RB Derrick Henry is signing a four-year, $50 million contract that includes $25.5 million guaranteed, source tells ESPN.
In one off-season, the Titans keep both Henry and Ryan Tannehill on long-term deals.
Henry, who led the league in rushing last year, didn’t set the market with his deal, but does get paid like the top backs in the league and gets some security at a position that is rarely afforded that. The Titans put some risk in making a commitment to a running back, but also are locking up one of the league’s truly unique forces — a back with incredible power and speed — that they have effectively built their offense around.
With just two years of guaranteed money, the Titans leave themselves some flexibility, but if Henry continues to play as he did in 2019, he can more than live up to this kind of money.
Most of the NBA players that will participate in the restart have been in the Disney Wide World of Sports bubble for just over a week, and are starting to find a groove when it comes to taking advantage of the various entertainment options at their disposal.
So far, one of the biggest hits has been bass fishing on the well-stocked lake by the hotel, where players have been thrilled to show off their catches on social media. Along with fishing, players have taken to the golf courses for some relaxation, as well as throwing some bags on the cornhole boards, and have a rec room outfitted with ping pong tables, pool tables, and much more. The videos that have emerged on social media of players enjoying their free time together, as the NBA restart has effectively become a summer camp, got us thinking there’s a chance here to return to the halcyon days of ESPN2, when tertiary sports dominated the weekends.
The Deuce is now just an extension of ESPN, but it once had its very own unique personality, specifically on Saturdays and Sundays where you’d get live broadcasts of everything from bass fishing, to bowling, to drag racing, to billiards. A lot of these things are what players are already doing in the bubble, and this is my official proposal to the Worldwide Leader to bring ESPN2 back to glory via the Disney bubble with a stacked NBA bubble weekend lineup.
SATURDAY
10 a.m. ET — NBA Bassmaster Classic Day 1
Three members of each NBA team take off in the little pontoon boats to various corners of the lake for a two-hour competition to see who can land the most bass, by weight. Standard Bassmasters Classic rules apply: The fish must be 12 inches long to qualify and must be alive at weigh-in to count so they can be released back. The Clippers, with Paul George and Montrezl Harrell, would be heavy favorites in this competition, but we’ve seen some others really take to this whole fishing deal. Hopefully we can get Bill Dance on the broadcast. I mostly mention that so I have a reason to drop in one of the internet’s finest videos.
Top-10 teams make it to Sunday’s championship round.
12 p.m. ET — NBA Cornhole Championships
For those that aren’t inclined to fish, maybe tossing some bags is more their speed. Cornhole remains a staple of ESPN2 broadcasts and if we get the players mic’d up this could feature some terrific trash talk.
1 p.m. ET — NBA 9-ball
Somewhere in the league there’s some pool sharks and I want to find out who they are. I’d bet a handsome sum of money that Chris Paul knows his way around a billiards table. This is an ESPN2 classic event, that I’m pretty sure sometimes happened at the WWoS, but definitely used to go down at various ESPN Zones (RIP).
2 p.m. ET — NBA Trick Shot Magic
We stay at the pool table for some Trick Shot Magic. I don’t know why but I feel strongly that Ben Simmons could master trick shot billiards. I also demand that the competitors must dress like Mike Massey in very colorful vests.
3 p.m. ET — NBA Table Tennis Tournament Day 1
This is a two-day event, because for those that don’t know, ping-pong is a wildly popular game in NBA locker rooms and we probably could easily fill out a 64-player bracket for this — singles play only, of course, given the league’s ban on doubles play. Seeding is done at random, best of 3 format. Fire it up.
SUNDAY
10 a.m. ET — NBA Bassmaster Classic Finals
The 10 teams that led in weight from Day 1 hit the lake for Day 2. Cumulative two-day weight for the winner, winning team gets a specially cooked, fine-dining dinner for their entire squad while everyone else gets the regular daily meal. The tension would be palpable.
12. p.m. ET — NBA Bowling Open
I have to assume somewhere at the WWoS there’s a bowling alley and we could make a bowling tournament happen with masks on, guys separated a lane apart, no one can share bowling balls. Chris Paul has the top seed, but I know there are some other guys out there that can really slam rocks and you know CP3 is going to take this far too seriously.
1 p.m. ET — NBA Timbersports
I feel like Steven Adams could dominate a Timbersports tournament. Get that man a chainsaw and let’s see what he can do.
2 p.m. ET — NBA Table Tennis Tournament Day 2
The conclusion of the NBA Table Tennis Tourney. At stake? A guest room at your disposal, well before Round 2 of the playoffs.
4 p.m. ET — Stump The Schwab
How did Howie Schwab get into the NBA bubble? Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.
4:30 p.m. ET — Long Drive Contest
Jayson Tatum reportedly has a 120 mph swing. Let’s see it in action against the rest of the league’s golfers in a Long Drive Contest.
21-year-old singer/songwriter Conan Gray made his major-label debut earlier this year with his record Kid Krow. While he only recently released his first full-length effort, the singer had already garnered a huge fanbase by sharing music to YouTube in high school and has since perfected his emotive songwriter through vulnerable lyrics and buoyant instrumentals. Now, Gray returns by sharing an acoustic version of the fan-favorite Kid Krow track, “Heather.”
For the stripped-down rendition, Gray sat on his bed and pulled out an acoustic guitar after setting the vibes of his room just right. Speaking to Apple Music about the track alongside the album’s release, Gray said he very open about his love life on “Heather”:
“‘Heather’ is the song on the album that I always cry to. I think it’s the most honest recount of my love life at the moment. It’s about a girl named Heather—I think everyone has a Heather in their life. The person that I really, really liked was in love with Heather. They were not in love with me, and because of that, I f*cking hated Heather. I hated Heather with all of my heart and soul. I had no reason to hate Heather. Heather is a perfectly nice girl. She’s sweet and she’s pure and she smells like daisies—she’s perfect, but I hate her. It’s this humiliating thing to admit, but it’s just true. I’m scared to see how people are going to react, because it isn’t a good thing to think something like that, but I also think it’s something that I’ve never really heard anyone admit. I’m sorry, Heather. You’re a wonderful person.”
Watch Gray’s acoustic performance of “Heather” above.
Muppets Now makes its Disney+ debut in just a few short weeks, and like all of us navigating these unusual times, even Kermit and the gang have to sit through Zoom calls.
In a new video to promote the upcoming series, The Muppets are subjected to “Joe from Legal” who joins the call to basically rain on everyone’s parade. He not only declares that all episodes will now be called “Muppisodes” to enhance the IP, but he also comes baring budget restraints and immediately shoots down Gonzo’s awesome idea for celebrity cameos. If you missed the official trailer, those celebs will include Seth Rogen, Aubrey Plaza, RuPaul, and other surprise guests who unfortunately won’t be rotated in a giant pie. Stupid Joe from Legal…
Anyway, the Zoom call is a timely touch that emphasizes how Muppets Now will take a unique approach to previous Muppet shows by barreling into a variety of non-fiction topics without a script.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Muppets Now” is The Muppets Studio’s first unscripted series and first original series for Disney+. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him. Overflowing with spontaneous lunacy, surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed, the Muppets cut loose in “Muppets Now” with the kind of startling silliness and chaotic fun that made them famous. From zany experiments with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker to lifestyle tips from the fabulous Miss Piggy, each episode is packed with hilarious segments, hosted by the Muppets showcasing what the Muppets do best.
Kweli and Common both have unique insight into Kanye’s thought process, as both rappers were instrumental in West’s early rise as a promising young producer for Roc-A-Fella Records. West produced Kweli’s biggest hit, 2002’s “Get By,” and counted Common as a mentor and forerunner in the Chicago hip-hop scene before helping Common recover from the commercial fallout of his experimental Electric Circus album with Be, Common’s Grammy-nominated sixth studio album, which became one of Common’s most successful projects ever.
Common describes being floored by the news and skeptical about Kanye’s qualifications. “I started thinking, we need a leader and a president who really is politically adept, knows the world of politics and is just an incredible leader… I would at least sit down and talk to ‘Ye to see if he’s serious about this.” Kweli also seems less than enthusiastic about Kanye’s sincerity. “For better or for worse, [he] prides himself at not being adept at politics and not really knowing about politics.”
Kweli points out that Kanye freely admits to being uninformed on hot-button issues and operation out of emotions, which makes him unwilling to support Kanye, although he thinks that Kanye is smart enough to “turn it around” — although he says Kanye has yet to turn around his “biggest mistake,” his support of Donald Trump. “That’s our brother,” Common says. “But I would sit down with him like, ‘What’s your plan?’ We really need a leader that’s on the next level when it comes to politics and thinking and the people.”
Watch the clip above.
People’s Party is a weekly interview show hosted by Talib Kweli with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics. Subscribe via Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
Earlier this year, prolific rapper Freddie Gibbs once again teamed up with producer The Alchemist for a new mixtape. Titled Alfredo, the project features verses from Benny The Butcher and Tyler The Creator. Now, Gibbs follows the mixtape’s release with a cinematic visual accompanying the track “Scottie Beam.”
Directed by James “JMP” Pereira, Gibbs’ “Scottie Beam” video follows the rapper as he runs from the law after having a fatal run-in with a cop who pulled him over during a traffic stop. After the incident, Gibbs’ face is plastered across new sites, catching the attention of Rick Ross, who invites Gibbs to his house for protection and emotional support. The visual’s opening nods to the plotline in the 2019 film Queen & Slim, which Gibbs also makes a lyrical reference to in the track. “I’d hate to be on the run for smokin’ an officer / We were bustin’ at police before Queen & Slim, that’s on FN,” he raps.
Ahead of the visual’s release, Gibbs weighed in on his picks for the top five rappers after Eminem and Drake previously offered their picks. Gibbs started the list himself and Kendrick Lamar, adding Pusha T, Drake, and The Roots’ Black Thought to round out his choices. The rapper also named Benny The Butcher and Killer Mike as honorable mentions for his list.
When the new trailer for The Boys season two dropped earlier in the month, it opened with the team going into hiding after Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher mysteriously went missing following the game-changing reveal at the end of the first season. In a new feature for Entertainment Weekly, Urban reveals that Butcher’s disappearance will hang heavily over The Boys and dramatically impact how he and the team approaches their war on the out-of-control “superheroes” in The Seven:
“Billy thinks the only good Supe is a dead Supe, and this season is really a season about growth. He’s coming to understand that things aren’t that black and white, there’s a certain shade of grey. He’s coming to understand that there is a benefit that comes with tolerance and being able to see that if he can use an asset, even if it’s a Supe, to achieve his goal, then he’s got to do it.”
As Urban notes to EW, Butcher’s absence is “a bit of a mystery,” and that will be the case for both the audience and The Boys. At least for a little while. This time around, Amazon won’t be dropping the full season all at once, but will instead, debut the first three episodes on September 4 then release the remaining five on a weekly basis. According to The Boys showrunner Eric Kripkie, Butcher will be completely absent from the season premiere and then reemerge in the second episode with zero indication of where he’s been. However, where he’s been for those missing weeks will be revealed in a separate short film starring Urban and simply titled Butcher.
While there’s no official release date for Butcher, Kripkie says it will arrive sometime in the middle of the second season of The Boys, which will make September a banner month for fans of the crazed superhero-stomping show.
A Cheyenne, Wyoming youngster is being hailed a hero for stepping in between his little sister and a charging dog on July 9th—an act of bravery that resulted in 90 stitches to his face.
According to a post on Instagram from 6-year-old Bridger Walker’s aunt, Nikki Walker, the boy was bitten several times in the head and face after he intervened, “then grabbed his sister’s hand and ran with her to keep her safe.” Bridger later said, “”If someone was going to die, i thought it should be me.” Wow—such a selfless sense of sacrifice at just six years old.
Walker tagged Bridger’s favorite superheroes—actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe—in her post, and at least one of them has already responded.
(Scroll through photos to see Bridger recovering from the dog attack.)
Mark Ruffalo, who plays The Hulk in the Marvel superhero movies, wrote an encouraging comment for the young hero:
“Dear Bridger, I just read about what happened to you and I wanted to reach out to say this… People who put the well beings of others in front of themselves are the most heroic and thoughtful people I know. I truly respect and admire your courage and your heart. Real courage isn’t dominating people or fighting against people or walking around like a tough guy. Real courage is knowing what is right to do and doing it even when it might end up hurting you somehow. You are more of man than many, many I have seen or known. With Admiration… Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk/Professor) 💪❤️👏”
Walker posted an edit with an update about Bridger, saying, “He’s in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact. He can’t smile too widely yet, but he was grinning as I read some of your comments to him.”
The story has gone incredibly viral, and people have asked whether there is a GoFundMe they can contribute to. Walker said in lieu of donations to them, Bridger’s family asks that people donate to Mission 22 or Wounded Warrior Project, two organizations that help wounded veterans.
She also said that Bridger loves science, especially geology, and that he would love to get pictures of cool rocks people see. Rock photos can be sent to:
Bridger Walker P.O. Box 22141 Cheyenne, WY 82003
Sending some cool rock pictures to a kid who was willing to sacrifice himself for his sister without hesitation seems like a pretty small request. Well done, Bridger. We hope your recovery is smooth and that you enjoy the well deserved outpouring of appreciation and love coming your way.
Dashcam video from a patrol car shows a Los Angeles Country sheriff saving the life of a choking 11-month-old baby. The dramatic footage is even more poignant because the mother and child had been attending a Black Lives Matter protest being monitored by the sheriffs.
The event was organized just a few days after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by choking him with his knee.
The incident happened on May 31 in Palmdale, California 60 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
An unidentified mother and her child were among the 200 to 300 people gathered at a protest in a park when, according to the Sheriff’s Department “the baby got sick, stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”
The mother ran with the child across the street to a parking lot where the deputies were posted. The footage shows the mother repeatedly giving the baby back blows to clear his airway, but to no avail.
Palmdale deputy saves infant who stopped breathing
Deputy Cameron Kinsey quickly ran to the mother and assessed the baby. He “administered a mouth sweep with his finger and dislodged vomit” and the baby began to breathe again.
After the airway was cleared the deputies, mother, and her companion can be seen breathing a huge sigh of relief. Paramedics arrived shortly afterward and the baby was taken to a hospital.
At the hospital, doctors discovered that the baby had swallowed a coin that blocked his airway. The deputy dislodged the coin by turning it sideways so the child could breathe. But the coin was still in the airway when the baby arrived at the hospital.
The incident is a beautiful depiction of how people who appear to be on opposing sides of one of the most important debates of a generation can drop all of their differences over the precious life of a child.
“None of that other stuff matters,” Deputy Kinsey said according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “Just the baby.”
The footage also shows the importance of understanding infant CPR. If a baby is deprived of air for more than a minute, cells in the brain begin to die. If the baby isn’t able to get oxygen to the brain for over four minutes it can pass away.
For more information on how to sign up for CPR classes in your area, click here.
The video below also provides some basic information how to perform CRR on a child.
When the NBA returns to the court later this month, a majority of players will take the floor with various league-approved social justice messages on their jerseys in place of their name. It’s a nice gesture, but one that everyone has noted is nothing without action behind it.
The league is working with the players union on a variety of potential platforms, from a greater focus on diversity within organizations and the league at an executive level to a foundation to deliver educational and economic opportunity to Black communities. While we wait to see the concrete form of the league’s plans to support systemic and long-term change inside the sport and in the communities the league exists in, players are taking the onus to make an impact.
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday announced on Wednesday that he would be donating his remaining salary, which is worth up to $5.3 million, to various social justice causes through a fund (the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund) he’s starting with his wife, Lauren, as he told ESPN‘s Andrew Lopez.
“Honestly when it came down to it, it was me and my wife talking about what we could do to kind of further this movement and progression and being able to help out our community and just being able to help,” Jrue Holiday told ESPN.
“We were just kind of sitting in the house, in the bed, thinking about it, and my wife said, ‘I think you should do this and you should do the rest of your salary.’ That’s a great idea. Because we want to make an impact. God has blessed us with so much. We know a couple of things that are important are time and money, and right now, we have both. To be able to give away our money to help further this movement and Black-owned businesses that have taken a hit in COVID-19, to us, it felt like the perfect time and opportunity.”
“I’ve been so blessed to make this money and play basketball … but there’s people out there that need support.”
Jrue Holiday will donate the rest of his salary for this season, worth up to $5.3 million, to launch a social justice fund, he told @Rachel__Nichols on The Jump. pic.twitter.com/7LRRmHGmFT
Holiday will look to donate the majority of that money to various non-profit organizations and Black-owned business in New Orleans (up to $1.5 million), Indianapolis ($1 million), and Los Angeles/Compton ($1.5 million), as well as $1 million to Black-owned businesses in 10 other cities across the country and $500,000 to HBCUs and other educational institutions, per ESPN.
Those three cities were selected because Holiday is from L.A. and went to UCLA — where he met Lauren — who is from Indianapolis (which is also where Holiday’s two brothers play for the Pacers), and he currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s quite the commitment from the Holidays and is an incredible use of the platform they have with the restart for doing some good for a lot of people in communities that mean a lot to them.
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