Joe Burrow is headed home. The Athens, Ohio native who turned into a phenomenon during his record-setting senior season at LSU en route to a Heisman Trophy and a national championship was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday evening, a long-presumed move that finally came to fruition.

The pick is hardly a surprise. Ever since the Bengals got the No. 1 selection, Burrow was viewed as the favorite, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, any final remaining bits of doubt went out the window on Wednesday, when Bengals owner Mike Brown sent a letter to Burrow welcoming him to the organization.

Brown also made it official that Burrow will wear No. 9, the same number he wore in Baton Rouge.

Burrow spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Ohio State before opting to transfer to LSU. He put up pedestrian numbers during his first year with the Tigers, then had the greatest individual season any quarterback has had in the sport’s history. As a redshirt senior, Burrow became a program icon, completing 76.3 percent of his passes for 5,671 yards with 60 touchdowns and six interceptions. With him at the helm, LSU ran the table, capping things off with a pair of dominant victories in the College Football Playoff: a 63-28 thrashing of Oklahoma and a 42-25 win over Clemson in the title game.

Now, he heads to a Bengals team with some skill position talent on offense. The AFC North is a competitive division, but thanks to Burrow, Cincinnati has a potential face of the franchise for at least the next decade.

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Just a few days ago Travis Scott and his Cactus Jack Records imprint confirmed that Travis would be the first rapper to appear in a live concert on Fortnite, thanks to The Astronomical Experience. The concert Thursday arrived after a Fortnite skin that resembled Travis leaked online, leaving fans to believe that the Houston rapper and the gamemakers were collaborating on a new project. To make the experience that much better for fans, Travis also premiered a new collaboration with Kid Cudi during the in-game concert.

The song — entitled “The Scotts,” as Kid Cudi’s birth name, Scott Mescudi, also contains a “Scott” — the track marks the second time that Cudi and Travis have worked together. Their first collaboration was “Through The Night,” on Travis’ sophomore album, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight. The two played the song from a spacecraft, allowing gamers to approach the craft to get a better listen.

Most artists have set their eyes on TikTok as a good way to keep quarantining listeners happy, so by using Fortnite Travis may have directed artists to another venue, especially since it’s filled with gamers who quarantined long before the world became familiar with the word.

Check out the two videos above to hear a snippet of “The Scotts,” which is available for purchase on Travis’ website.

This is literally the best news you’ll have all day, and not only because the news is relentlessly grim: As per The Hollywood Reporter, the cast of Parks and Recreation is reuniting for a quarantine episode, allowing us to bask in the good vibes of not only Pawnee, Indiana, but also the fantasy of a government that actually works.

The episode will air on NBC next Thursday, on April 30, and everyone’s back: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir and Retta. Presumably it’ll largely take place from webcams, allowing us to see how each beloved Pawnee-an quarantines. How clean is Leslie and Ben’s home? How swank are Tom’s digs? Do Andy and April still live amongst filth?

Of course, we already learned what happened to the government functionaries of Parks and Rec, when the final episode jumped far into the future, offering happy endings to characters who deserved them. But we didn’t see what happened to them in 2020, when all of a sudden they were faced with a poorly managed pandemic!

The other great news: It’s all for charity. The special will raise money for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which as per THR, “helps food banks secure the resources they need to serve the most vulnerable members of their communities.” The special’s sponsors, State Farm and Subaru, will make matching donations of $150,000 each, while NBCUniversal, the cast, and the producers have pledged $500,000 in matching donations to be made through May 21.

The Parks and Rec special airs Thurs., April 30 at 8:30pm on NBC. Make sure you bust out a bottle of Tom’s signature drink, Snake Juice.

(Via THR)

Taking a page out of the WNBA playbook, University of Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs busted out his best grey hoodie and strongest hairdo in his driveway, in lieu of a traditional catwalk down the NFL Draft red carpet.

Like every NFL player with a great head of hair, Wirfs attributes his style and health to Head and Shoulders, with whom he’s already landed a nice endorsement from the looks of his tweet. He made sure to give his mom the special red carpet treatment in their front yard, complete with a bouquet of flowers.

Typically, NFL draft picks get to appear on-location in their best suits, flaunt their style, hang out in the green room, and grab a hat from the commissioner as they’re selected. Without that opportunity, Wirfs and others took matters into his own hands to show off some more casual red carpet looks at home.

The former Cyclones standout donned some nice blue jeans and a comfy grey hoodie, then traipsed up and down his own driveway at home in Iowa rather than in front of the cameras in Las Vegas, as he might have expected. Wirfs sits atop the Uproxx offensive tackle big board and is widely expected to go in the top 10 on Thursday night, as teams such as the Dolphins are potentially eyeing a move up to nab an offensive tackle like Wirfs based on his impressive size and athleticism.

Much of America has been locked under quarantine for well over a month now, and what have we been doing while trying to slow down the coronavirus pandemic? Mostly streaming. Wednesday Nielsen revealed that watching content over Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Criterion Channel, et al. has gone up nearly 100% since this time last year, and now we have an idea of what exactly people are watching.

As per Deadline, Amazon released select numbers and trends they’ve acquired through their Fire TV platform, which connects to all major streamers, including Amazon Prime. And what did they claim people were searching for most in March? Family fare. Kids aren’t allowed to leave the house, so parents have been firing up the likes of Frozen II, Trolls, Paw Patrol, Onward, and Harry Potter movies to keep everyone quiet.

People aren’t only watching movies the whole family can enjoy (or at least tolerate). People are also searching for such grown-up fare as Netflix’s Ozark, Starz’s Outlander, Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, and IMDb TV’s Schitt’s Creek. And Contagion — people are still watching Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, a star-studded drama about a pandemic in which [SPOILER] the government successfully clamps down on a rampaging virus before everyone dies. Oh, and a ton of people searched for a little show called Tiger King.

(Via Deadline)

Our final major positional group big board is here just in time for Thursday night’s NFL Draft festivities, and while there’s expected to be a run on corners on Thursday, expect to see at least one safety, if not two, taken in the first round.

This year’s safety class is an interesting one, with some big names from big programs, and a few non FBS players that have risen up boards during the process and figure to hear their name get called this weekend.

Tier 1

Grant Delpit: Beast. It’s pretty well-documented that Delpit’s tackling needs to improve — he needed collarbone surgery in 2018 and it can seem like that’s stuck with him — but he plays hard and is a breathtaking center fielder. His instincts and nose for the ball when it’s in the air is something you cannot teach, but at the same time, he’s willing to do what’s asked of him in coverage. The tackling stuff really is perplexing, because if he shores that up, he could legitimately be one of the best safeties in all of football. He’s also a two-time consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award last year, so he’s surely doing something right.

Xavier McKinney: Alabama safeties are given lots of responsibility in Nick Saban’s defense, adn McKinney’s production is representative of that. He led the Tide with 95 tackles, including 5.5 for loss and three sacks. He had three picks, one of which he took to the house, and tacked on five pass breakups, five QB hurries, four forced fumbles, and a block on special teams. He’s a special, versatile player and likely will be the first safety taken in this year’s draft.

Antoine Winfield Jr: He’s had some injuries that limited him to four games in 2017 and 2018. He’s not huge (5’9, 203). I do not care, I love this guy. He battles on every single possession and has the instincts, football IQ, and confidence to trust them that can only come when you are raised by a Pro Bowl defensive back. His senior year was special: 83 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, three sacks, and seven interceptions. Was a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year, the latter of which is doubly impressive when you consider that a top-3 pick played corner in the conference.

Tier 2

Jeremy Chinn: Chinn is a freak athlete and there are some that see him as a first round talent. He’s 6’3, 221 pounds, runs a 4.45, threw up 20 reps on the bench, and jumped out of the gym with a 41 inch vert and 11’6 broad jump. He comes from FCS Southern Illinois where he had 71 tackles and four picks a year ago. He provides positional versatility as well as such an intriguing skillset that it’s easy to see why he’s been a riser on boards throughout the process.

Ashtyn Davis: Like this dude’s game. He plays hard and isn’t afraid of anything, and seems like he could end up being quite the free safety in the league. Walked on at Cal and turned himself into a two-time all-conference selection, a first-team pick in 2018 and a second-team selection in 2019. Certainly plays with a former walk-on’s edge. A fast dude who processes the game well, Davis is a good last line of defense. Returned kicks, too, and was an NCAA Indoor All-American as a hurdler.

Tier 3

Kyle Dugger: As we’ve always said here at Uproxx Sports: Do not sleep on prospects coming out of Lenoir-Rhyne University. Dugger put on a show at a combine, running a 4.49 40 with a position-best 42-inch vertical and a 134-inch broad jump at 6’1 and 217 pounds. Obviously the big issue is the jump from Division II football to the NFL, but thanks to his special athleticism, he’s a big ball of clay that is worth taking on as a project.

Terrell Burgess: Hi, here again to spread the good news of a Utah guy. Burgess is a corner turned safety, so he’s got some coverage ability running a 4.46 at the Combine, and he’s a Utah guy, so while he’s not the hardest hitter, he’s not afraid of physicality. He could go late Day 2 or early Day 3 and will be beloved by whatever DC lands him.

Alohi Gilman: The Notre Dame product isn’t an athlete that wows you, but he’s a physical presence in the run game and his best attribute is his non-stop motor. He’s going to be a Day 3 pick, but will stick somewhere because of what he can do as a box safety playing against the run and because he’ll be a great special teams player.

K’Von Wallace: Starting to think Clemson’s pretty good at churning out potential pros! Wallace was a productive player the last few years for the Tigers and had a nice (albeit not earth-shattering) combine, coming in at 5’11, 206. Unsure whether or not he can be a consistent starting safety in the league — doesn’t quite have the length or the kind of speed where he can serve as a last line of defense — but he plays with a chip on his shoulder and is not concerned about being physical.

The NFL Draft will begin in mere hours, and while there’s tons of attention being paid to the quarterbacks and wide receivers in this draft, there’s ample opportunity to get some big time players that can try and shut them down.

We’re talking about cornerbacks, where there’s one absolutely elite talent at the top before a number of guys that could hear their names called on Thursday or early on Friday night. Let’s take a look at this year’s crop of corners.

Tier 1

Jeffrey Okudah: He could stand to be a tick better as a tackler. This is the extent of the knocks against Jeff Okudah, perhaps the best cornerback prospect to come through the draft since Jalen Ramsey. He does everything, swallowing up receivers in man or zone. The football IQ and instincts here are insane, while he just looks like a CB1 — 6’1, 205 with a pair of combine-bests among corners, a 41-inch vertical and a 135-inch broad jump. The team that gets Okudah is telling opposing teams that they’re not going to throw to one side of the field for a while — and you can read our interview with him here.

Tier 2

Kristian Fulton: Not Okudah, but he’s very, very good. Fulton was a beast at LSU, with only two interceptions in his college tenure because teams knew not to throw at him. While not the best tackler, Fulton is comfortable in man or zone, never seems to panic, and has the ability to stick with receivers. Impressive physically, too, coming in at 6’0 and 197 with a 4.46 40.

C.J. Henderson: The Florida corner didn’t have a pick last season after having six in his first two seasons in Gainesville, but he is one of the top corners in this class thanks to great size and length — 6’1, 204 — and exceptional athleticism — 4.39 in the 40, 37.5 inch vert. He’s excellent in 1-on-1 situations and had 11 pass breakups a year ago for the Gators, and could very well end up as the second corner taken in this draft.

Jeff Gladney: Gladney is a touch smaller than Fulton and Henderson and doesn’t have elite speed (4.48 is nothing to sneeze at), but he is likely to hear his name called at the back end of the first round or early on Friday. He had 14 pass breakups as a senior and comes from a program in TCU that has a pretty complex and diverse scheme, which may benefit him at the NFL level in that he was asked to do a lot of different things with the Horned Frogs.

Tier 3

A.J. Terrell: Clemson defensive players just get coached up, and Terrell is no exception. The dude is quite good at manning up opponents, resulting in five interceptions over the last two years. A quick and instinctive cornerback, Terrell is the kind of guy who is good at not getting burned. Frame needs to fill out a touch, coming in at 6’1 and 195. Not the most physical dude in this class as a result, which limits his tackling.

Trevon Diggs: I’m forever scarred by the LSU tape for Diggs, who was regularly run over by Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the edge, but removing that film (and LSU made lots of DBs look a little rough), you can see how he could be special at the next level. He’s a big, physical corner with excellent press-man skills and has the technique and understanding of scheme we expect from Alabama DBs. He can get a bit handsy and gamble at times, but for a DC that wants to upgrade his secondary to play more press, Diggs will be high on the list.

Noah Igbinoghene: The former receiver turned corner uses that knowledge of the offensive side to his advantage. He’s not the tallest at 5’10, but he plays big, with a physical mentality and likes to jar receivers off the line of scrimmage. What’s maybe most exciting is that he’s only been playing corner full-time for two years and is already at this level, which means he can continue getting better and if he goes to a team that invests in that development he has a chance to be special.

Jaylon Johnson: I love Utah guys and Johnson is a player I wouldn’t mind arguing as a potential first round talent. He’s got good size and uses it to his advantage, taking on the physical mentality that just about all kids from Utah have. He’s got scheme versatility, but thrives in press coverage where he jams and disrupts. He likes to make plays and can at times gamble, but you take that for what he can do as your top corner.

Damon Arnette: Oftentimes wonder how we’d view Arnette if he wasn’t on the other side of a dude as good as Okudah. Adores press coverage and got better as a football player as his career in Columbus progressed. Question his speed — a 4.56 40 at the combine — but he’s a scrappy corner who isn’t afraid of anything, even if he could stand to improve as a tackler. Interested in his production, which is modest, but also, he was on a defense that always had a freakishly good front seven, so he didn’t always have a ton to do.

Tier 4

Bryce Hall: His senior season was cut short due to an ankle injury, but Hall was a four year starter at Virginia and that experience shows in his film. He’s not the quickest and, as such, has some questions to answer there, but he’s a big, physical kid that if put into a press-man scheme could be a sneaky steal in the mid rounds of this year’s draft.

Cameron Dantzler: The Mississippi State product was productive in just nine games this season, and he’s got great size and length at 6’2 with room to add some strength. He’s a good athlete but is not the fastest guy (4.64 at the Combine), and he’s got to cut back on the pass interference penalties to be really impactful at the next level. Still, he’s very talented and is a good mid-round option for teams seeking DB help.

Troy Pride Jr.: Physically, Pride is a guy who seems like he should be a bit higher on this list, standing 5’11, 193 pounds with 4.4 speed and solid 3-cone (6.94 seconds) and shuttle (4.26 seconds) times. He’s reliable in manning dudes up, but his ball skills are lacking. He’s a willing tackler, but he’s not always the best at this. Would like to see him get more aggressive, but he’s smooth, quick, and scrappy. Not an All-Pro, but a nice football player.

Matthew Macfadyen first broke through as a most fastidious Mr. Darcy in the 2005 Keira Knightley-led Pride & Prejudice, but he’s gone next level on Succession, playing the squarely conniving Tom Wamsgam, a sociopath but one who could only ever fleece someone as dim as Nicholas Braun’s towering Cousin Greg. The English actor’s the man you want when you want someone to play lame men who are probably guilty of something, and it’s clear he’s perfect fit for AMC’s forthcoming Quiz, a show about a man who was found guilty of swindling Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

It’s a true story, based on a 2001 case involving one Charles Ingram, who, along with his wife Diana (played by Sian Clifford), were accused and later convicted of cheating their way to a jackpot on the once ubiquitous quiz show. The three-part drama, based on a play by James Graham first mounted on the West End in 2017, aired this month in its native England, but won’t arrive round these parts until May 31.

As far as whether the Ingrams were indeed guilty as charges, the show (and play) does not provide — cue dramatic Millionaire music — a final answer. Instead, as per IndieWire (by way of The A.V. Club), Graham said he wanted to “present both sides,” and that he wanted to “ask the audience to make up their minds whether they’re innocent or guilty.” Wherever the truth lies, Macfadyen looks like he’s excellent in it, and it’s another addition to the list of acclaimed shows centered around the former game show, alongside Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire.

Quiz airs on AMC starting on May 31.

(Via The A.V. Club)

Flavored bourbon (and flavored booze in general) gets a bad wrap from purists. There’s nothing “elevated” about adding sugar-centric flavorings to a premium product. But year-after-year, flavored bourbons, vodkas, and rums end up grabbing a lot of shelf space at the liquor store. That tells you at least two things: 1) someone is buying the stuff, and 2) someone, somewhere is trying to make it better.

While flavored whiskey may feel like a newish invention, it’s been getting bottled as long as we’ve been distilling spirits. Hundreds of years ago, adding fruit and spices to booze was essential to making the stuff drinkable. Then, as we figured out barreling, adding fruits and spices fell off and became more niche. In the modern era, all the major distillers and a vast majority of craft distillers produce a line of flavored products — if for no other reason than to appease drinkers seeking them out.

There’s a lot to like about the ten bottles of flavored bourbons and whiskeys below. For the most part, these are expressions that were cut with an actual product like fresh blackberries or real coffee. We did, you’ll notice, leave off Fireball. While that’s probably the best-known flavored whiskey out there, we’re going to focus on some smaller labels, less-known bottles, and lean away from high fructose corn syrup. For our Fireball review, see here.

Wild Turkey Spiced

ABV: 43%
Distillery: Wild Turkey Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, KY (Campari Group)
Average Price: $22.99

The Whiskey:

Instead of Fireball, try this. Wild Turkey Spiced is 43 percent Wild Turkey bourbon mellowed with Caribbean spices. The whole idea of this expression is to lean towards a well-spiced dark rum in bourbon form.

Tasting Notes:

If you like Wild Turkey but want a little touch of spice and sweet added, this is for you. This dram opens up with a clear sense of bourbon vanilla, caramel, and oak. The spice is present and carries through with nods to cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a clear rye pepperiness. The sweet edge leans more syrupy than bourbon-y.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $34.99

The Whiskey:

This expression is a nod to master distiller Booker Noe. While Noe helped create bourbon as we know it today, he also loved to make maple syrup and smoke meat. The standard Knob Creek bourbon is cut with “natural” smoked maple flavors that lean into the “smoke” aspects of that.

Tasting Notes:

It’s no surprise that it’s smoke that greets you. Those hints of maple and hickory head towards an earthiness that’s offset by oily vanilla and syrupy maple. The classic bourbon caramel feel comes in late with that syrup sweetness as the smoke lingers like the embers of a dying campfire late at night.

Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Leopold Bros. Distillery, Denver, CO
Average Price: $34.99

The Whiskey:

This small Rocky Mountain distiller does some magical stuff in the flavored booze category. Their sour mash of rye and corn whiskey is cut with fresh blackberry juice from the Rockies. The whiskey then goes into ex-bourbon barrels for final aging with the juice, creating a dark, moody dram.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a citrus rush next to a clear sense of berries and oak upfront. The blackberry brings about a sunny sweetness and earthiness that mingles with notes of dried fruits, vanilla, and caramel as the oak carries on through the palate. The berry and oak merrily continue towards the long, sweet, and warming finish.

Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 35%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $17.30

The Whiskey:

Jim Beam’s Apple blends classic Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon with an apple liqueur. The result is a bridge between bourbon and applejack or apple brandy with the essence of green apples front and center.

Tasting Notes:

Green tart apples greet you. There’s a sense of Jim Beam with clear notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak that’s amped up by the crack of a ripe green apple. The oak and bourbon notes lurk in the background as the apple’s sweetness brings about a quick finish.

Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Low Country Co., North Charleston, South Carolina
Average Price: $30.99

The Whiskey:

This is another great example of what real spice in bourbon can do. This expression has a base of Virgil Kane’s high-rye whiskey that’s infused with locally grown yellow Hawaiian ginger. The end result is something you didn’t know you needed in your life… but you definitely do.

Tasting Notes:

Naturally, ginger comes through heavily. There’s a sense of fresh ginger juice cut with spicy bourbon. The vanilla, oak, and florals are present but take a backseat to the ginger. There’s a mild fruity sweetness that marries the ginger sharpness — leading towards a long and spicy end.

Old Forester Mint Julep Bourbon Cocktail

ABV: 30%
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery, Shively, KY
Average Price: $24.99

The Whiskey:

Old Forester hit the jackpot with this expression. It’s a base of standard Old Forester bourbon cut with sugar and mint to a lower ABV. This is a cocktail in a bottle. Old Forester markets this as a “10-second cocktail” that you simply pour over ice, add fresh mint sprigs to, and enjoy. It’s hard to argue with that efficiency.

Tasting Notes:

Mint is dominating — though there’s still a sense of Old Forester bourbon with notes of vanilla and oak. Those notes carry on through the sip but are fully overshadowed by the real sense of bright mint and bar syrup sweetness on the palate. The expression is never cloyingly sweet though and the sense of sipping a bourbon-based cocktail carries through to the end.

FEW Cold Cut Bourbon

ABV: 46.5%
Distillery: FEW Spirits, Evanston, IL
Average Price: $49.99

The Whiskey:

This one-off release recently won an award for being the best-flavored whiskey in the world. Small batch bourbon is cut down to cask strength by using cold brew coffee mixed with the cutting water. That coffee adds a fascinating depth to the sip that embodies both bourbon and coffee.

Tasting Notes:

Coffee comes through with a nice balance from the oaky spice of the bourbon. The whole sip is underpinned by vanilla, espresso bitterness, caramel, and oak. The sip leans more towards the warmth of the bourbon as it fades away from the bitter coffee notes heading into the finish.

Bird Dog Jalapeno Honey Flavored Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Western Spirits, Bowling Green, KY (Sourced)
Average Price: $17.90

The Whiskey:

Bird Dog has a deep roaster of flavored whiskeys. This whiskey starts off as a Kentucky bourbon with a touch of rye and malted barley in the mash bill. After it’s matured, jalapeno and honey are folded into the expression. It sounds a little wild because… it is. Still, this whiskey consistently wins gold medals.

Tasting Notes:

Honey and citrus create a foundation for a sharp green pepper sense. That honey carries on as bourbon vanilla and oak kick in with a mild yet clear chili pepper spice. The heat builds with the honey and oak towards a sharp and long end that lets the chili linger.

Evan Williams Cherry

ABV: 35%
Distillery: Heaven Hills, Bardstown, KY
Average Price: $14.52

The Whiskey:

This expression uses classic Evan Williams Kentucky bourbon in the base. The ABVs are lowered (a bit) and then it’s cut with maraschino cherry “flavor.” That mix of bourbon, cherry, and sweetness make this a solid candidate for and old fashioned base.

Tasting Notes:

You’re met with big notes of cherry next to bourbon vanilla with a nutty flourish. Caramel and the sweet side of the maraschino cherries take over and the oak, vanilla, caramel, and nuttiness take a backseat but remain in play. The sip edges away from the sweet and into a warm, fruity final note.

Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey

ABV: 45.3%
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, KY
Average Price: $17.99

The Whiskey:

Let’s end back on the spicier side of things. After all, root beer is just a spicy soda. This combines Rebel Yell’s wheated straight bourbon with root beer spices.

Tasting Notes:

The creaminess of the root beer and bourbon vanilla mingle upfront. Those notes carry on as the spiciness of the sip kicks in with a nice cut of caramel and oak. The cream soda nature of the sip balances with the spicy warmth of the bourbon for a sharp and satisfying end.