“Today we feel like one big army devoted to one fight. Today it feels like maybe, just maybe, we can keep up.”

---

View Entire Post ›

She might be a controversial figure with an alleged history of racist language and bullying, but Tessa Blanchard remains at the top of Impact Wrestling, as their World Champion and biggest star. However, last night was the first night of Rebellion, an Impact event that was originally planned as a PPV and became a two-night show on AXS thanks to the Coronavirus Pandemic that has made live events with audiences unsafe and rearranged everyone’s plans.

Unexpectedly, similar health and safety concerns led Tessa Blanchard to skip the event entirely, forcing a change to the main event. The original plan was a Triple Threat for the World Championship with Tessa defending against Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards. When Tessa didn’t show up, Elgin cut a promo claiming it was because she’s afraid to fight him. Tessa responded on Twitter:

She then went on to apologize to fans for missing the event.

The other big news out of Impact Rebellion is that Willie Mack defeated Ace Austin to become the new X-Division Champion. This is Mack’s first title in Impact, and he’s a really likable performer, so it’s cool to see him get a run with a belt.

Also, Crazzy Steve returned to Impact. Decay fans rejoice.

Die Another Day is widely considered to be Pierce Brosnan’s worst movie as James Bond movie, and one of the worst James Bond movies overall. The most positive thing I can think to say about it is: at least it didn’t kill Halle Berry.

On Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show, Berry, who played the wonderfully-named Jinx Johnson in the 20th Bond film, told host Jimmy Fallon about the time Brosnan saved her from choking. “One time, I was doing a scene with Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day and I was supposed to be all sexy and, like, trying to seduce him with a fig — and then I end up choking on it,” she said. “And then he had to get up and do the Heimlich [maneuver]. So not sexy. Like, so not sexy.” That 007, what a cool customer.

You got me: I was looking for any excuse to use that photo.

Anyway, the sex scene in question involves the aforementioned fig and a knife, and according to IMDb (always accurate), “For the theatrical release, seven seconds were cut from the Jinx/Bond sex scene to secure a PG-13 rating in the US; this version was released on home video. All video versions released in or after 2006 are uncut. The main difference between the two is that Jinx moans loudly in the uncut version.” She’s not moaning from pleasure — she’s moaning because she can’t talk while choking on a fig.

No wonder peaches are “in” now. Harder to choke on those.

Living during a sweeping shutdown of retail businesses has seriously altered the way in which we spend our money. Whether you’re struggling to get by after losing your job as a result of COVID-19, or you’re just feeling fiscally conservative in these trying times, you’re probably not dropping as much on sneakers, shirts, and other clothes as you were a few months back. While the drops keep coming (and we often share them), you’re living in a buyer’s market now. And with no one to impress, it’s the perfect time to educate yourself on the production processes of mega brands and the importance of quality over price alone.

At this point, it’s well-established that scooping up ultra-cheap threads for every social event has been putting a tremendous strain on the planet. So why would we go back to a model that emphasizes poorly made clothes that fall apart in the wash over more durable, sustainable options when this is all over? Couldn’t the quarantine also be a chance to break our fast-fashion addiction?

For Earth Day 2020, let’s dive into how fast-fashion harms the planet and the steps you can take to change that and continue to reduce your carbon footprint once we’re allowed to leave our homes again.

The Manufacturing Process Is A Killer

To understand how wasteful the manufacturing processes of your favorite looks from stores like Zara, H&M, and Fashion Nova are, you need only to compare the number of “seasons” these labels crank out each year to how many heritage and other small-label brands — think Levi’s and Patagonia, or your favorite indie streetwear label — produce. The biggest fashion brands, even when their yield is high, generally keep things to two large seasons. Brands like Supreme, Palace, Rhude, and Off-White drop about two major collections a year, one for Fall/Winter and one for Spring/Summer. They may stagger those releases throughout the year and drip feed them to a hungry public, but they only truly produce two major seasons of clothing.

According to the Good Trade, fast fashion brands produce an average of 52 “micro seasons” per year, a process they’re able to keep up by responding to trends and shifting styles in real-time. See that jacket Drake rocked in the video for his newest single? Zara’s got one just like it. Ariana Grande’s award show dress would probably look great on you at your next party, well, expect Fashion Nova to be able to meet that demand. This puts fast-fashion labels under pressure to rush the manufacturing process by cutting corners and selling you low-quality merchandise before a new trend catches your eye.

According to HuffPost, since 2014 stores like H&M and Forever21 have been receiving daily shipments of new styles, while other labels like Topshop regularly introduce over 400 styles a week to their online store, resulting in hundreds of millions of garments per year. Think about fast fashion exactly the same way you think about fast food, it’s unhealthy because it’s cheap, and it’s cheap because it needs to be produced quickly and without the cost-prohibitive “quality” element. Fast fashion isn’t designed to last, it’s made as cheaply and quickly as possible, and if it ends up falling apart in the wash after a few weeks, you can just buy something else. This puts a strain not only on the environment but on the below-minimum-wage worker stitching your next summer look together right now.

Ready to handle some more numbers? According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 700 gallons of water to produce a single cotton shirt, roughly the same amount of water you’d consume in two and a half years, while the average pair of jeans can take 2000 gallons of water according to the UN Environment Programme. A lot of the water usage comes from the water-intensive process of growing cotton, but the dyeing process itself is incredibly wasteful. The World Resources Institute estimates that the world uses about 1.3 trillion gallons of water each year for fabric dyeing, the same amount it would take to fill two million Olympic-sized swimming pools. In total, garment manufacturing is responsible for about 20 percent of the world’s industrial water pollution.

Synthetic Fabrics Are Even Worse

“At least most of my clothes aren’t cotton” you might be thinking. We’re sorry to bring you more bad news but synthetic materials are even worse than cotton. According to Green Peace, an average of 60% of clothing is made from polyester, a number that is expected to rise to nearly 80% by 2030. Compare that to cotton, which makes up just 30% and is trending in roughly a flat line for the next twenty years.

Business Insider reveals that the production of polyester releases two to three times more carbon dioxide than the production of cotton, and while cotton is more likely to end up in a landfill somewhere, polyester tends to end up floating around in the ocean, you know, forever. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 35% of all microplastics found in the ocean came from the laundering of synthetic textiles. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 500,000 tons of microfibers are deposited into the ocean per year just from the routine washing of clothes. That’s equivalent to about 50 billion plastic bottles a year.

We’re Buying Too Much And Throwing Too Much Away

Aside from the environmental toll it takes to produce a near-constant supply of new clothes, we’re also buying too much. The World Resources Institute found that the average consumer bought 60% more clothing in 2014 than they did in the year 2000, and kept each garment only half as long. Even if you donate your clothes to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other local charity organizations, each garment can only change hands so many times before it ends up being tossed in a landfill, where it either sits to bio or photodegrade or gets incinerated.

The UN Environment Institute claims that roughly every second the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned, and if current consumption trends keep pace that might result in a quarter of the world’s total carbon budget by 2050. Meanwhile, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe found that 85% of the world’s total textiles end up in landfills each year. That’s something like 21 billion tons of clothing.

So What Can You Do?

Change buying habits. As we’ve seen with food: companies know the temptation of cheap options and they’re going to keep feeding them to us. Unless some fundamental changes are made to the way we consume clothing, things aren’t likely to change. At the very least, buy buying better made, longer-lasting, higher quality (and yes, more expensive) clothing, you can have a direct impact on your individual carbon footprint. It’s a small step, but one that increases in power exponentially as it catches on.

For the style heads and SNX readers, the message is simple: Don’t buy fast fashion. If you’re going to buy that new bomber jacket, instead of picking it up from Zara for a cool $29.99, invest in something pricier and more carefully crafted. Quality means longevity, and the idea here is to increase the average lifespan of your clothing. This time of tight budgets is also a chance to get back to thrifting. Shop thrift stores, vintage shops, or pick up your clothing from Depop or Etsy. Prolonging the lifespan of each garment is the goal here.

COVID-19 has given us all the opportunity to hit the refresh buttons on our worst ecological habits and fast fashion is certainly one of those. The chance to change our ways shouldn’t be missed.

Jason Isbell is gearing up for the release of his upcoming record Reunions. The singer has previewed the album through the singles “Only Children,” “What’ve I Done To Help,” and “Be Afraid.” But as the singer is looking to release the album amid an unexpected pandemic, Isbell has become concerned with how the release will impact record stores. So, the singer has found a solution that will benefit his fans and independent record stores alike.

Last month, Isbell shared his concern about how digital-only releases during this time will impact independent record stores. Isbell wrote on Twitter that he doesn’t “want to release an album online right now and add to their troubles.” But since many states have extended a stay-at-home order until after his Reunions record is released, Isbell cooked up a plan that will benefit both record stores and his fans. Isbell is releasing Reunions a week early only to independent record stores. Fans can pick up a physical copy of the album ahead of its scheduled release, all while financially assisting their local record store.

Isbell shared the news on social media. “That’s right folks,” he wrote. “Order the album through an independent record store and you’ll get it before everybody else.”

Ahead of his early release announcement, Isbell elaborated on Reunions‘ theme in a statement: “There are a lot of ghosts on this album. Sometimes the songs are about the ghosts of people who aren’t around anymore, but they’re also about who I used to be, the ghost of myself. I found myself writing songs that I wanted to write fifteen years ago, but in those days, I hadn’t written enough songs to know how to do it yet. Just now have I been able to pull it off to my own satisfaction. In that sense, it’s a reunion with the me I was back then.”

Reunions is out 5/15 via Southeastern Records. Pre-order it here or find it at a local record store.

With its launch just a month away, HBO Max continues to carpet bomb audiences with its impressive library of titles that will be available on the upcoming streaming service.

In a new promo voiced by Kristen Bell (a clever reference to the Gossip Girl revival that’s in the works), HBO Max leans heavily into its vast assortment of characters and offerings that include everyone from Batman to South Park, Game of Thrones, Succession, The Wizard of Oz, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and tons more. Because not only will HBO Max pull from its deep library of HBO Originals, but the service also locked down the streaming rights to hit shows like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Rick and Morty.

“HBO is the gold standard in terms of premium original content, and we are going to market on the strength of that brand and the power of the library,” said Chris Spadaccini, Chief Marketing Officer, WarnerMedia Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer. “But HBO Max offers so much more than just HBO. We are establishing HBO Max as a place where all your favorite shows and movies intersect in unexpected ways. There’s a really fun attitude and personality to the campaign and each one of our ads has an element of surprise and delight.”

HBO Max also recently revealed that it’s very much in the J.J. Abrams business. The streaming service has given series orders to three major one-hour dramas from Abrams’ Bad Robot company: Duster, a gritty tale of a “gutsy getaway driver” trying to make it in the 1970’s Southwest; Overlook, a horror series that expands on the universe of Stephen King’s The Shining; and Justice League Dark, which has struggled to find its way to theaters over the years, but has finally found a permanent home as a live-action series on HBO Max.

College cornerbacks are not supposed to do all of the things that former Ohio State standout Jeffrey Okudah is already capable of doing on the football field. A unanimous All-American selection last season, Okudah’s physicality, technique, instincts, football IQ, and mentality are all top-notch. As a result, he’s expected to go high in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Plenty of mocks have him tabbed at No. 3 overall to the Detroit Lions, which would make him the highest cornerback drafted since at least the turn of the millennium.

Okudah, a former five-star recruit out of Texas, was one of the centerpieces of a stout Buckeye defense last season. Now, he’s ready to take on his next chapter, one that seems destined to end up with Okudah’s name being kicked around in any discussions of the best cornerbacks in the league.

One day before Okudah learns where he’s going to start his NFL career, we spoke to him from his home in Texas about the process, playing his college ball in Columbus, and the role his family has played in getting him to this point.

I know the process has been a bit different than usual but how’s it been for you and what all have you done as you get ready for the draft?

It’s definitely been different. Just finding ways to work out, kinda innovative about it and just being smart about it with COVID-19. I’ve been going to the top floor of my parking garage, running around it for cardio, working out in my living room. It’s just been a different process.

I know there are rules, regulations every has to follow, but what’s the plan for draft night?

Going to my family’s house, being with loved ones, and celebrating with them.

You came to Ohio State as a blue-chip corner, where’s the area you believe you’ve grown the most as a football player during your time in Columbus?

I think it’s my knowledge of the game, just knowing the Xs and Os, learning the why behind what offenses do. I think once I started to learn that, the game just started to slow down so much for me.

What is the thing in your game you’re the most proud of and why?

The biggest thing I’m most proud of is the ability to keep wanting to learn, learn more things, never feel complacent. I know my freshman year, there were things I couldn’t do in press man that I can do now. I just learned from watching film how that’s supposed to look, just studying that and studying that and getting it figured out. A few years later now, I can do it.

Corner is an interesting position because I think it has to blend a bunch of different things. I wanna ask, what do you think is the most important thing for a cornerback to have: Good technique, the knowledge of what an opposing offense wants to do, or reliable instincts that never let you down?

Having good eye discipline, so just always know where to place your eyes in zone, or you have different eyes in man-to-man. So just knowing what you’re looking for, how to look for it, little keys that can help you play faster.

I always like asking dudes who are the guys you model your game after and what do you like about their games? It can be NFL, college, current guys, older guys, whomever.

I like Stephon Gilmore’s game a lot, I like Pat Pete, and I like Sherman, I think the way he reads route concepts, the way he makes plays on the ball, is first-class.

It seems like you like bigger, physical cornerbacks. Is that how you like to play?

Yeah, I’ve got to. I’m 6’1, 205, so I don’t have a choice at this point. [laughs]

During your time in Columbus, you played huge games against Penn State, against Michigan, against Michigan State, Big Ten Championships, bowl games, the playoff. How do you think being this battle-tested and playing in so many big games makes you uniquely ready for the NFL?

I think it’ll translate a lot. We played a lot of games, but we also won a lot of games, so having that winner’s mentality, anyone at Ohio State will do anything to win a game. So I think just having that winner’s mentality, it’ll be contagious, and I feel like you pass it along in the locker room and have a team turn around pretty fast.

I can ask you about any number of guys at Ohio State, but there’s one in particular. I’m gonna ask you the exact question you asked Mel Kiper: Why is Damon Arnette not considered one of the top DBs in the draft right now?

That’s something that I just sit here and I think about a lot. I really don’t know, I’m genuinely confused, because I think if you look at the tape, you look at the numbers, he has some of the better numbers in the country, and guys didn’t catch a lot of balls with him. So I feel like he should be one of the top cornerback prospects.

Can I get a very quick scouting report on him?

He definitely wears his heart on his sleeve. Aggressive, he’ll wear down a lot of receivers. If you’re not mentally tough, he’s gonna wear you down for four quarters.

Ohio States sends a ton of dudes to the NFL every year, who are the guys you’re tightest with and have they given you any advice on becoming an NFL player?

I’m really cool with Marshon [Lattimore] and Gareon [Conley], which is kinda weird because they left right before I got there. But they’ve been giving me a bunch of advice about how to go about your rookie year, routines that worked from them. So I’m just taking notes from everybody and just trying to figure out how to twist it into my way.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten? It can be from someone in the league, someone at Ohio State, someone not even in football.

I was talking to LaDainian Tomlinson about a month or two ago and was asking him, “So, what advice would you give a rookie coming in?” And he was like, “Shut up and work, and let your work ethic speak for you.” To me, it’s not a big thing, it’s kind of something that I’ve always just thought about, anyway. And so once he told me that, it sounded like … if he tells me to do it, I’m gonna do it.

The last football question, how did Ohio State prepare you for this moment?

Definitely prepared me for this moment just because we’ve had a lot of secondhand experiences just watching guys get drafted. And on top of that, at Ohio State, there’s been adversity that we’ve had to go through. So with this whole coronavirus pandemic, I think the locker room at Ohio State, the highs and lows, have prepared me for tomorrow. So I think whatever happens, I think that I’ll be just fine.

What do you have going on with Old Spice?

It’s actually really cool. We’re not physically at the draft this year, but the NFL and Old Spice, they teamed up to give us a red carpet experience, and this is virtual. Everyone can check out the hashtag #NFLDraftRedCarpet and see what everyone’s wearing tomorrow on Draft Day.

You’ve got something special planned out? Any scarlet and gray in that thing?

I actually think there will be some scarlet and gray. I think, about the colors, it will definitely incorporate some scarlet and gray.

What’s Jeff Okudah favorite thing to do off the field?

I’m a big Netflix guy. I like to sit on Netflix and I’ll watch a whole season maybe in a day or two.

You can watch one thing on Netflix, what are you gonna be checking out?

Prison Break.

I know family is something important to you — I read your piece in the Players Tribune from 2017 last night. Can you speak to how important your family has been in getting you to where you are today?

Family’s definitely been big. Having their support, I would say, it takes a village to raise a child, so having a lot of support, a lot of sacrifices, to see everything come together. Obviously I’m grateful for all of that. I don’t take it lightly and I just wanna make everyone proud.

Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd only just became the first two amateur athletes to make the leap to the G League by signing new-and-improved Select Contracts, and already, the NBA is thinking about ways to maximize the concept.

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported on Wednesday morning that “the NBA has long-range hopes of growing” the Select Team into a full division within the G League that would pit multiple teams made up of Select Contract players against one another.

As Stein acknowledges, much of the potential for such a setup would be determined by how the project goes in year one with Green and Todd.

Another concern would be finding enough G League lifers to fill out these rosters, understanding their job would be much different than most G League players. Well-traveled hoops veterans like Jarrett Jack still dot the league, and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine guys like that taking on mentorship roles, provided their compensation was still the same despite the Select Team playing a reduced schedule. At the same time, the opportunity may even be more appealing to certain players who see it as a chance to be in the spotlight far more than they otherwise would.

Before the NBA can even think long-term, though, it still has to figure out what the Select Team’s schedule will look like, who the team will compete against, where they will play and train, who will coach the team, and who will fill out the roster alongside Green and Todd. But if this all works out, the NBA appears to have some lofty aspirations for what this experiment could become.

The Matterhorn is a sight to behold all on its own, with its near-symmetrical pyramid peak jutting out from the earth. But when the village of Zermatt at the foot of the mountain projects flags from countries around the world onto its snowy slopes, the effect is breathtaking.

Since March 24th, light artist Gerry Hofstetter has illuminated the mountain side with flags in solidarity with countries that have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus, and the village has been sharing the stunning photos on Instagram.

---

The town’s tourism website states:

“With this light projection, Zermatt wants to give people a sign of hope and solidarity in these difficult times. The village shows solidarity with all the people who are currently suffering and is grateful to all those who are helping to overcome the crisis.”

“Our thoughts are with all the American people,” the village wrote on Instagram with a photo of the stars and stripes illuminating the mountainside.

India got a message of “hope and strength.”

Japan was sent “a sign of hope.”

In French, one of Switzerland’s four national languages, Zermatt wrote “Hello from the Matterhorn to the Eiffel Tower!”

The U.K. received a “sign of hope” as well.

Before the U.S. overtook it, Zermatt acknowledged that Italy had been hit the hardest by the virus.

Messages of hope and peace have also been projected onto the Matterhorn in recent weeks, as the whole world battles their way through this pandemic.

It’s been said that nothing unites people like a common enemy, and we now face one that knows no borders and attacks without prejudice. Let’s all encourage all nations to stand in solidarity, pool our knowledge and resources, collaborate on solutions, and present a united front to defeat this virus.

Thank you, Zermatt, for the beautiful reminder that we are truly all in this together.

---

View Entire Post ›