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We’re Picking Winners For Week 8 Of The 2023 NFL Season

On occasion, optimism can reign when things are going well. In fact, there were more than a few moments in Week 7 in which it felt like a 5-0 week was very much on the table in this space. After all, the Los Angeles Rams led in the second half and the Miami Dolphins (getting 8.5 points!) were tied well into the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles. Alas, neither game broke in our favor, even as Week 7 was profitable on the whole at 3-2.

We press on to Week 8 with strong resolve and, before getting into the five-pack of picks, we take a glance at the overall picture.

  • Week 7: 3-2
  • 2023 Season: 20-13-2

Come get these winners.

Green Bay Packers (+1.5) over Minnesota Vikings — Widely Available

The Packers are in the mud with three straight losses, including a maddening effort against Denver a week ago. Now, Green Bay gets to be back at home and outdoors against a Minnesota team some are buying now after two straight wins. I think it’s a great spot for the Packers and I’m happy to take the 1.5 in a game I think they win on the field.

Carolina Panthers (+3.5) over Houston Texans — FanDuel

The battle of the top two overall picks is here and, in a wild swing from preseason expectations, Houston is now laying 3.5 points on the road in Charlotte. I’m going to say that’s a bit of an overreaction. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, so there isn’t a big edge there for Carolina, but I think the implication that Houston is nearly a touchdown better than Carolina on a neutral field is a bit much.

Indianapolis Colts (+1) over New Orleans Saints — Widely Available

Indy got us home last week but managed to lose a game they probably should’ve won. New Orleans has dropped two straight as well, so this is one that both teams need. Frankly, I just don’t think the gap between these teams is large enough to make New Orleans a road favorite, and I continue to think the market is undervaluing Minshew.

Cleveland Browns (+4) over Seattle Seahawks — Caesars

I’m buying the Browns defense, and I’m buying that the gap between Deshaun Watson and PJ Walker isn’t as big as the market thinks it is. Also, this is a game with a spread in the 30’s and I’ll gleefully take four in this spot with the best unit (Cleveland’s defense) on either team.

TEASER: Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) over Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions (-1.5) over Las Vegas Raiders — FanDuel

Will everyone in the world have this teaser? Probably. Does that make it a bad bet? No. Is it scary that it seems this clear? Absolutely. But this is basic Wong teaser stuff and, for good measure, we’re fading two bad teams playing on the road against motivated opponents with considerably more talent.

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Here’s When Apple Music Replay Comes Out For 2023

2023 is coming to a close. As the final two months of the year approach, music fans are reflecting on their favorite releases of the year. More strategic music fans are also trying to tailor the algorithm of their favorite streaming platforms, that way, their year-end summaries match their listening habits.

Over the course of the past week, rumors circulated that Spotify Wrapped would stop tracking its users streams on October 31, however, Spotify confirmed that this is, in fact, not true. Meanwhile, Apple Music users are wondering when they’ll get their year-end summary. Fortunately, they won’t have to wait very long to get their summaries. In fact, they don’t have to wait at all.

When does Apple Music Replay come out for 2023?

On Apple Music, each music gets a Replay playlist for every year they’ve been an Apple Music user. Each playlist features the user’s most-played songs for that respective year. There’s also a playlist for the current year, which features the user’s most-played songs in the year, thus far.

According to Apple Insider, the playlist for the active year updates every Sunday, however, Apple Music stops tracking the user’s listening habits at the end of the year. Though, at some point close to the end of the year, Apple Music will share an interactive slide show reflecting their Replay playlist, designed to share via social media.

“When we first launched Replay, the feature became an instant fan favorite on Apple Music, and we really wanted to develop the experience further and make it even more special, personal, and unique for subscribers,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement. “The music we enjoy throughout the year becomes like a soundtrack, and it’s really fun to be able to go back and relive those meaningful and memorable moments over again.”

Apple Music user’s can see their Replay playlists in the Listen Now section on the Apple Music app.

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Woman breaks down the ‘psychology tricks’ Trader Joes uses to create its loyal following

Few grocery stores have achieved a full blown culture quite like the retail fan-favorite Trader Joe’s, where folks can always count on an adventure filled with cookie butter, cheap wine and conversations with an Hawaiin shirt-clad employee.

And while there are some perhaps obvious reasons behind TJ’s loyal following—the eclectic seasonal food items, the relaxing atmosphere—one woman is taking an in-depth look at some of the lesser known “psychological tricks” that keep shoppers coming back time and time again.


Research enthusiast Nicole Urban, whose entire TikTok is dedicated to analytical deep dives on a variety of topics, recently went viral for explaining Trader Joe’s unending appeal.

“Trader Joe’s rejects a lot of the core business practices of average grocery stores,” Urban noted, saying that instead of focusing on a huge variety of items and offering coupons like most grocery stores do, TJ’s is all about offering a one-of-a-kind “customer experience.”

That includes charismatic, gregarious employees more than willing to strike up a friendly conversation, artistic, hand drawn price tags that mimic a local market, reliable prices, and of course, those oh-so-tempting limited edition seasonal and experimental items that make shopping “feel like a treasure hunt,” says Urban.

@urbannic Replying to @eleni ♬ original sound – nicole urban

Urban then listed two unique characteristics that even the most regular Trader Joe’s customer might have never noticed were drawing them in—the TJ’s parking lot and frozen food aisle.

Unlike most grocery store chains, Trader Joe’s keeps its frozen aisle “fun and accessible” by doing an open freezer bin layout, getting rid of annoying freezer doors that block folks from casually scoping out new items.

And while the freezers inside are wide open, the ever congested TJ’s parking lot is quite the opposite. As Urban explained, Trader Joes are often placed in high traffic arrears with smaller parking lots that consequently always appear full..making it appear competitive to get into. That’s right, getting the primo parking spot after ten minutes of circling is all part of the experience.

According to Urban, it’s all these subtle factors that contribute to trader Joe’s huge success. And judging by the thousands of comments that followed her viral video, it seems she was right on the money.

People particularly began gushing about their own wholesome interactions with trader Joe’s cashiers. One shared “My cashier made me cry because she said I looked like I needed flowers and then called me a good mom after giving me a free bouquet.”

Another added, “One time I was at Trader Joes and applying to adopt a dog. The cashier asked to see the dog and encouraged us to adopt him. 3.5 years later and we still show her pictures of him when we shop there. She only knows us as Winston’s parents.”

Others agreed that the limited selection was a main reason they returned, since it made shopping much less stressful.

“I love that they don’t have a billion choices, as an anxious person…I’ve been shopping there since 2015!” one person exclaimed.

Some even listed things they loved about that story that didn’t get covered by Urban, such as its flower selection and use of natural lighting.

Even people who didn’t live in the U.S. wrote that they regarded Trader Joes as some sort of “mystical place” they longed to visit one day.

This is such an illuminating example of humanity’s shared, deep felt need for novelty. It can transform even the most mundane of tasks, like grocery shopping, into the highlight of someone’s day. In our increasingly more automated, tech-driven world, the demand for fun in-person experiences will only go up. And hopefully that means more stores opting for the Trader Joe’s approach…only with better parking lots.

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4-year-old’s ‘sweet and sour’ revelation is a solid piece of wisdom, even for adults

Out of the mouths of babes comes the greatest wisdom sometimes.

Kids are brand new at this whole being a human thing, and they often vocalize what they’re learning as they go. This is especially true at age 4, when they’re really getting the hang of asking questions and talking about their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the things they say are surprisingly profound, and hearing sage life advice from a preschooler is always an unexpected treat.

That’s why 4-year-old Emi’s revelation about finding the positives in every situation has people so tickled. Emi’s mom, Katy-Robin Garton (@katyrobinbird on Instagram), often puts a mic on her daughter when they go bike riding so she can hear her better and so she can capture her musings in her adorable voice while it lasts. On this ride, Emi explained how “sour” things can be turned “sweet.”


Garton wrote in the video’s caption, “’How will you feel when biking ends?’ I asked 4-yr-old Emi. We live in Montana so when the snow comes, biking season comes to an end. Emi replied, ‘I’ll be sad, but when we can’t bike, we can ski and ice-skate!’ and then she continued on with what you heard in this video, ‘everything that changes, has a sweet to it.’ You see?”

Emi’s “You see?” is about the cutest thing ever. But her life advice here is solid, even for the grownups. So many of us can get caught up in negativity and cynicism and spirals of complaint. Sometimes we need to be reminded to find the sweet in the sour.

Watch:

“These magical moments in motion are the very reason I’m motivated to get outside and ride… and ski… and ice-skate of course,” wrote Garton. “It clicked for Emi as she rode—what she and I were talking about a few days prior, how you can turn a sour thing sweet with a shift in your perspective and attitude, and how you can also do the same to turn sweet things sour. At the time, I wasn’t sure the concept had deeply clicked for her, but clearly it did in this moment. I suppose when your body is free, your mind follows.”

“Emi has given me the gift I didn’t know I needed today. Thank you Emi, and thank you Mama bear for raising your kids full of love and sharing it with us, ❤️❤️” wrote one commenter.

“This is the best life lesson anyone can give and coming from a 4-yr-old it’s like the most special thing. Thank you,” wrote another.

“EMI Talks are the new TED Talks, 😍” shared another. (Right? Totally.)

“This is the silver lining reminder I needed to hear today.” wrote another. (Same, friend.)

People in the comments also pointed out that the parenting Emi has gotten is key, but as Garton pointed out, it’s not just the way her parents talk to her that led her here. It’s also the fact that they go outside and do physical activity together, giving Emi’s young brain a chance to process and talk through what she’s been learning while she’s moving her body. It’s a magical combo, truly.

You can follow @katyrobinbird on Instagram to enjoy more of Emi’s adorable wisdom.

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Here’s The Meaning Behind Beyoncé’s Cé Noir Perfume Name

The Renaissance era continues. While Beyoncé concluded her critically-acclaimed Renaissance World Tour earlier this month, this particular chapter in the lore of Beyoncé isn’t over quite yet. This December, Beyoncé will premiere Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, which will contain footage from the tour, and is also rumored to contain the long-awaited music videos for the Renaissance album.

But between now and then, Bey has unveiled a new fragrance called Cé Noir. She took to Instagram yesterday to share a video of herself unboxing a bottle of Cé Noir.

As the Renaissance album is a celebration of Black culture, it’s only fitting that the perfume is called Cé Noir, which is French for “this black” or “this blackness.” It’s also likely that she added the accent mark on the “e” of “ce” as an allusion to her name.

In the video, she said the perfume took “years of work” to come together, and noted that she has worn it during performances on the Renaissance World Tour.

“I wanted something to be monolithic and I wanted something to have a little bit of intimacy,” said Beyoncé.

Fans can pre-order Cé Noir from Beyoncé’s official website. The perfume will begin shipping in November.

You can watch Beyoncé unbox her own Cé Noir perfume above.

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Charles Barkley Lays Out Why James Harden ‘Can’t Come Back To Philly’

James Harden is not with the Philadelphia 76ers as they begin their season on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Harden’s been in the middle of a lengthy trade saga since the start of the summer, and the Sixers have made abundantly clear that they will not trade him unless their asking price is met. That’s led to weird stuff happening, like team security keeping Harden from joining the team in Milwaukee.

Whether or not the Sixers want Harden to play for them at some point this season remains to be seen. But in the eyes of Charles Barkley, the Harden era in Philadelphia has run its course, as he laid out why the team just cannot bring him back at any point.

“It’s not tough to figure out: James Harden can’t come back to Philly, them fans ain’t gonna have it,” Barkley said. “The fans ain’t gonna have it. He can’t treat the city of Philadelphia like that and they’re gonna forgive and forget — I said the same thing with Ben Simmons when they were trying, like, ‘We want Ben Simmons back.’ I’m like, they’re not gonna take him back.”

Kenny Smith made it a point to ask what Harden did to the fans in Philadelphia, and Barkley made clear that he disrespected them with his actions.

“When you play for a team, you have an obligation to the fanbase,” Barkley said. “He didn’t show up to work for 10 days. You just can’t take time off because you’re unhappy you ain’t getting traded.”

Barkley made it a point to also call out Sixers executive Daryl Morey, who he believe is asking for far too much for a player that only has one year left on his contract. And he expressed his belief that, if Philly simply moved Harden earlier in the summer, they could have tried to acquire Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers.

“Now, there’s nothing they can do,” Barkley said. “They’re probably gonna get a couple bench players for James. But the notion that they’re gonna get a lot for James, who has one year — and this is the third year in a row he’s demanded out. You think some team’s gonna give him a long-term deal? Hell no.”

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Here’s Our Review Of The Howlin Rays & Offset Chicken Nugget Box

Howlin’ Rays without a doubt serves the best Nashville-style hot chicken in all of Los Angeles. About five years ago, that wasn’t such a big deal — considering it was one of the only hot chicken joints in the city — but now in 2023, it’s a huge deal because while there are lots of imitators (Dave’s Hot Chicken, Main Chick, Crimson Coward, etc), no one is bringing the same level of craft to their chicken.

That’s why anytime Howlin’ Rays does something outside of what they usually do (hot chicken) we take notice. So we’re pretty hyped that, for a limited time, Howlin’ Rays is bringing back its chicken nuggets in collaboration with Offset (to commemorate the release of his new album Set It Off) and Postmates.

Dubbed the Howlin’ Ween Offset Shake Box, the Nugz are available exclusively through Postmates in the Los Angeles area from now until the 31st and come in a special Offset and Postmates-designed box with a new custom-made proprietary sauce. According to Howlin’ Rays, the special sauce was overseen by Offset and was inspired by a Carolina Dipped Chicken Sauce that originated in North Carolina in the 1920s.

The concept of the meal is simple: open up the box, pour the sauce all over the chicken, close it, and give it a shake to distribute the sauce all over the nuggets. So does the meal live up to Howlin’ Rays’ reputation? Let’s find out.

Howlin’ Ween Offset Shake Box

Howlin Rays
Dane Rivera

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The chicken is meaty, each nugget is a giant chunk of white meat chicken with a crunchy and well-seasoned breading, I’m tasting salt, black pepper, and maybe a hint of onion powder. The crunch is audible and snappy, which helps to make the chicken come across as a bit more appetizing. The crunch holds up even when the nugget is drenched in sauce.

Each nugget is surprisingly tender and juicy, and once mixed with the sauce takes on a deeper and richer flavor. The sauce brings a good amount of heat that grows with each bite and has a sweet brown sugar flavor and a tangy finish.

Howlin Rays
Dane Rivera

The sauce tastes has a slight cider vibe to it and a whole lot of heat. It conjures Louisiana sauces. I know the concept is to pour the sauce over the chicken and shake it up, but I’m going to be real with you — I didn’t do that. It didn’t seem necessary to me and instead, I used the sauce as a traditional dip, which allowed me to maximize the amount of sauce I was using.

Sorry to the concept, but it seems needlessly messy to me!

The Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of Howlin’ Rays, the Nugz are a must. I don’t think the nuggets are as essential as Howlin’ Rays’ hot chicken, but they are a nice change up and with this special sauce, they’re worth a pick-up for something a bit different from the brand. Especially if you’re a big Offset fan and like ordering food at home.

Pick up an order of Howlin’ Ween directly through Postmates.

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SNX: The Week’s Best Sneakers — Bad Bunny And Drake’s Signature Sneakers Face Off

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Hip-hop and R&B fans, this is going to be a weird week for you. It’s time to finally draw a line in the side and choose if you’re team Drake or team Bad Bunny. Both artists have new albums out right now, both have songs charting, and both are dropping brand new sneaker collaborations this week. Drake’s signature Nike line, NOCTA, is releasing a new Glide in a legendary colorway, while Bad Bunny continues to hold things down at Adidas as the brand’s most exciting collaborator with the Response CL ‘Paso Fino.’

Which cultural icon has the best sneaker dropping this week? We’ll let you decide, but we’re going to go ahead and say Michael Jordan. Yes, that’s right — in addition to the Drake and Bad Bunny drops, footwear’s number-one celebrity continues his reign with a new colorway for the Jordan 12. Elsewhere we have a series of great drops from New Balance, and the return of MSCHF.

Let’s dive into this week’s best sneakers!

New Balance Made in USA 990v4 Olive

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New Balance

Price: $209.99

New Balance always looks best in muted colorways and that has led to a lot of the brand’s best shoes dropping in an unceremonious grey tone, this latest 990v4 lets you have things both ways.

The color is still muted, but instead of coming across as drab, what we have here is a nice olive-toned sneaker, adding a nice splash of color without abandoning what the brand is good at. The shoe features a suede mesh and nubuck upper build over an ENCAP midsole with a flag logo tongue and Made in USA high-quality construction.

The New Balance Made in USA 990v4 is set to drop on October 26th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $209.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.

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New Balance
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New Balance

New Balance Made in USA 990v6 Burgundy

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New Balance

Price: $219.99

Bathed in a mix of rich red tones and deep browns, this 990v6 Made in USA presents a new look for New Balance. As I mentioned previously, New Balance isn’t known for loud and bold colorways, which is why this Burgundy take on the v6 stands out, and you know what? It looks f*cking great.

The sneaker features a mesh upper with suede and synthetic overlays with reflective details and an ENCAP midsole. Check out that white midsole. It’s beautiful!

The New Balance Made in USA 990v6 is set to drop on October 26th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair via the New Balance webstore.

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New Balance
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New Balance

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550/650 Masaryk

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Aime Leon Dore

Price: $130/$165

Aimé Leon Dore, New Balance’s greatest collaborator, has linked up with the brand for a four-sneaker collection that pays tribute to NYC’s Masaryk Community Gym. The low-top 550 drops in two colorways, one a mix of gold, blue, and off-white, and the other a mix of ALD green and off-white, with punch hole perforation across the paneling, and co-branded tongue labels.

The second sneaker in the four-shoe set is the high top 650, which uses the same color palette but doesn’t look as aged and yellowed, and is instead built on a bright white base.

ALD is proving once again that it’s the best thing that has ever happened to New Balance.

The Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 and 650 are out now for a retail price of $130 and $165. Pick up a pair at ALD or your favorite aftermarket site.

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Aime Leon Dore
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Aime Leon Dore
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Aime Leon Dore

MSCHF Big Black Boot

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MSCHF

Price: $350

If what has been holding you back from picking up a pair of MSCHF’s Big Red Boot the color, you’ll be pleased to know that the anime-inspired rubber shoe is now available in black.

The new colorway features the same TPU rubber shell build and looks equally, let’s face it, stupid. But what can we say? Those that can rock the big boots look dope, and it remains one of the most interesting drops of the year.

MSCHF’s Big Black Boot is set to drop today at 11 AM PDT. Pick up a pair at MSCHF or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

NOCTA Glide Triple White

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Nike

Price: $160

This one is for the dogs! Hot on the release of his latest album, Drake is dropping a new Triple White rendition of the NOCTA Glide. Dropping a classic colorway on your popular signature sneaker seems like a slam-dunk decision on Drake’s part and even though we would’ve liked to see something a bit more inventive, it’s hard not to love this release.

The sneaker features a textile upper for enhanced breathability with GTEK outsole traction, translucent details on the outsole, and a custom NOCTA logo on the tongue. Rounding out the design are some chrome details to help give the sneaker a luxury sheen.

The NOCTA Glide Triple White is set to drop on October 27th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

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Nike
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Nike

Nike Air Humara Buff Gold

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Nike

Price: $160

Nike’s trail-inspired Air Humara is dropping this week in a new colorway dubbed Buff Gold. Featuring a textile-wrapped midsole with embroidered details the Buff Gold sports reflective details throughout and a three-color colorway that combines gold with crimson accents, and a faded brown mudguard.

The Nike Air Humara Buff Gold is set to drop on October 27th at 7:00 AM PST for ar retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

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Nike
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Nike

Social Status x Nike Attack Smoke Grey

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Nike

Price: $140

Charlotte, North Carolina-based streetwear brand Social Status is teaming up with Nike for a new rendition of the signature John McEnroe Attack in Smoke Grey.

Social Status’ take on the sneaker features a cracked leather upper with an aged yellowing midsole with Social Status branding at the insole and left sneaker tongue and a splash of yellow Nike branding at the heel.

Bringing the Attack back is one of Nike’s best moves this year. Here is hoping we get a few more renditions of the Attack before the year ends (hint hint, Travos Scott).

The Social Status x Nike Attack Smoke Grey is set to drop on October 27th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

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Nike
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Nike

Nike Zoom KD 3 Aunt Pearl

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Nike

Price: $130

The latest signature sneaker from Kevin Durant’s Nike line pulls us out of winter and straight into spring. The Aunt Pearl features a bubblegum pink colorway with a wide wraparound swoosh, and a shimmering pearl-like sheen.

The sneaker serves as a tribute to Durant’s aunt Pearl who passed from lung cancer in 2000. Durant’s Aunt served as a guiding force in the player’s life, pushing him to be the best he could be. The sneaker was created in partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

The Zoom KD 3 Aunt Pearl is set to drop on October 27th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT or Flight Club.

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Nike
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Nike

Bad Bunny Adidas Response CL Paso Fino

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Adidas

Price: $160

Bad Bunny and Adidas’ latest collaboration hits us this weekend, a new take on the Adidas Response CL sneaker. Dubbed the Paso Fino, this sneaker features mesh underlays with suede overlays and a mix of brown bronze, and purple colors.

The sneaker was inspired by the colors of a desert landscape with the various waves on the sneaker recalling a mountain range. Why the sneaker is named after a horse breed, I’ll never understand, but hey, that’s Bad Bunny for you. He’s weird.

The Bad Bunny Response CL Paso Fino is set to drop on October 28th at 8:00 AM PDT for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

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Adidas
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Adidas

Nike Air Jordan 12 Cherry

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Nike

Price: $210

It’s not every week that a Jordan drop seems like small news but considering how packed with great releases this week has been, it’s easy to miss this one. That would be a mistake though, because if you’re a hardcore Jordan head, this Cherry colorway of the 12 is a must-cop.

The sneaker features a white leather build with a pebbled leather mudguard in University Red over a Zoom Air cushioned midsole. It’s an all-time great colorway for this silhouette.

The Nike Air Jordan 12 Cherry is set to drop on October 28th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

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Nike
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Nike

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

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The Sixers Leaving James Harden In Philly Might Violate The New Player Participation Policy

The NBA’s new Player Participation Policy will be put to the test on the third day of the regular season for two very different circumstances.

In the nightcap, the Suns will be without both Bradley Beal (back) and Devin Booker (toe) against the Lakers in Los Angeles. While Beal missed the opener against Golden State, Booker played through that toe injury, and the league will be looking in to whether this is a violation of the policy, which doesn’t allow for two former All-Star players to rest in the same national TV game.

While many teams will be keeping an eye on how the league handles that situation, the early game also features a much funnier potential fine outcome. The Sixers will be in Milwaukee to face the Bucks on TNT, but will not have James Harden who returned to the Sixers on Wednesday after a 10-day absence but was left in Philly — quite literally, as he apparently showed up to the airport ready to go and was told he couldn’t get on the plane by security.

That means a healthy All-Star (i.e., one not on the injury report) is sitting out a national TV game, which could be in violation of the policy. The NBA confirmed to Adrian Wojnarowski that they would be looking into the circumstances and would need a valid reason for the absence.

Whether they consider “ramping up to play from a non-injury related absence” a valid reason for Harden to be away from the team will be fascinating, and while that almost certainly won’t come into play for any other teams in the NBA this season, it does add another layer to the Harden saga in Philly.

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The Sixers Leaving James Harden In Philly Might Violate The New Player Participation Policy

The NBA’s new Player Participation Policy will be put to the test on the third day of the regular season for two very different circumstances.

In the nightcap, the Suns will be without both Bradley Beal (back) and Devin Booker (toe) against the Lakers in Los Angeles. While Beal missed the opener against Golden State, Booker played through that toe injury, and the league will be looking in to whether this is a violation of the policy, which doesn’t allow for two former All-Star players to rest in the same national TV game.

While many teams will be keeping an eye on how the league handles that situation, the early game also features a much funnier potential fine outcome. The Sixers will be in Milwaukee to face the Bucks on TNT, but will not have James Harden who returned to the Sixers on Wednesday after a 10-day absence but was left in Philly — quite literally, as he apparently showed up to the airport ready to go and was told he couldn’t get on the plane by security.

That means a healthy All-Star (i.e., one not on the injury report) is sitting out a national TV game, which could be in violation of the policy. The NBA confirmed to Adrian Wojnarowski that they would be looking into the circumstances and would need a valid reason for the absence.

Whether they consider “ramping up to play from a non-injury related absence” a valid reason for Harden to be away from the team will be fascinating, and while that almost certainly won’t come into play for any other teams in the NBA this season, it does add another layer to the Harden saga in Philly.