Category: Worldwide

Team USA’s backcourt for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo just picked up some additional scoring punch. With Damian Lillard already in tow to man one guard spot, Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic report that Washington Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal is slated to join the team in its pursuit for a fourth consecutive gold medal.

As Charania noted, Beal becomes the fourth person to commit to joining the team. A pair of forwards, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and Boston Celtics standout Jayson Tatum, have already committed to making the trip to Tokyo as members of the national team. Tatum and Beal, of course, are close, as both are from St. Louis.

Beal has only represented the United States at the youth levels, having won gold medals at tournaments with the U16s in 2009 and the U17s the following year. He’s coming off of perhaps his best season as a professional, as he earned a third-team All-NBA nod and narrowly missing out on the scoring title to Steph Curry. On the season, Beal averaged 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 35.8 minutes per game.

USA Basketball is slated to hold a training camp that begins on July 6, with the men’s tournament in Tokyo beginning on July 25.

Our week-long celebration of video games has come to an end. While some people may have been a little more disappointed than others in how E3 played out, the general agreement is that it was a fun week. We saw a lot of video games, and even with the expectations of it being a slower year than usual, it still had some heavy hitters and surprises. All in all, E3 2021 left most of us excited for the future of video games as a whole.

Having said that, there were still a handful of companies that left us wanting more — bigger announcements, a more succinct show, or in one case, any information at all. Some presentations left us wanting to purchase a console or play the newest game, while others failed to meet our already low expectations. Everyone gets a mulligan this year due to a significant amount of delays, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find some winners and losers.

Winner: Microsoft Bethesda

Nobody at E3 had a stronger show than Microsoft and Bethesda’s presentation. The two combined into one presentation as both a show of unity following Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda. The show itself was well organized, with enough room to breathe between announcements while never being boring. It had heavy hitters like Starfield, Halo Infinite, and The Outer Worlds 2, but it also featured some intriguing smaller titles. Shredders might be the return to snowboard games many of us have been begging for, and anyone not excited for Microsoft Flight Simulator getting a Top Gun expansion must not know joy in life.

Then there was arguably the biggest selling point of the entire event: Game Pass. Microsoft has been putting a lot of support behind Game Pass for the last few years and this year’s E3 was the big payoff. This was as close to a perfect conference as possible with many fans, frustrated over their inability to find a new console, deciding they would get an Xbox so they can use Game Pass. This was more than just a presentation for Microsoft, it was a coming-out party. Years of work to change the landscape of gaming all peaking at once. Now, we get to see if their efforts were successful in increasing sales.

Loser: Sony

Looking around at a few of the other conferences, Sony choosing to not have a presentation this year was a great decision. If there is nothing to show, then forcing a presentation for the sake of a presentation is only going to lead to frustration. So in that sense, Sony didn’t lose E3, but with how strong some of their competitors were, it definitely didn’t feel like a victory. The PlayStation 5 has been largely successful so far, but every day, the reasons for buying an Xbox increase, while the differences between a PS5 and PS4 blur with every update. Sony needs a big winner before the end of the year if they want to keep their lead over Microsoft in this console generation.

Winner: Nintendo

There have been rumors of a new Switch being on the way, but when Nintendo announced their Direct for E3, it was stated that it would only be about upcoming games. Without a new console, we all just kind of assumed it would be a tame Direct, but Nintendo quickly put those concerns to rest. A new 2D Metroid game, alongside Breath of the Wild 2, gave them one of the stronger presentations over the weekend. They even threw in a new Warioware to top it all off. We still don’t know what’s happening with this reportedly new Switch, but those of us who already have one have plenty to be excited about right now.

Winner: Indies

There were hundreds of indie games showcased over the week, and with a lot of the AAA publishers not having much to show, it was a major victory for small developers. We already know that indie games are generally on the rise in terms of what they mean for video games as a whole, but this was a year where we have very few must-grab titles arriving. Those of us who are starved for new releases can turn towards all of the indie titles available as a means to hold us over. Many of them are available in early access or will be coming out soon, and each one is more unique than the last. Indie games aren’t forced to stay in the realm of the norm and that allows them to explore new ways to stand out, or maybe give us something artistic, or wholesome. In a year where we don’t know what the next big AAA game is, we can be happy about the plethora of indie games to choose from. This is a win for gaming as a whole.

Loser: Square Enix

The Square Enix presentation wasn’t bad, but it was extremely limited in what it had to offer in terms of new games. They had three major announcements in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Final Fantasy Pixel Remastered, and Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. The Guardians game looked pretty fun and was easily the best part of the presentation. Pixel Remastered is a great idea in concept, but instead of packaging Final Fantasy I – VI in one whole game, it’s going to be individual releases, which feels like a cash grab. Final Fantasy Origin has some of the worst dialogue of any trailer ever, and the demo didn’t even work at launch. It’s hard to call this a winning presentation.

Loser: Ubisoft

Ubisoft probably could have gotten away with not having a presentation and just posting a few of the trailers online. They chose to show off most of their biggest upcoming title, Far Cry 6, in the weeks leading up to E3, which led to a bit of a vacuum in the presentation itself. They spent a lot of time on the new Rainbow Six game and a Rocksmith update. They ended with a new trailer for the next Mario + Rabbids game, and that was exciting, but the presentation itself was lacking in content. Ubisoft maybe should have considered skipping out on a presentation this year.

Loser: E3

E3 has been on its heels for a few years now in terms of how developers view the event. While it’s always a good time, it’s becoming pretty clear that companies like Sony and EA are wondering why they should be taking part in E3 when they can do a better job speaking to their fans directly or hosting their own events. As a result, the ESA went out this year, got a bunch of different companies that typically don’t have presentations, and gave them slots.

The results for this ranged from “mixed” to “bad.” Events like Capcom, BANDAI NAMCO, and the Indie Game Showcase were painfully short. The BANDAI NAMCO presentation, in particular, was literally there to just show one game. It came off very much like the ESA was just trying to fill time where it could. Maybe in the future, now that some of these companies have slots, we will get larger presentations. For 2021, however, it ended up being a lot of dead time between the major events.

Winner: Summer Game Fest

By virtue of E3 being a loser, Summer Game Fest is a winner. Geoff Keighly’s direct competition event, which is meant to showcase games the same way E3 does, ran alongside E3 but no one really paid attention to it beyond the first two days. Still, those first two days did feature major announcements like Elden Ring and garnered quite a bit of attention. It showed that it belonged to be a part of the summer games showcase conversation, which should be interesting in following years. While it may have not made too much noise this year during E3, I would expect that to change next year when developers have more to show.

Fantasy football is serious business with the right group, and one man took his punishment for finishing last very serious in a story that became a viral sensation on Twitter.

Lee Sanderlin, a journalist in Jackson, Mississippi, tweeted on Thursday that he would begin a punishment for finishing last in a fantasy football league that involved spending 24 hours in a Waffle House. The catch was that the time needed to fulfill that punishment would decrease by an hour for every waffle he consumed.

The tweet quickly gained traction on social media, with several sports reporters and other figures in the football world rooting him on. And he needed the help, because Sanderlin struggled with the challenge.

Sometime after waffle number six, Sanderlin says he threw up. Which, according to the rules established by the commissioner, did not mean he lost that hour he got for eating said waffle. If we’re allowed to be critical here, viewing this as an eating challenge and not a casual hang at Waffle House was the biggest problem. Starting with two waffles right off the bat and not slowly eating at a steady pace certainly amplified the feelings of regret and bloat.

And as many pointed out, this isn’t a unique challenge. Others have had similar punishments for fantasy sports failure, and some even fared significantly better than Sanderlin. They were also VERY generous with the tip.

Still, he did manage to finish by Friday morning after an all-nighter and nine waffles shortened the experience to a mere 15 hours.

It’s a learning lesson for everyone involved, and Sanderlin said many times on social media he wasn’t looking for donations, rather asking people to donate to local causes in their community. All in all, it’s a nice story and some unexpected good press for Waffle House. We’d like to wish him better luck at drafting a team next year so he doesn’t have to do this again.

A lot of attention is focused on Chrissy Teigen these days in light of her recent apology for old tweets and inappropriate direct messages. Now it appears another supposed victim of Teigen’s bullying has been outed as a faker.

Designer Michael Costello recently shared supposed screenshots of a 2014 conversation in which Teigen treated him aggressively, but Business Insider notes that there are multiple inconsistencies in the images as it relates to Twitter’s visual formatting. So, it would seem that Costello’s screenshots were fabricated.

This got a response from John Legend, who wrote in a series of tweets today, “Chrissy apologized for her public tweets, but after her apology, Mr Costello fabricated a DM exchange between them. This exchange was made up, completely fake, never happened. […] Honestly I don’t know why anyone would fake DMs to insert themselves in this narrative, but that’s what happened. I encourage everyone who breathlessly spread this lie to keep that same energy when they correct the record.”

This comes after Legend showed support for Teigen by sharing a line from her apology letter: “We are all more than our worst moments.” That quote kicks off the conclusion of Teigen’s message, which goes on to read, “I won’t ask for your forgiveness, only your patience and tolerance. I ask that you allow me, as I promise to allow you, to own past mistakes and be given the opportunity to seek self improvement and change. Phew. A lot, I know. Thanks for listening.”

Find Legend’s tweets below.

Dave (Sunday, FX 10:00 & 10:30pm) — One of the most absurd shows on TV is back (for Season 2), and rapper and comedian Dave Burd, a.k.a. Lil Dicky (based upon his own life), has got an anteater in tow. Let’s hope the taco truck is just fine, but of course, expect Dave to keep shooting for rap superstardom while recording his debut album. He might have to give up everything that’s truly important to him (love, friendship, his sense of self) up in the process. Last season brought Justin Bieber in as a guest star, so let’s see if the show can up the ante. This week, Dave makes a video that’s designed for global success, but an implosion might be imminent, which would spark an international incident. He’s also highly distracted from his creative process.

Kevin Can Go F**k Himself (Sunday, AMC 9:00pm) — The title alone will reel people into sampling this series, at the very least, and also the fact that it rips apart a certain sitcom starring Kevin James and Leah Remini. Really, though, this show parodies all of those comedies with schlubby, burp-happy husbands and their often stunningly gorgeous wives who put up too many shenanigans. Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek) stars as a woman who realizes that she wasted a decade on being the perfect housewife in an awful marriage, and, well, she decides to get out of it by attempting to murder her husband. You definitely won’t be bored by this one.

Rick and Morty: Season 5 premiere (Adult Swim, 11:00pm) — The Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland-led project returns at long last (although the wait between seasons is growing shorter) with the show’s customary (and excessive) sci-fi strangeness as the title characters continue their intergalactic escapades. This season will bring some mech-parody elements and a Voltron-esque theme, and some “horny ocean man” appears to be involved while the genres will bend everywhere again. Don’t worry, the show’s habit of plentiful puns hasn’t dissipated one bit, and the episode titles indicate that there’s gonna be some dragging of the self-serious “mulitiverse” concept that’s so damn popular in comic-book worlds these days. Oh boy.

And back to the scheduled programming here:

Betty: (Friday, HBO 11:00pm) — Director Crystal Moselle managed to gather the Skate Kitchen crew back up for a second season and film on the streets of New York City. The main players are all back — Rachelle Vinberg as Camille, Ajani Russell as Indigo, Dede Lovelace as Janay, Moonbear as Honeybear, and Nina Moran as Kirt — and they’re still making the act of soaring through the streets look like the coolest thing on Earth.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — A gala’s afoot, someone goes into labor, and Jemma’s about to give up on her relationship while Trig and Shaad are not getting along well.

Black Monday (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — Mo and Dawn are at odds over the musical future of Nomi.

Flatbush Misdemeanors (Sunday, Showtime 10:30 p.m.) — Kevin’s run-in with Drew starts to tweak their relationship. while Zayna’s dealing with dance-team fallout, and Dan’s gunning for a head-coach gig.

Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 11:00 p.m.) — The duo’s back with more illustrious guests.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Sunday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — Please let John Oliver tackle Ted Cruz and take more swings at Tucker Carlson.

Here are some more fresh streaming picks:

Luca (Pixar film on Disney+) — The film’s promotional material, not to mention the setup, reminded a lot of people Luca Guadagnino’s coming-of-age romantic drama, Call Me By Your Name. Make no mistake, though, this is a family movie with lots of The Little Mermaid flavor, too. Essentially, the story’s about two sea monsters who transform into young humans and set foot on land, where they enjoy an unforgettable summer that includes gelato, pasta, and scooter rides, all while hoping the fun will never stop.

Black Summer: Season 2 (Netflix series) — This zombie series’ sophomore season may as well be titled Black Winter, but that’s alright. The first season was a sleeper and ended up being the show that Fear The Walking Dead fans would have preferred before the AMC spinoff series improved dramatically this year. With that said, this is a quick-and-dirty crowd-pleaser of a series, which includes the obligatory “guy who tries to hide his flesh wound” moment while attempting to flee to safety within a crowd of survivors. How that’s handled is necessarily brutal, as is the rest of the series, and expect a new batch of fresh challenges while violent militias get down with their bad selves.

Fatherhood (Netflix film) — Kevin Hart puts away the funnyman vibes (well, at least partially) for this rather serious take on fatherhood. The laughs that do occur will be both bittersweet and heartwarming, given that Hart plays a widower who must learn to raise his daughter all by himself. The trailer reveals that he’s taking a swing at honest-to-god acting, and this film is part of Netflix’s promise to release at least one original film per week for the whole of 2021. That’s quite a feat, and this movie will be a nice break from the non-stop action movies that traditionally fill the summer schedule.

iCarly (Paramount+ series) — This revival series picks up a decade following the beloved Nickelodeon classic with Miranda Cosgrove returning as the title character, who happens to be the O.G. webcast influencer. She’s accompanied by returning stars Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress, so the whole gang’s getting back together for more comedic mishaps and adventures while fans can enjoy seeing where these characters ended up for a new chapter.

Physical: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Pull out the leg warmers, the Jane Fonda exercise videos, and the Rave hairspray, or maybe just turn on some Olivia Newton-John songs to get into the proper mood for this dramedy, which stars the always side-splittingly funny Rose Byrne. She portrays a 1980s California housewife, Shiela, who’s pushing toward empowerment and success while excising personal demons in the process. Her transformation’s inspired by aerobics, and soon, Shiela’s building an exercise empire. The pilot’s directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and the rest of the season’s helmed by Liza Johnson (Dead To Me) and Stephanie Laing (Love Life), so expect the comedy to be of the biting variety.

Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are) (Peacock film) — Brad Pitt and Henry Louis Gates Jr. executive produce this documentary that digs into how the Civil War is discussed by Americans, from Obama’s final year in office until present. Expect to see a layered portrait of our collective American psyche to emerge.

Reposado really might be the perfect tequila expression. Aged anywhere between two months and 364 days, tequila reposado hits that Goldilocks zone between the rich deep character of añejo and the vegetal purity of blanco. It’s soft and highly drinkable, with a smooth flavor that isn’t so flattened out that you miss those bright and earthy qualities of roasted agave.

This makes “repo” the most versatile tequila, too — smooth enough to sip but distinct enough to not get lost in a cocktail. And it’s generally affordable, so you can shoot it if the occasion arises without guilt.

There are a lot of great bottles of tequila reposado out there and blind tastings have their limits (both because of palate fatigue and because of the buzz of the drinker), so we grabbed eight bottles we already know we like and put them to the test. “Blind” is more than a stunt here — Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila arrives freighted with lofty award cred and a fair bit of controversy. Not seeing the label was essential to giving it a fair shake.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Part 1: The Taste

For this blind tasting, I grabbed eight bottles of tequila reposado that fall within the $40-$70 price range, with the exception of one under $30 bottle that I threw in just to keep things a little interesting. Can the cheap stuff punch above its price and roll with these more prestigious bottles? It’s possible — we have a history of liking this brand.

Here is our class:

• Espolon Reposado (our budget bottle)

• Teremana Reposado

• El Tesoro Reposado

• Herradura Reposado

• Solento Reposado Organic

• DeLeon Reposado

• 818 Tequila Reposado

Let’s get to tasting!

Taste 1

Tasting Notes

On the nose, I’m greeted by the pleasing notes of butterscotch that make way for a rounded honey flavor that slowly morphs into an oaky finish with a pronounced burn and a zesty final note. Lingering on the backend is the subtlest hint of melon.

Overall, an interesting journey of a first taste.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes

Really harsh on the nose, with a startling kerosene quality — this smells like… cheap tequila. On the palate that harshness disappears instantly, it’s surprisingly smooth with a medium body and notes of tropical fruit, grass, and caramel with a bright finish.

This one was full of surprises.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes

I drank in tastings of two glasses at a time and, once presented with this one, I could tell we had moved into a different class entirely. Taste 3 had a pleasing amber glow to it with a buttery aroma and a comforting caramel roundness on the palate. Incredibly drinkable, this tequila is smooth with notes of green olives and citrus, and subtle berry notes lingering on the tongue.

This one seemed a lock to rank highly for me.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes

Roasted agave dominates the aroma of taste 4 with a spiced pepper quality on the tongue that goes down surprisingly smooth, despite its initial burn. Notes of toasted almond blast you through a journey that carries you through layers of cinnamon, butterscotch, and vanilla.

This one has an unmistakable dessert quality to it — would go great in a cocktail, for sure.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes

Shockingly pleasant on the nose, this taste really brought me in, greeting me with notes of warm honey and fresh coconut. From there the palate goes through ripe cherries, agave, and cracked peppercorn before settling into a nice oaky finish. The flavors are focused and direct, hitting all the right marks from the nose, to the body, to finish.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes

Not very notable on the nose, this tequila presented itself off as a bit bland before hitting the palate, where I got notes of asparagus, citrus, and vanilla, with subtle echoes of hibiscus and other floral qualities. As the flavors linger they settle into a comforting baked caramel finish.

Quite a journey this one, it’s great but it doesn’t hit all the notes of the tasting before it.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes

This one is really sweet, with a noticeably darker color to it. It’s floral — with pronounced notes of cinnamon, maple, and sugar — with a confection-like quality to it akin to cotton candy. Notes of vanilla and butter finish it off and give it a great silky mouthfeel.

A pleasant drink, for sure.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes

Just when I thought my palate was likely exhausted, this one greeted me loudly with notes of vanilla, asparagus, green peppers, and olive. Highly vegetal with a lot of blanco qualities but with a strong vanilla counterpoint that keeps the flavors from being overly bright.

Part 2: The Ranking

Unfortunately, my ringer bottle stuck out like a sore thumb, but aside from that, the only real surprise comes near the end of this list. Regardless, once you get into the top half of this list, each bottle is deserving of space on your bar cart. This was truly a great class to blind taste test from.

8. Espolon Reposado (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28.79

The Tequila:

I desperately wanted this one to rank higher than last place and, for the price, I still think this bottle performs well above what it typically shares grocery store shelf space with, but the off-putting qualities on the nose really pushed me away from this one.

Espolon’s tequila reposado is made using 100% Blue Weber agave and is rested for 3-5 months in lightly charred new American Oak barrels, giving it a pleasingly rich amber hue. It’s a great bottle of tequila, ideal for mixing in cocktails. It won’t be anyone’s favorite on character alone, but for the price, it’s definitely appealing.

The Bottom Line

The cheapest bottle ranked last — shocker! This was really close though, Espolon makes a fine bottle of reposado perfect for those nights when you have to pick up everything — booze, mixers, and limes.

7. Teremana Reposado (Taste 1)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $41.99

The Tequila:

Tasting’s one and two were incredibly close, the only thing giving Teremana the edge over Espolon was how pleasing the experience of drinking it was end to end. This one surprised me a bit, despite ranking so slow on this list. I didn’t think the Rock’s tequila would be bad, but I didn’t expect it to be this pleasant an experience.

Crafted in the Jalisco highlands where the agave is brick roasted for three days before shredding, Teremana is handmade in copper pot stills at the Destileria Teremana De Agave.

The Bottom Line

This one had a slight edge on Espolon, but given that the price is 50% higher, you’re really paying the premium for Dwayne Johnson’s name. It’s a good tequila, but I think its price tag is a bit inflated for what you get.

6. Partida Reposado (Taste 8)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $55.99

The Tequila:

Made at the distillery Autentica Tequilera in Jalisco, and aged in used Whiskey barrels, Partida’s tequila reposado has a beautiful glowing golden color and a complex flavor that feels geared toward true tequila fanatics. Definitely not a bottle you bring out for people who have been newly introduced to the flavors of tequila. In a lineup of any other set of bottles, I truly expect this to rank much higher. But it was up against some tough competition this go around

The Bottom Line

A great bottle with complex flavors. Maybe not the best for people dipping their toes into the world of tequila, but if tequila is your spirt of choice you’re going to find a lot to love in this bottle. It’s brimming with character.

5. Solento Reposado (Taste 3)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $69.99

The Tequila:

Hailing from the distillery Tequila Las Americas in Amatitan, Jalisco (along with 30 or so other white label brands), Solento is aged in American oak barrels for nine months which gives it a soft amber color and is notable as the only organic tequila in this lineup. This bottle has swept up multiple awards, including the silver at San Francisco’s World Spirit Competition.

The Bottom Line

The most expensive bottle on this lineup, you’re really paying a premium for that organic status. Considering how great a bottle Solento’s tequila reposado is though, it never feels like money wasted. From nose to body to finish, Solento’s Reposado takes you on a journey of comforting-yet-complex notes with a stunningly smooth mouthfeel.

4. DeLeon Reposado (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50.39

The Tequila:

Before this tasting, I was pretty unfamiliar with DeLeon’s reposado, so I’m glad to find this “new to me” gem. Crafted at the Destilería Morales (home to Tres Comas, which means this tequila f*cks), DeLeon uses 100% Blue Weber agave harvested in the highlands of Jalisco and gently aged in bold American oak then finished in French oak wine casks, leaving it balanced and remarkably smooth.

The Bottom Line

A great option if you’re looking for a tequila with a lot of natural sweetness and comforting warmth. DeLeon’s French oak barrelling ignites complex dessert flavors that are perfect for both slow sipping and for tossing in a high-quality cocktail.

3. Herradura Reposado (Taste 7)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $47.99

The Tequila:

Herradura is often created with introducing the world to reposado in the mid-’70s, so I fully expected this tequila to rank highly. Hailing from the Brown Forman distillery in Mexico and aged for 11 months in charred American White Oak barrels, Herradura is supremely smooth with a sweet finish. Truly a great representation of tequila reposado.

The Bottom Line

In this price range, Herradura is simply one of the finest reposado tequilas you can buy. It’s sweet and floral, igniting the senses before introducing its deep and complex character, providing a supreme experience from nose to finish.

2. 818 Tequila Reposado (Taste 6)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $60

The Tequila:

It’s almost impossible to talk about Kendall Jenner’s foray into the tequila game, 818, without addressing all of the controversy surrounding it. A controversy that I think, for the most part, is kind of unwarranted — considering George Clooney, another huge celebrity that leveraged his image and reputation to help catapult his brand, Casamigos, to respected status, sold his tequila brand in a billion-dollar deal. I’m sorry, I didn’t hear about the farmers and underpaid and undervalued workers getting a kickback from that deal either, did you? If you have a problem with Jenner, you’re going to have to have a problem with Clooney, LeBron James, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Jonas, Elon Musk, the Breaking Bad buds, and every other non-Mexican celebrity who has ventured into the tequila or Mezcal game. (Even Solento Tequila is celebrity-adjacent, having been created by surf filmmaker Taylor Steele.)

While there are a lot of things that bother me about Jenner’s tequila — the on the farm ad-campaign with the broken truck window, the price, etc — I feel like a lot of the criticism aimed at Jenner comes from straight sexism and a general dislike of her family and their massive wealth. Venturing into tequila was easy for Jenner. Even by her own account, it was mostly a matter of hanging out in cool villas, testing brands. Moreover, if she fails it’ll be a speed bump along her career path, which drives people crazy. And I get it. It sucks for the small brands to have to compete with movie and TV stars. But she didn’t create this system, so if it infuriates you maybe investigate why she’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.

This is probably all beside the point because 818 isn’t likely to fail. In part, because Jenner’s massive cultural influence could make almost anything into a winner. But also because it’s damn good. We’ve been saying this for a while and it holds up here: celebrity cash grabs aren’t what they used to be — the rich and famous seem to truly care about presenting a quality product.

Context aside, I didn’t have high hopes for this tequila. It’s been sweeping spirit-tasting awards since 2020 but I imagined it would land squarely in the middle of this list. But I’ll say it: I was wrong. Don’t let angry user reviews on BevMo and TotalWine or Jenner’s involvement dissuade you from trying this. My hunch is that they haven’t actually gotten their hands on a bottle and they have a problem with Jenner. Or they don’t know anything about tequila.

At some point I even found myself enjoying this just as much as our number one pick, which made me a little uncomfortable because I know the tequila community is going to come for me with torches. If you’re one of those people, I implore you to try this and then get back to me. You’re going to be pleasantly surprised.

If you don’t want to support a celebrity-owned white-labeled tequila brand because you’d rather support something locally owned, more power to you. 818 is produced at La Cofradia, along with 67 (!) other brands, including Atalaje, Casa Noble, Cavas Agave, Don Primo, and La Hormiga. Better yet, here is a list of other women-owned tequila brands: Casa Dragones, La Gritona, Clase Azul, and Satryna. Those brands don’t have a huge celebrity with a massive platform to help prop them up, they need the love. If 818 is deeply objectionable to you, vote with your dollars.

The Bottom Line

Tequila 818 is a fantastic tequila that isn’t worthy of its misguided hate and meets the expectations set out by its award-winning status. It’s nicely balanced between, with bright vegetal qualities and deep complexity with comforting characteristics of coffee and caramel, and subtle floral notes that dance on the palate.

1. El Tesoro Reposado (taste 5)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $55

The Tequila:

El Tesoro’s Reposado just might be my favorite tequila of all time. Made with traditional Tahona extraction methods at Tequila Tapatio (La Alteña), and rested in ex-bourbon American oak barrels for nine to eleven months, producing a translucent barely-there straw color, El Tesoro’s flavors are direct and focused, resulting in a tequila that is incredibly easy to drink while still offering the subtle complexity and character prized by a great reposado.

This tequila is supremely versatile, it’ll please the biggest tequila snob in your life and is a great first taste for someone who is interested in learning more about the character and flavors of tequila. You’ll never go wrong with a bottle of El Tesoro, and their tequila reposado is simply one of the best in the game.

The Bottom Line

Perfect from nose to body to finish — El Tesoro’s tequila reposado pulls you in with a smooth taste that takes you on a journey through complex flavors that ping-pong between warm, comforting, bright, and fruity. Easily the best tequila reposado you’ll find in this price range, and more than capable of competing with bottles that lean closer to $100.

Over the past few days, there has been speculation that the most likely album for Taylor Swift to re-record next is 1989. Now, we know for sure that it’s not going to be 1989, but rather, Red. Swift announced today (which perhaps coincidentally happens to be Scooter Braun’s birthday) that Red (Taylor’s Version) is set for release on November 19. It’s available for pre-order now, in both explicit and clean editions.

Swift began her post making the announcement:

“I’ve always said that the world is a different place for the heartbroken. It moves on a different axis, at a different speed. Time skips backwards and forwards fleetingly. The heartbroken might go through thousands of micro-emotions a day trying to figure out how to get through it without picking up the phone to hear that old familiar voice. In the land of heartbreak, moments of strength, independence, and devil-may-care rebellion are intricately woven together with grief, paralyzing vulnerability and hopelessness. Imagining your future might always take you on a detour back to the past. And this is all to say, that the next album I’ll be releasing is my version of Red.”

She also noted that the re-recorded album will feature “all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red,” including one track that’s ten minutes long.

Read Swift’s full message below.

“I’ve always said that the world is a different place for the heartbroken. It moves on a different axis, at a different speed. Time skips backwards and forwards fleetingly. The heartbroken might go through thousands of micro-emotions a day trying to figure out how to get through it without picking up the phone to hear that old familiar voice. In the land of heartbreak, moments of strength, independence, and devil-may-care rebellion are intricately woven together with grief, paralyzing vulnerability and hopelessness. Imagining your future might always take you on a detour back to the past. And this is all to say, that the next album I’ll be releasing is my version of Red.

Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person. It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past. Like trying on pieces of a new life, I went into the studio and experimented with different sounds and collaborators. And I’m not sure if it was pouring my thoughts into this album, hearing thousands of your voices sing the lyrics back to me in passionate solidarity, or if it was simply time, but something was healed along the way.

Sometimes you need to talk it over (over and over and over) for it to ever really be… over. Like your friend who calls you in the middle of the night going on and on about their ex, I just couldn’t stop writing. This will be the first time you hear all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red. And hey, one of them is even ten minutes long.

Red (Taylor’s Version) will be out November 19.”

Red (Taylor’s Version) is out 11/19 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

Everyone loves a hilarious animal video, and there are plenty of great ones to go around. However, not all animal videos are as cute as they might seem. In fact, some can be downright cruel without people realizing it.

Robotics engineer and NASA intern Aaron Shepard explains what’s wrong with some of these videos in a TikTok he shared on Twitter. He said he usually uses his social media to talk about science and space exploration, but he’s also an advanced scuba diver who was taken aback by a viral video showing a man “tickling” a ray.

Shepard’s video begins with a clip showing a ray lying on its back on a boat. A man’s voice says, “How do you tickle a fish?” and then a hand reaches down to “tickle” the ray. The ray wraps its fins around the man’s hand, its mouth opens as if it’s laughing, and then it closes its mouth in what looks like an adorable smile.

The problem is, it’s not laughing or smiling, and what’s happening is anything but adorable.

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“One of the first things they teach you in scuba diving is to not touch the animals,” Shepard says. “You run the risk of hurting yourself, but more importantly you have a chance of hurting the animal as well.”

Shepard explains in the video that humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize wildlife, assigning them human characteristics and behaviors.

“In reality, this is a very stressful situation for the ray,” Shepard says.

Repeat after me people :

“I will not touch ocean animals unnecessarily for social media clout”

Thank you… https://t.co/wKsorJi983

— Aaron Shepard (@spacecadetshep)
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“Think about it like this. This ray is supposed to be breathing water and not it is up in air and somebody is forcing it to open its mouth and let out all the water that it needs and instead replace that with air.

That would be the equivalent of somebody holding you underwater and tickling you, forcing you to gulp in a bunch of water, which would be really really scary and stressful for you.”

No doubt. When you think about it in those terms, it’s just awful. I want to toss that poor ray right back in the water.

“All of these videos that we see online of animals doing cute things may look fun and harmless to us, but in reality it may be a traumatic experience for the animal.”

Good reminder. Filming our domesticated cats and dogs’ being their goofy selves is one thing, but forcing wildlife into unnatural situations is entirely another.

How do you tickle a fish? You don’t. It’s really that simple.

Still the reigning NBA champions for a few more weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers are far from a joke in the basketball world these days. But the team will be the focus of what a former The Office alum hopes will be the next great workplace comedy on Netflix.

There are already a few Lakers-based series in the works, but Friday brought news that Netflix is bringing in Mindy Kaling and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to executive produce a series about the ins and outs of the Lakers organization. As Deadline detailed, Netflix announced a series not about LeBron James and the action on the court, but about a fictional female governor navigating the difficulties of running a professional sports franchise.

In a competitive situation, Netflix has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order to a half-hour workplace comedy inspired by the front office of the Los Angeles Lakers. The project hails from Mindy Kaling, former star/executive producer of one of the all-time great workplace comedy series, The Office; Modern Family alumna Elaine Ko; Lakers’ President and Governor Jeanie Buss and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Ko, the untitled series is inspired by the personal and professional dynamic between the family owners and front office team that together run one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports: the Los Angeles Lakers. The workplace comedy follows fictional team governor Eliza Reed as she navigates NBA ownership and family drama with her best friend by her side.

Ko writing the untitled series is a great start given her background in Modern Family. And it will certainly stand out among the other Lakers-based projects in the works. It’s actually the third Lakers project currently in the works, starting with an Adam McKay-ran drama about the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s. Earlier this year, Hulu also got its own nine-part docuseries about the Lakers under former owner Jerry Buss. That’s a whole lot of Lakers content coming, but the Netflix series is likely to be the funniest. And with Kaling involved in the project, there will be a high bar to reach when it comes to workplace comedies.

[via Deadline]

Right now, there are seven open head coaching jobs in the NBA. The Celtics, Mavericks, Magic, Pacers, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Wizards all need to figure out who will captain their respective ships in the coming days and weeks.

Every coaching job is hard. Each has its own quirks, its unexpected pitfalls, and unknown benefits that can be hard to parse from the outside. Some (Boston, Dallas, New Orleans) probably come with more immediate expectations than a job with a rebuilding team like Orlando. That means different coaches might be better fit for one type of job vs. another.

Still, some of these jobs are clearly better than the others and, if the ultimate goal is to win games and be employed for a long time, offer more than others. A possible eighth job — the Bucks job, which could become open if Mike Budenholzer if fired — might even be the best of the bunch. At the very least, it’s a top-two job, so keep that in mind in reading these rankings.

No. 7: Washington Wizards

The Wizards job as it currently exists has real downside and not much upside. Taking the job as it is now means getting to coach Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, but is that pairing going to lead the team in the long-term? Probably not. Westbrook has had injury issues and is probably past his overall peak. Beal is signed for two more years at age 27, but could test free agency or get dealt before then if things break the wrong way. If it all breaks down quickly, the coach is an easy fall guy with the best case scenario being the seventh or eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

No. 6: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is similar to Washington in that there are clear downsides. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have been a long-standing productive duo, but the roster is largely maxed out for what it is now. Maybe McCollum gets dealt, but if that yields a Kevin Love or Kristaps Porzingis, is that really changing the team’s upside? Plus, Terry Stotts also did as good a job as possible in his tenure.

There’s also a longevity question here. General manager Neil Olshey is heading into the last year of his contract and might be a lame duck general manager, and on top of that, has insisted that the roster wasn’t the issue in this year’s first round exit. If that’s true, and a tear down of some kind happens, what is going to stop the new front office lead from just bringing in their own coach? There are coaches who could probably survive a regime change — Rick Carlisle and David Vanterpool, a former Blazers assistant beloved by Lillard, come to mind — but not many. There’s upside and a possible plucky playoff run to be had here behind a special talent by Lillard, but there are also a number of ways this could go wrong in a hurry.

No. 5: Orlando Magic

The Magic’s roster is lacking. Injury concerns for Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac put a real damper on the young core. Mo Bamba looks like a missed Lottery pick. In a post-Steve Clifford world, this team is really starting from zero.

But that also allows a coach to grow with the roster as its built — think Brett Brown in Philadelphia during the Sam Hinkie era. He took a lot of losses, but got a chance to coach the team when it got to where it was always ended to go. It’s the path the Thunder appear to be going with Mark Daigneault as head coach, too. It’s not the right fit for every coach, but could be a good fit for the right coach willing to operate by the “wins and lessons” mantra.

No. 4: Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are a play for the middle. It’s a franchise that, perhaps to its own fault, never really goes for it fully and hasn’t made a really deep playoff run in a long time. The roster is tricky too — it’s been built around the Domantas Sabonis-Myles Turner frontcourt, but it might not be for much longer. Maybe they’ll get lucky in the Lottery this year and get a chance to shake things up.

But there also feels like potential to make this job lasts. Nate Bjorkgren only made it a year, but that feels to be more about Bjorkgren than it does the Pacers, even if they have some fault on their end too. If the right coach comes in – which might be Carlisle, who coached in Indiana before — they could make this a team that is competitive year in and year out, but needs luck to take a bigger step, which is a very Pacers position to be in.

No.3: New Orleans Pelicans

Is the Pelicans job too low on this list because it isn’t valuing Zion Williamson’s star potential enough? Perhaps. Is it too high because of the expectations that seem to be in place? Also, perhaps. Alongside Zion, Brandon Ingram has also developed in a very good scoring wing with a little bit of playmaking juice and having two players who can carry an offense, even if the fit is clunky, is a great place to start from.

But the rest of the roster is just shaky at the moment. Is Lonzo Ball, a pending restricted free agent, part of the future? Josh Hart is a restricted free agent, too, and rumors indicate he wants a fresh start elsewhere. What about the somewhat dead weight deals of Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe — is it possible to coach around those contracts? There’s immediate pressure to win here in the far better conference and it’s not entirely clear if the rest of the roster is ready to go where Zion is capable of going. Last year, by net rating, this was the the 18th-best team in the league and not significantly behind the ninth and 10th-seeded Warriors and Grizzlies.

But coaching Zion, and being the coach to get Zion to the next level, is a really enticing job. Someone should want to jump at it.

No. 2: Dallas Mavericks

There is definitely downside to the Mavericks job. There’s a new front office coming in. Mark Cuban is a meddlesome owner who is involved in every decision. Outside of Luka Doncic — who is the absolute reason to take this job and not think twice about it — the roster is underwhelming. Maybe there’s a coach who can help revitalize Kristaps Porzingis, but there’s so much work to do there, particularly in making his relationship with Doncic work. And notably, Tim Hardaway Jr. — arguably the team’s second or third-best player this year — is headed into free agency.

But this is a chance to coach Doncic as he heads towards his prime. Having a player of that caliber is the hardest part of any roster building, and even if the pressure is on to win, it’s a lot easier when Doncic has proven he can hang with the league’s best.

No. 1: Boston Celtics

There are tough aspects of the Celtics job. Is Brad Stevens going to be a good president of basketball operations? Who knows! Can the roster be meaningfully improved? It’s hard to see how that happens if Marcus Smart is the big trade piece on the last year of his deal, and while Kemba Walker getting traded for Al Horford helps the frontcourt, the team now lacks a point guard, plus you can argue pretty easily that Walker is better than Horford. Missing on a slew of late first-round picks is rearing its head now, too, as the roster looks thin for a team that has hopes of making a deep playoff push.

But the Celtics also have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. In those two, they have a pair of All-Star caliber wings to build around. That’s arguably a better starting spot than any other team currently looking for a coach and second only to the Bucks if that job opens up. Tatum alone is worth getting exited about, as he’s among the best young building blocks in the league and there’s a lot reason to believe he’ll still get better. For starter, he struggled for some time due to the after effects of COVID-19 this year, but looked to be back to his normal self in the play-in and playoffs, scoring 50 twice. The right coach could take Tatum and push him and this Celtics team to a whole other level.