Matt Diaz has worked extremely hard to lose 270 pounds over the past six years.
But his proudest moment came in March 2015 when he decided to film himself with his shirt off to prove an important point about body positivity and self-love.
Matt had lap-band surgery in 2009 at age 16.
Through the course of his weight-loss journey, Matt became passionate about promoting body positivity for people of all shapes and sizes.
To stay motivated, he started sharing his journey on social media, posting before-and-after photos, answering questions and giving support to followers, and even sharing his meals and favorite workouts. Six years later, Matt is down over 270 pounds and is a very active voice in the online body-positivity movement.
But in all his years of sharing his story, the one thing he’s never done is showed what his body looks like after 200+ pounds of weight loss. So he uploaded the video above to show his followers his true self.
Shortly after he posted the video online, originally to Tumblr, it quickly went viral and garnered thousands of shares and comments from people around the web. I was one of the thousands touched by the video, so I reached out to Matt to find out more about what motivated him and what he hopes others can take away from his story. Here’s what he had to say:
Why was it so important for you to post this video?
“I’m a really big advocate for self-love and body positivity. I think it’s important that we learn to love the bodies we’re in, even if we don’t necessarily like every little thing about them. However, in the time I’d been writing and talking about it, I’d never actually shown my excess skin to anyone. It felt dishonest somehow, to others and to myself. I couldn’t tell others that I wanted them to love themselves and keep myself hidden away and ashamed of my skin.”
“I know what it feels like to hate your body, and to be depressed about it, and I never want anyone to feel that way again. So, if making myself vulnerable can help one person, why not?” — Matt Diaz
What’s the response been like? Anything particularly unexpected?
“I think that putting any opinion on the Internet will garner a certain amount of negativity and cynicism, but I haven’t seen anything like that at all. I’ve read every comment and message since the video has gone up, literally thousands, and they’re all so thoughtful.
A really surprising side-effect were the number of transgender people who’ve thanked me saying that they understood my struggle, even though their body-related insecurity grew from different roots. I’d never even begun to [think] of what that must be like, and the fact that my message could help even though my problems began somewhere else is really incredible.”
What advice or words of encouragement do you have for someone who’s struggling to love their body?
“I know it’s difficult, especially when you’re starting out. I want you to remember that you are not the problem, certain aspects of society are the problem. You’ll constantly be told that you’re too heavy or too tall to be attractive, or you’re not masculine or feminine enough, or that your skin isn’t the right tone or your hair isn’t the right color, and these people are always always always wrong.
Luckily, we’re slowly starting to see these ideas get phased out by modernity. Plus-sized, un-retouched models are getting more attention in major brands, more attention is being put on the alternative scene for high fashion, it’s becoming clear that these negative ideas are not going to last, though it’s going to take a while.”
“Understand that to love yourself is to contest the negative things that were put into your head. Every smile, tattoo, bathing suit, and crop top is a small revolution. Tell yourself you’re beautiful every day, and I promise you will be.“ — Matt Diaz
Watch video below:
Matt’s story is a personal one, but it’s one we can all learn from.
I think the most important thing to take away here is that self-love takes time and is different for everyone no matter what they look like. It’s also worth noting that for Matt, losing weight was an important part of his journey, but that might not be the case for everyone. Even so, our society has such incredibly high and unrealistic body standards that even many of those who do work to lose weight end up feeling uncomfortable or being shamed for not having “perfect bodies” once they’ve lost weight.
There’s no such thing as a “perfect body” because everyone is different, which is what makes us beautiful and great! I’m glad there are people like Matt in the world who are not only willing to share their stories but also to inspire others by showing that body confidence comes in all shapes and sizes, and that everyone deserves to feel good about who they are. Here’s hoping Matt’s inspiring words can help others begin to love and accept themselves, no matter where they’re at in their journey.
As a university student in the 1970s, he found the talk of economics and statistics completely mind-numbing. So instead, he says, he roamed the streets of his hometown of Peterborough, England, with a camera in hand, snapping pictures of the people he met and listening to their stories. To him, it was a far better way to understand the world.
He always looked for the most eccentric people he could find, anyone who stood out from the crowd. Sometimes he’d snap a single picture of that person and walk away. Other times he’d have lengthy conversations with these strangers.
But eventually, life moved on and so did he. He fell out of love with photography. “Those pictures collected dust for 25 years,” he says.
Then, a few years ago, Porsz found those 30- to 40-year-old photos and sent them to be printed in his local newspaper.
And remarkably, people started recognizing much younger versions of themselves in his shots. “There was this lightbulb moment,” he says of the first time someone wrote to him about one of his photos.
Eventually, he became curious about the people he’d photographed all those years ago, and he decided he’d try to find some of them. It wouldn’t be easy — the photos were taken a long time ago, and Porsz didn’t have names or contact information for many of the people in them.
But he did find some of them, sometimes in extraordinary ways. “Some were absolute million-to-one coincidences,” he says.
Like the time he went out on a call (he’s a parademic these days) at 3 a.m., and the man he was there to treat recognized him as the photographer who’d snapped his picture all those years ago. On another call, he asked a local shopkeeper if he recognized any of the subjects in the photos. He did.
Once Porsz began posting about the project online — he calls it “Reunions” — it became easier and easier to reconnect with his former subjects.
Many were eager to recreate the old shots as best they could, like Layla Gordon, who Porsz originally photographed drinking milk in 1983.
Others groups, like these schoolgirls, had fallen out of touch. “Reunions,” fittingly enough, brought them back together.
Porsz says that his subjects, like this wild-haired couple, were strangers to him 30 years ago. Now he considers many of them friends.
In all, Porsz has collected over 130 before-and-afters in his new book.
The response to Porsz’s work has been more than he ever imagined.
He’s personally heard from people all over the world who’ve been inspired by his project and want to try to recreate it themselves. But beyond that, he just hopes it brings a little warmth and happiness to the people who see it.
“It’s important for me for my photography to make people smile,” he says. “Because there is so much sadness in the world.”
And while the project is finished for now, don’t count out the possibility of “Reunions Part 2” somewhere down the line.
“I’d love to meet these guys in 2046 when I’m 94 years old,” Porsz says.
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody has been covered dozens of different ways. But you’ve never seen it performed like this.
As one of the most iconic songs in rock music, Bohemian Rhapsody is recognizable no matter how it’s done. As children, my brother and I used to belt out Galileos and Figaros in the backseat of our parents’ Volkswagon whenever the song came on (yes, just like in Wayne’s World). While other kids learned about Beelzebub in Sunday School, I learned about him from Queen’s perfect harmonies. If there were an anthem from my classic rock-filled childhood, it would be Bohemian Rhapsody.
It’s one of those songs that is hard to cover well, though it hasn’t stopped people from trying. I’ve enjoyed some renditions, but nothing has caught my attention or delight more than this kapa haka version from New Zealand.
A Māori choir in native garb sang the song live in the Māori language, and it is something to see.
The group Hātea Kapa Haka performed the song on February 21 at New Zealand’s national kapa haka festival, Te Matatini, in Wellington. The festival brings 46 kapa haka (Māori performing arts) groups together to compete against one another.
Newshub reports that Hātea Kapa Haka collaborated with musical artist William Waiirua to create a “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover in the Māori language, both as a tribute to Freddie Mercury and to celebrate the Oscar-nominated movie about his life.
The group had previously created a music video for their cover, but seeing it performed live is something else. The voices, the harmony, the presentation—everything—is wonderful.
This kind of cultural mashup reminds us how small our world has become.
The contrast between Queen’s 1970s British rock and the Māori people’s traditional kapa haka could not be more striking. And yet, the melding of the two totally works. Music has the power to bring people together, and this performance is a great example of how it can bridge cultures with beautiful results.
Watch the live performance here:
And if you want more, check out the music video too:
William Waiirua got more help from Hātea Kapa Haka than he bargained for when his car broke down… For more Queen, check out this playlist: https://umusicNZ…
A Reddit user asked an innocent question about the future and it exposed a lot of the issues that people worry about today. It also highlighted the things we should appreciate while they are still around.
Klausbrusselssprouts asked the AskReddit forum, “In 50 years, what will people be nostalgic for?” and the responses went two ways. Some people mentioned the things they fear will get a lot worse in the future such as the role that technology plays in our lives and climate change.
Others saw the question as a way of appreciating the things we have now that may not survive over the next few decades.
As the old saying goes, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, so it’s hard to predict the things that we have today that people will feel nostalgic for in the future. Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, nobody would have ever guessed that people would feel nostalgic for everyday experiences such as going to Blockbuster video or the sound of an old dial-up modem. But a lot of people get a warm, fuzzy feeling when they think about them today.
It’s safe to say that in 50 years, a lot of the real experiences we enjoy today will be replaced by digital technology. So take time to appreciate face-to-face interactions with other people, technology that isn’t implanted into your brain and attending events in person.
Here are 17 of the best responses to the question, “In 50 years, what will people be nostalgic for?”
1.
“Owning something you don’t pay a subscription for.” — JohnnyNumbskull
Switchplayerclassic added:
“THIS is exactly what I hate rn about everything.”
2.
“Drinking water from the tap.” — Credible cactus
3.
“Grandparents will say to their grandkids, ‘When I was your age, I had to get off the screen and actually GO to school.'” — Truck_Stop_Sushi
4.
“Privacy. Even babies are overexposed today.” — birdiewings
5.
”Being able to do basic maintenance on your car without needing a shop manual and a years salary worth of special tools.” — kilroy-was-here-2543
6.
“Keys. Even more specific vehicle keys.” — UpMan
7.
“Social media. Not because it’s good, but because whatever comes next will probably suck more.” — RockoTDF
8.
“The number of wild animals that exist and can be seen. They are already on the decline.” — SpikedBubbles
9.
“Wired earbuds with an actual headphone jack. Not USB version 93 delta.” — Rodeo6a
10.
“The abundance and availability of power, water, and food.” — wrath__
11.
“Retail shopping. There will be these cutesy, extremely expensive retro shops selling things you’d find at the convenience store.” — shay1990plus
12.
“I’d say people will miss being uncontactable. Like back in the day, you could just go to your bedroom, and block the rest of the world away for a couple of hours. Now we’ve got video calls, phone calls, texts, emails. Urgh.” — mr_wernderful
13.
“Having sex with someone who isn’t a robot.” — Clarenceworley480
14.
“Probably movie theaters.” — rsvredditacct
15.
”Life before covid.” — ButterflyGirlie
16.
“Human made art and music without the use of AI. Or even just knowing it was made without the use of AI tools like DALL-E 2 or similar. Kind of like how before autotune you knew for certain a singer could sing that way.” — ConfidentlyNuerotic
Last Friday, Gunna released his first single of the year, “Bittersweet.” Today, he revealed that “bittersweet” will also be the theme and title of his next tour, the Bittersweet Tour, with Flo Milli. The title appears to continue the thematic thread from Gunna’s last full-length release A Gift And A Curse, as well as sharing the opener from his Gift and Curse shows in LA and New York last year. Those shows marked Gunna’s return to the stage after spending much of 2022 in jail, while the Bittersweet Tour will be his first since 2019.
How To Buy Tickets For Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour
If you want to go to Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour, tickets go on sale Friday, February 23 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com. If you happen to have a Citi card, though, you can access presale tickets beginning Wednesday, February 21 at 10 AM local time at citientertainment.com.
Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour Dates
05/04 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
05/06 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
05/08 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
05/10 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
05/12 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
05/16 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
05/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
05/21 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
05/24 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/25 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
05/28 — Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
05/29 — Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles’ Coliseum
06/01 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
06/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Roots Picnic Festival *
06/06 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/09 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/11 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
* festival date, without Flo Milli
Live Nation
Gunna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We made it! We’re officially at the best Scotch whiskies just under the $100 price point. This is where Scotch whisky truly starts to shine with unique bottlings, special finishes, and subtle blending that sweeps away the cheaper stuff while readying your palate for the insane heights to come (after all, we have yet to hit the 20-year mark on these whiskies).
Below, I’ve called out and ranked 10 essential Scotch whiskies all under $100. These are the whiskies that are “must-try” bottles. They will expand your palate. They will take you on a journey. They’re great, I promise.
I did rank these since some of them simply have more balance and depth. Some of them even feel a little magical with their vibrance and ability to wow without feeling like a homework assignment. There are peated masterpieces that might get you hooked on peated whisky. There are subtle unpeated malts that feel like a journey from Kentucky to Scotland in a glass. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This no-age-statement blend leans into that signature Walker marriage of Highland and Speyside whiskies with a small dose of Western Scottish whisky for good measure (both grain and malt whiskies are in the mix). The lion’s share of the whisky involved in this gilded bottle is Clynelish, a Highland whisky that adds a modicum of peat to the mix.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose balances old leather gloves and honeyed oats with meaty sultanas, cinnamon-spiced malts, a hint of anise, and an echo of grilled fruit.
Palate: The palate leans into the grilled fruit with a smoky underbelly and a savory edge (almost papaya) next to a lush vanilla cream and a sharp clove/allspice vibe.
Finish: The finish combines the dried fruit and honey with a twinge of florals as a whisper of earthy peat sneaks in late, kind of like a dry moss slowly growing on a tree.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best highball whiskies on the market. Mix this with some really good mineral water and an herbaceous or floral garnish and you’ll be in for a treat. Moreover, this works really well as a simple on-the-rocks pour for everyday sipping too.
9. The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 18 Years Old Glendullan Distillery
This Speyside whisky rests mostly in ex-bourbon casks. The final product adds in a few finishing barrels from Europe to mellow out the heavier bourbon barrels. That blend is then cut down to a low 80-proof for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with hints of cedar and winter spice underneath caramel candies, roasted almonds, and a hint of stewed orchard fruits.
Palate: The palate largely carries on those flavors with a subtle hint of bourbon vanilla and spicy tobacco warmth attached to the maltiness, with an echo of dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts.
Finish: The finish leans into the cedar and tobacco with a slightly mineral water base.
Bottom Line:
This is like unpeated malt that’s just been kissed by bourbon vibes. It’s familiar but feels fresh and malty if you’re coming from an American whiskey background. That makes this an excellent bridge whiskey between the two regions. It also makes this a fantastic cocktail base for your favorite whiskey-forward cocktails.
8. Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky Solera Aged 15 Years
This unique Glenfiddich has its own vibe. The whisky was aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 15 years. Those barrels are then vatted in a special large-format solera barrel that’s never fully emptied as new whisky goes in. The whisky from that vat is proofed down and then bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark dried red fruit mixes with old vanilla on the nose with a hint of orange and some light winter spice that gives way to mincemeat pies with powdered sugar icing.
Palate: Soft plummy fruit mingles with marzipan and vanilla with a light oaky spiciness that’s part spicy mulled wine and part mincemeat pie.
Finish: The holiday sweetness drives the finish with a sense of raisins, marzipan, and gingerbread cookies.
Bottom Line:
This is another great bridge between Kentucky and Scotland. This ascends to another level thanks to a deeper profile thanks to the solera system adding that x-factor to the actual whisky in the glass. This is a great slow sipper for bourbon fans looking to finally (and really) get into Scotch whisky.
7. Cragganmore 2023 Distillers Edition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. This yearly whisky release is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into port-seasoned American oak casks for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin next to savory (almost oily) herb branches and leaves.
Palate: The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe while this medley of caraway, fresh fennel, and sweet cardamom dance together on your palate.
Finish: The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.
Bottom Line:
This is such a unique whisky in general. This is what the cool kids sip because they’re in the know. There’s nothing quite like it out there and it rocks (the profile is so well-dialed). This poured over a single big rock is the play for a 100% one-of-a-kind bright sipping experience.
6. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 14 Years
The Balvenie is renowned for doing everything in-house from grain to glass and for being the distillery that spearheaded the whole “finishing whisky in a different cask” movement. In this case, the juice spends 14 years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is then batched and transferred to barrels that The Balvenie aged their blend of West Indies rum.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a welcoming rush of buttery toffee up top with hints of brown spices, bright red berries, and a touch of sweet malts next to floral malts and deep holiday vibes.
Palate: The palate brings around creamy vanilla dotted with sweet and slightly tart red berries next to a very soft winter spice barks, marzipan, and whispers of tobacco.
Finish: The finish is full of softwood, vanilla cream, and a touch of that winter spice with hints of leather and cedar-twinged tobacco.
The Bottom Line:
This is a deep and murky whisky that works on several levels — from building on the great malt to layering in rummy spices to delivering comforting notes to the end. Sip this one slowly with friends and you’ll all be in for a treat.
5. Lagavulin Single Islay Malt Whisky Aged 16 Years
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the mash is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin Distillery. The whisky then spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose.
Palate: The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality.
Finish: The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
This is the half of the ranking where we get into the unassailably amazing malts. Laga 16 is an icon. It’s perfectly balanced subtly peated malt that delivers more and more every time you go back to it. This whisky will never bore you or let you down.
4. Talisker 2023 Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The 2023 Distillers Edition is a classic Talisker that’s aged by the sea and finished for six months in Amoroso sherry casks. The whisky was distilled in 2012 and bottled at 10 years old. It was then finished in another Amoroso sherry cask, making it “double cask” matured.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep on this whisky with mild hints of beachside campfire smoke whispering in the background as hints of red fruit, wet driftwood, and green peppercorns draw you in.
Palate: The palate embraces the red berries with a slight tartness next to the sweetness as the peat remains dry and distant and tied to the brine of the sea with an almost oyster liquor softness.
Finish: The finish lingers for just the right amount of time as sweet berries and dry peat lead towards soft dark cacao powder with a tiny note of vanilla and one last spray from the sea.
Bottom Line:
This is Talisker turned up to MAX volume while still feeling gentle and unique. There’s so much going on with this whisky from the subtle fruit notes to soft seaside vibes to the fields of berries and old coffee house vibes. Yes, it’s peated but it’s so much more and there will be something for you to fall in love with in this glass.
3. The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Revival 15 takes its sherried nature very seriously. The hot juice is aged in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks for 15 long years. Those casks are married and this whisky is brought down to a very easy-drinking 92 proof with that soft Highland water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark berry brambles with tart and sweet fruit, stems, thorns, and even a little black dirt draw you in on the nose with a hint of walnut shell and cherry pie.
Palate: The palate is a creamy yet bitter dark chocolate orange that leads toward a semi-savory fig countered by a ripe apricot that feels like a dark and boozy fruitcake with a scoop of vanilla malt.
Finish: The chocolate comes back with cinnamon spice and more dark berries and walnuts at the end with a sense of sticky toffee pudding with a rich caramel sauce cut with salt and orange oils.
Bottom Line:
This is a big wintry whisky that works year-round. There’s something comforting and nostalgic about this pour that will have you going deep into your involuntary sense memories no matter the season. Sometimes that’ll be Christmas of years past. Sometimes it’ll be a date at an old cafe you had in your 20s. There’s always something new in this dark and delicious whisky to enjoy.
2. Ardbeg Uigeadail Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The mix of peated malts, yeast, and that inky lake water from Islay creates a spirit that’s already full of flavors before it goes into the barrel. That hot juice is aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. When the whisky in the barrel is just right, they’re blended into this single malt expression, proofed with local spring water, and bottled without any filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is a matrix of smoked plums next to lush Christmas cakes full of dried and candied fruit and citrus with plenty of fatty nuts, dark and wintry spice, and buttery caramel drizzle hit with plenty of sea salt next to a whisper of dried lavender and overripe, almost woody plantains.
Palate: The palate balances sweet berries and pear candy with smoky salmon fat and dark chocolate malts.
Finish: The mid-palate adds a hint of dried chili heat while fading towards a finish full of smoked fat, dried fruit, and a buttery dark chocolate sauce bespeckled with flakes of smoked pink sea salt and cedar chips.
Bottom Line:
This is bold peated malt that feels soft and almost subtle. The fruit really shines with the smoked fatty meats to create a backyard BBQ vibe that’s familiar and enticing before dried florals, candied nuts, and creamy caramel evoke a childhood full of sweet treats. It’s all there if you take the time to find it in the glass.
1. Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Cadboll Estate Aged 15 Years Batch #3
The new batch of Glenmorangie’s beloved Carboll Estate is another instant classic. This year’s edition is made with two barley harvests from Glenmorangie’s own estate-grown barley (on the Carboll Estate). Once distilled on Glenmo’s iconic copper pot stills, the whiskey is aged in American oak (ex-bourbon casks) primarily. The final batch is vatted with a few barrels of Amontillado sherry casks as well.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Beautiful notes of hazelnut bathed in floral honey drive the nose toward stewed peaches over buckwheat pancakes, soft jasmine, and a hint of cold slate slick with rainwater.
Palate: The floral honey opens the palate toward fresh gingerbread, Nutella, and clove-laced orange layered into toffee dropped in roasted almond with this fleeting sense of summer herb gardens and bright yellow nasturtiums.
Finish: A touch of toasted coconut adheres to the gingerbread and toffee on the finish with a dash of bourbon vanilla, creamy mocha latte, and old oak stave.
Bottom Line:
This is the whisky that could define “unpeated single malt” in the dictionary. It’s so essential in all the notes from the soft incense to the spiced fruits to the lush bourbon whispers. It’s just great sipping whisky. Buy two.
The NBA All-Star Game has come under criticism from seemingly everyone over the last couple of days. After Adam Silver and the NBA placed a clear emphasis on the game being more competitive this year, the exact opposite ended up happening, as it was 48 minutes of guys not really trying and either hoisting up threes or making their way to the rim without trying all that hard.
If there was a positive to come out of it, we’d like to point to the delightful bromance between Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic that was on full display. The pair took things about as unseriously as two humans can take something, and while it’s certainly understandable that some would have a problem with that, they were two of the only people at Gainbridge Fieldhouse who looked like they were having fun. An example of this: While warming up before the game, Doncic went up to Steph Curry and told him to move over a little bit. And then, Jokic came flying in, put a hand on Curry’s shoulder, went over top of him, and dunked.
I am glad that Curry found this funny, because it is extremely funny. Anyway, here’s hoping that Doncic and Jokic continue to engage in hijinks one another going forward.
Now that the Wicked trailer has hit televisions across the nation and its star Ariana Grande has announced her new album Eternal Sunshine, she’ll be returning to television soon as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 9. She also released her first new single since 2021 (not including the 2023 remix of “Die For You” with The Weeknd), the dance-influenced “Yes, And?” which has already gone Gold since dropping in January.
Grande will follow country star Kacey Musgraves, who will perform on the March 2 show as she promotes her own upcoming album, Deeper Well. Musgraves released her album’s first single, the title track, on February 8. Grande’s last appearance on the show was in 2016, while Musgraves’ was in 2021. The host for Musgraves’ appearance will be Madame Web star Sydney Sweeney — who fans are probably hoping will have as much fun with the broken film’s hilariously bad reception as her co-star Dakota Johnson has been having — while the March 9 host is Josh Brolin, who stars in the upcoming second installment of Denis Villaneuve’s Dune adaptation.
March 9 may also give pop icon Mariah Carey the chance to return to SNL for the first time in 15 years as she appears on the remix of Grande’s new single. If not, perhaps we’ll get a preview of one of Grande’s versions of a Wicked song or two (and maybe Cynthia Erivo will join her instead).
The New Balance 550 is a modern classic. And I say “modern classic” knowing full well the sneaker was introduced in 1989. After the sneaker’s initial run, it was all but forgotten in NB’s archives until 2020 when Aimé Leon Dore reintroduced the sneaker to the public with a few now-iconic limited drops. The reintroduction of the 550 was so popular that New Balance made ALD founder Teddy Santis its creative director, and together Santis and NB have taken the brand from a niche audience to the mainstream.
The brand hitting its stride and getting love from a new generation is a good thing. New Balance sneakers are dope, and a lot of that has to do with the immaculate design and smart branding. And we can’t think of a better person to be a brand ambassador than Jack Harlow. Harlow, with his minimalist and to-the-point aesthetic (his best music is plain and simple rap, no sub-genres required) reflects the simplicity of New Balance in the Teddy Santis era. So it’s no huge mystery why the brand tapped Harlow to introduce brand new colorways of the 550.
Launching exclusively at Foot Locker this Thursday, the new colorways include a sneaker that combines Sea Salt, Reflection, Olivine & Dark Olivine, and another in Reflection, Sea Salt, and Grey Matter. The colorway names are excessively complicated, as is per usual with New Balance. Seriously, they could’ve just titled these sneakers “Olive” and “Light Blue.”
The sneakers retail for $110 and feature a white leather base with colored panels and logos. Sadly, the green 550s are Women’s and Children’s only. The blue is a full size run. To pick up a pair, hit up Foot Locker and Champs Sports stores on February 22nd or online. Check out the sneakers in action below.
New BalanceNew BalanceNew BalanceNew BalanceNew Balance
Doc Rivers has been a frequent topic of conversation over the last few weeks. Ever since he took over for the fired Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee, there’s been even more of a spotlight on Rivers than usual. It hasn’t helped that his stint with the Bucks has not gone well — they’ve gone 3-7 under him, and while the defensive woes he was hired to fix have started to trend in the right direction, Milwaukee’s offense has floundered under him.
Add in that Rivers got to coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game because of Milwaukee’s record under Griffin and the whole thing has just been weird. And on top of everything, Rivers has made some comments about his situation that received criticism, with ESPN analyst JJ Redick — who played under Rivers with the Clippers — criticizing him for never accepting any accountability.
Well, Redick’s comments didn’t go over especially well with some of Rivers’ former players. Both Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Perkins (the latter of whom deleted his tweet) came to their former coach’s defense — with Beverley, in particular, going after Redick. Rivers’ son and another one of his ex-players, Austin Rivers, also chimed in and said he disagreed with what Redick had to say while making it a point to stress that he thought Beverley’s tweet was off-base, as well.
This Man Doc actually saved your career. Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire go on TV and say that. @jj_redick
“In terms of accountability, your best years in the NBA were when you played for him and the Clippers… It’s just very ironic and kinda weird that you have this energy towards him.”
While Redick didn’t respond to Rivers or Perkins, he did have something to say to Beverley, who unsurprisingly fired right back.
Pat my guy I had a four year offer with player option for the same money to be a starter for a different team. FOH “saved my career”. https://t.co/5lXowm2j8e
Rivers and the Bucks will be back in action on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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