In promotion of his new era, Lil Nas X has been leaning into Christian themes, especially today (January 8) with the announcement that his new single, “J Christ,” is coming out on January 12. The single’s cover art features a re-creation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with Nas playing the role of Jesus. This appears to have rubbed some people the wrong way, and now Lil Nas X has something to say about it.
MY NEW SINGLE IS DEDICATED TO THE MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME!
In a tweet shared after the announcement, the rapper dismissed the idea that he’s mocking Jesus, writing, “the crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus. Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of sh*t. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu.”
the crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus. Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of shit. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu
One reads, “The reason a lot of yall are not understanding J Christ and Lil Nas X’s new era in general is because you also blatantly misunderstood Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and its message. There is no mocking happening anywhere. It’s just art like so many other artists have done.” Another one says, “If y’all truly cared about religion like yall say u do, You could easily see how heavy of a Christian he & his family is. Yall wanna gatekeep people from religion so bad. Its not him making religion look bad it’s yall making it look bad by saying who can&cant be a Christian.” Somebody else wrote, “Imagine telling Lil Nas X that he’s not allowed to use the iconography of the world’s largest religion, that shaped the western culture and informed ALL of the western art, to express himself, like ALL western artists have been doing for the past couple of millenia.”
The reason a lot of yall are not understanding J Christ and Lil Nas X’s new era in general is because you also blatantly misunderstood Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and its message.
There is no mocking happening anywhere. It’s just art like so many other artists have done. pic.twitter.com/7Ler1CzUqi
Imagine telling Lil Nas X that he’s not allowed to use the iconography of the world’s largest religion, that shaped the western culture and informed ALL of the western art, to express himself, like ALL western artists have been doing for the past couple of millenia
Meanwhile, on January 3, Nas tweeted, “my new song features a very beloved popstar who ive been a fan of for a long time,” but who that is has not yet been revealed.
my new song features a very beloved popstar who ive been a fan of for a long time.
Suits successfully ran for nine seasons on the USA Network and concluded in September 2019. Currently, every season is available to stream on Peacock, although the first eight seasons dominated Netflix bingewatching sessions for much of 2023. Is this still a mild surprise? Perhaps, but the show was enjoyable enough while airing and has presumably been bolstered about curiosity about Meghan Markle’s pre-royal career.
It certainly didn’t hurt Suits that the streaming services did slow their original series output during Hollywood’s recent shutdown, which gave people even more available time to crank through the fluffy legal drama and watch Harvey Specter close those deals. Now, the show’s world has expanded because no studio can resist reviving a hit show where there’s potential. Here’s what we know about the Suits-related series that has been greenlit:
Plot
NBCUniversal nursed that interest by having four Suits cast members (Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht, Gina Torres, and Sarah Rafferty) materialize at the recent Globes ceremony to present an award, as seen below.
During the evening, Macht, who portrayed deal-maker extraordinaire Harvey Specter, remarked (to Variety) of the show’s zombie resurrection, “It’s just gotten incredible eyes. And we’re very grateful for it.” Whereas Adams, who embodied fake lawyer Mike Ross on the hit series, went further to declare, “If I got the phone call, I’d be ready to suit up again. I loved the show, I loved the character and I loved working with all these people.”
Could a real reunion actually happen? Suits creator Aaron Korsh has gone on record to declare that his new Suits-related show is not reboot, a revival, or a spinoff (the series previously spinoff with the short-lived Pearson series, starring Torres). The new show will likely not take place in New York but in Los Angeles, and the setup could be similar to how NCIS has expanded into different cities with different casts. Yet what’s most notable is that Deadline reports that this new show has been “fast tracked,” so ideally, we will know more soon.
Viewers will likely be disappointed if there isn’t some sort of crossover character or two, at least in the new show’s setup. If that happens, definitely do not expect to see Meghan Markle return as Rachel Zane, however, since she has spoken fondly of her previous experiences on the show but did not join her fellow cast members for this past weekend’s onscreen reunion.
Cast
Again, there has been absolutely no confirmation of any former cast members (or new ones) who are joining this continuation series. Still, there must be some logic behind trucking out four former cast members onstage at the Globes.
Release Date
Producers will surely want to get this series out as soon as possible, although no one knows if this show will be another USA Network staple or move solely to streaming, on Peacock or Netflix. Still, no firm date exists at this time.
Trailer
If only! Let’s imagine, instead, how Prince Harry felt while watching this scene between Rachel and Mike.
How To Buy Tickets For The 2024 BottleRock Napa Valley Festival
Three-day general admission tickets will be available to buy starting tomorrow, January 9, at 10 a.m. PST. Per the BottleRock website, for the first time in 2024, there will be “no surprises at checkout” with all fees included in the price seen up front. Currently, tickets are listed at $456 ($409 for the ticket and $47 for fees).
VIP tickets, meanwhile, are set to cost $1,264 ($1,195 for the ticket, $69 for fees). On the BottleRock tickets page, VIP tickets are currently marked as sold out, but perhaps that will change when the general admission tickets go on sale.
Other tiers of BottleRock tickets are also offered, so learn more about that here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Jo Koy’s Golden Globes jokes are getting roasted, particularly after taking aim at Taylor Swift. However, the comedian had one group of ladies rushing to his defense: The co-hosts on The View.
Surprisingly, the panel was not feeling Swift’s now-viral reaction where she was visibly not pleased after the comedian made a joke about her recent NFL appearances thanks to dating Travis Kelce. Swift was stone-faced during the bit, and apparently, The View thinks she should lighten up.
“I love Jo Koy and the whole time I was nervous for him because I think he’s so funny. He’s kind, he’s good, all the things. What bothers me more in watching this is, get a sense of humor, because we need to protect these national treasures called our comedians, because life needs them,” she said. “We need to stop binding them in, fencing them in. In that room, Jo Koy is punching up. No one feels sorry. Just smile.”
Whoopi Goldberg also came to Koy’s defense, but wisely steered clear of mentioning the Swift debacle.
“These gigs, these hosting gigs are brutal. They’re just brutal. If you don’t know the room, if you’ve not been in these rooms before and you’re thrust out there, it’s hit or miss,” Goldberg said via EW. “I don’t know whether it was the room or the jokes, I didn’t get to see it, but I do know that he’s as good as it gets when it comes to stand-ups. It’s not an easy gig. If you read any of the reviews of some of the gigs that I’ve had, where they just wished me into the cornfields, die on the vine, it’s not an easy gig.”
Released in 2019, Joker defied box office expectations by becoming a billion-dollar smash hit despite eschewing the trappings of the usual superhero fare dominating theaters. While director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix were reluctant to agree to a sequel as Warner Bros. saw dollar signs its eyes, the two finally found a story worth telling and Joker: Folie à Deux was born.
With Lady Gaga officially joining the cast as a new incarnation of Harley Quinn, the sequel will once again take another deeper, darker dive into the iconic DC Comics villain. Here’s everything we know about Joker: Folie à Deux:
Plot
The original Joker film ended with Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck being swarmed by the Gotham Police Department after he fully embraced his new Joker persona by murdering beloved late night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live TV. While not much is known about the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, the film has been touted as a musical and will focus on the introduction of Harley Quinn.
In the animated series, where she quickly rose to popularity, Harley Quinn (real name: Harleen Quinzel) was the Joker’s psychiatrist before being seduced by the Clown Prince of Crime and ultimately serving as his sidekick. However, in recent years, she’s since struck out on her own and become a beloved anti-hero, but the Joker sequel will most likely focus on their deranged courtship. Don’t expect Harley to join the Suicide Squad in this one.
Cast
Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, and Zazie Beetz is confirmed to return as Sophie. However, this time around, Phoenix will be joined by a new cast of characters including the heavily-hyped casting of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. Catherine Keener and Brendan Gleeson have also joined the film in unspecified roles.
Release Date
Director Todd Phillips kicked off the New Year by dropping two new photos from Joker: Folie à Deux and confirming the film’s October 4 release date with the Instagram post below:
Trailer
As of this writing, Joker: Folie à Deux does not have a trailer. However, Phillips has continued to tease out set photos, and with the release date less than a year away, a trailer is imminent. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Joker 2 has a presence at the Super Bowl, but Warner Bros. could play things close to the vest until closer to the release of the highly-anticipated sequel.
Joker: Folie à Deux arrives in theaters on October 4, 2024.
Fast food can often be delicious, especially if you’ve figured out the perfect order at all your favorite restaurants. But eating the same food over and over again can get dull real fast. If you’re biting into a big juicy decadent cheeseburger and it’s not firing off all the pleasure centers in your brain, it’s probably because your tastebuds aren’t being surprised at all.
We know it is hard to stray from the favorites but sometimes ordering something unexpected is all you need to excite the palate and get the most bang for your buck. And when you’re looking for something different there is no better place to look than a secret menu. And most fast food restaurants have a secret menu or, at the very least, some food you can remix and hack into something new.
To help guide you to these hidden gems, we’ve put together a list of the secret menu fast food items from all the big chains. For the most part, these will be foods that you can order hassle-free, though a few will unfortunately require some self-assembly. Let’s dive in.
Unfortunately, because Burger King routinely brings back the Rodeo Burger as a limited-time option, you can’t just ask for a Rodeo Burger off-season. Instead what you’ll need to do is order a Double Whopper and add BBQ sauce, bacon, and onion rings.
They will be able to add all of these ingredients themselves, so you won’t get any pushback if you try and order this.
The Bottom Line:
This burger is crunchy, smokey, sweet, and decadent. You can’t go wrong.
I’m still scratching my head over why this isn’t something BK advertises. Frings are an ingenious idea, you get an equal share of french fries and onion rings — what’s not to love here? Order Frings and your favorite sandwich of choice, put the frings inside the sandwich, and experience the absolute best of Burger King.
BK isn’t doing so hot, the restaurant is closing stores nationwide — I kind of think it’s because they keep orders like the Rodeo Burger and Frings a secret.
The Bottom Line:
You get the best of both worlds here, and it’s something you can ask for by name.
Chick-fil-A — Fried Chicken Club Sandwich/Bacon on Everything
If you can’t tell already, it truly baffles me why these fast food chains keep some of their best food a secret. If you’re a casual Chick-fil-A eater you may not know that you can put bacon on everything here, and bacon is the best way to elevate a chicken sandwich.
Ask for the Chicken Club, and you should receive a grilled chicken patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a multigrain brioche bun — but here is the trick, ask for a fried patty (spicy or regular) instead and you’ve got yourself quite possibly the best sandwich on the entire menu.
The multigrain bun adds some nice sweetness to counterbalance the smokey flavor of the bacon and the chicken and pairs nicely with the juicy tomatoes and green leaf lettuce. If you’re not feeling that build, feel free to order your usual favorite sandwich and just ask to add bacon.
This one is a bit of a toss-up as some Chick-fil-A’s will know what you’re talking about, and some won’t. The Spicy Char swaps Chick-fil-A’s charbroiled chicken patty (which is delicious by the way) for a spicy version of the same patty, tossed in the same spices as the fried version, without the breading.
The results are delicious, it’s juicy with a lemon undertone and a sharp cayenne kick at the backend.
The Bottom Line:
Chick-fil-A’s most delicious secret. If you’re in the mood for a grilled chicken sandwich that doesn’t sacrifice flavor for better caloric stats, order this.
This one is going to require self-assembly, but we guarantee you it’s worth it! Here is what you do: order a burrito bowl with any meat or beans of your choosing (we recommend barbacoa and pinto) with grilled fajitas, salsa of your choice, corn, cheese, and guacamole, and ask for all your ingredients on the side. Then order a side of chips, pour them into the bowl, and build this delicious dish.
If enough of us order these nachos and post them on TikTok, maybe it’ll get an official release. Chipotle did it with the fajita quesadilla so anything is possible!
The Bottom Line:
We know Chipotle is keeping this one close to the chest in case sales ever drop.
Five Guys — The Patty Melt
Zach Johnston
How To Order It:
This is Five Guys’ best-tasting secret and, in our opinion, is even superior to the regular burger. Simply order a grilled cheese and add as many patties and other ingredients you’d like. Five Guys doesn’t use special buns for this sandwich instead it inverts its regular hamburger buns and grills them with butter, giving the bread a crunchy savory exterior.
To capture that classic diner patty melt vibe, be sure and add grilled mushrooms and grilled onions.
The Bottom Line:
Better than Five Guys’ stock cheeseburger.
In-N-Out — Animal Style Burger with Chopped Chiles
In-N-Out posts its secret menu online, which is great, but what they don’t tell you is that you can add chopped chiles to any burger. This build is a favorite of burger master Alvin Cailan, it features mustard grilled patties, a double dose of cheese, extra special sauce, tomatoes, grilled onions, lettuce, pickles, and chopped chiles. The chiles provide a nice subtle heat that builds on the aftertaste and adds a lot of complexity to this already flavor-packed burger.
The Bottom Line:
The easiest way to elevate your In-N-Out experience.
In-N-Out — Animal Style Fries
In n Out
How To Order It:
For whatever reason In-N-Out also doesn’t advertise these fries on its official secret menu website, but they’re a staple amongst In-N-Out regulars, so expect to order this hassle-free.
The Animal Style Fries include a bed of fries topped with special sauce, melted American cheese, and grilled onions. If you’re wondering, yes, you can add chopped chilies to this as well and it makes each forkful significantly better.
The Bottom Line:
If you still think In-N-Out fries are the worst, give these and try and come back to us.
In-N-Out — Tomato Wrap
Dane Rivera
How To Order It:
I’m not going to list In-N-Out’s entire secret menu because some of the dishes just aren’t worth ordering (looking at you grilled cheese), but one that doesn’t get enough mention is the Tomato Wrap. This burger is superior to the lettuce wrap because it doesn’t fall apart as you’re eating it and instead of flavorless iceberg lettuce you get layers of umami-rich tomato.
The Bottom Line:
Savory, satisfying, and completely keto-friendly.
In-N-Out — Neapolitan Shake/Rootbeer Float
Dane Rivera
How To Order It:
I’m going to go ahead and combine these because I think they are equally good. If you can’t decide between a chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry shake, just order a Neapolitan Shake to experience all three flavors combined.
To get a Rootbeer Float, simply ask for one (it’s not on the menu) and the employees will expertly mix rootbeer with any shake flavor of your choice.
The Bottom Line:
Both options are improvements over the stock milkshakes.
McDonald’s — The Egg McMuffin Hack From The Killer
Dane Rivera
How To Order It:
We were introduced to this hack late last year by the David Fincher movie The Killer. It’s an Egg McMuffin without the bread. In the movie, Michael Fassbender scarfs down a ham version of this sandwich, which in our opinion isn’t as good as opting for sausage instead.
To order ask for a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin with an extra patty and toss the bread to nearby birds.
I like this hack and it fits into the keto lifestyle, but I’m going to be real with you, the original with the bun tastes better.
The Bottom Line:
A keto-friendly version of one of McDonald’s greatest sandwiches.
Order a McMuffin and a hashbrown, open up the sandwich, and slide that hashbrown in. Yes it’s a bummer they won’t do this for you but it’s so low effort and so delicious that the self-assembly is worth it. The hashbrown adds more crunch and salt to the sandwich and makes it a way more satisfying experience.
The Bottom Line:
A hack so good and so low effort that McDonald’s should just include it on the menu. Until then, you’ll have to build it yourself.
McDonald’s — The Land, Sea, and Air Burger
Dane Rivera
How To Order It:
I didn’t really want to include this one but what’s a secret menu fast food list without this legendary sandwich? Two years ago McDonald’s let you order this sandwich by name but still required you to self-assemble it. It wasn’t worth the effort (we covered it here)
The sandwich combines a Big Mac with a fried Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken into one giant ball of ultra-processed protein. It is disturbing, overwhelming, and as close to State Fair food as McDonald’s will ever get.
The Bottom Line:
A disturbing mix of McDonald’s proteins. Order it for the story, not the flavor.
Raising Cane’s — Sandwich on Texas Toast
Dane Rivera
How To Order It:
Ask for your Raising Cane’s sandwich to be served on Texas toast rather than the Kaiser roll that comes with the stock sandwich, and boom, you’ve instantly got a significantly better chicken sandwich. Yes, it’s still going to fall all over the place and be a struggle to keep intact (what else would you expect from a sandwich that includes three chicken tenders) but each bite will begin with a garlic butter blast of flavor before you reach that tender juicy chicken.
The Bottom Line:
Raising Cane’s should ditch the roll completely and just serve its sandwiches on this delicious Texas Toast. Once you try it, you’ll never eat the Kaiser roll again.
Ask for BOBS and you’ll receive Raising Cane’s delicious Texas Toast grilled and buttered on both sides, rather than just one side. BOBS stands for, if you haven’t caught on already, “buttered on both sides,’ and is an instant way to turn an already delicious side into something out of this world.
The Bottom Line:
If you love Raising Cane’s Texas Toast, you need to try the BOBS.
Taco Bell — Quesarito
Taco Bell
How To Order It:
Taco Bell keeps putting this legendary dish back on the menu only to take it off. You don’t have to deal with Taco Bell’s nonsense though, because you can still order a Quesarito, it just takes some hacking. Ordering a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, substitute the beans for rice, and add chipotle sauce, then get it grilled, and bam! You’ve got yourself a Quesarito.
The Bottom Line:
Taco Bell loves to take fan favorites off the menu, this is the easiest one to recreate.
Wendy’s offers single, double, and triple cheeseburgers but nothing is stopping you from adding as many additional patties to the burger as you’d like. Once you get to four, you’re eating what the Wendy’s secret menu community affectionally refers to as the “Meat Cube.”
“Meat Cube” doesn’t sound appetizing to me, but hey, it’s a pretty apt name for a bomb of beef.
The Bottom Line:
If you’ve got a craving for beef, no other burger is going to satisfy like the Meat Cube.
Just as you can add as many patties to a burger as you desire, you can do the same with chicken patties, which brings us to the Barnyard Burger. Order a Dave’s single and add a fried chicken filet and bacon and you have a whole barn’s worth of flavor. It’s beefy, crunchy, spicy (assuming you get the spicy chicken filet), and smokey. A real showcase for how good Wendy’s is at everything they make.
The Bottom Line:
One of Wendy’s wildest burgers and everything McDonald’s Land, Sea, and Air Burger wishes it could be.
The 2024 Golden Globes wasn’t the only awards show this weekend. The winners at the Creative Arts Emmys, which were handed out over the course of two nights, include Weird: The Al Yankovic Story for Outstanding Television Movie; I Think You Should Leave for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series; and Password‘s Keke Palmer for Outstanding Host for a Game Show (the first time the category hasn’t gone to a man in 15 years).
“Well, friends, I won an Emmy art trophy last night for my guest star role HBO’s gorgeous rendition of a Craig Mazin script. I am very grateful for this plaudit but it’s also hard to fully swallow since my work was in a full partnership with the magnificent @murray.bartlett,” Offerman wrote on Instagram, referring to his co-star Murray Bartlett (who was also nominated). “I prepared some remarks that I was able to mostly deliver, with a couple of flubs due to my emotions running high, so I thought I’d publish my speech which they generously let me finish. Thanks again to all the strawberry fans.”
You can read the speech (including Offerman referring to the Aussie-born Bartlett as “the Girth from Perth”) below.
BottleRock Napa Valley will take place at the Napa Valley Expo in Napa Valley, California from Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26. The festival announced the full lineup this morning, January 8. Three-day tickets will be available for purchase beginning tomorrow, January 9, at 10 a.m. PST.
According to BottleRock’s official website, 2024 will mark the first time there are “no surprises at checkout” because “all fees are included upfront.” The website lists the three-day general admission ticket price as $409 and tacks on the $47 fee to end at a $456 total.
The site also lists the three-day VIP as sold out, though it’s unclear if that will refresh on January 9. As of now, BottleRock is offering a sign-up page for anyone interested in ticket and hotel packages.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s been eight months since Australia-based electronic maestro Opiuo stunned fans with his unforgettable sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre performance and just under three months since he released his live music marvel, Opiuo & The Opulent Orchestra.
Spanning 19 total tracks, the digital album boasts 16 electrifying orchestral arrangements seamlessly married to the celebrated producer’s iconic funk-infused basslines, recorded live from his headlining Red Rocks Amphitheatre extravaganza last May. While everyone is out there trying to do “the best new thing,” there’s certainly something to be said for blending old and new — infusing hard-hitting electronic beats with the classic, live compositions of symphony musicians.
The defining live album is the prelude to an exciting year ahead for Opiuo, who saw one of his busiest years to date in 2023. The producer essentially saw most of the past 12 months spent selling out venues across the United States, all the while focusing on conducting 22 musicians for his premiere Red Rocks show. For the first half of 2024, the producer be back in his home country of Australia.
To prepare for Opiuo’s homebound return to Down Under, he’s built a personalized guide on where to stay, eat, and party in one of his favorite cities in the world, Melbourne.
“Melbourne is full of so much wonder, grit, vibe, and charm,” Opiuo told Uproxx. “It’s home to so many nationalities and cultures, something that makes it one of my favorite cities in the world. People doing so many different creative things, the colorful street art, a vibrant life! It’s all there, and it’s all to be discovered and explored.”
Best Place To Sleep & Stay
OPIUO
When in Melbourne I’m usually staying with friends but on the occasional staying-out adventure I grab an Airbnb in Fitzroy. Its a suburb close to the city but surrounded by many bars and cafes. Easy walking distance to lots of good places or jump on a tram to get further.
Its usually bustling and plenty of shopping if that’s your thing!
Best Place to Hydrate in the Morning
OPIUO
I’m an absolute sucker for a great double shot flat white [a flat white is less frothy than a traditional cappuccino, has less milk than an American-style latte, and has more milk and froth than a tiny cortado]. No one does it better than Plug Nickel on Peel St in Collingwood. Perfect smooth texture and delicious espresso! The cafe is a great place to hang.
They also have a bar that’s open in the evenings and serve a delicious breakfast bun. I’m hooked!
Best Breakfast/Bunch Spot
OPIUO
Melbourne has so many cafes that there are literally a million incredible breakfast spots. If I had to pick one today it’s Short Round in Thornbury. I love their jalapeño folded omelet with goat feta. It’s delicious and always perfectly cooked. Sharp, fresh, spicy, yet smooth. So good!
Best Daytime Hangout
Can’t go past a good day hang in Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy North. I’ve spent so many sunny days in this park. Whether it be partying, chilling, eating, sporting, skating, or listening to music. It’s always packed with epic vibes. Lots of good food not too far away for when the belly rumbles.
OPIUO
Also love a good wander around the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Often some really awesome exhibitions on. Changing regularly. Love some colorful inspiration from there.
Best Place for Mid-Day Snack Grab
A favorite pub for lunch would have to be Edinborough Castle on Sydney Road in Brunswick. I usually get the Kangaroo Steak or a lighter salad. Great grimy, casual atmosphere. Pubs are a gem of Australia in general and an awesome spot to just hang with friends all afternoon!
Tastiest Dinner Spot
OPIUO
You must check out Future Future in Richmond. My favourite Japanese restaurant in Australia I would say! Futuristic menu, packed with delicious items. I’m always blown away by the flavors and presentation. The vibe is next to none too.
Great drinks and plenty of different rooms to dine in. Sitting in front of the chef is epic to see it all come together and to your plate.
Nightlife Scene
OPIUO
My favorite venue to play and also go see shows is The Forum in the city. The energy in this room is immense. Super high ceilings complete with gargoyles and castle-like structures make it feel otherworldly. I’ve seen some mind-blowing performances there, and also performed with my Syzygy Orchestra. A real venue.
Late at night I’d go to one of the smallest venues in the city “QQQ St. Park” in Collingwood. I’d say around 100 people fit but holy shit the sound system is next level. They are very new, but they book great underground electronic music. And when it’s in an intimate setting like that, it’s the best!
The ending of the Falcons and Saints game on Sunday afternoon was far spicier than anyone expected once New Orleans opened up a big lead in the fourth quarter. That’s because, up 41-17, the Saints offense with backup Jameis Winston in the game as quarterback went rogue and called an inside handoff for Jamaal Williams on the goal line out of victory formation.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who was fired later that night, was furious and cussed out Saints coach Dennis Allen at midfield afterwards. Allen then started his postgame presser by apologizing to Smith and saying he was right to be mad, saying he called for the Saints to take a knee but the offense chose to get Williams in the end zone instead. While I have to admit it was kind of funny, it was also not really a fair play, not because they ran a play in that situation but because they ran it out of the victory formation.
Shannon Sharpe explained why that is the part that crossed the line on First Take on Monday morning, as he absolutely lit up Jameis Winston, saying the Saints should’ve cut him immediately and saying he has a “loser’s mentality” because when you’re in victory formation the defense naturally lets up.
Theatrics aside of saying the Saints should cut Winston — he is an unrestricted free agent this summer, so they don’t need to do anything to let him go — Sharpe makes a good point about the victory formation part. The defense is expecting knees and is just ready to let the clock run out, so if you want to change it up and run a play there, actually line up in a real formation and run the ball with the defense ready for it.
Sharpe continued on by torching Winston’s “loser’s mentality,” and noted that he doesn’t see how Dennis Allen stays in charge because it shows the team has no respect for him. That is a particularly interesting part of this, because saying it was a “team decision,” as Jameis did after the game, doesn’t really fly in most locker rooms. You don’t just go rogue and make decisions against the coach’s call, especially in a moment like that, and Sharpe’s right that it’s hard to see how Allen remains in charge with there clearly not having his voice carry the loudest in that locker room.
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(@LNXNews) January 8, 2024
(@ULovLos) January 8, 2024
