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A sloppy game between the Browns and Bears on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland produced one of the wildest finishes of the season, with the Browns erasing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 20-17.

The final four minutes featured an absolute dart from Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper for the game-tying touchdown, and then a 3rd and 15 conversion to David Njoku to set up the go-ahead field goal on their next drive.

The Bears would work the ball across midfield on their final drive, but rather than try a long game-tying field goal, they opted for a Hail Mary with five seconds on the clock and no timeouts. The result was almost a spectacular game-winning touchdown, as Justin Fields’ pass got batted around and into the arms of Darnell Mooney, but the Bears receiver somehow managed to drop the ball and kick it into the air, where the Browns picked it off to ice the game.

The reverse angle shows just how close Mooney was to pulling it in, and it’s still not fully clear how he ended up kicking the ball up in the air after having two hands on it and seemingly bringing it into his chest.

It is a brutal loss for Chicago, as the Bears controlled the game throughout and got three interceptions of Flacco, but just couldn’t put the game away on offense. The drop at the end was the cherry on top of a frustrating performance, with the Browns continuing to somehow pull out wins with Flacco at quarterback, moving to 9-5 and firmly in the AFC playoff picture.

Andre Braugher, beloved and Emmy-winning actor, died last week at the age of 61. Though he had a vast and diverse career, Braugher was best known for two shows, both about cops: Homicide: Life on the Street, the ‘90s procedural that catapulted him to stardom, and the comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The latter is available to stream on Peacock. But where’s Homicide? Nowhere. It’s one of many towering shows the streaming era has left behind. But that might change, eventually.

Per The AV Club, David Simon — who wrote the book upon which the NBC show was based and was one of its writers in his pre-The Wire days — posted some good news a few days after Braugher’s passing.

“I have been informed by a reliable source that NBC/Universal is at last attempting, along with Fremantle on the overseas rights, to clear music rights on #Homicide for eventual streaming,” Simon tweeted. “Lot of work to do achieve that, however, I am also told.”’

He added, “Andre alone ought to rate such.”

In other words, don’t hold your breath. Music rights are a pain to clear. That said, it only took about six months or so for Moonlighting, the show that made Bruce Willis’ name and gave Cybill Shepherd a well-deserved second act, to appear on Hulu after its creator vowed to finally get it online.

In that case, news that Willis was suffering from aphasia, a disorder that robs one’s ability to communicate, inspired people to get his breakthrough on streaming stat. It looks like the same thing is happening with Homicide in the wake of Braugher’s death.

Over seven seasons, Homicide explored a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department’s titular unit. Braugher played Detective Frank Pemberton, a legend in the department, and one of the primary characters amongst an ensemble cast. Along with NYPD Blue, which premiered later the same year, in 1993, it revolutionized the cop show, introducing gritty, handheld camerawork and deepening the moral ambiguities seen in earlier such shows as Hill Street Blues. Hopefully a whole new generation will finally be able to see it, and Braugher’s esteemed work on it.

Till then, please enjoy Braugher’s first scene on Homicide, which sets the bar way high.

(Via

The Kansas City Chiefs have been struggling offensively of late, at least relative to the sky-high expectations they’ve set for themselves with Patrick Mahomes under center.

This year, the Chiefs have had a middling offense and have struggled to both sustain and finish drives in the way we’re accustomed to seeing, largely because of an inconsistent passing attack. Drops have been a big issue for the Chiefs this year, as their receiving corps has been a disappointment, and even the tight ends, headlined by Travis Kelce, have had a tough last month-plus. However, a reprieve appeared to be coming Kansas City’s way on Sunday as they were in a prime “get right” spot against a woefully bad Patriots team.

While it took a bit to get going, the Chiefs eventually hit their stride to take a 27-10 lead in the second half. It could’ve been an even bigger lead, but a couple red zone possessions stalled out and resulted in field goals. One of those came in the early third quarter when a third down pass to Kelce in the back of the end zone fell incomplete, with the star tight end doing his best to flop and draw an interference penalty to get a first down. That was unsuccessful, but it did yield a new reaction meme in the form of Taylor Swift dropping an f-bomb trying to figure out where the flag was.

Watching Taylor Swift morph into a rabid Chiefs fan has been at true delight to watch this season, as she’s gone from happily cheering for big Kelce plays when they first started publicly dating to now being a full-on irrational fan like the rest of us. The telltale sign of that transformation is dropping f-bombs at the refs for not throwing flags on pretty clear non-calls, and Taylor puts her whole chest into this one.

This is what three months of being locked in on football will do to someone and it’s just nice to get confirmation in real time that it’s inevitable for anyone.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been struggling offensively of late, at least relative to the sky-high expectations they’ve set for themselves with Patrick Mahomes under center.

This year, the Chiefs have had a middling offense and have struggled to both sustain and finish drives in the way we’re accustomed to seeing, largely because of an inconsistent passing attack. Drops have been a big issue for the Chiefs this year, as their receiving corps has been a disappointment, and even the tight ends, headlined by Travis Kelce, have had a tough last month-plus. However, a reprieve appeared to be coming Kansas City’s way on Sunday as they were in a prime “get right” spot against a woefully bad Patriots team.

While it took a bit to get going, the Chiefs eventually hit their stride to take a 27-10 lead in the second half. It could’ve been an even bigger lead, but a couple red zone possessions stalled out and resulted in field goals. One of those came in the early third quarter when a third down pass to Kelce in the back of the end zone fell incomplete, with the star tight end doing his best to flop and draw an interference penalty to get a first down. That was unsuccessful, but it did yield a new reaction meme in the form of Taylor Swift dropping an f-bomb trying to figure out where the flag was.

Watching Taylor Swift morph into a rabid Chiefs fan has been at true delight to watch this season, as she’s gone from happily cheering for big Kelce plays when they first started publicly dating to now being a full-on irrational fan like the rest of us. The telltale sign of that transformation is dropping f-bombs at the refs for not throwing flags on pretty clear non-calls, and Taylor puts her whole chest into this one.

This is what three months of being locked in on football will do to someone and it’s just nice to get confirmation in real time that it’s inevitable for anyone.

The most recent episode of Saturday Night Live was (partly) about embracing the holiday spirit. Kate McKinnon’s opening monologue ushered in the Christmas cheer. Even musical guest Billie Eilish rounded out her performance of “What Was I Made For?” with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

But the pair’s joint skit allowed them to put a feline twist on the special time of the year. Just as McKinnon made her highly-anticipated return to the show, so did her fictional kitty-loving character, Barbara DeDrew. With McKinnon reprising her hilarious role, Eilish had to channel her inner-cat lady as Paw-bree Hep-Purrn.

Both were on a mission to find a forever home for their fuzzy friends as part of their “Holiday Cat-tacular” adoption campaign. The writers on the show let the music pun fly as the duo listed off the animals up for grabs. Cindy Claw-ford, Cat Sajak, and Furr-ell Williams were some of the silly yet adorable names shared during the sketch.

If these pets were real, Taylor Swift’s beloved cover-gracing cat, Olivia Benson, would have some steep competition in the cuddle-obsessive online communities. Holding a candle next to McKinnion is hard, but Eilish certainly delivered.

Watch the sketch in the video above.

The most recent episode of Saturday Night Live was (partly) about embracing the holiday spirit. Kate McKinnon’s opening monologue ushered in the Christmas cheer. Even musical guest Billie Eilish rounded out her performance of “What Was I Made For?” with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

But the pair’s joint skit allowed them to put a feline twist on the special time of the year. Just as McKinnon made her highly-anticipated return to the show, so did her fictional kitty-loving character, Barbara DeDrew. With McKinnon reprising her hilarious role, Eilish had to channel her inner-cat lady as Paw-bree Hep-Purrn.

Both were on a mission to find a forever home for their fuzzy friends as part of their “Holiday Cat-tacular” adoption campaign. The writers on the show let the music pun fly as the duo listed off the animals up for grabs. Cindy Claw-ford, Cat Sajak, and Furr-ell Williams were some of the silly yet adorable names shared during the sketch.

If these pets were real, Taylor Swift’s beloved cover-gracing cat, Olivia Benson, would have some steep competition in the cuddle-obsessive online communities. Holding a candle next to McKinnion is hard, but Eilish certainly delivered.

Watch the sketch in the video above.

The latest episode of SNL was centered (partially) around Christmas, signaling that the year is almost at an end. The Cold Open was about the holidays. And Billie Eilish held down the performance responsibilities with a live set of her Barbie soundtrack standout “What Was I Made For?” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

After the 148-day WGA strike, the beloved program has a long list of entertainers hoping to make an apperance. During last night’s taping, SNL revealed the first two guests going into the 2024 season. “Not My Fault” singer Reneé Rapp will make her debut on SNL next year serving as the musical act on the January 20, 2024 episode.

“Yeah, you’ve got to be f*cking kidding me,” wrote Rapp on her official Instagram page in response to the news.

Rapp has had a stellar year following the success of her album Snow Angel and its supporting tour. In 2024, she is showing no signs of slowing down, with the Mean Girls musical movie slated to hit theaters in January. In addition to Rapp as musical guest, she’ll be joined by Priscilla actor Jacob Elordi, who’s hosting.

The trailer hasn’t dropped yet, but those don’t tend to appear until days before the episode airs.

Kids might say the darnedest things, but occasionally they also give sage advice.

A teacher in the United Kingdom by the name of George Pointon has made a name for himself by tweeting his 6-year-old students’ comical, candid and sometimes profound answers to weekly questions.

Or, as he humorously writes in his Twitter bio, “exploiting children’s imagination for likes.”

One of my favorite threads so far is when Pointon asked his students to create a “mantra to help us through life.” The teacher posted each student’s response, along with some commentary.

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It’s all some noteworthy food for thought, if not harmless, wholesome entertainment.

Best of all, the genuine affection Pointon has for his students is undeniable.

Rory: “Don’t stop running”

Pointon: “The other day I grunted when picking up my keys from the table. If I didn’t stop running, I’d die. Rory has gone for the Forrest Gump approach here. It seemed to work for him. Forrest that is. I’ve seen Rory run into multiple trees. Persistent tho.”

Rory might be running into trees, but some spot-on perspectives on life as well.

JJ: “Only be friends with people who you want to be friends with”

Pointon: “This gets forgotten about in adults. Sometimes we are friends with people out of convenience or history. Look around and ask yourself, “does this person positively impact my life?”. JJ has his head screwed on.”

JJ understands the value of authentic friendship. And, as Pointon reflected, setting boundaries and letting go is something so many adults struggle with, though there are countless sources noting its importance.

Jack: “You might [get] told off but sometimes you’re not doing anything wrong”

Pointon: “His anti-authority attitude is refreshing as it is scary. He’s right tho. Fight for what you believe in and it’s never wrong. Although Jack believes he can back flip over a lorry, so I don’t know.”

What’s a lorry, you may ask? Turns out it’s a British term for an 18-wheeler. I didn’t know either.

Ravi: “Some people don’t have anything so be happy you have everything”

Pointon: “We truly are in the presence of greatness. There are world leaders without this clarity. Step back and look at what we take for granted, you’ll be amazed. Ravi elevates people around him. He’s a special lad.”

I believe this was a major theme that “Don’t Look Up” was trying to convey. Well done, Ravi.

Lola: “You can’t swim in a sink but a bath is just a big sink”

Pointon: “I believe she’s talking about perspective. One person’s baby step is another’s giant leap. Lola moves at her pace and is proud of the people around her moving at theirs. Otherwise you’ll lose a one horse race.”

I’m gonna assume Lola is also a proponent of the “just keep swimming” mentality.

Emma: “The people who don’t talk, still have something to say”

Pointon: “Empty vessels makes the most noise. Emma is quiet and has grown in confidence since I’ve known her. She is an advocate for letting people be themselves. A true woman of her time. She’ll make an excellent leader.”

Hear, hear for quiet confidence, Emma.

Belle: “Flowers live in the ground, we live in a house. Everyone lives somewhere.”

Pointon: “It’s a huge, overwhelming concept to think every individual lives an equally complex and rich life as you. Knowing that everyone is coming from something make[s] you see we’re all the same. One team.”

A lesson in empathy, taught by Belle.

Mikey: “Mud hills are fun but also muddy”

Pointon: “I’d never heard of the term “mud hill” but I assumed it’s a hill, that is muddy. I was wrong. It’s basically a pile of mud mashed up and used to throw at cars or people…So if you see a boy holding a mud ball with a devilish grin, run.”

No such thing as good, clean fun, according to Mikey.

Zahra: “Some things are cool and some things aren’t”

Pointon: “There is no messing about with Zahra. A woman of precision. She wanted to add that if you find things cool, then it is. Which in itself is a pretty cool thing to say. If you enjoy something, don’t let other[s] bring you down.”

Zahra is clearly the Queen of Cool.

Susanna: “Don’t start a fire in a forrest”

Pointon: “I take this as, understanding your situation and objectively being able to know what is benefitting you and what isn’t. But Susanna confirmed that there is no subtext. Just don’t start fires in forrests because it goes whoosh, okay.”

I also love how Pointon was loyal to Susanna’s spelling of the word “forrest.” That dedication right there.

According to indy100, Pointon protects the identity of his young pupils by using made-up aliases. But reassured, the answers provided are all too real.

Pointon told indy100, “School can sometimes make you think quite linear, like there are only right or wrong answers but, especially with them being so young, their thoughts are actually really abstract.”

Passion, purpose, and a dash of social media stardom have allowed Pointon to help raise awareness around children’s issues. Last November he worked with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, asking the question “what makes you unique?”

For Zahra, it was her two different eye colors. For Susanna, it was the fact that she could fit 100 grapes in her mouth (Pointon isn’t so sure, but encouraging nonetheless).

Pointon hopes to work with even more charities, using his platform to “have conversations with children about things that need to be spoken about, or things that are going on in the world and get their point of view on things.”

In the meantime, you can catch all of Pointon’s thoughtful questions, along with his students’ endearing and brilliant answers, on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on 01.28.22

According to NPR—and the ABBA blaring from my young adult daughter’s headphones—we’re in the midst of an 80s music revival. As a Gen Xer who came of age in the 80s, I think most of that decade should stay locked in a time capsule, but there are a few songs that have managed to remain timeless despite the synthesizers and bad hair.

A-ha’s “Take On Me” is one of them. Despite its consummately-80s sound, the song with the famous sketch animated video is still enjoyable (if not a little earwormy—good luck once it gets stuck in your head).

But a lesser-known 2017 arrangement of the song is actually, miraculusly, even better. A-ha performed “Take On Me” for an MTV Unplugged Summer Solstice album, and it’s significantly different than the original. The Norwegian band filmed the performance live on the island of Giske, dropping the electric piano as well as the tempo for a stripped-down version that has become a fan favorite. As of this writing, the video has 97 million views on YouTube.

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“Take On Me” is one of 17 songs in the unplugged performance, but naturally the most popular.

“We’ve talked about this idea for so many years,” guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy said. “And in many of our concerts we’ve also played some acoustic songs. But if you consider that we don’t use much technology at all when we write the songs, the idea of an entirely acoustic show makes total sense. Playing all these songs now in their acoustic versions is like returning to their origins.”

Watch and see how the slower tempo and simple instrumentation creates a sadder, more haunting version of their biggest hit.

“The fact he’s still got such a good voice after decades is incredible,” wrote one fan.

This is music at its purest form. No light show, distortion pedals, autotune and massive audiences. Spotless,” wrote another.

“By far the best version of this song that I have ever heard. It totally transforms the song when performed like this,” shared another.

Another commenter made a poignant observation:

“The original version is like a soundtrack for a man living in the fast-paced life in the 80’s all cool and hip. This one is like when the same man grows old and saying farewell to the fun memories of his youth.”

And another summed up what most people feel seeing this:

“One version makes you dance and the other version makes you cry.”

This article originally appeared on 9.26.23

David C. Smalley, a comedian and podcaster, regularly gives us some generational humor by exposing his 19-year-old daughter Talissa to relics of the past. You know, things like CDs, phonebooks, remote controllers…feeling old yet?

Recently, Smalley challenged Talissa with navigating a standard U-Haul storage truck. She had to 1) unlock the door 2) roll down a window and 3) start the engine.

For those of us who grew up before the 90s, this might sound like the easiest challenge ever. But apparently, for Gen Z, it’s like being asked to maneuver a horse and buggy.

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Despite growing up in a key fob generation, where simply pressing a button on a tiny remote controller could magically open doors, Talissa aced unlocking the door with a key.

Next, she was understandably baffled over the amount of physical labor required to simply roll down a window.

“Are you serious? They haven’t updated that?!” she exclaimed while doing the tedious hand-cranking move we all know so well. “Are you kidding me?! I would not do this every time.”

She definitely had a point on this one. Electronic windows have been the standard for decades. Is U-Haul just sentimental or what?

Having checked off two of the three tasks, Talissa then had to start the car—which proved to be the biggest challenge of all.

Looking on the center console, where she’s used to seeing the ignition button, Talissa found the airbag and radio (two foreign objects in their own right) but no way to start the car.

Finally…success! Talissa found the ignition hiding behind the steering wheel.

“I’m not going to make it explode, am I?” she joked as she turned the key and celebrated her victory.

Watch below. Hearing Talissa ask if the radio is a “fidget game” is entertainment in itself.

@davidcsmalley #daughterissues #daughterpod ♬ original sound – David C. Smalley

It’s always fun to see the ways in which different generations navigate the world through fashion, slang, entertainment, dating, food, the list goes on. But technology, which continues to evolve at a rapid rate, always feels like the biggest culture shock.

And unlike bell bottoms, outdated tech rarely makes a comeback. So once the more energy efficient, more convenient appliance becomes mainstream, its predecessor is forever obsolete. Unless of course you count the cool, hipster folks hanging onto vinyl for the superior sound quality.

Speaking of vinyl, Talissa was also previously challenged by Smalley to work a record player, to equal hilarity:

@davidcsmalley #daughterissues #daughterpod #genz #genx #recordplayers #vinyl #talissa ♬ original sound – David C. Smalley

Somehow, seeing how far we’ve come through the look of bafflement from the young ones is the only thing that never gets old.

Enjoy more fun interactions from Smalley and Talissa on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on 9.25.23