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Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

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10. (tie) Physical (Apple TV Plus)

Two important things are worth noting here. The first is that this show, a fun dramedy starring Rose Byrne that takes a spandex-tight look at the 1980s aerobics era and the types of people who made it a whole thing, is returning for a second season. The second thing is that this new season adds Murray Bartlett to the cast, which, as anyone who watched him devolve into an amphetamine-snorting lunatic on The White Lotus can attest, is a wonderful development. Good news all around. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

10. For All Mankind (tie) (Apple TV Plus)

What we have here is an alternate history situation, one where the space race of the 1960s didn’t end, thanks in large part to Russia beating America to a handful of important achievements. The show is now in season three, so there’s plenty for you to dive into if you want, which you probably should, in part due to a bunch of space cowboys doing cool space cowboy things, and in part because all your television-obsessed friends won’t stop talking about it. Win-win. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

10. Players (Paramount Plus)

Remember American Vandal? Man, it would be great if you did. That show was incredible, both in its zeitgeist-capturing first season and in its less-viral second season. Go back and watch both of them again some time. You deserve it. Or, maybe, watch Players, the new series from the American Vandal team that was scooped up by Paramount. This one focuses on gamers and gaming and esports and the teams and competitions that have turned into big-money enterprises. You deserve this, too. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

9. The Old Man (FX/Hulu)

The notorious Jeffs are getting it done, first with Jeff Daniels portraying a complicated lawman in Showtime’s American Rust and now with Jeff Bridges portraying an ex-CIA operative (Dan Chase, what a name) who’s forced into (wait for it) one last job in this adaptation of Thomas Perry’s bestselling thriller novel. John Lithgow plays the impetus, a government agent, who’s really pissing off Bridges’ character, and it’s on. All of Dan’s skills are back, so watch out, naysayers. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

8. Ms. Marvel (Disney Plus)

This show brings us the perfect actress, Iman Vallani, for the leading gig of portraying Kamala Khan. She takes us on a fun-filled revamp of her character’s comic character, and this show is a roaring ball of glee that will help to set up The Marvels, which will not only include Kamala and Carol but also Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) from WandaVision. The MCU’s lightening up again, and we love to see it. Watch it on Disney Plus.

7. The Bear (Hulu)

Jeremy Allen White can’t leave Chicago, it seems. The Shameless actor’s now portraying a too-intense, former fine-dining chef who ends up back home and attempting to helm a sandwich shop for his family. There’s an emotional reason for this, and the actual realities of running this business turn into a cluster. In the midst of it all, there’s a sense of humanity in how this show portrays relationships, while White’s character (Carmy) transforms his own sense of self and learns to find a second family. Watch it on Hulu.

6. Stranger Things 4 (Netflix)

The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things is, in a word, epic. And that’s not because of its cinematic run times. Well, not entirely. It’s true you’ll essentially be watching seven movies, not episodes, but those are packed with all of the 80s nostalgia, Dungeons and Dragons references, demonic possessions, prison breaks, rink parties, and secret government experiments you could ask for. Hawkins is in more danger than ever and with Eleven powerless, there’s no superhero in sight — unless you count Erica Sinclair, which obviously you should. But the joy of this season is watching the rest of these weirdos and misfits band together to save each other … and themselves. Watch it on Netflix.

5. Loot (Apple TV Plus)

One of the biggest problems with television these days is that there are not enough shows that star Maya Rudolph. That’s why it is nice to have Loot, an Apple series that stars Rudolph as a billionaire who learns how the rest of the world lives. It’s a good start. Maya Rudolph is the best. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

4. Peaky Blinders (Netflix)

By order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, we demand you watch the final season of Netflix’s historical crime drama. Why? Because Cillian Murphy has never been better. Because we’re building up to a second World War. Because there are Fascists with tiny mustaches and Prohibition’s over and familial blood feuds are wreaking havoc across two continents and gypsy curses are being broken and Tom Hardy is back (doing his unintelligible mumbling thing while writing an original opera) and … well, you get it right? Watch it on Netflix.

3. Westworld (HBO Max)

The robots are back. Kind of. Maybe. HBO’s always mindbending Wild West robotic uprising show is back, once again, after a long break. You might want to dig back through previous seasons before diving in again, though. Or at least scan through some summaries. The show is a lot, for good and occasionally messy, but it always delivers on its promise of robot-human violence, which has to count for something. Watch it on HBO Max.

2. Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

It’s a sublime return for the misfit superhero family. As they are crushed to learn, the Sparrow Academy now aims to be front and center, and the O.G. Hargreeves siblings must adjust to this strange new timeline where their common Bad Dad Reginald’s other kiddos exist. Oh, and there’s another rift in the universe, which actually leads Elliot Page’s Viktor to unite with a character who acted fully like an enemy last season. Gerard Way’s comic book series keeps on giving good adaptation, and hopefully, there will be more dancing to go with yet another apocalypse. Watch it on Netflix.

1. The Boys (Amazon Prime)

Finally, The Boys. Are. Back. And so is Homelander, although he is most decidedly not okay after the events of the Season 2 finale, so plenty more increasingly sadistic behavior will soon arrive on that end. He’s got competition in the “hero of heroes” department, though, because Jensen Ackles climbs aboard as Soldier Boy (a profane Captain America knockoff), who’s definitely all up in the “Herogasm” episode, which you should sit down before watching. And expect the show to actually transcend those exploding heads, the whale collision, and Homelander’s self-pleasuring scene atop a skyscraper. In other words, clear you calendar for these weekly decadent delights. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

One of the many important things we learned from Thor: Ragnarok is that adding The Incredible Hulk to something can make it better, especially if Hulk’s presence is played for comedy. I think about this a lot. Too much, most normal people would probably say. Luckily, for me if not anyone else, I have a job where that kind of counts as work. I can send my editor a message out of nowhere that reads something like “hey can I write a thing about other movie franchises it would be fun to plop The Incredible Hulk into?” and he will, for some reason, say yes, and then here we are. It’s an interesting system.

So, below, please find an incomplete list of movie franchises I think could be improved by adding The Incredible Hulk, maybe just a little. A few notes before we get into it, though:

• I say “an incomplete list” because the truth is that almost all of the movies ever made could use a dollop of strategically deployed Hulk
• It is still my position that the best use of Hulk is a standalone movie where he’s just trying to find himself while on vacation in Hawaii, drinking mai tais and mingling a bit
• I am serious about this

Here we go.

The Fast & Furious Movies

The Fast & Furious movies already kind of added Hulk once before when they introduced The Rock as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five, which I mean mostly as a compliment to everyone involved. But that… didn’t work out, long term, for reasons that are well-documented, occasionally by me. Just cutting through the bullcrap and adding the actual Hulk is helpful here for a few important reasons:

• I would like it
• Everyone else is already in the movies
• I want to see Hulk stuffed behind the wheel of a tiny neon Honda
• I want to see Dominic Toretto and Hulk growl through a conversation

No losers here.

Mamma Mia

Hulk singing “Dancing Queen” by ABBA

Just really getting after it

Picture that

I’m serious, picture it, get a full visual in your head right now

Now add Cher

This is a good idea

Paddington

Hulk and Paddington teaming up to solve a mystery, maybe involving a theatrical villain played by Tom Hardy. The two of them roaming;p London on the hunt for clues. Paddington riding around on Hulk’s shoulder. Hulk and Paddington encountering a locked door and Hulk smashing through a wall to get in and Paddington saying “oh dear.” Hulk absolutely destroying entire trays of marmalade sandwiches.

Find a flaw in any of this.

Top Gun

There are two factors at play here and I consider them equally important.

The first is that I want to see Tom Cruise interact with Hulk. I want to see it a lot, so bad, for a whole movie. I want to see Hulk get mad and heave a whole airplane off the deck of an aircraft carrier into the ocean and then I want to see Tom Cruise smirk and say “What did we say about using our words, buddy?” I want to see them sing at a bar together to woo a nice lady. I want to see them walk into an angry superior’s office in their white uniforms and I want to see Hulk’s uniform struggle mightily to contain his massive torso.

The second thing is that I want to see Hulk stuffed into the cockpit of a fighter jet. I know a already made the “let Hulk sing” case in the Mamma Mia section and the “stuff Hulk into a small form of transportation” case in the Fast & Furious section, but in my defense, I really like thinking about those things.

Rocky/Creed

Okay, I need you to picture something again. Start with Rocky giving Adonis a big pep talk in a locker room, the kind Rocky has given and received a bunch of times now, about heart and desire and overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles. Then get a good visual of Adonis’ face as he strides toward the ring, the determination and drive written all over it after a full movie’s worth of backstory explained why this particular fight was important and needed to happen. We cut to a shot of Phylicia Rashad in the crowd, equal parts proud and worried. The bells start playing and the famous Rocky music begins to swell…

And then the fight starts and Hulk punches him so hard that he flies into the upper deck like a cartoon. Probably not great for the movie or franchise, I guess. But still, pretty funny.

Sex and the City

CARRIE: I just don’t know what to here. How do I choose between the two of them?

MIRANDA: You need to focus on your career.

CHARLOTTE: Oh stop. Which one makes your heart flutter? That’s the real question.

SAMANTHA: Who says you have to choose?

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: [sipping a cosmo out of a 55-gallon drum] HULK THINK MR. BIG NOT ACTUALLY THAT BIG.

Scream

[phone rings]

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: HELLO?

SCREAM MURDERER: [doing the voice] Do you like scary mov-… hold on. Who is this?

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: THIS HULK.

SCREAM MURDERER: Where is Sydney?

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: SHE IN BATHROOM.

SCREAM MURDERER: I’ll… uh… call back.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK: OKAY.

Indiana Jones

Hulk and Harrison Ford racing toward a museum run by Nazis who are trying to use a collection of relics to create an all-powerful weapon that will wipe out their enemies in a single strike.

Hulk is in the sidecar of a two-person motorcycle, weighing the whole thing down and putting it in constant peril of tipping over.

The Matrix

Hulk in a full-length leather trench coat and sunglasses.

That’s actually all I have for this one.

Just that one mental image.

Still.

I think it plays.

The Ocean’s Movies

I don’t know, man. I just want to see Hulk take part in a heist, maybe in a tuxedo, maybe with George Clooney. I can’t decide if I’d prefer to see him try to sneak around and just be terrible at it or if I’d rather see him try to wear a disguise that doesn’t fool anyone, but either way, I do want to see it. I also want to see him lose at slots and get angry and bop the machine so hard with his massive fists that it starts spitting out coins and causes chaos on the casino floor.

Which was Danny Ocean’s plan all along.

The American single malt whiskey category is booming right now. It’s still nowhere near as huge as Scotch single malt whisky, as historic and prestigious a liquor designation that exists, but American single malts (ASM) are beginning to grab the world’s attention — through amazing releases by distillers who truly care about the history and authenticity of single malt. What better time than right now to pit some ASM whiskeys against some hard-core classic Scotch single malts?

For this blind tasting, I grabbed four modern classic American single malt whiskeys and four stone-cold classics from Scotland to see how they stacked up. I’m not looking for one region to dominate the other per se, I’m more looking at how they compare on the nose and on the palate, and which one is the best of the pours in front of me. I guess I also want to see which ASM whiskeys will break into the top four and which Scotch whiskies will fall into the bottom four too.

Our lineup today is:

• Glenmorangie The Original 10-Year
• Speyburn 15
• Lost Lantern St. George Spirits California Single Malt Whiskey
• Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction
• Glenrothes 18
• Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky
• The Balvenie 12 Double Oak
• Westland American Single Malt Whiskey

Let’s get tasting!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $50, Ranked
• Every Scotch Whisky Brand From Diageo’s Massive Portfolio, Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Scotch Whiskies, Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with soft grains next to a rush of dried fruits and supple leather with a floral hint that leans toward dry hibiscus and fresh woodruff. The palate is gentle with hints of wet malts next to powdered dark spices, fresh honeycombs, and a thin line of vanilla oils just touched with orange zest and maybe a twinge of grapefruit.

This is complex yet so smooth and inviting. This is a great pour to start with and likely something made by Dr. Bill Lumsden (if you know, you know).

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Interesting. This opens with a pinch of Kosher salt next to dried grass husks with soft leather and a hint of carambola on the nose. The palate sweetens toward a pear candy with a touch of passionfruit tartness next to grapefruit oils, nutmeg and allspice, and honey candies. The finish rides that bright and fresh fruit toward a soft landing in a pillow of malts and subtle winter spices filtered through a vanilla cake.

This is pretty f*cking outstanding.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Woah… This is a massive 180 with a nose that’s dominated by lemon candy, bitter lemon soda, fresh sawdust, and a pre-mixed Bellini. The palate really leans into the lemon candy with a counterpoint of … I want to say white asparagus. A hodgepodge of red licorice ropes and mixed melon balls draw out the finish with a fruity sweet/savory vibe.

I don’t know if I love this or hate it with the fire of a million suns. Time will tell.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a clear sense of dark cacao nibs with a waxy vibe from off the tree next to classic Almond Roca candies (very Pacific Northwest) and a nice counterbalance of tart berries that range from fresh raspberry to sour cherry. The palate starts off with a creamy mocha latte with nice layers of vanilla beans, nutmeg, cinnamon candy, and marzipan. The mid-palate moves away from the sweetness toward dry wicker with a soft and supple maltiness that’s part spiced malt and part soft cacao powder.

This was unique and had a point of view. It’s also super easy to drink. I can see this ranking pretty damn high.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with a mix of toasted malts with a touch of pear candy next to small lines of winter spice, dry straw, and a hint of mint tobacco. The palate sweetens with the malts before veering into crème brûlée with a little cinnamon sharpness and sweetness before leaning back on the savory fruit, think figs. The end is full of rock candy and a dash of dried oak staves.

This was very much “fine” and “interesting” and all of that. But … we’ll see.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

You can smell the high ABVs on the nose with a good dose of pecan waffles, maple, and sharp sarsaparilla. The palate is creamy but hits on some serious warmth with those ABVs promised on the nose as pear candy mixes with fresh ginger and a pile of pecan shells next to a hint of floral Earl Grey. The finish leans into the dryness of the nutshell and tea while hinting at the maple and sarsaparilla from the nose.

This definitely needed a single rock to calm it down. I’m guessing there are a ton of flavor notes just waiting for you to find after it blooms with that touch of water.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This opens with floral honey next to a vanilla wafer, apple blossoms, and a hint of summer wildflowers. The palate is a nice mix of classic maltiness with a twinge of spice next to honey and Scotch broom. The end is honeyed and spiced with nutmeg, clove, and allspice with a soft landing in sweet malts that hint at tobacco.

This was really nice but felt like more of a great cocktail base than a classic sipper.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Candied lemon rinds and creamy vanilla lead to a soft sense of mocha lattes and Earl Grey on the nose with a very distant hint of something umami in there (maybe a mushroom powder?). The palate is pretty sweet with candied malts, more of that mocha creaminess, and a hint of black bananas. The end is a mix of Almond Joy and ripe cherry with a thin landing with hints of banana bread and milk chocolate.

This felt a little less distinct than it could have been. It was a tad muted.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Lost Lantern St. George Spirits California Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 53.35%

Average Price: $160

The Whisky:

St. George — in Alameda, California — is technically America’s first (modern) craft distillery, founded all the way back in 1982. The juice in the bottle is a single barrel release of only 215 bottles. The whisky is made with 100 percent malted barley that’s aged for a mere three and ten months in new American oak. The single barrel that Lost Lantern picked was then bottled as-is with no filtration, cutting with water, or fussing.

Bottom Line:

This just didn’t hit right for me today. It reminded me of the overly sweet and lemoniness of Ciroc Vodka, which I do actually dislike with a passion.

7. Westland American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 8

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

This Seattle whiskey is made with five types of barley from Washington state: Munich, Extra Special, Brown, Pale Chocolate, and Washington Select Pale malts. Those malts are all processed locally and then mixed with classic Belgian ale yeasts for fermentation. The distillate is then triple-barreled in new American oak, Cooper’s Reserve new American oak, and first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, those barrels are blended, proofed down, and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This felt like it got a little lost on the palate while the water/proofing washed out the end a tad bit. It’s not bad at all, it’s just not that astounding when stacked up against these particular whiskeys either.

6. The Balvenie 12 Double Oak — Taste 7

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $70

The Whisky:

This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was good stuff. But, let’s be real, this is great for awesome cocktails way more than sipping. Sure, it’d be great on the rocks, but I’m looking for “wow” and not “yeah, that’s fine.”

5. Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky — Taste 6

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $78

The Whisky:

This whisky is made with a lot of care. The juice is 100% malted barley imported from Scotland, specifically Scottish Golden Promise Malted Barley. The spirit then ages in a combination of barrels ranging from new and used American, French, and Hungarian oak. After a few years under the hot Waco sun, the barrels are vatted and bottled as-is with no fussing besides a touch of local water.

Bottom Line:

This was very much in the “hey, that’s nice!” section of the panel. I like it, but it needed some ice to really dig into it.

4. The Glenrothes 18 — Taste 5

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $162

The Whisky:

This Speyside whisky is often crowned the “Best Speyside” whisky at spirits competitions. The juice in the bottle is a high portion of first-fill sherry casks, all of which spent 18 long years mellowing in The Glenrothes warehouses. Those barrels are then vatted and proofed down with local water before bottling without any coloring added.

Bottom Line:

Interesting. The oldest and most expensive whisky ended up right in the middle. This was pretty good stuff but didn’t wow me. I think a little water would have changed that. It feels like this needs a lot of time (and some water) to let it really bloom in the glass.

3. Glenmorangie The Original 10-Year — Taste 1

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

The Glenmorangie is a classic Highlands single malt. The juice is created on the tallest stills in Scotland, which allows more spirit creation along the way as it’s boiled. The whisky then spends ten years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This might be my favorite dram today. It’s so accessible and easy to drink. The only reason it’s in third and not first is that it wasn’t all that complex. It’s a very straightforward (and perfectly made) sweet single malt. There are no bells or whistles or “wow” moments. Sometimes you don’t need any of that, and that’s where this whisky shines.

2. Westward Whiskey American Single Malt — Taste 4

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Portland’s Westward Whiskey has its roots in Pacific Northwest craft brewing culture (like most craft distilleries in the PNW). This juice is emblematic of how important the first step of whiskey is — the fermented mash that is basically beer — to the whiskey-making process. The whiskey spends a few years aging in new American oak, like bourbon, before tiny batches of five or six barrels are used to create this expression.

Bottom Line:

This was a contender! As I mentioned above, this has a point of view and stuck to it. It’s complex and still fun. It’s deep but light. It’s balanced. This is good stuff. And had my mood been a little different, this might have been number one.

Also, holy shit! An American single malt almost beat out the Scotch competition…

1. Speyburn 15 — Taste 2

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $59

The Whisky:

Speyburn is an old-school Speyside whisky that was huge in the time of Queen Victoria and still wins award after award to this day. That long-lasting quality is due to slow whisky making just off the River Spey, where everything moves a little slower from the fermentation to the stills to the aging. The juice spends 15 years aging in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling without any filtration.

Bottom Line:

This was funky and interesting while still feeling extremely comforting and accessible. It’s a great balance to pull off, and helped this pour land in the number one spot pretty easily.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Well, there you go — American single malts can stand up to classic Scotch whisky. …Not always, but enough that they matter. Of course, these blind tastings are only small sample groups. I’ll do these, again and again, to see if more American single malts can muster the strength to beat out their progenitors from across the pond. Maybe I’ll grab some peated ASM whiskeys next time and see how those stack up against huge names from Islay and Skye…

In the end, that Westward bottle was the star of the show. It was so distinct while still feeling fresh and fun to drink. The Speyburn was on the same page. Fresh, fun, a little funky, but ultimately nourishing to the soul. Those two bottles are the real winners today.

While Netflix is defending hate speech from its paid comedians and targeting millennial snowflakes with its latest round of entertainment, the company is getting closer to bringing ads to the streaming platform. As the company continues to raise prices and lose subscribers, it is also reportedly exploring an ad-supported tier in the coming months.

As Deadline detailed on Thursday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed that ads are coming, but the company just isn’t sure how it will roll them out just yet. There’s the option of starting an in-house ad company, of course, or partnering with other firms to make ads a reality between episodes of The Circle.

The streamer said in April that it would offer a cheaper, ad-supported tier to customers after suffering blows to subscriber numbers and its stock. It has reportedly met with Google, NBCUniversal and Roku to discuss potential ad-sales and marketing partnerships.

…

The plan, he revealed, is to create “a pretty easy entry to the market, which we’ll build on and iterate to make Netflix a destination for users. What we’ll do first is not representative of what the product will be ultimately. Start light, keep it simple and iterate fast.”

He remained agnostic on whether the streamer would then move to owning its own advertising arm. “If it becomes so important [that] we want to have control over it, we might,” he said.

In theory, this ad-supported tier would not impact anyone with an existing Netflix subscription. But anyone who has used a streaming service in recent years knows how ad creep works, so it’s unlikely many people outside of Netflix are viewing this as particularly good news. There’s some interesting inside baseball to parse in the Deadline piece about how many kinds of “content” Netflix believes it offers (20) and how they believe there’s significant “room to grow” in the streaming space. But the bare-bones assessment here is that Netflix continues to get more expensive, or will require ads to watch it for cheaper, all while the company continues to get smaller.

The news comes on the same day The Hollywood Reporter detailed another round of layoffs at Netflix as the streamer continues to trim back its in-house production staff. The 300 jobs reportedly cut follows a layoff round of about half that in May of this year.

“Both Ted and I regret not seeing our slowing revenue growth earlier so we could have ensured a more gradual readjustment or the business,” read a note sent to staff on Thursday from Netflix co-chiefs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos.

About 216 staffers impacted were in the United States and Canadian region, 30 employees were cut in Asia-Pacific countries, 53 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 17 in Latin America, the memo stated.

Ads are clearly seen as a viable revenue stream for Netflix these days, but the news will likely do little to keep subscribers happy, many of whom opted for cord-cutting platforms with the express intent of enjoying commercial-free content.

[via Deadline]

Jay Williams was the No. 2 overall pick of the Chicago Bulls out of Duke in the 2002 NBA Draft, but saw his career come to an end in 2003 when he suffered severe injuries from a motorcycle crash that also violated the terms of his contract with the Bulls, becoming one of the all-time cautionary tales to young athletes in the process.

On Thursday morning, Williams, now the host of ESPN’s drive-time radio show with Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson, was discussing Kyrie Irving’s situation and the fear that the Nets and other teams have that he might retire at some point or sit out games again. Williams noted that if he was Irving, he wouldn’t sign a contract that had a trigger for a minimum number of games because what happens if you get hurt on the court and can’t play.

At that point, Kellerman jumped in with an absolutely wild one-liner directed at Williams that had everyone on set — including Jay — rolling.

“If it was Jay and they didn’t guarantee the final two years, he’d get on his motorcycle and drive away! He’d be outta there!”

If there were ever a doubt of how much Max and Jay like each other, this should confirm they’re pretty close because this isn’t a joke you can just throw out there if you aren’t boys and get that kind of reaction. That was the low point of Jay’s life and Max is out here dropping zingers about it on live radio — I must say, Jay did set himself up for it, I just don’t think anyone expected Max to go for it. It’s good that Jay can laugh about it now and salute to Max for providing the one-liner of the year on sports radio.

“Thoughts and prayers” may do f**k-all to prevent mass shootings, but Kyrsten Sinema is tired of hearing them mocked. On Tuesday, as Mediaite reports, the senior senator from Arizona addressed her fellow lawmakers from the Senate floor ahead of a vote to discuss the details of a bipartisan bill that would create more “red flag laws,” allowing firearms to be taken away from people who have indicated a tendency to hurt themselves or others.

While Sinema was one of the key negotiators in creating this bill, she also wanted to make it clear that she’s tired of hearing her fellow elected officials mock each other in the wake of mass tragedies like the recent shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. As Sinema explained:

Elected officials have made a habit of insulting one another for offering thoughts and prayers, for blaming violence on strictly mental illness or video games or particular kinds of weapons or any cause that didn’t align with and confirm their own predetermined beliefs.

Casting blame and trading political barbs and attacks became the path of least resistance. But the communities across our country who’ve experienced senseless violence than Washington politics as usual.

Sinema’s right: those communities do deserve better—but clichéd “thoughts and prayers” are still the lazy person’s way of dealing with America’s gun problem and a way to offer faux outrage without the willingness to do anything about it. Bipartisan bills like the one she helped to create, however, are a welcome first step.

(Via Mediaite)

As more damning evidence of Donald Trump’s attempts to overthrow the 2020 Presidential Election emerges from the Jan. 6th hearings, some of his biggest supporters seem to be jumping ship.

The latest MAGA turncoat seems to be Rupert Murdoch, the media tycoon who owns everything from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post to Trump’s former favorite TV channel, Fox News. Murdoch was instrumental in Trump’s rise to power but it sounds like even he can see the writing on the wall when it comes to Trump’s political demise once the House Oversight Committee’s investigation is finished. According to a Vanity Fair piece, Murdoch-employed talking heads like Piers Morgan — once a staunch supporter of Trump — have been given the freedom to turn on the twice-impeached president and encouraged to back a new horse in the race to take back the White House: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Ron DeSantis is showing himself to be a formidable and dynamic political operator,” Morgan recently wrote in his weekly NY Post column. “So, by almost any political metric you choose, this guy’s a far better option for leading the Republicans into the 2024 election than Donald Trump…He’s just younger, fresher, and more exciting than the aging, raging gorilla who’s become a whiny, democracy-defying bore. The game’s up for the Donald…It’s time Republicans put their faith in the Ronald.”

Other writers for Murdoch-owned media outlets have also encouraged Trump supporters to “look forward,” “call an audible,” “unsubscribe from Trump’s daily emails begging for money,” and to help “make America sane again.” Still, the biggest blow to Trump’s ego and future presidential hopes is likely to come from Fox News, the program Trump constantly followed during office whose biggest personalities are starting to favor his rival. After Trump’s defeat, DeSantis was booked over half a dozen times on shows from Fox News heavyweights like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Laura Ingraham. The network was instrumental in DeSantis’ rise to power in Florida and, under Murdoch’s instruction, it seems to be supporting his eventual run for president.

“There’s no way these papers are dumping the Donald without the tacit assent of Lachlan and Rupert,” NPR correspondent David Folkenflik told Vanity Fair. (Lachlan Murdoch is Rupert Murdoch’s son and heir to his media empire.) “Trump was always a compromised figure for them, but a useful one. If they can get a cleaner version of Trump in DeSantis, why wouldn’t they want that? Lachlan and Rupert are clearly signaling that they are open to a new generation, to move past Trump and to try and beat Biden.”

Somehow, we just know the news that Trump’s buddy Murdoch and his cronies at Fox News aren’t interested in being friends with him anymore is probably more devastating than the very public, humiliating evidence of treason being broadcasted during these Jan. 6th hearings.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Logic has been open about the topic of mental health — whether that be through his hit “1-800-273-8255” about suicide or his song “Therapy Music” with Russ. Now, on an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he discussed the internet and cyberbullying.

He said:

“It’s difficult, man, to see people tell you they hope your family dies, and your baby’s ugly, and X, Y, Z, and you deal with that every time you look on the internet. I know, it’s messed up, man. Yeah, as human beings. It’s insane to know that a decade ago this isn’t how the internet was. It was actually a much more nicer place. You know what I mean? There were still trolls and stuff… but everything now, how people even discuss or talk about music, ‘Yeah, this was mid.’ What does that even mean?”

He added: “Have an opinion. You know what I mean? If somebody’s talking about an artist, ‘Yeah, this is mid. This is kind of ass.’ I’m like, ‘Is that how you talk to your mom?’ When your mom gives you breakfast, ‘Yeah, Mom…’ Who does that… So, I think for me, that’s something that I wanted to do. I wanted to step away from the negativity. Not like I’m trying to hide from it and this and that, but just like, ‘Dude, I need a break.’”

Listen to the full interview above.

Deandre Ayton’s future in Phoenix has been in question ever since he was unable to come to terms on an extension with the Suns prior to the 2021-22 season. In recent weeks, the reporting around Ayton has made it sound like it would be a surprise if he returned to the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018, particularly because they apparently do not view him as a max player.

It begs the question: Where, exactly, will Ayton end up? In his latest newsletter, Marc Stein indicated that Ayton has his eyes on joining forces with another No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, while the Detroit Pistons would like to use the considerable cap space they opened up after trading Jerami Grant on Wednesday night on Ayton and someone else.

The Pistons are widely expected to make the pursuit of Phoenix Suns restricted free agent Deandre Ayton their priority after agreeing Wednesday to trade Jerami Grant to Portland. Word is Ayton, furthermore, would indeed embrace the concept of teaming with Cade Cunningham to form a new Pistons two-man core. Detroit is projected to have salary-cap space in the $50 million range to pursue Ayton and perhaps one other top free agent, with Charlotte’s Miles Bridges and Cleveland’s Collin Sexton thought to be ahead of Dallas’ Jalen Brunson on the Pistons’ wish list.

A 1-2 punch of Cunningham and Ayton would indeed be worth getting excited about, as the former is one of the more impressive rookie floor generals in recent history and the latter is a big man with soft hands and a penchant for converting chances that come out of a two-man game.

Anderson East is one of the more versatile musicians out there, as he brings everything from R&B to blues rock to soul into his work. If you look outside of music, he has even more going on, as his thumb is looking pretty green these days. In the latest “On Repeat” video from Uproxx and Straight Talk Wireless, East takes us through how to make a raised garden bed.

On his 45-acre lot, East makes use of lumber and power tools to put the beds together, all in the pursuit of leading a more eco-friendly lifestyle, as he notes, “Our whole goal, mainly, is just to be out here in a self-sustaining kind of manner. Everything’s off grid, everything’s powered by the wonderful burning ball in the sky.”

Elsewhere in the video, he offers his point of view on his music career and style, saying, “I’ve never really felt like I fit nicely in any genre. I’m always envious of those people that are just like, ‘I do X and that’s what I do.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, that’s amazing,’ because I want to do all the alphabet. I’m just captivated with music as a whole, so I don’t want to limit myself to one specific avenue.”

He gets more into that and other topics in the video, so give it a watch above.