Things have not been going particularly well for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Barring a miracle, Los Angeles’ path to the postseason involves going through the play-in tournament, and while there’s no one reason why they’ve struggled this year above everything else, the team’s big offseason swing to acquire Russell Westbrook has not paid the dividends they expected.
It’s not entirely on Westbrook, nor has he been perfect by any stretch, but he’s turned into an easy scapegoat for the team’s issues this year, both for the fans and, on occasion, opposing players. What hasn’t helped is that Westbrook’s style of play has long led to really flashy lowlights, something that reared its head on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Westbrook pushed the ball up the floor and saw a lane to attack the rim. He saw that Avery Bradley slid into the opposite corner and decided to fire a pass into the corner. The issue was that the ball went over Bradley’s head, over Toronto’s bench, and into the hands of someone sitting in the stands.
The good news for Westbrook and the Lakers is that he otherwise played pretty well as the team took a 59-55 lead into the locker room, with Westbrook going for 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Hopefully the fan got to keep that ball as a souvenir.
For this list of ten bourbons under $100, I’ve dug into my own tasting notes to pull some options. I then ranked those options based on my taste. The thing is with bourbon of this caliber, we’re really starting to split hairs between numbers ten and two. There are subtle nuances in flavor that may speak more to you than me. But when it comes to quality, the differences are negligible at best. The goal is for you to find what speaks to you and go with it.
All of that said, you cannot lose if you snag a bottle of my number one pick. It’s a gem! Okay, let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Bib & Tucker’s barrel picks are always worth chasing down. These are rare one-offs that Bib & Tucker hands select for retailers to bottle and sell. The juice is a Tennessee bourbon (some say that means it must be Dickel) that’s aged for 12 long years in very lightly charred oak. The whiskey then goes into the bottle after being proofed down (ever so slightly) to 99 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Expect a fairly classic bourbon nose of creamy vanilla, salted caramel apples, and a hint of soft cedar. The palate should touch on dark orange oils next to bright red cherry, with a vanilla pudding base and a subtle dose of dark spice leading towards salted dark chocolate. The end is quite quick and leaves you with salted dark chocolate, orange, and a hint more of salted caramel.
Bottom Line:
This feels like it’s both “classic” and the “good stuff.” It’s a great sipping whiskey that really doesn’t need much more than a rock or a few drops of water. The main reason it’s ranked tenth is that I needed to start somewhere and a sourced Tennessee whiskey felt like the right place.
This wheated bourbon — 68 percent corn, 18 percent wheat, and 14 percent malted barley — is contract distilled juice and very reminiscent of wheated bourbons from both Heaven Hill and Luxco (though we’ll never know where it really comes from). That whiskey spends an undisclosed amount of years aging before it goes into 15 Casknolia Pedro Ximenez sherry casks per batch (a truly small batch bourbon). Those barrels are then blended and touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Fruit shines through on the nose with fresh raspberries mingling with strawberry jam, Bing cherries, and dried plums and apricots with a hint of leather and winter spice baking that fruit up. The palate really embraces those fruits with a tart and sour vibe to the cherries and red berries while the leather leans raw and the spices lean toward cinnamon and tobacco with a caramel mid-palate. The sweetness fades quickly as the finish continues with berries and spice while the cherry attaches to the tobacco and soft cedar on the end.
Bottom Line:
If you’re in the mood for a fruit-bomb bourbon, this is the play. It’s a little too fruity for me (hence it’s low ranking) but that just means I use this for a killer cocktail instead of a neat pour.
This started out as a limited release and caught on like wildfire, making it a standard release since 2021. The juice is a very small selection of hand-picked 13-year-old barrels (likely MGP) that are proofed with limestone water from the Rosendale Mines in New York, marrying the Ohio Valley to New York.
Tasting Notes:
This is pure apple crumble on the nose with plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, brown sugar, brown butter, and almost tart stewed apples next to old leather belts and a touch of salted caramel drizzled vanilla ice cream. The palate takes the apple a step back towards dry Granny Smith apple peels and cores as dry wicker furniture mixes with the cream from the top of an espresso pull. Toffee sweetness arrives on the mid-palate as the bitterness from the coffee turns toward dark chocolate with the wicker and leather making a return while the stewed apple filling layers into a chewy tobacco leaf on the very end.
Bottom Line:
It’s really hard to find any faults in this whiskey. It’s a great sipper but also rules as an old fashioned base. Basically, when I mentioned in the lede that I’m splitting hairs on a lot of these, this is what I meant. This could have been number one today. It just kind of depends on what mood you’re in.
This crafty whiskey from New York is a grain-to-glass bourbon experience. The mash bill on this one eschews rye and wheat for 80 percent locally grown corn supported by 20 percent malted barley from England. The juice is then aged for four years in small 15-gallon barrels and treated according to the law and bottled in Kings County’s signature hip flask bottles.
Tasting Notes:
This draws you in with a strawberry shortcake with cornmeal base, topped with fresh berries, buttery vanilla whipped cream, and then dipped in a caramel sauce. The palate veers away from all of that and touches on bitter black coffee syrup with brown sugar and butter notes next to oatcakes and vanilla sauce with a hint of spice lingering in the background. The end is long and full of chocolate malts, leather, and more of that creamy and buttery vanilla whipped cream.
Bottom Line:
This has a really nice balance of fruity, bitter, and buttery/sweet. It’s slightly a pain in the ass to get if you’re not out East. But, that doesn’t take away from the value (or quality) in these bespoke and crafty bottles of bourbon from Brooklyn. Still, we’re not even in the top five yet, and there’s no real reason I can think of why you shouldn’t at least try this crafty masterpiece.
I.W. Harper has a long history with a new feel. The booze is made at Heaven Hill’s New Bernheim Distillery but aged at Diageo’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery — a classic contract distilling partnership. The juice spends 15 years mellowing before it’s married and proofed down to a very approachable 86 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of almost fresh off-the-stalk sweet corn and bright berries on the nose with hints of orange zest, oily vanilla, and cedar. The palate leads with the cedar towards tobacco spiciness, more of that concentrated vanilla, and a very mild whisper of minty dark chocolate nibs. The finish takes its time and starts with the dry cedar, passes through that spicy tobacco buzz, and ends up on a sweet vanilla/caramel softness.
Bottom Line:
This was an export bourbon for ages. It finally came back to U.S. shelves in 2015 and has stayed far under the radar for a while now. I’m also a big fan of mint chocolate in my bourbon, so this gets a slight edge for the bottom five. Regardless of that tasting note, this is a well-crafted bourbon that feels both “throwback” and fresh at the same time — a rare mix in today’s bourbon world.
This sourced whiskey from Indiana (MGP) is one of the best examples of how a unique shingle can make whiskey shine. Redemption’s team painstakingly searches the warehouses for just the right barrels to meet their taste requirements. In this case, that was a nine-year-old single barrel of bourbon with a mash bill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
The nose really gives you a sense of oily vanilla pods with touches of wildflower honey, rich and buttery toffee, and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans. The palate holds onto those notes as the vanilla and honey both become creamy while adding a slight black pepper spiciness with a hint of salty smoked bacon fat lurking far in the background. The end is medium-length and touches back on that vanilla, toffee, pepper, and bitterness on the fade.
Bottom Line:
The next four entries all could have been tied for number two. They all offer something a little different but all shine very brightly. Cards on the table, I simply numbered five through two at random. It was too hard trying to nitpick why one of these should be above the other.
Garrison Brothers is a true grain-to-glass experience from Hye, Texas. The juice is a wheated bourbon made with local, Texas grains. That spirit is then aged under the hot Texas sun before the barrels are small-batched (with only 55 barrels per batch), proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a caramel apple note on the nose next to a bit of dry straw, worn leather, and what feels like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That cereal nature continues through the palate with a sugary and buttery shortbread note mingling with hints of vanilla cake frosted with lemon cream leading to a touch of orange oils. The end is very long and warm with a bit of cinnamon that ultimately leads back to the caramel apples plus just a touch of dry campfire smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is big and bold in all the right ways. It’s a great on the rocks sipper that also absolutely slays as a cocktail base (try it in a Manhattan or Sazerac).
2021’s Barrell Batch 030 launched the brand’s awesome blends into a new direction by adding Wyoming bourbon into the mix with Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee whiskeys. The final mix ended up being a blend of five, six, nine, ten, eleven, and 15-year-old bourbons that were bottled at barrel proof.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a plum pudding brimming with dark, wintry spice, dried and candied fruits, and fatty nuts that’s all been soaked in dark rum with a hint of worn library leather that leads towards this dramatic shift towards fresh blackberries and raspberries with a hint of the bramble. The palate is blackberry pie with a lard crust topped with a cinnamon vanilla ice cream next to hints of oatmeal raisin cookie, ancho-chili-laced dark chocolate, and dry walnut shells. The mid-palate harnesses that chocolate and nuttiness and leans it toward creamy Nutella as a dry pine arrives on the very end with an almost bitter dark soil.
Bottom Line:
I don’t think you can read those tasting notes and not at least be intrigued enough to give this a shot. Plus, there are almost no other cases where you’ll find a Wyoming, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee whiskey blended together. That helps this one really rise above. Just make sure to add a little water or a rock to let it bloom in the glass while you sip.
This whiskey from Barrell Craft Spirits is the big and bolder sibling of last year’s craft darling, Stellum Bourbon. Stellum Black combines whiskeys pulled from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee and masterfully blends them into a bigger whole while bottling that juice at barrel proof for maximum effect.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot going on with every layer of this whiskey and the nose is full of wintry spices (especially allspice berries) that lead towards worn old leather gloves, cinnamon sticks floating in vanilla cream sauce, sweet cedar planks, and a rich and buttery toffee candy. The taste builds on that bose with Wether’s Originals, ground cinnamon, and allspice by way of mulled wine, slightly singed cedar bark, and overbaked pecan cookies. The mid-palates toffee and vanilla sweetness fades pretty dramatically towards a bitter espresso bean that’s nearly burnt next to a dry chili-laced tobacco leaf wrapped in that dry cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This poured over a single rock is a damn near perfect pour (for my palate anyway).
This year’s Remus Repeal Reserve V is a hell of a whiskey. The MGP of Indiana signature bourbon is comprised of nine percent 2005 bourbon with a 21 percent high-rye mash, five percent 2006 bourbon with a very high-rye mash of 36 percent of the sticky grain, 19 percent 2006 bourbon with the same 21 percent high-rye mash, 13 percent 2008 bourbon with that 21 percent rye mash, and 54 percent 2008 bourbon with the 36 percent high-rye mash.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is brilliantly fruity with touches of fresh raspberries, strawberries resting in dry straw, candied cherries, freshly peeled tangerines, apple cores and stems, and a touch of caramel malts. That caramel sweetness merges into a fresh honeycomb next to Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda vanilla and pep while the fruit dries out, leaving you with meaty dried figs, dates, and prunes driving the midpalate toward the finish. A touch of candied ginger spices things up as a fruity but dry tobacco leaf rounds out the end with the faintest touch of walnut shells.
Bottom Line:
This wins out by being the softest and maybe most refined sip on the list. It’s, well, smooth with a capital “S” and a long “ooooooohhh.” That, in no way, takes away from the refinement of the whiskey or its depth. This is a stellar pour all around and deserving of your time and money.
The true MVP during an NCAA March Madness game wasn’t even a basketball player. Instead, the game was saved by a couple of cheerleaders who quite literally rose to the challenge to save the day.
A hilarious clip sweeping the internet shows a basketball completely stuck between the backboard and shot clock as St. Mary’s College played against Indiana in Portland, Oregon.
Not even the tallest players could jump high enough to retrieve it. A mop didn’t work, a referee on a chair didn’t work. They were quickly running out of ideas.
“Major issues here in Portland,” the announcer chuckled.
I mean, they could have gotten another ball, but where’s the fun in that?
Luckily, inspiration hit!
Cassidy Cerny gracefully hoisted herself onto the shoulders of her teammate Nathan Paris in that effortless “why yes, I’m a cheerleader, I defy gravity all the time” way. Cerny grabbed the ball, the crowd webt wild…and the rest is epic sports history.
Cerny and Paris went above and beyond (see what I did there?) to lift spirits. And people were quick to share their praises in the comments.
“It’s amazing how sometimes the most simple and mundane things cac bring people together,” one person wrote.
Another person added “I love moments like these. Proves humanity still exists in people.”
Showing true cheerleader spirit, Cerny told Good Morning America “just being able to bring that exposure to my team was really fun.”
And they say the perfect play doesn’t exist. When are these cheerleaders getting their trophy, already?
The Texas Longhorns started their 2022 NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon against the Virginia Tech Hokies. It’s a 6/11 tilt that is expected to be quite close, as the Longhorns entered the game as a 1.5-point favorite, while KenPom’s projection has them coming out on top over the ACC Tournament champions by two points.
Basically, it’s hard to imagine this game being anything other than close, so any little bit will help one team come out on top. Perhaps, then, we’ll look back on the shot that Marcus Carr hit for the Longhorns right before the end of the first half as a moment that played a huge role in a win. Texas looked primed to enter the locker room down by one point, but there was just enough time for them to get the ball in and let Carr throw up a prayer.
With 2.1 seconds left, Carr took a pair of dribbles, got himself composed, and launched one from the other side of halfcourt. It looked good coming out of his hand, hit the backboard at the exact right angle, and buried the triple.
If you’re at spring break right now, you’ve likely heard the cries of “Shots! Shots! Shots!” — chanted like a siren song. Or maybe you’ve had a long week, watched too much news from around the world, and just need a bright shot on a Friday afternoon. We’re not judging.
Either way, the Tropic Thunder is the way to go. Especially if you’re looking for a boozy tropical fruit punch.
The thing is, this shot doesn’t have a hard-and-fast recipe. It’s kind of a fluid (sorry) set of guidelines that’s “tropical” and strong. There is a classic Tropical Thunder cocktail that uses gin, peach schnapps, and pineapple juice which is the general foundation for this. From there, there are tons of variations, using everything from Kentucky bourbon to tequila to vodka to brandy. I like keeping it tropical with rum and a little orgeat (almond) syrup along with the fresh juice.
The point is, try this recipe because it f*cking rules then play around with it. Maybe go half tequila and half rum with your next batch. Or add some lime juice to cut the sweetness of the orange. It’s up to you. Let’s get shaking!
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
All of these ingredients are easily sourced at your local liquor store and grocery store. If you’re buying fresh orange juice, make sure it’s the one without pulp.
As for the rum, I’m using Equiano Light Rum because it carries a tropical, spicy vibe with a nice line of vanilla. Lastly, you should be able to find orgeat at any liquor store. It’ll be in the syrup aisle.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Shot glasses
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail strainer
Jigger
Zach Johnston
Method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
Fill the shaker about 1/2 with ice, affix the lid, and shake vigorously until the shaker is ice cold to touch (about 15 seconds).
Use the strainer to pour the shot into four waiting shot glasses, making sure to leave about 1/4 of an inch at the top.
Gently pour about 1/4 of an ounce of grenadine into the shot so that sinks right to the bottom of the shot glass. Shoot!
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is the sort of shot that makes you say, “Hell, yeah!” It’s boozy, fruity, fresh, and just sweet enough to drive your brain to ask for another round. The mix of pineapple, orange, and peach has a nice tropical vibe that’s really amped up by the nutty orgeat, which gives the shot a slight mai tai vibe.
The best part about this shot is that it’s easily done in batches. You can just adjust ounces to cups — so, 2 cups rum, 1 cup peach schnapps, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup pineapple juice, and 1/4 cup orgeat — and store the mix in a pitcher. Simply pour some into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and fill those shot glasses — don’t forget the grenadine in the bottom of the glass. That will give you around 28 shots. Just make sure everyone is chanting “Shots! Shots! Shots!” while you’re shaking and pouring.
Happy spring from all of us at Upworthy. This season, soak in the sun with longer days, see flowers in bloom and treat yourself or your loved ones to some beautiful crafts from our store to make your spring extra special. At Upworthy Market, you can feel good about shopping because every dollar you spend directly supports the local artisans who handcraft their own products. We have curated a list of some spring favorites from our store just for you.
Beautiful gemstones celebrate the earth’s awakening in springtime. Knotted by hand on silk strands, dyed dark red and natural white pearls combine with peridot and citrine. Sasina creates this feminine bracelet. The clasp and extender chain are bathed in sterling silver.
Displaying oceanic blue hues, the leaves of this petite gemstone tree are made from apatite. Joias do Rio offers this Brazilian gemstone tree, which is handcrafted with a trunk and branches made from gleaming brass wire. The tree stands atop a natural amethyst geode.
Hand-carved from bone, two jepun, otherwise known as frangipani flowers, adorn these earring. Balinese artisan Made Wardika creates these stud earrings on posts of sterling silver.
Against a body of stark white is a garden of hibiscus flowers in a rainbow of colors. Bali’s Mayda presents this luxurious rayon shawl, decorated using the batik method, where the fabric is hand-stamped with a wax resist before being treated with the colorful dyes. This accessory is further enhanced with beaded accents that are applied by hand.
A dreamy tropical paradise with untouched white sand beaches and crystalline lagoons is perfectly symbolized by the twin palms of this pendant necklace from Aoy of Thailand. Artisan-crafted from sterling silver, the pendant shines with a high polish finish while the hints of dark oxidation enhance the palms’ details. A ball chain with a spring-ring clasp completes the necklace.
As delightful as it is simple and cute, this lightweight cotton blend hoodie is perfect for spring and summer. Peruvian artisan Violeta Pacheco designs this zip-up top, which features a solid color in viridian. A ribbed hemline accentuates this hoodie.
Brimming with the vibrancy of a clear blue sky, this bracelet is designed by Siranya. Aqua magnesite gems are alternated with variegated 950 silver beads to create a striking contrast. An exquisite Karen silver flower charm dangles below, handcrafted by Thailand’s hill tribe silversmiths.
Javanese artisan Nell crafts a shoulder bag that is just right for spring and summer. The round bag is hand-woven of bamboo stalks and ate grass in a warm brown shade. Brown faux leather makes up the strap and clasp. The bag is fully lined in cotton.
Blossoming daisies in Bandung, known as the City of Flowers, inspire Rosalia Tarigan in the design of these earrings. Centered by glistening peridots, the filigree flower earrings are handcrafted of sterling silver.
This handsome desk organizer is made of pinewood and stained a rich green with handpainted flowers of various colors on nearly every outward-facing surface. The organizer has a compartment for notepads or sticky notes; a tall, narrow pencil holder; and a short, square receptacle for paper clips or other small essentials. This desk organizer was handcrafted by members of the God’s Seed cooperative of El Salvador.
Crafted of sterling silver with elegant openwork, two padma, or lotus flowers, form beautiful hoops below the ears. Putu Putri presents this floral accessory.
Spring-green peridot combines harmoniously with amethyst in this bracelet from Thailand’s Sasina. The artisan knots the gems by hand on golden silk threads. The beaded bracelet is secured by a sterling silver plated brass clasp with an extender chain for adjustable length.
Posed on sterling posts, baby sea turtles are safe in the protected waters of Koh Phra Thong. Wadarat Supasirisuk presents these handcrafted earrings from Thailand.
What started out as a passion became a saving grace, then a claim to fame, and finally…a higher purpose. As her story became a symbol for hope for refugees, it is clear that Mardini’s real superpower isn’t swimming, it’s resilience.
In 2015, when Mardini was only a teenager, her very survival depended on her ability to swim.
Mardini and her sister spent their childhood being trained in the pool by their father Ezzat, a former competitor for Syria’s national swimming team. Daily shootouts caused by the Syrian Civil War forced training to come to a stop. And after their father had been arrested and beaten by soldiers, it was clear the sisters would have to flee their home.
It was by no means an easy journey.
The sisters took a plane to Lebanon, then Turkey, where they planned to smuggle into Germany by boat.
The boat was only a small dinghy, meant to carry seven passengers–that day there were 20 people trying to escape. But with only 45 minutes to endure, the risk was worth taking.
At only twenty minutes in, the motor failed. The group became stranded in the Aegean Sea, their boat filling up with water. Action had to be taken, and taken fast. Mardini shares in an interview that her sister was the first to jump in the water.
“My sister jumped in the water from one side, and I jumped from the other side which she wasn’t very happy about. She started screaming at me to go up to the boat even though we were both swimmers.”
Two men dived in to help, and the group of four pushed the boat through the rough waves all the way to shore. It would take them three hours to make it to safety.
It was in that moment that Mardini got her first glimpse at how her actions would represent the hearts of refugees everywhere. “The whole way, you can just hear all of our prayers in one voice,” she reflected.
The Mardini sisters made it the rest of the way (through seven more countries) to Germany on foot, but it wouldn’t be long before Yusra was back in the water. This time, it would be for the Olympics.
Mardini continued her training in Germany, and in 2016 she was selected to compete in the Summer Olympic in Brazil as part of the first Refugee Olympic Team.
Though she didn’t earn a medal, her story captured hearts everywhere. As the crowd applauded her arrival, Mardini’s shame at being a refugee transformed into a sense of pride. It inspired her to become the youngest Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in history.
Again, though she didn’t place, it was a different kind of win for this young woman who defied the odds to make it to the Olympics–twice–in the first place. Sometimes it’s more than distance, speed, and laps. The real accomplishment is keeping the dream alive, believing in something bigger than yourself…and inspiring others to do the same.
“I’ve told this story a million times,” Mardini told DW, “and if I have to, I’ll tell it a million more times. It’s about giving hope with my life story…maybe I can help give people courage.”
Since that seemingly fated event in 2015, a lot continues to happen for Mardini. Netflix is producing a movie focused on both sisters, and Mardini released a memoir titled Butterfly, a nod to one of her swimming styles. And both Mardini and her sister have dedicated their lives to helping refugees.
If you look at Mardini’s Instagram now, where she has 375K followers, she is currently promoting a UNHCR charity to support Ukrainians fleeing war.
She writes in a post,” as a refugee myself I had to leave everything behind and do understand their pain.”
We do not always choose what comes to us in life. But our greatest potential might be just past our biggest obstacle. Determination to fight for that potential, along with compassion for others…makes heroes of us all.
Following another behind-the-scenes shake-up at Dancing with the Stars, former host Tom Bergeron had a saucy reaction to the news that executive producer Andrew Llinares is stepping down. According to Deadline who first reported the news, Llinares, who joined the dancing competition show in 2018, reportedly oversaw the decision that saw Bergeron fired as host despite being a beloved presence on the show.
When asked on Twitter for his thoughts on Llinares’ ouster, Bergeron responded to a fan, “Karma’s a bitch .” Damn, Tom, tell us how you really feel.
Of course, the big question now is whether the show will bring back Bergeron with Llinares out of the picture. In October, Bergeron sat down for an episode of the late Bob Saget‘s podcast and revealed that he know his time was up because the show had changed for the worst.
“In all candor, the show that I left was not the show that I loved,” Bergeron told Saget. “So at the end of the season that turned out to be my last season, I kind of knew. I took everything out of my dressing room that I really wanted. … It was kind of obvious that we were kind of butting heads [behind-the-scenes]. It wasn’t a pleasant [experience].”
Bergeron also revealed that he and Erin Andrews, who was also replaced, had “more fun being fired than virtually anybody.” It also looks like he’s having fun watching Llinares get some comeuppance. There are lots of ways to have fun.
Despite the fact that he faces 22 civil lawsuits due to sexual misconduct allegations and is being investigated by the NFL under its personal conduct policy, the Cleveland Browns will trade for Deshaun Watson. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Watson has decided to waive his no-trade clause after previous reports indicated he did not want to go to the Browns.
As a result, Cleveland will figure out a deal with the Houston Texans to bring Watson to northeast Ohio.
Deshaun Watson has decided he wants to play for the Cleveland Browns in a stunning change of events, per sources. Watson has informed the Houston Texans that he now is willing to waive the no-trade clause in his contract to be dealt to Cleveland.
The #Browns and #Texans still must finalize the trade for Deshaun Watson, but Cleveland has always been willing to exceed Houston’s price: Three first-round picks plus at least two other assets. A massive deal to be completed soon.
Watson will, per Rapoport, get a gigantic contract extension from the Browns, including an NFL record for guaranteed money.
Deshaun Watson gets a fully guaranteed 5 year $230M contract. That is $80M more than the previous record for fully guaranteed money at signing ($150M). This deal was negotiated by David Mulugheta of Athletes First. https://t.co/nQls9WRpD1
Cleveland will, per reports, part ways with a number of picks to get the deal done.
Source says the #Texans will be acquiring three first round picks and two additional picks – on day two or three – from the #Browns for Deshaun Watson. Five total picks, including three first rounders.
Reports indicated in recent days that Watson — who did not play for the Texans last season for, per the team’s weekly injury report, “non-football reasons” — took meetings with the Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints, and in the last day or so, it appeared that Watson had his sights set on either Atlanta or New Orleans as a potential destination.
As for Cleveland’s current quarterback, Baker Mayfield requested a trade on Thursday after reports started circulating that the team would not acquire Watson. The Browns said they would not accommodate that request, although it stands to reason that will change now.
Pregnancy is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing physical feats on Earth. A body that builds a baby practically from scratch is badass no matter how you look at it, but unfortunately, it’s not always treated that way.
That can be particularly true in fields that focus on peak body performance, such as elite sports.
Professional female athletes are often put in the position of having to choose between their athletic career and starting a family, not merely due to the inherent reality of having kids, but due to unnecessary roadblocks imposed upon them by the powers that be.
Elite track and field star Allyson Felix famously beat Usain Bolt’s gold medal count record a mere 10 months after having a baby—prematurely, via emergency c-section after experiencing pre-eclampsia, no less. She also famously took Nike to task for trying to cut her pay by 70% during her pregnancy. Her critique, along with a push from other female athletes and outcry from the public, resulted in Nike creating a new maternity policy for sponsored athletes guaranteeing an athlete’s pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy.
But it’s not just corporate sponsors that create obstacles for mom athletes. There is also a lack of supportive maternity policies for elite athletes who get pregnant that create a great deal of fear and uncertainty about their careers.
One issue is that pregnancy often isn’t viewed as a normal part of life for an athlete. Canada’s Athlete Assistance Program, for example, puts pregnancy in the same category as injury or illness, when it is neither. As Bill Moreau, managing director of sports medicine for the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2012 told NBC, “Pregnancy isn’t a disability.”
Female athletes are often afraid to share that they are pregnant.
Researchers at the University of Alberta conducted a study of what pregnant athletes go through and to determine what kind of policies might best support elite athletes going through the process of having a child. The study authors recruited 20 athletes who had trained or competed at the elite level just before becoming pregnant and talked with them about their experiences.
“They described the complexities related to planning for pregnancy when training,” the authors shared in The Conversation. “They told us heartbreaking stories about how they were scared to disclose that they were pregnant over fear they would lose their position on the team, lose funding or even be viewed as less committed to their sport.”
“This needs to change,” they added.
One athlete in the study shared that there is a very narrow window in which athletes can get pregnant in an Olympic cycle to be successful. Another shared, “I feel like I can’t have open communication [with coaches] because I’m so afraid of what will be taken from me.”
“There’s so little support and there’s so little value given to pregnant athletes and to women who want to be able to be mothers and compete,” study author and professor of kinesiology Tara-Leigh McHugh told the CBC. “We need to start to normalize and value pregnancy … to demonstrate that it is possible and women can actually succeed and thrive as mother athletes.”
Plenty of athletes have had record-breaking performances during or after pregnancy.
Elite athletes shouldn’t have to choose between their sport and pregnancy https://theconversation.com/elite-athletes-shouldnt-have-to-choose-between-their-sport-and-pregnancy-177428?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbuttonu00a0u2026 via @ConversationCA
Pregnancy does change a woman’s body, but the limitations it may impose are temporary.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won the 1500m gold medal in the 2017 London Olympics, then came back to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and took the gold again—while also breaking the Olympic record for the event. In the four years between those Olympic wins, she had a baby. While she said returning to top athletic form was not easy after pregnancy and childbirth, the physical feat of building a baby clearly did not diminish her athletic abilities.
There have actually been athletes who have won Olympic medals while they were pregnant. And let’s not forget Serena Williams winning her record-breaking 23rd grand slam while pregnant. Each sport has different physical demands that may or may not be affected by various stages of pregnancy, but an athlete shouldn’t have to fear that having a baby will diminish their opportunities at best or cost them their career at worst.
Athletes face challenges in their field after having a baby as well, especially when rules are imposed without reasonable maternity exceptions. Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher nearly had to forgo the Toyko Olympics because she was breastfeeding her 3-month-old and family members were not allowed to accompany athletes due to pandemic restrictions. She had to petition for an exception, which took until shortly before the games began to be approved.
Elite athletes need more supportive policies for maternity while training and competing.
The University of Alberta researchers shared recommendations that they said can be implemented immediately. “The development of maternity leave policies and funding structures for parental leave should be a priority for sporting organizations,” they wrote. “Providing education to athletes, coaches and organizations about reproductive health should also occur in an effort to normalize pregnancy in sport, and work towards a more inclusive environment for female athletes.”
One element of such policy is getting a better understanding, through research, of the impact of athletic training on pregnancy and vice versa.
“We don’t have a lot of information about what is safe and beneficial for athletes who are regularly exceeding current recommendations,” study co-author Maggie Davenport shared on CBC’s Radio Active.
The researchers also pointed out that such policies are vital for young female athletes as they rise in their sports.
“Policies to support pregnant athletes will have a direct impact on all women and girls across all levels of sport,” the study authors wrote. “Role models are essential to girls’ continued participation in sport. Young girls need to know that they belong in sport, and that there is a space for them in sport even when they enter their reproductive years.”
Indeed, normalizing maternity in sports—and in every field—will open up more opportunities for women, letting them know they won’t have to choose between creating a family and pursuing their professions.
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.” Damn, Tom, tell us how you really feel.
