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There has been an expectation for some time that Troy Aikman will be leaving Fox, with reports that he was being strongly pursued by Amazon to join Al Michaels in their Thursday Night Football booth (although Michaels has, likewise, yet to ink an official deal.

Aikman was not shy about making his frustrations felt when it came to Fox’s draw of games during the playoffs, and it certainly seemed as if he had taken the filter off for the end of his tenure at Fox. Amazon had long been rumored to want to spend big for its Thursday Night booth and poach some big names to give their broadcast some star power, but it appears they aren’t the only ones who had big plans for 2022.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN has swooped in on Aikman and is expected to hire the Hall of Famer to take over in the Monday Night Football booth, finally landing the big name they’ve been desperately seeking since the departure of the since disgraced Jon Gruden.

ESPN is deep in negotiations with Fox Sports’ Troy Aikman to make him its lead analyst on “Monday Night Football,” The Post has learned.

Aikman’s deal is not completed yet, but there is an expectation that it will be finalized. Aikman has also been courted by Amazon.

The exact figures of Aikman’s deal are not yet fully finalized, but for him to leave Fox it is expected to be comparable to or exceed Tony Romo’s 10-year $180 million with CBS.

What is arguably more interesting than ESPN landing Aikman is what it could do for them in terms of a play-by-play hire to go next to him. Michaels has been targeted by ESPN in the past but is picky about his color commentator and wouldn’t jump ship without a big name by his side — ESPN wanted a Michaels-Manning booth a couple years ago — but Aikman was on his list for Amazon and that could swing him away from the streaming giant and give ESPN the star-filled booth they’ve been dreaming of since acquiring Monday Night Football. Marchand also notes that Joe Buck has a strong relationship with Aikman and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that ESPN could try to poach him as well, although he has so many roles at Fox, including as their lead on baseball, that the network would surely fight hard to keep him.

Normani isn’t one to be shy about promoting her music on social media, even if she thinks she’s bad at using the platforms. The rising pop star greeted 2022 by playing her new single in the car, and now she’s given fans a brief live rendition of the track. She also let listeners know that the new single is “genre-bending” and unexpected from her, while also casually dropping the news recently that her debut album is all but done. Now that’s good news!

Since the release of last year’s Cardi B-featuring fan-favorite, “Wild Side,” Normani has been riding pretty high. And fans are more than ready for her to double down on the momentum and get this album out into the world. Check out her live rendition of a snippet from the upcoming single up above, and keep your eyes glued to her social media, because earlier today Normani tweeted that she has an announcement coming very soon.

Since her first single, “Motivation,” was co-written with Ariana, and her second single,”Wild Side,” featured one of the biggest rappers in the world, maybe there’s another musical mentor involved with this third release. Or, maybe it’s just her flexing her own substantial talents. Stay tuned to find out.

Donald Trump has done all he can to impede the House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He’s tried to block hundreds of documents. He’s instructed his cronies to ignore subpoenas (at their peril). He’s bad-mouthed them with non-clever name-calling. And yet tons of employees have cooperated with them, sometimes willingly. Not long after his sometime lawyer Rudy Giuliani entered talks to speak with them, the committee is reportedly on the verge of another key get: His oldest daughter.

As first reported by The New York Times, Ivanka Trump is in talks to “voluntarily” sit down for an interview with the committee. The news was confirmed by two sources and by her spokesperson. Currently the discussions are being dubbed “preliminary,” but the committee reportedly reached out to her in January, asking for her voluntary presence. Should it work out, Ivanka can provide key details about what was happening in the White House during the riot that ended in five deaths and dozens of injured Capitol police officers.

It’s long been discussed which of the former president’s children he would willingly throw under the bus should he face jail time. Conversely, it’s also been debated which of his kids would turn on him to save their own hide. Ivanka chatting with the Jan. 6 committee may not go that extreme, but since her father left office, she has been sucked into his legal whirlpool, facing all manner of trouble. Besides, unlike her older brother, she’s not prone to late-night slurry video rants.

(Via NYT)

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Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Brace yourself, because to call this week “jam-packed” would be a major understatement. We’re not coming at you with a pathetic list of the five best sneakers of the week (RIP the month of January 2022, an all-time worst in sneaker drop history) we’re detailing 10 sneakers, with new kicks from New Balance, Adidas, Yeezy Brand, Nike and of course Air Jordan.

We haven’t been this hyped up about a sneaker release week since the summer of 2021 and it couldn’t have come at a better time as the weather starts to heat up and we get ready to gear up for the coming festival season. If you’re looking for some new clothes to complete your fit, be sure to hit up our weekly Euphoria Style Watch series.

But first, let’s get into this week’s kicks!

Adidas Italia CP SPZL Shoes

It’s been a minute since we’ve shown some love to Adidas’ classic Spezial sneaker but this UK market iteration of the sneaker is too dope to pass up.

Made in collaboration with C.P. Company, this sneaker is a tribute to Italian terrace culture and features a premium leather upper, leather lining, and an eye-catching mix of cloud white, bold green, and creamy off-white colors with gold leaf lettering and dual C.P. Company and Adidas branding.

The Adidas Italia CP SPZL is out now for a retail price of $216. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Adidas UK webstore or on aftermarket sites like StockX.

JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive

New Balance is a funny brand. Almost all of their own sneakers are boring, it’s like they don’t know how to mix colors over there, and yet anytime the brand links up with another label it’s sneaker perfection. Case in point, the New Balance MADE 990V3, made in collaboration with JJJJound.

The sneaker features a mixed upper of layered suede and mesh in a soothing olive green colorway with reflective N logo detailing, an ENCAP midsole, and white or matching olive cotton laces. As with every sneaker in the MADE series, this New Balance is 100% made in the USA.

The JJJJound x New Balance MADE 990V3 Olive is set to drop on February 24th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair exclusively at the JJJJound webstore.

PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex

Why we’re never shy about showing our love for UK streetwear label PALACE (see our Euphoria Style roundup) Reebok is another story. While the brand is capable of some interesting hype-worthy designs, generally nothing the brand drops is interesting enough to warrant a spot on SNX, but this week, thanks to PALACE, things are different.

Featuring a reinforced GORE-TEX equipped upper, this take on the Victory G features a leather and mesh upper in three colorways with spring-ready accents on the sneaker’s logo and stripes.

The PALACE x Reebok Victory G Gore-Tex collection is set to drop on February 25th for an unannounced retail price. To pick up a pair hit the PALACE webstore.

BAPE x VANS Old Skool/Sk8-Hi

It’s BAPE and Vans folks, when two brands this huge come together it’s an instant pick up! The always cool Japanese streetwear label has teamed up with So-Cal skateboard label Vans for camo-infused iterations of the classic Sk8-Hi and Old Skool.

Both the Sk8-Hi and Old Skool feature mismatched colorways with a custom Bape camo pattern that was made exclusively for this collaboration. The unique pattern is slightly more psychedelic and wavy than the typical BAPE camo print. The Sk8-Hi features a mismatched colorway that combines Bape’s camo with Vans’ classic checkerboard pattern, while the Old Skool keeps things simple with an army green colorway.

The BAPE x Vans Old Skool and Sk8-Hi are set to drop on February 26th for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair at the Vans or BAPE online stores or at select Vans retail locations.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue

We’re in a Kanye news cycle. It’s no accident that Kanye West was making headlines for his juvenile, psychotic, and emotionally abusive behavior towards Kim Kardashian a few weeks before a documentary covering his better years dropped, as well as a sequel to his sprawling album DONDA. Ye feeds on the chaos of dominating news cycles (why do you think he liked Trump?), but there is a sect of streetwear fanatics who just wish Ye would ditch it all for a tiny cabin in the woods where he could work on his sneakers quietly like a retired Daniel Day Lewis.

I’m one of those fanatics. This week brings another great Yeezy colorway, a simple Core Black and blue iteration of the 350 V2. As has been the case with all of the recent V2s, be sure to order half a size up from your normal size if you’re planning on picking up a pair this week.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 Dazzling Blue is set to drop on February 26th for a retail price of $230. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App, the Yeezy Webstore, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Dunk High 1985 Yellow Acid Wash/Orange Acid Wash

If you’re a Dunk fan, this is your week as Nike readies several different drops of the evergreen silhouette. First up is this Yellow and Orange Acid Wash collection that features the 1985 high-top silhouette shape with a padded collar, premium leather uppers, and a washed-out screen print upper.

The Yellow Acid Wash iteration features a queazy mix of yellow and black while the Orange Acid Wash iteration keeps things on the lighter end with an orange, blue, and aged-yellow midsole. It’s almost NY Knicks esque!

The Dunk High 1985 Acid Wash in yellow and orange are out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or at your favorite aftermarket site.

Dunk High Light Chocolate

Last week was all about Jordans, and this week is all about the Dunk High. You have to give it to Nike, they certainly let us down at the beginning of the year, going entire weeks without releasing any sneakers of note, but now they’re firing on all cylinders. If the Acid Wash Dunks were a bit too loud and garish, you’ll probably dig on this Light Chocolate iteration of the Dunk High.

This design features the more modern 21st century Dunk shape and features premium sail leather overlays over a mixed suede and leather upper in khaki and light chocolate. It’s simple and classy.

The Dunk High Light Chocolate is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot

Nike is set to drop a new WMNS-exclusive iteration of the Air Force 1 dubbed the Dark Beetroot. The design features shiny beet-colored patent leather overlays over a white leather base on top of an off-white chunky midsole with an altered tongue tag logo. It’s not the most exciting release from Nike this week, but if you’re an Air Force 1 fan it’ll be a nice addition to the collection.

The WMNS Air Force 1 Dark Beetroot is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux

You’re killing us, Nike. The Dunks, the AF-1s, and now Jordan 1s in what are essentially Laker’s colors? It’s too hard to choose between all these sneakers but gun to our head… we’re going with this University Gold and Light Bordeaux Air Jordan 1. How could you not?

While your instincts might immediately gravitate towards associating this sneaker with the Lakers, it’s actually meant to represent the colors of MJ’s UNC Chappel Hill frat Omega Psi Phi, where MJ first made waves as a young student-athlete. The sneaker features a mix of University Gold and Light Bordeaux colors over a premium leather upper. Like the best Jordans, the sneaker is equal parts luxurious and fashionable.

The Air Jordan 1 University Gold and Light Bordeaux is set to drop on March 24th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Nike Kwondo 1 White

Closing out our jam-packed list this week is a brand new silhouette from Nike and Korean sensation G-Dragon. The Kwondo 1, as its called, is a mashup of the words Tae-Kwon-Do, which is a Korean martial art, and Nike’s slogan Just Do It according to the Nike website. That’s what they say but… considering “Kwondo” is already present in the word Tae-Kwon-Do, it seems to us like Nike is really trying to shoehorn (no pun intended) themselves in there. Your name is on the fucking shoe Nike, chill.

Anyway, the Kwondo is an interesting design, its equal parts casual and dressy, with a classic white upper with Brogue-like accent work along the sneaker’s paneling that is reminiscent of certain hard-bottom dress shoes. It looks equally like something you can wear at a big Friday night premiere and at the park courts the next morning for a weekend game of street ball.

The Nike Kwondo 1 White is set to drop on February 25th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

There is a lot of research that needs to be done on the effect that social media has on adolescents but the early studies suggest some reason for concern. The University of Columbia says that the more time teens spend on social media, the more likely they will experience mental health symptoms like anxiety, isolation and hopelessness.

Teens who can’t help but compare themselves to others are bound to have a difficult time with their self-image after spending hours a day scrolling through a world that’s predicated on likes, followers and comments.

Social media also makes it easy for teens to minimize their face-to-face contact with others. This can exacerbate feelings of alienation and hopelessness in those who suffer from social anxiety and depression.

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One of the most disturbing studies out of BYU has found a correlation between time spent on social media and suicidality risk among teenage girls.

Lorna Klefsaas’ daughter had a tough time with Snapchat in her teens. “She got so obsessed with keeping up her Snapchat streaks that it was really affecting her mood. It was affecting her friendships,” the Minnesota mom told WUSA9.

The daughter is in grad school now and doing great with her social life, but Klefsaas hadn’t forgotten about her daughter’s troubles when her younger son, Sivert, turned 12. She wanted to do whatever she could to keep him off social media, so she made him a bet. If he could stay off until he was 18, she would pay him $1,800. She called it the “18 for 18 challenge.”

“Being 12, I didn’t really have that great of a concept of money yet. So, I was like oh sick, yeah, absolutely,” Sivert told WUSA9.

The student-athlete took on the challenge just like it was football or basketball. “He did really dig in. He was like ‘I’m not breaking this.’ I’m proud of him, because there were a few times where it was harder,” Klefsaas said.

“I knew for sure he was going to make it,” she added.

Klefsaas came up with the idea after hearing about another mother who issued a “16 for 16” challenge to her daughter. She beefed up the deal by two years to hopefully carry her son into adulthood.

And it did.

Recently, when Sivert turned 18, he collected $1,800 from his family for being able to abstain from social media for six years. He celebrated the occasion by opening up an Instagram account, but he has a lot of catching up to do.

“It’s hilarious. I feel like I’m like 80. I can’t seem to figure out social media. It’s pretty embarrassing. I’ll be with my friends, and they are like, ‘what are you doing?'” Sivert laughed.

Sivert is happy he took on the challenge and won because it allowed him to spend more time focusing on his academics and sports. “On the whole, I would say totally worth it. I mean, I would do it again,” Sivert says. He’s currently sifting through offers from colleges to play football next year.

Looking to help your kids develop healthy social media habits? Anne Marie Albano, Ph.D., director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, said that it’s best to set time aside every day where the phones are always off.

“Mealtimes are a great time to put the phones away. Another healthy habit is to set a time each night when you’ll put all the screens away to give yourself enough time to wind down and prepare the body for sleep,” she told Columbia University.

She also says that you can improve a child’s social media habits by implementing the “grandma’s rule” we all abided by as kids. You’ve got to eat your veggies before you have dessert. First, kids have to exercise and do their homework before they earn their social media time.

When A Black Lady Sketch Show alum Quinta Brunson created Abbott Elementary, she told Vanity Fair she wanted to buck the trend of “dark” sitcoms. Instead, she wanted to make a “firmly family-friendly show, designed to tap into every audience quadrant.” And so she has: The mockumentary show, about a second grade teacher played by Brunson herself, isn’t just a hit. It’s a hit that’s pulling in Modern Family numbers.

As per Deadline, the show’s first episode of 2022 and its first since its pilot, which aired a month prior, pulled in a total of 9 million viewers after 35 days across linear and digital platforms. The rating among the 18-49 demographic is 2.93, making it the strongest ABC show since Modern Family ended in 2020.

That’s not all:

Overall, after 35 days of multi-platform viewing, Abbott Elementary‘s second episode grew by +5.6 million total viewers over its and soared by +358% among adults 18-49 over its initial rating (2.93 rating vs. 0.64 rating).

Abbott Elementary debuted in early December of last year, but its next batch of episodes were held until the new year. Brunson’s show, which she also sometimes writes, has been said to have a Parks and Recreation vibe — not just the mock-doc format, but a general air of good vibes as nice characters struggle, not always successfully, to make others’ lives better. While Brunson has said she has nothing wrong with shows that remind people that life can get quite unpleasant, her show’s ratings prove that sometimes people need a break.

(Via Deadline)

In today’s Pete Davidson news, we are saddened to report that his Instagram has, once again, gone dark. The circumstances surrounding the deactivation are a little murky, so here is a very important timeline of events.

Davidson was pretty active on Instagram pre-2018, when he would post various SNL clips and pictures of sunsets, you know, normal Instagram stuff. Then, when he became “official” with Ariana Grande, Davidson soon became an internet celebrity, which he famously did not like. He deleted the app after their very public breakup.

Fast forward to February 2022, when Davidson reactivated his account, shocking the internet once again. Instead of posting anything, he instead linked a YouTube video in his bio, to a 10-second clip of Rupert Pupkin’s stand-up. In the clip, Pupkin says, “Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.”

This isn’t the first time Davidson has referred to himself as a king. But, the seemingly harmless clip was interpreted as a dig at Kanye West, who has been publically mocking Davidson for the past few months. West also followed the comedian last week on the app, but Davidson didn’t follow back, only following two users: his girlfriend Kim Kardashian and Sebastian Stan, for some reason.

The comedian then began posting a clip to his story, seemingly of his latest horror movie The Home with director James DiMonaco, director of The Purge.

Then, mere hours later, the clip was gone, as was Davidson’s whole account, like a comet burning bright for a night, then deactivating itself. Fan update accounts everywhere were left distraught. Comedy is dead, once again.

While this doesn’t confirm much (maybe the director simply didn’t want behind-the-scenes footage online) the timing is interesting, as Kanye has been doubling down on his Instagram posts over the last few days.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians ended on E! (after a whopping 20 seasons) in June 2021, and people didn’t have a chance to miss them for too long because Kim and fam are (like Ben Affleck’s upcoming erotic thriller) coming to Hulu. Their new show, which is simply titled The Kardashians will (of course) follow the six principal ladies of the family through their personal and professional crusades and beyond. Will it be pretty much like the E! series, simply with a shinier Hulu set of backdrops? Perhaps. The Kardashians are coming, though, so prepare to hear Kanye West start beefing with Hulu for any given reason at all.

Actually, one of the bigger questions about this show (going in, at least, and speaking of beefs) is whether we’ll be seeing Pete Davidson on the series or if Kim will keep that relationship under wraps. She’s already taped two weddings for TV, so watch out, Pete. You may just get married on The Kardashians! I kid, mostly. But really, the family empire is returning for more glamour and maybe a few more babies along the way.

Premiere day is officially April 14. The show will officially feature matriarch Kris, along with Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie, all allowing people to view “a rivetingly honest story of love & life in the spotlight.” There’s gotta be some hefty editing and selective admissions onboard, of course, but we do know that this is par for the course on reality TV.

Will the The Kardashians carry forward with another 20 seasons on Hulu? God only knows. Once Pam & Tommy ends, we shall undoubtedly need more scandal in the streaming world. Watch the Hulu teaser below.

Kemba Walker’s time with the New York Knicks appears to have come to an end. After the team decided to hold onto him at the trade deadline, a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN indicated that New York will keep him on the sidelines for the remainder of the season with an eye on figuring out what to do with him this coming offseason.

According to Wojnarowski’s report, the idea is to let Walker focus on getting to 100 percent ahead of next offseason, when he’ll be on an expiring contract. Eventually, the Knicks confirmed the report via a statement in which they indicated that this decision was made by Walker.

“We fully support Kemba’s decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and to use this time to prepare for next season,” the Knicks said. “His long-term success on the court remains our priority.”

A New York native, Walker was viewed as backcourt reinforcements for a Knicks team that looked to build on a successful 2020-21 campaign. Instead, Walker’s tenure in New York has been marred by inconsistency, as he’s experienced some on-court highs but has seen head coach Tom Thibodeau drop him from the rotation on several occasions.

Walker is averaging 11.6 points and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes per game this season.

Call of Duty has, for 17 years, been one of the most anticipated parts of the video game calendar. Since Call of Duty 2 released in 2005, a new game in the franchise has dropped every year. Even when the series saw its lowest lows and highest highs, it never missed a year without some kind of new title. To put that into perspective, Call of Duty has been released annually through three console generations, four United States presidents, and the rise of an entirely different internet.

If a report from Bloomberg is correct, though, this streak of games is going to come to an end in 2023. Jason Schreier is reporting that the Call of Duty game originally scheduled for 2023 has been delayed due to the poor performance and response to a recent title. The belief is that games are being released too quickly and it’s impacting the quality of the series.

Activision Blizzard Inc. will delay a Call of Duty game that had been planned for next year, the first time the franchise will be without an annual mainline release in nearly two decades, according to people familiar with the plan.

The company is pushing off the release after a recent entry in the series failed to meet expectations, leading some executives to believe that they’re introducing new versions too rapidly, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to discuss the deliberations. The decision was not related to Activision’s agreement to sell itself to Microsoft Corp. for $69 billion, the people said.

It is true that the two most recent Call of Duty games were not received favorably, but it’s still very surprising to see Activision consider this path considering how important Call of Duty has always been to its calendar. We know from previous reports that one of the upcoming Call of Duty games is expected to be a sequel of some kind to Warzone and that the 2022 release will be a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, so it seems like they already have the next few games planned out, and its possible that seeing the scope of these games has made it clear that a delay is already necessary.