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The ‘SNL’ Cold Open Grappled With NBC’s Donald Trump ‘Thirst Trap’ Town Hall

Saturday Night Live‘s string of new episodes until the general election continued on Saturday night, and another televised presidential event gave the show an obvious entry with its cold open. This time, though, with dueling town halls on different networks, the sketch was an attempt to highlight what politically active Americans may have seen by flipping between the two events, which played out very differently on each network.

Jim Carrey was back as his energetic, aviator shades-wearing Joe Biden and Alec Baldwin was back as Trump. Maya Rudolph returned to crash Trump’s town hall as Kamala Harris, too. SNL‘s framing of the Biden town hall was that of a long-winded old man who struggled to know where people in the socially-distanced hall in Philadelphia were even asking questions from. It was a far goofier take than his policy-focused event actually was on Thursday, but the juxtaposition to Trump was an important part of the bit.

For the second week in a row, Carrey’s Biden transformed into a pop culture reference. First, he donned a sweater and pretended to be Mr. Rogers, a reference to a Trump surrogate’s tweet about the Biden event in its aftermath. The next time viewers saw him, however, he was Bob Ross, paintbrush and canvas on screen and suddenly talking about happy little trees. Trump, meanwhile, saw his back and forth with Savannah Guthrie literally turn into WrestleMania. At this rate seems clear that SNL will keep making debates and town halls its cold open until the president and vice president stop holding them. Which means we almost certainly know what the topic of next week’s cold open will be, too.

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NBA Players Loved Teofimo Lopez And Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Lightweight Championship Bout

A stacked sports slate on Saturday ended with boxing’s lightweight division crowned its new king. While Ukrainian ace Vasiliy Lomachenko entered his bout as the favorite to unify all of the titles in the division, Brooklyn’s own Teofimo Lopez was able to stun the boxing world, coming out like a house of fire and surviving a late onslaught from Lomachenko to become the sport’s undisputed lightweight champion by unanimous decision.

The fight itself was terrific — once Lomachenko, who started rather slowly, began throwing everything at Lopez, the bout lived up to its billing as one for an undisputed title. Not every fight features two guys trying to be on the front foot, but fortunately for those who turned in, Lomachenko and Lopez had zero interest in making this one boring.

Among those who tuned in were a bevy of NBA players, all of whom were enamored by the performances put on by the pair.

Even before the decision came in, those who checked out the bout seemed to think that things went in Lopez’s direction.

There was, however, an exception: Bradley Beal seemed to think this would be called a draw.

Beal did have a bit of a gripe after it ended, as he thought one judge’s card which went 119-109 for Lopez was a touch too generous.

Another hooper, Kristaps Porzingis, was a bit harder to read, although he seems to think the judges might have gotten this one wrong altogether.

If Porzingis did indeed think Lomachenko won this one, well, he’s a bit of an outlier. Lopez was magnificent, and with the win, he boosted his career record to 16-0. Oh, and now he gets to say he’s the best of the best in his division, which featured a guy who had a claim for being the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

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Michael B. Jordan Will Help DC Create A ‘New Universe’ Of Black Superheroes, Starting With ‘Static Shock’

Michael B. Jordan has already made his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he’s officially turning his attention to DC Comics. The actor and one of the stars of Black Panther is taking some time away from thirst trapping as voter outreach to get involved behind the camera in the DC Universe.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jordan will serve as a producer on Static Shock, a film DC announced at DC FanDome earlier in the summer.

“I’m proud to be a part of building a new universe centered around black superheroes; our community deserves that,” said Jordan in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Outlier Society is committed to bringing to life diverse comic book content across all platforms and we are excited to partner with Reggie and Warner Bros on this initial step.”

Outlier will be in the creative center of the Static feature and for Jordan, a comic book fan, this is an opportunity for not only for some world-building but to be directly involved in franchise-building. Should the first movie spark a hit, a multi-platform franchise could be born.

Jordan certainly understands the significance of Static, a character introduced in 1993 by Milestone Comics, a company founded by Black writers and artists attempting to make comics more inclusive for people of color that was distributed by DC. And his presence on the project certainly adds some considerable attention to the project, as his turn as Killmonger in Black Panther was one of the most compelling performances in what was an historic and award-winning superhero film.

[via THR]

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This Crazy Mississippi State Pick Six Looks Like A Horrific ‘Madden’ Glitch

It can be a bit cliched to compare things that happen in sports to what you might see in a video game. While I fully concede this, if you have played enough Madden in your life, something similar to what happened in Saturday’s game between Mississippi State and 11th ranked Texas A&M has probably happened to you. And depending on what side of the moment you are on, it either makes your week or makes you want to quit playing video games altogether.

Aggies signal caller Kellen Mond dropped back on a third-and-6 and thought he had a receiver across the middle of the field. It’s hard to tell if a Bulldog defensive player got their hand in there or if the intended receiver, Ainias Smith, had it bounce off of his body, but regardless, the ball lazily popped up into the air and landed in the hands of Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes.

After making Mond miss, Forbes took off in the other direction. No one touched him, and 60 yards later, the Bulldogs got on the board for the first time in the game.

Forbes deserves a ton of credit for keeping his head on a swivel and being in the right place at the right time. Still, this is quite the strange sequence of events, and if this happened to me in a game of Madden, I would almost certainly snap my controller in half.

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Jarvis Landry Has Custom Mac Miller Cleats For The Browns’ Trip To Pittsburgh

A pair of 4-1 squads in the NFC North will butt heads on Sunday afternoon. The Cleveland Browns will make their way down to the Steel City to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the loser falling behind the winner (and, should they take care of business the week, the Baltimore Ravens) in the race to try and win the most competitive division in the league.

Because the game will take place in Pittsburgh, one Browns player will put aside city rivalries to pay homage to one of the most beloved people ever produced by the city. According to an Instagram post by sneaker king Mache, Jarvis Landry will wear a pair of custom cleats that pay tribute to Mac Miller. Three images of Mac — one on each of the outsoles and one one the left insole — are on the kicks.

While Landry didn’t post the cleats to his own IG, he did post a video that shows off what he’ll be wearing, along with some clips of Mac and his game.

Landry was among a number of athletes who expressed their sadness back on Sept. 7, 2018, when Mac passed away from an accidental overdose. Sunday’s game is slated to kick off at 1 p.m. EST.

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Lil Wayne Named His Five Favorite Rappers And One Artist Was ‘Humbled’ They Made The Cut

Aside from his Funeral album and a few music videos and guest features, Lil Wayne’s 2020 has predominantly been spent on his Young Money radio show where he’s invited artists like Eminem, YBN Cordae, 50 Cent and Lil Baby to sit down and chat with him.

Jumping back into the interviewee chair for the first time in a while, Lil Wayne stopped by DJ Khaled’s new podcast The First One to speak with the famed Miami producer. Among the topics they discussed over the 45-minute interview, Lil Wayne revealed his top five favorite rappers.

He began his list with two expected names, Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G., before going on to mention Noreaga, aka N.O.R.E., as the third member in his list.

“I was the hugest N.O.R.E. fan,” Wayne said. “He had this thing about him where he could be from anywhere and you f*cked with him.” Next on his list, Wayne named another New York-based rapper, this time Cam’ron, as another one of his top five favorite rappers. “I was the biggest Cam fan,” he said after mentioning Cam’ron. Lastly, Wayne concluded his list with Missy Elliott and made sure to deliver her flowers in the process.

“That was my favorite because that would be why I was making so many sounds,” said Wayne while referencing her early work. “But you know Missy was into the whole ‘brrrt,’ you know what I meant? She about to make the ‘hehehehe ha.’” Wayne later revealed that his longtime producer Mannie Fresh was the one who encouraged him to include to add the “ha ha” ad libs. “I was like, ‘Man, he want me to do a sound for every damn line!’ And so the ‘Block Burner’ song was my best favorite song because my favorite artist was Missy Elliott.”

Missy caught wind of Wayne’s comments and shared her response to them on Twitter. “You never know who you may inspire in life or in what way,” she said in a tweet. “This is a list of those who must of impacted Lil Wayne in some way for different reasons Creating his own Masterpieces & becoming LEGENDARY,” adding, “I’m so HUMBLED.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Trevor Lawrence Went For Five Touchdowns And Nearly 400 Yards In A Half Against Georgia Tech

It is unclear exactly what requiring Trevor Lawrence to remain in college when he’s been ready for the NFL for a few years accomplishes, but unfortunately for the Georgia Tech defense, Lawrence is still at the helm of the No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers. On Saturday afternoon, Clemson played host to the Yellow Jackets, and by halftime, Lawrence made sure the result of the game was not in doubt.

Lawrence only played the first half and one possession of the second, but managed to put up an entire game’s worth of damage. He threw for 404 yards in the time he spent on the field, with 394 of them coming in the first and second quarters. There were also five touchdowns and a pick sprinkled across this, giving Clemson a 52-7 lead by the time the two squads entered the locker room.

After the first Clemson drive ended with a fumble, the team got the ball back on Tech’s side of the 50. Five plays later, Lawrence found Cornell Powell to get the scoring underway. The Bees tied things up on their next drive, only for Lawrence to connect with Amani Rodgers for an 83-yard score on their first play after getting the ball back.

Clemson’s next two drives ended with a field goal and his one pick, and apparently, Lawrence got bored by the whole “no touchdowns” thing. As such, he connected with Davis Allen for score No. 3; led a nine-play, 80 yard drive for a rushing score; and then found Frank Ladson Jr. for his fourth.

The Tigers didn’t need him to throw for a score the next time they got the ball — Travis Etienne took care of business on the ground — but on their next possession, Lawrence Lou Bega’d it by finding Rodgers again for score No. 5.

Again, Lawrence could probably play in the NFL right now if the opportunity was presented to him and would look pretty good doing it. Instead, he’s taking care of business in the ACC, much to the chagrin of the conference’s defenses. Clemson would go on to win, 73-7.

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Three 6 Mafia Will Host The First Indoor Arena Concert Since The Start Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to all big-scale concerts and festivals throughout the country, from Coachella to Lollapalooza to the Governor’s Ball. However, it seems big-scale music events will be making a return thanks to the legendary rap group, Three 6 Mafia.

The group announced on Instagram that it would be hosting the first indoor area concert in the country since the start of the pandemic, with a concert set for December 11 at Kentucky’s Rupp Arena. The show, which is billed as “the new normal,” includes strict social distancing rules and requires attendees to wear a mask for the show. Three 6 Mafia said the concert was approved by the state’s governor, Andy Beshear, and that it will feature appearances from Sean Da Don and Project Pat, who is Juicy J’s older brother and has long been affiliated with the group.

The announcement comes after the United Kingdom hosted their first socially-distant outdoor concert at Newcastle Racecourse in August, with a live performance by singer Sam Fender. The concert will also occur two weeks after Juicy J releases his upcoming solo album, The Hustle Continues, which is currently slated for a November 27 release.

You can purchase tickets to the concert here.

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Reason Reveals TDE Went Through ‘A Weird Time’ And Why Kendrick Lamar Has Not Dropped Music Yet

Friday marked one week since TDE rapper Reason shared his latest album New Beginnings album, and while it was a big deal for the the Del Amo rapper, it was also one for the label Top Dawg Entertainment. After all, it serves as their first full-length release of the year. At the start of the year, TDE named 2020 as an exciting year for the group, but the coronavirus pandemic and other unknown factors threw a wrench in their plans, resulting in what has been a fairly quiet year. In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Reason said that it was important for him to include multiple members from TDE on his album to prove his belief in the label.

“I almost feel like I hold that place right now as the glue, and I’m always going to give that honesty. I’m not saying it like I’m crowning myself, but n****s wouldn’t had no music from TDE this year if it wasn’t for me,” Reason said in the interview. “New Beginnings is the first TDE drop, and I gave n****s the Q verse, I gave n****s two Soul verses, I tried to get diverse and gave you an Isaiah verse with JID[…] I did that because even though the label’s going through a weird time, that we’re coming out of now, I still believe in this sh*t, and I’m still holding that flag.”

Reason gave a small glimpse into the “weird time” at TDE, including an explanation for why Kendrick Lamar has not released new music yet, while remaining confident in the label’s potential. “Everybody knows we’re the best team in the league,” he said. “Everybody knows that, but with the mix of COVID, Dave Free leaving, Dot not dropping because of family things, and just all of that put us back a little bit.”

You can revisit our interview with Reason about New Beginnings here.

(via HipHopDX)

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Report: Carmelo Anthony Is ‘Likely To Want’ A Knicks Return If They Acquire Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony’s departure from the New York Knicks wasn’t exactly done under the best of circumstances. Anthony and then-Knicks boss Phil Jackson butted heads, and Jackson seemed quite eager to get his then-star out of town. Eventually, a deal was reached, and Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a second-round draft pick.

A whole lot has happened in the years since — Anthony moved around a bunch, Jackson lost his job, and the Knicks have gone through a few overhauls, the most recent of which saw longtime agent Leon Rose become the team’s president. With Rose at the helm, the Knicks have been linked to a number of big names, including a handful of Rose’s former clients.

One such name is Chris Paul, and according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the possibility exists that the Knicks would receive a whole lot of interest, should that happen, from Anthony, one of his pals and another ex-Rose player.

However, if point guard Chris Paul makes his way to the Knicks via a trade, sources have said Anthony is likely to want to follow. Anthony and Paul are close friends who dreamed of playing together in the NBA and saw their alliance in Houston end prematurely.

Apparently, the Knicks would be “amenable to an Anthony return even without Paul,” per Berman. How a Paul trade would work is unclear, if only because Oklahoma City’s priorities are unknown and they don’t exactly need gobs of draft capital after the Paul George and Russell Westbrook trades. Still, if the Thunder want to embrace a full-blown youth movement, they can certainly get a whole lot for Paul.

As for Anthony, he is an unrestricted free agent, and while he’s no longer the sure-fire All-Star he was during his heyday, he had his moments alongside Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. At the very least, whenever fans are allowed back in arenas during the 2020-21 season, we’re sure the Madison Square Garden would love to watch Melo suit up for the Knicks again.