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Steve Sarkisian put together a masterpiece for his final game as the offensive coordinator at Alabama, as the Tide carved up Ohio State en route to a 52-24 win in the national championship game.

It was the culmination of one of the greatest offensive seasons in college football history, and on the back of that effort, Sarkisian was able to land the head coaching job at Texas, where he jetted off to almost immediately after hoisting the championship trophy. As such, Nick Saban found himself in need of yet another offensive coordinator, as his program has become something of a rehabilitation center for failed head coaches at various levels.

A few years with Saban can get you right back into the conversation for the top jobs in the country, as we learned with Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin. Naturally, this meant the coordinator position in Tuscaloosa wasn’t open long before a big name found his way there, as Bill O’Brien, the former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach, is finalizing a deal with the Tide to be their new OC, according to Chris Low of ESPN.

O’Brien has been spotted at the Alabama football complex in recent weeks, and so this doesn’t come as a major shock to anyone but simply puts a bow on a very brief opening for the most coveted coordinator job on the planet. He will have his hands full in trying to replicate what Sarkisian was able to do, mostly because the Tide will see massive turnover on that side of the football. Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Najee Harris, Landon Dickerson, and Alex Leatherwood, all award winners and likely first or second day draft picks, will be departing Tuscaloosa for the NFL.

That’s not to say there isn’t ample talent in the reserves at Alabama, where 5-stars replace 5-stars, but it does mean less experience, particularly on the offensive line and at quarterback, for a new coordinator to come in and deal with. That said, the quickness with which O’Brien filled Sarkisian’s shoes — and getting a chance to be in the facility and gain some familiarity with what they were doing this year over the last week or two — likely means the train will keep rolling along and he can get his stuff installed quickly this spring.

Cardi B has made her displeasure with Donald Trump quite clear over the past four years, so it comes as no surprise that she had a strong reaction to his second impeachment. The rapper posted a video to Twitter that came from her 2019 Vogue interview, in which she was asked to pick her least favorite president. With a smile on her face, she replied, “The one that’s going to get impeached. The third one that’s going to get impeached.” Cardi posted the video and captioned it, “I been told yaaa.”

Cardi’s tweet came just a week after she questioned the government’s poor response to the Capitol Hill riots from MAGA supporters. She hopped on Twitter to ask, “Where the National guards ?” after seeing footage of riots. She also pointed out the difference between the police reaction to the MAGA rioters and that of this past summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. “The irony is pretty funny………weren’t people just wild animals in the summer for demanding justice and now?” she asked. “Let me just watch.”

Cardi has never suffered Republicans gladly. They raised a stink over her and Megan Thee Stallion’s hit “WAP,” and when was named Billboard’s “Woman of the Year,” she clapped back. “For you crybabies that’s like ‘what? she only got one song’ – yeah I got that song, b*tch,” she told them. “You know? The one that sold the most, the one that streamed the most. The one that had Republicans on Fox News crying about it. The one that’s about to be six times platinum in three months.”

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The goal of Project Lincoln, the band of turncoat Republicans, was always clear: to make sure Donald Trump is not elected to a second term. And he wasn’t! But it’s clear his stink is going to stick around for a good long time, in the form of his stubborn and violent base. Nor have we seen the last of his ride-or-die minions, who are peppered throughout Congress, still singing the praises of a losing and disgraced leader. So Project Lincoln isn’t going anywhere any time soon. What’s more, they had some choice words for those Trump lackeys.

The day Trump was impeached for the second time in less than a year, one of their top dogs, longtime Republican political consultant Rick Wilson, appeared on MSNBC, where he was asked to weigh in on the smattering of pro-Trump sycophants who not only opposed his impeachment but tried to defend his honor, while attacking Democrats.

Wilson had zero patience for them. “This whiny b*tch victimhood from Matt Gaetz and Ken Buck and Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor ‘Cuckoo QAnon’ Greene and all these other people — it’s the most pathetic example of special pleading I’ve ever seen,” Wilson said. And he wasn’t done:

“They act as if they’ve been oppressed somehow, that the world is against them somehow. Well, guess what? Twitter and Facebook aren’t banning you because you’re a conservative. They’re banning you because you suck. They’re banning you because you say evil s*it. They’re banning you because you support a revolution against the government of this country and a free and fair election. This is the most remarkable thing about this to me is all these tough guys, swagger monkeys, who act like they’re the big alpha males — they’re whining and b*tching and moaning about Kathy Griffin holding up a mannequin head? Or Nancy Pelosi tearing up a piece of paper? C’mon, guys, toughen up!”

Over the last weekend, in the wake of permanently banning Donald Trump, Twitter went on a spree, deleting tens of thousands of conspiracy theory accounts. Soon thereafter, Republican lawmakers, among them Matt Gaetz, complaining about their massive drop in followers, effectively telling on themselves. They’ve tried to paint it as social media coming after conservative voices, so it’s good to hear Wilson call it like it really is.

Wilson also came for Trump himself, calling him “the leader of a terrorist faction of a terrorist group that terrorized the Congress,” and saying that the Republican lawmakers refusing to impeach him are simply “terrified of the mob” he’s created. “A lot of the rest of them are living in stark terror that Donald Trump’s mob will come and kill them.”

So it sounds like we’ll be hearing from Rick Wilson for at least a bit longer, but it should be fun hearing him lay into Beavis and Butt-Head some more.

After rising rap star Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was tragically killed last year at the impossibly young age of 20, his family have been doing their best to remember and honor their loved one. Yes, he might have had fans and fame when he died, but it’s always the family whose grief runs the deepest. Part of being able to move on from a tragedy like this is remembering how the person who was lost acted when they were here, and Pop Smoke’s brother, Obasi Jackson, has been doing just that.

With an impression of his brother’s rapping that’s so pitch-perfect it’s almost unbelievable, Obasi posted the impression to Instagram, while remembering just how much his accurate rendition freaked his brother out. “I really do a good impression of Bashar,” he tells a woman after rapping along to the hit song “Dior.” Continuing: “I can sound like him when he does his songs, when he’s rapping. I mean, I don’t do it perfect, but I can do it. When he was alive, when he was here, I did it for him one time and he turned around and [gives surprised look] — I sound just like him.”

Just listening to Obasi singing/rapping, it sounds so much like Pop Smoke most people would definitely think it was him. The impression is so good it’s almost scary. But it’s nice to see Obasi celebrating his brother and remembering him, while sharing that moment with fans who are still mourning, too. Rest in peace to a young legend.

The National Women’s Soccer League held its ninth annual draft on Wednesday night, with a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the NWSL became the first domestic sports league to successfully resume play during the pandemic, with the first-ever Challenge Cup that took place over the summer in Utah followed by a shortened season.

Over 34,000 people tuned in from around the world to watch the Twitch stream and welcome the next generation of American soccer stars, which featured two UNC Tar Heels and a name NBA fans will recognize.

Here a breakdown of every first round draft pick:

1. Emily Fox (UNC) – Racing Louisville FC

With the first overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, Racing Louisville FC selected defender Emily Fox out of the University of North Carolina. The expansion team is gearing up for its first-ever NWSL season, and in Fox, Louisville are getting a speedy and versatile defender who will bring width and an immediate impact to the team.

At UNC, Fox reached the College Cup final in 2018 and 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic forced the competition to suspend action in 2020. The 21-year-old already has three caps for the U.S. women’s national team after making her debut in 2018. Donned in a USWNT jersey, Fox spoke with media following her selection to Louisville.

“I’m really humbled and so excited to be a part of the club and the NWSL now,” Fox said of her selection.

2. Trinity Rodman (Washington State) – Washington Spirit

Perhaps the most talked about player in recent days, Trinity Rodman was selected second overall by the Washington Spirit on Wednesday night. Rodman, who decided to forgo college completely, is just 18 years old and the second teenager to be drafted into the NWSL following last year’s Sophia Smith, who joined the Portland Thorns as the first overall pick in the 2020 Draft.

The talented forward has a natural eye for goal and has stood out for the U.S. U-20 side, leading the team to win the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 women’s championship with eight goals and six assists, including scoring twice in the championship final that led the U.S. past Mexico. Rodman is also the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.

“Obviously [my dad] was an amazing athlete and I got those genes from him but I’m just excited to be known as Trinity Rodman, not Dennis Rodman’s daughter,” Rodman said in her press conference following the pick.

Washington could be poised for a strong year with several recent draft picks, but also USWNT veterans Emily Sonnett and Kelley O’Hara, who were brought in during an eventful offseason.

3. Brianna Pinto (UNC) – Sky Blue FC

Sky Blue FC took UNC’s Brianna Pinto with the third overall pick, who has been called one of the most complete midfielders available in the draft this year. After losing standout midfielder Jennifer Cudjoe in the offseason and with Carli Lloyd and McCall Zerboni coming off injuries in 2020, Sky Blue have been left with one of the smallest rosters in the league.

Pinto was voted 2019 U.S. youth soccer player of the year after she started all 27 games she played for Carolina, scoring 11 goals and recording six assists. With a wide range of experience playing for the national team at the U-17 and U-20 levels along with her renowned versatility should make her somewhat of an instant addition to the team.

4. Kiki Pickett (Stanford) – Kansas City

In the first trade of the night, Sky Blue FC traded their fourth overall pick to Kansas City in exchange for $175,000. With the pick, Kansas selected Kiki Pickett, who leaves behind a successful collegiate career at Stanford.

A proven winner, Pickett is a two-time NCAA champion and is a three time Pac-12 champion. She earned All-Pac-12 first team honors in 2019 when she scored two goals and recorded nine assists in 25 starts, most notably scoring the game-winning penalty kick in the 2019 College Cup.

Pickett plans to play for Stanford in the upcoming scheduled spring season before reporting to her new team.

5. Emina Ekic (University of Louisville) – Racing Louisville FC

This could be the beginnings of a hometown hero story for Emina Ekic. Going fifth overall, Ekic became the first player out of Louisville to be drafted into the NWSL and of course, she was selected by none other than Racing Louisville FC. Ekic proved herself as a crucial force for the Cardinals and is an incredibly versatile forward who can play on the wing or through the middle.

Her passing skills and creativity along with her pace will likely make her a strong addition to Louisville.

“It’s my hometown. It’s special,” Ekic said of getting drafted by her hometown team. “Why not continue to write the story here?”

6. Yazmeen Ryan (Texas Christian University) – Portland Thorns

Following a trade that saw the Chicago Red Stars relinquish the sixth overall pick to the Portland Thorns in exchange for the seventh and 32nd picks in the 2021 Draft and an international slot in 2021, Portland selected midfielder Yazmeen Ryan from Texas Christian University.

The highest-ever draft pick out of TCU, Ryan is an experienced college player who will bring quality depth to a strong Portland team that could lose several players to international duty during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

7. Madison Haley (Stanford) – Chicago Red Stars

The Chicago Red Stars selected Stanford’s Madison Haley with the seventh overall pick, immediately bolstering their attack and goal scoring talent. Best known for her smart and crafty runs as a target forward, Haley will be a big offensive boost for Chicago.

A two-time NCAA champion, Haley is an exciting player who has played with quality teammates throughout her collegiate career and will surely benefit from Red Stars’ talented midfield littered with players like Mallory Pugh, Moe Brian, Sarah Woldmoe and more.

8. Tara McKeown (University of South Carolina) – Washington Spirit

Sky Blue racked up the allocation money Wednesday night, receiving $100,000 and a natural second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft from the Washington Spirit in exchange for the eighth overall pick. The Spirit selected Tara McKeown, a 2019 All-American and the Pac 12 Forward of the Year.

In McKeown, Washington is getting a very productive forward with aerial ability, composure and strong finishing skills.

9. Viviana Villacorta (University of California, Los Angeles) – Orlando Pride

With their first pick in the 2021 Draft, the Orlando Pride opted for UCLA’s Viviana Villacorta, a midfielder with strong link-up play and tidiness on the ball. The UCLA senior never missed a game in her three seasons with the team and played the role of the midfield conductor, which Orlando head coach Marc Skinner will definitely want.

The Pride has a lot of attacking talent, namely in Marta, Alex Morgan and Sydney LeRoux, and with the addition of Villacorta, they are on their way to building a more cohesive squad from bottom up. Villacorta brings U-19 and U-20 experience with the national team and adds much-needed depth to the Pride’s midfield.

10. Deanne Rose (University of Florida) – North Carolina Courage

One of the most successful teams in the NWSL, the North Carolina Courage won the league championship in 2018 and 2019. On Wednesday, the Courage selected Deanne Rose with the final pick of the first round, a versatile player who can play in defense or midfield.

And especially following the retirement of left back Jaelene Daniels, the Courage can have Rose can play on up and down on the left side of the pitch. As a Canadian native, Rose was also the first international pick of the 2021 Draft.

Just a couple of months after her celebrated album Positions, Ariana Grande started teasing a remix of one of the project’s most popular songs, “34+35.” She made the announcements in a video that featured the silhouettes of two unnamed guests. The video quickly made its rounds online and left fans wondering who the two could be. Names like Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Chloe x Halle, and Megan Thee Stallion were brought up. Now, after Megan posted a comment in Grande’s Instagram post, some are wondering if she’s one of those mystery silhouettes.

Once fans caught wind of Megan’s comment, the reactions came pouring in, with many assuming they were right. That said, As of this post, the features on the “34+35” remix are still unconfirmed, but it’s clear the excitement for the song is increasing by the second. In the meantime, Megan Thee Stallion will definitely be working with Doja Cat on her upcoming album.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers who’d had their lives put in danger by marauding Trump supporters found something that made them hopping mad: The Capitol had installed metal detectors, in reaction to the violent attempted coup that left five dead. They were livid. They complained on social media. They gave security a hard time. At least one even evaded them entirely. But now if they try and bypass the checkpoint, they won’t just be mocked online. They’ll be fined as well.

As per The Hill, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that any lawmaker who thinks they’re too cool to be scanned for weapons will have to pay $5,000. And that’s only for the first offense: If they do it again, the fine goes up to $10,000. That cash will be deducted from their salaries as congresspeople.

Among the Republican lawmakers — and they were all Republicans — who threw hissy fits over the metal detectors include new fish Lauren Boebert, Representative of Colorado, who is so pro-gun she’s tweeted out videos bragging about how she was going to take her weapon onto the floor of the House. When she tried to do that on Tuesday, she got into a stand-off with security. Boebert and others, among them the tooth-resistant Louie Gohmert, were roundly belittled on social media for complaining about the kind of security measures seen at even Disney World.

On top of establishing fines for politicians refusing to let officers check if they’re packing, House Democrats also recently mandated fines for those refusing to wear masks inside. That one packs $500 for the first fine then jumps all the way to $2,500 for each subsequent offense. So they’re probably not happy about that one either.

(Via The Hill)

Warner Bros.’ decision to drop their entire 2021 film slate on their flailing streamer HBO Max (on the same day they hit theaters, mind you) was met with a lot of disdain, as well as worry about what it meant for the future of actual moviegoing. But there were a few upsides: At least people wouldn’t have to risk their lives to see The Many Saints of Newark, the big Sopranos prequel movie, in a theater. And it was due in March! But not anymore: As per Variety, the highly anticipated organized crime pic has been bumped all the way to October.

Mind you, the film — which revolves around the fathers of Christopher Moltisanti and Tony Soprano and who will be played by Alessandro Nivola and Jon Bernthal — was originally supposed to come out in October of last year. Then an unstoppable pandemic, which is now worse than it’s ever been, after nearly a year, put the kibosh on that. It was then bumped to March 12, which at the time seemed like a good approximation of when a rational society would get this under control. But even that was too generous.

No reason was given for the six month bump, though the move does place it in the heart of awards season. In the meantime, all the people who finally signed up for HBO Max in the hopes of watching a bunch of blockbusters can spend the extra time re-bingeing The Sopranos‘ six excellent seasons — or tooling around the service’s epic coffers, which includes everything from WB and DC titles to classic movies to Studio Ghibli to Looney Tunes.

(Via Variety)

Katie Schieffer is a mom of a 9-year-old who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after spending some time in the ICU. Diabetes is a nuisance of a disease on its own, requiring blood sugar checks and injections of insulin several times a day. It can also be expensive to maintain—especially as the cost of insulin (which is actually quite inexpensive to make) has risen exponentially.

Schieffer shared an emotional video on TikTok after she’d gone to the pharmacy to pick up her son’s insulin and was smacked with a bill for $1000. “I couldn’t pay for it,” she says through tears in the video. “I now have to go in and tell my 9-year-old son I couldn’t pay for it.”

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Schieffer explained that she has been working for 17 years and that she and her husband both work full-time. She works third shift and goes to school during the day. “How are you guys making it?” she asked. “Am I the only one struggling?”

She’s not the only one struggling, of course. The unaffordability of healthcare in the U.S. is a national crisis. While the Affordable Care Act helped millions access health insurance, there are still millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured. And medical bills can still be hard to cover, even if you have insurance.

Speaking from experience, out-of-pocket expenses after insurance can still cost thousands of dollars. Even just doing diagnostic tests, scans, and procedures to figure out what an issue is—not even getting into treating whatever it is yet—can be too steep after insurance pays their portion for many families to afford. Americans have to constantly weigh whether the risk of missing a serious health issue outweighs the debilitating cost of a test to rule it out.

Schieffer’s video went viral and she received a beautiful outpouring of support and advice. Some commenters shared how she can get insulin in an affordable way, including going to the medicine manufacturer’s website and getting their cost assistance forms. She explained in a comment and a follow-up video that it was actually the blood sugar monitor that was $1100 and not covered under their insurance, and people suggested the same cost assistance route.

Others just chimed in with words of solidarity, agreeing that our system is broken. More than a few suggested she share her Venmo account name in her profile so people could help crowdfund financial assistance for her son’s medical care. If that alone isn’t a sign that the system is broken, nothing is.

Schieffer is getting it all worked out with the helpful advice and generosity of strangers, and she shared a video from her son about how he’s doing as he learns to manage his diabetes.

When stories like this go viral, it’s a mixed bag. While it’s inspiring to see people rally around a fellow human being with love and support, it’s also infuriating to realize how dystopian it can be here in the “land of the free.” The U.S. is supposed to be some kind of beacon of light to the world, but what kind of shithole country lets its citizens go bankrupt or die because they can’t afford to go to the doctor or pay for their medications? Part of why our health outcomes are so abysmal compared to other developed nations is because people don’t get the medical care they need because they can’t afford it. That’s just plain ridiculous.

If anyone wants to help this mama and kiddo out, here’s where you can send donations. (Just be aware that someone has set up fake accounts with an extra “r” at the end, so be sure you only see one “r” in Schieffer.)

Venmo: @Katherine-Schieffer

PayPal:@KatherineSchieffer

No one should have to crowdfund to pay for healthcare, but here we are. Hopefully with a new administration coming in, we’ll make more strides toward joining the rest of the developed world in ensuring that healthcare is truly affordable for all Americans.

For years Donald Trump has dominated social media, on top of being the most powerful person in the world. For the last five years he’s about all anyone has talked about, and his own tweets were furious, cruel, and frequent. That all changed in the last week. Starting with Twitter, almost all of the social media giants have either permanently banned him or severely limited his and his team’s abilities. There was one lone hold-out: Snapchat. But according to Axios, one week to the day after a whipped-up claque of his supporters attempted a failed coup, he’s gone from there, too.

Like other online services, the messaging app cited how dangerous he had become, especially in the wake of his failed bid for re-election. “In the interest of public safety, and based on his attempts to spread misinformation, hate speech, and incite violence, which are clear violations of our guidelines, we have made the decision to permanently terminate his account,” their statement read.

Of course, much like some of the other, not-quite-Trumpian social media titans that have recently cracked down on him — especially Pinterest — it made some wonder: Was he even on there?

According to Axios, though, the Trump team did in fact use Snapchat, to reach younger audiences. (Most Snapchat users are under 30.) To be fair, a cursory glance at any of his rallies suggests those attempts didn’t go gangbusters anyway, and even many of the MAGA rioters who stormed the Capitol last week were not that young. Turns out Charlie Kirk, the babyfaced Trumpist, will only make you so popular with the kids.

That said, it looks like Snapchat was doing more than most social media apps to punish him. Axios reports that Trump violated their policies against misinformation, hate speech, and inciting violence “dozens of times,” prompting them to outright remove said content from their coffers. So take that, Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg.

Now that Snapchat is out of Trump’s hands forever, some wondered if there are any social media services left to ban him.

(Via Axios)