Month: October 2024

It’s grad season again, and this year’s crop of commencement addresses promises to ring even more hollow than usual now that graduating seniors are leaving school to step into the End Times. I mean, really: what fucking good is gonna come from you hearing about working hard and/or growing from your mistakes when the newly elected most powerful man in world got into his lofty position by doing precisely none of those things? I may as well tell you to start robbing banks. The hell if I know what’s gonna work out for you and what won’t. In fact, USA Today just reported that many college speakers are actively avoiding any mention of President Trump, or the fact that his existence means The Black Gates Of Hell have opened and will soon swallow us whole. “Anybody whose commencement…

The Cannes Film Festival kicks off today, setting in motion 10 days of premieres of some of the most heavily anticipated movies of the year. Inside Llewyn Davis and Blue Is the Warmest Color got their start there last year—not to mention Best Foreign Language Oscar winner The Great Beauty—and certainly some possible award-season contenders are among the 2014 lineup. With so many titles to choose from, it wasn't easy to pick just 10. But life is about making difficult choices, people. Clouds of Sils Maria Although Cannes celebrates world cinema, Hollywood is never too far from its mind. Big American films have premiered there—The Great Gatsby last year, How to Train Your Dragon 2 this year—and a few of the more recent festival selections have concerned themsel…

College football returns to us (and ESPN) tonight and that means America's Sideline Princess is back on the job. But can we talk about her without talking about that thing that we're not supposed to be talking about? Ever since "the unpleasantness" of this summer, everyone has been wondering what will happen when Erin Andrews goes back to work. How will fans react? Her co-workers? The drooling bloggers? Is everything going to be different from now on, like when you graduated from that sappy high school TV drama? My guess is that she probably won't be posing for a lot of waist-cinching candids with any bozo who comes out of the stands. N.C. State says they're always on alert for drunken idiots and ESPN is bringing their own security, so don't expect an…

After their humiliating beatdown on Sunday, you might be tempted to look back on Sunday as the day the New England Patriots' dynasty died. You are definitely not alone. Even though they haven't won a Super Bowl in five years, plenty of people have lined up in the last 24 hours to write the eulogy for the Belichick/Brady Era. It usually starts by mentioning the banners at Gillette Stadium, then leads to a discussion of the fear they once (and no longer) inspired in opponents, followed by a digression about the arrogance of Boston sports fans, before pointing out that the Pats have six first- and second-round draft picks in the next two seasons. It's a formula, but it works. Here's a sampling of what folks had to say about The Defeat: Disaster always had stayed foreig…

data-mm-id=”_i4gvdyorl”>As The Big Lead reported yesterday, Stephen A. Smith is nearing a long-term deal to stay with ESPN. Part of the new deal, as mentioned on Twitter and reported by the New York Post, means Smith will no longer host his daily national radio show from 1-3 p.m. ET. While ESPN has not yet decided on who will replace him, here is a look at some of the possible names.Max KellermanMedia sources around the industry have pointed to Max Kellerman as the most logical fit and as someone who will receive strong consideration for the job. Smith's current First Take co-host checks off the two key elements of the gig: Los Angeles and New York. Kellerman has previously had success in the two big markets that both carry the time slot. Kellerman has lived in both cities and wou…

data-mm-id=”_2y9q2h5nf”>The Cowboys were hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amuck, and flat out deceived by the Eagles yesterday in a 17-9 loss. There is an unwritten rule that, after a Cowboys' loss of this magnitude, both Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith must display their clutch genes and will-to-win in the ongoing, legacy-changing post-Cowboys loss debate show war. We will get to who won, but first, we recap. And this thing began before the duo even woke up this morning.Smith won the pregame portion with this funny, yet strange, and kind of embarrassing dance video:Aaaahhhhhhh!!!!!! Right on time. 3-Days before Christmas. Right when @dallascowboys FANS are about to open their gifts. Haaaaaa!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/pWj1Fv5O31— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December …

data-mm-id=”_sea25qlvg”>Tom Brady is fond of the No. 12 after wearing it for two decades and incorporating it into his brand. He wants it. He needs it. Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin currently has it, which means he's in an incredibly advantageous position and perfectly suited to play hardball. As of now, it doesn't appear he has any desire to put Brady over a barrel in negotiations. “Obviously, If he doesn’t want it, or if he’s not making a big deal out of it, I’m definitely going to keep it. We’ll see how that goes,” Godwin said in an interview with the Buccaneers’ website. “I think just out of respect for what he’s done, what he’s accomplished, just kind of the career he’s built for himself, you have to lean into that respect.”The…

data-mm-id=”_vngjdonvy”>As the NBA enters into talks with Disney to restart its season in Florida, the reigning topic of discussion will be what form basketball return in. Given the time constraints, restarting the season right where it left off isn't a realistic option. But launching right into the playoffs doesn't give teams on the postseason bubble a chance to eek their way into a low seed. There are a variety of methods to meet somewhere in the middle, but as with most things, it will be impossible to keep everybody happy. Damian Lillard told Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes on Tuesday that he has no intention of playing if the Portland Trail Blazers won't play meaningful games. While he did say he would show up to be with his team, there's no chance he's g…

data-mm-id=”_r9gh6j3ha”>Four Major Leaguers have announced they will not be participating in the upcoming season. If there is one, of course, because — Dr. Cox from Scrubs voice here — it's a BIG IF. Each of them has their reasons for choosing safety over the unknown. The number could grow as things change. And they will, because our future rests on some rapidly-shifting sands. The bedrock has eroded. Thoughtful baseball fans, who want nothing more than to see things play out smoothly, are going on record with their belief that there's simply no way a World Series happens this fall. More visceral fans can be understandably frustrated with multi-millionaires not playing a kids game for a tremendous amount of money. The situation right now, hot on the heels of an ugly and tre…