Verrado shuts out Yuma Catholic, 35-0, for third win in a row BUCKEYE-- The Verrado Vipers switched gears Friday night, using a potent passing game en route to shutting out the Yuma Catholic Shamrocks, 35-0. The Vipers played a very different game than last week’s run-heavy offense against the Ironwood Eagles, as senior quarterback Malachi Wilt attacked the Shamrocks through the air, throwing for 305 yards and three touchdowns. The Vipers (3-1) have won three straight. Verrado coach Brett Davis said he adjusts his weekly scheme based on his opponent's playstyle. “That’s the thing about the offense,” Davis said. “It’s a run-and-shoot. We can do both. We just see how you play us and we’ll take what you give us.” Verrado set the tone of the game during the first two drives. The Vipers defense picked off Shamrocks junior quarterback Scout Reese on the opposing 32-yard line. On the next play, Wilt threw a 32-yard dart to senior wide receiver Wyatt Locke, putting the Vipers up 7-0 with 10:20 left in the first quarter. The Vipers and the Shamrocks traded defensive stops with the latter missing a field goal attempt from the 19-yard line with 2:47 left in the first quarter. Verrado answered this by going on a five-play, 81-yard drive, which was capped off by a 22-yard TD catch by senior running back Immanuel Perry, making the score 14-0 with 1:50 left in the first. The Vipers defense followed the scoring drive with a fumble recovery after a big hit on Shamrocks sophomore receiver Levi Stallworth. The offense capitalized on this as Wilt finished another scoring drive with an 18-yard pass to his senior wide receiver Airen Lively, the third Viper receiver to score a TD, putting the Vipers up 21-0 with 7:26 left in the half. “I have all the trust in all my receivers and all my linemen,” Wilt said. “They give me the opportunity, honestly, to give them the football and let them do their job.” The Vipers defense stopped another offensive drive from the Shamrocks, which allowed their offense to score the final points in the half as junior running back Jesse Abundes ran in a 1-yard TD with 1:54 left, making it 28-0. The Vipers and Shamrocks traded defensive stops for most of the third quarter until Yuma Catholic put together its best offensive drive of the game. Starting at their 38-yard line, the Shamrocks ran 10 plays that got them to first-and-goal on the 2-yard line. However, the Vipers stood firm and stopped three rushing attempts, leaving the Shamrocks at fourth-and-goal as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter did not bring any luck to the Shamrocks, as they were still unable to get into the end zone. The impressive defensive drive was followed up by an equally impressive 99-yard TD run from Abundes with 11:39 left in the game, making it 35-0. First-year Shamrocks coach Vernon Smith said he was proud of his team’s effort, as it is the school’s first year being in the 5A classification. “Man, they’re competitors,” Smith said. “They fight. They fight hard. That part is good...I feel like we get a little bit better every game, and I don’t think this game was any different, maybe the second half.” Verrado (3-1) will host South Mountain (0-4) next Friday at 7 p.m. Yuma Catholic (0-4) will play at Fairfax (1-3) next Friday at 7 p.m.
Verrado celebrates Homecoming with 55-0 rout vs. South Mountain BUCKEYE—Fireworks lit up the Friday night sky as the Verrado Vipers continued their hot streak, beating the South Mountain Jaguars, 55-0, behind Malachi Wilt’s six touchdown passes. Wilt put on a show for the Homecoming crowd, scoring on every drive he was in. The senior completed 19 of 22 passes for 349 yards. “We don’t have set plays for [our wide receivers],” Verrado coach Brett Davis said. “We just have a systematic process, how we do it, and find the open guy.” South Mountain started the game off in a great position, recovering their own kickoff after Verrado dropped the ball. The Vipers defense made up for the special teams mistake when senior defensive back Kody Quinn picked off Jaguars sophomore quarterback Bernard Butler. Wilt capitalized on the interception by marching down the field and completing a 7-yard TD pass to junior wide receiver Carter Bliss, putting the Vipers up 7-0 with 9:52 left in the first quarter. The Vipers defense only allowed the Jaguars to gain two yards on their next possession, which ended with a punt. After receiving the ball again, Verrado drove down the field with a 72-yard, seven-play drive that ended in a 9-yard TD connection between Wilt and junior wide receiver Eli Mock, making the score 14-0 with 5:43 left in the first. It was deja vu for the Vipers as the defense forced another three-and-out, and Wilt found his third receiver on the day, senior Travis Kamp, for a 45-yard touchdown bomb, pushing the score to 21-0 with 3:20 left in the first quarter. After failing to make any progress on the scoreboard, South Mountain coach Evan Gammage decided to switch out Butler for senior quarterback Noah Vargas. “We have a young group of quarterbacks on our team,” Gammage said. “So we’re honestly still looking to try to find our guy. Looking to get that consistent guy. “All of our quarterbacks are brand new to football in general, so we go with the guy who’s basically being most consistent for the night and giving us the best shot.” In Vargas’ first drive at quarterback, he ended up throwing an interception that senior defensive back Adrian Ochoa ran back for an 80-yard pick-six, which put Verrado on top 28-0 with 1:49 seconds still left in the first quarter. As the first quarter finished and the second quarter got started, the Jaguars put together their best drive of the day, marching down the field in 19 plays that ended in the red zone. However, the Vipers defense struck again, killing the drive at the 11-yard line. After being pushed back to the 6-yard line due to a holding penalty, Wilt drove the Vipers to the opposite end of the field, completing all six of his passes, ending in a 10-yard TD pass to Bliss, making the score 35-0 with 4:49 left in the half. The Wilt-Bliss connection was unstoppable. In the following offensive drive for the Vipers Bliss caught his third TD pass of the day. This 38-yard catch came on a pass that was meant for Kamp, but what was bobbled in the air, ballooning the score to 42-0 with 3:29 left in the half. “Tip drill,” Bliss said. “I caught it and I ran it in. I mean, I felt sad for [Kamp] because he didn’t score and I already had a couple of them, but it was nice. It was a good night.” The running clock started the second half as the Jaguars were unable to score again, punting the ball back to the Vipers. Verrado scored again as Wilt found Mock in the end zone for the second time, starting the fourth quarter with a TD that made the score 48-0 due to a missed extra point. Verrado sent in their reserves after holding the Jaguars to eight yards and four plays on the following possession. The Vipers found the end zone one final time with sophomore running back Trey Oliver running in a two-yard TD, ending the game at 55-0. Verrado (4-1) will play at Millennium (4-1) next Friday at 7 p.m. South Mountain (0-5) will play at Camelback (0-5) next Friday at 7 p.m.
Millennium rallies to defeat Verrado, 45-38 GOODYEAR – The Verrado Vipers' four-game win streak came to an end Friday night after their region rival, the Millennium Tigers, squashed any hopes of a comeback with a 28-point second half, leading to a 45-38 victory. The Tigers did it all after halftime as they threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns by junior running back Dmari Bryant. “It feels great knowing that I have a line to make holes throughout the game,” Bryant said. “And we also have passing to open up the run, so it makes it a lot easier.” The game began with both teams exchanging blows early on. The Vipers struck first, with senior quarterback Malachi Wilt throwing a 78-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Wyatt Locke, putting them up 7-0 with 10:26 left in the first quarter. Millennium fought back by scoring 17 unanswered points, putting them out front 17-7. The Tigers’ point barrage included a field goal, a 1-yard quarterback sneak by senior Rayden Reibel, and a 34-yard TD reception by junior wide receiver Kadin Johnson with 9:15 left in the second quarter. The Vipers followed this by making a 12-yard field goal and a 7-yard TD reception by junior wide receiver Eli Mock, which made the score 17-17 at halftime. After the break, both teams came out with a new and improved game plan. “Everybody is going to be focused on [Bryant],” Millennium coach Lamar Early said, “So we told our boys, ‘ Hey, you’re gonna get a chance to make plays.’ And every guy stepped up, whether it was a first down, touchdown, or just a big play tonight.” Even with the Vipers focused on Bryant, they could not stop his 21-yard touchdown run that kicked off the scoring in the second half with 10:22 left in the third quarter, which put the Tigers up 24-17. The Vipers followed Millennium’s lead as senior running back Immanuel Perry ran in a 1-yard touchdown to tie the score at 24 with 8:49 left in the third quarter. As the third quarter bled into the fourth, the Tigers bolstered their lead with a pair of touchdown receptions by senior wide receiver Isaiah Rodriguez, one for 40 yards and the other for 18. This put the Tigers up 38-24 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Verrado did not stop fighting as they marched down the field with a 54-yard TD drive that ended with a 2-yard reception from junior wide receiver Carter Bliss, making the score 38-31 with 9:04 left in the game. The Tigers did not rest with their seven-point advantage as Bryant found the end zone for the second time, earning Millennium’s final touchdown of the night, putting them up 45-31 with 6:09 left. Down two TDs with 4:24 left in the game, the Vipers showed their tenacity as Wilt found Locke for a 10-yard TD reception, making it a one-score game at 45-38. However, Verrado’s offense did not see the field again as Bryant gained three first downs, and the Tigers got into victory formation to run out the clock. “Yeah, we have got a lot of character,” Verrado coach Brett Davis said. “We have a lot of fight. Now it’s just cleaning up the little mistakes. It’s a cliche: ‘It’s a game of inches.’ Well, it literally was tonight. Verrado (4-2,0-1 ) will play at Desert Edge (6-0, 1-0) next Friday at 7 p.m. Millennium (5-1, 1-0) will play at Tolleson (6-0, 1-0) next Thursday at 7 p.m.
BASKETBALL
Proud Dad LeBron James Gets ‘Emotional’ After Watching Son Bronny In His USC Trojans Debut, ‘You’ve Given Me More Life’ Lebron James kept himself busy over Dec 9 and 10, as he played in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Championship and he watched his son Bronny’s debut at USC. James proved that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the league after he and the Los Angeles Lakers smoked the Indiana Pacers in the final game of the newly created midseason tourney. The 38-year-old put up a 24-point 11-rebound double-double in the winner take all game. Despite being outplayed by his teammate Anthony Davis, who went crazy scoring 41 points, grabbing 20 rebounds, and blocking five shots, James won the first ever In-Season Tournament MVP. While he added some more hardware to his cabinet and a half-a-million-dollar prize for winning the tournament, that was arguably not the highlight of James weekend. The following day, King James flew back home to Southern California to attend the USC Trojans vs Long Beach State 49ers game. This game had immense importance to James and his family as it was Bronny’s first game on the court since his shocking heart attack that occurred over the summer. During a summer practice on July 24, Bronny's heart stopped without warning. The 19-year-old received CPR and aid from an AED before being rushed to the hospital. At the time no one knew what caused the cardiac arrest. After visits to other health centers like the Minnesota Mayo Clinic, the James Family Foundation made a statement saying it was “an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect” The statement continued to say that the James family was “very confident” in Bronny’s recovery, and that they believed he would return to the court “in the very near future.” Their confidence paid off as Bronny was subbed in on the Dec. 10 game. The teen played for 17 minutes, and he had a stat line consisting of four points, three rebounds, two assist, and one block. That block in particular had fans thinking they were seeing double as it was very reminiscent of James’ infamous chasedown block from 2016. Fans said, “The Apple did not fall too far from the tree..He plays defense like his Dad,” “JUST LIKE THE KING!!!!,” and “You just know LeBron been teaching him that one.” While the Trojans ended up losing the game in overtime, James still saw it as a win for his son. In an Instagram post about the game, James said, “Can’t even tell y’all how emotional today was for me! I’m literally drained and all I can say is @bronny you’re simply INCREDIBLE!! He continued, “Damn the wins and losses that will occur. You’ve already won the ultimate goal/championship and that’s LIFE!!! Proud of you kid and today you’ve given me more life! Thank you and I love you.” While many fans congratulated James, and empathized with his pride in Bronny, others dissected a particular line in his caption. After the four-time NBA Finals Champion said “you’ve given me more life,” some fans wondered if that meant he will prolong his playing career. James has already said that his goal now is to play with his son. With Bronny’s health recovering, and James still at the top of his game there is a chance may get to see the father-son duo in the near future.
'Ruthless': Usher Causes Chaos Online Between Two WNBA Players Over an Invite to His Concert In Las Vegas The Las Vegas Aces are the 2022-2023 WNBA Champions, but it looks like the team is headed for some turmoil after a hilarious incident involving Usher tickets. Following in the footsteps of the 97-00 Houston Comets and the 11-17 Minnesota Lynx, the Las Vegas Aces are staking their claim as the WNBA’s new dynasty. After relocating to Paradise, NV in 2018, the team has appeared in three out of the last four WNBA Finals. The Aces are the first team to win back-to-back championships since Lisa Leslie led the 00-02 LA Sparks to a repeat. A lot of the Aces' success is due to their star player A’Ja Wilson. Wilson was the Aces' first pick after their relocation, and she has proven herself as the right choice ever since. The 27-year-old has piled up accolades in her five-year career as she is a ROY, Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 2x DPOY, and 5x All-Star. After winning the Finals for the first time, Wilson had a legendary drunk post-championship conference where she asked Usher to come out for the Aces parade. While talking about the team's parade, a very intoxicated Wilson said, “Usher, I better see you, Usher. I’m not playing with you.” Wilson repeated her request in this year’s post-game conference, as she said, “Usher, I saw you got your little ‘National Usher Day’ yesterday thank you so much for that, but we lit, we lit. The parade is Monday night which means you got all the time.” She also made a post on X (Twitter) saying, “Hey @Usher if ya not busy our parade is tomorrow …if ya wanna slide.” As one final plea for the singer, Wilson made an appearance on Good Morning America where she said, “Usher I know you got the residency out here. Come on, you got nothing to do it’s a Monday, pull up, have some fun. We can be your background singers, anything.” The singer missed the parade, but Wilson’s words finally reached him. In an Oct. 25 post on X Usher congratulated the team. “Shout out to the defending champs, the Vegas Aces,” Usher said, “A’ja Wilson I got yo message, I see you, I hear you. Couldn’t be at the parade but wanted to send this out to you to say congratulations to you and all the lovely ladies that once again did it again.” Usher then invited Wilson to one of his shows at his Vegas residency. Wilson posted a gif of a woman fainting as a response to the invite, and other fans joined her in her excitement. One fan said, “Usher is gonna serenade A'ja and WNBA Twitter is going to lose their collective minds. I can't wait.” The WNBA’s official account even joined in and said, “You heard him @_ajawilson22 7 o’clock on the dot in your drop top!” Another person who commented was Wilson’s teammate Sydney Colson, who said, “Let’s gooooooo!!” Colson’s happiness faded after she realized that Usher only said Wilson’s name in the invite. Colson said, “A’ja hit us in the group chat talkin bout WE are invited to go see Usher, but now that I’m seeing the video…SHE was invited. Which is cool, that’s fine! But why lie to ur teammates? [heartbreak emoji]” Wilson did not hesitate with her clap back, as only 36 minutes later she said, “Lolololololololol syd scores 2 points in game 4 and think she can get usher tickets awww,” with a gif of Katherine Heigl from ‘Grey’s Anatomy” fake crying. One fan reacted to Wilson’s post saying, “This how y'all talk to each other,” while another one called the exchange “ruthless.” Colson jokingly told Wilson to tread lightly as she posted a picture of Wilson getting elbowed by Jonquel Jones during the finals.
After Choking Out Another Player, Take a Look Back at Draymond Green's Most Heated Physical Altercations Draymond Green has cemented himself as a Bay Area legend, being an integral part of the Golden State Warriors dynasty. The Power Forward is somewhat of a throwback player as he has a long history of being one of the most physical and combative players in the last decade. Throughout his playing career, Green has amassed 171 technical fouls, which is one shy of cracking the top ten list for most techs in NBA history. He has also had 20 flagrant fouls, he has been ejected 14 times, and his career fine total is around $1 million. His belligerent playstyle has been one of the main components that helped the Warriors win four championships in seven years, but sometimes his aggression boils over into unnecessary territory. After being ejected from a game last postseason Green told reporters, “I will continue to play the game how I play the game, operate how I operate, be exactly who I am, because that leads to winning.” The 33-year-old stood by his word as he recently made headlines after he pulled an unnecessary maneuver on an opponent. Draymond Green Chokes Out Rudy Gobert The Golden State Warriors faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 14, and the game got heated right after tip-off. Both teams were scoreless two minutes into the game when the Warriors' Klay Thompson and Minnesota’s Jaden Ivey started tussling in the middle of the court. Both teams got involved, and Timberwolves’ Center Rudy Gobert tried to be the peacekeeper as he pulled Thompson off of his teammate. That is when Green flew in and jumped on the 7 footers back, applying a chokehold. Gobert fell to the floor as Green had to be pulled off the player. Green, Thompson, and Ivey were all ejected for their role in the altercation. Fans thought the fight was hilarious because there was no reason for Green to go as hard as he did. One commenter said, “You can tell Draymond just been waiting for an excuse to choke somebody,” while another said, “Draymond needs to be in the UFC at this point.” Draymond Green Steps on Domantas Sabonis This was just Green’s latest altercation this year, as earlier in April Green ended up missing a vital game in the Playoffs due to an altercation with Sacramento Kings Power Forward Domantas Sabonis. After losing Game 1 of the first round to the Kings, the defending champions were down again in the fourth quarter. After Stephen Curry grabbed a defensive board with a little over seven minutes left, Sabonis fell to the floor, right at Green’s feet. The European player seemingly grabbed Green’s leg as he tried to run to the opposite end of the floor, and the Warrior took exception to it. Green pressed his foot into Sabonis’ chest and pushed off to get his foot loose. Sabonis left the game with an injury, while Green proceeded to taunt the Sacramento crowd. Green was thrown out of the game, and the Warriors ended up losing. He was also suspended for the next game, but Golden State ended up taking the Kings to game seven, where Curry dropped 50 pts in a win for the Dubs. Draymond Green Punches His Teammate Jordan Poole Opposing players aren’t the only ones that Green has gotten physical with, as before the start of the 2022-23 season, he dropped his teammate with a right hand. On Oct. 7, footage was leaked from Warriors training camp which showed one of the team's practices. The video has no audio, but Green and former Warrior Jordan Poole can be seen talking. Green walked up on Poole, and the player pushed him off. Green retaliated by launching his fist right into Poole’s jaw which crumpled him to the floor. Green was fined by the team, but he was not suspended before the season started. Draymond Kicks Steven Adams in the Groin Green has been seen as a dirty player for years, but one of the incidents that started the narrative happened in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. During Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green drove to the basket against the Thunder’s big man Steven Adams. As Green went up for the layup, he kicked his leg up as well which went into Adams’ groin. Adams crumpled to the floor, and Green was assessed a flagrant 1. Many felt like his leg movement was unnecessary, and a day after the game Green’s flagrant was upgraded and he was fined $25,000. He was not suspended, and the Warriors went on to beat the Thunder after being down 3-1. Draymond Green Arrested for Punching a Michigan State Cornerback That same year, Green showed that he was willing to get physical with anybody as he allegedly attacked a Michigan State University football player. In July 2016, Senior Cornerback Jermaine Edmondson claimed that he and his girlfriend were choked by some men who were with Green at a bar that was near the college campus. Edmondson said he saw Green at the same bar a day later, and he decided to confront the player about what had happened. Edmondson alleged that Green began to poke him, and when he said he didn’t have to put his hands on him, Green punched him in the jaw. Police, however, say that Edmondson was slapped by Green, and they took Green into custody. The Warrior remained there until he sobered up. Green was released on a $200 bond, and he took a plea deal where all he had to do was pay a $560 fine for a noise violation.
FOOTBALL
Ice Spice’s Younger Brother Commands His Own State as One of the Best High School Quarterbacks In New York Ice Spice’s younger brother is stepping out from under her shadow and is becoming a star in his own right. Before she was New York’s hottest new female rapper, she was Isis Naija Gaston. Spice was an athlete herself, playing volleyball for the State University of New York at Purchase Panthers in 2018. She gave up on her volleyball aspirations and dropped out of college to start her rap career. Her younger brother, Joey Gaston, is keeping the sports dreams alive in the Gaston household. Last year Gaston had a very solid sophomore campaign as the starting Quarterback of Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, NJ. He showed that he was a true dual-threat Quarterback like the Buffalo Bills Josh Allen or the Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts. 1. Gaston on His Relationship with Ice Spice Gaston and Spice have three other siblings, and they grew up in the Bronx. The pair come from an Afro-Latino household, as their father Joseph Gaston is Black, and their mother Charina Almanzar is Dominican. Spice has talked many times about how her family supports her career, and her brother is no different. In an interview with trojanwire, Gaston talked about how his sister’s success inspired him. Gaston said, “It’s so great to watch my sister achieve her dreams and it pushes me to achieve mine.” The high schooler said being Ice Spice’s younger brother is something he’s been his whole life, and nothing has changed since she became famous. He said they continue to support each other. Gaston continued, “Her dream becoming a reality helped me believe that as long as I continue to work hard and become better than I was yesterday, everyday I can do the same thing and make my dream a reality down a different lane in the sports world.” 2. Gaston’s High School Stats In the 22-23 season, the Quarterback put up 1272 passing yards and 16 touchdowns on only 6 interceptions. He also showed off his legs by running a total of 604 yards, and he scored 6 touchdowns on the ground. He was number 41 on the list of most total yards in the state of New Jersey that year. The “Munch” rapper’s younger brother led the team to a 6-5 record. Gaston moved schools for his junior year, and he now plays in the Empire State. He is the new starting quarterback for Iona Preparatory Lower School, which is a Catholic, all-boys, K-12 college preparatory in New Rochelle, New York. As of Oct. 23, Gaston has put up 1823 total yards, with 9 touchdown passes, 9 interceptions, and 5 touchdown runs. Gaston is ranked in New York in the top ten of total yards, and top 15 in passing yards. He has led Iona Prep to a 5-3 record, and a spot as the MaxPreps fourth-best high school team in New York. 3. Gaston’s Football Future Gaston is an undersized quarterback, and that shows by the people he looks up to in the NFL. Gaston said that on Sundays, he keeps an eye on Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Brock Purdy, all of whom are shorter than a quarterback’s average height in the NFL. Fans who have seen the 5-foot-8 junior play have said that he will need to change positions if he wants to play in the NCAA because there aren’t many schools that will give someone that short a chance. This is something that Gaston said he may have to do. Gaston told his interviewer, “I will be willing to change my position if that’s what it takes to continue playing football on the next level.” Even though his height isn’t there, his stats and especially his speed might make some colleges look his way. Gaston said that he has already been in contact with Georgia Tech, Pitt, Maryland, Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Penn State.
Been Winning Every Since He Took Ciara to Waffle House': Fans Say Russell Wilson Played His Best Game as a Bronco After a Nail-Biting Victory Over the Buffalo Bills Russell Wilson put on a show during the Nov. 13 Monday Night Football showdown between the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills. Ever since signing a five-year contract with the Broncos in the 2022 off-season for $245 million, Denver fans have called out Wilson for his poor on-the-field play. After signing that contract, the former Super Bowl champion put up his worst season statistically, while also leading the Broncos to 5 wins and 12 losses. At the start of the current season, “Mr. Unlimited” improved his completion percentage, his number of touchdowns, and he also decreased the number of interceptions he has thrown. This change did not reflect the Broncos' record, as they started the season off with one win and five losses. After an 8-19 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rapper-turned-sports analyst Cam’ron said that Wilson’s marriage was the reason that he was losing. The New York rapper suggested, “Russell Wilson, get rid of your girl. That’s the only suggestion I got for you. I don’t know what else to do for you...Do you want the ring from marriage, or do you want the Super Bowl ring?” That loss lit a fire under Wilson and his team, as since that game, Denver has been undefeated. After getting a 2-point victory over the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos had their rematch against the defending champion Chiefs. Wilson outplayed Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, as he threw for three touchdowns in an improbable 24-9 victory over Kansas City. The 34-year-old Quarterback continued to turn back the clock as he looked like vintage Russell Wilson against the Buffalo Bills. Again, Wilson was the best Quarterback on the field as he completed 24 of his 29 passes, and he threw two touchdowns with zero interceptions. One touchdown in particular had fans thinking they were watching the 2019 Seattle Seahawks, as Wilson scrambled backward for more than ten yards before throwing a dot to his Wide Receiver on the edge of the endzone. This play helped lead the Broncos to a 24-22 victory over the Bills and also improved the Broncos to one win below .500. Some fans are praising Wilson for turning around the narrative about him, as one person said, “RUSS IS BEATING THE WASHED ALLEGATIONS.” Others combatted what Cam’ron said about Wilson and Ciara. One fan said, “Russell Wilson playing like he’s trying to break the Ciara curse," while another one said, “How many weeks ago was y’all killin’ Russell Wilson and blaming Ciara?” Another person claimed, “Russell Wilson been winning ever since he took Ciara to Waffle House.” Oct. 25, Wilson rented out an entire Waffle House for their friends and family to celebrate the singer’s 38 birthday. In a video posted after the celebration, the “Level Up” singer said that Wilson knew how much she loved the breakfast diner, and that she was the “happiest girl in the world.” Since his loving gesture, Wilson hasn’t lost on the field. The Quarterback and the Broncos look to continue their winning ways as they face the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 19. The Vikings are also on a recent win streak, and they have a veteran Quarterback who is coming into his own as the season progresses. Wilson and the team will have to continue their winning ways if they want to make a play at getting into the postseason.
‘You Gotta Be a Fool to Do That’: Deion and Shedeur Sanders Call Out Teams for Talking About Them Before Games Deion Sanders has put up enough accolades to be praised nationwide. In his eyes though, he is not getting the respect that he’s earned...and his whole team is taking it personally. At his peak, Sanders earned the nickname Prime Time, as he is one of the select few to ever light up a professional football field and a baseball diamond. His Hall of Fame NFL career speaks for itself as he left the game as the greatest cornerback to ever play. After his life in between the numbers ended, Sanders started his career on the sideline, becoming Coach Prime. Prime started at the high school level to coach his sons Shedeur and Shilo, and the trio silenced doubters everywhere they went. At Jackson State, they silenced them by leading the Tigers to a 27-6 record and two Celebration Bowl appearances. They silenced the doubters again when they made the choice to go play for the 1-11 Colorado Buffaloes. After a huge upset victory over last year’s College Football Championship runners-up TCU, Coach Prime kept receipts. Prime called out a reporter who had doubted him. “Wassup boss, you believe now?” Prime said “Hol’ on, oh no. Do you believe now? Huh, oh no, I read through that bull junk you wrote. Now I read through that, I sifted through all that.” The justified combativeness continued into the next week when Colorado’s longtime rival Nebraska held a team meeting on the Buffaloes logo before the game, which can be seen as a sign of disrespect. Shedeur went in the middle of the Nebraska huddle and flashed his watch until the rival team dispersed. After a 36-14 victory, Shedeur, like his pops, used the post-game interview to air out some grievances. "The coach said a lot of things about my Pops, about the program, but now he wanna act nice. I don't respect that." The Buffaloes have put up 81 points combined the last two times they have felt disrespected, but their next opponent did not get that memo. Colorado State’s head coach Jay Norvell decided to take an unprovoked shot at Prime before the game. In an interview, Norvell said "I sat down with ESPN today. I don't care if they hear it in Boulder. I told them, I took my hat off and I took my glasses off. I said when I talk to grown-ups, I take my hat off and my glasses off. That's what my mother taught me." They did hear it in Boulder, and in a subsequent video Prime and his team addressed it, "It was just gonna be a good game, they done messed around and made it what?” The team responded in unison, “PERSONAL.” Shedeur also responded on ESPN’s “First Take” when Shannon Sharpe asked him what goes through his mind when he hears coaches like Norvell go after his dad. “You gotta be a fool to do that,” Shedeur said while smiling, “You got his son playing Quarterback, and his other son playing safety, so it's like come on now you askin’ for it.” Since becoming the head coach of the Buffaloes Coach Prime has made the team Prime Time television. As the field play shines, stars like the Wu-Tang Clan, Michael Irvin, and The Rock are all coming to bear witness. Prime has brought so much star power to Boulder, CO that the tickets to the game are now the most expensive in College Football.
POP CULTURE
‘You Tried’: Jeezy Says There's No Chance of Reconciling with Jeannie Mai, Claims Not Even Therapy Could Save Their Marriage Jeezy released his "I Might Forgive... But I Don't Forget" interview with Nia Long, and the actress asked the rapper about what happened with his marriage to Jeannie Mai. The two iconic entertainers had a long thoughtful conversation about Jeezy’s life, as well as Long’s upbringing and her recent split from longtime fiancé Ime Udoka. Over the course of the hour and three-minute interview, Jeezy spoke about his toxic relationship with his mother, and how he felt he had never received unconditional love in his life (at 6:30). The “Put On” rapper said that his mother’s attitude towards him came from her “not being raised right.” Jeezy said (at 3:29), “Very violent. Very verbal. Very cold. I just remember that I was kinda on the outside because I looked like my father.” Jeezy said his parents got divorced, and his father told him that (at 3:41) “he will never trust another woman again.” The rapper said that stuck with him, and when Long asked why his father would say that, Jeezy said it was because the divorce really hurt his father. Jeezy continued to talk about how his relationships with his mother, sister, grandmother, and the streets affected him, and Long also added in by talking about her father as well as her ex-fiancé. Near the end of the conversation, Long brought up the topic that a lot of fans were hoping to hear about; Jeezy’s marriage. Long said (at 52:38), “What we haven’t talked about is your current marriage and your current situation.” The “Friday” actress said that Jeezy didn’t have to go into details, but it would be unfair to him if she didn’t ask the question in their judgment-free conversational space. Long asked (at 53:11), “What happens when a man gets to the point where their just like ‘OK, I’m filing for divorce’?” Jeezy said because of his integrity, he couldn’t talk ill about Mai, but he did say that it hasn’t been an easy journey. “I could tell you that I’m saddened,” Jeezy said, “I could tell you that I’m disappointed. I could tell you that I’m uneasy.” Jeezy told Long (at 54:22), “I can only be responsible for myself. You know I can only do what I can do, and I can’t expect someone else to do what I’m doing.” Long asked Jeezy if they went to therapy together, and Jeezy said yes. Long said (at 54:42), “So you actually addressed it, tried to work through it, tried to do the work, and it just was like not happening.” Jeezy agreed, and Long said (at 54:52), “Well then s—t you tried.” Again, Jeezy nodded his head in agreement.” Some of the viewers believed that this proved the rumor that Mai had cheated on Jeezy. Comedian Ryan Davis said, “I'm not gonna lie... Him relating with Nia so well makes me believe that she cheated. I could be wrong,” while another commenter said, “The fact that he still kept it so respectful you can just tell she hurt him BAD.” While most people talked about their conversation, other viewers felt like there was some chemistry between Jeezy and Long. One person said, “Plot twist… Jeezy + Nia the couple we never knew we needed.” Jeezy only bolstered the accusations as he made Long cry while giving the actress her flowers. When Long began to talk about her ex’s cheating scandal, she said (at 55:24) she was shocked by the way “Black people stood up” for her. Jeezy looked confused as he said (at 55:40), “You didn’t realize that...you’re America’s sweetheart like it’s crazy.” Jeezy went on to tell Long that she (at 56:11) “embodies what a well-minded, grown-a-s, Black woman is supposed to be like.” Long had to wipe away tears after the rapper praised her for her integrity.
Jada Pinkett Smith Tells All In Her New Memoir, Including the Fact That She and Will Smith Are Separated Jada Pinkett Smith is running press for her new memoir “Worthy,” and what she told “TODAY” about a seven-year secret has left everybody shocked. Pinkett Smith sat down with Hoda Kotb for an NBC News primetime special to talk about her new book, and what led her to write about her life. The interview will air on Oct. 13, but the “TODAY show” gave fans a little snippet of what to expect. It is safe to say that no one expected what the “Set if Off” actor told Kotb about her marriage with Will Smith. In her memoir, Pinkett Smith explains that she and her husband have been separated for seven years. Summarizing the text, Kotb said, “In 2016, you and Will decided that you were going to live completely separate lives. It was not a divorce on paper, but it was a divorce.” Even though Pinkett Smith and Smith are no longer together in their household, they have kept up the front of being a married couple in the public eye. The former husband and wife went through some major controversies, but they never let up the façade that they were together. When asked why she and Smith decided not to come clean, Pinkett Smith said, “I think just not being ready yet.” The actress continued, “Still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership, right, and in regards to how do we present that to people. And we hadn’t figured that out.” Kotb asked Pinkett Smith why the relationship fractured, and she said it was a compilation of problems in their marriage. The “Girls Trip” actor said, “I think by the time we got to 2016 we were just exhausted with trying.” She continued, “I think we were just both kinda still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.” Pinkett Smith said that she thought of going through a legal divorce, but something stopped her. She said, “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever, and I just haven’t been able to break that promise.” Fans watched the bombshell interview, and they all gave their two cents on how they felt about the infamous Hollywood couple. “I’m tired of this couple. Everything about their relationship is just weird. Can they just wrap it up and get a divorce? Ngl, Will married the wrong person” “So Will Smith smacked the shit out of Chris Rock over this joke and is not even together with Jada Pinkett … this is embarrassing city boys down –1000.” “They are a weird bunch but my question is why did he slap Chris Rock if this is the case? Also, I think this explains the rumors of him messing with Margot Robbie and her with that singer. Why not just fully separate and avoid this whole drama??” The bombshell news made a lot of fans ask why the Smiths worked so hard to hide the truth, especially after what happened at the 2022 Oscars. As many will remember, Chris Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, and Smith took it personally, walking up the stage and smacking Rock in the face. Some people are questioning why Smith got that angry at the joke since he and Pinkett Smith were no longer involved. Others asked why the Oscar winner proceeded to yell “Keep my wife’s name out ya mouth,” because if Kotb is to be believed from the interview, the Smiths haven’t called each other husband and wife in almost a decade. Kotb said that there will be a lot more about that situation, and Pinkett Smith’s life in the Dateline interview that will be released later this week.
‘America Is SO Incredibly Unserious’: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Said That Multiple Political Parties Asked Him If He Would Run For Presidency Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the first guest on the series premiere of comedian and political pundit Trevor Noah’s podcast “What Now? With Trevor Noah.” During their hour-long conversation, the two talked about Johnson’s upbringing, his relationship with his daughters, and some of his political stances. While talking about how divided the United States is when it comes to politics, Noah brought up a 2021 poll that said at least 46% of adult Americans would support Johnson if he ran for US presidency. At the time the 8-time WWE champion said that the poll was “humbling.” The Rock said, “I don’t think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club - but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve you, the people.” Noah said that the poll either means that Johnson is “the paragon of what people would hope a leader would be,” or that the state of American politics is so bad that it needs someone “to lay the smack down on everybody.” Johnson told Noah that he was still “honored” by the poll, and the former professional wrestler let the host and the listeners in on a little secret. The 51-year-old said, “At the end of the year, in 2022, I got a visit from the parties asking me if I was going to run, and if I could run.” Noah was astounded, and Johnson said, “It was a big deal, and it came out of the blue.” He said the parties brought up the 2021 poll, as well as some of their own “deep dive” research that would prove, if he ever decided to go through with it, that he could be a real contender. The “Fast and Furious” actor said that it was surreal because it was never his goal to get into the political scene. As for most political topics, The Rock’s potential presidential run had fans split down the middle. People who were for Johnson said, “I honestly would vote him than Biden and Trump,” and “DWAYNE JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT THE ROCK THAT AMERICA CAN BUILD ON.” The ones against the wrestler-turned-actor said, “And thats why politics is a joke over here,” and “America is SO incredibly unserious” Johnson said that one of the things that was hindering him from going forward with the idea was his young daughters. The wrestling icon said that he doesn’t want his younger daughters, 5 and 7, to have the same experience as his eldest daughter Simone Johnson, 22. When Simone was growing up, Johnson was still working in the WWE, so he missed out on some of her events like birthdays. The People’s Champ didn’t rule out a political run altogether as he told Noah, “If that’s ultimately what the people would want, then of course I would consider it.” This isn’t the first time that Johnson has been connected to the presidency, as that was one of the main focal points of his loosely based autobiographical sitcom, “Young Rock.” In the show, Johnson is running for the presidency in 2032, and during interviews, he flashes back to his upbringing and the start of his Hall of Fame wrestling career.
Shannon Sharpe Says His Busy Schedule and Wanting to Keep His Life Private Is Why He Wouldn’t Date Kim Kardashian Even If She Was Interested Shannon Sharpe claims that if Kim Kardashian hit him up, he wouldn’t date her, and fans aren’t buying his reasoning. The question about the Hall of Famer dating the billionaire model started on an Oct. 20 episode of Sharpe’s hit podcast with his friend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, “Nightcap with Unc and Ocho.” Johnson is constantly trying to find a love interest for his single friend, so he floated the idea of Kardashian to him. Johnson said that he saw Kardashian say she was looking for an “older man” after her relationship with Pete Davidson, so he thought the 55-year-old Sharpe would be the perfect match. “Knowing Kris Jenner, and what she could do,” Johnson said, “with y’all coming [together], y’all could be like Power Rangers, a power couple, whatever they call it.” Johnson asked Sharpe what he thought about their potential union, and he joked, “Kanye ain’t gone write no diss track about me.” Johnson made the comparison that Sharpe could be like Travis Kelce, with how his star has risen since he started dating Taylor Swift. Sharpe said that he is “too private” to be seen out with Kardashian, but he did say that if were to date Kardashian then their show podcast might have 5 million subscribers the next day. He said that he couldn’t go through with it, but he did praise her and her mother for how the gained their success. On Nov. 12, Sharpe was caught outside of the airport by TMZ Sports, and they asked him again about a hypothetical relationship with him and Kardashian. Sharpe again praised the Kardashian-Jenner family for their success, but he also said that he couldn’t do it. “I got too much on my plate, she has too much on her plate, and plus I’m too private of a guy. I don’t wanna live a public life.” The interviewer then asked what he would do if she texted him asking to go out, and Sharpe joked that he would be confused about how she got his number. Sharpe said, “I think she's amazing in what she's been able to do. I'm happy for her, but I'm good.” Fans joked about Sharpe’s answer to the hypothetical date with the socialite-turned-businesswoman. One fan said, “And I'm too busy to date Ice Spice,” while another person joked, “Me too man. That’s the only reason I’m not with her rn.” Since bringing up Kardashian back in Oct., Johnson has continuously brought up more potential suitors for the former Super Bowl Champion. On a Nov. 6 episode of their podcast, Johnson suggested that Sharpe should seek out “Insecure” actress Yvonne Orji after a clip resurfaced of her saying that she is a virgin at age 39. Johnson made the case that she was a “God-fearing” woman and that she would be good for his friend, but Sharpe said that he wanted a “sinner.” He said that he would much rather go with adult film star Miss B. Nasty instead. The adult actress responded to the video, with a stitched video showing her surprised reaction to hearing what Sharpe had said. Earlier this month she also invited Sharpe to appear in one of her videos.
DDM INTERN Journalism
“DOWN GOES ANDERSON” Another L for the White Sox Tim Anderson in a year full of losses Tim Anderson has been the talk of the Windy City this past year with the White Sox, but more for his off-the-field actions than his on-the-field play. Earlier in the Year, Anderson admitted to stepping out on his wife Bria Anderson, with whom he has two daughters, and having relations with IG model Deja Lenae. This was not the first time Anderson was accused of cheating on his wife, in 2021 a woman named Sierra Maria leaked messages between the pair and asked, “Why does he cheat knowing he is married?”. Unlike Maria, Anderson ended up getting Lenae pregnant which made the scandal even bigger. This led to an online beef between the wife and the mistress, which Anderson said affected his home and work life. Anderson swung onto the scene in 2019 and had his statistically best season so far in 2021 with a highlight being his play in that year’s Field of Dreams game where he hit the walk-off home run in a 9-8 victory over the Yankees which drilled him into the spotlight as one of the big-name players in Southside Chicago. But with more eyes came more scrutiny, and after Anderson couldn’t hit that high again fans started to pick at his game, as well as his personality. In that same year Anderson called himself “Today’s Jackie Robinson”, for breaking down the “have-fun” barrier. The Yankees’ Josh Donaldson, a white man, heckled Anderson with “Jackie” taunts during a game in 2019 which led to one of Tim’s multiple bench clearing shove matches. A sign of things to come. Fans on the r/whitesox reddit chimed in on how they felt about Tim Anderson “Ever since the Field of Dreams game. It seems like once he got a little spotlight, he went full ass hat. You never go full ass hat.” https://www.reddit.com/r/whitesox/comments/15jcv3g/tim_anderson_might_be_having_the_worst_year_of/juz7gqb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button “Anderson is playing like his abilities were stolen by the Monstars. There are a lot of guys in this league that I don’t like, but that I respect. With TA I don:t do either.” https://www.reddit.com/r/whitesox/comments/15jcv3g/tim_anderson_might_be_having_the_worst_year_of/jv4omv4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button The combination of a horrible year on/off the field mixed with Anderson’s history of scuffles reached new heights last Saturday. During a match between the Guardians and White Sox, Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez hit a nice drive to right field and slid into second. Anderson took it personally, one thing led to another, Ramirez delivered a right better than Jake Paul and Anderson was left on jelly legs. Even though the White Sox won, Ramirez left as the fan favorite. Anderson however just left, not talking to the media after the game and getting slapped with a 6-game suspension, instead opting to change his profile pic to O Block legend King Von and going on an expletive-laced Twitter rant calling out people for switching up and kicking him while he was down. The most telling post however says, “been going through this s*** for a min...” basically admitting that he’s had a special kind of rough year. Onlookers of the rant gave their two cents on what has been happening to Anderson “Don’t play the victim now… you poked the bear and got popped real good! I’d worry bout that .245 avg and 1 HR, not getting TKO. Facts..” https://twitter.com/justn909/status/1688356049177247744?s=20 “The worst part is you had 2 families watching” https://twitter.com/Nichols25B/status/1688330705523064832?s=20 “People can laugh and joke all they want but will never know or be sympathetic to what triggers a man so easily sometimes, find peace dawg and heal within” https://twitter.com/firstup_/status/1688360530648387584?s=20 With a 25 million dollar contract, some of the worst stats in the league, everything going on off the field, and the new suspension fans are calling for Chicago’s second team to look at shipping out Anderson. If that happens we may have to think about putting Tim Anderson on the list of all time career meltdowns.
The sports entertainment world was shocked with the news that Shannon Sharpe would be leaving FS1’s Undisputed. The report by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, detailed a buyout agreement between Sharpe and Fox Sports which will end the two parties' relationship in June 2023 after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. This comes after a tumultuous last few months where tensions between Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe have risen to a boiling point, I.e., the two getting into a shouting match after Skip made a comparison between Tom Brady and Shannon Sharpe’s playing careers, and Shannon no showing Undisputed after Skip’s ill-advised tweets about the Damar Hamlin incident. Although he has stayed fairly quiet since news of his departure dropped, Shannon has sneakily subtweeted Skip on a few occasions liking Twitter posts criticizing his soon-to-be former talk show partner. While the discourse on why Shannon Sharpe is leaving continues, many fans of the FS1 hit are questioning the future of Undisputed, mainly, who will fill the hole left by such a personality. Speculation is running rampant, with reports from some sports news websites like Athlon Sports and Front Office Sports saying that Emmanuel Acho, Nick Wright, and former NFL running back front runners for the position. Even though all those analysts may be good choices, a dark horse pick has thrown his own name on the ballot, Antonio Brown. The former Pittsburgh Steeler and Super Bowl LV champion announced his candidacy for the vacant seat on May 31, with a meme from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, saying “Me omw to take Shannon Sharpe’s spot on Undisputed #ABUndisputed”. The last time NFL fans may have seen Antonio Brown was when he retired midway through a game against the New York Jets, while doing jumping jacks on the field. Since then, the former All-Pro Wide Receiver has kept busy by performing at Rolling Loud, exposing himself in a pool at the Armani Hotel Dubai, and buying (and slowly destroying) the Albany Empire a National Arena League football team. Antonio Brown has done whatever he could to stay in the spotlight, and collaborating with Skip Bayless on Undisputed would keep him in that position weekly. Some fans have come out to support his decision, like @BelgerNelson saying “Now this would be must watch TV” and @RontarioD tweeting “get my dawg AB on the show asap @RealSkipBayless @undisputed”. Others are calling AB’s mental state into question with tweets like “He’s never beating the CTE allegations.” and “putting a man with CTE on television with skip bayless is not a good idea.” from @nottzaire and @marshylul respectively. The public seems split on if this would be must see TV, or if this would just be another one of Antonio Brown’s failed attempts to stay in the limelight.
“Rip me out the wig cuz I been acting brand new’: Sha’Carri Richardson Snatches Off Her Orange Wig Ahead of Winning 100m Race in US Track Comeback (VIDEO: https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1677716706427301890?s=20) Sha’Carri Richardson has returned to the limelight with a stunning new look and has gained a nice piece of gold to hang around her neck. The track star ended a tumultuous two-year streak of adversity with a big win at the 2023 United States Track and Field (USATF) championships. Before putting up the second fastest women’s 100m of the year, 10.71 seconds, Richardson tossed away an orange wig that resembled the fiery one that she made famous on her first captivating run. Replacing the old with the new, Sha’carri now sports a set of back length, black to platinum braids. When asked about the statement she made by discarding her wig and winning the US women’s championship, Sha’carri said that the last time she was at the Championships she wasn’t prepared, but this time she is ready “mentally, physically, and emotionally." She then followed that up with the quote of the night when she stated “I'm here to stay. And I’m not back, I’m better. (VIDEO: https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1677530559600369664?s=20) To prove this, Richardson went ahead and won silver in the US women’s 200m, guaranteeing her a spot for both events in the 2023 World Track and Field Championships in Budapest, Germany next month. This will be Richardson’s first time competing on the world’s stage after being suspended from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Soon after qualifying for the summer games, the sprinter tested positive for marijuana. Richardson took responsibility for her actions, but she said that she used marijuana to help her come to terms with the passing of her biological mother. Her suspension was the cause of much debate on Twitter at the time of the announcement. “Marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug, in fact it’s proven effect slows done the brain. She deserves to compete. Also don’t forget Micheal Phelps openly used marijuana and competed” https://twitter.com/PortisPortisma/status/1410940966056439811?s=20 “Extremely unacceptable! I’m so tired of I made a mistake. Don’t do drugs period! It’s always after the fact. How about you know they will find out if you using drugs. Y’all who smoke think you can cover it up, but it’s never the case. You will be found out.” https://twitter.com/FSherryGullatte/status/1410958740619202564?s=20 “Tbh, at the end of the day, I’m concerned more about her mental health and emotional well being than some Olympic game.” https://twitter.com/SkreenTheBoss/status/1410975303997046791?s=20 Now with the past behind her and the future fast approaching, Sha’carri must worry about the World Championships, qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and beating Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson who put up a 10.65 100m less than 24 hours after her, making her the new World Leader. (VIDEO: https://twitter.com/trackletix/status/1677496263799894017?s=20)
VIDEO SCRIPTS Forget forgiveness and prayers, we need answers! Weeks after the Carlee Russell story was made public we are still left with the same questions. On July 13, Russell called 911 saying that there was a toddler walking on the side of a Hoover, Alabama highway, and once police arrived on the scene she was in the wind Next, a nationwide manhunt for the nursing student erupted, which made the case bigger than anyone could have suspected, a gift, but mostly a curse in Carlee’s case. People started poking holes in the case and questions just got louder when Carlee reappeared at her house two days later, mostly unscathed. Her family are some true ride or dies though, because they corroborated her harrowing tale of a double kidnapping. The police however released damning evidence of her search topics before she disappeared like Bus Tickets, amber alerts, and the movie "Taken”. And now we’re here, Russell’s Attorney has told the public that she lied about the whole ordeal. She has been fired from her job, lost her man, and became a national pariah. Why do you think Carlee Russell did what she did? Let us know in the comments below, I’m Myles Dunson, and this is Atlanta Black Star. WHEW! That's the 1st pick of the NBA Draft out here looking like a 7 foot 5 Franklin Saint on the court, laying down nothing but bricks. Take a look Brick after brick after brick Victor Wembanyama’s abysmal 2 for 11 shooting performance surprised many casual NBA fans who have only heard legends about the Frenchman's skill and potential coming into the league. Wembanyma was hyped up as one of the biggest draft prospects in recent NBA History, but maybe we were too literal when we said that he would lay down the building blocks for the Association's future. Could Victor have just been throwing up shots, or is this an omen for things to come in San Antonio? Let me know in the comments below. I'm Myles Dunson and this Atlanta Black Star We know Future got it out the field, but he may have to puts some pads on the way he’s talking about Russel After Future dropped a sneak diss at Russel Wilson, on Quavo’s new song “Turn Yo Clic Up”, The Broncos quarterback shot back in the most politely disrespectful way possible, posting a picture of himself with the rapper’s son Future with the hashtag Dad Life. This isn’t the first time the Mask Off rapper has sent shots at the Wilson Household, with many of his bars claiming that he still has relations with the mother of his son, Ciara, while he has also said that the Super Bowl champion wasn’t the man in the relationship. Russel usually stays quiet on the one sided feud, but with the timing of the picture in relation to the discourse it is easy to see that it is more than a coincidence that he chose little future rather than his other children. Do you think Future will move on from tormenting the Wilson’s, or is this just another day in the ongoing Beef? Let us know in the comments below, im Myles Dunson and this Atlanta Black Star Cam’ron and Ochocinco Beef https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/1676040017599246336?s=20 https://twitter.com/ochocinco/status/1675972192310292481?s=20 Killa Cam is staking his claim in the sports talk show game by putting everyone on notice, but Ochocinco does not back down. After giving props to many of his contemporaries on a recent episode of “It Is What It Is”, Cam’ron told every other analyst and sports content creator that he and Ma$e are the new source for sports content. The first person to respond to the call out was former Bengals WR and co-host the “I Am Athlete” Chad Johnson who said that once he gets back on camera that he was “gone dominate the space”. Cam’ron shot back immediately with a video calling into question Chad’s mental state, bringing up his domestic violence history, and saying that he was in rehab Is this a bad look for the sports content scene, or does this just make everything more interesting? Usher boondocks prediction https://twitter.com/Am_Blujay/status/1676825793832337409?s=20 https://twitter.com/yabaleftonline/status/1676916347324846080?s=20 We’ve always said the Boondocks was before its time, but the writers might actually be from the future For what seems like the 5th time in the past year , Usher Raymond has serenaded a woman at his concert and many are saying that it was very reminiscent of the Boondocks episode Tom, Sarah, and Usher. In case you forgot, in the episode Usher sings to Tom’s wife which leads to relationship problems between the pair as the idea of Usher stealing his wife creeps into Tom’s mind. This isn’t the first time that people have seen life imitating the show with episodes like the Trial of Robert Kelly and Return of the King becoming more relevant years after they were released Maybe we need to talk about the Boondocks in the same light as the Simpsons. What other things has the Boondocks predicted? Let us know in the comments below. I am Myles Dunson and this is Atlanta Black Star. Bob Marley biopic https://twitter.com/bobmarley/status/1676939361710112769?s=20 Everything may not be Irie with the new movie Bob Marley: One love Many people are saying that the film looks good, but one thing that keeps coming up in tweets about the biopic is Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Jamaican accent as Bob Marley. The British born Ben-Adir is no stranger to playing legends outside of his nationality, as he portrayed Malcolm X in the film One Night in Miami and Barack Obama in the miniseries the Comey Rule so he has the acting chops for the role. However, some have questioned why one of his many descendants (like Skip Marley) or person of Jamaican descent could not have played the Reggae artist Do you think that they should have casted Skip, or is a seasoned actor like Kingsley better for the role? Let us know in the comments below. I am Myles Dunson and this is Atlanta Black Star. Twitter competition Somebody might want to let Elon know his days at the top of the social media mountain are numbered, there’s some newcomers on his heels. When Elon Musk bought Twitter, a vocal group of users who disagreed with his ideals and business practices predicted that the app would fall in the gutter, and Musk is doing everything in his power to prove them right. After multiple changes to the status quo many people started the search for a replacement, and Alphonzo Terrel, DeVaris Brown, and Mark Zuckerberg of all people came to the rescue. Terrel and Brown created Spill as a Safe haven for Queer and Black Twitter, and Zuckerberg cashed in on the dissonance with an easy to set up carbon copy of Twitter. Will you be making the switch up, or are you gonna thug it out on the bird app? Let us know in the comments below. I am Myles Dunson and this is Atlanta Black Star.
Academic Journalism
VO and Rundowns
ANCHOR INTRO
After over 21 years of playing at Nissan Stadium, The Tennessee Titans may be looking for a new home.
TAKE VO
After finding out that repairs for the current
stadium would cost over 1 billion dollars, Gov Bill Lee and members of state legislature put together a fund to build a new Stadium. Discussions of a new state-of-the-art, domed stadium on the East Bank of the Cumberland River are still ongoing. The hope is that Nashville can get a Superbowl like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas did when they created new home arenas. Wherever the Titans end up, the Tennessee faithful will
TV NEWSCAST Headline #1 Coming up on TSU TV News.. TENNESSEE STATE GOES FOR GRAMMY RECOGNITION Headline #2 Also coming up later LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EXCITING NEW CONTENT COMING SOON TO TSU TV Local News BUT FIRST, IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART TSU TV REPORTS THAT FISK JUBILEE SINGERS DIRECTOR, DR PAUL T KWAMI DIED LAST WEEKEND. DR. KWAMI’S FAMILY RELEASED A STATEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 10, STATING THAT THE 70 YEAR OLD PASSED AWAY EARLY IN THE MORNING SURROUNDED BY FAMILY. DURING HIS 28 YEAR TENURE WITH FISK, DR. KWAMI LED THE JUBILEE SINGERS TO MANY AWARDS INCLUDING A 2021 GRAMMY WITH THEIR ALBUM “CELEBRATING FISK”. CONDOLENCES HAVE BEEN POURING INTO DR. KWAMI’S FRIENDS AND FAMILY FROM MANY PEOPLE WHO HIS WORK IMPACTED. National News IN NATIONAL NEWS THE GOP FIGHTS AGAINST AN IN-HOUSE ABORTION BAN. ON TUESDAY, SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM INTRODUCED A NATIONWIDE BILL THAT WOULD BAN ABORTIONS AFTER 15 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY. MANY REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT OUTRIGHT VOICED THEIR BACKING OF GRAHAM’S BILL SO THERE IS A CHANCE IT MAY NOT REACH THE SENATE FLOOR. SOME GOVERNMENT ANALYST BELIEVE THAT THE LACK OF SUPPORT IS DUE TO THE FAST APPROACHING. MIDTERM ELECTIONS. Sports IN SPORTS THE BOSTON MARATHON IS THE LATEST AMERICAN RACE TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR NON BINARY ATHLETES UNLIKE YEARS PRIOR, NON-BINARY ATHLETES WILL NOT NEED TO REGISTER IN THE MEN OR WOMEN’S DIVISION FOR THE RACE. THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SAYS THAT “THE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO ESTABLISH SPECIFIC QUALIFYING TIMES FOR NON-BINARY ATHLETES, SO THEY WILL HAVE TO MEET THE TIMES THAT MATCH THE ONES IN PLACE FOR THE WOMEN’S DIVISION.” THE BOSTON MARATHON TAKES PLACE IN APRIL 2023, AND IT JOINS OVER 200 OTHER US RACES THAT HAVE NON-BINARY DIVISIONS, OR REGISTRATION OPTIONS. Entertainment DISNEY CAUSES CONTROVERSY WITH THEIR CASTING OF A BLACK ACTRESS IN AN UPCOMING FILM. AT THE DISNEY’S D23 EXPO, THE COMPANY RELEASED THE TRAILER FOR THE LIVE-ACTION REMAKE OF THE LITTLE MERMAID, WITH HALLE BAILEY AS THE TITULAR CHARACTER. THE GRAMMY NOMINATED SINGER AND ACTOR WAS APPLAUDED FOR HER RENDITION OF “PART OF YOUR WORLD” AT THE EVENT, BUT SOME TWITTER USER WERE NOT AS GRACIOUS STARTING A NOT-MY-ARIEL HASHTAG AND PERSONALLY ATTACKING THE ACTRESS . MANY PEOPLE SAW THE BACKLASH COMING, BUT BAILEY SAID THAT SHE DOESN’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVITY, AND THAT SHE IS JUST GRATEFUL TSU Story THE TSU TV STATION IS BACK AND WILL INCLUDE PROGRAMS WRITTEN, PRODUCED, AND STARRING STUDENTS. THE PROGRAMS WILL INCLUDE TALK SHOWS, REALITY TELEVISION, AND SCRIPTED SERIES ALL FROM AN HBCU PERSPECTIVE. THE SHOWTIMES FOR THESE PROGRAMS ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT, BUT THE BULK OF THE SHOWS SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING SOMETIME AFTER HOMECOMING WEEK. TO LEARN MORE PLEASE GO TO THE STRANGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. TSU Story THE ARISTOCRAT OF BANDS SUBMITS THEIR ALBUM THE URBAN HYMNAL TO THE BEST GOSPEL ROOTS ALBUM CATEGORY. A WIN WOULD BE GROUNDBREAKING, AS TSU’S MARCHING BAND WOULD BE THE FIRST COLLEGIATE BAND TO RECEIVE A GRAMMY FOR AN ENTIRE ALBUM. THE 10 TRACK ALBUM HAS FEATURES FROM MULTIPLE ARTISTS INCLUDING GRAMMY WINNERS FRED HAMMOND AND SIR THE BAPTIST, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE ON EVERY MAJOR PLATFORM LATER THIS MONTH.
RADIO NEWSCAST Good afternoon Tigers it is 1 o’clock for the TSU News Network, I’m Myles Dunson Local A NASHVILLE STUDENT IS SENT TO JUVENILE DETENTION A 17 YEAR OLD AT EAST NASHVILLE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF TWO LOADED GUNS ONE OF THE GUNS WAS STOLEN AND TRACKED BACK TO MADISON ALABAMA THE TEEN HAS NOT COOPERATED WITH AUTHORITIES QUESTIONS ON HOW HE GOT THE GUNS Sports NIKE SHOWS APPRECIATION TO THE TIGERBELLES AN EXHIBIT AT THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE COMMEMORATES OVER 60 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AND ACTIVISM FOR TSU’S TRACK TEAM NIKE COMMISSIONED AN ART INSTALLATION COMPOSED OF OVER 20,000 TRACK SPIKES TO DISPLAY FOR THE EXHIBIT OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE TIGERBELLES THE EXHIBIT WILL ONLY BE OPEN FOR A LIMITED TIME…SO MAKE YOUR WAY TO MEMPHIS TO WITNESS THE HISTORY OF TSU Campus THE TSU TIGERS ARE ON AN EXCITING 3 GAME WINNING STREAK AFTER A HEARTBREAKING 0-4 START TO THE SEASON…THE TIGERS HAVE FOUND THEIR STRIDE ON OFFENSE SCORING 108 POINTS IN THEIR THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS THIS STREAK STARTED JUST AS COACH EDDIE GEORGE AND THE TIGERS ENTER DIVISION PLAY IF THE TIGERS CAN KEEP THE WIN STREAK ALIVE…THEY HAVE A SHOT AT THE TOP OF THE OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE Entertainment RAPPERS DRAKE AND 21 SAVAGE ANNOUNCE A NEW JOINT ALBUM THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ALBUM…CALLED HER LOSS…HAPPENED AFTER DRAKE MADE A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT SPELMAN AND MOREHOUSE HOMECOMING CONCERT WITH 21 SAVAGE THIS WILL BE BOTH ARTIST’S SECOND COLLABORATIVE ALBUMS…AND IT COMES AFTER DRAKE AND 21 RELEASED THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THEIR SONG “JIMMY COOKS” HER LOSS DROPS THIS FRIDAY OCTOBER 28 National BIDEN DOES NOT BELIEVE HIS AGE WILL BE PROBLEM FOR THE 2024 ELECTION WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF RUNNING FOR REELECTION IN TWO YEARS BIDEN SAID THAT HE HAS NOT MADE A FORMAL DECISION YET…BUT IT IS HIS INTENTION TO RUN AGAIN. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HOW VOTERS FEEL ABOUT HIS AGE BIDEN TOLD DEMOCRATS TO WATCH HIM AND SEE IF HE IS SLOWING UP. THIS COMES AFTER MANY OF HIS CONSTITUENTS SAID THEY BELIEVE IT IS TIME FOR A NEW…YOUNGER REGIME IN ALL POLITICAL PARTIES. Local FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 15 MONTHS IT’Z A PHILLY THING WAS THE TARGET OF THEFT THE BELLEVUE RESTAURANT WAS HIT AT AROUND 3:20 AM ON SATURDAY THIS TIME NOT ONLY THE STORE WAS BURGLARIZED, LOSING CAMERAS AND IPADS, BUT ALSO THEIR ENTIRE FOOD TRUCK IF ANYONE SEES THE FOOD TRUCK YOU CAN CONTACT THE BUSINESS DIRECTLY AT 215-459-9522 The forecast for tonight calls for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 66 degrees. For tomorrow, expect thunderstorms with a high 74 and a low of 48. Currently, its 75 degrees and sunny For the TSU News Network, I’m Myles Dunson.
Omarion PKG Script 1 (VIDEO) One shot of anchor (AUDIO) ARE YOU A FAN OF THE EARLY NOUGHTIES BOY BAND B2K? HEAR WHICH MEMBER HAS TAKEN THE LEAP INTO THE WRITTEN WORD. MYLES DUNSON HAS MORE ON THE STORY ------------------TAKE PKG------------------- ---SOT--- “BEING ABLE TO BE SOUND IN MIND AND MAKING CLEAR DECISIONS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE.” ---VO natsot under--- A PERSONAL JOURNEY TO GIVE BACK… ---SOT--- “ON THE PATH OF HEALING YOU HEAL YOURSELF AND YOU NOTICE THAT YOU CAN HEAL OTHERS AS WELL” ---VO natsot under--- ---VO natsot under--- HIS SELF HELP BOOK, UNBOTHERED: THE POWER OF CHOOSING JOY FOLLOWS HIS JOURNEY FROM EARLY SUCCESS TO BECOMING A FULLY REALIZED ADULT. ---SOT--- “THIS IS VERY THERAPEUTIC FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY STORY AND EXPRESS NEW WAYS THAT KEEP YOU CENTERED, KEEP YOU GROUNDED.” ---VO natsot under--- UNBOTHERED HAS MULTIPLE MANTRAS, QUOTES, AND QUESTIONS TO KEEP READERS INVESTED IN A POSITIVE PATH FORWARD. ---SOT--- “FAR TOO OFTEN IN MY JOURNEY I NEVER HAD ANYONE THAT WOULD BE LIKE "YO, YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN," OR " JUST TAKE A BEAT FOR YOURSELF," AND HOW PRODUCTIVE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY JOURNEY” ---VO natsot under--- BOWLS ---VO natsot under--- STUDENTS EXPERIENCED A ONE-OF-A-KIND SOUND BATH MEDITATION. ---VO natsot under--- WITH THE HELP OF BREATHING EXERCISES, STRETCHES, AND TIBETAN SINGING BOWLS, OMARION LEAD STUDENTS DOWN A PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL JOURNEY ---SOT--- “I FELT VERY RELAXED HONESTLY ESPECIALLY WITH THESE PAST TWO WEEKS MIDTERMS AND GETTING THAT GRADE. YOU KNOW I REALLY NEEDED TO DECOMPRESS” ---SOT--- “OMARION’S BOOK UNBOTHERED: THE POWER OF CHOOSING JOY IS OUT NOW. MAKE SURE YOU GO OUT AND GET A COPY. FOR TSU TV NEWS I AM MYLES DUNSON” ### Script 3 anchor tag 2shot both anchors ###
VOSOT
ANCHOR INTRO
While some students are getting ready for their summers, a lot of students across the nation are facing large amounts of stress.
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Stressors like projects, papers, presentations, and exams are leading to End of the Semester Burnout. This may cause students to feel lethargic, exhausted, and unmotivated. Burnout can be the foundation to failing the final stages of the semester. To combat these feelings the TSU Counseling Center gives students access to professionals willing to help. On the Academic side of burnout the TSU Library has books, computers, and staff members in place to help students progress through home stretch. The Library is open on week days seven 30 AM to 11:45 PM
TSU Junior Sidney Nolan voices her opinion on burnout by calling out professors when she said
TAKE SOT TRT (0:13)“[T]eachers wait until the last minute to actually start to teach. Instead of teaching in the first (part of the) semester, so they are trying to cram in five lesson plans within two weeks, or
two days. So students are struggling to really grasp what they are trying to learn.”
ANCHOR TAG For more information on how to combat mental
burnout talk to a professional therapist
Movie Reviews
Making your Villains credible
a Creed III article
In Creed I you hope that Adonis will win, in Creed II you don’t know how Adonis will win, but in Creed III there is no chance that Adonis will lose. The way the movie sets up the villain, “Diamond” Damian Anderson, for Creed III there is know doubt in the audience's mind that Adonis is just a better boxer. Damian is not as experienced as the antagonists in Creed I, nor is he as physically imposing as the antagonists in Creed II. Even though he is a foil to Adonis’ emotional and mental well-being, Damian Anderson is not a credible boxing threat at all. Adonis is a rookie in Creed I, so in every single match he is an underdog. In his first fight against a real threat, Danny Wheeler, he is put on the mat. After this Adonis works with Rocky Balboa to hone his skills and become a better boxer. In his next fight with Leo “the Lion” Sporino, he is still getting outclassed, but with Rocky’s help he lands a 1-2 combo that earns him a TKO in his first real match. Finally in his match against the Champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan, Adonis is severly beaten with a swollen eye and is put on the mat again. This is where one of the themes of the Creed movies come into play; Adonis may be down, but he is never out of the fight. Adonis jolts off the mat and proceeds to put “Pretty” Ricky down for the first time in his career. Adonis loses by split decision, but in the words of Max Kellerman “ he won the night.” Every single one of Creed’s opponents in Creed I outclassed him in skill and experience, but due to Adonis’ heart, drive, raw potential, and help from Rocky, he was able to stay in all of his matches. Adonis is in his prime in Creed II, but that does not matter to Viktor Drago. Creed II starts with the 6’4 245lbs monster, Viktor Drago, massacring his opponent in a Russian fighting hall. Already, this movie sets out to make their villain a constant threat to be feared. The backstory on Viktor is that his father Ivan Drago, killed Adonis’ father and Rocky’s close friend, Apollo Creed, in a match. Avenging his fallen friend, Rocky faced Ivan in Soviet Russia, and won. After this Ivan lost his wife, and was forced to leave Russia and live in Ukraine. This forms a deep disdain for Rocky, and by proxy Adonis, in the Drago household. At the same time, Adonis is at the highest point in his life. He beat Danny Wheeler, from the first movie, handily to become the new Heavyweight Champion of the world, and he has a daughter on the way. When the match against Drago comes to Adonis, he jumps to take it, but Rocky warns him against it because he knows that Drago is fighting for more than just the title. Adonis Creed wants to fight because he feels it can avenge his father’s death, but Viktor Drago needs to fight because it will restore his family’s name, status, and may even bring his mother back into his life. In their first bout, Adonis is destroyed on the mat without Rocky in the corner. Viktor, with his father Ivan in the corner, purely outclasses Adonis in power. Adonis only lands one significant hit the whole fight, while he has his face bloodied, and his ribs broken. The match ends in a disqualification, after Viktor lands a KO blow while Adonis is on his knee. After this Adonis works his way back up, mends his relationship with Rocky, and welcomes his daughter into the world. At the same time, Viktor is showcasing his power by knocking out opponents in the first round, and calling out Creed for a rematch. This leads to a rematch in Russia where both men are at their boxing peak, with Rocky and Ivan having a rematch of their own in separate corners. Viktor showcases his power again by reinjuring Adonis’ ribs, but Adonis combats that with his heart and stamina, almost taking Viktor the distance before his father threw in the towel. In Creed II, his antagonist had superhuman power to go along with his drive, but after Adonis changed his mindset from focusing on the past (i.e. his father dying in the ring against Ivan Drago) to focusing on his present (his daughter and his relationship with Rocky) he was unstoppable. Adonis is retired in Creed III, and there is really no reason for him to come out of it. At the beginning of Creed III, Adonis finally has his rematch against “Pretty” Ricky Conlan, and defeats him handily to retain his World Heavyweight championship in his final fight. After this Adonis is living the good life being a father, and a promoter. To not go too deep into spoilers, a ghost from Adonis’ past comes back and wants his help to become a champion. Out of pity and maybe penance for what happened in their childhood, Adonis gives his old friend “Diamond” Damian Anderson, a world title shot against his boxer Felix Chavez. Damian gets the opportunity, and wins the championship, due to some “underlying circumstances”, and after that he calls out Adonis for being a fake friend, and challenges him to a match for the title. Up until this point we have seen Damian have two matches, 1 spar and 1 sanctioned fight, meanwhile Adonis has had almost 10 onscreen fights and over 30 in-universe fights. Nothing the filmmakers have shown us onscreen or in-universe makes “Diamond” Damian Anderson seem like an actual threat to Adonis. He has nowhere near as much experience as any of the other antagonists Creed has fought, he doesn’t have the coaching of “Pretty” Ricky, the training of Danny Wheeler, nor does he have the raw intangibles of Viktor Drago. Creed I and Creed II set the precedent that you can never put Adonis down, by showing Adonis get back up. Other than a sucker punch on the beach, Adonis does not go down once in this movie, so there is no reason for him to get back up. “Diamond” Damian Anderson does challenge Adonis emotionally, but so do other circumstances that were shown in the other movies like Rocky going through Chemo, Adonis and Bianca’s daughter being deaf, Adonis fighting the son of the man who killed his father, and even his mother having strokes. The filmmakers of Creed III did not give Damian enough credibility to actually be a threat to Adonis in the ring, nor did they give the audience enough reason to actually worry about Adonis losing. If your antagonist cannot believably challenge the protagonist, then are they truly an antagonist at all?
Expectations vs Reality
an Ant Man 3 article
The hype for Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania was real. The film was billed as the beginning of the Kang Dynasty, the start of a new phase of Marvel movies, and hopefully a return to glory for the MCU. After movies like Black Widow, the Eternals, and Thor: Love and Thunder, some fans had grown stale with the Disney/Marvel superhero formula. As a result, people began to want more out of the cinematic experience, and speculation ran rampant. Things like Mephisto (one of Marvel’s versions of Satan) being behind the events of Wandavision, a young Thanos flashback in Eternals, and even Dr. Doom making his debut in Wakanda Forever were pushed as inevitable truths by overzealous fans. Quantumania was not safe from the speculation wheel either, with the biggest ones being a Reed Richards re-debut and Kang the Conqueror proving his credibility as Marvel’s new BIG BAD by abruptly ending Scott Lang’s tenure as Ant-Man. That is not what happened at all, and after some time spent away from the movie, that is OK. The movie that the public was given was a mediocre Marvel movie through and through, which is exactly what should have been expected from an Ant-Man movie. Quantumania does not feel as fresh and innovative as the first Ant-Man, but it is slightly less formulaic and forgettable as the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp. To give props: Quantumania does have the best villain out of the trilogy (even though that was not a high bar to clear). Jonathan Majors continues to be one of the brightest new talents working today. Although this performance is nowhere near his others in films like The Harder they Fall or Da 5 Bloods, due to no fault of his own, he was by far the best actor in film with passable performances from Paul Rudd and a solid Michele Pfiefer. The film also does a good job with Kathryn Newton’s Cassie Lang. Young sidekick characters are not always written well, and may come off annoying, but Cassie is portrayed as a character who actually seems like a real person with her own motivations for moving how she does. The movie does fail in two areas where the others exceeded. This is the least comedic out of the trilogy, and while a more serious tone could have been used to show the threat that Kang poses to not just the universe, but the entire Multiverse, Quantumania does not seem to want to follow that path. Because of this indecision, the film sits in a middle ground where the audience may chuckle from time to time, but sit in a state of stagnation for the rest of the 2 hour and 15 minute runtime. The other place in which Quantumania fails is the “Ant-Man-ing”. The Ant family is shrunk down into an unrecognizable, Guardians of the Galaxy-like realm where concepts like size and density do not mean the same as they do on our planet. Because of this Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Cassie’s main power of shrinking and growing does not hold the same weight. When there are broccoli people, sentient houses, and globs of killer goo, shrinking to the size of an ant is not as awe inspiring as it once was. When Marvel marketed the movie, they said: “Join Ant-Man, the Wasp, and friends in their fight with Kang the Conqueror,” and they did not lie. In a very standard Marvel movie affair, the hero had to stop a mysterious villain who had ties to the hero (Captain America: the First Avenger, Iron Man 2, Spiderman Homecoming), there were silly side characters (Ant-Man 1, Guardians of the Galaxy, Shang Chi), and the movie ends with the threat defeated but a new an even more imposing threat on the horizon (Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok). Quantumania’s failure was due to expectations of fans, and not due to false advertising on Disney/Marvel’s behalf.