All Day Podcast
All Day Podcast: 9/21/17
Long drive golfing, plus Kobe and the rap game
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On the show I sat down with Troy Mullins and Maurice Allen, who are World Long Drive Champions, and both are black. If you’re not familiar with the sport, it’s basically an offshoot of golf that involves the driving range. Think of it as competitive Top Golf. The conversation ranged from what it’s like being black in the golf world to how they see the sport growing in the coming years.
The two have fascinating backgrounds. Mullins was an athlete at Cornell University before she decided she might want to get into U.S. diplomatic work. Allen was also a former college athlete who took up golf, basically as something to keep him occupied when he wasn’t pursuing his career as a chiropractor. They’re both extremely interesting people, golf aside.
To finish the pod, I did a story from Los Angeles with a group of guys known as “Signature Tracks.” You might know their work from some of the music production they’ve done with reality television. Those sounds you hear on Keeping Up With The Kardashians and The Real Housewives series don’t just make themselves. It was a fun look into the world of music from a different angle than usual.
Perhaps most interesting about them, though, is their connection to Kobe Bryant. Having worked with him on his rap album, they had the scoop on exactly why it never came out, as well as an interesting anecdote on exactly how he went about his business when it came to the rap game. The answer might not surprise you, but is remarkable to hear.
Enjoy!
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 9/20/17
Jay-Z tells the NFL ‘no thanks’ on Super Bowl
2:09 PMAnother busy week, but it’s been a productive one. My streak of appearances on Around The Horn without a win continues, and I hope I can make it all the way to breaking the record. Wish me luck.
mood: pic.twitter.com/fplrlUP4Ph
— deray (@deray) September 19, 2017
Mother Nature is talking to us. In the past few months, the natural disaster rate globally has been astonishing. Stateside, you might only have these hurricanes on your radar, but it’s more than that. Mudslides in Sierra Leone have killed hundreds of people. An earthquake in Mexico has also taken numerous lives. Now, Hurricane Maria is sweeping across Puerto Rico. It’s just the latest storm to hit the Caribbean, where many islands have already been battered beyond belief.
Here’s how racism affects everyday life in the U.S.: If you don’t have to deal with it, you have the luxury of not understanding how its detritus still hurts people. So when the president of Lipscomb University invited black students to his school to discuss their experiences, he put cotton stalk decorations on the dinner table and didn’t even understand why that might be problematic. Reminder: The basic goods of American commerce (cotton, sugar, etc.) were exactly what slaves worked to create for free. Yes, people get sensitive about it.
Jay-Z has better things to do than play the Super Bowl. Various artists have turned the league down when asked to perform on its biggest stage, which is an interesting situation. Perhaps as interestingly, Justin Timberlake also said no, considering the two were rumored to be performing together. Whether this is directly attributable to, say, the Colin Kaepernick situation is for speculation, but, man, it would have been awesome if Jigga had performed “The Story of O.J.” at that game.
Speaking of Kaep, he’s getting some more shine this week. The Root has put out its annual list of the 100 Most Influential African-Americans, and the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is No. 17. If you’re wondering who’s at the top of the list, it’s Jordan Peele, who is not exactly a controversial pick but is certainly a refreshing one. I’m happy to say I’ve got a couple of friends on this bad boy, which is always a cool feeling. I’ll never make this list, ha, but that said, if someone wants to invite me to the party to celebrate these folks, I’ll gladly go.
Free Food
Coffee Break: I don’t have children, but I do remember the value of Toys R Us. Just going there and seeing the sights was always a marvel, and now the company is fighting bankruptcy. It appears that, basically, there’s no need for brick-and-mortar toy stores anymore — and, of course, tablets. Sad day.
Snack Time: Hypebeasts do the most, which is why they are what they are, and we love them for it. Check out this new couch, which I would not sit on if I had to.
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Dessert: Boxer Jake LaMotta, who was portrayed in the legendary film Raging Bull, died Wednesday at age 95.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 9/19/17
Chris Long to donate six game checks to Charlottesville, Virginia, students
2:36 PMAll right, gang, I’m back from Los Angeles after getting stuck on planes all day Monday, which was not fun at all. But, good news, I’ll be on Around The Horn again Tuesday afternoon, so please do tune in to ESPN at 5 p.m.!
This is the image Norwegian Air is using to denote the appeal of vacationing in America @thrasherxy pic.twitter.com/GDjHNQTLrS
— Deerhoof (@deerhoof) September 19, 2017
President Donald Trump spoke at the United Nations on Tuesday, and it was extremely eventful. Instead of a measured speech in front of all of the world’s leaders, he went full fire and brimstone and basically threatened to blow up North Korea. If you’re wondering, that’s not typically how these things go. He also called Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man,” which is a nickname I definitely don’t understand. He also threw a shot at Iran, calling it a “murderous regime.” Overall, though, Trump’s relationship with the United Nations has been a rocky one.
When it comes to community policing, St. Louis has an awful reputation. After the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, put the entire city and its environs on the map, we’re back in the state in a similar situation. Last week, another officer was acquitted in the killing of a citizen. The entire thing is on body cam, which didn’t help put the cop away in the end. We’ve seen this movie so many times before, and the people are speaking out against it yet again. There’s an eerie Groundhog Day effect to all of this, but here’s a timeline of everything, starting in 2011.
Are things getting better for black people in America? Well, it depends on whom you ask. For someone my age, you’d say definitely not. It seems that around every corner people are appropriating the culture and disrespecting legacies and, in general, are not here for our presence. But if you’re older, you might think it’s better than, say, the 1950s or ’60s. But if you’re white, you apparently believe that things are certainly improving. That’s according to a new study from Yale University. The numbers there are fascinating.
Chris Long has a permanent invitation to the cookout. The superwoke NFL defensive lineman has been extremely vocal about his feelings on the state of the nation and not afraid to stand up, as a white guy, for what he sees as injustice. He also happens to be from Charlottesville, Virginia, where we recently saw one of the ugliest scenes in modern history during a white supremacist rally. Now he’s putting his money where his mouth is, as he will donate six game checks to start scholarships for high school students in his hometown. What a boss.
Free Food
Coffee Break: Nas and Nicki Minaj are dating. Not only that, but the two Queens, New York, rappers are stunting on Instagram for everyone, letting the world know just how strong their bond is. Check out these photos of the two in matching Gucci outfits, stunting around Queensbridge. Peak blackness.
Snack Time: The incredible return of Gucci Mane continues this month, with the release of his autobiography, aptly titled The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. If you don’t have time to read it, here are a few things we learned.
Dessert: Apparently, there’s an entire underwater city developed strictly by octopi. It’s called Octlantis, natch.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 9/18/17
Marshawn Lynch making all the right moves
3:41 PMDonald Glover and Lena Waithe did it for the culture. At the 69th Emmy Awards, the true shining stars of the evening were rapper and actor Donald Glover and writer Lena Waithe, who made Emmy history with their wins. Glover made history in the outstanding directing for a comedy series category for his B.A.N. episode of the hit FX comedy Atlanta and also snagged a second award for lead actor in a comedy series. Waithe made history as the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing. Waithe was awarded for co-writing the Thanksgiving episode of the Netflix original series Master of None with comedian and show creator Aziz Ansari. And while we’re at it, let’s all take a minute to thank Issa Rae’s support while “rooting for everybody black” and remaining unbothered as many accused the Insecure star of being a racist and black supremacist. But seriously, is black supremacy a thing? Asking for a friend.
"I'm rooting for everybody black!" #Insecure star @IssaRae says on the red carpet #Emmys pic.twitter.com/Pz3DJPyJc2
— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2017
“Spicey” Spicer does have a sense of humor after all. After resigning from his position as White House press secretary in July, Sean Spicer is living it up, and even making fun of himself in the process. In the Emmy Awards’ opening monologue, Spicer appeared on stage behind a moving podium, mimicking the Saturday Night Live sketch that features actress Melissa McCarthy as Spicer. Despite President Donald Trump saying SNL should be retired after he became a regular punchline, Spicer used it to his advantage. “This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period, both in person and around the world,” Spicer said on stage. The bit received mixed reviews, but the overwhelming response by those in attendance seemed to be amusement.
Welcome home, Marshawn Lynch. The Oakland Raiders running back is living his best life, and we ain’t mad at him. During a timeout in the fourth quarter, with the Oakland Raiders up 35-13 over the New York Jets, the camera panned to a hyped Lynch giving the crowd the best moves he could muster during the first game in his hometown. Hand behind head, dreads flying, bobbing to the music and getting hyphy is how I want to start every day. Could it have been the Skittles bringing Beast Mode to new levels? My best guess would be yes. If so, I need some too.
This sums up the Raiders' first game in Oakland this season.
Check out Marshawn Lynch at his best.https://t.co/mmZ5yIfEY8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 18, 2017
Train up a child. In another one of Kobe Bryant’s post-retirement family videos, the greatest of all time (GOAT) is grooming his daughter for baby GOAT-hood. In the video, Kobe’s middle daughter, Gianna, is seen draining a shot from the right corner and dodging her dad’s defense to go for a layup. “Gigi working on that DianaTaurasi stroke #wristwork #wnbafinals we r hype for the rematch!” Kobe wrote in the caption. Stuntin’ like her daddy.
Gigi working on that @DianaTaurasi stroke #wristwork #wnbafinals we r hype for the rematch! pic.twitter.com/Ly6pEjLuZS
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) September 18, 2017