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Megan Thee Stallion Released A Song About Hot Cheetos And It’s Called ‘Flamin’ Hottie’

Has a Super Bowl commercial ever been this built up? Once a week for the past three weeks, Megan Thee Stallion has shared a teaser for her Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos Super Bowl LVI commercial. First it was her checking into the studio backlot where a commercial featuring exotic animals is being filmed, then it was her getting locked out of her trailer by a sloth (?), and today we have the official song that goes with the campaign, “Flamin’ Hottie.” I guess this commercial is officially a highly anticipated one.

The song rides a sample of “Push It” by Salt N’ Pepa (a femme rap classic if there ever was one) and Megan isn’t short on the analogies between how hot she is and how hot these dang chips are! “Damn, I’m so hot, can’t touch me, just like Cheetos on your fingers, wanna suck me!” she says in the song’s opening verse. Then brings it home on the hook with “‘Cause I’m all that and a bag of flamin’ hot chips!”

The song was obviously co-signed by Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah on Twitter:

Listen to “Flamin’ Hottie” above and join us on the edge of your seat for Meg’s Super Bowl LVI commercial sometime on Sunday, February 13.

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

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Boban Marjanovic Tried To Fix A Crooked Rim By Barely Jumping And Grabbing It

Everything on a basketball court is perfectly calibrated from game-to-game. Unlike baseball, where parks vary in size, basketball courts are one uniform size. The rims are 10 feet high and perfectly level, and the distance from one to the other is the same on every single court where NBA games are played.

Well, kind of. Midway through the first quarter Friday night’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks that tipped off at god damn 10:15 p.m. EST, Luka Doncic hit a three and started flailing his arms around like something was wrong. It turned out Doncic noticed that the rim was tilted, which led to the officials stopping the game so they could fix this.

Enter Boban Marjanovic, who you have probably heard is very tall. The Mavericks (and former Sixers!) big man casually walked onto the court, bunny hopped, grabbed the rim, and looked to get that thing level.

It looked like he did a decent job, but decent is not good enough for a rim during an NBA game. As such, someone had to get a ladder, a tape measure, and a level and sort everything out.

Did this work? Not really! In the aftermath of all this, the backboard got tilted, so the Mavs cut their losses and just replaced the basket altogether.

If this does not work, we recommend cutting the court in half and just playing 3-on-3.

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Elizabeth Eckford made history at age 15. Here’s the full story behind the iconic photo.

On September 4, 1957, nine students arrived at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas for their first day of school. They were bright students, chosen for their academic excellence to attend the most prestigious school in the state. They were there to learn—and to make history as the first Black students to attend the previously all-white school.

They wouldn’t enter the school that day, nor for weeks after. Their entrance was barred not only by an angry white mob but by the Arkansas National Guard who were called in by the governor to prevent the students from integrating the school.

Eight of the nine arrived together that first day in a carpool arranged by the local NAACP chapter. One student, 15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford, didn’t have a telephone at home and was unable to be reached to learn about the carpool plan. She took the city bus, which dropped her off within two blocks of the school. As she approached, she faced the racist crowd alone.


One photo encapsulated much—but not all—of the moment. We see Eckford being followed by a group of angry white segregationists, but we can’t see that they were yelling, “Lynch her! Lynch her!” We can see the Arkansas National Guard, but we can’t see that President Johnson would have to call in federal troops weeks later to finally get the students into the building. We see Elizabeth Eckford walking with her head high, but we can’t see the courage and resolve it took her not to walk through a crowd of people threatening to kill her just for wanting to go to school.

We see a snapshot of a horrific moment in American history, but we can’t see what happened after.

After being barred entrance to the school, Eckford tried to return home, but she was unable to go back to the bus stop where she’d been dropped off due to the 250 or so angry white people behind her. She decided to try to get to the next bus stop a block ahead of her.

Buddy Lonesome of the St. Louis Argus described what he had witnessed at the scene: “The mob of twisted whites, galvanized into vengeful action by the inaction of the heroic state militia, was not willing that the young school girl should get off so easily. Elizabeth Eckford had walked into the wolf’s lair, and now that they felt she was fair game, the drooling wolves took off after their prey. The hate mongers, who look exactly like other, normal white men and women, took off down the street after the girl.”

She would get home eventually. At first, she sat on the edge of the bus stop bench as someone yelled “Drag her over to this tree!” A small group of journalists formed a makeshift barrier between her and the crowd. New York Times reporter Benjamin Fine sat down next to her, put his arm around her and said, “Don’t let them see you cry.” Later, after being asked if he’d overstepped his professional bounds, Fine replied, “A reporter has to be a human being.”

A white woman, Grace Lorch, escorted Eckford onto the bus, but not before she told the crowd that they’d all be ashamed of themselves someday. Eckford was relieved when Lorch got off the bus; her help, though undoubtedly well-intentioned, had only inflamed the hatred of the crowd. (Lorch and her husband would eventually move their family to Canada after facing harassment, job losses, and accusations of being communists for their civil rights activism.)

After exiting the bus, Eckford immediately went to find her mother. She fell into her arms and the two cried together, neither saying a word.

What about the student yelling at Eckford in the photo? Her name was Hazel Bryan—later becoming Hazel Massery. She was the daughter of parents who were unabashed about their racism.

Massery would have a change of heart in the years that followed. She became a follower of the civil rights movement and began to understand how wrong she had been. In 1962 or 1963, she called Eckford to apologize. But she didn’t stop there. She left her intolerant church, volunteered with projects to serve underprivileged Black students and single Black mothers, read the works of Cornel West and Shelby Steele and argued about racial issues with her mother.

Eventually, Massery and Eckford realized they had a lot in common as individuals and became friends. They even appeared together on The Oprah Winfrey Show and talked about reconciliation. But the friendship did not last. The rest of the Little Rock Nine had never been fans of the friendship, nor of Massery’s appearance at public events about their history. Massery seems to have felt frustrated that Eckford wouldn’t absolve her completely of her past racist behavior, and she ultimately cut off ties with her.

Ten years ago, David Margolick, who had interviewed both women multiple times over the years, asked Eckford and Massery to pose together for one last photo. Eckford agreed, but Massery refused.

Both Eckford and Massery are still alive. Eckford celebrated her 80th birthday in October with a small celebration in front of Central High School, with student members of the Civil Rights Memory Project and faculty there to honor her. This is not history from some far distant era. People are alive who saw it happen with their own eyes.

And this isn’t even the full scope of the story. The Little Rock Nine spent the school year being brutally harassed even after they were finally allowed into the building. And both Eckford and Massery’s stories include many more details, which David Margolick has covered in Vanity Fair and Slate. His storytelling illustrates how the story behind the iconic photo is worse (at the time) and more complex (in the long run) than the simplistic narratives we often hear about the civil rights era and are definitely worth a read.

How does Eckford feel about the photo? She told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that she sometimes feels nothing when she sees it and sometimes it bowls her over. But she’s never felt good about the photo, nor does she see herself in it the way others do.

“They talk about it as strength,” she said, “But I’ve never considered myself a strong person.”

Fair enough. No one should ever have to be strong like that in the first place, especially at 15. May we all remember and learn from this history, and keep working toward a future where racism is truly and fully overcome.

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Whisky Review: The Latest Ardbeg Release Is All About Long Fermentation

Ardbeg’s Committee releases are some of the most sought-after bottles of whisk(e)y in the world. And yet… you can get them. All that you need to do is join the Ardbeg Committee — it’s free. When you do, you’ll get access to these one-of-a-kind whiskies from one of Islay’s most-beloved distilleries.

As for this expression, it’ll be dropping in February of 2022 (the date is unspecified). The juice is a result of a “happy accident” that we’ll get into below, wherein this whisky fermented for a much longer time than usual before distillation.

Beyond that tease, this is a peated Islay malt that pushes the style in new directions and is kind of inexplicable on the palate. Let’s get into what’s in the bottle!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of 2021

Ardbeg Fermutation

Ardbeg Fermutation
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 49.4%

Average Price: $200 (Limited)

The Whisky:

The “happy accident” that led to this whisky was Ardbeg’s boilers breaking down. Instead of throwing out the mash until those were fixed, Dr. Bill Lumsden (the mad-scientist distiller behind Ardbeg) decided to see what would happen if they let it be. The washback lids were opened and the mash was allowed to ferment with the sea-kissed Islay air for three more weeks. To put that in perspective, Ardbeg (and most whiskies) usually ferment for 72 hours before distillation.

Once the boilers were back up and running, the whisky was distilled and then barreled in first-fill and re-fill bourbon casks. 13 years later, Dr. Bill decided it was ready and here we are.

Tasting Notes:

This. Is. Wild. The nose starts off with this burst of fresh green grass just after the rain that melts into a summer herb garden (mint heavy), grapefruit seeds, and smoked butter with sweet lemon candy and orange trees that’s underpinned with a dark and rich soil that’s been turned with manure. Going deeper on the nose, you get fresh tires, mossy fir bark, and maybe a hint of fennel-heavy focaccia.

The palate starts off incredibly soft with a toffee note before veering into burnt scones, hints of absinthe, what feels like powdered turmeric, and finally Marlboro Red ash (don’t ask me how I know this tasting note). That ashiness builds on the palate as a slight Windex note pops in next to a hint of mint candy and some more mild toffee. The finish lets that sweetness stay while the cigarette ash builds towards a crescendo and leaves your senses feeling like you’ve licked an ashtray (I guess you didn’t have to ask after all). Seriously though, it’s been a good two minutes and the finish is still vibrant with cigarette ash and minty toffee candies.

Five minutes later, my palate feels like I spent last night smoking a whole pack of cigarettes down at the pub. That’s from a single one-ounce pour.

The Bottle:

This comes in Ardbeg’s classic, nearly black bottle. The label almost feels like a sci-fi pulp novels cover and sort of makes sense, given how different this whisky truly is.

Bottom Line:

I wanted to say I hated this and would never drink it again. But there’s something there that kept me going back in for more. None of these things should work together. But it’s so out there that it grabs your attention and you can’t look away.

That all said, if any of those more “out there” flavor notes sound off-putting, then yeah, this is going to be hard to swallow. If you’re looking for something that’s not like anything else (maybe ever), then… give this a shot? We’re vouching for the craft here but not necessarily the flavors.

Ranking:

I honestly don’t know. This is one of the most unique whiskies I’ve tasted in a while. It’s brilliant in that respect. But, wow, this is a hard sell unless you both love crazy whiskies and are willing to go down a wild flavor path.

This is a true 50/50. Either you’re going to be obsessed with it or hate it to your core. It’s such an outlier that I refuse to offer a score. But, to be honest, I will probably revisit most of the Ardberg expressions on my shelf multiple times before I dive into this again.

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The Best New Hip-Hop This Week

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from 2 Chainz, Saba, Yo Gotti, and more.

This week saw the releases of tracks like NLE Choppa’s “Stompin,” Juice WRLD’s “Cigarettes” and “Go Hard 2.0,” Nardo Wick’s “Me Or Sum” video with Future and Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj’s “Do We Have A Problem?” featuring Lil Baby, YG’s “Scared Money” featuring J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo, and Snot’s “Doja” with ASAP Rocky along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending DATE TK, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

2 Chainz — Dope Don’t Sell Itself

2 chainz dope don't sell itself cover
2 Chainz

If 2 Chainz’s latest is his trap rap swan song as promised, he’s going out on a high note with this 14-track masterpiece. He certainly seems dead set on passing the torch, bringing along neophytes like Lil Baby and Roddy Ricch for the ride. There are also nods to the past, such as on the “Laffy Taffy”-sampling “Neighbors Know My Name,” bringing everything full circle.

Baby Money — Easy Money

baby money easy money cover
Quality Control

Quality Control’s newest signee hails from Detroit and his first project bears all the hallmarks of his hometown’s swinging sound, with a fine layer of that glossy QC polish. By now, it should be no surprise that the Atlanta label is so gifted at unearthing diamonds in the dirt, as demonstrated by prior finds like City Girls, Lakeyah, and Lil Baby.

Saba — Few Good Things

saba few good things cover
Pivot Gang LLC

Four years ago, Saba released the critically hailed Care For Me, earning the respect and adoration of thousands of rap fans who found their dreams and fears reflected in his poetic storytelling. With his long-awaited follow-up, he set out to create the anti-Care For Me, dwelling on more earthly affairs and an optimistic outlook, but it’s every bit as worth listeners’ time.

Yo Gotti — CM10

yo gotti cm10 cover
CMG

After months of delays, the Memphis rap kingpin finally put out his double-disc effort this week. Intriguingly, it only bears 22 tracks — which has become more or less standard in the streaming era — and only offers a handful of features from CMG recruits 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta, EST Gee, and Moneybagg Yo.

Singles/Videos

03 Greedo — “Pourin” feat. BlueBucksClan

Greedo’s been locked up for three years and somehow still finds a way to collaborate with one of LA’s hottest up-and-coming groups. Repurposing 2005 Texas classic, “Flossin” by Mike Jones, Greedo’s old material still sounds fresh alongside BlueBucks’ casual punchlines.

22Gz — “Said It’s Lit”

The New York drill movement never really took off the way it seemed like it would, but rather than stalling out, it’s settling into a regional groove wherein artists like 22Gz can really thrive without the pressure of living up to the colossal peaks reached by the late Pop Smoke.

Big30 — “Protest”

Somewhere in the course of the last two years, Memphis seemingly shifted the center of trap rap’s gravity from Atlanta to itself, thanks to the efforts of burgeoning stars like Big30, Key Glock, Moneybagg Yo, and Pooh Shiesty. “Protest” offers a pretty great example of why.

BEAM — “Planet BEAM”

Admittedly, this cat hasn’t really been on my radar aside from some offhand references and guest appearances, but his new album is out today, and he’s got a rather captivating flow on his breakout single, switching from crackling rap to the rude boy flair of Jamaican patois.

Cousin Stizz — “LBS”

Stizz has been so consistent over the past several weeks building up to the release of his next album, Just For You, due next week. “LBS” keeps the vibe going.

Doe Boy — “I A Do It”

Doe Boy takes a victory lap after releasing his new album Oh Really? last week, sharing this mildly comedic video for one of the album’s standout tracks.

Stunna Gambino — “Evil”

At just 19 years old, Washington Heights, New York-bred Stunna Gambino has carved out a fairly impressive amount of attention economy real estate in a relatively short span, and he continues to show a lot of potential on “Evil.”

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

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We Asked Bartenders To Name Their Favorite Shots Of Tequila

Tequila is an interesting elixir. The Mexican-made agave-based spirit has had a full-on renaissance in recent years, with more and more refined, high-quality, and sometimes pricy expressions being released. And while there’s certainly a place for slow sipping a well-made tequila on the rocks or neat, this vegetal spirit is also great for shots.

If you’re using a tequila for shots, there’s a pretty good chance you aren’t going to grab a bottle of añejo or extra añejo. Blanco (or silver, plata, or white) tequila and reposado expressions are the way to go. Also, you should stay far away from anything that comes in a plastic bottle with a handle and is less than the price of a Starbucks latte. Why torture yourself?

There are a lot of good-value tequilas that are perfect for a nice evening shooter. To find the best, we asked a handful of notable bartenders to name their favorite tequilas for shots. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.

1800 Silver

1800 Silver
1800

Kevin Smith, food and beverage manager at The Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg, Florida

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $27

Why This Tequila?

1800 Silver Tequila is double distilled from 100 percent Blue Weber agave. That gives it a well-rounded and fruity flavor. This tequila is so refreshing and smooth, making it a perfect and easy shot, especially when followed by a lime.

Casamigos Reposado

Casamigos Reposado
Casamigos

Eric Cohen, lead bartender The Kimpton Sawyer in Sacramento

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $47

Why This Tequila?

Casamigos Reposado is my pick for a tequila to shoot. It is very smooth, decently priced, and one of the best reposados I’ve tried. Vanilla and caramel are the two flavors that stick out most.

Nosotros Reposado

Nosotros Reposado
Nosotros

Alejandro Mendoza, restaurant and bar manager at Hotel SLO in San Luis Obispo, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

Why This Tequila?

Nosotros Reposado is my pick for shots, It goes down easy but also has a great flavor profile of vanilla and vegetal agave sweetness. It’s aged in French oak, which gives it a sweet taste.

Don Fulano Blanco Fuerte

Don Fulano Blanco Fuerte
Don Fulano

Nick Gergen, beverage director at Juniper and Ivy in San Diego

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $45

Why This Tequila?

Don Fulano Fuerte would be my choice for a neat pour to sip and enjoy or as a shot. It’s the high proof bottling of their blanco and shows more vegetal notes in it which I’m keen on in my agave spirits.

Ocho Plata

Ocho Plata
Ocho

Eric Johnson, beverage director at Waverly in San Diego

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $49

Why This Tequila?

I prefer a tequila like Ocho Plata to sip on. I’d shoot it, but it is a bit pricy. There are flavors of black pepper, tropical fruit, and hints of earthiness but that can change year to year based on the farming locations. This slow-cooked artisanal tequila is pure and will not have any additives.

El Sativo Blanco

El Sativo Blanco
El Sativo

Josh Curtis, bar director at Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

Why This Tequila?

El Sativo Blanco is an organic tequila because they are following proper artisanal practices that shine through in the natural flavors of the agave plant and not a lot of additives. That also means that you won’t be wrecked when you wake up the next day.

Espolon Blanco

Espolon Blanco
Espolon

Christopher Devern, lead bartender of Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

Why This Tequila?

This 100 percent agave tequila won’t break the bank and won’t leave you with a massive hangover like some cheap tequilas are known for. No promises depending on how many shots you plan on taking though! Please drink responsibly.

There are floral/sweet agave notes on the nose with some tropical, vanilla, and peppery tasting notes.

Casamigos Blanco

Casamigos Blanco
Casamigos

Heather Buelna, lead bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay in San Diego

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $48

Why This Tequila?

Wow, there are so many different places to take people when they are looking for tequila. As Patron shots became more and more popular, that flavor profile tends to be what people think of when they are looking to shoot tequila. While I love a good Patron, for my money, I would rather sip (and sell) a Casmigos any day. It is so balanced with the agave notes and tropical fruits and it won’t have anyone making that “tequila face.”

Writer’s Pick: Patron Silver

Patron Silver
Patron

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $43

Why This Tequila?

There’s a reason Patron is such a big name in the tequila world. When it comes to shots, it’s difficult to beat the classic flavor of Patron Silver with its notes of vanilla beans, vegetal, sweet agave, and ripe pineapple. It’s smooth, mellow, and goes down easy every time. Isn’t that exactly what you want in a tequila shot?

Writer’s Pick: Fortaleza Blanco

Fortaleza Blanco
Fortaleza

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

Why This Tequila?

In a world of harsh, burning tequila shots that are choked down quickly, Fortaleza Blanco is a peppery, sweet, and slightly smoky oasis. It’s just as good as a shot as it is on the rocks or as the base for your favorite tequila-centric cocktail. It’s definitely a versatile bottle.

Editor’s Pick: Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Platino

Reserva De La Familia Platino
Cuervo/Proximo Spirits

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $63

Why This Tequila?

Yes, I’m calling out a Cuervo as one of the best tequila shooters you can get. But this isn’t any old average Cuervo. Reserva De La Familia Platino is the good stuff that’s made low-and-slow in one of the oldest still operating distilleries in the Americas. This unaged tequila is made from estate-grown agave grown right outside of Tequila, Mexico. After close to ten years, the pinas are harvested and trucked into the center of Tequila where they’re slow-roasted in fire-heated brick ovens. Those roasted pinas are then shredded and sent into open fermenters for an extra-long fermentation before double distilling in old-school stills.

The result is a truly phenomenal white, or blanco, tequila that truly wows. From the nose, every stereotype one might have about white tequila is dispelled thanks to a matrix of freshly cracked black pepper spicing up fatty cottage cheese curds next to apples soaked in fresh and floral honey with a hint of fresh green herbs sneaking in the background. The palate leans into those peppercorns but counters it with floral honey sweetness, savory pumpkin flesh, and a dry layer of baled hay. The finish lingers for just the right amount of time while settling into freshly ground cinnamon, a touch of dried hibiscus, and a soft honeycomb.

Trust me, you won’t need any lemon or salt with this one. — Zach Johnston

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Why Did Damian Lewis Leave ‘Billions’ After Season 5?

Showtime’s Billions returned for its sixth season last month, but the series was missing some of its familiar faces.

Damian Lewis played Bobby Axelrod, the ambitious hedge fund manager of Axe Capital. Lewis announced he would be departing the series to spend more time with his family in London, where season five of the series was filmed. Lewis’ wife, actress Helen McCroy, died of cancer last spring.

At the end of season five, Axelrod fled to Switzerland. Director Brian Koppelman did say the departure was open-ended. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said, “The goodbyes on Billions and the hellos on Billions are never permanent; nothing is etched in stone. But that said, Damian’s time as a regular on Billions has come to an end.”

“We feel really honored and lucky to have had five years of being able to know that Damian Lewis was Bobby Axelrod,” Koppelman added. “But, again, not saying it’s goodbye forever.” So, there is still hope that Axe will return one day, perhaps if they move production to London? On this is for sure, fans are definitely missing him from the current Billions season.

The actor has been cast in a limited series titled A Spy Among Friends, alongside Guy Pierce. No release date has been set.

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As It Turns Out, Robin Thicke Did Not Storm Off The Set Of ‘The Masked Singer’ Out Of Principle, After All

The Masked Singer cinematic universe just seems to get weirder and weirder as the seasons progress. The show reached a new low when disgraced former New York City mayor and occasional attorney to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani was unmasked last week on the game show. Many people did not like that.

Celebrity judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke reportedly stormed out after the reveal. As it turns out, Thicke followed only to check on Jeong, his friend and co-star, not in any sort of act of protest. Jeong, on the other hand, was pissed off. A source close to the show told People Magazine, “Ken felt disrespected and was livid to see Rudy was under the mask which is why he walked off. There’s no way he could hide his feelings.”

The source also confirmed that Thicke did not run off stage because of Guiliani. “Robin actually followed him because he and Ken are very close friends and he wanted to check on him. Robin didn’t storm out because of Giuliani.” Thicke ran after his pal Jeong to make sure he was okay, but definitely not because of various questionable, bad and dangerous things that Giuliani has done (there are a lot).

Jeong famously worked as a doctor before becoming an actor, which is reportedly part of the reason he was upset about Giuliani being on the show, since the former attorney was a part of the Trump administration which mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic from the start.

According to the source, other judges Jenny McCarthy (who is a known for her strong stance against vaccines, which could be a coincidence) and Nicole Scherzinger stayed around to chat with the former Trump staffer.

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A First Look At 2022’s Super Bowl Sleepover Suite At SoFi Stadium

Whether you’re a passionate football fanatic, a game day appetizers connoisseur, or you’re just excited to see some of hip-hop’s biggest names take the half-time stage (performers include Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar), chances are you’re tuning in to Super Bowl LVI next weekend.

The LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals are going head to head Sunday, February 13th at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the world is hyped. Especially the people sleeping here:

Super Bowl 2022
Chloe Caldwell

To celebrate the Super Bowl and all of the travel, parties, and game-day festivities that come with it, Courtyard by Marriott transformed a SoFi Stadium box suite into a classic Courtyard hotel suite as a part of the 2022 Super Bowl Sleepover Suite contest. Fans entered by sharing their most cherished NFL experiences involving travel, and one winner was selected to spend the night before the game in the iconic Super Bowl Sleepover Suite.

Taylor Lautner, a long-time NFL fan and star of the new Netflix football flick, Home Team, partnered with Courtyard for the Sleepover Suite’s big reveal.

Super Bowl LVI
Taylor Lautner x Courtyard by Marriott

“I’m a die-hard NFL fan,” Lautner tells UPROXX. “You can’t buy this experience. It’s only provided and I would do anything to win this. This is such a cool experience to be the first people to wake up on Super Bowl Sunday in SoFi Stadium. It’s like a dream.”

To say we’re jealous of the winning contestant is an understatement. While they’re living out their Super Bowl Sunday dreams, we’ll be stuffing our faces full of Super Bowl weekend snacks and pitchers of beer.

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Report: The Nets Are Open To Discussing A James Harden Trade With The Sixers Ahead Of The Deadline

There’s been a whole lot of smoke in recent weeks about the Philadelphia 76ers trying to pursue James Harden when he hits free agency this summer. According to a new report by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Philly might be able to get a reunion between Harden and Daryl Morey a little bit earlier than that.

Charania reports that the Sixers are expected to see if they can convince the Brooklyn Nets to part ways with their star guard. The catch: Brooklyn is apparently open to the idea of having a conversation, one that would theoretically involve sending Ben Simmons to the Nets.

With the NBA trade deadline just days away on Feb. 10, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the coming days and the Nets are believed to be open to discussing a deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic. There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden this week, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package. Still, there’s no urgency for Nets officials, who have had the steadfast belief that the current core, as is, has the means necessary for a championship. However, it’s believed that an opening exists should an offer elevate the team and make the roster more well-rounded as the franchise pursues a championship.

The two teams are heading in different directions right now. While Philly has not had Simmons’ services this season as he looks for a trade, the Sixers have won seven of their last 10 and moved to third place in the Eastern Conference, with only one game separating them and the 1-seed. The Nets, meanwhile, have dropped six in a row and have fallen all the day down to sixth place, and there’s only a 1.5 game cushion between themselves and a spot in the play-in tournament.

Previously, it had been reported that Brooklyn wasn’t interested in taking calls on Harden before the deadline.