ESPN decided to try something a little different in its never-ending quest to find the best possible foil for Stephen A. Smith on First Take, enlisting the services of longtime radio and television hollerer (not a word but it applies here) Chris “Mad Dog” Russo one day a week. Mad Dog is a decorated veteran in the “yelling at others about sports” genre of entertainment, and is, in theory, the perfect person to go 12 rounds in a heavyweight bout with Smith.
It’s only been a few weeks, but so far, the duo have gone together like peanut butter and jelly. Our latest example of this came on Wednesday morning, when the pair were given a pretty general debate topic on the heels of the Golden State Warriors’ 129-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night — “Does Steph Curry have more to prove this season?” — and it turned into pure television gold.
“To me, he does,” Russo said.
“WHAT?” Smith asked with a tone of voice that appeared to mix disgust and intrigue about the road he was about to travel.
Russo then made his case for why he believes that Curry is not one of the 10-best players in NBA history — it more or less revolves around the championships Curry won, how he wasn’t the MVP in 2015 (while also noting injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving really hurt the Cleveland Cavaliers), and how Kevin Durant got them over the top in the other two.
“He’s fun to watch, he’s a wonderful shooter, unbelievable ball-handler, we all know he’s an all-time great,” Russo said. “But immortality is what I’m talking about, and right now, in my eyes, as a sports fan, when you tell me 30 years from now, ‘Well, is Stephen Curry an immortal?’ I look at championships, the big spots, and I say no.”
Smith responded with the same level of disgust that a person usually saves for when, like, their electric bill is way higher than they expected. The pair engage in the sort of parley that is only possible when two masters of a very specific craft go head-to-head before Mad Dog puts his foot on the gas.
“Let’s go through ’em!” he screams in an attempt to establish that Smith, in a First Take rarity, is not defining the terms of engagement in this particular battle.
“Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” Smith says with the understanding that this is his show, and that someone is attempting to come onto it with an eye on defeating him. “We got MJ, we got LeBron…”
“I DO THE ASKIN’,” Russo interjects. “I’LL DO THE ASKIN’.”
Smith cedes ground, at which point Russo begins flying through names. In a series you need to win for your life, he proposes, would you take Curry or Larry Bird?
“Don’t even GO THERE!” he screams as Smith takes a moment to ponder. “Don’t even go there!”
After laughing and composing himself, Smith admits that he is not able to “go against a healthy Larry Bird.” Magic Johnson? Well, Smith tried to define the debate on his terms — Johnson is the greatest point guard, while Curry is the greatest shooter. But as Russo has made abundantly clear, we are in his world now.
“WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SHOOTING,” he says while clapping his hands and then pretending to shoot a basketball. “I’M TALKING ABOUT WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS. SERIES ON THE LINE, YOUR LIFE’S ON THE LINE. YOU WANT MAGIC, OR YOU WANT CURRY?”
Smith once again concedes that, yes, Russo has bested him. The conversation turns to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — this one is quick, as Smith says “of course” he’d take Abdul-Jabbar.
And then, we reach the apex of this conversation.
“You want [Bill] Russell, or you want Curry?” Russo asks, perhaps unaware of how things are about to turn. Smith takes a moment or two to think, and if we have learned one thing amid all of this, it is that Russo only needs a shred of daylight to pounce.
“Aw, come on, he won 11 championships in 13 years!” Russo proclaims as a gigantic smile comes across his face.
What he perhaps didn’t expect was that Smith would, likewise, start smiling. After several rounds of getting tagged by haymakers, it stands to reason that Smith’s smile stems from a place of understanding how to dodge them and respond with a combination of his own.
“Wait a minute, he’s never averaged 18.5 points in his career,” Smith says as the smile on Russo’s face turns to shock.
“IT’S BILL. RUSSELL.” Russo screams.
“Listen, listen, listen, listen,” Smith says, his hands forming a “T” to signify a timeout. “Listen, he’s the ultimate champion. You see, he’s trying to get me to be disrespectful to the ultimate champion, I’m not gonna do that. What I’m saying to you is, Bill Russell never averaged more than 18.5 points per game in his career, but he was an elite rebounder and defender. My argument to you is, if you give me all the offense in the world, why am I worried about defense? I’m not worried about defense! So guess what, I might not do that! If you’re gonna ask the question that way, what do I need. That’s what I’m askin’!”
A back-and-forth engages as Russo explains that he had problems with his headset and he cannot hear what Smith just said, a claim that Smith dismisses entirely. Russo proceeds to wrap up his argument, saying Curry cannot be put ahead of Bird, Johnson, “the three centers,” Jordan, James, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant. It was at this point he unveiled one more trick buried up his sleeve.
“You want me to go to Nowitzki!?” Russo asked.
“YES!” a flabbergasted Smith responded. “Don’t go to Nowitzki and them! Don’t go to Nowitzki and them!
“But he does,” Smith continues, “have me on those veterans.” The segment then ends. It is unclear exactly why this debate played out this way, or why it was held on March 2, 2022, but I am very glad it did.
Getty Image / Alex Livesey – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
A new festival celebrating women in music, food, and comedy will launch this summer in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Versa Festival boasts a line-up of women artists, chefs, and comedians across five different stages over the course of two days. Festivities kick off Saturday, June 11th and continue into Sunday, June 12th.
In the musical line-up are Ellie Goulding, Kim Petras, Young MA, Big Freedia, Liz Phair, and Kali Uchis. Meanwhile, delivering laughs are Chelsea Handler, Ilana Glazer, Aida Rodriguez, and Sydnee Washington. Chefs will be announced at a later date, however, the line-up and dishes are set to be curated by Top Chef judge Gail Simmons.
“Versa is a one-of-a-kind live experience that will bring people together for a purpose – to remind women of their value and their voice,” said Shelley Phillips, Executive Producer and Partner of Four Leaf Productions, in a statement. “It’s exciting to build something that offers people a chance to have a good time and fight the good fight, all at once.”
In addition to music, comedy, and food, Versa Festival will also feature lectures from the likes of Gloria Steinem and Alok Vaid-Menon. A Versa Ball, inspired by ballroom culture, hosted by ballroom icon Leggoh JohVera, will also take place at the festival on a to be announced date.
Tickets are available for purchase here. Check out the line-up poster below.
When Michael Porter Jr. was sidelined with a back injury that derailed his 2021-22 season, the Denver Nuggets looked to be in significant trouble. The presence of reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic provided a high floor for the Nuggets but, with Jamal Murray already out in recovery from knee surgery, Denver’s previous intrigue as a title contender seemed to be waning. However, the Nuggets are playing some of the NBA’s best basketball as the calendar flips to March, and the latest injury provides real optimism that Denver could be back in the mix at the highest levels.
Denver closed February on the league’s longest winning streak, prevailing in the last six games, and the latest intel points to the potential that both Murray and Porter could be back for the playoffs. It has to be stressed that nothing is official for either player and, even if both can return to the floor, it isn’t a guarantee that either Murray or Porter will be the same player immediately that they were at their absolute peak. With that said, Jokic’s brilliant play this season gives the Nuggets a puncher’s chance against anyone, and Denver is on an extended run of high-level performance without the team’s No. 2 and No. 3 options.
The Nuggets are 21-9 since Christmas, posting a +6.4 net rating over that 30-game sample. The endpoints are arbitrary but, in short, Denver sports top-10 rankings on both offense and defense over the course of more than two months. Jokic is, by any definition, a top-tier MVP candidate, and he has arguably been better this season than last season. At this point, his on-off splits are the stuff of legend, with the Nuggets out-scoring opponents by 10.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor and losing by 8.6 points per 100 possessions when he sits. Regardless, Jokic’s statistical profile is outlandish, both in box-score numbers and advanced metrics, and he is carrying an obscene workload.
Beyond that, there is credit to be doled out to players like Monte Morris, who is filling in admirably for Murray, as well as Will Barton, Aaron Gordon and others. Jeff Green has given the Nuggets quality minutes in a depth role and, knock on wood, the team’s key pieces have remained healthy aside from Porter and Murray. There is perhaps reason for skepticism that the Nuggets are truly contenders right now based on the team’s place in the standings as they battle for the No. 5 seed, rather than home-court advantage. With that said, Denver was widely viewed as at least a peripheral contender at full strength, and the Nuggets have been (much) better than anticipated when accounting for the pair of high-profile absences.
Where does Denver stack up in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s explore the space.
1. Phoenix Suns (49-12, Last week — 1st)
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The Suns are on a two-game losing streak, and nothing is assured in the absence of Chris Paul. Phoenix remains in a comfortable position at the top of the heap, though, and the Suns will need to compile more losses to be in any danger of a drop. Devin Booker entering health and safety protocols makes the immediate road tricky, and their stranglehold on the West’s best record may not be quite as tight.
2. Memphis Grizzlies (43-20, Last week — 3rd)
Ja Morant erupted for 52 points in a memorable performance on Monday. That isn’t the reason Memphis is No. 2 in the pecking order now, but it certainly helps. The Grizzlies are 34-10 in the last 44 games and a Thursday showdown in Boston will be quite interesting to watch on a national scale.
3. Miami Heat (41-21, Last week — 4th)
The Heat are 9-1 in the last 10 games and perfect since the All-Star break. That leads to a two-game lead in the East, and there is a lot to be said for that. Miami may not be this good, but this is a team with a top-five net rating and a playoff-ready roster.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (37-23, Last week — 7th)
It is a tiny sample, but the Sixers are 2-0 with James Harden on the roster. Both wins came in dominant fashion (+22.2 net rating), and Joel Embiid continues to dominate. Philadelphia’s success may not be linear, but the early returns with Harden in the mix are positive, and he has a track record of getting on board and up to speed quickly.
5. Golden State Warriors (43-19, Last week — 2nd)
After fighting it off for a while, the Warriors had to drop this week. They blew a massive lead to Dallas before losing to Minnesota on Tuesday, and Golden State is 2-6 in the last eight games. Draymond Green’s status is the most important factor but, without him, they’ve been fairly ordinary.
6. Denver Nuggets (36-25, Last week — 10th)
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As discussed above, the Nuggets are rolling. Denver also has the next four games at home, including matchups with Oklahoma City and Houston to keep it going.
7. Utah Jazz (38-22, Last week — 9th)
Utah has the No. 2 net rating in the NBA, trailing only Phoenix. The Jazz also beat the Suns this week, even if one should acknowledge that Chris Paul might’ve helped Phoenix. Quin Snyder’s team is 8-1 in the last nine games and, really, the Jazz have been the team they were supposed to be when healthy. For example, Utah is 32-14 when Rudy Gobert takes the floor this season.
8. Boston Celtics (37-27, Last week — 5th)
Boston gets dinged for a bizarre 21-point loss to Indiana this week but, if you glance at the numbers, that was kind of a “no way” game when seeing what the Pacers shot from the perimeter. The Celtics then overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the Hawks on Tuesday, and Boston’s defense turned up the heat in the second half, even without Jaylen Brown. The Celtics continue to play at a high level, and they are within just three games of the No. 2 seed.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (37-25, Last week — 8th)
Kyrie Irving did play (and play well), but there isn’t much of an excuse for the Bucks losing to the current version of the Nets at home. That accounts for the minor drop in the pecking order here, and Milwaukee did throttle Charlotte on Monday to get back on track. Defensively, though, the Bucks haven’t been dominant lately and they need to find the top gear soon.
10. Dallas Mavericks (37-25, Last week — 11th)
Dallas is 21-7 in the last 28 games and, since MLK Day, Luka Doncic has been dominating. He is averaging 32-10-9 over a 19-game sample, and combined with a stingy defense, the Mavericks are playing quite well. Sunday’s road win over Golden State speaks for itself, but the Mavs also managed to pull one out of the fire in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
11. Chicago Bulls (39-23, Last week — 6th)
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Chicago was artificially high in the rankings last week as a result of a winning streak against bad teams. This is a harsh market correction given that the Bulls just lost to the Grizzlies and Heat, both of which are outstanding. Broadly speaking, Chicago’s defense isn’t playing at nearly the same level that it was early in the year, and that caps the ceiling, even if DeMar DeRozan is out of his mind.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (34-29, Last week — 14th)
Minnesota has wins over Memphis, Cleveland and Golden State since the All-Star break. Of course, the Wolves were blasted by the Sixers in the middle of that run, but it’s an overall positive nonetheless.
13. Toronto Raptors (34-27, Last week — 12th)
After losing four of five, the Raptors got right with a back-to-back sweep over Brooklyn. As we’ll touch on later, beating the current Nets isn’t a huge accomplishment, but Toronto needed those wins. They also have a three-game cushion over Brooklyn for the important No. 7 spot in the East.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-25, Last week — 13th)
Cleveland hasn’t been the same team lately, largely due to injury-related issues. The Cavs are 1-4 in the last five and, while this was already the case, Cleveland is now the most frequent answer for “which team at the top of the East do you want to play in the first round?”
15. L.A. Clippers (33-31, Last week — 17th)
In a bizarre scheduling quirk, the Clippers have played three of their last four games against Houston. That will pad the win column under any circumstances, and it did so here with a four-game winning streak. I’m not sure we learned anything about L.A., but the wins count.
16. Brooklyn Nets (32-31, Last week — 16th)
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March is here, and we still don’t know much about the Nets. Kevin Durant hasn’t played since Jan. 15, and Brooklyn is 5-16 since then. Ben Simmons is still ramping up and seems further away than anticipated, and Kyrie Irving still can’t play at home. It’s a holding pattern still.
17. Atlanta Hawks (29-32, Last week — 15th)
The Hawks just can’t get it going. Atlanta led by 17 points in Boston on Tuesday, only to give it all back and lose another competitive game. On the bright side, the Hawks are 12-7 in the last 19 games and six of the seven losses are against quality opponents. Unfortunately, the Hawks dug a sizable hole with a slow start, and they can’t keep losing tight ones, even against good teams.
18. New Orleans Pelicans (25-36, Last week — 22nd)
CJ McCollum is averaging 28-6-6 since joining the Pelicans, and he is riding a 63 percent true shooting clip. That almost has to regress to some degree, but he’s been a difference-maker. New Orleans is 22-20 since a 3-16 start and a very solid 23-24 when Brandon Ingram is in uniform. They are also trying to win right now, and that is evident.
19. San Antonio Spurs (24-38, Last week — 20th)
San Antonio beat Washington in double overtime and then hung with Miami all the way to the buzzer before losing respectably in Memphis. That was on-brand for the season in San Antonio, with the Spurs now 14 games under .500 but still out-scoring opponents through 62 games. Wild stuff.
20. Charlotte Hornets (30-33, Last week — 21st)
Having Charlotte in the top 20 is a nod toward a talented roster, but injuries and ineffectiveness remove a lot of optimism. The Hornets are 2-11 in the last 13, and a blowout win over Toronto this week is the reason Charlotte stays ahead of teams like Washington.
21. Portland Trail Blazers (25-36, Last week — 18th)
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The post-break reality smacked Portland in the face. The Blazers won four in a row in mid-February, defying logic of a team that is shifting to rebuild mode, but Portland just lost two games by a combined 69 points at home. The losses came to quality opponents, but that was a swift reminder of where this roster is right now.
22. Washington Wizards (28-33, Last week — 23rd)
It is almost unthinkable that the Wizards could be within one game of the play-in, but they are. Washington just finished a 1-2 week that wasn’t exactly impressive, but they held serve against Detroit on Tuesday, and the Wizards are… just lurking there.
23. Los Angeles Lakers (27-34, Last week — 19th)
Enough ink has been spilled on the Lakers recently but, in a word, yikes. Shaq openly discussed the potential that the Lakers have quit on Tuesday and, despite a valiant comeback effort, Los Angeles lost again. They are 3-10 in the last 13 games and 0-3 since the break, with each loss coming at home.
24. Sacramento Kings (23-40, Last week — 25th)
It’s not as if the Kings were good this week, losing the first two games after the break, but a lopsided win over OKC allows Sacramento to rise. That has more to do with what the Knicks did (see below) than anything, but De’Aaron Fox has at least 20 points in every game since returning on Feb. 8. It’s good to see him finding his groove again.
25. New York Knicks (25-36, Last week — 24th)
Woof. The Knicks are on a five-game losing skid and, since MLK Day, New York is 3-15 with a -6.8 net rating. That is dreadful, of course, and it is easy to forget the Knicks were one of the more positive stories in the league last season. A lot has changed in a short period of time.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (19-42, Last week — 26th)
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed almost a full month with injury, but he has shined since returning. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 32 points or more in each game since the All-Star break, including a 36-8-5-3-2 effort in a win over Indiana. Oklahoma City’s defense is also strong, but keeping SGA going, at least long-term, is vital.
27. Indiana Pacers (21-42, Last week — 27th)
In an effort to be positive, the Pacers thrashed the Celtics this week and hit 17 threes in that basketball game. Tyrese Haliburton is also playing well and, when Indiana’s key players are actually available, they can be competitive. The Pacers can also rack up the losses they need for draft reasons. It’s a win-win.
28. Orlando Magic (15-47, Last week — 29th)
Markelle Fultz returned to action on Monday for the first time in more than a calendar year. His presence won’t fix everything in Orlando, but the Magic have quietly won two in a row, even if both victories came at home against bad teams. The Magic still have more intriguing (and future-facing) talent than most teams near the bottom, and getting Jonathan Isaac back would be the next logical step.
29. Detroit Pistons (15-47, Last week — 28th)
The Pistons have technically won three of the last five! They almost beat Washington on Tuesday! There should really be a five-spot break in the rankings between Detroit and Houston right now, but it’s true that the Pistons have the NBA’s worst net rating (-9.5) for the full season.
30. Houston Rockets (15-46, Last week — 30th)
It probably shouldn’t be this bad in Houston, but it is. The Rockets have lost 1o in a row and 14 of the last 15. They are allowing more than 1.2 points per possession in those 15 games, and the growing pains can be felt across the league.
HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones recently wrapped up its fantastic second season, so you know what that means? That’s right: it’s bloopers time, folks.
Here are a few highlights from The Righteous Gemstones season two blooper reel:
-Danny McBride using “f*ck you” as a placeholder insult of the actual line
-John Goodman making this face
hbo
-Adam DeVine struggling to remember the names of his muscle men God Squad
-McBride losing it after asking Joe Jonas about his “favorite stuff” that he’s done
-Edi Patterson making an orgasmic noise that no word in the English language can possibly describe
-Walton Goggins nearly throwing out his shoulder after flipping the bird
-Patterson saying, “Eat this, that’s the leader’s jizz because we got both boners because we know about boners” while pantomiming giving her on-screen brother a handjob
-McBride, Patterson, Tim Baltz, and Cassidy Freeman puking on each other with hoses
The Righteous Gemstones: good show.
As for when it’s coming back for season three, first off, don’t be greedy. Season two just ended. Give them some time, OK? But if you must know, don’t expect another three-year gap like the break between seasons one and two (unless Baby Billy’s COVID cure actually causes COVID). Based on McBride’s previous HBO shows, Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals, season three should (hopefully!) premiere in 2023 or 2024.
Bandcamp, the artist-friendly music marketplace and content community, has been sold to North Carolina-based Epic Games. Epic is most notably behind the wildly popular game Fortnite, as well as the widely used game development environment Unreal Engine. You can go ahead and file this as a most surprising advancement in the independent music sphere. Terms of the deal with Epic have not been disclosed.
In a statement posted to the Bandcamp blog, CEO Ethan Diamond assured that “Bandcamp will keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music community, and I will continue to lead our team,” and that business should operate pretty much as usual for artists who sell their music and merchandise on the platform. To date, Bandcamp has issued close to $1 billion in payments to artists and labels and the Oakland-based company has been an integral disruptor in a music industry increasingly dominated by music streaming and major labels. Artists net an average of 82 percent of revenue from each sale, which represents a handsome sum compared to the tiny fractions of a penny that they claim via Spotify and other streaming platforms.
Diamond elaborated that “…Behind the scenes we’re working with Epic to expand internationally and push development forward across Bandcamp, from basics like our album pages, mobile apps, merch tools, payment system, and search and discovery features, to newer initiatives like our vinyl pressing and live streaming services.” He also said Epic was the right partner for this new venture because, “We share a vision of building the most open, artist-friendly ecosystem in the world, and together we’ll be able to create even more opportunities for artists to be compensated fairly for their work.”
To some, it may be a bit disconcerting that a company like Bandcamp — who have presented themselves as nothing short of fiercely independent — are selling out to a major player in the digital space, but this is the nature of the beast in 2022. You can only grow so much as a purely independent company and ultimately, you need more resources to scale up. While Bandcamp is promising to continue to provide a fair grounds for artists to sell their music, where you stand on either line in the sand of this sale is entirely up to you and your values.
Read CEO Ethan Diamond’s statement in full below:
“I’m excited to announce that Bandcamp is joining Epic Games, who you may know as the makers of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, and champions for a fair and open Internet.
Bandcamp will keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music community, and I will continue to lead our team. The products and services you depend on aren’t going anywhere, we’ll continue to build Bandcamp around our artists-first revenue model (where artists net an average of 82% of every sale), you’ll still have the same control over how you offer your music, Bandcamp Fridays will continue as planned, and the Daily will keep highlighting the diverse, amazing music on the site. However, behind the scenes we’re working with Epic to expand internationally and push development forward across Bandcamp, from basics like our album pages, mobile apps, merch tools, payment system, and search and discovery features, to newer initiatives like our vinyl pressing and live streaming services.
Since our founding in 2008, we’ve been motivated by the pursuit of our mission, which is to help spread the healing power of music by building a community where artists thrive through the direct support of their fans. That simple idea has worked well, with payments to artists and labels closing in on $1 billion USD. And while over the years we’ve heard from other companies who wanted us to join them, we’ve always felt that doing so would only be exciting if they strongly believed in our mission, were aligned with our values, and not only wanted to see Bandcamp continue, but also wanted to provide the resources to bring a lot more benefit to the artists, labels, and fans who use the site. Epic ticks all those boxes. We share a vision of building the most open, artist-friendly ecosystem in the world, and together we’ll be able to create even more opportunities for artists to be compensated fairly for their work.
Whether you joined Bandcamp recently or have been with us since the beginning 14 years ago, thank you for being a part of this incredible community, and we look forward to serving you for many years to come!
A slew of injuries, inconsistencies, and poor performances have brought the Los Angeles Lakers to 27-34 on the season, two games up on the 11th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently outside of the play-in tournament. Despite that, as well as Los Angeles losing 10 of its past 13 games, LeBron James remains understandably confident.
“We still have games to play,” he said in Tuesday’s post-game presser. “Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So, that’s my confidence.”
While Los Angeles has not played up to expectations, James is having another excellent season. Plus, it should be noted he and Anthony Davis have played a mere 21 games together this year, although the Lakers are 11-10 in those games.
Of course, nobody has to agree with James’ continued optimism, but his aim is a title and the only way to win one is to keep believing.
“At the end of the day, we got to come in here and win ballgames, and we got to play better,” James said. “… I hate losing. I feel like poop right now. But tomorrow is a new day, and I’m going to be prepared and ready for the Clippers on Thursday.
However, Kanye’s lawyers did have some conditions for agreeing to Kim Kardashian’s newly single status, although only one was granted. The right to any money that is supposed to be divided up will be preserved if either of them dies, but a request to prevent Kim from transferring assets she has in trust was denied, as was the final condition that Kim would waive her privilege to withhold any communications with a new spouse should she get remarried.
The two celebrities are now officially single, but it remains to be seen whether that stops Kanye from making overtures to reconcile via social media or haranguing Pete Davidson, Kim’s new beau.
Rum has yet to captivate the mainstream in the way whiskey has. Okay, fine, it’s not even close. Even the dark, aged expressions don’t have anything approaching bourbon-level devotion among fans here in the US. And white rums are often relegated to being mixers — the base for drinks like the mojito and daiquiri or even more sugary tiki concoctions.
That’s a shame because there some very tasty white rums on the market. Sure you have your old standards, Bacardi being foremost among them, but there are also smaller brands emerging that exhibit a deep commitment to craft. You can even have aged white rums — which spend a few months or years in the barrel only to have the caramel color removed using charcoal filtration techniques.
All of this nuance means there’s plenty of variation between expressions to warrant a blind taste test. So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Our lineup today includes:
Captain Morgan White Rum
Havana Club Anejo Blanco
Wray & Nephew White Rum
The Real McCoy 3-Year-Old Rum
Bacardi Superior White Rum
Banks 5 Island Rum
Don Q Cristal Rum
Cruzan Aged Light Rum
Let the white rum sampling commence!
Part 1: The Taste
Taste 1
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this rum’s nose. There are notes of coconut, tropical fruits, and citrus peels. It’s slightly oaky and full of vanilla. The palate is highlighted by sweet sugar cane, more tropical fruit flavors, slight spice, and a gentle, dry, warming finish that left me craving more.
Overall, it’s a decent rum that I would try again.
Taste 2
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
While not overly abundant with aromas, the nose did have hints of ripe pineapple, toasted vanilla beans, toffee, and rich, oaky wood. Drinking it brought forth flavors like coconut chocolate, more vanilla, sugarcane, gentle wintry spices, and more light fruity flavors throughout. The finish was dry, sweet, and warming.
Taste 3
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, this rum is surprisingly dull with slight aromas of sugary vanilla and maybe just a tickle of cracked black pepper. But that’s really pushing it. The palate was slightly more flavorful with light pineapple, cane sugar, and some vanilla.
All in all, it’s a pretty bland and unexciting rum, to say the least.
Taste 4
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
In the absence of color, this rum’s nose let me in on the flavors I was in for. Aromas are fruity, sweet cinnamon, molasses, and full of vanilla beans. The palate continues this trend of surprising my senses with notes of ripe pineapple, coconut meat, sugar cane, vanilla beans, and gentle, oaky spices that tie everything together nicely.
Taste 5
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This rum smells like a dark rum. There are notable aromas of butterscotch, treacle, vanilla beans, and a slight fruitiness. The palate continues this trend with notes of dried fruits, vanilla cream, brown sugar, caramelized pineapple, and gentle baking spices. Overall, it’s a very flavorful white rum.
Taste 6
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
There isn’t much smell to this rum besides a sweet, saccharine sugar smell. It’s like someone made a simple syrup and then told you it was rum. There might be faint vanilla in there too, but it might also be my imagination. The palate followed suit with more teeth-aching sweetness with a slight treacle flavor.
Honestly, this rum tasted like pure sugar with a hint of alcohol heat.
Taste 7
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This is a surprisingly fruity rum on first nosing. Ripe pineapple, sweet banana, and dried fruits met my nostrils. On top of that, there were scents of vanilla beans and gentle wintry spices. Sipping it revealed more vanilla cream, buttery caramel, raisins, more ripe fruit flavors, berries, and just a hint of cracked black paper to add a little spice into the mix.
Taste 8
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This rum had a bit of a funky smell, and I could tell it was very high proof. I also noticed the aromas of molasses, vanilla beans, and maybe some cinnamon but not much else. The aromas were definitely overshadowed by the alcohol heat. Sipping it almost knocked me completely out of my chair.
Once I got past the overwhelming alcohol taste, there were notes of vanilla, caramel, molasses, and a slight fruity flavor. Overall, the alcohol was a bit too much to handle though.
There are few more well-known rums than Captain Morgan, but name recognition doesn’t necessarily equal value. This rum was created to be a mixer. This sugarcane-based rum was distilled five times in an effort to remove any harsh qualities and create a smooth, mixable rum and not much else.
Bottom Line:
I didn’t enjoy sipping this rum at all and really wasn’t surprised when I learned that it was Captain Morgan. It’s definitely not for sipping.
Like Captain Morgan, Bacardi is a massive name in the rum game. Its iconic white rum was created in 1862 by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó. It took him ten years to perfect the recipe. Designed to be mixed with, but not lost in the shuffle, it’s still one of the most popular white rums today.
Bottom Line:
Once again, I wasn’t surprised to see Bacardi land so low on the list. It’s cheap, available everywhere, and is an acceptable mixer. That’s all though.
This is a bold punch to the gut rum with 63 percent alcohol. You’re really not supposed to drink this neat. This award-winning, classic white rum has been made the same way in Nassau Valley in Jamaica since the 1800s in small batches.
Bottom Line:
Wray & Nephew doesn’t mess around. This high-proof Jamaican rum has a ton of flavor. It’s just that it’s masked by having so much alcohol content. That’s great for the mixer that it is. But, come on, never drink this straight.
If you’ve never tried Don Q, now is the time. Its popular cristal rum is distilled multiple times to soften and mellow it before it’s aged for between one and five years in American oak barrels. Then the amber color is removed while keeping the bold flavor.
Bottom Line:
I wasn’t very familiar with Don Q before this blind taste test, so I didn’t really know what to expect. While the flavor didn’t knock my socks off, it’s definitely a decent mixer or sipper (if you enjoy sipping white rum neat).
This St. Croix-produced rum is made with a blend of various rums aged between one and four years in barrels that formerly held bourbon. It’s then filtered to remove color and mellow out the taste. It’s cheap, always available, and definitely a bargain mixer to add to your bar cart.
Bottom Line:
This is by far the least expensive rum on this list and ranked among the best. That’s fairly telling. Price doesn’t always dictate quality. This is a decent mixer and I’d even sip it in a pinch.
This is a really complicated rum. It’s a blend of twenty or more different rums from (you guessed it) five different “islands”: Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana (although technically a landlocked country), and Java. It’s aged between three and five years and then the color is removed through charcoal filtering.
Bottom Line:
I definitely expected Banks 5 Island Rum to place high on these rankings. It’s complex and flavorful due to the different rums present. It’s like taking a journey throughout the Caribbean and parts of South America in a glass.
When I hear terms like “añejo,” I usually just assume the bottle in question is tequila. In this case, it’s a way to differentiate between an aged and unaged rum. While not actually made in Cuba, this Puerto Rican rum is made using the original recipe from the Cuban Arechebala family. It’s aged for one year in oak barrels, blended, and then aged for another two months.
Bottom Line:
I’ve never had to privilege of trying the original Havana Club rum, but this Puerto Rican version definitely surprised me in overall flavor. It’s complex and mixable, but a rum I’d definitely sip neat as well.
Named for prohibition-era rum runner Bill McCoy, The Real McCoy 3-Year-Old Rum is produced at the well-known Foursquare Distillery on the island of Barbados. This blended rum is aged for a minimum of three years in ex-bourbon barrels before having its caramel color removed using charcoal filtering.
Bottom Line:
With a name like The Real McCoy, I should have known that this rum wasn’t messing around. It’s by far the most flavorful and complex of the rums on this list. I will definitely crack this one open for another taste.
It’s been about a year and a half since Phoebe Bridgers officially introduced her very own record label, Saddest Factory Records. The endeavor seems to have gone well so far, as the label is home to artists people really like, including Claud and Muna. Now, the Saddest Factory empire is expanding: Bridgers is launching Saddest Factory Radio, a monthly show on SiriusXM.
The program is set to feature Bridgers talking with artists, including her label signees, and introducing listeners to some of her favorite music. The show is set to premiere on March 3 (tomorrow) at 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on SiriusXMU (Channel 35), with further new episodes arriving on the first Thursday of each month.
“My favorite way to consume music is incidentally — something playing in the grocery store, an opening band I’ve never heard, a college radio station while trying to find signal on a road trip. I hope I can offer something like that to people who tune in. In my personal life, I have always had a radio show. Punishing my friends on road trips with hours of dirges and ambient music, I can’t wait to do it professionally.”
Kanye West allegedly may not want to divorce Kim Kardashian but it looks like he doesn’t mind enjoying himself while the two are going through their separation. After spending much of the early part of the year publicly dating actress Julia Fox, it looks like he’s found — well, not a replacement for Kim, but certainly a companion who fits a type. Kanye’s recently been seen out with a model named Chaney Jones, who some have described as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, and judging from a new social media post, it looks like they are more than friends.
After Kanye reposted a Shade Room photo of himself and Jones walking through a shopping center in Miami, Jones appeared in the comments to call Kanye “my love.” According to Complex, Jones also previously shared a selfie of the two together on her Instagram Story, adding fuel to the rumors that the two have been growing closer.
Prior to being linked with Jones, Kanye’s whirlwind fling with Julia Fox generated some truly bonkers headlines, including ones about their extravagant dates, and over the top gifts for her and her friends. When rumors began to circulate about the short-lived couples’ possible breakup, she confirmed them on no more auspicious an occasion than Valentine’s Day. It looks like some of Kanye’s theatricality may have rubbed off on her. Meanwhile, Kanye and Jones have yet to confirm that they’re dating, but if their social media activity is to believed, it looks like Kanye has met his match — at least for now.
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