Kansas City Chiefs quarterback did something no other player in football has successfully achieved: he killed the Madden curse.

Mahomes put the Chiefs on his back throughout the playoffs, engineering three significant come-from-behind wins. His 4^th quarter performance in the Super Bowl is a huge reason why the Chiefs were able to rally and stun San Francisco 31-20 and was the reason Mahomes captured the Super Bowl MVP. But there’s a Super Bowl MVP every year, but so far, no one has completely broken the curse.

For the longest time, football fans have generally understood that the cover athlete for EA Sports Madden franchise was, well, pretty much doomed. It’s a curse with few exceptions and more than a handful of major examples. There was Daunte Culpepper in 2002, Michael Vick in 2004, Shaun Alexander in 2007, and the list goes on. Troy Polamalu, Rob Gronkowski and Peyton Hillis are also victims of the curse.

The lone exception could be Tom Brady two years ago, but even that team, which was a heavy Super Bowl favorite, came up short. But then there was Patrick Mahomes…

∙ Three comeback playoff wins
∙ #SBLIV champion
∙ Super Bowl MVP

What Madden Curse? 🏆 @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/SaMaMZp690

— ESPN (@espn) February 3, 2020

“Madden curse” lol 😂 pic.twitter.com/qWgen4KAPK

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 3, 2020

😎😎😎 https://t.co/9iYIP8Ntmb

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 3, 2020

Patrick Mahomes put the talk of the Madden Curse to bed, forever, with his Super Bowl performance, capping an outstanding playoff run. And he looked pretty happy to be the curse slayer.

Patrick Mahomes enters the Chiefs locker room, goes around to each locker to slap five. pic.twitter.com/eXcgVJ6Hzb

— Andy Nesbitt (@anezbitt) February 3, 2020

And even though he didn’t mention it by name, we can assume the reason Paul Rudd, Chiefs superfan, is so happy here, is because the video game voodoo is over.

The happiest people in the stadium? Diehard @Chiefs fans Paul Rudd and his son Jack!@pschrags is on it: pic.twitter.com/QdIOsijQP7

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 3, 2020

And maybe Mahomes has created a new Madden trend, where every cover athlete leads their franchise to a crazy Super Bowl run.

Looks like it’s deja vu all over again.

It’s been 27 years since weatherman Phil Connors was stuck in the same day for the classic film Groundhog Day.

Fast forward to 2020 and he’s right back at that Punxsutawney bed and breakfast being jolted awake by Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” on the clock radio.

“Oh no,” he says. And it’s not long before he’s haunted by familiar faces from the past.

Only this time the tides quickly turn when he discovers a new ride and he embraces life on repeat with his furry little friend.

Everyone is a little older. And sadly, the movie’s beloved director Harold Ramis is no longer with us. But it’s obvious the makers of this commercial went through a lot of trouble to get all the details from the original film right.

Check it out below:

Jeep had released a few teasers leading up to the big reveal:

Phil and Phil have a heart-to-heart.

We missed you Ned:

Enjoy the big game!

Super Bowl commercials have a fine line to walk to be memorable. Try too hard to go for frat-boy joke clichés, and your millions of dollars are wasted in an instant. Go too hard for a positive or sentimental ad that doesn’t hit the right notes? You’re forgotten before people get to the water cooler the next day. Kill off an iconic mascot? Well, you could be in hot water before the spot even airs.

But Google, they did the thing with their Super Bowl ad.

Google’s emotional Super Bowl ad works because simplicity is the key. It’s not too flashy, it doesn’t smack you over the head, it lets the narrative flow through the elderly man narrating the spot. The commercial features a beautiful moment of the man remembering his late wife and all the little things that were part of their relationship. The “twist”, if you could even call it that, is the man is recounting stories of his late wife to his Google Assistant. And that way, the machine can remember and talk about the person his late wife was.

As the man tells his Google assistant different things about their relationship (Lorette hated his mustache, the way she laughed, the things hse liked), his AI-device remembers it. Supposedly, the ad is based on a real story of the grandfather of a Google employee.

“At 85, to an audience of millions, he’ll be making his film debut,” Google’s chief marketing officer said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier for him.”

It’s a simple love story, recounted through the years, and it hits all the right notes. Sweet, sentimental, but more celebratory than sad. Google has the first ad that seems destined to check the right boxes this Sunday (sorry, Planters), and maybe even bring a tear or two to your party.

There are but three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Marvel acquiring.

The media powerhouse, which itself was acquired by Disney in 2009, recently made a new acquisition with the Alien and Predator franchises, gearing up for a series of comic books based on the iconic sci-fi villains.

That’s right: going forward, the Xenomorph from Alien is effectively a Disney princess.

Today we were teased with a couple of pieces of concept artwork from David Finch, whose previous work can be seen in Batman comics.

“Alien and Predator are the two of the most identifiable, iconic characters of all time,” Finch told IGN. “I love them for that. But mostly, it’s being fortunate enough to be a kid when they were new. I’ve seen every movie they’ve ever been in, and I cannot wait to see them wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. I drew my pictures of them with a massive smile on my face.”

Here we see the Predator holding what’s either Iron Man’s mask or Tony Stark’s severed head. While this is insanely gnarly, it should be noted these characters won’t fully integrate with the Marvel Universe in this capacity, so don’t expect to see the Predator use its wrist blades on Hulk anytime soon.

And here we have Finch’s dope rendition of the Xenomorph from Alien, crouched, at the ready, fixing to bleed acid on anyone who dares cross her path.

“I can clearly remember where I was when I saw each of these modern masterpieces for the first time,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “Reveling in how both masterfully weave extraterrestrial dread and drama into some of the most iconic scenes we’ve ever seen on film. And it’s that legacy that we’re going to live up to!”

The Alien/Predator rivalry can be traced all the way back to 1989 when Dark Horse Comics released a series of crossovers.

The comics found a small but devoted audience, who we can only imagine were furious about the squandered potential of 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. In the right hands, that movie could’ve been a cinematic work of art. Instead we got… pyramids? Something to do with pyramids. Pretty tedious, in retrospect. Oh, and Antarctica. They were in Antarctica. Also a total missed opportunity to give us Alien vs. Predator vs. The Thing.

Maybe with Marvel Studios at the helm, fans of the franchises will get the AVP they deserve, but until then we’re very excited to see what they’re able to do with these beloved characters in the pages of their comic books.

Folks, we seem to be entering a crossover renaissance of sorts. We’ve watched the Transformers team up with My Little Pony. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joined forces with the Power Rangers. With boredom at an all-time high, there’s never been a better time to jam two things together and call it a day.

As if the Transformers haven’t already adapted to enough, now it’s been announced they’ll be pairing with Back to the Future’s Doc and Marty for a new toy and comic book from Hasbro. It’s brilliant: Doc Brown’s time machine is a car, Transformers love shape-shifting into cars. What took them so long?

Here we have Doc Brown’s trusty DeLorean. Flux capacitor, detachable lightning rod conductor. Everything seems to be in order.

Here’s where it gets good. DeLoreans are already easily mistakable for Transformers, as their trademark falcon-wing doors give off a real futuristic robot vibe. You see these doors open, you think nothing of it. Lulled into a false sense of security of your own making.

It continues unfolding until, finally, an Autobot reveals itself. Introducing…

GIGAWATT

Seriously, why wasn’t this already the hottest toy of the ’80s? Its Transformer name was right there.

You can also pick up a complimentary comic book, where you’ll find Marty McFly on the run from Decepticons, who’ve come to Earth in search of Doc Brown’s fabled time machine. Here’s a sneak preview of the cover:

And just for fun, Hasbro released this rad Back to the Future poster with Gigawatt in place of Marty.

There’s a limited number available. 1,985 to be exact, a nod to the year Back to the Future lent icon status. The pre-orders sold out in a flash. Luckily, you’ll get a second chance on HasbroPulse.com and at select retailers on Oct. 1, 2020, the day the comic book is set for release.

Back to the Future will be celebrating its 35th birthday today, so click here to celebrate with a list of fun facts you may not know about the trilogy!

Westworld was a big deal.

When the HBO series about theme park robots who slowly realized they were theme park robots premiered, it was to huge fanfare. The show had a big budget, a big cast that included Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, and a high concept that had it primed to take over from Game of Thrones as HBO’s flagship series.

Unfortunately, the story of the show never quite lived up to the initial premise. Despite HBO’s announcement of a fourth season, which may be even more sprawling and include a dragon-infested medieval setting, the show never caught on with the public the way they’d hoped.

Season 4 is rumored to be show’s last, and now the duo behind Westworld, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, have a new project in the works. And it’s just as promising as Westworld once was.

Screenrant, they’ll be tackling another adaptation of existing science-fiction material, the popular video game series Fallout, for Amazon Prime.

The Fallout series, which includes sequel and spinoffs that add up to more than 50 hours of gameplay, is set in the United States in the late 21st century after a nuclear war has changed everything.

Amazing describes the Fallout world as “one where the future envisioned by Americans in the late 1940s explodes upon itself through a nuclear war in 2077. The magic of the ‘Fallout’ world is the harshness of the wasteland set against the previous generation’s utopian idea of a better world through nuclear energy.”

The games each focus on a different region of the country and feature robots, radioactive monsters, and a sprawling cast of characters. There is a lot for Nola and Joy to work with, as they acknowledged, saying “each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends.”

They refer to Fallout as one of the greatest games of all time, a sentiment no doubt shares but its many fans, who’ve been waiting a long time for it to be adapted. There have been some false starts, but it seems like it’s finally going to happen, and that it could be on the air for quite a while, thanks to the trove of material there is to work with.

Let’s hope Nolan and Joy have better luck with this futuristic world than they had with their last one!

Remember when people were furious over Michael Keaton being cast as Batman, or over Daniel Craig being cast as James Bond, or over Ben Affleck being cast as Batman, or over Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman?

Wait ’til you get a load of this. To tide us over while we wait for a TWINS remake with Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage….

There’s a live-action big-screen version of Frosty the Snowman in the works, for some reason, and yesterday Deadline announced that the people behind the big-budget holiday flick have found the perfect person to play their walking balls of snow: Jason Momoa!

Before you start crying and beseeching God and lighting yourselves on fire, take a second to think about it. He’s already played Aquaman, and what is Frosty the Snowman is not a different kind of water? THE MORE YOU KNOW!

“From his role as a fearsome count in a land of ice and fire to the oceanic success we all had with Aquaman, it felt only right to realize Jason this time out of snow,” said producer Jon Berg.

The former and future superhero will only be voicing the snowman, so the role won’t be relying on his legendary brawn. Instead, it seems the people behind this movie focused more on Momoa’s inner warmth.

Producer Greg Silverman explained, “We know Jason’s as a true human being filled with love, compassion and a deep connection to ohana — all of which is the living spirit of Xmas and Frosty.”

I have to admit that I’m not well-versed in Frosty’s lore, having only the animated cartoons from my childhood to lean on. But I do remember the guy was quite friendly, as one would expect of a Christmas icon, and Momoa’s intimidating, smoldering looks aside, he does have a solid reputation as a good guy.

Let’s just hope all his hotness doesn’t melt the snow!

“When we first met and started dating, Spiro made a point to tell me he never wanted children. He wanted to make sure that was okay with me if our relationship were to go further. It wasn’t, but I really, really liked him.

A Greek immigrant, he arrived in Florida at the age of 13 with limited language skills and no understanding of American culture. Spiro was never given the opportunity to have a positive parental experience. Often hurt by the people who were meant to protect him, abandoned by those who were supposed to care, and forced to fend for both his own and his two younger siblings’ protection and well-being, it’s not hard to understand why he had so many negative feelings towards raising children.

Over the years, we married, bought a house, and watched our friends become parents. We’d spent nearly a decade creating a happy, harmonious life, but his disdain for becoming a father had started to wane. Thoughts of ‘what if?’ began to creep in, then settle.

One day, he said, “let’s try it.”

When I told him we were expecting, I never fathomed the overwhelming wave of change that would come over him. He was transformed. Our first daughter was born in November 2016, and she brought a whole new side of my husband with her.

Spiro swung open his closet doors, removed the skeletons, and replaced them with bedtime stories, bubble baths, and princess shoes. He threw every ounce of himself at being the most supportive, loving, strong, present father possible. Sometimes he cries when he looks at her (he’d hate me telling you that) out of sheer joy.

Today, instead of avoiding a place of pain, he is using his childhood as a road map of what to avoid, and for examples of whom he does and doesn’t want to be.

He is the absolute best father I know. And because of his strength, fortitude, and willingness to let go of what held him back, both he and our daughter are flourishing.

PS: I even got a second daughter out of him! She’s six months now and Spiro’s crushing the whole two kids thing, too!

– Jamie Cladio (Spiro IG: @spiridon23)

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.

There are few athletes in recent American history as provocative as Mike Tyson. The former heavyweight champion of the world was feared inside and outside of the ring, often as much for his erratic behavior as for his fearsome punching power.

Even aside from his legendary run as a boxer and his stint in prison, Tyson’s lisp, his face tattoo, and his strange proclamations (“I want to eat his children!”) made him a fascinating character. Despite a few documentaries and even a stage show, there has yet to be a biopic of the boxer. That may be about to change.

For six years now, a Mike Tyson movie project has been in the works, with Jamie Foxx set to star, but numerous delays and setbacks cast doubt on the fact that it will ever hit theaters. Now it seems like it may actually happen. Last week, Foxx was interviewed on Instagram Live by Hollywood producer Mark Birnbaum, and he confirmed that the movie is going forward, and he is indeed going to play the notorious boxer.

“It’s a definitive yes,” Foxx told Birnbaum. “Doing biographies is a tough thing. Sometimes it takes 20 years to get it done but we officially got the real ball rolling. I can’t wait to show people what it is.”

 

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The greatest of our generation for the hour Jamie Foxx

A post shared by Mark Birnbaum (@markbirnbaum) on Jun 17, 2020 at 4:30pm PDT

Foxx, a former comedian and gifted mimic who rose to prominence playing a quarterback in Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday and won an Oscar for portraying Ray Charles, is committed to some drastic weight change to transform himself into Iron Mike.

Speaking to Birnbaum, Foxx showed viewers a photo of his bulked-up physique discussed the work he’s doing to become the boxer, which includes 60 pull-ups, 60 dips, and 100 push-ups every other day as he aims to be between 216 and 230 pounds for the movie, which will portray Tyson through the years.

“I saw him at the height of his career, and then when things got bad and bumpy I also saw him as well. So what I’m excited about the movie is to show those moments,” he added. “I think everyone, young and old, will be able to understand this man’s journey.”

Tyson’s story is pretty insane, so it will be fun to see it on the big screen. Can Foxx pull it off? We’ll see. But we already know he can do the voice!