England fan Harrison Turner was tragically killed on May 30
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Harrison’s family held a banner in his honour outside the City Ground on TuesdayCredit: izzyrichardson instagram
Harrison was tragically killed after being struck while working on a motorway hard shoulder on May 30.
He suffered serious injuries and died at the scene of the crash close to the southbound slip road at junction 8 of the M1.
Harrison’s loving family organised for the minute’s applause to take place in the 26th minute in his honour.
Thomas Tuchel‘s side were leading 1-0 after Harry Kane slotted in his 73rd international goal in the seventh minute.
According to his family, the youngster was a huge England fan that went home and away.
He was also a big Chelsea supporter, regularly attending Stamford Bridge to cheer on the Blues.
A man, 58, from Luton, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
Det Sgt Ben Heath, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s loved ones at this difficult time.
“Our inquiries are continuing, and I am appealing for anyone with information to please come forward.
“Did you see what happened, or witness anything before the collision?
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their patience whilst we put road closures in place.”
Anyone who saw the crash, has information or dash cam footage has been urged to contact the police.
Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer and a cast that includes Method Man are put through paces by director Daniel Robbins for a comedy that feels devoid of freshness.
By the time Cuco arrived at Dodger Stadium on a recent Tuesday evening, thousands of fans were already lined up outside the venue’s gates, waiting to be let in.
Though the matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks wouldn’t begin for another two hours, these Doyer diehards made their way to Chavez Ravine early to catch the pre-game festivities. It was Mexican Heritage Night, and the team had plenty of entertainment planned for the fanbase that Fernando Valenzuela built: a mini-concert by the legendary La Original Banda el Limón de Salvador Lizárraga; a lucha libre exhibition; and the throwing of the ceremonial first pitch by Chavo Guerrero Jr., scion of the storied Mexican American Guerrero wrestling clan.
Luchadores perform in the outfield during Mexican Heritage Night at Dodger Stadium.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
To complete this hodgepodge of a cultural celebration, the Dodgers also asked Cuco to sing the national anthem, a fitting invitation given that the 26-year-old Inglewood-born and Hawthorne-raised artist, whose real name is Omar Banos, had just put out “Ridin’” (released May 9 via Interscope Records). The LP, his third, is an 11-track gem of L.A. Mexican Americana dripping with the ageless sounds of Chicano soul.
Donning a team cap, a long white tee, black shorts, Dodger blue Nike SB Dunk Lows and his trademark glasses, Cuco walked into the stadium entrance reserved for suite-level ticketholders accompanied by his manager and a social content creator. Despite a heat wave that raised that day’s temperatures into the high 80s, a black Dodgers windbreaker that he planned to wear later in the evening hung around his neck. Pinned to it was a button that contained a portrait of Jaime Mendoza, his late maternal grandfather.
“My grandpa was big on the Dodgers,” Cuco said, noting that it was because of him that his whole family rooted for the Boys in Blue.
Cuco wears a pin with his grandfather Jaime Mendoza’s picture at Dodger Stadium.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
As Cuco is escorted through the concrete bowels of Dodger Stadium by a pair of team publicists taking him to sound check, fans spot him and excitedly call out his name. Some even approach him for a selfie. When asked if he often gets recognized in public, the singer-songwriter chuckled.
“Yeah, if there’s a lot of Latinos around,” he quipped. “I’m always going to say yes to a photo. I’m never going to turn them down.”
It’s cliché for any artist to say that they’d be nothing without their fans, but this adage rings particularly true when it comes to Cuco. His loyal supporters, dubbed the “Cuco Puffs,” turned a former precocious marching band geek into a bonafide indie pop star.
He began his career in the mid-2010s by uploading Spanglish lo-fi love songs recorded in his childhood bedroom to Soundcloud and Bandcamp. Dreamy, synth-heavy ballads like “Lover Is a Day” (off of his first mixtape, 2016’s “Wannabewithu”) and “Lo Que Siento” (released as a single in 2017) quickly connected with countless bicultural, Gen Z Latinos, racking up millions of streams in the process. By the time Cuco started performing at backyard shows, he had packed crowds singing every lyric back at him.
Such was the hype around him that several labels got into a two-year bidding war to sign the unlikely teen idol with a ready-made fan base.
Cuco sings the national anthem before the Dodgers game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t need a label. The labels mostly need me,” Cuco told The Times in 2017. “Like, in no cocky way, the reality of it is labels stay up because of the artists.”
When Interscope finally won out in 2019, it was on the artist’s terms — Cuco inked a seven-figure deal that allowed him to retain ownership of his music and gave him the creative freedom to do what he wanted. He was 20 at the time.
That summer, he released his debut album, “Para Mi,” a notable first effort that paired a blissful sound — inspired by a slew of genres, including psychedelic rock, bossa nova, pop and quiet storm R&B — with lyrics that touched on loneliness and substance abuse (“Take this and fly away till the substance numbs the pain,” he sings in “Ego Death in Thailand”). The album’s first single, “Hydrocodone,” is a nod to the pain medication he was on after being involved in a near-fatal car crash while out on tour in 2018.
The year 2022 saw the release of “Fantasy Gateway,” an ambitious concept album heavily inspired by psych rockers Tame Impala that takes the listener to another dimension, featuring notable collaborations with artists like Mexico’s indie darling Bratty and fellow sadboi romántico DannyLux. “Sitting in the Corner,” recorded with música Mexicana crooner Adriel Favela and country singer Kacey Musgraves, is a space pop ranchera that yearns for a lover who has left.
“It’s the vibe, man,” he says of the musicians he chooses to work with. “It’s not really about artists being big or not. It’s just if I get along with them and they have cool ideas and it aligns with my personality.”
With “Ridin’,” Cuco delivers his most mature album to date. Produced by Thomas Brenneck (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse), the record is a neo-Chicano soul instant classic that pays tribute to the likes of Brenton Wood, Al Green and Smokey Robinson — soul and R&B artists from the ’60s and ’70s whose music has been adopted by lowrider and Chicano culture — all while maintaining that distinct Cuco sound, a perfect marriage between the old and the new.
The album’s opener, “ICNBYH” (an abbrevation of “I Could Never Break Your Heart”), would be at home in an “East Side Story” mixtape compilation. Cuco’s psychedelia roots are most apparent in songs like “Ridin’,” a track that feels like you’re cruising on a spaceship down Whittier Boulevard.
“I couldn’t really try to make something that sounded exactly like [Chicano soul]. I was hoping to embody that timelessness, but I had to work in the most authentic way possible so that it felt that way,” he said.
“I wanted to go for more natural sounds with the soul sound, but I think it’s just inevitable for me sometimes. I’m just going to end up doing some psychedelic parts with the music because that’s what I’ve always been.”
“Ridin’” is an album of the summer contender for anyone whose idea of summer means hanging out at the beach with all your friends — this exact scenario describes the music video for the album’s first single, “My 45,” which stars Mexican American actress Xochitl Gomez as a femme fatale.
And while the LP is teeming with enough vehicular references to make Bruce Springsteen jealous (the cover shows Cuco sitting on top of his 1989 Toyota Supra), Cuco says “Ridin’” isn’t strictly meant for the car.
“I’m hoping that [“Ridin’”] is something that’s interpreted however the listener chooses to interpret it, whether they’re ridin’ in your car, ridin’ for somebody or just ridin’ through life,” he says.
After sound check, Cuco made his way back to the suite level to wait for the rest of his party to arrive, which included his parents, Adolfo Banos and Irma Mendoza. The only child of immigrants, the artist has made it a point to share his success with them. Forgoing wearing anything in Dodger blue, the elder Banos donned a hoodie from his son’s latest tour. Mendoza showed up wearing a team hat and a striped shirt. Affixed to it was a button identical to her son’s. It was her idea; she had made them the night before.
Cuco gets a hug from his dad after singing the national anthem.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
As it got closer to game time, the singer was ushered down to the field once again. It was showtime.
Cuco poses with his parents before singing the national anthem.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“Please stand and remove your hats for the singing of the national anthem,” the stadium announcer said over the P.A. system. “Joining us today is Cuco, indie pop star from Hawthorne!”
Cuco took a beat before singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in his patented soft and mellow voice. His parents stood approximately 20 feet away, beaming with pride. After it was all over, the singer quickly made his way to them, and was met with smiles and hugs.
A minute later, a production assistant grabs Cuco for his final obligation of the night. He’s handed a microphone and is escorted back to where he performed the national anthem. He’s met by a congregation of luchadores who will act as a chorus as he delivers the phrase popularized by the legendary broadcaster Vin Scully — “It’s time for Dodger baseball!”
In the fall, Cuco will go on a nationwide tour to promote the album — he’ll be performing at the Greek Theatre on Sept. 15. But right now it’s summer and he’s ridin’ with his loved ones, about to watch a game the Dodgers will end up winning 4-3 in extra innings.
Want to succeed in reality show love? It might be best to keep your public life free of racial slurs.
“Love Island USA” contestant Yulissa Escobar, whose use of the N-word on a couple of podcasts surfaced over the weekend before the show’s rocky premiere Tuesday, was there and then gone in a heartbeat. A mere blip in love-competition TV’s continuum of smokin’ hot contestants.
She used the N-word casually and naturally in conversation, per video posted on Reddit and TMZ. She did not appear to be using it with disparaging intent — but the word is still racist on its face.
“They’re gonna get cancelled so bad and not like I care but they should be protecting them from mass cancellation like this by not casting them in the first place,” one Reddit user said.
Plus, Escobar had been partnered on the show with contestant Ace Greene, who is Black. Here’s how that selection went, according to Vulture: “The last to choose is Yulissa. I get the sense that someone once called her a ‘real firecracker’ and she’s been trying to live up to that ever since. She has clearly been waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble, so she aims her lips directly at Ace and they lock in. This goes on for a while.”
Before “Love Island USA” even premiered, fans and haters on social media were making plans to vote Escobar off as fast as they could. But the show beat them to it.
“Welcome back to ‘Love Island USA,’” narrator Iain Stirling said 18 minutes into the second episode of Season 7, which streamed Wednesday. “Yulissa has left the villa.” No other details were given.
“I can confirm Yulissa has left the villa,” a representative of the show told The Times on Thursday. No other details were given there either.
So viewers are left to connect the dots on their own — but seriously, those are some pretty huge, flashing-neon dots. Nobody needs that kind of attention, right? At least nobody in the reality TV business does.
The process to audition for “Love Island USA” seems fairly intense, with applicants asked off the bat for their social media usernames and quizzed as to whether they have an OnlyFans page or have ever done porn (sorry, they call it “Adult Film”).
The casting company also wants to know whether prospects have ever cheated on anyone, the location and meaning of any tattoos, whether they have any celebrity friends and whether their parents are still together.
There’s also this: “Is there any other information we should be made aware of concerning your application (including anything in your past that may attract negative press or publicity)? If YES, please provide details.”
Looks as if Escobar didn’t think her language was going to elicit negative publicity? But hey, Greene — who does have tattoos! — is now free to find fresh talent from among his remaining cast members.
As for that rocky premiere, “Love Island USA” fans got heated Tuesday when streamer Peacock posted on social media one minute after the planned showtime, “WE GOT A TEXT! Tonight’s episode will be slightly delayed. But it is worth the wait … Stay tuned!”
The fans packed Angel Stadium last week, erupting when the star emerged from the dugout during pregame warmups, chanting “M-V-P” in his honor during the game.
Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees had arrived in Anaheim, and the old ballpark was abuzz.
“Anywhere we play,” Judge said, “it’s a playoff atmosphere.”
Angels fans haven’t seen a playoff game in 11 years, so there were plenty of good seats available for Yankees fans. In the top of the first inning, Judge grounded out.
In the bottom of the first, the Angels’ star strutted into the spotlight. Zach Neto led off the inning by launching a 440-foot home run — the longest of his career — and flipping his bat so dramatically that Major League Baseball celebrated on social media.
The Angels lost the game, but their shortstop rose to the occasion in a way his team so often has not. We would say Neto is a star in the making, with pop in his bat and swagger in his game, but he already is a star.
An All-Star.
“One hundred percent. For sure. No doubt,” said Angels closer Kenley Jansen, himself a four-time All-Star.
Baseball turns its All-Star ballot live Wednesday, and there is no shortage of Dodgers players worthy of votes. If Judge does not get the most votes overall, Shohei Ohtani should.
Freddie Freeman entered play Tuesday batting .368, and he leads National League first basemen in WAR. Will Smith is batting .331 and leads NL catchers in WAR. Shortstop Mookie Betts and outfielder Teoscar Hernández figure to attract some votes, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto should be one of the pitchers selected.
The Dodgers had six All-Stars last year. The Angels had one: pitcher Tyler Anderson.
This year, Neto ought to be that guy. His 10 home runs lead American League shortstops. Among all major leaguers, only Ohtani has more leadoff homers than Neto.
“It’s a no-brainer he is our All-Star this year,” Jansen said.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto high-fives a fan before a game against the Marlins at Angel Stadium in May 24.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Neto is one of seven major leaguers with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in their last 162 games. The others: Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez and Kyle Tucker.
Lindor is the only other shortstop in the group. That makes Neto a star in a rather bright constellation.
“He’s a superstar in the making,” Jansen said.
Neto almost certainly would need to be voted in by his peers, or selected by the league office. Even his manager admits Neto has virtually no chance to be voted in by the fans.
Angels manager Ron Washington said Neto is “definitely” an All-Star but suggested Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, the runner-up to Judge as AL most valuable player last season, would be voted the starting shortstop.
“I think he is going to be the guy,” Washington said.
And Neto?
“They need some backup,” Washington said. “It doesn’t matter if you make the All-Star team as a backup. You made the All-Star team.
“I think he’s got the opportunity to do just that.”
Angels shortstop Zach Neto gives the safe sign as he slides on his belly across home plate ahead of the tag during a game against the Giants in April.
(Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles started at shortstop for the AL last season. Jeremy Peña of the Houston Astros has a better WAR than anyone in the AL except Judge, according to Baseball Reference. Jacob Wilson of the Athletics has a better OPS than Witt, and he is batting .355 — better than anyone in the majors besides Judge and Freeman.
“With all the shortstops out there, he is just going to have to bide his time,” Washington said of Neto. “Hopefully, he gets chosen.”
The fans select the starters, and the players in the AL and NL select the backups in their respective leagues. If the fans vote Witt, do enough AL players appreciate Neto’s game?
“Yeah,” Washington said, laughing, “because he bust their [butt].”
Said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: “Love him. Certainly, his skill set plays. And, for him to be — what, a couple years removed from college? — I just love that he just has that feel for leadership. He’s already a leader. I can see it from the other side.
“He’s sort of like that old-school gritty ballplayer. He can beat you a lot of ways. He’s quickly going higher on the list of players I love to watch.”
The league office completes the All-Star rosters, in large part to ensure each team has at least one representative. It is not a given that Neto would be the Angels’ representative.
If two or three other shortstops are chosen, the league office could opt for catcher Logan O’Hoppe or, if position players are fully stocked, pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. If Mike Trout stays healthy and gets hot, the league office could give fans across America the Angels player they would most want to see.
Yet there is no question that Neto is the Angels’ best player this year, and a star for years to come.
“This guy,” Roberts said, “is going to be an All-Star for a long time.”
CRISTIANO RONALDO’S attitude towards fans can’t be knocked – even when they accidentally knock him!
The Manchester United legend won new admirers for the way he dealt with a supporter catching him on the shin with his wheelchair.
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Cristiano Ronaldo rubbed his leg after being bumped into
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Ronaldo appeared to have fun over the incident
Viewers loved the amusing exchange as Ronaldo ended up with a smile almost as big as his bank balance.
It began an eventful night for Ronaldo, who was outside Portugal’s team hotel at the time of the ‘collision’.
The Al-Nassr striker was later grabbed by a pitch invader as he warmed up at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena to face Germany in the Nations League semi-final.
And he then drilled Portugal’s clincher in a 2-1 comeback win – thanks to his 137th international goal midway through the second half.
Understandably the 40-year-old looked ecstatic.
But he was in high spirits too during his earlier hotel encounter.
Wearing shorts and training gear, Ronaldo walked over to sign an autograph.
And as he was preparing to scribble his name, the fan’s wheelchair nudged forward and hit the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on the right leg.
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Ronaldo later pounced for a semi-final deciderCredit: AP
Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.
That is indeed what one Yankees fan says happened to him at Friday’s Dodgers-Yankees game.
Ricardo Aquino of Mexico City told the Athletic via a translator that a piece of the ceiling hit him in the back while he was seated in the top deck of the stadium during the third inning of the game. A photo showed the piece to be roughly the size of a baseball.
Aquino said he was in pain but applied an ice pack and soldiered on through the rest of the game, which the Dodgers ultimately won, 8-5, the news outlet reported.
A day later, a piece of concrete netting was installed in the area of the ceiling in the Section 10 reserve where the incident was reported, The Times confirmed.
“We had professionals and experts at Dodger Stadium this past weekend to examine the facility and ensure its safety,” Dodgers spokesperson Ally Salvage told The Times. “We will also be undertaking a longer-term review.”
Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium west of the Mississippi and the third oldest in the nation, after Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago — both of which have also experienced issues with aging concrete.
In July 2004, there were three reports of chunks of concrete tumbling from the upper deck at Wrigley Field, prompting the Chicago Cubs to install protective netting and review stadium infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.
A major $100-million renovation project was completed at Dodger Stadium before the 2020 season. It included a new center field plaza with food and entertainment areas, more elevators and new bridges allowing fans to walk the entire perimeter of the stadium from any level inside the venue.
More renovations were completed in advance of this year’s season, this time focused on upgrading the clubhouse.
Shohei Ohtani was about halfway through his home-run trot when Taro Abe stood up from his second-row seat in the Vin Scully Press Box and tucked his green scorebook under his right arm.
“Let’s go,” Abe said in Japanese.
Abe, a writer for Japan’s Chunichi Sports newspaper, was followed into the concourse of Dodger Stadium’s suite level by four other reporters from his country. They were on a mission: Find the person who caught Ohtani’s home-run ball.
There was nothing special about this blast, which was Ohtani’s second on Friday in an eventual 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees. The homer was Ohtani’s 22nd of the season and reduced the Dodgers’ deficit at the time from three to two.
“We have to do this every time,” Abe said.
This practice started a couple of years ago, when Ohtani was still playing for the Angels. The appetite for Ohtani content was insatiable in Japan, but the two-way player started speaking to reporters only after games in which he pitched. Naoyuki Yanagihara of Sports Nippon and Masaya Kotani of Full Count figured out a solution for their problem: They started interviewing the fans who caught his home-run balls.
The feature was received well by their readers and gradually spread to other publications. Now, besides the homers that land in bullpens or any other place inaccessible to fans, a group of Japanese reporters will be there to interview the person who snagged the prized souvenir.
Neither Yanagihara nor Kotani was on this particular journey into the right-field pavilion, as Yanagihara was temporarily back in Japan and Kotani remained in the press box. Both of their publications were represented by other reporters. I was there too.
One of the reporters, Michi Murayama of Sports Hochi, looked at me curiously.
“You’re coming?” she asked.
Abe joked: “He’s coming to write how ridiculous the Japanese media is.”
As we walked down a carpeted hallway by the suites down the first-base line, Abe turned around and asked if anyone had seen who caught the ball.
No one had.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hit a pair of home runs off Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Before departing from the press box, reporters usually study replays of the homer to find identifying features of the ballhawk. But in this case, the scramble for the ball was obscured by a short barrier that divided a television cameraman from the crowd.
Abe led the pack out of an exit near the Stadium Club. When we re-entered the ballpark at the loge level, we heard a familiar chant: “Fre-ddie! Fre-ddie!”
The reporters stopped to watch the game from behind the last row of seats. Freeman doubled in a run to reduce the Dodgers’ deficit to one, and pandemonium ensued. A young woman clutching a beer danced. Strangers exchanged high-fives. Others performed the Freddie Dance.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone removed Max Fried from the game, and called Jonathan Loáisiga from the bullpen. It was time for us to move on.
Seniority heavily influences professional and personal interactions in Japanese culture, which was why when we reached the top of the right-field pavilion, the two-most-junior reporters were told to find the ball-catching fan and return with him. Iori Kobayashi of Sports Nippon, 25, and Akihiro Ueno of Full Count, 27, accepted their fates without question.
However, the veteran Murayama noticed they weren’t making any progress, and soon she was in the middle of the pavilion with them. She came back soon after to tell us we were in the wrong place.
“We have to go down to the Home Run Seats,” she said, referring to seats directly behind the right-field wall that are in a separate section as the rest of the pavilion.
The ushers there were helpful, describing how the ball struck the portable plastic wall behind the cameraman, rolled under the barrier, and was taken by a boy in a gray jersey. Murayama found the boy and said he would speak to the group when the inning was over.
“They usually come after the inning because they want to watch the game too,” Abe said.
While we waited, Eriko Takehama of Sankei Sports approached Abe and showed him a picture of a fan holding up a piece of the plastic wall that was struck by Ohtani’s homer. The piece had broken off, and the fan told Takehama that he was taking it home.
“Do you want to talk to him?” Takehama asked Abe. “He said he caught a ball three years ago.”
Abe declined.
While watching Max Muncy taking first base on an intentional walk, Abe said, “Everyone has a story. You ask them where they live, where they work and there’s usually something interesting. We’re writing human-interest stories with Ohtani as a cover.”
This story would be about a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Monrovia named Fisher Luginvuhl. With his mother standing nearby, the Little League catcher gushed, “It’s like the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The reporters circled the boy and photographed him holding up the ball. They exchanged numbers with Luginvuhl’s father so they could send him links to the stories they produced.
While the reporters worked together to locate Luginvuhl, they were also in competition with each other to post the story first. Murayama wrote hers on her phone as she walked. Ueno sent audio of the six-minute interview to the Full Count offices in Japan, where the recording was transcribed by an English-speaking reporter, who then used the quotes to write a story.
Walking to the right-field pavilion and back was exhausting. I mentioned this to Abe, and he reminded me, “This was my second time doing this today.”
Abe wrote 13 stories on Friday night, 10 of them about Ohtani, including two on fans who caught his homers.
Just as we returned to the press box, the next hitter was announced over the public-address system: “Shohei Ohtani!”
In a region where baseball is king, the long-awaited rematch of last year’s World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees is unfolding. Ohtani. Judge. Two of the game’s best, facing off once more.
But just down the 5 Freeway in Anaheim, the home of Disney, the hottest ticket in baseball this weekend belongs to a stilted pitcher, juggling infielders and a yellow-suited, top hat-wearing carnival barker.
For back-to-back nights, more than 45,000 fans packed the Big A to see the Savannah Bananas — a team born from a small-time collegiate summer team that became a tour de force that has forever changed baseball. It was one stop during the Bananas’ most audacious barnstorming effort since their baseball traveling show hit the road just a few years ago.
The Savannah Bananas celebrate amid confetti after beating the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
These tickets were only available through a lottery — reserved months in advance. And when they went on sale, all were gone in an instant. The only way in was through the resale market, where just hours before first pitch on Friday, the lowest price (fees and taxes included) for a pair of tickets on StubHub was $209.52.
Meanwhile, two lowest price StuHub tickets for the Dodgers versus Yankees game were available for $171.72.
All for the sake of “Banana Ball.”
This baseball game is a ballyhoo. One rooted in the thrills, energy and pageantry of early 20th-century carnivals, but with a 21st-century twist — the atmosphere of a TikTok reel brought to life. It’s the showmanship of Ringling Brothers Circus combined with the athletic flair of the Harlem Globetrotters.
But above all, it’s a brand built on Walt Disney’s blueprint— not just to entertain, but to make the audience feel.
“When you look at all the touch points — the joy, the fun, the dancing, the celebrating — and think about all the different stages, just like Walt, we think about all the stages: from the parking lot to the plaza, to the upper deck, to the dugouts,” said Bananas owner Jesse Cole, the man in the top hat. “How do we make someone feel something?”
Instead of lounging in a cushy, air-conditioned owner’s suite, Cole is in the dugout hours before showtime — a Disney-like archetype, his energy as vibrant as his layered, all-yellow suit, braving the afternoon heat.
Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole leads the crowd in a cheer as his team takes on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
“Nonstop,” Cole said, describing Banana Ball in a nutshell. Refusing to sit, not wanting to lose an ounce of edge, he added, “It’s all about energy. We want to give people energy, delivering it every second, from the moment we open the gates at two o’clock until the last fan leaves at 11.”
While gates opened at 2 p.m., fans began arriving as early as 11 a.m. — clamoring for a shot at Banana-themed merchandise, many leaving the team tents with bags in both hands. In the parking lot, two young boys passed the time playing catch, gloves in hand.
As the afternoon wore on and the temperature climbed to 91 degrees, crowds trudged through the heat, some seeking refuge beneath the oversized Angels helmets at the stadium entrance, all for a chance to meet their favorite Banana Ballers. At the pregame plaza party, fans collected autographs, posed for photos and presented handmade gifts to players.
Savannah Bananas mascot Split marches through the crowd before the team’s game against the Firefighters at Angel Stadium Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
When the gates opened, the LaCaze family pointed out their 9-year-old daughter’s favorite player, David “DR” Meadows. Decked out in her signed Meadows jersey, Carrigan LaCaze ran into his arms, with glove and oversized baseball clutched tightly and began speaking with him as if they were old friends.
“I ran to DR, and we started hugging and just started talking for a while because I missed him,” Carrigan LaCaze said. “Tomorrow is actually one year on the dot since I met him.”
A Christmas road trip planned around the holidays, the family of four traveled across three states from their home in Alexandria, La., to Anaheim for two reasons: to visit Disneyland and see the Bananas. It was their second game — the family first saw the Bananas in the club’s hometown of Savannah, Ga., when Carrigan, who is battling cystic fibrosis, was granted a Make-A-Wish experience so meaningful it was a no-brainer to relive it.
“It’s great,” her father, Pierre LaCaze, said of the player interactions. “We’ve gotten to keep track with some of them during the course of the year. We come back, we see them again. You know they’re truly about the fans.”
Rainer Easton, 11, tries to catch a yellow “Banana Ball” from the stands before the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
The Bananas don’t sell tickets. They sell connections, moments and memories.
For Cole, meetings are a constant brainstorming session on how to keep fans engaged and interacting. That’s how he measures success. He says when the focus shifts to transactions, the game begins to lose its meaning.
“Our success is not judged by revenue,” Cole said. “It’s not judged by sales. It’s judged by the moments we create.”
But the numbers don’t lie.
The last time the Bananas came to Southern California, they played in front of 5,000 fans at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga in 2023 — a far cry from now selling out 18 major league ballparks and three football stadiums with capacities over 70,000.
Fans fill the stands as the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters in front of a sold out crowd Friday at Angel Stadium.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Attendance has soared year after year. Last season, the Bananas drew one million fans. This year, that number is expected to double, with more than three million people on the waitlist for their ticket lottery. Every game since February has sold out and every date in June and July is as well.
Michael and Melinda Schulteis, a husband and wife from Mission Viejo, were there the last time the Bananas came to town. When they heard the team was returning, they knew they couldn’t miss it.
“The intimate atmosphere at the last event was great,” Melinda Schulteis said. “But I’m curious, because they do such a good job putting on events, what touches are they going to add to still keep it close and intimate and give us another great experience?”
As the Bananas’ success and reach have grown, spilling out from cozy minor league parks into stadiums not built for intimacy, the games still feel like family gatherings. Whether serenading players with stadium anthems like Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” or the waving of phone lights to Coldplay’s “Yellow,” the crowd moves in sync, no matter the tune.
While they’re a privately owned team and don’t disclose revenue figures, they’ve confirmed generating millions. Much like their box office appeal, their social media reach extends into the millions as well.
The Savannah Bananas perform a kick line before taking on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Their antics — choreographed dances, lip-synced walk-ups, backflip outfield catches — have attracted nearly 10 million followers on TikTok, almost double the combined total of the Dodgers and Angels. That viral mastery, and the parasocial bonds it fosters, is part of what makes every game feel tight-knit.
With his glove by his side, hoping to catch a foul ball for an out — one of the many offbeat rules of Banana Ball — Michael Schulties was disappointed he missed his favorite player, RobertAnthony Cruz, whom he first discovered on social media through his baseball coaching channel, better known as “Coach RAC.”
Cruz, who drew the longest meet-and-greet line, is a former minor leaguer in the Nationals’ farm system and a local — born just an hour away in Fontana. The game was a homecoming for Cruz, who joined the Bananas in 2023.
With more than 70 family members and friends in attendance — and even more social media direct messages asking for tickets — playing in big league stadiums has become a dream come true, especially for a former minor leaguer whose baseball ambitions nearly died when he never got the call to the show.
Savannah Bananas pitcher Correlle Prime delivers at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Behind all the gimmicks, wackiness and absurdity, the roster is still filled with ballplayers — many of them with unrealized MLB dreams — now finding a second life through Banana Ball. And for Cruz, it’s the happiest he’s ever been in the sport.
“I never would have imagined playing in this capacity,” Cruz said. “Banana Ball didn’t even exist when I was pursuing my dream of professional baseball. To be here, to see a sold-out crowd at a stadium that I went to growing up all the time, it’s very special.”
As the team travels the nation, sold-out crowds and newfound stardom have become the norm for Cruz.
“I’m not surprised by anything anymore,” Cruz said. “If you told me that we’re playing on the moon next year, I’d be like, ‘All right, cool. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there’ … I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.”
Despite their growing success, the Bananas’ brand of baseball remains polarizing — an easy target for detractors of zaniness, gatekeepers of fun and opponents of pizzazz who either don’t understand it or refuse to see its appeal.
“Anybody that criticizes this, we’re not for them,” Cole said. “There’s tradition in baseball, perfect. They’ve got Major League Baseball. … For people that want to come out and have fun, not take themselves too seriously and see something they’ve never seen before — and hopefully see the greatest show in sports — we built something for you.”
The formula works. And again, the numbers don’t lie.
The Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson celebrates a Troy Glaus base hit while the Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday. Comedian Bert Kreischer celebrated behind the Bananas in the dugout.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Yes, the Savannah Bananas’ brand of baseball is far too outlandish ever to be compared to the major leagues — from flaming baseballs, rump-shaking umps and dress rehearsals. That’s the point. It all feels like something conjured from the wildest dreams of the late Bill Veeck’s imagination found a home, in a good way.
With many of the Banana Ball’s 11 rules — like an automatic strike when hitters step out of the box or ejecting bunting hitters because bunting “sucks” — are grounded in some sports-based logic, the innovations remain sacrilegious to baseball purists.
But for a fleeting moment in December, Major League Baseball and Banana Ball were almost linked.
In Banana Ball, the Golden Batter rule allows teams, once per game, to send their best hitter to the plate regardless of where they fall in the batting order.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred caused a stir when he floated a potential seismic rule by floating, making an offhand comment about the golden batter rule. Manfred later clarified it was merely “a very preliminary conversation” among members of the league’s competition committee and had not been formally discussed by the full ownership group.
A far-fetched idea, but Manfred has ushered in sweeping changes, from the widely praised pitch clock to the more contentious extra-inning “ghost runner.”
“Anything that’s best for the fans, I’m all in,” Cole said of its potential. “I know Major League Baseball won’t do it because of traditions, but … we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”
The Firefighters run on the field before taking on the Savannah Bananas at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
But MLB would be behind the Bananas, who already introduced their version of the rule last season with a typical flair and showmanship. Their spin on it is a batter summoned from the dugout wearing a James Brown-esque cape and a gleaming golden helmet — an honor that went to Joe Lytle, who came to bat in the top of the ninth for the Bananas’ Anaheim opponent, the Firefighters.
Ultimately, in a game where the score isn’t the end-all, be-all — but the fun is — the Bananas beat the Firefighters 5–2.
Like any other Bananas game, the festivities took center stage. It began with the “First Peel,” a signature ceremony in which a young fan bites into a banana to declare whether it’s good or bad — setting the tone for the night.
Heisman Trophy winner and USC legend Matt Leinart threw out the ceremonial first spiral (because, of course, he did). And in true fashion, Angels World Series MVP Troy Glaus made a surprise cameo as a pinch hitter.
But what was more important was the trip to Anaheim, a fitting one for Cole and Co.
The team that opened its season lip-syncing “Be Our Guest” from the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” — and its owner, cut from the same theatrical cloth as Disney — were celebrated a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland.
Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole provides color commentary during the baby race between innings at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Greeted by fans in yellow gear, Cole’s creation — the Bananas — marched in step down Main Street U.S.A., alongside Walt’s own — Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck.
“When I walked underneath the castle and over the bridge and in front of thousands of people, they were all there for us,” Cole said. “Then I look and see Walt’s statue, holding the hand of Mickey, and I see that and I’m like, ‘This is special.’”
It was a full-circle moment for Cole, who became “immersed in the magic” after his first trip to Disney World as a kid — and who now says, “In a perfect world, I’d play catch with Walt on Main Street.” Serendipity.
“For me, that was an emotional moment — to know that we have worked so hard to create something that means something to people, that they come from all over the country just for a chance to see us,” Cole added.
Mirra Andreeva thanked a fan for gifting her a “lucky charm” before her French Open third-round victory against Yulia Putintseva.
The Russian world number six had a small colourful fabric patch with floral patterns on her bench during her 6-3 6-1 win over Kazakh 32nd seed Putintseva.
“When I was walking on court a little girl put a drawing on my bench and I kept it. It’s my lucky charm,” the 18-year-old said.
“Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her because it is my lucky charm.”
Andreeva is playing in her third French Open, having lost to Jasmine Paolini in the semi-finals last year.
She is one of the in-form players in Paris, claiming titles at Indian Wells and the Dubai Open earlier this season.
She broke Putintseva’s serve three times in the first set and again for a 2-1 lead in the second before a brief rain delay.
After the players returned Putintseva briefly rallied to lead 3-2, but Andreeva won the next four games to cruise into the fourth round, where she will face good friend Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina, competing in her first Grand Slam since switching allegiance to Australia from Russia, beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1 7-5.
A WNBA investigation was unable to substantiate a “report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court” during a game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever on May 17 in Indianapolis.
The investigation reportedly was started in response to allegations that a fan had made racist comments toward Sky star Angel Reese. It remains unclear as to who made the allegations.
“Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it,” the league said Tuesday in a statement. “The WNBA is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone and will continue to be vigilant in enforcing our fan code of conduct.”
Reese remained reticent about the situation. The second-year player responded that she was “focused on the game today” when asked about the league’s findings before the Sky’s game Tuesday night in Phoenix. Reese said she was more concerned with helping her team achieve its first win of the season.
Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said he felt the same way before Tuesday’s game.
“We appreciate the investigation being done and we hope that the league continues to make the steps necessary moving forward to ensure a safe environment for everyone, all players included,” he said. “But tonight, the focus is on the game.”
The Sky ended up losing to the Mercury 94-89 to drop to 0-4 this season, but Reese made WNBA history by becoming the player to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds the fastest. She finished the game with 13 points and 15 rebounds to bring her totals in both categories to 502 after 38 career games.
The season-opening game on May 17 was the latest marquee matchup between Reese and Fever star Caitlin Clark. During the third quarter, Reese appeared upset after Clark committed a flagrant 1 foul on her. After the game, however, Reese referred to Clark’s foul as a “basketball play” and added that the ‘‘refs got it right.”
Clark said after the game that she “wasn’t trying to do anything malicious.”
The WNBA announced its investigation the next day, on May 18.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the league’s statement read. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”
The Women’s National Basketball Players Assn. said in a statement the same day, specifying that the league was investigating “hateful comments” allegedly made at the Fever-Sky game. Multiple media outlets added detail, reporting that the alleged comments were racial and directed at Reese.
McIlroy joined 18-time major champion Nicklaus as part of an elite group of six players who have completed a career grand slam of all four major tournaments by winning The Masters at Augusta in April.
The world number two subsequently tied for 47th place at the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and is set to return to competitive action at the Canadian Open on 5 June as he prepares for the season’s third major, the US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, from 12-15 June.
The PGA Tour’s final signature event of the season, the Travelers Championship, will be staged in Connecticut the following week.
“I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a US Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it,” added Nicklaus.
“It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
Jack Kochanowicz mowed through his first three innings against the Yankees on Monday night.
The 6-foot-7 sinkerballer was doing all of what manager Ron Washington asked of him before the game: pitch to contact and let his defense do the work.
“Just be Jack,” Washington said. ‘Throw his sinker, change, eye-level, put the ball in play early — which is when he’s at his best. That’s what he does. So that’s all. I’m not looking for him to be nothing more than that, and if he’s that, it’ll be good enough.”
Nine up, and nine down on 28 pitches — Kochanowicz looked “good enough.” He was hurling just as efficiently as he did against the Dodgers on May 16 when he limited the Angels’ crosstown foes to just one run across 6 ⅔ innings. As he jaunted to the mound for the fourth, the crowd woke up, rising in volume; but not for Kochanowicz.
“Let’s go, Yankees,” the fans in the right-field seats of Angel Stadium bellowed, much like the “Bleacher Creatures” would back in the Bronx. First baseman Ben Rice singled, and then center fielder Trent Grisham did too. Following a rousing ovation, designated hitter Aaron Judge — who upped his batting average to a league-high .398 — loaded the bases on an infield single.
As Yankees fans roared louder, Kochanowicz hiccuped. The sophomore starting pitcher walked Cody Bellinger on four pitches to bring in a run, and two batters later, Anthony Volpe hit a bases-clearing double off the center-field wall to power the Yankees (33-20) to a three-run lead. It was more than enough to take down the Angels (25-28), who struggled to string together hits for the third consecutive game in a 5-1 loss to open the series.
“Always just comes down to pitch calling,” Kochanowicz said. “It’s very easy to ask yourself a million questions about every pitch you throw, but I think I just — I came at them hard that inning. I didn’t start anyone off with the breaking ball. So that was probably it.”
Shortstop Zach Neto led off the bottom of the first with a 440-foot solo home run to center field — the longest of his career — but it was all the Angels had to offer at the plate. Before the game, Washington called his offense young and inconsistent.
The Angels offered more of those characteristics against the Yankees and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.
Outside of a fluke infield single from Jo Adell, Neto’s home run was all the Angels mustered against the funky, sidearm delivery of the New York southpaw through six innings.
“The way we were swinging the bat, I did think that we would have at least three or four guys in that line of constantly clicking,” Washington said after the Angels were limited to five hits. “Miami come up in here and put us away, and then now we fight to try to find it back again.”
Yarbrough easily dispatched Chris Taylor — who started in center field and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his Angels debut — for a flyout and second baseman Kevin Newman for a strikeout to end the fifth.
“Yarbrough did a good job,” Taylor said. “Shut us down for the most part.”
The sixth inning was no better as the top of the Angels’ lineup went down 1-2-3 and Yarbrough exited with his longest and arguably best start of the season, striking out seven. The Angels struck out 11 times in the game.
“Sustaining that offense that we had,” Washington said when asked before the game about matching the offensive rhythm of the Angels’ eight-game winning streak, “it’s impossible.”
Outside of his four-run, fourth inning, Kochanowicz was in the “midseason form” he described himself in on Sunday. The right-hander pumped his fastball as high as 97.3 mph and averaged 95 on his sinker, both a tick below his season averages. Four of his 6 ⅔ innings concluded in 1-2-3 fashion.
“I thought he was good, really,” Washington said. “Those first three innings, he was dominating. … If we could just take [the fourth inning] back it’d be a different ballgame.”
Kochanowicz struck out five and walked two, giving up just five hits. But the Angels’ offense didn’t back up their pitchers, sending them to a three-game losing streak.
Note: Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe was removed from the game in the eighth inning after being hit in the head on a backswing from Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas. O’Hoppe was removed as a precaution, Washington said, and was unavailable for comment after the game. “[O’Hoppe is] telling me he can play [tomorrow], but we’re going to wait and see,” Washington said.
“When it happens, our staff members want to protect each other because it’s a disgusting thing to happen. I wanted to calm the situation down.
“Livingston have been first class, they have CCTV here so they’ll identify who it was and take action.”
County’s chief executive Steven Ferguson echoed his manager’s comments, adding that the Highland club are “not going to accept that”.
Livingston manager David Martindale did not witness the incident but said it would be “disgusting if true”.
“I’m sure the club will get to the bottom of that,” he added. “It’s vile. Disgusting. Really, really disappointing.”
The game ended 1-1 after Ronan Hale’s late penalty cancelled out Danny Wilson’s opener, with the sides meeting in the return leg in Dingwall on Monday to decide which of the two will be in the top flight next season.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says making cents doesn’t make sense anymore.
The U.S. Mint has made its final order of penny blanks and plans to stop producing the coin when those run out, a Treasury Department official confirmed Thursday. This move comes as the cost of making pennies has increased markedly by upward of 20% in 2024, according to the Treasury.
By stopping the penny’s production, the Treasury expects an immediate annual saving of $56 million in reduced material costs, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the news.
In February, President Trump announced that he had ordered his administration to cease production of the 1-cent coin.
“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” Trump wrote at that time in a post on his Truth Social site. “I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”
There are about 114 billion pennies currently in circulation in the United States — that’s $1.14 billion — but they are greatly underutilized, the Treasury says. The penny was one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint after its establishment in 1792.
The nation’s Treasury secretary has the authority to mint and issue coins “in amounts the secretary decides are necessary to meet the needs of the United States.”
Advocates for ditching the penny cite its high production cost — almost 4 cents per penny now, according to the U.S. Mint — and limited utility. Fans of the penny cite its usefulness in charity drives and relative bargain in production costs compared with the nickel, which costs almost 14 cents to mint.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.
Pennies are the most popular coin made by the U.S. Mint, which reported making 3.2 billion of them last year. That’s more than half of all the new coins it made last year.
Congress, which dictates currency specifications such as the size and metal content of coins, could make Trump’s order permanent through law. But past congressional efforts to ditch the penny have failed.
Two bipartisan bills to kill the penny permanently were introduced this year.
Sens. Mike Lee (R-Uta) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Make Sense Not Cents Act this month. In April, Reps. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), along with Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.(, introduced the Common Cents Act.
Jay Zagorsky, professor of markets, public polic, and law at Boston University, said that while he supports the move to end penny production, Congress must include language in any proposed legislation to require rounding up in pricing, which will eliminate the demand for pennies.
Zagorsky, who recently published a book called “The Power of Cash: Why Using Paper Money is Good for You and Society,” said otherwise simply ditching the penny will only increase demand for nickels, which are even more expensive, at 14 cents to produce.
“If we suddenly have to produce a lot of nickels — and we lose more money on producing every nickel — eliminating the penny doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
Mark Weller, executive director of the Americans for Common Cents group — which conducts research and provides information to Congress and the executive branch on the value and benefits of the penny — says “there has been an evolution over the past six months that inevitably the production of the penny will be halted.”
His group advocates for the U.S. to find ways to reduce the cost of producing the nickel, especially since it will be more in demand once the penny is totally eliminated from circulation.
“It’s incumbent on Treasury to come up with a cheaper way to make the nickel,” Weller said. “Let’s make sure we’re making our coins as least expensively as possible and maintaining the option to use cash in transactions.”
Keiran Culkin is joining “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” as eccentric host Caesar Flickerman.
An adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name from her hit franchise, “Sunrise on the Reaping” hits theaters Nov. 20, 2026. It is the second prequel to the original “Hunger Games” series, following “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
“Kieran’s scene-stealing presence and undeniable charm are perfect for Caesar Flickerman, the sickeningly watchable host of Panem’s darkest spectacle,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Erin Westerman said in a press release. “Stanley Tucci made Caesar unforgettable — and now Kieran will make the role entirely his own.”
Culkin is on a hot streak, most recently winning the Oscar for supporting actor for the dramedy “A Real Pain” and an Emmy for his role as Roman Roy in HBO’s drama “Succession.” He is currently starring in the revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross” on Broadway.
When is ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ set?
“Sunrise” takes place 24 years before the events of the first novel featuring Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence in the film franchise) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), and 40 years after “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” It focuses on Haymitch Abernathy’s plight during the 50th Hunger Games, known as the Second Quarter Quell, when he became District 12’s second victor. Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson, is mentor to Katniss and Peeta in the original series.
Who else is cast in the film?
In the prequel, Joseph Zada will play Abernathy. Other previously announced cast members include Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags, Ben Wang as Wyatt, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Molly McCann as Louella, Iona Bell as Louella’s Capitol-assigned look-alike Lou Lou and Ralph Fiennes as the main antagonist, President Snow.
How have fans responded to the casting choices?
Fans of the series have been largely enthusiastic about the casting decisions, noting the strong physical likeness between the new stars and their older counterparts in the original series. On Wednesday’s Instagram post announcing Culkin’s casting, several users commented that the casting decisions were in line with fans’ visions for the new film.
Daniel Cruz was brought in from the Burbank-based media and entertainment giant last fall to work some magic with a college operation in need of new concepts. Six consecutive years of running in the red has led to a staggering $219.5-million deficit that won’t be wiped away with the waving of any wand.
One solution might be surprisingly simple: Give the fans what they want, and they’ll keep coming back.
That’s why Cruz has spearheaded efforts to overhaul the school’s ticket operations and build a courtside lounge inside Pauley Pavilion, not to mention maximize revenue from a planned field-level club at the Rose Bowl. They’re all measures intended to enhance the fan experience and build brand loyalty.
“Essentially, what I’m trying to do is just trying to set us up for success and do things differently,” said Cruz, UCLA’s new deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer, “because the old way of how college athletics normally conducts business, it’s not working.”
As part of a partnership scheduled to be announced Tuesday, UCLA is switching from its longstanding in-house ticketing agency to Elevate, which will modernize operations and build a customer database that allows more targeted marketing. Elevate will handle both primary and secondary ticket sales, preventing unaffiliated brokers from undermining sales and devaluing tickets.
There’s also going to be dynamic pricing that will allow lower prices for less desirable games, something that was impossible under the school’s previous antiquated system.
“It’s going to be huge because we are now professionalizing how we go to market, how we price things,” Cruz said. “I get a lot of complaints from fans that they think ticket prices are too high for certain games and they may be right, so how do we pull those levers to make it accessible on games that it’s not full, so we can get people in?”
A new field-level club in the south end zone of the Rose Bowl could create heavy demand at a stadium that is routinely less than half full. The club, set to open in time for the 2026 season, is expected to host a restaurant-bar setup that will allow fans to walk onto the field, watch players come out of a nearby tunnel and grab something to eat before returning to a section of 1,200 plush, extra-wide seats.
The Rose Bowl is planning to build a new field-level club for fans attending UCLA football games.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Rose Bowl has agreed to foot the estimated $20-million construction cost and let UCLA keep the premium seating ticket revenue, Cruz said, as part of a mutually beneficial arrangement. The stadium will utilize the club for other events that it hosts such as concerts.
Given that the Rose Bowl has kept all of the existing suite revenue for UCLA games as part of its lease agreement with the school, the new arrangement could be considered something of a coup for the Bruins.
Another revenue opportunity involves a massive stage on the north side of the stadium overlooking the adjacent country club that will allow UCLA to bring in DJs and musical acts for pregame festivities. UCLA will sell cabana space, food and premium parking to provide a tailgate experience for both football fans and others who just want to have a good time.
“How do we attract fans who maybe don’t normally come to a football game, right?” Cruz said. “It’s a whole-day experience — come, enjoy concierge service with your friends, enjoy a great football game and that atmosphere that we’re trying to generate.”
Additional revenue has already been raised from sponsorships involving players wearing UCLA uniforms as part of new co-branded advertisements; for example, star center Lauren Betts is featured in multiple billboards for La Victoria salsas and sauces.
Cruz also has plans to elevate the fan experience at Pauley Pavilion. He wants to use the existing infrastructure to create a courtside donor lounge that could be in place before the start of next season. The lounge, which would provide a more upscale experience than the Pavilion Club, could come with a naming-rights deal and a membership fee for high-level donors.
There’s also been discussions about revamping the Pavilion Club to provide more segmented experiences; perhaps one section would cater to young alumni with a DJ and open bar while another would serve other alumni who want a more relaxed atmosphere where they can catch up with friends over a pregame meal.
“That’s a really big room, so how do we cut that up and divide that to make a better experience for everybody?” Cruz said. “We’ve got so many folks that we’re trying to cater to and I want to be sensitive to that and I want to create an experience for them that makes it so they want to come back.”
UCLA students cheer during a men’s basketball game against USC at Pauley Pavilion on March 8.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
One development that could be a season away would certainly please fans who have groused about too many empty seats in the lower level being shown on television. Cruz said he wanted to flip the lower-level stands and team benches to the seating configuration that existed before the Pauley Pavilion renovations, allowing the students who pack their section to be showcased on broadcasts.
“That section is always full of students,” Cruz said. “We could be playing Idaho State and it’s full with students all the time, so the rest of the country needs to see that.”
Why not just move the TV cameras? Cruz said it would cost $6 million to transfer all the wiring and fiber optics built into the current platforms that were specially built for the cameras.
Men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin and Cori Close, his women’s basketball counterpart, have agreed to the potential move, Cruz said, as have the fans he’s canvassed about switching seats.
In the meantime, UCLA is partnering with a global sports and entertainment company to improve the in-game experience for fans, including new ways to keep the energy flowing during timeouts while the Bruins are in the midst of a big run instead of relying on scoreboard ads and awkward silences.
Cruz said he’s converting some of his department’s marketing staff into fan experience specialists to improve fan retention.
“How do we create an experience where it’s like, man, that was fun, I want to come back?” Cruz said. “That leads to more revenue and it also leads to a larger pathway for our alumni and students to make them want to come back. How do we create that cycle of, yeah, they care, they want us here, and I want to come back?”
If winning is the greatest promotion in sports, Cruz is trying to show that listening may not be far behind.
If you’re wondering why so many goths we’re wandering around Pasadena this weekend, look no further than Cruel World. The Goldenvoice celebration of all things postpunk, new wave and alternative landed at Brookside at the Rose Bowl on Saturday for its fourth installment, this time led by New Order and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
It ran smoothly, even when the overcast turned into a hard drizzle, creating a vibe reminiscent of England’s famed Glastonbury Festival. Gen Xers and fans of the era flocked to the converted golf course to hear their favorite artists take the stage once again, with many only appearing occasionally over the course of decades.
But, as is the case with all festivals, some acts had it together, bringing their best to fans and entrancing them in a nostalgia-ridden high. And some just showed up. Here’s a list of the performances we saw at the fest, from best to not-so-great.
1. New Order In a recent chat with The Times, Bernard Sumner spoke lovingly about New Order’s revival and attributed it partially to the band’s newfound cohesion.
“In the early days, we used to get f— up quite a lot and that f— up the shows,” Sumner said. “We used to play a really good one, celebrate how great it was, and then the next one would be terrible because we celebrated too much.”
He was spot-on with this point, as the band’s performance at Cruel World illustrated. Across entire set, it seemed everything was in the right place for the new-wave icons, who delivered perfection to fans. From the get-go, “Age of Consent” had the entire crowd bouncing around — an impressive accomplishment considering that the band was the last to perform on a wet and muddy day.
But the sky seemingly opened for New Order, who looked all too cool and casual while shouting out, “This is a protest song, and it’s time for a protest song” before treating the audience to “State of the Nation.”
The set would have been incredible enough on its own, gracefully fitting “Sub-Culture,” “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “True Faith” and “Blue Monday” into a one-hour window, but the group brought more than that to the table. After Sumner bowed out to “Temptation,” a minute went by before the band was back out onstage to play Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
Emotions ran high in a celebratory and touching performance, as images of the late Ian Curtis and the words “Forever Joy Division” flashed on screens behind the band. Headliners are headliners for a reason, and there was no better group than New Order to lead festivalgoers on a victory lap during its stroll through the past.
Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo performs at Cruel World
(Dick Slaughter)
2. Devo
Devo was incredibly close to topping this list, as the band brought its signature wacky and whimsical show to Pasadena. After being pelted by rain, fans gathered around the festival’s Sad Girls stage to welcome the new-wave quintet.
A tape rolled on the screens, featuring returning character “Rod Rooter,” played by Michael W. Schwartz. In the footage, Rooter meets with the group, pitching the idea of Devo dolls: “We even got your jumpsuits!”
This was followed by another video, once again featuring Schwartz as Rooter, only years later.
“That was me 40 years ago, dispensing invaluable advice to the band that couldn’t shoot straight,” he said, sitting on an indoor bike and wearing a boldly colored tracksuit. “Now here they are, my biggest career regret, Devo.”
All four then danced out onto the stage, wearing all-black suits for “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man).” It wasn’t long until the musicians donned their signature “devolution” caps, which were later thrown to the crowd as the band launched into “Whip It.” This was followed by a quick outfit change into those yellow jumpsuits, which frontman Mark Mothersbaugh tore off during “Uncontrollable Urge.”
Devo brought everything to the table and gave fans the show they deserved. It’s no wonder Goldenvoice invited the band back after it lighted up the Pasadena stage in 2022, and it likely won’t be the group’s last appearance on a Cruel World lineup.
3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
It was always going to be a great performance from Nick Cave and his ensemble — it’s just their business. Over the entire course of the festival, no one was able to entice a crowd like they were. Throughout the entire set, it felt like gospel was ringing out across the Rose Bowl lawn, and Cave would extend a hand to his adoring worshippers at the stage’s front.
“You’re f— incredible,” he said. “Full of drugs and still able to clap.”
Throughout its one-hour set, the band played everything from lively, invigorating tracks like “Wild God” to mellow, meditative numbers like “Joy.” Of course, the group made sure to fit in “Red Right Hand,” which received an eruption of cheers. Cave would often make a mad dash between his piano and downstage, making a show of it as he danced his fingers across the keys.
But the perfomance’s peak likely came with a live debut of “Hollywood,” a 14-minute song (played in full) off 2019’s “Ghosteen.”
“We’re gonna try this song, we’ve never played it before,” Cave said. “It’s extremely long and it’s written for … Hollywood.”
The song, explained in a post to Cave’s 2018 project “The Red Hand Files,” is a tale referencing a series of images that came to him while sitting in the back seat of a car driving through Oslo, Texas. In it, a narrator finds himself on a beach, looking out at the sun.
Poetically and almost prophetically, the post said, “Malibu is on fire and the animals have been driven down from the hills to the shore.”
Shirley Manson of Garbage performing at Cruel World
(Dick Slaughter)
4. Garbage
Overlapping Garbage and Devo during Cruel World’s sets was a decision that left many attendees divided. It was no surprise that many larger groups split up around 7 p.m. and set off to either the Outsiders or Lost Boys stages.
Even lead singer Shirley Manson felt bummed about missing out on Devo and said she expected a much smaller crowd.
“I’m gonna be very honest with you … in rehearsal yesterday we were really freaking out because, of course, the great Devo!” Manson said. “We are so gutted that we’re playing at the same time as one of our hero bands.”
“We’re amazed that you’re here,” she continued, laughing. “Thank you so much.”
But Garbage put on an excellent performance — it was all smiles among those who had chosen the alt-rock group. A bonus was Manson’s outfit, which was undoubtedly the best of the day.
5. OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was an unexpected favorite among the lineup. The group came out with high energy and maintained it throughout its entire set. This kept fans on the edge of their seats, as did just the right amount of commentary from the bandto engage them.
“Everybody put two hands up,” lead singer Andy McCluskey said before performing “Talking Loud and Clear.”
“You have to do it with two hands, otherwise you’ll look like Elon Musk!”
It was an expected yet hilarious quip from the band, which has never shied away from making a political statement. Years later, it still felt awkward dancing away to “Enola Gay,” and even more so after the group flashed images of the notorious aircraft and a mushroom cloud on screens.
During “If You Leave,” the screens showed images of Molly Ringwald as Andie Walsh in “Pretty in Pink,” which was a nice nod to the song’s inclusion in the film’s soundtrack.
6. Alison Moyet
A great performance from an incredible artist — it’s no wonder she received an MBE for music service in 2021. During the set, she floated back and forth between songs from her solo career and those she made with Yazoo alongside Vince Clarke, who had previously served as keyboardist for Depeche Mode.
Perhaps the most impressive part of her set was her vocals. It’s no secret that some of these singers’ voices have declined after 40 or so years. But Moyet, though not as crisp, still delivered on the main stage. In fact, the touch of grit to her voice only added to the songs, which she commanded with gravitas.
7. She Past Away
The Turkish postpunk duo took the stage around 2 p.m. and granted festivalgoers a pleasant peek of what was ahead of them. For a group that formed in 2006, it fit in comfortably in the lineup, entrancing listeners with sounds reminiscent of what its new-wave peers were creating in the ’80s. To put a cherry on top, bandmates Volkan Caner and İdris Akbulut adorned their classic black eye shadow and lipstick combo.
She Wants Revenge performing at Cruel World
(Dick Slaughter)
8. She Wants Revenge
Another postpunk outfit from the aughts, She Wants Revenge attracted quite the crowd. Lead singer Justin Warfield strutted around the stage in an all-black, all-leather outfit that featured a belt with golden ankhs hanging below it. As far as presence, the group had it down.
Its performance was solid, and fans applauded when the band whipped out a cover of the Psychedelic Furs’ “Sister Europe” mid-set. Hunter Burgan of AFI was brought out and introduced as not only “one of the raddest bass players ever ripping” but also “a mean sax player.” In a sentimental touch, the song was dedicated to the Furs’ late saxophonist Mars Williams.
9. Death Cult
This one was an odd one. As a preface, the Southern Death Cult was a Bradford, England-born band and a leader of the postpunk movement in the early ’80s. The group garnered a bit of attention, played about 20 shows, split after two years and released one album, titled “The Southern Death Cult.”
After the breakup, frontman Ian Astbury joined forces with guitarist Billy Duffy to form Death Cult in 1983. The band released one EP under this name, simply titled “Death Cult,” before becoming the Cult less than one year later. In 2023, Astbury and Duffy would revive Death Cult for a series of shows across the U.K. and a one-off performance at what was then the Theatre at Ace Hotel. For Cruel World, the pair followed suit and performed under the name Death Cult, while also celebrating the music of the Cult and the Southern Death Cult.
Going into the show, fans were confused about what they would possibly be hearing from the band, who walked out onstage to the theme from “A Clockwork Orange.” Needless to say, most attendees were fans of the Cult, the most well known of the three band iterations, and Astbury was seemingly frustrated that the crowd wasn’t more reactive to tunes from Death Cult and the Southern Death Cult.
It’s no surprise, then, that attendees rejoiced when they heard the Cult’s most popular song, “She Sells Sanctuary,” as well as others from the band.
It didn’t help that the sun had just gone down, leaving the small Lost Boys stage dimly lighted, and there were no visualizers to back the group. This meant fans could hardly make out the band unless they were close to the stage.
It’s not that Death Cult’s musicians were bad showmen. On the contrary, Astbury’s vocals were great, and everyone seemed to be on the same wave, except the crowd. Given all the factors at play, the set was just odd altogether.
10. The Go-Go’s
Fans arrived in droves, eager to hear their favorites from one of the biggest undercards on the lineup. I mean, it’s the Go-Go’s; you don’t want to miss “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Vacation,” even if you’ve just spent hours in the rain, shelled out $20 on a cocktail and your soles are starting to scream at you.
It’s difficult to put a finger on what exactly went wrong for this performance; the hits were there and the crowd was packed. But every song felt uncoordinated, like the band could have spent a few more hours in rehearsal. The group was not only out of sync from the jump but the entire set was also plagued by feedback and sound mix issues.
“All right, I’m sitting back here motherf— … come on now, I’m working my f— a— off,” drummer Gina Schock said before diving into “Head Over Heels.” “I wanna see some movement out there, OK?”
But the crowd stood still. Even when the band finished off with “We Got The Beat,” the musicians’ attempt to lead a H-O-T-T-O-G-O chant — as they had done just weeks before at Coachella — fell flat on its face.
“You know that one,” Jane Wiedlin pleaded, to no avail.
A fan allegedly made racist comments toward Chicago Sky star Angel Reese during the team’s season opener against the Indiana Fever on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society,” the WNBA said in a statement released Sunday. “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”
The WNBA told The Times on Monday that it has no further comment at this time.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Assn. said in a statement Sunday that the league was investigating “hateful comments” made at the Fever-Sky game. Multiple media outlets were reporting that the comments were racial and directed at Reese.
“The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and suppports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter,” the union wrote Sunday. “Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport.”
Both teams issued statements supporting the WNBA’s investigation into what they characterized as fan misconduct.
“We will do everything in our power to protect Chicago Sky players,” team president and CEO Adam Fox stated, “and we encourage the league to continue taking meaningful steps to create a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said: “We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”
In the latest marquee matchup between Reese and the Fever’s Caitlin Clark, Reese appeared upset after Clark committed a hard foul on her.
During the third quarter of the Fever’s 93-58 win, Clark sent Reese, who had just pulled in an offensive rebound, to the floor. Reese got up and tried to confront Clark, who walked away as members from both teams intervened. Clark’s foul was eventually upgraded to a flagrant 1, while Reese and Indiana’s Aliyah Boston were given technical fouls.
After the game, Reese referred to Clark’s foul as a “basketball play.”
‘‘Refs got it right,” she said. “Move on.’’
Clark told reporters of the incident: “Let’s not make it something that it’s not. It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. … It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line rather than give up two points, you know? I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am. It wasn’t anything like that.”
The rivalry between the two players gained widespread attention in 2023, when Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournament championship game. It carried over to the WNBA for the players’ rookie season last year, although both insisted that there are no personal hard feelings.
Clark was named the league’s rookie of the year, with Reese finishing second in the voting.
The presence of both players helped propel the league into unprecedented popularity. With the additional attention, however, came a negative aspect, as some players spoke about experiencing an increasing amount of racism online and in person throughout the season.
The WNBA has launched the “No Space for Hate” campaign this year to help fight hate and promote tolerance and respect.
Chad Smith remembers the night in 2003 when the Red Hot Chili Peppers played for an audience of 80,000 or so amid the rolling hills of the Irish countryside.
After a somewhat fallow period in the mid-’90s, the veteran Los Angeles alt-rock band resurged with 1999’s eight-times-platinum “Californication” and its 2002 follow-up, “By the Way,” which spawned the chart-topping single “Can’t Stop.” To mark the moment, the Chili Peppers brought a crew to document their performance at Slane Castle, where they headlined a full day of music that also included sets by Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, for an eventual concert movie.
“Everything’s filmed now, but back then it was a big shoot,” Smith, the band’s drummer, recently recalled. “You can get a little self-conscious. At the beginning, I f— something up — nothing nobody would know, but we would know — and Flea kind of looked at me,” he said of the Chili Peppers’ bassist. “We gave each other this ‘Oh s—’ look. We laughed it off, and I don’t think I thought about it after that because the crowd was so engaged. The energy was incredible.”
Twenty-two years later, the Chili Peppers are bringing that 2003 gig to screens again — only this time they’re string puppets.
“Can’t Stop” is director David Fincher’s re-creation of the band’s rendition of that tune at Slane Castle. Part of the just-released fourth season of the Emmy-winning Netflix anthology series “Love, Death + Robots,” the animated short film depicts the Chili Peppers — Smith, Flea, singer Anthony Kiedis and guitarist John Frusciante — as dangling marionettes onstage before a veritable sea of the same. As the band rides the song’s slinky punk-funk groove, we see Flea bust out some of his signature moves and Kiedis swipe a fan’s cellphone for a selfie; at one point, a group of women in the crowd even flash their breasts at the frontman.
The puppets aren’t real — the entire six-minute episode was computer-generated. But the way they move looks astoundingly lifelike, not least when one fan’s lighter accidentally sets another fan’s wires on fire.
So why did Fincher, the A-list filmmaker behind “Fight Club” and “The Social Network,” put his considerable resources to work to make “Can’t Stop”?
“A perfectly reasonable inquiry,” the director, who executive produces “Love, Death + Robots,” said with a laugh. “First and foremost, I’ll say I’ve always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there’s just stuff you want to see.”
Why did David Fincher turn the Chili Peppers into puppets? “First and foremost, I’ll say I’ve always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there’s just stuff you want to see.”
(Netflix)
Fincher, 62, grew up loving Gerry Anderson’s “Thunderbirds” series featuring his so-called Supermarionation style of puppetry enhanced by electronics. But the Chili Peppers project also represents a return to Fincher’s roots in music video: Before he made his feature debut with 1992’s “Alien 3,” he directed era-defining clips including Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” Madonna’s “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” and George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90.” (Fincher’s last big music video gig was Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” in 2013.) In addition to “Thunderbirds,” he wanted “Can’t Stop” to evoke the ’80s work of early MTV auteurs like Wayne Isham and Russell Mulcahy — “that throw 24 cameras at Duran Duran aesthetic,” as he put it.
Fincher said he knew his puppet concept would require “a band you can identify just from their movement,” which seems like a fair way to describe the Chili Peppers. He recalled first encountering the band around 1983 — “I think it was with Martha Davis at the Palladium?” he said — and was struck by a sense of mischief that reminded him of the “elfin villains” from the old Rankin/Bass TV specials.
“I feel like Finch got the spirit of me,” said Flea, 62, who’s known the director socially for years. The bassist remembered discussing “Can’t Stop” with Fincher at a mutual friend’s house before they shot it: “I was talking about how I still jump around onstage and my body still works really good. But I used to dive and do a somersault while I was playing bass — like dive onto my head. And now I’m scared to do it.” He laughed. “Some old man thing had happened where I’m scared to dive onto my face now. Finch went, ‘Well, Puppet Flea can do it.’”
Sketches of Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and bassist Flea as puppets in Vol. 4 of Netflix’s “Love, Death + Robots.”(Netflix)
After doing a day of motion capture with the band at a studio in the Valley, Fincher and a crew of animators from Culver City’s Blur Studio spent about 13 months working on “Can’t Stop.” Fincher said the hard part was giving the marionettes a feeling of suspension.
“With the mo cap, you’re capturing the action of a character who has self-determination,” he said, referring to a human Chili Pepper, “then you’re applying that to an object that has no self-determination,” meaning a puppet controlled by an unseen handler. “It’s so much trickier than it looks. But that was kind of the fun, you know? I mean, not for me,” he added with a laugh.
Asked if the production involved any use of AI, Fincher said it didn’t. “It’s Blur — it’s a point of pride for them,” he said. But he also shrugged off the idea that that question has become a kind of purity test for filmmakers.
A digital rendering of the Chili Peppers as puppets.
(Netflix)
“For the next couple of months, maybe it’ll be an interesting sort of gotcha,” he said. “But I can’t imagine 10 years from now that people will have the same [view]. Nonlinear editing changed the world for about six weeks, and then we all took it for granted.
“I don’t look at it as necessarily cheating at this point,” he continued. “I think there are a lot of things that AI can do — matte edges and roto work and that kind of stuff. I don’t think that’s going to fundamentally ruin what is intimate and personal about filmmaking, which is that we’re playing dress-up and hoping not to be caught out.”
As he reportedly works on an English-language version of “Squid Game” and a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” did making “Can’t Stop” lead Fincher to ponder the state of the music video now that MTV is no longer in the business of showcasing the form?
“Well, the audience that MTV aggregated — in retrospect, that was time and a place,” he said. “Remember, the Beatles were making music videos — they just called it ‘Help!’ There was no invention at all on MTV’s part.
“What I do miss about that — and I don’t think we’ll ever see it again — was that I was 22 years old and I would sketch on a napkin: This is kind of the idea of what we want to do. And four days later, $125,000 would be sent to the company that you were working with and you’d go off and make a video. You’d shoot the thing in a week, and then it would be on the air three weeks after that.
“You make a television commercial now and there’s quite literally 19 people in folding chairs, all with their own 100-inch monitor in the back. The world has changed.” He laughed.
“I started my professional career asking for forgiveness rather than permission, and it’s been very difficult to go the other direction.”
