Music

Vanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson will be away from the football team while the university conducts an internal review of a recent post Jackson made on Facebook in support of rapper Kanye West.

According to ESPN, Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee said the following about the situation:

"It is important the university follow its standard process and conduct a thorough review of the complexities of this incident. Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team during the Equal Opportunity and Access office's review."

West, who is now known as Ye, made multiple antisemitic comments on social media and elsewhere, including amplifying the conspiracy theory that Jewish people wield outsized control in the media. As a result, Adidas terminated its relationship with West, and he had his accounts suspended on both Twitter and Instagram.

In the wake of the punishments, Jackson wrote on Facebook that West is "two steps ahead of everyone else."

Jackson offered an apology Friday night on Twitter and said he is opposed to antisemitism:

pic.twitter.com/6mkTnWSWuf

— Dan Jackson (@CoachDtjackson) November 5, 2022

After apologizing, Jackson was allowed to coach in the 3-6 Commodores' 38-27 loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

Jackson, who was a linebacker at South Dakota State from 2003 to 2005, had extensive collegiate coaching experience before joining Vandy's staff this year.

He was part of the staff at his alma mater for eight years, helping South Dakota State establish itself as one of the premier programs in FCS.

Jackson then spent two seasons at Northern Illinois and was part of a turnaround that saw the Huskies go from winless in 2020 to MAC champions in 2021.

Jackson is currently not in line to be with Vanderbilt when it returns to the field Saturday for a road clash against Kentucky.

Vandy is 0-5 in the SEC this season, and it is looking to avoid a third consecutive season with no conference wins.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Priest Talks Bad Bunny Possibly Joining Judgment Day

After teaming with superstar musician Bad Bunny at WrestleMania 37 last year, Damian Priest has left the door open for them to join forces again in the future.

During an interview on Bleacher Report's Graham "GSM" Matthews' WrestleRant YouTube channel (h/t WrestlingInc's Dakota Cohen), Priest discussed the possibility of Bad Bunny joining him in The Judgment Day:

"Bad Bunny could be a part of Judgment Day," Priest said. "Who knows, right? So, you know, he has a bad side to him, it's in the name. So, but come what may, you know, as far as he's concerned it's good business. You know, the guy is a megastar and he's a pro and he's earned the respect and right to perform with us, you know? He earned that ... In any which role I could work with him, I welcome him."

Bad Bunny made his WWE debut with a musical performance at the 2021 Royal Rumble and ran into issues with The Miz. Priest came to his aid and eventually became Bad Bunny's tag team partner in a feud with The Miz and John Morrison.

All four of them locked horns at WrestleMania 37 in what turned out to be one of the most surprising matches of the event, as Bad Bunny performed well beyond expectations in a victory and proved he belonged in the ring.

Bad Bunny resurfaced as a surprise entrant in the 2022 Royal Rumble match, but he has largely stayed away from WWE and focused on his musical career since then.

Even so, Bad Bunny seems like a prime candidate to return at some point, given how much of a natural he was in the ring, and how big of a WWE fan he has been over the years.

It is somewhat difficult to envision Bad Bunny going heel by joining Priest, Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio, but it would add another layer to his character and perhaps make The Judgment Day an even more dominant faction.

WWE Reportedly Planning to Redesign Some Belts

More changes are reportedly on the way for WWE in the form of some newly designed championship belts.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Nitish Vashishtha of Ringside News), WWE sources have indicated that the company has at least three new belt designs waiting in the wings, and they are in hand and ready to be debuted at any time.

Fightful added that belt expert and insider Belt Fan Dan provided some specifics regarding possible belt changes. One belt design that has reportedly been completed in a new WWE Tag Team Championship, which is the same as the current design, but with a black strap.

The Usos are the reigning WWE tag team champions, and they are currently carrying the Raw and SmackDown tag team titles, so consolidating them into one would make some sense.

WWE reportedly also had another set of tag titles made a while back that look similar to the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, but with colored straps instead of white.

Most of the titles WWE has in use currently have been around for multiple years, so it wouldn't hurt to freshen things up a bit.

Triple H has not hesitated to make some significant changes since taking over as head of WWE creative for Vince McMahon in July, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the belt aesthetic change as well.

Possible Cosmetic Changes Coming to Raw, SmackDown

In addition to new belt designs, WWE is reportedly looking into making some changes to the look of Raw, SmackDown and NXT as well.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Vashishtha), there may be some "cosmetic" alterations to the shows in the near future.

No further specifics were given, although it is clear that changes are already underway in NXT, as the logo was changed from a color splash to gold and white a couple of weeks ago. The "2.0" branding was also removed from NXT.

Raw and SmackDown have largely looked the same in terms of their logos and presentation for many years at this point, so it would be a welcomed change if WWE provides a new look and feel.

Triple H, along with co-CEOs Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan, are undoubtedly making WWE their own since Vince McMahon's retirement, and new sets or logos would continue that transformation.

The product has been well received since Vince stepped down, and it is likely that aesthetic changes would be embraced by fans as well.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

The Super Bowl LVI halftime show that featured musical artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige, among others, won this year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special, per Lynette Rice of Deadline.

It's the first time the NFL's halftime show for the biggest game of the year won the award.

"I am nervous, man. Jay[-Z] is watching," executive producer Jesse Collins said while accepting the award. "First, on behalf of the fellow executive producers and our performers, we would like to thank the television academy for this incredible honor. It's amazing. This is the first time this show has ever won this award, and it's so incredible to be a part of this moment. It took an incredible team to pull this together, and I thank you all."

The performance included a number of iconic hip-hop songs, including Tupac's "California Love," Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama," Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E."

Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald announced on the I Am Athlete podcast that he has signed with Kanye West's Donda Sports:

"I think it's a helluva opportunity to open up a lot of different doors and a lot of different things outside of football that I wanna be involved in, that I wanna do, that my wife wanna do," Donald said (h/t TMZ Sports). "So to be a part of that, and be one of the best first athletes to be a part of that, it's pretty dope. We're excited about it, and we're gonna see where this thing goes."

Kanye partnered with Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown to form Donda Sports this year, with Brown referring to himself as the president of the company in a February Instagram post. 

Brown has seven Pro Bowl selections in his career, but the 33-year-old has appeared in just 16 games over the last three years and recently said he doesn't plan to play in 2022.

Donald is a much bigger star at the moment, coming off his first career Super Bowl title with the Rams. The defensive tackle has earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of his eight NFL seasons and was named first-team All-Pro in each of the last seven years, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

Despite his resume as one of the best defensive players in league history, Donald ranks just 27th in the NFL in average annual salary, per Spotrac, and he didn't crack Forbes' list of the 50 richest athletes in the world. 

A partnership with Donda Sports could help improve Donald's brand off the field, with podcast co-host Brandon Marshall asking about a potential line of signature cleats down the line with Ye.

"Ain't nothing in full circle, but we've been talking," Donald said. "We got a lot of different things that are planned."     

J. Cole is reportedly continuing his basketball career.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Cole is signing a contract with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. It's his second consecutive year playing professionally following his run with the Patriots Basketball Club in the Basketball Africa League.

The CEBL expanded to 10 teams for the 2022 season. Training camp began this week, with the regular season set to begin May 26. The Shooting Stars became the league's eighth franchise in August and will be playing their inaugural season this year.

"Scarborough is a basketball hotbed that has produced some of Canada’s very best players," CEBL CEO and Commissioner Mike Morreale said when the team was founded. "When the new team hits the court in 2022 it will bring an elevated passion and love for the game, the Scarborough community, and for the next generation of CEBL stars."

The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams. The league typically plays 20 regular-season games culminating in the playoffs and a final four championship weekend. The Edmonton Stingers won the title in each of the last two years.

Cole appeared in three games for the Patriots in the 2021 season and finished with totals of five points, three assists and five rebounds in 45 minutes of action off the bench. The Grammy Award-winning rapper has shown his basketball skills multiple times in the past on social media, so perhaps he will have a better season with Scarborough.

NBA All-Star Weekend is always jam-packed with action, and that will be the case again this weekend when the big names arrive in Cleveland. Events such as the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest are sure to entertain, while the All-Star Game will cap off all the fun.

Before any of that happens, though, celebrities will be taking the court and showcasing their skills.

On Friday, the 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will be the first event of the weekend to take place, and it will be played at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center. The matchup, which will feature singers, rappers, actors, comedians and more, will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.

NBA legends Bill Walton and Dominique Wilkins are serving as the coaches for the game. The ESPN broadcast will also be interviewing them and the players throughout the contest.

Here's everything else you need to know about the 2022 All-Star Celebrity Game.

        

2022 All-Star Celebrity Game Rosters

Team Walton

Jimmie Allen, singer/songwriter

Brittney Elena, host/actress/athlete/model

Machine Gun Kelly, singer/songwriter

Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas Aces forward

Noah Carlock, Fanatics All-In Challenge winner

Nyjah Houston, Olympian/skateboarder

Matt James, ABC's The Bachelor

Quavo, rapper/recording artist

Ranveer Singh, actor

Alex Toussaint, Peloton instructor

     

Team Nique

Anuel AA, rapper

Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland

Kane Brown, singer/songwriter

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end

Booby Gibson, former Cleveland Cavaliers guard

Tiffany Haddish, comedian/actress/author

Jack Harlow, rapper/recording artist

Crissa Jackson, Harlem Globetrotters player

Anjali Ranadive, singer/songwriter

Gianmarco Tamberi, Olympic high jumper

        

Preview, Predictions

It's always entertaining to watch the All-Star Celebrity Game and find out which celebrities may be surprisingly good at basketball. And for some, this won't be their first appearance at the event.

In fact, there's a former All-Star Celebrity Game MVP taking part in this year's contest. Quavo, who is a member of the rap trio Migos, was the MVP of the game in 2018. He scored 19 points while leading his team to a 75-66 victory.

This will be the fourth straight All-Star Celebrity Game appearance for Quavo, who participated every year from 2018-20—the game wasn't held in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. And it's likely that he'll have another strong performance in this year's contest.

The only other celebrity with previous experience in the game is singer/songwriter Kane Brown, who participated in 2020. He and Quavo were on opposite teams that year, and that will again be the case Friday.

Although most of these celebrities will be making their debuts in the game, there are quite a few who look like early MVP contenders heading into the matchup.

In case you haven't heard, rapper Jack Harlow has a friend in the NBA. His 2020 hit "Tyler Herro" was named after the Miami Heat guard, and in the song, Harlow said that Herro was going to "fix my jumper." We'll see how good of a job Herro did when Harlow suits up for Team Nique on Friday.

Another member of Team Nique to keep an eye on is Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. He is 6'4" and 272 pounds, and he showed off his basketball skills last year on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Flash_Garrett/status/1364713898054717440

Quavo may be an MVP front-runner, but he isn't the only celebrity on Team Walton who seems likely to have a strong showing. Don't be surprised if Machine Gun Kelly uses his 6'4" frame to pull down some rebounds and score some points in the post.

It also seems that Machine Gun Kelly has been putting in work in the gym, as he retweeted a video on Wednesday of him knocking down six straight three-pointers while rocking a Shawn Kemp throwback Cavaliers jersey:

i cannot ride a unicycle https://t.co/fnYXKsfdUQ

— mgk (@machinegunkelly) February 16, 2022

And we know that MGK isn't afraid to give full effort at these types of events, considering he legged out an inside-the-park home run when he participated in the MLB Celebrity Softball Game in 2019 in Cleveland. So he could potentially do something equally impressive on the hardwood on Friday.

That's why Machine Gun Kelly is the MVP pick here for this year's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. He and Quavo will form a strong duo that will be capable of powering Team Walton to victory. Garrett may be tough to stop inside, but MGK and Quavo have the skills to match that offense.

Predictions: Team Walton wins 66-60; Machine Gun Kelly wins MVP

Drake cashed in a bet for nearly $450,000 after Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. scored a touchdown in Super Bowl 56 on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals:

.@Drake wins his first bet on #SBLVI in less than 10 minutes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JOyF32iwah

— br_betting (@br_betting) February 13, 2022

Drake barely had to sweat his half-million wager for Beckham to score a touchdown any time during the game, with OBJ getting it done with 6:22 left in the first quarter.

With the Rams facing a 3rd-and-3 from the Bengals' 17-yard line, L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a dart down the sideline to Beckham, who beat Cincinnati cornerback Mike Hilton for the game's first points:

OBJ'S FIRST CATCH IS A TOUCHDOWN. #RamsHouse @OBJ

📺: #SBLVI on NBC
📱: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu pic.twitter.com/4nbf2miuHO

— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022

The Rams took a 7-0 lead after a Matt Gay extra-point attempt.

Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals will feature a jaw-dropping assembly of talent.

And that notion extends to the halftime show.

That's not to say that wasn't the case for prior halftime shows. Just based on recency, who could forget The Weeknd's performance last year at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida?

But this year feels like it's gone up a whole different level. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will team up to deliver what they hope is a 12-minute set for the ages.

The first trailer gave a hint of the huge production values and what the legendary cast of creators will bring to the spectacle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3NhX6-5mO0

Interestingly, when it comes to prop bets and predictions, there isn't a ton to look at in terms of the actual setlist and what might get performed. But it's easy to predict, for example, that "California Love" is performed given it's taking place at SoFi Stadium.

Some of the most notable prop odds center on a performer's attire. Over at BetOnline.ag, for example, would-be bettors can wager on the color of Snoop Dogg's shoes:

• Blue: +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
• Yellow/Gold: +350
• Black: +375
• White: +550
• Grey/Silver: +750
• Purple: +900
• Red: +1000
• Green: +1200
• Orange: +1200
• Pink: +2000

Blue makes sense as the favorite considering Snoop Dogg hails from out West and the Rams happen to have that in their arsenal. But maybe bettors shouldn't put it past him to embrace the underdog and "home" team (by NFL rules, the AFC is the home team) and rock some orange.

The props don't just center on individual performers, either. There's a line for how many of them don sunglasses:

• Two: +150
• One: +175
• Three: +225
• Four: +400
• Five: +600

Two feels safe—they are in California sun, after all.

Looping back to the topic of songs, though, it's downright eyebrow-raising to see a non-California-based song takes center stage as the favorite to open proceedings:

• Lose Yourself: -250 (wager $250 to win $100)
• The Next Episode: +150
• California Love: +800
• Still D.R.E.: +800
• Drop It Like It's Hot: +2200
• Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang: +2800
• HUMBLE: +2800
• Family Affair: +3300
• All The Stars: +3300

Eminem's "Lose Yourself" makes sense as an opener, and it's one of the most recognizable songs of its generation. But that might make more sense as a song to play before a game, not at halftime. Out in California, that +800 on "California Love" seems pretty nice.

Snoop Dogg has been about those hometown vibes while making the media rounds before his big performance, as captured by ET Online:

"This is a great moment, considering that the stadium was built just a couple of years ago. I have people that I know who helped build the stadium, that the city of Inglewood gave opportunities to, to actually be a part of creating the stadium. So knowing that the stadium was built, that the Super Bowl was gonna be here, and that we had an opportunity to perform on that stage, it's just a blessing."

As far as other predictions go, keep an eye out for more guest appearances. These performers have far too many connections—from the West Coast to Eminem's Detroit and beyond—to keep it all to themselves and not bring out surprises for onlookers.

Ditto for how many songs they play. It's only a 12-minute set, but the handful of legends boast 43 Grammys and 22 No. 1 Billboard albums between them. A 10-plus-song showing wouldn't exactly be a stunner.

And no matter how it all unfolds, odds would appear strong the legendary cast will have no issues putting on one of the better halftime shows we have seen in modern times.

                       

Odds courtesy of BetOnline.ag.

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson might have a Super Bowl to win, but he's still hopeful of catching a star-studded halftime show that includes Eminem, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar.

"I hope I get to watch it, honestly," he said to TMZ Sports (starting around the 1:25 mark).

McPherson explained how his duties in the locker room at halftime are typically limited as a member of the special teams unit. He doesn't spend much time there before he's back out on the field warming up for the second half.

That could theoretically allow him to enjoy the halftime show as it's happening, and the rookie said he'll be "super bummed" if he can't at least watch the performance on a TV screen.

Considering McPherson is a perfect 12-of-12 on field goals in the playoffs and nailed the game-winner in the AFC title game, he has earned some special privileges.

Granted, McPherson and his Bengals teammates might be in no mood for music if they're staring at a big deficit to the Los Angeles Rams following the first half.