Can you name the famous athletes who starred in these movies? Quiz clue: Movie. Good luck!
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Happy Gilmore 2 came out last week on Netflix, finally giving us an update that’s been 29 years in the making on everyone’s favorite golf-ball-a-whacker guy. The movie is completely over-the-top and absurd, but also extremely hilarious at times, making it worth a watch for any comedy fans. One of the aspects of the movie that has people talking is the insane number of cameos in it. From Eminem to Steve Buscemi, Guy Fieri to Post Malone, Margaret Qualley to Eric Andre, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with how many recognizable faces keep popping up. Adam Sandler really mined the world of sports for a lot of these cameos. One can’t even count the number of pro golfers that either played themselves, such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and John Daly or played other parts, such as LPGA legends Nancy Lopez and Nelly Korda playing doctors in the mental institution where Shooter McGavin was committed. Not content to stick to the links, Happy Gilmore 2 has all kinds of other athletes, too. Travis Kelce and Reggie Bush have memorable parts, and hockey legends Chris Chelios and Sean Avery also appear. It was great to see women’s basketball get some shine, too, as Los Angeles Sparks guard and four-time WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum played the starter at the municipal golf course where Happy attempts to begin his comeback. Plum sat down with Matt Barnes on the All the Smoke podcast to talk about her experience with the movie, and it sounds like she had a blast. “It was so random,” she said. “I got a call from my agent one day and he was like, ‘Hey, Adam asked if you wanted to be in Happy Gilmore,’ and I was like, ‘What?!'” Plum got to set in New Jersey, learned her lines, got her hair and makeup done, and then she got to meet Sandler. “They asked me to go into this trailer. I walk in, and in walks Adam, and he was just like the most warm, welcoming person. He was like, ‘Yo! Do y’all know who this is?!’ And he’s pointing to me! I’m like, ‘What?!'” Sandler pumped Plum up to everyone else in the trailer. “‘This one won us the gold, this one won us the gold!'” she remembered him saying, which is of course a reference to the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game between the USA and France, in which Plum scored 12 points off the bench, including two critical free throws with 12 seconds left to put Team USA up four. Just as she did in the Olympics, Plum needed to be cool under pressure in this movie, because Sandler threw a curveball at her at the last second. “We go out on set,” Plum said “and he scratched everything in my part. Scratched everything. So I’m like, ‘OK.’ People don’t know, Adam obviously acts, but produces, writes, picks all the actors, and it’s amazing to watch him work, because he’s behind the camera, he’s in front of the camera.” Sandler had one bit of direction for Plum. “I did my lines, and he’s like, ‘No. You gotta be a bigger b****. No, you’re way too nice, you gotta do it again, do it again.’ So it ended up just being this great moment, and it was awesome. I got his number, so he’s been amazing.” If you’ve ever wanted to see Plum talk about Grizzly Adams, or Bad Bunny smear honey on Travis Kelce’s chest (no judgment here), or Xander Schauffele and Ricky Fowler making ‘That’s what she said’ jokes, then Happy Gilmore 2 is the movie for you. Check it out on Netflix and get ready for a fun time.
With Mitch Marner leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, the team has been searching for different ways to replace his production. Marner was a central piece to the offensive side of things for Toronto, and the Maple Leafs front office has been active. Toronto is looking to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference, and building a more well-rounded roster could be the key. The Maple Leafs have multiple options to improve the team, and the possibility of a late offseason move is in play. One name that has gained some traction for the Maple Leafs is forward Jack Roslovic. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, there are multiple teams still looking at Roslovic, including the Maple Leafs. Toronto has been trying to move money around to make it possible to outright sign Roslovic. The Maple Leafs are lacking cap space, but it seems that Roslovic could be a solid addition to bolster the roster. Roslovic is coming off a very successful season with the Carolina Hurricanes, which saw him score 22 goals and 17 assists. The forward remains one of the better free agents still left on the open market, and he could help fill the void left by Marner's leaving. Toronto has been active this offseason, bringing in Nicolas Roy and Matias Maccelli to help things. But Roslovic could be used as a third-line scoring option, helping to make the Maple Leafs more formidable across the roster. This could be a move to help get the Maple Leafs to take that next step toward true title contention. The front office has a lot of pressure on it to succeed, and this could be one way to help win more games on the ice.
The Washington Commanders are traveling up to New England for their first preseason game on Friday vs the Patriots, which means we get our first look at the unofficial depth chart. I want to put an emphasis on the word unofficial because this doesn't mean this is how the team will look, or how certain guys rank, but it's still a foundation to build off of. Quarterbacks The only real notable storyline to watch in the QB room is who wins the battle for QB3. Hartman has had a solid camp, but Johnson brings a veteran presence to the room. Whoever can fill in without hiccups will be the one who wins the last spot. Hartman and Johnson will get a lot of preseason reps. Wide Receiver No real surprise when you think about how HC Dan Quinn approaches the depth chart, and he makes every rookie earn their spot. Jaylin Lane will quickly shoot up the depth chart, but this is also a good sign for Luke McCaffrey. WR is another deep position with plenty of preseason snaps available. Running Back Have no fear, Croskey-Merritt truthers, he will get his chance to show what separates him from the other running backs. His listing as the fifth string actually allows us to see more snaps for the seventh-round rookie gem. Offensive Line Of course, everyone will look at the RT spot. That's exactly what I expected to see with Wylie OR Conerly Jr. being listed as the starters. I predict we could see Wylie start the season at RT with split time with Conerly Jr., similar to what they did last year with Cornelius Lucas and Brandon Coleman. I also think the depth can move around to different positions easily. Tight End No surprises here for the tight end group. I'm obviously most excited to see Ben Sinnott in his second season in the league and hopefully get a decent amount of playing time in preseason again. Defensive Line The defensive line has a lot of bodies and better quality to stop the run this season. Preseason players to watch, in my opinion, include Jean-Baptiste, Barber, and Goldman. The depth will be a close race when the season approaches. Linebackers The biggest thing that stands out for the linebacker room has to be rookie Kain Medrano, listed as a linebacker after being labeled as a tweener between linebacker and safety. This could indicate where they feel he is best right now. I'll be keeping count on Medrano's snaps in preseason. Cornerbacks You're reading that right, Quinn put a rookie as the starter already, and it's not a surprise when Trey Amos has had a flawless training camp. The depth with Igbinoghene and Jones gives the Commanders a major boost that's been missing for years. Vigers is a sleeper who can impress in the preseason. Safeties The safety room looks as expected, and Owens is listed at safety after getting some reps at linebacker. Owens is the one player who has a lot to earn in the preseason to fight for a final roster spot. Special Teams I do not doubt that Jaylin Lane will be the starting punt returner this season. I am surprised that Deebo Samuel isn't listed anywhere as a kick returner since he got a lot of starting reps there with Ekeler. Remember, this is the first unofficial depth chart for the first preseason game against the Patriots, and there will be a lot of movement as the season gets closer. This is a great foundation to build off of, though, and see how things develop after each game. Rookies like Kain Medrano and Jacory Croskey-Merrit can make a lot of noise in the preseason and shake things up.
As it turned out, veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers was just a short one. Cortes, who was acquired by the Brewers via a trade with the New York Yankees in December and signed a one-year, $7.6 million contract with the Brewers nearly a month later, has been sent by Milwaukee to the San Diego Padres ahead of last week’s trade deadline. Cortes opens up about trade from Milwaukee Brewers to San Diego The 30-year-old Cortes recently shared how he learned he was on the move to San Diego, which came just minutes before he was to board the team bus for a road trip. “It’s been a little crazy, I was in Milwaukee and flew in last night,” Cortes said on Monday (h/t Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune). “But as soon as I got traded, a bunch of people reached out and made me feel like I was really welcomed here. And walking into the clubhouse today, obviously a lot of guys came up to me and presented me to all these places that we have here. It’s amazing for me now. Just happy to be here, happy for the opportunity.” Getting traded wasn’t exactly a surprise for Cortes, and he also seemingly got to an ideal situation with the Padres despite parting ways with a Milwaukee squad that is leading the big leagues in the standings with 67 wins through Sunday. “I was a little surprised. Even though I felt if there was a chance to get out of Milwaukee, it was going to be to a contender and I’m just happy to be here and happy to compete,” added Cortes. “I want to get the ball every five days hopefully and be able to give the best that I can.” Cortes appeared in only two games with the Brewers, as he landed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow flexor strain before getting placed on the 60-day IL.