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How the Washington Mystics Made Brunch the Hottest Thing in Town

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WASHINGTON — The Washington Mystics hosted their fourth and final Brunch & Basketball outside the Entertainment & Sports Arena ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Atlanta Dream. The event features a game ticket and a pregame meal, complete with unlimited mimosas.

Attendees casually feasted on chicken and waffles and sipped mimosas while a DJ spun the usual brunch hits. Somewhat Future. Somewhat Sexyy Red, in fact. One moment it was New Edition’s “Mr. Telephone Man,” the next it was Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack.” Fantasia’s “When I See U” had everyone testing their vocal chords.

But the setting seemed subdued. People remained seated, eating or chatting. Some were even glued to their cell phones. Besides the loud music, there was something off about this particular brunch.

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And then “Wobble” got here along.

At this point, a few of the attendees stood up, some letting out an audible “ayyyyy” as they headed toward the center of the venue. As rapper VIC’s 2008 hit lyrics blared from the speakers, everyone line danced in unison to the line dancing, whether it was an older woman or just a little girl no older than 6.

The party got here alive, the atmosphere was buzzing. People looked like they were having a great time just being in this space designed for them. And in doing so, the WNBA team in the nation’s capital someway, someway, brought the city’s culture and love of brunch to basketball.

“We kind of invented the brunch scene,” Erin Blaine, Mystics fan experience manager, said of Washington.

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All 4 Washington Mystics “Brunch & Basketball” events this season have sold out.

Mystics of Washington

Earlier this yr, the Mystics marketing team was special ticket promotions, which usually include a free item or food voucher, for the upcoming season. While they ultimately settled on promotions that included T-shirts, headbands, plush dolls and personalized T-shirts, the marketing team also decided that every gift may be an experience.

Dana Campbell, vice chairman of promoting for Mystics, asked employees what they do on the weekends for fun and entertainment.

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Blaine, a Washington native who played college basketball at Saint Francis (2013-14), Howard (2015-17) and Morehead State (2017-18), said she typically went out for brunch on the weekends before ending the day with shopping or a sporting event. She also noted that previously there have been no fan events during Sunday afternoon games, which began around the time most brunches ended. This was a solution to give fans the brunch experience without having to sacrifice attending a Mystics game.

“You can go and enjoy the game,” Blaine said, as Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz’s “Who U Wit” played in the background. “And you’ll be home by 5 a.m..”

With that in mind, the team got here up with the idea of ​​why not mix two of Washingtonians’ favorite things: basketball and brunch.

Washington lives and breathes all types of basketball, with connections from former Washington Capitols coach Red Auerbach to Capitols forward Earl Lloyd (the first black man to play in the NBA), to legendary NBA forward and Washington native Elgin Baylor, to Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, also a Washington native. Youth basketball is essential here, and John Thompson’s legacy is perpetuated at Georgetown University.

And based solely on subjective opinion and self-promotion, Washington is generally known as the brunch capital of the country. A meal of shrimp, grits, eggs, and lamb chops mixed with the feeling of sitting in the middle of a nightclub—few cities offer a greater experience than Washington. Not to say that brunch is greater than food and booze. It’s a probability to let out with friends and have a great time. For just a few hours on the weekend, there aren’t any worries about work, bills, or anything that doesn’t bring you happiness.

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“We hang out, drink mimosas, eat good food and have a great time,” said Blaine, wearing a black and red Howard shirt and red skirt.

“Brunch is very much a D.C. institution,” Campbell said. “So let’s take something that’s already happening in our community, combine it with basketball, another experience that’s very big and popular in D.C., combine the two and see what happens.”

Brunch & Basketball just isn’t nearly food and alcohol, additionally it is a spot where the city’s culture and love for brunch are celebrated.

Mystics of Washington

While the primary goal of any promotion is to expand the brand, this season the focus has been on the WNBA.

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Attendance and viewership records have been broken across the league. Marketing plans are attempting to capitalize on the league’s renewed interest this season, which is partly because of the 2024 draft class highlighted by No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and No. 7 pick Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. For Brunch & Basketball, marketing is concentrated on three major things: bringing Washington’s brunch culture to the Mystics brand, attracting latest and younger fans, and appealing to black women, who’re a part of their core demographic. (Blacks make up 32% of the WNBA’s viewership on ESPN and 45% on ION, in keeping with a July report.)

Campbell said black women make up a “large portion” of the Mystics’ fan base. Attracting a broader audience is an obvious goal for the company, but the team is careful to not lose touch with its core audience.

“We try to stay true to our DNA,” Campbell said.

After the marketing team settled on the Brunch & Basketball concept, they set to work securing each a venue and a caterer. The Entertainment & Sports Arena, where the G League’s Mystics and Capital City Go-Go play their home games, is across the street from Sycamore & Oak, an all-wood, 23,000-square-foot multipurpose space that serves the predominantly black community of Ward 8. It’s home to black-owned streetwear shops and restaurants, including a vegan hot dog joint aptly named Glizzy’s Vegan Food Company (glizzy is locally used to confer with hot dogs and half-rods).

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The Mystics saw Sycamore & Oak as a chance to extend foot traffic. They didn’t want the retail stores to shut for Brunch & Basketball. Attendees visited the stores during the three-hour event.

“Our goal is also to attract our fans to the Sycamore & Oak space and encourage them to visit the businesses there,” Campbell said.

The Mystics originally planned to rotate between five Sycamore & Oak restaurants for every event. The first Brunch & Basketball, held May 19 before the Seattle Storm game, was catered by Dionne’s Good Food, which specializes in chicken wings and crab fries, a Washington-area specialty. Brunches on June 22 (Dallas Wings), July 14 (Las Vegas Aces) and Sept. 15 (Atlanta Dream) were catered by Afro Caribbean restaurant Tricey’s D.C.

When the team announced the promotion in May, the news spread like wildfire. A Front Office Sports post on X garnered nearly 2 million views. ESPN wrote a chunk on Brunch & Basketball, highlighting the “bottomless mimosas” in its heading.

“We were a little surprised,” Campbell said. “We’ve always believed in the concept, but yes, we were a little surprised.”

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As a part of the theme of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a Brunch & Basketball event was held on September fifteenth, featuring a dance team from Howard University.

Mystics of Washington

As a part of the historically black colleges and universities theme for the Sept. 15 event, the Howard dance team danced to a routine backed by Ciara’s “1, 2 Step.” Participants wore costumes from every Divine Nine black fraternity and sorority organization with Greek letters, not to say HBCU Howard, Florida A&M, Morgan State and North Carolina A&T.

The crowd was made up of many alternative groups: Girls out. Boys hanging out. Mixed groups of friends. Couples with babies in strollers.

The event captured Washingtonian fashion. Braids, twists, low-cut hair. Graphic tees paired with baggy jeans, short shorts accentuated with fanny packs. Lots of Air Jordans, and even just a few from Salehe Bembury x Crocs (or as I call them: Fancy Crocs). You don’t show as much as brunch in a flared bodice.

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“It’s kind of an agreement. If you know, you know,” Blaine said. “If I’m going out all day, I’m going to brunch, I’m dressed all day.”

While the DJ spun hit after hit after hit. SWV’s “Right Here” (Michael Jackson’s version, in fact). Beyoncé’s “Get Me Bodied,” GoldLink’s “Crew,” Boosie Badazz’s verse on “Independent.” Of course, there was an Afrobeats interlude and just a few seconds of Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente.”

Overall, Brunch & Basketball was successful. The team sold out all 4 of its events this season, sometimes having to sell extra tickets to maintain up with demand. After hosting the inaugural Brunch & Basketball in the upper mezzanine at Sycamore & Oak (approximate capability: 200), the Mystics rented out the entire space for the last three events (capability: 300 to 400).

Next season, the Mystics marketing team hopes so as to add more programming to the brunch events and work with more community stakeholders to further emphasize the team’s concentrate on making this a Washington event. They also wish to add more…space.

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“Our next good problem is figuring out how to fit more,” Blaine said.

Martenzie Johnson is a senior author at Andscape. His favorite movie moment is when Django says, “You guys want to see something?”

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Victor’s season is over. What next with the Star Spurs?

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Victor Wembanyama is certainly one of the faces of NBA, the star of San Antonio Spurs and certainly one of the biggest names in basketball.

And his season passed, after Spurs announced on Thursday that he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

The 7-foot center from France had a mean of 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and three.7 assists this season. Because blocked shots became official statistics, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-Right half a century ago-he made the season with these numbers or higher.

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A couple of questions and answers about the situation of the weembany:

What is deep vein thrombosis?

According to the definition of the Mayo clinic, deep vein thrombosis – or DVT – “occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more deep veins in the body, usually in the legs.” Spurs say that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with DVT on the right shoulder, and doctors will now work on determining how and why it happened before inventing the treatment plan.

Among the important threats of DVT: LUTU clots, moving around the bloodstream and reaching the lungs. It seems that this didn’t occur Wembanyama, no less than on the basis of the diagnosis that the team presented on Thursday.

How will Wembanyama be treated?

Doctors who talked on Thursday to the Associated Press-Przyaden of them aren’t involved in the treatment of vembany-they said that virtual is actually prescribed by French drugs to prolonged blood to deal with clot.

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Long -term pondering was such that athletes who participate involved sports resembling basketball mustn’t play at blood thinners or anticoagulants due to the risk of bleeding. However, the article published on Thursday by the American College of Cardiology – just a few hours before breaking the news about Wembanyam – said that “playing competitive sports may be reasonable for athletes receiving full anticoagulation or partial anticoagulation.”

What does this mean for Spurs?

In short, it isn’t good. Spurs is currently not in the Playoff photo and has stood as much as fight uphill to get to the Game Tournament-now he may have to complete the season without his best player.

San Antonio still has talent: Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and the newly acquired De’aaron Fox are a strong Trio veteran. But every part is built around Wembanyama.

And Spurs shall be without their biggest star, in addition to the franchise leader. Coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke in November and was away from the team for nearly the entire season.

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What does this mean for NBA?

The league MVP for every of the last six years was a player born somewhere in a different way than the USA and this series probably extends for seven this season-from Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stellar Oklahoma City Guard and Serbia Nikola Jokic, three-time MVP with Denver, who has be favorites.

But he deprives the league of certainly one of her most talented stars to the episode.

All Wembanyama does is huge news in France and San Antonio, and he is already certainly one of the hottest league players. If he and Spurs did a run in Play -ff, his star would only shine brighter.

Why cannot he win the NBA awards now?

The league is in the second yr of what is commonly called the principle of 65 matches, which in principle implies that the player must appear in no less than 65 matches to qualify for many awards at the end of the season, resembling MVP.

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This also applies to the defensive player of the yr, which Wembanyama was preferred to win. He played in only 46 matches, which implies that it’ll not be in the NBA vote for this trophy when the vote is carried out in April.

Wembanyama won the debutant of the yr last season. If such a situation happened, he could still win the honor of debutants-he was not subject to the policy of 65 matches.

Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Doechia Among the early winners of the NACP Image Awards distributed during a virtual ceremony before the Livive Show

(Tagstranslate) Victor Wembanyama (T) @Ap (T) Entertainment

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Former NFL star, Earl’s wife Thomas allegedly stole his millions for the purchase of implants and lavish gifts after he was holding him in the crosshairs for a scam with two women

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The marked wife of the former SEAHAWKS player, Earl Thomas, was officially accused of theft $ 2.7 million from retired security through a number of programs.

Information from court documents obtained by TMZ Sports states that Nina Thomas filed for divorce in November 2020, and then allegedly began to cheat money from her alienated husband in September 2021.

The authorities have accused Nina with a conspiracy geared toward committing fraud related to wire, fraud, money laundering and theft of identity.

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He added court documents in detail that Nina and her unnamed partner sends funds from seven times Pro Bowl and transferred money to separate accounts under their names. The authorities claim that Nina has spent stolen money on breast implants, Hermes Birkin and other items.

Former NFL Earl Thomas star, accused of cheating him from millions after catching him in bed naked with his brother and other women (photo: photo of Abbie Parr / Getty Images; Nina Theresa / Facebook)
Former NFL Earl Thomas star, accused of cheating him from millions after catching him in bed naked with his brother and other women (photo: photo of Abbie Parr / Getty Images; Nina Theresa / Facebook)

The order for the mother of three children was issued on December 13 and was arrested on Monday, December 16. TMZ reports that she was released after the deposit was released.

Nina’s arrest is solely one other return in the relations of ex -beloved in highschool, which was marked with drama and legal issues over the past 4 years.

Their fall began in April 2020. After she and her husband allegedly had an oral quarrel because of drinking and left the house with his brother Seth.

According to TMZNina tracked her husband at the local Airbnb rental in Austin, Texas, and found Thomas and his brother “naked in bed with other women.”

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The documents state that he “scared” her husband, Nina, he put his 9 mm Baretta to her head, which had live in the chamber. She claimed that she didn’t know that the weapon was holding the chamber live, and Thomas confirmed that “she got a weapon from my house” during his fears.

Nina allegedly claimed that the weapon was not loaded and used it only as “Fear of tactics.

When the officers arrived at the place of the incident, she was found with a knife, stating: “I caught my husband’s fraud, officers,” in materials obtained by TMZ. She explained that she found Edward with “two women upstairs.”

She told the authorities that she suspected that she had nothing good, so she hacked his Snapchat and found his location.

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Nina was arrested And in an emergency he had a protective order for Thomas to stop protection, requiring her to keep away from her then husband and every other woman he had chosen to date.

This incident led to the conclusion that Nina submitted a divorce application, ending their 4 -year marriage.

Although their marriage ended, their toxicity didn’t.

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In December 2021, Thomas was accused threatening Nina in drunk rage during Christmas. Nina claimed that Thomas decided to remain outside all night, and even sent a film about the proven fact that she was intimate with one other woman to the phone before she returned to her parents’ home, where the family gathered at Christmas, and “irritating” in front of them Children before them. Nina received a protective management.

In May 2022, Thomas was arrested on a charges of violation of the protective order 2021 threatened Nina and their children via a text message.

Thomas was directed to speak with Nina only through a telephone application to their children. However, local stores reported that his wife said that he refused to download the application, still contacting her by phone and appeared in places he knew he had visited.

The seller shared a former member of the “Legion of Boom”, sent SMS, which allegedly tells his ex -wife that he had two weapons, and then threatened her, saying: “I am waiting at hand at hand, why I kick your ass.”

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The next day, she announced that he had sent an SMS with information: “I hope that in a car with him and children and you are leaving the road”, and then threatened to “poison” your kids.

Just a few months after his arrest of May 2022, resulting from all communicators of threats, the Erange’s Erange’s union in Texas Thomas, Mansion was destroyed in a fire after he was hit by lightning.

In 2023, the money began to turn into fun between them when Nina’s boyfriend was allegedly arrested theft The identity of the NFL star in an alleged fraud value $ 1.9 million.

The police in Nowy Orleana claimed that for over a 12 months 34 -year -old Kevin J. Thompson used false identity proof with the name Thomas to transfer Thomas’s large sums to many bills, make large payments of money and money, Thomas NFL. Thompson also moved the ownership of the automotive for several vehicles by name Thomas to him.

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The authorities didn’t confirm whether Thomas’s case against Nina and his one against her ex -boyfriend is said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbk9C4NVNCC

(Tagstranslat) cheating

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Allan Houston is thinking about an interview with Dr. Clarence Jones

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For five days in mid -April 1963, Dr. Clarence Jones broke about five sheets of empty paper under the jersey for a jail in Birmingham (Ala.) To give a prisoner. The recipient was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He was arrested for conducting a peaceful protest against segregation, an outstanding activist for civil rights wanted to put in writing his answer to local white clergy criticizing his protests and calling him to return to his hometown of Atlanta.

King gave pieces of paper to his lawyer and author before he left. Without Jones’s knowledge, the magazines became a letter from the prison in Birmingham.

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It was one in every of the various stories that Jones told the previous NBA player Allan Houston and his father Wade Houston during their two -hour interview in December in San Francisco. Jones talked about his life experiences, including serving alongside the king throughout the movement for civil rights.

Allan Houston met Jones on the New York Knicks match for Martin Luther’s day King Jr. in 2024. The Olympic gold medalist entered the band’s executive apartment and saw a gaggle huddled around Jones.

Allan introduced himself and shared his relationship with his father, Wade, the primary black coach on the south -eastern conference. He told Jones that his father inspired him to create a social brand Fisll (faith, honesty, victim, leadership and heritage).

When Allan mentioned Wade, Jones raised his hand, signaling him to stop talking.

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“Your father is Wade Houston?” Jones said. “I am very familiar with you, your father and your story. Your father was an icon because at that time black trainers had to be better. “

The shocked Allan Houston kindly asked Jones to justify and immediately FieTimed Wade.

“Like a small child, I brought a phone call to Dr. Jones. He took him and began to talk to his dad as if they knew each other, “Houston said. “And when I watched this conversation, I said:” I would really like to be a video, but he has my phone. ” “

Allan Houston’s wish got here true lower than a yr later.

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Allan Houston shared his time with Jones with his father and the influence he had on their relationship and his individual goal.


From left to right: Allan Houston, Wade Houston and Dr. Clarence Jones talk about Jones’s experience with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Allan Houston

From the camera he told us that Martin would call him at Jones confirmed that Martin was powered and motivated by a mission, but sometimes he told his friend: “Brother, I have to sleep a bit” once they were approaching early.

Imagine talking to someone who trusted these dialogues. A conversation with someone who challenged his thought process but was still inspired.

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After almost two hours of sitting, we went to dinner. For the following hour he shared more convincing stories, which made me appreciate my role on this world and the goal much more.

I began studying mathematics on the University of Tennessee, but I desired to graduate in 4 years, so I modified my studies to African -American studies. I wrote my older newspaper about Selma, where my father recruited basketball players. Now I’m with a brand influencing the community rooted within the values ​​wherein my father and the heritage of Dr. King taught me, talking to the person with a connection with the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma.

For this reason, I touched me essentially the most, as Dr. Jones talked about the importance of my father and I, since it applies to black culture. A son honored with a loved father. Rare but possible. Rare but powerful.

“I am very touched because I sit here and see a generational bridge,” said Jones, referring to my father and me while sitting. “I see and experience something that I would like to experience every young black man.” I used to be moved when Dr. Jones also said: “I’m 93 years old, but because of this of being here, I do know that I intend to live 95, 96, 97. Oh yes, I’m inspired. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave it.

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His words illuminated the strength of unity and community.

Dr. Jones and my father knew Muhammad Ali. He lived two houses from my childhood house in Louisville. Jones, as a lawyer, helped organize some Ali fights.

From left to right: Allan Houston, Dr. Clarence Jones and Ben Jones, son of Clarence Jones.

Allan Houston

When I used to be 2, Ali visited our house. Before he left, my father asked him: “What was your most difficult fight?”

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In his third and last fight with Joe Frazier in Manila Ali, he said he didn’t need to get out of his stool within the 14th round. His coach, Angelo Dundee, pushed him off the stool, after which struck the phrase in 14. The competition became often known as “Trełka in Manila”.

“I wanted to give up, but someone pushed me out of the stool,” Ali told my father.

My close friend called me someday, and he said, “When we talk, he keeps me.” I added my dad to call, and he shared the story of Ali. My friend was crying. A couple of days earlier he thought about give up. However, our conversation pushed him out of the stool.

So, when Dr. Jones concluded that our interview rejuvenated him, I spotted that although he could conclude that he was in his years of dusk, he was inspired that folks who approached him enough to maintain this message about unity.

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It seems to me that it is my duty to take care of the heritage of Dr. Jones and my father, in order that more young people will be inspired by the facility of the community. Along with this scholarship comes responsibility and support, as Jones offered King. Fisll tries to supply the identical to young people and their families.

My conversation with Dr. Jones gives me only more fuel and motivation to be sure that that the following generation didn’t miss the importance of individuals like Dr. Jones.

We still have problems dividing this country. It is vital to not say: “Hey, we recognize our black icons this month” and we go further.

We must consistently illustrate these values ​​of religion, honesty, dedication, leadership, heritage and heart of God once we attempt to honor Dr. Jones and those that paved our path to being here.

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Joshua Heron is an independent sports journalist dedicated to the humanization of athletes by telling stories. He was born in New York, but he considers himself an actual “Yaad Man” due to his Jamaican education. If you get to know him well enough, “Wah Gwan” will probably develop into a part of your vocabulary.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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