How Does Chip Kelly"s Hiring Affect Colin Kaepernick? | NFL Now
Whether you love him or hate him or are completely indifferent to the guy, the 49ers went big in hiring Chip Kelly as their new head coach Thursday.
Aah, who are we kidding? No sports fan is indifferent to Chip Kelly.
In Kelly, the Niners welcome one of the NFLs most potent lightning rods. His three years coaching the Philadelphia Eagles were either a thrilling success or a huge disappointment, depending on whom you talk to.
He is either an offensive genius or a defensive liability. He wants control over his teams roster, or hes perfectly content to focus on Xs and Os. Hes a wry wit. Hes an acerbic b**b. Hes a racist.
Its a good hire, said one NFL Network analyst, Steve Mariucci, who coached the 49ers from 1997-2002.
Foolish. Insane. Asinine. Backwards, said another, former NFL fullback Heath Evans. I have no clue what (general manager) Trent Baalke and (CEO) Jed York were thinking.
Theres no telling whether the 49ers can stagger away from the scene of last years 5-11 record under Jim Tomsula and become a playoff team once again under Kellys guidance. But its almost certain to be an entertaining show.
I think Chip Kelly is a very driven individual, particularly when it comes to football, said Nick Aliotti, who was the defensive coordinator at the University of Oregon when Kelly was the offensive coordinator and then the head coach there. Ill never forget when I was talking to Chip, and his main goal was to someday win a Super Bowl. So hes driven by that. He loves the game.
And the fact that he got back on the saddle three weeks to a month after getting fired, and going back into it, probably speaks volumes in his approach to show that he can get this done with his system, his way in the NFL.
Kellys way doesnt look like anybody elses. At Oregon he became famous for having assistants hold up picture placards on the sidelines everything from a jack-o-lantern to a toaster to the Burger King mascot to signal in plays, rather than relying on hand signals.
That was because hand signals are too slow. Kellys offense is built upon speed. His goal is to run as many plays as he can in as short a time as possible. His Oregon Ducks and his Philadelphia Eagles rarely huddled.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Eagles averaged one play every 23.1 seconds under Kelly, a good three seconds faster than any other NFL team.
The system puts tremendous strain on opposing defenses, preventing them from making substitutions and demanding they read formations and plays in a matter of seconds.
Its also a burden for his own defense. Kellys offense is on and off the field so fast, the guys on the other side of the ball rarely get to rest. Largely because of how many snaps they were forced to play, the Philadelphia defense never ranked higher than 28th out of 32 teams during his tenure there.
When we were at Oregon we played like a hockey team on defense, where you were substituting different guys every three or four plays if the tempo got to be too fast, said Aliotti, now a studio analyst for Pac-12 Networks. Thats something you have to make sure youre recruiting the right guys, drafting the right guys, and guys are in shape and guys are with you 100 percent. But it definitely can work.
Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio have made no secret of their affection for one another on The Revenant promotion trail, practically nuzzling nightly on the red carpet. It has been a joy witness their bromance unfold and to see the relationships reflection in their dual red-carpet style.
Related: Oscars 2016: The Revenant deserves to own awards season less so Mad Max and The Martian | Peter Bradshaw
Just a month ago the two actors dressed in contrast to one another Hardy in a graphic T-shirt and a sweatband, DiCaprio in a middle-ranking bank managers suit. Now their planets have aligned. Thursday nights The Revenant premiere saw the pair mirroring each other in slightly crumpled coats one single-breasted, one double uniting against the usual red-carpet rules and refusing to suffer the cold just to show off the sharp lines of their suits.
In fact, with slightly squiffy collars, crooked ties and five oclock shadow, the pair look like office workers who have rushed home on the train just in time for a parents evening. Two fairly normal guys who get on really well and just happen to be in the running for 12 Oscars.
The actor"s manager Terry Bomar confirmed the news to ABC News.
His daughter, Megan, was using a crowdfunding site to raise money for his fight against "this bear known as cancer." She had raised about $10,500 toward a goal of $100,000.
Haggerty played outdoorsman James Capen "Grizzly" Adams, who befriends a bear he raises as a cub, in the 1974 surprise box office hit "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" and the TV series of the same name, which aired on NBC from 1977 to 1978. He later played Adams in another film (1981) and in a 1982 telefilm.
He also had small roles on other TV shows, including "Charlie"s Angels" in 1981 and "The Love Boat" in 1983.
Haggerty was arrested in 1985 after selling cocaine to two undercover police officers. His career was further derailed following a 1993 motorcycle accident that almost claimed his life. He returned to his iconic role 18 operations and four years later in "Grizzly Mountain" and in a 2000 sequel.
He most recently appeared in 2013 films "Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan" and "Dead in 5 Heartbeats."
Aside from Megan, Haggerty"s survivors include his other children, Dylan, Cody, Tracey and Don.
Ride Along 2 Featurette - Olivia Munn (2016) - Ice Cube, Kevin Hart Movie HD Photo The film and television producer Will Packer in Miami. Credit Jason Henry for The New York Times
Miami Twenty years ago, freshly graduated from college, Will Packer loaded 350 newspapers into his Honda Civic every day at dawn and drove around Atlanta, tossing them onto lawns and driveways. In the afternoons, he sold subscriptions door to door.
I was broke, eating ramen noodles, trying to make ends meet, Mr. Packer, 41, recalled a few days ago over tea at the Mandarin Oriental hotel here. I made enough to eat.
Such privations are a world away from the life Mr. Packer has made for himself since then as a Hollywood success story of the first order. Although his is not a household name, seven of Mr. Packers productions including Stomp the Yard (2007), Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), No Good Deed (2014), and The Wedding Ringer (2015) opened in the top spot at the box office. Altogether, the theatrical films he has produced or on which he served as executive producer a category that includes the huge 2015 hit Straight Outta Compton have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
Photo Kevin Hart, left, and Ice Cube in Ride Along 2. Credit Quantrell Colbert/Universal Pictures
Mr. Packers newest production, Ride Along 2, is the second installment of the buddy-cop farce starring Ice Cube and the irrepressible Kevin Hart, who owes much of his explosive success to Mr. Packers mentorship. With the films opening on Friday, Jan. 15, Mr. Packer was in Miami the movies setting for the premiere.
Im having a good run, Ill tell you that, said the dapper Mr. Packer, whose attire was set off by a dark blue vest and wildly colorful striped socks. I dont take it for granted, and I certainly dont underestimate it, because its incredible.
Growing up in St. Petersburg, Fla., Mr. Packer never came close to imagining such a future. It seemed too far away, he said. It seemed like something for guys who I didnt know, and who didnt look like me, and who I would never meet.
He stumbled into filmmaking while studying electrical engineering at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. A fellow student, Rob Hardy, needed a hand shooting a movie on campus, and Mr. Packer pitched in. I was helping him figure out how to pay for this thing, how to cast it locally and ultimately how to get it out, he recalled. Later, I learned thats what a producer does! I thought, this is my widget. A guy like me can do this.
The film was Chocolate City, a 1994 low-budget effort about a black college student played by Mr. Packer that turned a little profit from the distribution deal he brokered with Blockbuster, the video store chain.
After earning his degree magna c*m laude, he is proud to point out Mr. Packer turned down offers from two engineering companies. It just wasnt me, he said. I wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Still, Mr. Packer had to spend many months slogging through paper routes in Atlanta where he lives today before he and Mr. Hardy could make another movie, a super low-budget, indie, erotic thriller called Trois that required what he called a crash course in niche marketing. Made for $250,000, the film grossed $1.3 million and, although the reviews were tepid, it got the attention the two men needed to kick off their movie careers.
Though he didnt know anyone in Hollywood, Mr. Packer said: My parents had always told me, You can do anything, and I embraced it. If you tell kids they can fly, theyll be jumping from buildings and soaring.
As his influence and box-office clout have increased over the years, Mr. Packer appears to have been fully embraced by the film industrys power structure in a way that African-American auteurs like John Singleton and Spike Lee have perhaps not. More crucially, he was determined to expand the appeal of his films beyond what might have been considered the typical crowd for such fare.
You make sure that you have a core audience that says, Thats for me, but you want to make something that doesnt exclude other audiences outside your core, Mr. Packer said. These days, because there is such a cross-pollination of demographics and cultures and ethnicities, because of social media and the way we interact now, niches are becoming less and less well-defined. The majority of my films have been fronted by African-American actors and actresses, but that is now no longer the signifier that it once was, that thats only for people who look like that. The lines are a lot more blurred these days in terms of what a demo is.
Donna Langley, the chairwoman of Universal Pictures, where Mr. Packer has a multifilm deal, said in an interview that Mr. Packers expansive view of his potential audience is a big part of his success. Hes not interested in making films that are exclusionary, she said. His pace, his demeanor and his objective is all about inclusion, and I think thats why were seeing his movies actually cross over.
Continue reading the main story Video Trailer: "Ride Along 2"
A preview of the film.
By UNIVERSAL PICTURES on Publish Date December 3, 2015. Photo by Internet Video Archive. Watch in Times Video
At the same time, she noted, Mr. Packer has reinvigorated the kind of comedy that focuses on black characters.
He rediscovered a dying genre and forced it back into the mainstream, Ms. Langley said. What Will has done is really captured this market. Its been there for a long time, but I think the studios had kind of moved away from the African-American audience in making films that were specifically catered to them. I think Will looked at Hollywood and saw a void, and he stepped in and he filled it in a very significant way. Of course, hes not the only person making these types of films, but he has become one of the most prolific in a very short period of time.
Relatively few of Mr. Packers films have received critical acclaim, but any such reviews, he said, do little to affect the box office in any case. Do you know what matters? he asked. Trending topics on Twitter and what your friends are talking about on Facebook. Those are the reviews that people listen to.
Six of Mr. Packers most recent pictures have both pushed and benefited from the fame of Mr. Hart, whose manic energy and rat-tat-tat delivery have elevated him to the top ranks of comedys bankable stars. Hes tapped into what pop culture feeds on, Mr. Packer said. Kevins personality lends itself very well to that kind of round-the-clock, 24/7, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook scrutiny.
Mr. Hart, 36, had worked in stand-up, on television and in films for years before Mr. Packer cast him in one of his movies, an act that propelled the comedian to an altogether different level of fame.
He gave me a shot on Think Like a Man, and we hit it out the park, Mr. Hart said in a telephone interview. Weve never looked back. It takes a special person to see the talent in a person that you feel deserves an opportunity, and thats exactly what Will did. He saw something in me before other people did. He saw me on a different scale.
Mr. Hart said he had never valued an opinion more than that of Mr. Packer.
The way he handles connections, people are seeing the true talent that this guy has, Mr. Hart said. Hes the definition of an entrepreneur who is driven enough to start a vision and finish it.
Mr. Hart said he was planning to work on at least three more projects with Mr. Packer, including probably a third Ride Along outing. If its not broke, he said, I dont think you try to fix it.
Not content with filling the big screen, Mr. Packer recently executive-produced two comedies for television: Truth Be Told, which ran last fall on NBC to poor reviews and weak numbers, and Uncle Buck, set for broadcast this spring on ABC. In a more serious vein, Mr. Packer is behind plans for a remake of the 1977 mini-series Roots, to be shown as a simulcast on the History, A&E and Lifetime channels.
Mr. Packer a father of four, one of them studying at Harvard gives motivational speeches, especially to children who remind him of whence he came.
This younger generation, when they see someone like me, they know that its attainable, he said. The boy who never leaves his room doesnt know what the sunset looks like, but once he sees it he can never get enough.
Dan Haggerty, best known for his role of Grizzly Adams on the 1970s hit television series The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, has died at the age of 74, according to numerous entertainment news reports.
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Initial reports indicate the cause of death was cancer.
While best known for his television work, Haggerty continued to work in the industry in small film roles up until his death, according to IMDB.
This morning, eight films received Oscar nominations for Best Picture.
Many of them, however, weren"t released until late last year, so it"s unlikely that you"ve seen all of them.
Below, you"ll find trailers of each film, along with synopses to explain what the movies are about.
The Academy Awards will be held on Feb. 28 in Hollywood. The show will be televised live on ABC.
"The Big Short"The Adam McKay-directed film, starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, focuses on the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the implosion of the housing market.
"Bridge of Spies"Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg, "Bridge of Spies" is the true story of a lawyer charged with negotiating the release of a U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in exchange for a KGB spy.
"Brooklyn""Brooklyn" is the story of an Irish woman (Saoirse Ronan) who immigrates to Brooklyn and must return to Ireland after receiving news about her family. Ultimately, she"s forced to choose between staying in Europe or returning to her new lover stateside.
"Mad Max: Fury Road"The action film centers on two heroes (Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron) who must battle a ruthless army to save themselves and other survivors in this post-apocalyptic world.
"The Martian"Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded on Mars who must learn to survive while his colleagues try to rescue him.
"The Revenant""The Revenant" stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a frontiersman who is attacked by a bear and left for dead by a good friend. Relying on his survival skills and grit, he must make his way back to his family. The movie is directed by Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu.
"Room"Years after she was abducted, a woman (played by Brie Larson) must try to escape the room where she"s been held captive for years with the help of her five-year-old son.
"Spotlight"Another nominee based on a true story, "Spotlight" focuses on the Boston Globe team who investigated a priest accused of molesting dozens of young boys.
Did an ex-Scandal star marry Superhead? According to the Instagram of Karrine Steffans, 37, she married actor Columbus Short, 33. The two have been rumored to be dating for some time. Steffans is best known for telling all about her various liaisons with some of todays biggest stars from music, modeling and acting. Short is best known from the hit movies This Christmas, Cadillac Records and Stomp The Yard. This is Shorts third marriage after the last one ended with accusations and an arrest for domestic violence shortly after he was dropped from Scandal by Shonda Rhimes. This is Steffans second marriage after a brief three years with Family Matter star Darius McCrary.
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We remember innovative singer/songwriter David Bowie. Bowie fused new wave, electronica, experimental, soul and glam rock over five different decades. His latest release, Blackstar, was just last week. Bowie had two children: 44-year-old son Duncan from his first marriage, and his 15-year-old daughter Alexandria from his 23-year marriage to his widow, iconic supermodel Iman. Reports have already surfaced that Bowie left Iman his $195 million estate. Bowies career has ties here in Philly. Save for two cuts recorded in New York with ex-Beatle John Lennon, Bowie recorded his iconic Young Americans album at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios at the same time Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell were recording Billy Paul, The OJays, The Spinners, MFSB, The Three Degrees and Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes. Bowie used a young songwriter and background vocalist on those sessions who would go on to become a legend in his own right Luther Vandross. Bowie became one of the first white performers on Soul Train and one of the first white performers to publicly challenge MTV on their refusals to play African-American artists. Bowies biggest hit was Lets Dance. It became his first platinum album on the strength of the songs China Girl, Modern Love and the title track, which hit No. 1. He co-produced the album with Chics Nile Rodgers. The iconic rocker was able to keep his illness a secret until very close to his death. David Bowie died of liver cancer at the age of 69.
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Sherri Shepherds going back to court and vows to take it as high as she can go. The actress and comedienne has lost the court case, appeal and was declared twice as responsible for the surrogate child she and ex-husband Lamar Sally agreed to have before they broke up. Shepherd recently joked she wishes her exes would win the Powerball and then her problems would be over.
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John Singleton is an Oscar nominee, a critically acclaimed writer and director but is he also broke! Singletons 21-year-old son reportedly got told by his pops he was too broke to give him the $30,000 in tuition to finish school. Maasai Singleton now has a GoFundMe page. John has directed the classics Boyz In The Hood, Rosewood, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Shaft 2000 and Baby Boy over his 25-year career, so how could he be broke?
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Patti LaBelle aint saying nothing and we aint saying nothing. Miss Pattis career is legendary, but for the past few months shes become a social media sensation and a top seller thanks to those sold out Pattis Pies at Wal-Mart. Now the 71-year-old Philly native is making headlines for her dating life. Shes seeing 41-year-old drummer Eric Seats. The two are all over social media, but of course rumors of family and friends objecting are following them, too. Were gonna follow Miss Pattis example: shes not talking about that, so we wont. Meanwhile, her new Vanilla Pound Cake is out right now. Plus, on Jan. 18, its Patti LaBelles Premium Caramel Cake. Finally, LaBelle will be honored along with L.A. Reid, Lee Daniels, Spike Lee, Eric Holder and Mellody Hobson at The BET Honors airing Feb. 23 on BET.
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Simon Cowell will replace Howard Stern as a judge on Americans Got Talent. The show, which airs summers on NBC, also boasts judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Melanie Brown and host Nick Cannon. Cowell has already been a judge on the English counterpart, Britains Got Talent, and is one of the executive producers of both shows. Cowell will also be making an appearance on the farewell season of American Idol, where he was an original judge.
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Gayle King sends the Obamas off in style. Since his first term in office, President Barack Obama has sat down for an interview during the halftime of every Super Bowl with the various networks. Well, for his farewell interview, first lady Michelle Obama will join him as the first couple sit down with Gayle King of CBS This Morning. In other Super Bowl news, Beyonc will make a special appearance when she joins Coldplay for the halftime concert.
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Speaking of Bey, she under the swirl of pregnancy rumors again. Published photos with baby bump captions are making the rounds. What makes this such a big deal is shes scheduled to start a late spring stadium tour in May. Meanwhile, word on the street is Beyonc is also working on another top-secret album this time with hubby Jay Z.
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Michael Strahan is hosting the $100,000 Pyramid on ABC this summer. The multitasking media personality who already co-hosts Good Morning America, Live With Kelly & Michael, Fox NFL Sunday and appears in a string of successful ad campaigns, is adding game show host to his repertoire. The original Pyramid show had successful runs in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Past hosts have included Donny Osmond, John Davidson and Bill Cullen, but the most successful of all was original host d**k Clark with an unmatched 15-year run. This new version will have Strahan host as well as be one of the executive producers. The show has a 10-episode order. The $100,000 Pyramid may join Celebrity Family Feud with Steve Harvey when both shows join the ABC summer lineup.
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Kevin Hart has a lot going on. First, he opened up about his fathers struggle with drug addiction, and how he and his brother had to put him in rehab. Hart credits his late mother for stepping up and keeping him and his brother centered. Today, Harts dad is clean and sober and Kevin says theres no hard feelings because the two never lost touch. Also, my nephews upcoming wedding to fiance Eniko Parrish will happen on Aug. 8, and he revealed that his 8-year-old son, Hendrix, will be his best man. Finally, Harts movie, Ride Along II, co-starring Ice Cube, Benjamin Bratt and Tika Sumpter, opens this weekend.
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Chris Rock is set to host the 88th Annual Academy Awards airing Feb. 28 on ABC, and now the nominees have been announced. Straight Outta Compton, which hits DVD shelves Jan. 19, is up for Best Screenplay. The late summer bio-pic of the rise of rap musics N.W.A has grossed over $200 million, and is now an Oscar nominee. So is Sylvester Stallone for Best Supporting Actor as Rocky Balboa, the role he created 40 years ago. Stallone is nominated for reprising that role in Creed, which starred Michael B. Jordan and was directed by Ryan Coogler. When Stallone won a Golden Globe for Creed, he forgot to thank Jordan and Coogler during his acceptance speech. After getting put on blast online, including by actor Samuel L. Jackson, Stallone issued an immediate apology and acknowledged he owed Jordan and Coogler everything.
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Did Jermaine Jackson step out on his wife and have it come back to bite him? literally! You may remember over last Thanksgiving holiday, the famous member of The Jackson 5 and solo artists wife of 11 years was arrested for corporal injury of a spouse. Halima Rashid was arrested after she bit Jermaine on the leg when their argument got ugly. She got released on $50,000 bail after a five-hour jail stay. Jackson, 61, told the press he still loves Rashid, 45, and that these things happen. Well, reports say one of those things was reportedly stepping out with a young blonde who is actually 12 years younger than his wife.
BET made some moves and now theyve got projects with Taraji P. Henson, Ludacris, Lawrence Fishburne, Snoop Dogg and the long-awaited New Edition biopic later this year. First, the cable networks big hit series Being Mary Jane, starring Gabrielle Union, has garnered a fourth season renewal. Ludacris will appear in Music Moguls with Snoop Dogg, Birdman, Jermaine Dupri and Damon Dash, and then Ludacris will produce Inside The Label, an inside look at the inner workings of record labels and their relationships with artists. Meanwhile, Henson returns as host of The BET Celebration Of Gospel airing Sunday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.
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Today show meteorologist/anchor Al Roker and ABC News Deborah Roberts have a new book theyve authored together. The couple, who have been married 20 years, chronicle lifes lessons in Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times. Roker and Roberts took a unique route and wrote different chapters covering their upbringings, raising children and marriage.
Actress Meagan Good and her movie executive husband Devon Franklin have authored a new book together. The Wait is a relationship book which takes a look at the practices Good and Franklin used during their time dating, including their practice of celibacy. The couple also write about how their Christian faith guides their marriage for the better. The Wait is due out Feb. 2.
