Monday 14 December 2015

MLB commissioner upholds Pete Rose's ban from baseball

Pete Rose's stay in baseball purgatory continues, and it appears he has himself to blame.Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement Monday denying Rose's request for reinstatement, issuing a four-page decision that showed Rose continues to bet on baseball and failed to disclose that to the commissioner in September until pressed.The denial means the lifetime ban that began in 1989 after Rose was caught gambling while managing his hometown Cincinnati Reds stays in place. As a practical matter, the decision keeps Rose from being eligible for the Hall of Fame."I've heard from (Commissioner) Manfred directly, and he has denied our application to reinstate Pete, which is very disappointing," Rose's lawyer Raymond Genco told The Enquirer.

In a statement, Genco said that "Pete's fall from grace is without parallel. He also recognizes it was also of his own making.""While we may have failed at our task of presenting all the facts to the Commissioner demonstrating how Pete has grown and changed over the past three decades, Pete indeed has meaningfully reconfigured his life – the standard laid out by as Commissioner Giamatti," Genco said in the statement. "As such, Pete seeks to be judged not simply by the mistakes of his past but also by the the work he has done over the last three decades in taking responsibility for his actions, constantly working to remain disciplined, compassionate and grateful."The "Hit King" has now spent 26 years in baseball exile. He was banned from working in the game and attending official activities as anything but a paying customer after he was found to have bet on baseball – including on his own team – as the manager of the Reds.Manfred cited several reasons for his decision, including the original evidence from the 1989 report by John Dowd that listed proof that Rose bet on baseball as a manager, as well as new evidence that was discovered earlier this year that Rose may have bet while a player-manager.In addition, Manfred wrote that he believed Rose has not "reconfigured his life" because he still gambles occasionally, including on baseball, and that Rose took a lie detector test in August that was inconclusive due to "technical reasons" that were not Rose's fault.In short, the statement points out several inconsistencies in Rose's testimony and statements to the commissioner's office that exist even now, and not just for the nearly 20 years that Rose denied ever betting on baseball."Here, what has been presented to me for consideration falls well short of these requirements" for reinstatement, Manfred wrote. "It is not at all clear to me that Mr. Rose has a grasp of the scope of his violations of Rule 21 (the rule outlawing betting on baseball)."Even more troubling, in our (September) interview, Rose initially denied betting on baseball currently and only later in the interview did he 'clarify' his response to admit such betting," Manfred wrote in a footnote of his statement.The continued ban means Rose is ineligible for the Hall of Fame, even though he holds the game's all-time hits mark as well as several other records. Manfred wrote that Rose could still take part in on-field ceremonies with his permission on a case-by-case basis, but could not be affiliated with any specific team. The statement also left open the possibility of Rose returning to national TV work much like that he did last season for Fox Sports, but again, only with Manfred's permission.Dowd, who led baseball's investigation into Rose's gambling in the late 1980s and issued the damning report that led to the ban, said Monday that he "is very proud of the commissioner.""It's a great vindication of the integrity of the game by a very good commissioner," Dowd told The Enquirer. "I hope this is the final nail and the end of it, but I don't think it will ever end. The most important thing is that the commissioner protected the game."Reds president and chief operating officer Bob Castellini, who worked behind the scenes to try and get Rose reinstated, said in a statement that he respected the decision."We also appreciate that the Commissioner stating that Hall of Fame consideration is a separate issue and we and the fans think he deserves that opportunity," Castellini said. "We are pleased that we have had and will continue to have opportunities to commemorate Pete's remarkable on-field accomplishments."

Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kits Sell Out Again After Restock

Kylie Jenner‘s initially Lip Kit launch, on Nov. 30, was such a massive success that the kits sold out in minutes and then appeared on eBay for hundreds of dollars later in the day. Kylie promised to re-stock on Dec. 14, but when the lip kits became available, they almost immediately sold out again!Kylie counted down to the re-stock, with lip kits becoming available for the second time on Dec. 14 at Noon EST. But by 12:02pm, all three colors were totally sold out!

One girl in my office managed to snag a Dolce, but other girls who tried were completely shut out!Lip Kits Restock — Kylie Jenner’s Makeup Completely Sells Out Agai.This is disappointing for fans, who took to Kylie’s Instagram to voice their frustration.At the initial launch, on Nov. 30, Kylie wrote on her Instagram: “Wow. Been dreaming of this day for 2 years now. This was a long process but an amazing one! Visiting the factories and sitting with the amazing chemists creating the perfect colors and formulas for you guys! This is all me and I put my everything into these lip kits. I hope you guys love them as much as I do. Definitely more to come. I only hope for it to get better. Enjoy.”

Adele Announces North American Tour Dates

One of the hottest musical acts in the world is coming to America with a tour that’s sure to rake in a ton of money.Adele, who smashed sales records with her latest album, announced a slate of upcoming U.S. appearances not long after her European tour dates sold out their initial tickets in rapid fashion. The British singer of hits such as “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep” revealed on Monday that she’ll tour North America for the first time since 2011 starting in July with more than 50 performances across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Tickets go on sale Dec. 17.

Adele’s new album, 25, broke U.S. sales records by selling 3.38 million copies here in its first full week on sale last month. The feat was made all the more impressive by the fact that Adele’s album needed only four days to break a 15 year-old first-week sales record held by NSync’s 2000 album No Strings Attached.Her impressive record sales also come at a time when even popular artists are selling fewer and fewer albums due to their fans’ increased streaming practices. Adele famously declined to allow streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music stream her new album, though Pandora  P -1.27%  did get that right and saw its stock price surge as a result.Adele is one of the rare modern artists who can drum up plenty of publicity without streaming her music extensively online, thanks in part to her powerful marketing support, and her unparalleled popularity is likely to result in more sold out shows (and major revenue) once tickets go on sale in North America. There are even some reports that Adele’s tour could be sponsored—her agents reportedly talked with Apple  AAPL -0.67% —in a deal worth as much as $30 million.

Star Trek Beyond: A Return to Fun?

As a new J.J. Abrams sci-fi reboot steers into theaters this week, another franchise he once tried to salvage is soldiering on without him. The trailer for Star Trek Beyond, which dropped online Monday, looks like a simultaneous embrace and rejection of Abrams’s legacy with the property. It’s scored to the Beastie Boys’ blaring “Sabotage” (which featured in Abrams’s first Trek movie), and is advertising itself as a freewheeling action-adventure, as if trying to avoid the moody tone of the previous entry, Star Trek Into Darkness.There will always be a contingent of Trek fans who tear their hair out at Abrams’s “re-imagined” series starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana as Kirk, Spock, and Uhura. His 2009 reboot was largely embraced by critics and was a huge success at the box office. But it leaned hard on action and humor,distressing fans who preferred the more cerebral tone of shows like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. The sequel Into Darkness was more widely derided, serving as a bizarre remake of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but not advertising the identity of its villain (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and inserting a ham-fisted PATRIOT Act allegory.
 It was recently voted the worst Trek of all time by fans.Abrams eventually abandoned Star Trek to make Star Wars: The Force Awakens,probably the most-hyped sci-fi film of the millennium. But Star Trek Beyond lives on with the sterling cast he assembled (which also includes Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, and John Cho), and with the director’s reins now in the hands of Justin Lin, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Fast & Furiousmovies. The trailer also wants you to know this isn’t your dad’s Star Trek: There’s Idris Elba in crazy villain makeup, sexy aliens, and plenty of clever quips.Nothing about that is new: The trailer for Abrams’s 2009 Trek reboot started with the same Beastie Boys song and featured the same bombastic CGI action beats to try and draw in a new blockbuster audience. (Before then, the Star Trek films had been fairly moderate box-office players and were made with smaller budgets.) One factor in Star Trek Beyond’s plot appears to be the destruction of the U.S.S. Enterprise early on in the film, but that’s something the franchise has played too many times at this point (as the critic Devin Faraci pointed out on Twitter)Still, it’s worth noting that Star Trek started out pretty silly. In the famed original series of the 1960s, Captain Kirk bedded a new alien ingénue almost every week. The crew traveled back in time with impunity and regularly fought rubber-suited monsters on rocky landscapes. It’s the tone so cleverly mocked in the brilliant 1999 spoof film Galaxy QuestBeyond seems to be aiming for that looser territory again, perhaps in an effort to get as far away as possible from the chilly drama ofInto Darkness. Fans will find out July 22 whether that move paid off.

Justin Bieber and Kourtney Kardashian 'Inseparable,' 'Touchy Feely' While Partying in West Hollywood, Says Source


Justin Bieber was seen cozying up to a Kardashian Friday night in Los Angeles. The singer and Kourtney Kardashian were spotted spending some quality time together at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood, where Bieber performed two songs. "He and Kourtney were nearly inseparable – smoking on the patio together and were super touchy feely," a source tells PEOPLE. They kept the party going, leaving The Nice Guy together to hit up another West Hollywood hotspot. 
"They went to Blind Dragon afterwards," the source says. "Kourtney left around 12:45 a.m. and Justin left around 1:30 a.m."  RELATED VIDEO: Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick Are Working on Their Relationship.Bieber posted a photo with a mystery women, captioning it "Lord knows," which fans speculated was a reference Disick's nickname The Lord. However, paparazzi photos later revealed that the mystery woman in the Instagram post was not Kardashian. Bieber has palled around with the Kardashian family in the past. In May, Bieber posted a photo of himself horsing around in a pool with Disick and Kardashian's son Mason. 

Sunday 13 December 2015

Frank Sinatra's Family Shares Personal Memories in Honor of His 100th Birthday


Dean Martin once famously observed of his friend Frank Sinatra: "It's Frank's world – we just live in it." And as of Dec. 12, we're also living in Sinatra's Century as his family, friends and legions of fans celebrate the 100th anniversary of late singer's birth. "He wanted to live to be a hundred more than life," Sinatra's youngest daughter Tina Sinatra tells PEOPLE of her famous father, who was born on Dec. 12, 1915, and rose to become largely considered the greatest pop vocalist of the twentieth century, an Oscar-winning actor, a presidential confidant and one of the most larger-than-life entertainment figure of his or any era before his passing in 1998 at age 82. 

"His ambition was to live as long as he could, as close to a hundred as he could. He thought that would be swell," says Tina. During the past celebratory year – with significant exhibits of personal artifacts at the New York Public Library and Los Angeles' Grammy Museum; a throng of new books, including the $1500 limited edition luxury volume Sinatra by his granddaughter Amanda Erlinger; all-star musical tribute galas at locales like the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, the Wynn resort in Las Vegas and more – the Sinatra family received amble evidence that Ol' Blue Eyes' spirit was still going strong a century after his birth. "That we got him to a hundred, and that he is as significant to the music that he was singing 80 years ago, means a lot," says Tina, who today oversees the creative product of her father's six-decade career in show business. "It means a great deal because I think it signifies that he will be here in another hundred years. I don't believe the music is going to disappear. And if the music lives, he will live with it in memory, in history. He will stay with it because of the music…I'm not surprised that he is where he is at 100. " 

Hoboken, New Jersey-born Sinatra's very birth was marked with struggle – he had to be pulled from his mother with forceps, which permanently marked his face, and have air breathed into him – and his many career and personal ups and downs (including an epic fall from grace early in his career, a tempestuous second marriage to actress Ava Gardner and an ill-fated third union to much-younger Mia Farrow) have become the stuff of Hollywood legend. But through it all, "Dad loved life – he came in the hard way, but he was going to go out his way, I guess," laughs Tina, remembering her father's particular love of birthday celebrations – both his own and those of his family and friends. Sinatra's granddaughter Amanda Erlinger – the youngest of two daughters to Sinatra's eldest, '60s pop singer Nancy Sinatra – has often been overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection for her grandfather in the centennial year. "It's really emotional," says Erlinger. "Everywhere you go, you're reminded of him in some way – and I'm even a generation removed, and I get emotional. I started tearing up when I was walking in on the streets outside the Grammy Museum, and I saw the banners lining the street, and I saw his face looking down and smiling. I was like, 'This is amazing that this is happening.'" "It's unbelievable, his reach and the fact that we're doing this almost 20 years after he passed away," Erlinger admits. "He wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't. If I could talk to him, and I said that this was happening, and all of these tributes would go on, he would just be like, 'No. Not possible.'"  But she says, humility aside, Sinatra would have been thrilled that his legacy remains in full flourish at the century mark: "He had an inkling that he really wanted that to happen, and it came true. That dream came true for him! I'm so happy for him. I'm so blessed to be in this family. But also, just that like, 'That's my grandpa.' He's Frank Sinatra, but he also was my grandfather. So yeah, it's emotional, for sure, that connection. I know my mom feels it because she's really present on the website and on the family forum, and she talks to so many people around the world. So it's wonderful. We're truly blessed." 
Celebrating in Starry Style :-Tina Sinatra was especially delighted by the devotion and dedication shown by the many A-list artists who have performed tributes over the year. At Sinatra 100 – An All-Star Grammy Concert alone, which was held at Las Vegas' Wynn Resort and Casino and aired on CBS on Dec. 6, the lineup a diverse array of performers including Lady Gaga, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett, Sam Smith, Nick Jonas, Seth McFarlane, Katherine McPhee, Celine Dion, John Legend, Harry Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Juanes and Zac Brown. "The ones that we were grateful to get could not have said yes faster," says Tina. "And were so devoted to the notion of paying tribute and so excited to do it. And really studied for many, many weeks what songs they were either interested in singing. Not one of them was less than what they are in their own particular musical niche. They were just so committed to paying tribute to him, that everything else went by the wayside." "It was just wonderful, wonderful. It was satisfying, is what it was. And it was the perfect icing, if you will, to Dad's birthday cake." Singer Michael Buble, one of the current caretakers of the classic American Songbook that Sinatra helped make famous, admits he was nervous to perform in front of his vocal idol's family at the Grammy Museum gala. (The event marked the debut of an elaborate exhibit of Sinatra's personal effects and memorabilia in October.) "It’s a very difficult thing to think about and sing songs that are obviously Frank Sinatra’s, and in front of his family," he admits. "You want to pay tribute, but not sing karaoke." To help honor Sinatra on his centennial, Buble teamed with Jack Daniels – Sinatra's "gasoline" of preference and a brand he helped popularize beginning in the 1950s – for the whiskey maker's Toastmasters campaign, raising a glass on Instagram. "I think it’s good class paying tribute to Frank and what he’s done for music," says the singer. In turn, the company has released Jack Daniels' Sinatra Century, a limited edition whiskey specially created for the 100th birthday, complete with unreleased music tracks from a live Las Vegas performance by Sinatra in 1966. "The truth is I celebrate that man every day," he says. "I really do. You know what, at some point in every day, I’ll probably listen to a Frank, or have something surrounding me that has Frank written on it. So I celebrate in my own way every day. I don’t know that I need a special occasion to celebrate a person that meant so much to me. His voice just was unlike anyone else's. He was an inventor. He was no pretender."

Saturday 12 December 2015

CyberDay 2015 Recap: A Day of Ideas and Insights

When CSO and Check Point partnered to create a security thought leadership event for C-level executives, we had high hopes. Yesterday, November 18, those hopes were exceeded as about 200 people gathered in New York City. The purpose: to help today’s security leaders share the most current thinking and learnings to stay one step ahead of cyber attackers.  We heard from Joel Brenner, former head of US Counterintelligence, who set the stage for what the threat landscape looks like.  Check Point President Amnon Bar-Lev shined a light on how the common practice of investing in reactive threat solutions over proactive solutions actually costs us more in the long run. Today, the market spends $12B for reactive and only $0.6B for proactive. What’s more, only 0.1 percent of enterprises are consuming threat intelligence services; and only 1 percent of them are using technologies to prevent zero-day attacks. Meanwhile, the mean number of days to resolve cyberattacks is 46, with an average cost of $21,155 per day. That adds up to $973,130 over that 46-day period. If that doesn’t underscore the need to stay one step ahead, I don’t know what does.  
In addition, Chris Tarbell, a former FBI agent, captivated everyone with stories about his experiences tracking down Anonymous and the man who was responsible for the dark web site Silk Road, known as Dread Pirate Roberts.   We also heard from other cyber leaders and incident response experts who walked through the forensics of actual cases. Julia King, contributing editor for CSO, moderated the event and wrapped up the day with a fabulous Top 10 list that captured all of the day’s highlights.  
The Julia King, Contributing Editor, CSO Top 10 List of Takeaways from CyberDay 2015
10. If he's wearing cargo pants and he has a haircut like mine, you can be pretty sure he's a federal agent. (Chris Tarbell)
9. Audit your network logs. Look back. Learn from your mistakes.
8. Don't be the low-hanging fruit. Remember the visual of the car thief going down the row of vehicles, checking each door handle for the one that was left unlocked.
7. CFOs are walking bulls' eyes. They're the biggest target in the enterprise.
6. Have a plan and practice your plan. Learn from your mistakes and adapt your plan continuously.
5. Security must be built to the way business is done. Educate your employees, your executives and your boards of directors.
4. We've lost control of our perimeter. With mobile, cloud and IoT, there really is no defined perimeter. Network segmentation is absolutely necessary. So is data segmentation. Everybody doesn't need to know everything.
3. Cyber crime is an equal opportunity phenomenon. No company and no industry is immune, especially with the rise of industrial espionage. Don't kid yourself -- someone wants your data.
2. Operational technology runs on IT. The problem goes deeper than PII. The Internet of Things will only exacerbate this issue. Beware the IP-enabled toaster syndrome.
1. Encryption is absolutely, no question, without a doubt mandatory.
CyberDay attendees came from far and wide, including South America, Israel and throughout the United States. All major vertical industries were represented, including finance, law, hospitality, retail, advertising and media, healthcare, transportation and government—including the United Nations. It’s clear that the increasing intensity and presence of threats is giving rise to a community of security practitioners who truly are seeking ways to stay one step ahead.

Conor McGregor knocks out Jose Aldo in seconds at UFC 194

Jose Aldo is the greatest featherweight in MMA history. He is undefeated for over 10 years. He is the only UFC featherweight champion there has been. A dynamic striker with excellent takedown defense, athleticism and an underrated ground game, he has beaten the best in the world for years. Conor McGregor has talked himself up like perhaps no other fighter in the history of the sport, declaring his greatness since debuting in UFC and winning all his fights for the organization. Now he has the chance to prove himself the best in the world in front of an arena full of fans who came in from Ireland to sing and root their countryman on. 
Round 1. McGregor knocks Aldo out cold with his first big punch. It was a left hook as Aldo came in. He followed with a few punches on the ground but they weren't necessary at all.
Winner: Conor McGregor, KO, round 1. Conor McGregor is one of the remarkable stories in sports. The man came in talking about how great he was from day one, talking himself up like few others ever have. He then proceeded to defeat every opponent and knocked out a dominant champion who hadn't lost in ten years in a matter of seconds. It was like he willed it into being.
UFC Middleweight Title: Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold
Weidman is the undefeated champion, an excellent wrestler who has added strong striking and tremendous submissions as well. He ended Anderson Silva's long unbeaten streak with a knockout and took out the likes of Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort as well. Rockhold has been running through the opposition, winning 13 of 14 including destructions of Lyoto Machida, Michael Bisping and Costas Philippou with his only loss since 2007 coming to a suspiciously large Vitor Belfort. Both men seem to have absolute confidence they will win this fight.
Round 1. Weidman dives in with a hook and looks to take Rockhold down. He leaps up on Rockhold's back with both his hooks in, like we saw earlier with Demian Maia. From that position he lands some punches to Rockhold. Rockhold gets Weidman off his back. They clinch by the cage. Weidman throws a hard shot and dumps Rockhold down with a big takedown. Rockhold briefly looks for a kimura from the bottom but gives that up and stands back up. The fighters trade knees to the body from the clinch. Rockhold grabs a guillotine but doesn't have Weidman's body secured so it's very difficult for him to finish. Rockhold continues to grab the choke, though, and Weidman looks uncomfortable if nothing else. Herb Dean breaks them up and Rockhold lands a heavy kick to the body. Weidman goes for a takedown and Rockhold grabs his neck again. He can't get the choke but ends up in top position and lands a punch at the end. Great round. 10-9 Rockhold.
Round 2. Weidman dives in for a takedown but Rockhold uncorks some big punches and Weidman has to cover up. Rockhold hammers Weidman with another stiff kick to the body. Those come with such power. Weidman throws a body kick of his own. Rockhold then goes high with a head kick. Rockhold overextends on a punch and Weidman looks for a takedown. He doesn't get it. Rockhold throws a body kick and then a head kick. He's taking control of this fight. Weidman clinches but can't do anything with it. Rockhold lands a hard looping punch and another hook a little while later. Weidman continues to move forward but Rockhold is consistently getting the best of the exchanges. Rockhold adds another body kick. Weidman lands a couple low kicks and Rockhold looks at him as if to say, "Is that all you've got?" Weidman lands a nice body kick and chases after Rockhold. Rockhold counters with a straight left hand to the chin. 10-9 Rockhold.
Round 3. Weidman catches one of those hard Rockhold kicks to the body. Weidman clinches by the cage. Rockhold grabs the head. Weidman pulls it out and then gives up the takedown attempt. Weidman gets a takedown by the cage a minute and a half into the round. Rockhold gets back up without taking any damage. Rockhold uses another of those heavy kicks to the body. Weidman answers with three of his own. Rockhold uses a nice two punch combination. As Weidman goes for a spinning kick, Rockhold takes his back and pulls him to the ground. Rockhold quickly gets in his hooks and looks to secure a rear naked choke. He then gives that up and takes full mount. Rockhold just annihilates Weidman from top position with a serious of incredibly brutal elbows that bust Weidman open completely. Weidman just covers up while being butchered from bottom. The referee should have stopped it. 10-7 Rockhold.
Round 4. Rockhold, sensing blood in the water, goes for a takedown early in the fourth. He gets it and has Weidman down by the cage. Rockhold lands punches there and Weidman is in bad, bad shape. Weidman's face is in terrible shape and he's just covering it up. Finally, mercifully, Herb Dean stops the fight.
Winner: Luke Rockhold, TKO, round 4. Luke Rockhold turned in yet another incredibly impressive performance there, the best of his career. He took apart and brutalized a courageous and undefeated champion. That's a great accomplishment and Rockhold deserves tremendous credit for what a fighter he has become.
Court McGee vs. Marcio Alexandre Jr.
McGee, a former Ultimate Fighter winner, has a unique life story as he overcame heroin addiction to become a popular MMA star. He hasn't fought since 2013. Alexandre is a Brazilian striker with real knockout power.
Round 1. The fighters feel each other out early, with Alexandre landing a few nice kicks. McGee looks for a takedown but has it blocked. The fighters clinch against the cage with McGee again looking to set up a takedown. He doesn't come close. Alexandre lands a nice straight punch. McGee goes for a takedown but Alexandre grabs a guillotine choke. It looks pretty tight but McGee is able to fight his way out and lands a few punches as the round comes to an end. Close round. 10-9 Alexandre.
Round 2. Alexandre lands a body kick and McGee answers with a low kick before moving in for another takedown attempt. McGee lands some punches from inside the clinch but has to give up the takedown effort. He goes for another a little while later and again ends up in a stalemate by the cage. McGee simply holds onto Alexandre while landing the sporadic punch. The referee eventually separates them. Alexandre lands a nice straight left hand late. Dull round. 10-9 McGee.
Round 3. McGee comes out more aggressively. He lands a couple punches and finally gets the takedown. He lands some punches on the ground while Alexandre works his way back up to his feet. Alexandre gets away and back into range. However, he isn't pulling the trigger that much with the threat of takedowns from McGee. McGee lands a few punches on the feet and goes for another takedown. McGee gets a takedown with two minutes left in the round and immediately goes to work with punches and elbows on the ground. Alexandre isn't able to do much from the bottom as McGee gets in the best offense of the fight. That was clearly McGee's round. 10-9 McGee, 29-28 McGee.
Winner: Court McGee, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
That wasn't pretty by any means, but McGee took over as the fight progressed and picked up a comeback win against a solid opponent.
John Makdessi vs. Yancy Medeiros
Makdessi is a dynamic striker from Canada. He is coming off a high profile loss to top lightweight contender Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Medeiros is a well rounded Canadian with a 2-3 (1 NC) record in the UFC.
Round 1. Makdessi opens the fight with a series of kicks, mostly low. Those kicks are generally his calling card. Medeiros seems content to stand and mixes in some kicks of his own. Makdessi as usual is the shorter, more compact fighter and Medeiros is looking to exploit a reach advantage with his jabs and kicks. However, neither man is landing much in general. Makdessi connects with a solid spinning back kick to the body late in the round. 10-9 Makdessi.
Round 2. The fight continues to be a standup affair. Makdessi lands the best shot of the round two minutes in with a spinning kick to the head. Medeiros lands a few nice punches but in general Makdessi is getting the better of the exchanges. Medeiros looks for a takedown with a minute left but Makdessi blocks it. Medeiros does land a spinning back kick to the body on separation. 10-9 Makdessi.
Round 3. Medeiros lands a kick to the body to start the third round. They exchange punches from close range. They continue to throw a lot but neither man is doing a ton of damage with significant strikes. The best weapon of the fight has probably been Makdessi's feet. Makdessi presses the action in the second half of the round, pushing forward with straight punches and kicks from different angles. They trade hard looping punches late and Medeiros drops Makdessi with a punch before the round ends. 10-9 Makdessi, 30-27 Makdessi. It was a more competitive fight than that score indicates for sure.
Winner: Yancy Medeiros, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
The crowd boos the decision but it could have gone either way. To Medeiros' credit, he played Makdessi's game and it was a competitive fight throughout.
Joe Proctor vs. Magomed Mustafaev
Proctor is a tough Ultimate Fighter veteran with a 4-2 record in the UFC but not the most impressive list of wins. Mustafaev is another Russian import, as fighters from that country have increasingly been making their mark on the sport. He won his UFC debut and sports a 12-1 MMA record.
Round 1. Proctor comes in with a combination of looping punches that land hard to the head of Mustafaev. Mustafaev responds by pressing the action himself. He lands some looping punches then a pair of kicks to the body that hurt Proctor. Proctor tries to pretend he's okay but it's clear he's not and Mustafaev moves in for the finish. He lands a pair of knees to the head and then adds additional punches on the ground until the referee stops the fight.
Winner: Magomed Mustafaev, TKO, round 1.
Mustafaev was very impressive there. Once he saw his opportunity, he went for the finish aggressively and got it. He'll be due for a tougher opponent next time out.
Leonardo Santos vs. Kevin Lee
Santos is principally a jiu jitsu artist with a 3-0-1 record in the UFC. Lee is a Detroit native who has won four straight in the UFC.
Round 1. The fight begins with each fighter looking to utilize kicks. Lee has his hands low and looks very confident. Santos has success with some straight punches. He goes for a takedown and briefly has Lee's back but Lee gets out of trouble. Santos drops Lee with a punch and finishes with punches on the ground.
Winner: Leonardo Santos, TKO, round 1.
Santos runs out into the crowd to celebrate following his win. He took it to Lee and proved he was way too long an underdog. He is gathering some solid momentum in his mid 30s.
Warlley Alves vs. Colby Covington
This is a terrific matchup between two undefeated prospects. Alves won the third season of Ultimate Fighter Brazil and has continued to win since then. Covington has a wrestling background and has picked up wins in each of his three UFC bouts.
Round 1. Alves lands a body kick early that sends Covington moving backwards. Alves pursues, but Covington uses the opportunity to take Alves down when Alves throws a knee. Alves quickly returns to his feet. Alves grabs a guillotine choke from a standing position. Covington tries to fight it hard but he's caught and has to tap out.
Winner: Warlley Alves, submission, round 1.
That was a big win for Alves against a really solid challenge. Brazil produces some of the best fighters in the world and he could be one of the top Brazilians in the sport over the next 10 years if he continues to evolve and improve.
Tecia Torres vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
Torres has one of the best nicknames in the sport: the Tiny Tornado, after her fast paced style. She is undefeated in official competition with wins over Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant but struggled in exhibition bouts on the Ultimate Fighter, losing twice there. Jones-Lybarger is taking this fight on short notice. She is 6-1 in MMA but hasn't fought the same quality of opposition as Torres.
Round 1. Jones-Lybarger pursues Torres early, principally boxing when she gets in range. Torres isn't throwing a lot early, circling out and avoiding Jones-Lybarger's attacks. She does land a punch here and there but Jones-Lybarger is getting the better of the early going. Torres clinches and presses Jones-Lybarger against the cage. Not a lot is happening in the clinch, with neither woman able to do much damage or set up a takedown. 10-9 Jones-Lybarger.
Round 2. Jones-Lybarger goes back to walking down Torres, landing punches while moving forward. Torres is having trouble getting off, although it's not like she's taking a lot of damage either. Jones-Lybarger pushes Torres up against the cage. They grapple by the cage before finally separating. Jones-Lybarger lands a knee to the body. Torres clinches again and they return to the stalemate by the cage. They may be working, but it's not entertaining. They finally separate and Torres lands a few solid blows. Jones-Lybarger goes for a takedown but ends up on bottom and Torres drops down elbows and then some punches from the top. 10-9 Torres.
Round 3. They return to the clinch. Nothing happens and they separate. Jones-Lybarger returns to her role as aggressor but gets caught with a few counters. The optics of Torres constantly backing off and circling away may not help with the judges. However, she is doing much better in the third connecting when Jones-Lybarger moves in. Torres lands a crisp hook and circles out. Torres, feeling more confident, moves in on Jones-Lybarger. She lands the best offense of the fight, connecting with solid hooks and backing Jones-Lybarger against the fence. Jones-Lybarger is bleeding from around the nose and is struggling with Torres' pace at the close. 10-9 Torres, 29-28 Torres.
Winner: Tecia Torres, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
That wasn't the most impressive of performances, but Torres picked up the win. Torres hasn't looked particularly good her last two fights and will need to impress more to build interest for fights with the best in her division.
Urijah Faber vs. Frankie Saenz
The "California Kid" Faber is one of the most popular fighters in the sport and long one of the best fighters in the lighter weight classes. At 36 and having lost his last fight to Frankie Edgar, Faber can't lose here against a lightly regarded opponent. Saenz is 35 himself but has won his first three UFC fights all by decision.
Round 1. Faber moves in with a leg kick to start. Saenz answers with one of his own. Faber moves in and eats a knee to the body. Faber looks for a takedown but doesn't get it. He tries to transition into a choke but doesn't get that. They scramble for position and end up with Saenz controlling Faber's neck. Faber gets out of that. Faber eats another hard counter moving in, this time a kick to the body. Faber continues to move forward but Saenz is effectively countering when he does. They clinch and trade knees and punches. Faber lands a hard punch in the process. Faber goes for a takedown but Saenz stuffs it. Saenz looks like he might get top position but Faber doesn't allow that by rolling out. Faber goes for another takedown but again it is blocked. Saenz lands a nice knee to the body in the process. He follows with another a little bit later and they clinch by the cage as the round comes to an end. Good start to the fight. 10-9 Saenz.
Round 2. Faber throws a head kick that rocks Saenz. He moves in for the finish and is landing heavy shots by the cage as Saenz tries to hang on. Faber uses a beautiful throw and ends up on top in crucifix position but Saenz uses an awesome sweep to take top position. Faber stands back up. Saenz knocks Faber off balance with an inside leg kick. Faber looks a little tired after exerting so much energy looking for the finish at the beginning of the round. Faber catches a low kick and goes for a takedown but can't finish it. Faber goes for another takedown and Saenz tries to take his back in the process but he cannot do so. That was another exciting round. 10-9 Faber.
Round 3. Faber catches a low kick and uses the opportunity to land a few hard punches to the head. Saenz throws a spinning back fist that misses. Saenz clinches and utilizes a powerful knee to the body. At the halfway point of the final round, this fight is still up for grabs. Faber lands a nice looping punch in an exchange and Saenz lands a solid low kick of his own. Faber prevents a takedown attempt and gets a takedown with a minute left in the round. Saenz attempts to get back up but Faber controls the legs and prevents that momentarily. Saenz keeps working and gets back to his feet. Faber gets a takedown late and Saenz goes for a heel hook as time runs out. The crowd gives both fighters an ovation at the close. 10-9 Faber, 29-28 Faber.
Winner: Urijah Faber, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
That was a solid performance for both men. Faber has lost some of his speed and athleticism over the years but he pulled out a gritty win over a very game opponent. Saenz has nothing to be ashamed of as he pushed Faber to the limit and gave him more difficulty than most expected. Faber is likely at a point in his career where he'd struggle against an elite opponent such as Conor McGregor or T.J. Dillashaw, but that doesn't mean UFC won't try to make those fights.
Max Holloway vs. Jeremy Stephens
Holloway is one of the rising stars of the featherweight division, having won seven straight UFC fights. His striking has been his calling card and he is still only 24 years old. Stephens is a veteran of the sport, having fought in the UFC since 2007. He is a knockout striker and knocked out Dennis Bermudez to win his last fight.
Round 1. Stephens throws a few low kicks early that don't land. He connects with one while Holloway most just looks to measure him. Stephens catches a kick and looks to take Holloway down. They clinch for a little while and then separate. Holloway must have a lot of respect for Stephens' power because he is throwing so little. Stephens goes for a takedown late but doesn't get it. Awful round. 10-10.
Round 2. Stephens lands a body punch early. He continues to throw leg kicks with regularity. Stephens catches a spinning back kick and looks for a takedown. He doesn't get it. Stephens catches another kick a little while later and again looks for a takedown. He doesn't come close and we get another clinch stalemate by the cage. Upon separation, Holloway lands a hard straight right punch to the jaw of Stephens. Stephens grabs a single leg and looks for a takedown. Another really bad round. 10-9 Holloway.
Round 3. Holloway gets a takedown. He lands some punches from the top. Stephens attempts to stand up and Holloway responds by threatening his neck with a choke. Stephens is forced to give up the attempt to stand up and Holloway ends up on top on the ground. Holloway then takes Stephens' back and looks to sink in a rear naked choke. Stephens gets out of danger and stands back up. Stephens presses forward, knowing he likely needs something big to win. He lands a few good punches and goes for another takedown. Holloway prevents it. Stephens continues to attack at the close. That third round was certainly a lot better. 10-9 Holloway, 30-28 Holloway.
Winner: Max Holloway, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Holloway asks for a fight with Conor McGregor in Hawaii afterwards. That takes quite the nerve, given his performance did absolutely nothing to earn such a big money fight and with a home field advantage to boot. That was a big step back for Holloway, who came into the fight with great momentum and was passive and inactive against a favorable opponent.
Demian Maia vs. Gunnar Nelson
These are two of the best submission fighters in their division. Maia is one of the best jiu jitsu fighters in the entire sport and a former title challenger against Anderson Silva. He has won three straight fights. Nelson is from Iceland and is 14-1-1 in MMA. He is coming off an excellent win against Brandon Thatch. This could be very exciting on the ground but often when jiu jitsu aces are matched up it ends up as a sloppy standup fight.
Round 1. Maia paws with his jab and then shoots for a takedown. Nelson reverses and takes Maia down. Maia then quickly stands back up and they grapple for position by the cage. Nelson looks for a guillotine choke as Maia goes for the takedown but cannot get it. They scramble with Nelson ending up on top. Nelson looks to pass into side control position but Maia has one of his legs trapped. Maia gets back up and then takes Nelson down. Nelson stands up but Maia takes his back with both his hooks in. He lands punches from the back. Nelson tries to scramble out but ends up mounted by Maia. Maia lands some punches and takes the back again. Nelson is forced to cover up and defend. Maia continues to land punches while Nelson concentrates on preventing a rear naked choke from being set up. Maia goes for an armbar and gets the arm extended but Nelson slips out, ends up on top and lands some punches. Terrific opening round with some awesome ground action. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2. Maia lands a nice straight left hand and goes for a single leg takedown. Nelson nicely reverses and ends up in top position but Maia pushes through and returns to his feet. They grapple for positioning there. Maia again gets Nelson's back, just like in the first round. Nelson stands up and he stands by the cage with Maia on his back with both hooks in. Maia lands some punches from that position. Maia pulls Nelson down and lands some harder punches on the ground. The Brazilian crowd, largely drowned out by the Irish, begin to assert themselves. Nelson successfully rolls out of having his back controlled into top position. But then Maia counters with a reversal of his own and gains top position for himself. Maia drops some hard elbows from top position while looking to move into side control. He then bypasses that altogether and mounts Nelson at the close of the round. That was another really fun ground battle. This has been just a great fight. 10-8 Maia.
Round 3. Maia lands a straight left hand and shoots in for a takedown. He gets Nelson down momentarily but Nelson grabs his neck. Nelson can't get a choke and Maia ends up in top position. Maia is in half guard and is dropping down elbows from that position while controlling Nelson. Maia takes Nelson's back yet again and this time locks up a body triangle. Nelson at this point is just in survival mode. Maia lands punches while controlling the position. Nelson does roll into top position at the close. 10-8 Maia, 30-25 Maia.
Winner: Demian Maia, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25).
Maia put on a clinic there. Gunnar Nelson is an excellent submission artist. That's his specialty. Maia thoroughly dominated him at that game. After the fight, he called out the UFC welterweight champion. That was the sort of performance that will make fans want to see that fight.
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Yoel Romero
This is an amazing matchup, so good that UFC has rescheduled it twice this year to make sure it happened. Souza is one of the best submission artists to ever enter into MMA and he has added great striking as well. He is dangerous wherever the fight goes. Romero is one of the best wrestlers to ever enter the sport, an Olympic medalist with off the charts athleticism, brutal knockout power and the disposition of a finisher. The winner will be the clear top challenger for the winner of Weidman-Rockhold later.
Round 1. Romero throws a kick to the shoulder to start things off. Souza lands a nice straight punch up the middle. Souza lands a solid body punch. Both fighters are careful early knowing the danger the other man poses. Romero drops Souza with a spinning back fist. He goes down into Souza's guard with heavy punches and is just going to town while trying to avoid any submission attempts. Souza looks to set up an arm bar while Romero continues to throw heavy punches and elbows from the top. Souza goes for another arm bar but Romero is able to pull his arm out of danger. 10-9 Romero. Souza struggled to get back to his corner between rounds.
Round 2. Souza lands a hook and looks for a takedown. Romero blocks it. Souza dives in and grabs a leg but Romero blocks it. Souza keeps working for it but Romero grabs the fence and uses it to take top position. They are returned to their feet with a warning. They exchange punches with Souza going to the body and Romero to the head. Souza ducks down for a takedown but Romero blocks it. Romero lands a nice inside leg kick. Not a lot of action that round. 10-9 Souza.
Round 3. Romero comes out aggressive with some punches up the middle. Souza looks for a front kick that just misses. Romero teases ducking for a takedown and then connects with a straight punch. Souza goes for a takedown but can't quite get it. Romero lands a straight left hand. He's getting off better this round. Souza stuns Romero with a straight punch and opens up by the cage. He adds some additional big punches and takes Romero down. Souza lands some punches from half guard and looks to set up an arm triangle choke. Souza drops a couple elbows and adds some knees to the body. Romero gets up at the close of the round. 10-9 Souza, 29-28 Souza.
Winner: Yoel Romero, split decision (29-27, 28-29, 29-28).
That was a tough fight to score. Romero won the first round big, with the question being whether it would be 10-8. Souza clearly won round three. Round two was a toss-up. On balance, Romero did better and deserved to win but the scoring system made a good argument for Souza. Romero will make an excellent challenger for Chris Weidman or Luke Rockhold.


Adam Sandler's 'The Ridiculous 6' Is Getting Some of the Year's Most Hilariously Scathing Reviews


Netflix's business is built on knowing its audience, and their instincts were right on the money when they opted not to let critics see Adam Sandler's "The Ridiculous 6" before it hit the streaming service at midnight last night. Sandler's movie, the first of four to be made for Netflix, encountered controversy before it was even completed when several Native American extras walked off the set of his (allegedly) comic Western, claiming its script was littered with racist gags. According to the reviews, that's remained true of the finished product, in which one character refers to a Native woman as "Poca-hot-tits." (Her "real" name is Smoking Fox, which isn't much better.) Critics seem unsure whether that's more offensive than "The Ridiculous 6's" reliance on jokes about incontinent burros and a rapping Mark Twain played by Vanilla Ice, its wasting of great actors like Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel in painfully underwritten parts (hope those checks cleared, fellas), or its unsightly and half-hearted attempts to emulate the look of a classic Westerns. (Oh, for the classical virtues of Seth MacFarlane's "A Million Ways to Die in the West.") It sounds, all in all, like an excruciating two-hour watch — barely shorter, in fact, than the real "The Magnificent Seven." But critics' loss is our gain. The reviews are scathing and often hilarious, likely providing more laughs than Sandler's comedy itself.
Justin Chang, Variety : Why pay Sandler’s idiot shenanigans the compliment of anger? There's nothing here so inspired as to warrant the audience’s contempt, much less its surprise. Viewers who gladly endured "Pixels" may well revel in the sight of the star giving another of his patented non-performances, and those who saw "Big Daddy" and "That's My Boy" will hardly be shocked to see him once again knee-deep in daddy issues. In what probably counts as multitasking for all involved, "The Ridiculous 6" manages to be not just a pitiful excuse for a comedy but also a pitiful excuse for a male weepie. And as the over-active father at the heart of it all, the gravel-voiced Nolte shows up most of his co-stars by playing his part with so much wily conviction, you’d almost swear he were acting in an actual movie. Still, the MVP here is undoubtedly Ramon's donkey, who gives 110% whether he’s fellating Lautner on screen (someone’s clearly on Team Jacob), or standing perfectly still while Steve Buscemi rubs ointment inside the beast’s rectum. Which, incidentally, would make a far more appropriate destination for "The Ridiculous 6" than your Netflix queue.
Nick Schager, The Playlist :- Humor is murdered over the course of 119 deathly minutes by Adam Sandler in "The Ridiculous 6," a Western spoof that, like its protagonist’s feats of magical heroism, is best described as "some mystical shit." Mired in pre-release controversy over its supposedly offensive characterizations of Native Americans – which drove some extras to abandon the project – Sandler’s first of four exclusive features for Netflix turns out to be distasteful in every regard, an abysmal riff on "The Magnificent Seven" in which hoary stereotypes and oater clichés are exploited for equally groan-worthy gags. Without an amusing instinct in its cowboy-hatted head, this painfully protracted, puerile effort meanders about the Old West as if it were making up its nonsense on the fly. The result is a torturous genre joke that marks a new low not only for the star, but for the art of cinematic comedy. Native American women possess names such as "Wears No Bra," "Smoking Fox," and "Beaver Breath," Ramon talks about the deliciousness of tacos, and white people are ridiculed for being bad dancers — Sandler and co-writer Tim Herlihy's script performs cultural mockery with all the incisive skill of a blind surgeon wielding a hammer.
Keith Uhlich, Hollywood Reporter :- Strange to accuse a film of indifference when it features a Native American character named Beaver Breath, as well as a scene in which guest star Steve Buscemi (in one of the movie's many check-cleared-yet? cameos) lubes up the anus of an incontinent burrow. But everything and everyone follows Sandler's lead: As adopted Indian warrior White Knife, he walks around with the same detached, hangdog expression that suggests he's eyeing the brewski and easy chair just off-camera. His character lives a relatively peaceful existence with his adopted family and soon-to-be-wife Smoking Fox (Julia Jones), though he often thinks back to the time when a mysterious bandit murdered his mother in cold blood. Then a career bank robber, and White Knife's long-lost father, Frank Stockburn (a mopey Nick Nolte, who seems to think he's doing Eugene O'Neill) rides into his life with a story to tell.
Nick De Semlyen, Empire :- Female Apache characters are called Smoking Fox, Never Wears Bra and, um, Beaver Breath. The pun "Poca-hot-tits" is deployed. There are wince-inducing jokes about peace pipes and wigwams, while Sandler, who spends the first stretch of the film dressed up as an "Injun" himself, is imbued with magical powers he's learned from the tribe. But other ethnicities won't feel left out — Rob Schneider plays a stupid Mexican whose best friend is a diarrhea-spraying donkey. We have the feeling Donald Trump has already added "The Ridiculous 6" to his Netflix To Watch list. Netflix have clearly given Sandler and director Frank Coraci ("Blended," Zookeeper") a budget at least as generous as those they've been accustomed to. There are Monument Valley vistas and cameos from the likes of Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi. But the latter, as a barber with a disgustingly all-purpose cream, provides oases of humour in a desert that's otherwise largely arid. As for the novel release platform? The bad news: the experience of watching "The Ridiculous 6" feels akin to streaming an especially lengthy box set. The good news: you can schedule as many "Hateful Eight"-style intermissions as you like.
Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com :- To say that Sandler and Tim Herlihy's script is "episodic" would be an understatement. It’s a series of scenes only loosely connected by cast and location. I've seen episodes of "Saturday Night Live" in which the sketches seemed more of a single piece than parts of this film. One minute, they're learning how to play baseball from John Turturro; another minute they’re playing poker with Vanilla Ice, David Spade and Blake Shelton. It’s like someone put ideas for Western-themed sketch comedy on a board and then Sandler threw darts at it to determine its order. The film has no flow, no rhythm, and absolutely no reason to be 119 minutes. And then there's the broad racism and misogyny of the piece. After the controversial walk-offs, Netflix claimed that this was "satire." It’s not. There's nothing satirical about Sandler’s bad Native American accent (which totally comes and goes, by the way) or Schneider's Hispanic caricature. Saying that this is satire is like the drunk guy at the bar telling you how many black friends he has after telling a racist joke. Don't fall for it.
Charles Bramseco, Uproxx :- Defined by the insubstantial amateurishness most frequently found on low-level Vine accounts, "The Ridiculous Six" practically erases the memory of the A-list Adam Sandler who starred in widely beloved, reliably bankable comedies. Everyone involved — and the count of actors too good for what’s taking place onscreen occupies both hands — takes on the appearance of a fading star desperately clinging to the last vestiges of receding fame by taking whatever work he can, even though the likes of Terry Crews and Taylor Lautner are currently enjoying the prime of their careers back in the land of the living. The performances, the script, the primitive CGI, it’s all half-assed. And what’s worse, that ass-half belongs to a donkey taking a big ol’ turd on the august Western genre, which would be a needlessly vulgar figure of speech if this film didn’t go out of its way to include so many jokes involving donkey excrement.


Deborah Day, The Wrap :-That Vanilla Ice–here playing a rap-poser Mark Twain and delivering lines like "Oh, snap, you got the drop on Wyatt Earp?"–is the comic relief in your comedy should be a clue that your shit is tired. "The Ridiculous 6" is everything wrong with Hollywood for the past two decades: a circle-jerk of imbecilic white-dude humor. That the coterie of guys responsible for "Click," "Blended," "The Waterboy" and their like continue making these films is a travesty. Fortunately, it serves the purpose of being example A of why the Hollywood machine needs more diverse voices greenlighting, writing and producing content, as well as acting in and directing it.
Peter DiDonato, Moviepilot :- What could possibly be said about Adam Sandler's recent live-action efforts that hasn't already been said? The product placement is over-the-top, the toilet humor is juvenile, and there seems to be practically no effort put into their screenplays. All of these can be applied to "The Ridiculous Six," but somehow it's even worse than all of Sander's "efforts" combined. It may even be worse than "Jack and Jill" and "Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star." Dumb comedy can work if it's done right. "Dumb and Dumber" worked because the characters had their own distinct personalities and goals. They were relatable, connecting to our inner dumb sides with lively personalities and well-timed jokes. "The Ridiculous Six," however, is so lazy in it's execution, that its just boring to sit through. As a matter of fact, the biggest problem I had with this film is that it's just boring. When the jokes aren't horrendously juvenile grossout gags like donkey diarrhea or someone trying to gouge their own eye out, they just fall flat. In one scene, White Knife throws a knife into a water jug. Nick Nolte's character knocks the knife out, and White Knife throws the knife into the same hole to plug it up. So what's the joke? Is it that White Knife is skilled with a knife? Because that isn't a joke.
Matt Pais, RedEye :- Sandler's films love disrespecting everyone who's not him. In this one, a pathetically generic, not-at-all-satirical Western that also includes a joke about "Home Alone," Sandler plays White Knife. He's a white man raised in the Apache community who's engaged to a woman named Smoking Fox (Julia Jones) and the target of the affections of Never Wears Bra (who's not identified on IMDB, so I don't know who plays her), as Sandler’s characters always have to be studs. When the dad (Nick Nolte) he thought was dead returns to claim that he’s dying and wants to give White Knife (whose birth name was Tommy) his buried fortune but then gets kidnapped, Tommy W.K. winds up collecting an absurd collection of men (including Rob Schneider as a Mexican stereotype named Ramon Lopez) who turn out to be his half-brothers to rescue dad and make it back in time for his wedding. 'Cause Sandler's never ended a movie with a wedding before.