Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome to the Spotlight!  Whether you’re a returning visitor or the planets have aligned in the sky to bring you here for the very first time, it’s clear that the Universe is telling you you’re doing something right and maybe it’s time to subscribe and/or tell your friends, family, clients and colleagues to do the same.  Indeed, those looking skyward towards the stars tonight will be able to see each of the other seven planets (many of which by the naked eye) in our Solar System—an event not supposed to happen again until Saturday Night Live approaches eligibility for Social Security (I wonder how well this statement will age…).  Of course, a few weeks ago, was opportunity to see the stellar, star-studded 50^th Anniversary Concert and Special r for Saturday Night Live, which garnered record ratings of 15 million viewers – a testament to the show’s music and comedy that has permeated pop culture since its debut.  Not to be outdone, this weekend you’ll also have a chance to catch a glimpse of your favorite stars in tuxedos, evening gowns and anything in between at the 97^th Academy Awards (your eye might not be the only thing naked if the Grammys fashion were any indication).  For now, let’s get into this week’s Spotlight:

• • As Amazon MGM Studios acquired full creative control over the James Bond franchise for a cool $1 billion, Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos solicited public feedback over who should be cast as the next 007.  That should be a much more difficult task than finding a Bond villain particularly one of the bald, megayacht-owning, billionaire archetype.
     
  • Speaking of yachts, rapper Lil Yachty wades into the alcohol business with a spiked sparkling beverage brand called “Yacht Water”—a name I have a hard time not saying in an obnoxious Long Island (“Longuyland”) accent.  
     
  • Not content to have his own line of suits, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (LET’S GO G-MEN) seeks horizontal integration opening his own tailoring business. A notable choice for someone used to putting people in sacks.
     
  • A proposal by newly sworn-in Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. would put television advertisements for pharmaceutical companies – a cash cow for professional sports – on the chopping block. Potential side effects could include fewer celebrity endorsements, increased beer advertisements, dry mouth, fatigue and decreased hypochondriasis.

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