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https://blackgirlnerds.com/turner-sports-and-invesco-qqq-are-partnering-with-michael-b-jordan/
Turner Sports and Invesco QQQ are partnering with actor and producer Michael B. Jordan, WME Sports, the sports division of WME, an Endeavor Company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Scout Sports and Entertainment, a division of Horizon Media, to exclusively present the newly named Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic on Saturday, Dec. 18. The event was previously announced as the Hoop Dreams Classic. The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ will be a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) men’s college basketball showcase. It will feature Hampton University versus North Carolina Central University and Howard University versus North Carolina A&T University competing in a doubleheader airing on TNT.
The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic will also feature an immersive cultural experience highlighting additional elements of HBCU life and culture, including a band showcase, a live musical performance, college and career opportunities and more. Additional ancillary programming will be announced in the coming weeks ahead of the event.
Tickets for the basketball portion of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic start at just $25 plus applicable service fees, and go on-sale to the general public on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 10 a.m. ET via Prucenter.com/Legacy-Classic, Ticketmaster.com, and Prudential Center’s Box Office. Pre-Sale opportunities available for Prudential Center event email newsletter subscribers run from Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET through Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 9:59 a.m. ET. For Group opportunities and experiences for 10+ people, contact 973-757-6000 or email groupevents@prucenter.com. For Premium seating opportunities, visit prucenter.com/premium. For health and safety guidelines, visit Prucenter.com/safety.
Part of proceeds from the event will go to support organizations focused on advancing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as the local Newark community.
“We are excited for this partnership with Michael B. Jordan and all of the event organizers as we present the inaugural Legacy Classic,” said Tina Shah, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Turner Sports. “We’re looking forward to having this unique opportunity to showcase these four college basketball programs, while highlighting HBCUs both leading up to and during the event.”
“I am thrilled to finally announce the four HBCUs that will be competing in the inaugural Legacy Classic,” said Michael B. Jordan. “Invesco QQQ and Turner Sports have been amazing partners in helping bring this experience to life. I grew up watching basketball games on TNT, so I am confident they will deliver this set of games to a true audience of basketball fans and their families in an exciting way.”
As the founding sponsor of the event, Invesco QQQ will launch its multi-year partnership by bringing its new financial education programming to participating players and their schools. Invesco recognizes the synergy between its innovative QQQ ETF and Michael B. Jordan’s innovative vision for celebrating the HBCU community and culture through this event.
“We are proud to be the Founding Sponsor of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic as a way to celebrate HBCU life and culture,” said Emily Pachuta, Chief Marketing and Analytics Officer, Americas for Invesco. “We look forward to partnering with Michael B. Jordan, Turner Sports, and all of the event organizers to bring greater possibilities to young men and women that strive to combine excellence in the classroom with excellence in sports.”
To learn more visit www.Prucenter.com/Legacy-Classic and follow on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok @LegacyClassic.
John David Washington stars in the manhunt thriller Beckett, available globally on Netflix today. Check out the synopsis and trailer:
While vacationing in Greece, American tourist Beckett (John David Washington) becomes the target of a manhunt after a devastating accident. Forced to run for his life and desperate to get across the country to the American embassy to clear his name, tensions escalate as the authorities close in, political unrest mounts, and Beckett falls even deeper into a dangerous web of conspiracy.
Beckett is the English language directorial debut of Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, who was the second unit director on Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria. Produced by Luca Guadagnino (director of Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria). Written by Filomarino and first-time writer Kevin A. Rice.
Beckett is a bit of a throwback; political manhunt thrillers aren’t as popular as they once were. And I’m not sure this is the film to put them back on the map. The film starts off with John David Washington’s (BlacKkKlansman, Tenet) Beckett on vacation with his girlfriend April, played by Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina). Washington doesn’t sell the relationship at all; Vikander does a good job but he isn’t giving her much to work with. It’s only about 15 minutes of the two of them before the action really starts, but it feels like a long 15 minutes.
After they are involved in an accident, Washington becomes a target of the Greek police. He has no idea why, although there can only be one reason for him to become a target. Beckett then starts a long journey to the US embassy in Greece. A journey that involves a lot of running through the Greek countryside, it gets a little repetitive.
Greece is shot beautifully by director of photography Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria), it’s a side to the country we aren’t often shown in English language movies. The beauty of the landscape is juxtaposed with the messy situation Beckett has found himself in. The film has been bleached out somewhat, making the movie feel like something of a classic.
When we are finally given answers to the conspiracy element of the thriller, it’s a little disappointing. It doesn’t really unfold until the very end so there is a lot of walking and running in the middle that isn’t the most riveting. A thriller should be more thrilling than this.
John David Washington is not a strong enough actor to carry this film. There are so many silent moments of reflection, even the best actor would struggle to hold the audience’s attention. The dullness of Beckett isn’t all on Washington, the script is a problem. There just isn’t enough action or intrigue to sustain the 110-minute runtime.
Vicky Krieps’ (Hanna, Phantom Thread) activist Lena is one of the supporting players who really stands out. There aren’t many characters other than Beckett who actually get many minutes, Krieps definitely makes the most of her screentime.
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s (The Revenant, The Last Emperor) score is beautifully restrained. Sakamoto builds the tension without being overbearing. He gives the performances chance to breathe. The score fits nicely with Filomarino’s filmmaking style.
Beckett isn’t a bad film but it’s just ok. Washington struggles in the lead role with what is a tough assignment. Ferdinando Cito Filomarino is definitely one to watch but this is a far from perfect film. The script has problems but his visual style is strong. Beckett isn’t exciting enough for a thriller but as it’s on Netflix, it may be good enough to pass a couple of hours on the couch.
Beckett is released globally August 13th 2021 on Netflix
The post Beckett: The New Netflix Thriller That Isn’t All That Thrilling appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Source: Al Seib / Getty
Students in Baltimore were expecting to return to school smoothly on Monday after having their classes disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for almost a year, but that was far from the case. With the city facing a potential bus driver shortage and lack of adequate air conditioning, students were met with challenges on their first day back. According to The Baltimore Sun, “30 bus drivers from the city school system called out of work on Monday leaving nearly 300 students stranded on the first day of the fall semester.”
The report notes that the school system uses third-party contractors to hire drivers for their transportation services. It’s still unclear as to what caused the massive call-out.
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“We’re working hard,” the company’s spokesperson André Riley said of the issue. “It’s still a great first day of school. We’re going to work hard to resolve this and get everyone back on track.” Baltimore’s school system provides transportation services to around 3,800 students, 8% of whom were affected by the unforeseen call-outs.
While the city struggles to provide more bus drivers, Baltimore schools are grappling with the hot summer temperatures. Some students were even forced to go home early due to the school’s lack of adequate air conditioning. The Baltimore Sun noted that nearly 24 city schools were dismissed early on Monday as classrooms in a majority of the city reached dangerous temperatures of 85 degrees or more. “Nearly 13% of all city schools — do not have air conditioning units, and three more have units that need repair,” the report adds.
Sonja Santelises, the school system’s leader, issued a statement about the ordeal telling families that they “understand the concerns and frustrations” related to the city’s lack of air-conditioning.