NBA AllStar 2026: Will the new USA vs. World format work? Breaking down this weekend's big questions Dan DevineFebruary 12, 2026 at 10:32 PM 1 With an awfully busy 2026 NBA trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, the NBA now trains its gaze on Los Angeles, site of the annual midseason basketball exhibition/convention/trade show/sugar rush that is AllStar Weekend.

- - NBA All-Star 2026: Will the new USA vs. World format work? Breaking down this weekend's big questions

Dan DevineFebruary 12, 2026 at 10:32 PM

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With an awfully busy 2026 NBA trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, the NBA now trains its gaze on Los Angeles, site of the annual midseason basketball exhibition/convention/trade show/sugar rush that is All-Star Weekend.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on as the league's best and brightest strut their stuff across three days of basketball-like activities, decidedly un-basketball-like activities prominently featuring The Rizzler and Joey Fatone, and — yet again — a revamped, rebooted game format:

Will the new All-Star format work?75th NBA All-Star Game: 5 p.m. ET Sunday (NBC/Peacock)

After "final score: 211-186" didn't work for anybody two years ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his crew of problem-solvers at the league office decided to try to shake things up in pursuit of an answer to stem the tide of the years-long trend: the once-proud Sunday showcase devolving into, ostensibly, a "we're just here so we won't get fined" glorified shootaround. That led to a tournament-style structure featuring rosters drafted by the "Inside the NBA" crew, with four teams — "Young Stars," "Global Stars," "OGs" and the winners of the Rising Stars Challenge — competing in curtailed pickup-style games in a two-round competition to eventually crown a winner.

The result? Nobody really seemed to try any harder in three shorter games than they did in the standard-length affair. Nobody seemed to enjoy the changes, from Kevin Hart's running commentary to MrBeast showing up to sponsor a 3-point shooting exhibition. The whole stop-and-start endeavor ran long and wrapped up late, the finale was as uncompetitive as ever, and the ratings plunged.

So: Back to the drawing board!

(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

"It just makes me think if there was a game of the World vs. USA, that would be interesting," San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama told reporters before last year's game. "That would be even better."

As it turned out, the big fella was onto something. This year's tweak from Silver and Co.? A three-team tournament featuring two rosters of American-born players and one of international players, competing in a round-robin tournament consisting of four 12-minute games.

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In the first game, Team USA Stars (Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson and Tyrese Maxey) will take on Team World (Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo*, Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić*, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander**, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Şengün, Karl-Anthony Towns).

* Both Antetokounmpo (calf) and Dončić (hamstring) are currently sidelined due to injury; it's unclear whether they'll actually be suiting up Sunday.

** Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) will miss the All-Star Game; Şengün was named as his replacement.

In the second game, Team USA Stripes (Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry***, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Norman Powell) will take on the winner of the opener. In the third game, Stripes will take on the team that lost the opener.

*** Curry (knee) will miss the All-Star Game; Brandon Ingram was named as his replacement.

After the third game, the two teams with the best record will advance to face each other in the championship game. (If all three teams are 1-1 after the third game, point differential will serve as the tiebreaker.)

Will these changes generate the intended ratcheting-up of intensity that Silver and Co. are seeking? Will the decision to go USA vs. The World at this moment in history perhaps bring about some unintended consequences, like so many other changes instituted by the league office over the years?

Will even further shortening the games — 12 minutes tops, with the event schedule allotting 50 minutes between Games 1 and 2, 30 minutes between Games 2 and 3, and 45 minutes between Game 3 and the championship — put some pep in everybody's step? I'd guess that the longer gaps between the first two and final two games will make space for some kind of brand activation; I haven't seen Kevin Hart's name on a press release, but let's keep our heads on a swivel out there.

Will basketball fans come away from the festivities waxing poetic about the avalanche of talent from all over the world currently on display in the NBA game? Or, will a weekend that seemingly remains tilted toward content creation, influencers, marketing partnerships and the ongoing grasp for the ever-elusive hem of the garment of What's Next — once again — leave fans wondering whether something that's seemed broken for years might not actually be able to reset and heal?

We'll find out the answers to those questions, and plenty more, soon enough. This much, though, we know is true: With the opening game scheduled for 5 p.m. and a 7:10 p.m. ET tip in the championship game, it'll all end a lot earlier. That's something, you know?

How many names from the rosters for the Ruffles Celebrity Game do I, a 43-year-old father of two, recognize?

Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: 7 p.m. ET Friday (ESPN)

🌟 The 2026 @RUFFLES Celeb Game rosters! 🌟📅 Friday, 2/13 at 7:00pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/JYmokUPVXO

— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2026

You're not going to believe this, but the answer — for a second straight year — is 13 of 22! More than half! A robust shooting percentage of 59.1% — what Vin Baker shot from the free-throw line during the 1997-98 season! Tremendous work by me.

I know we all remember every single possession of last year's Celebrity Game like LeBron holding court after a playoff game, but just in case you need a refresher, it ended with Barry Bonds' team beating Jerry Rice's team, and with Rome Flynn taking home MVP honors:

Flynn is back to try to become just the third player in Celebrity Game history to win consecutive MVP awards, joining Jaleel White and Frankie Muniz. (NOTE: This may not be true, but I'm not looking it up, and you can't make me.) He'll be playing for a team coached by three Antetokounmpo brothers — sorry, Kostas; maybe next year — and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts. Among those joining him on Team Antetokounmbros: All-Pro Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Brazilian soccer legend Cafu, ex-NBA players Jeremy Lin and Tacko Fall, comedian/actor Keegan-Michael Key, Charlotte Hornets owner Rick Schnall, and rapper GloRilla, who'll get to spend All-Star Weekend with beau Ingram, which is nice.

Brandon Ingram saves the last shoutout for GloRilla after being named 2026 All-Star:"All the attitude that I bring her every single day, her work ethic pushes me to be better too." pic.twitter.com/ivoJilkTBp

— William Lou (@william_lou) February 10, 2026

Also on Team Antetokounmbros: NBA newsbreaker Shams Charania, who will have to put his phone(s) down for at least a little while to run up and down the court … which gives Sam Amick, Jake Fischer, Chris Haynes, Chris Mannix and Marc Stein a chance to do the funniest thing ever.

They'll be squaring off against a team coached by actor/comedian Anthony Anderson and basketball trainers/content creators Chris Brickley and Lethal Shooter. Their roster includes Pro Bowl L.A. Chargers receiver Keenan Allen, Canadian Olympic sprinting champion Andre De Grasse, ex-NBA player Jason "White Chocolate" Williams, actor Simu Liu, music producer/name to yell Mustard, and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. One can only hope that Nikola Jokić decides to make time to sit courtside and renew some unpleasantries.

Which Rising Stars will shine brightest?

Castrol Rising Stars: 9 p.m. ET Friday (Peacock)

For the fifth straight year, the rebooted rookie-sophomore challenge will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game Friday night mini-tournament. With the event shifting to Peacock this year, the three teams of first- and second-year NBA players will be coached by Hall of Famers-turned-NBC/Peacock commentators Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. A fourth composed of G Leaguers (and rookie Yang Hansen, who has played three G League games and made 32 NBA appearances in Portland, and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhäuser, who has played all of one game for the G League's San Diego Clippers this season, compared to 32 for the big club) will be coached by fellow NBC/Peacock commentator Austin Rivers.

Team Melo plays Team Austin. Team Vince plays Team T-Mac. The winners square off for the crown. In each of the first two games, the first team to 40 points wins. In the championship game, though, it's first to 25, because, y'know, let's keep this thing moving.

Melo got the first pick in the Rising Stars draft, and selected Dallas Mavericks phenom Cooper Flagg. As someone who recently wrote a big takeout on how Flagg's real-time growth has put him into some rarefied air among first-year prospects …

… I can't fault Melo's drafting much. What I can fault, though, is the fickle nature of the midfoot, because Flagg's left one is now sprained, which means he will miss this game. Boo, I say. Boo!

Melo's squad could still wind up just fine, considering he also landed Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper from San Antonio. I'm not entirely sure how much having a pair of defensive demons will help in this particular context, but it ought to be cool seeing Donovan Clingan try to block everything and Collin Murray-Boyles generally Draymond his way around out there. They might be the team to beat …

… unless, of course, Kon Knueppel — Flagg's old roommate and his chief rival for Rookie of the Year honors — just decides he will not be denied. Intrigue!

The full Rising Stars rosters:

Team Melo

Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks)*

Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)

Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)

Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)

Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)

Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)

Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)

* Flagg will miss the Rising Stars Challenge with a left midfoot sprain.

Team T-Mac

Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)

Kel'el Ware (Miami Heat)

Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)

Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)*

Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)

* Sarr will miss the Rising Stars Challenge with a hamstring injury.

Team Vince

VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)

Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)

Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)

Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)

Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)

Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)

Team Austin

Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)

Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)

David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs) [injured, will not play]

Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)

Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)

Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)

Mac McClung (Chicago Bulls) [named as Jones Garcia's replacement]

[checks list of events] Hey, what happened to the Skills Challenge?

I think CP3 and Wemby broke it?

After last year's competition included one team getting disqualified in the first round for not taking shots, a flagrant flouting of the spirit of the contest aimed at gaining whatever edge there was to gain — a.k.a. The Most Chris Paul S*** Imaginable (Complimentary) — the NBA, it seems, elected to pivot. So long, Skills Challenge; welcome back, Shooting Stars!

Wait, what was the deal with Shooting Stars again?

Kia Shooting Stars: second event of All-Star Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

Instead of a timed competition in which you have to throw chest passes and bounce passes through moving targets, Shooting Stars is a timed competition in which four different three-person teams — two current players, one former NBA player — have to make a bunch of shots from seven different spots on the court.

You know who was kind of a mack at Shooting Stars? Chris Bosh, Swin Cash and Dominique Wilkins were kind of macks at Shooting Stars.

The four teams vying to walk in the dynastic footsteps of Bosh, Cash and Wilkins:

Team All-Star

Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors)

Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Richard Hamilton (three-time All-Star, mask aficionado)

Team Cameron (as in, Cameron Indoor Stadium; as in, Dukies)

Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)

Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)

Corey Maggette (14-year NBA veteran, legendary nickname-haver)

Team Harper

Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)

Ron Harper Jr. (Boston Celtics)

Ron Harper Sr. (five-time NBA champion, proud papa, Doberman)

Team Knicks

Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

Karl-Anthony Towns (... um, New York Knicks)

Allan Houston (... I mean, two-time All-Star as a Knick, and now the Knicks' VP of player leadership and development)

Teams get 70 seconds to score points while rotating through the seven different shooting locations, with all three players proceeding in a set order. The first three shots — a layup/dunk from the right side of the lane, an 18-foot shot from the right baseline, a jumper from the right elbow — are all worth two points. The fourth, a 3-pointer from the right wing, is worth, well, three.

Next: a top-of-the-key jumper worth two points. Rounding things out: a left-corner 3 worth, again, three, and finally, a shot from the logo that's worth … four. All four teams compete in the first round, with the two highest-scoring teams advancing to compete for the title.

Things might get tricky! Every player has to shoot from every location, and you can't advance from one location to another until everybody has taken a shot from the first spot. Players have to shoot in a predetermined order, and points scored on out-of-order shots won't count; if you shoot out of order on the 4-pointer, you don't get to shoot again. There is legitimately a PDF with tiebreaker policies and examples of shooting orders that would violate the rules. It's all very serious.

A referee will be on hand "to enforce rules and make judgments on any potential rules violation" — including, if need be, the call to invoke instant replay review. Let's all say a prayer to our respective gods that that won't be necessary.

Wait a sec — is Damian Lillard really in the 3-Point Contest again?State Farm 3-Point Contest: first event of All-Star Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

Yep! Despite missing the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season to date as he rehabilitates his surgically repaired Achilles tendon, Dame's back to take a second crack at winning a third 3-point shootout crown, joining Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as only the third player in the competition's 40-year history to three-peat. (That one is real. I looked it up.)

It's kind of weird, though you'd assume that none of the stakeholders involved — Lillard and his reps, the Portland Trail Blazers (to whom, in case you forgot, he returned after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him this summer), the league office … hell, State Farm — would've greenlit this if it wasn't deemed 1000% safe for Dame to do some light jogging and stationary shooting. Here's hoping any extant concerns about it all melt away after the first couple of jumpers go up, replaced by the warm, fuzzy feeling of watching one of the greatest shooters of all time get 'em up again.

Lillard will face some stiff competition from a field featuring five All-Stars (Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell); rookie sharpshooter Knueppel, who ranks second in the NBA in total made 3-pointers, behind only Mitchell, and who's drilling his triples at a 43% clip for the Hornets; and former teammate Bobby Portis Jr., who feels like an odd inclusion … until you realize he's shooting a blistering 45.6% from deep this season.

The rules remain broadly the same: five racks; five balls each; shoot and make as many as you can in 70 seconds. Four racks feature a money ball worth two points; one rack consists entirely of money balls. The competition also now features two "From the Logo" balls, placed on pedestals six feet behind the 3-point arc on either side of the half-court logo, that are worth three points apiece. (To get credit for those, players have to begin their shooting motion with at least one foot on the "From the Logo" floor decal, a la Caitlin Clark in the ads.)

Eight shooters enter the contest; the three highest scorers advance to the final; one leaves with the bragging rights. And, presumably, the undying loyalty and respect of Jake.

What excitement can be ginned up about the Dunk Contest?AT&T Slam Dunk Contest: third event of All-Star Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

Let's check in with one of the people you'd presume would be most jazzed about the contest — one of the four people actually competing in it. Take it away, rookie Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson:

i guess 😂🤷🏾‍♂️ https://t.co/uDkgJZl0M6

— Jase Richardson (@JaseRich4) February 7, 2026

… OK!

While Richardson — son of Dunk Contest legend Jason Richardson — later clarified that he will, in fact, try hard to win the contest, his reaction is A) not exactly the greatest advertisement for the festivities and B) … kind of the way it seems like most folks react to the Dunk Contest nowadays?

I will reiterate my long-held stance that dunk contests can really only ever be kind of bad, because dunking, like pizza, is at worst always at least pretty good. I suspect that this year's contest — featuring Richardson, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (provided he can avoid fighting any mascots on the way out to the court), Heat swingman Keshad Johnson and Spurs rookie wing Carter Bryant — will not immediately stir the hearts and minds of observers desperate for a return to the days of bona fide, marquee, household-name superstars performing feats of aerial acrobatics and derring-do the likes of which we've never seen.

Maybe that's on us, though. I watched last year's competition with my daughters, and it was pretty hard to convince them not to get amped up about what Stephon Castle did …

… or Mac McClung doing what he does best …

… because of what Vince Carter did in 2000, or Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon did a decade ago.

They saw dudes flying through the air, jumping over stuff, twisting and detonating. They thought it was pretty cool, all things considered.

Like I said last year: In dunk contests, as in difficult times, hope dies last. As long as they keep having them, we'll keep showing up, hoping that the next takeoff is the one that returns us to the joys of competitions past. And if not … well, "pretty cool" might not seem like much in the context of both what we've watched in years past and what we've imagined might be possible if the moment's most explosive vertical athletes — LeBron in his day, Zion and Ja a few years ago, Ant and VJ Edgecombe now — decided to show up. But when the other alternative is just being preemptively mad and disappointed about whatever dunks the competitors we actually do have are about to try, then "pretty cool" ain't half-bad.

What's most likely to breathe new life into the All-Star Game?

I think the goal is, "Find some way to replicate the fourth quarters of U.S. vs. Serbia and U.S. vs. France from the 2024 Summer Olympics."

Given the Grand Canyon-sized chasm in stakes between "we're playing for a chance at Olympic gold" and "we're playing for a bunch of marketing managers from Salesforce," though … I kind of think the answer might be, "Team World just absolutely dusts both U.S. teams."

It's not exactly hot-take artistry to say that, while the U.S. still produces more great basketball players than other countries throughout the world, the very best players of this age — the ones routinely topping MVP ballots and stocking the All-NBA First Team — were born elsewhere. Most of those guys, with the exception of the injured SGA, are about to suit up against two teams full of Americans; it wouldn't necessarily be shocking if they just mopped up the Stars and Stripes. If that happened, the resultant reaction might not be altogether pretty; it might be forceful enough, though, to reignite the competitive fires in an event where the embers have long since grown cold.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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Source: Sports

Published: February 12, 2026 at 08:27PM on Source: MANUEL MAG

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20 Hidden Stories In Famous Songs That'll Transform How You Hear Them Samridhi GoelFebruary 12, 2026 at 8:05 PM 0 Behind every charttopping anthem lies a hidden narrative often obscured by catchy melodies and powerful vocals. While listeners frequently interpret lyrics through their own experiences, the true origins of these iconic tracks range from deeply personal tragedies to spontaneous moments. From accidental adlibs to secret feuds, let's discover surprising backstories behind 20 famous songs that will forever transform how you hear them.

- - 20 Hidden Stories In Famous Songs That'll Transform How You Hear Them

Samridhi GoelFebruary 12, 2026 at 8:05 PM

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Behind every chart-topping anthem lies a hidden narrative often obscured by catchy melodies and powerful vocals. While listeners frequently interpret lyrics through their own experiences, the true origins of these iconic tracks range from deeply personal tragedies to spontaneous moments.

From accidental ad-libs to secret feuds, let's discover surprising backstories behind 20 famous songs that will forever transform how you hear them.

#1 Taylor Swift

Swift's Ruin the Friendship left fans blindsided after early speculation linked the song to Blake Lively.However, the lyrics revealed a far more personal story.The track reflected Swift's regret over a high school friend who passed away before she ever acted on her feelings. She sings, "When I left school, I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news," recalling how she learned about his passing.The emotional peak comes when she sings, "I whispered it at the grave / 'Should've kissed you anyway.'"

© Photo: Getty/Xavi Torrent/TAS24

#2 James Blunt "You're Beautiful"

Blunt's romantic ballad, You're Beautiful, has often been played at weddings, but it has a much darker premise.The singer revealed that the lyrics describe a drug-fueled encounter on the London Underground where he spotted an ex-girlfriend with a new man.He shared in a 2020 essay for The Guardian, "It's always been portrayed as romantic, but it's actually a bit creepy. It's about a guy (me) who's high and stalking someone else's girlfriend on the subway."Blunt event fought his label to keep the line, "f***g high" in the lyrics, insisting on the honesty of his "elated state" during the encounter.

© Photo: Youtube

#3 Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"

The whispery opening line of Christina Aguilera's 2002 hit Beautiful, "Don't look at me," was never intended to be part of the lyrics.Songwriter Linda Perry revealed that while Aguilera prepared to record, she became visibly vulnerable and directed that specific phrase to a friend in the studio.Perry decided to keep the ad-lib on the final track, noting, "I realized, 'Oh, she's insecure. She's one of those beautiful people who's got everything but is super insecure. Okay, this song is hers," per Rolling Stone.She also refused to let the singer re-record the vocals, insisting that the "flawed" and raw quality of the demo was exactly what gave the song its emotional power.

© Photo: Getty/Frank Micelotta Archive

#4 Beyoncé "Partition"

Beyoncé created Partition after being inspired by a minimalist bass line and beat. She entered the studio with a pen or paper and began ad-libbing lyrics that recalled the early days of her relationship with Jay-Z.In her Self-Titled documentary, she stated, "It takes me back to when me and my husband and I first met... and he thinks I'm the hottest thing in the world."Beyond the romance, Beyoncé used the track to embrace her sensuality after motherhood. She explained, "I don't have any shame about being s*xual," asserting that women can still "be *exy and still have dreams" after having children.

© Photo: Getty/Larry Busacca/PW

#5 Harry Styles "Falling"

Harry Styles' Falling was created in a surprisingly spontaneous manner. The singer revealed to Zane Lowe that the track took only 20 minutes to write while he was at songwriter Thomas Hull's house.He explained that the inspiration struck when he was preparing for a dinner out and had just stepped out of the shower.He recalled the moment during an interview with Apple Music in 2019, "As I came out of the shower, [Hull] was playing. I went and stood next to him at the piano, just in a towel, and we just wrote the whole thing."

© Photo: Getty/Kevin Mazur

#6 Lady Gaga "Poker Face"

Gaga's 2008 Poker Face soundtracked an entire generation without most listeners realizing what it was actually about.Though the lyrics are framed around gambling metaphors, the song hides a far more explicit meaning. Listeners later discovered the chorus masks the line "fu-fu-f*** her face", a detail that slipped past radio censors for years.The bigger reveal came from Gaga herself, who confirmed the track is about bis*xuality.Performing it at her Las Vegas residency, she told the crowd, "I bet you didn't know this song was about having s*x with men and thinking about women."

© Photo: Getty/Tim Mosenfelder

#7 Aerosmith "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"

Diane Warren's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing was inspired by a 1998 interview between Barbara Walters and Barbra Streisand. During the segment, Streisand shared that her husband, James Brolin, once told her, "I don't want to fall asleep 'cause then I'll miss you."Warren was moved by this sentiment and composed the track on her piano, though she never imagined a rock band like Aerosmith would eventually record it.Ironically, Warren admitted she could not personally relate to the lyrics, joking that if a partner actually stayed up all night to hear her breathing, she would find it incredibly creepy.

© Photo: Getty/Michael Kovac

#8 Billie Eilish "Lunch"

Billie Eilish's 2024 hit Lunch catalyzed her own self-discovery. The bold, bass-heavy track compares s*xual attraction to devouring a meal, but Eilish revealed she actually began writing it before having a physical experience with a woman.She told Rolling Stone, "I wrote some of it before even doing anything with a girl, and then wrote the rest after."Although she had been in love with girls her entire life, the song helped her come to terms with her identity."That song was actually part of what helped me become who I am, to be real."

© Photo: Getty/Neilson Barnard

#9 Frank Sinatra "My Way"

Sinatra's iconic anthem My Way had an unexpectedly tangled origin story rooted in French pop and artistic rivalry.The song began as "Comme d'Habitude," written by Claude François after his breakup with singer France Gall following her Eurovision success.Sinatra later heard the French hit and commissioned an English version, eventually bringing in Paul Anka to rework it into what became My Way.An early songwriter on the project was David Bowie, whose drafts were rejected. After hearing the finished song later, Bowie was so frustrated that he reworked its chords into what became Life on Mars?

© Photo: Getty/Screen Archives

#10 Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

The origins of Smells Like Teen Spirit date back to a chaotic 1990 night involving Kurt Cobain and Bikini K*ll's Kathleen Hanna.After vandalizing what Hanna called a "fake abortion clinic," the pair ended up at Cobain's apartment, where Hanna spray-painted the phrase "Kurt smells like teen spirit."Months later, Hanna recalled Cobain telling her, "There's a thing you wrote on my wall… It's actually quite cool, and I want to use it," via Rolling Stone.Cobain later shared he was trying to write "the ultimate pop song", drawing heavily from Pixies-style quiet-loud dynamics.

© Photo: Getty/Frank Micelotta Archive

#11 Bruno Mars "When I Was Your Man"

When Mars began recording When I Was Your Man, he promised it would be his last ballad.He told Rolling Stone, "I'm never singing another ballad again," before conceding it was "the most honest, real thing I've ever sang."The piano-led track from Unorthodox Jukebox, captured regret over a love he let slip away, built around small, missed gestures.He later explained, "This song is about a special woman that I let slip away at one time."Ahead of its release, he tweeted, "I've never been this nervous."

© Photo: Getty/John Esparza

#12 John Lennon & Yoko Ono "Imagine"

While John Lennon's 1971 masterpiece, Imagine, is one of history's most famous songs, Yoko Ono was denied songwriting credits for nearly five decades.In a vintage 1980 BBC interview, Lennon confessed that the track "should be credited as a Lennon-Ono song." He further admitted that he was "a bit more selfish" and "macho" at the time.The lyrics of the song were heavily inspired by Ono's 1964 poetry book, Grapefruit, which featured various "Imagine this" instructional pieces. It wasn't until 2007 that the National Music Publishers Association officially corrected the record, recognizing Ono as a co-writer of the iconic anthem.

© Photo: Getty/Susan Wood

#13 The Beatles "Hey Jude"

Paul McCartney wrote Hey Jude in 1968 to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce.McCartney originally titled the track, Hey Jules, explaining, "I knew it was not going to be easy for him. I always feel sorry for kids in divorces."However, he later changed the name to Jude for a better musical flow. Interestingly, Lennon initially believed the song was written for him, interpreting the lyrics "Go out and get her" as McCartney's subconscious approval of his relationship with Yoko Ono.Despite its origins, the seven-minute masterpiece became a universal anthem of hope.

© Photo: Getty/Icon and Image

#14 Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"

Stefani's 2004 anthem Hollaback Girl was actually born out of a celebrity feud between her and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love.The conflict began when Love dismissed Stefani in an interview with Seventeen Magazine in 2004. "Being famous is just like being in high school... I'm not interested in being Gwen Stefani. She's the cheerleader."Stefani felt bullied by the "cheerleader" and collaborated with Pharrell Williams to reclaim the insult.She told Billboard, "I was being called a cheerleader, which was a bad thing! I told Pharrell we should write a song about that."The pair also incorporated a high-school style B-A-N-A-N-A-S chant to lean into the theme.

© Photo: Getty/Frank Micelotta Archive

#15 Dolly Parton "I Will Always Love You"

Parton's I Will Always Love You is often mistaken for a traditional breakup song, but it was written as a professional farewell to her mentor, Porter Wagoner.After seven years on his television show, Parton felt ready for a solo career but struggled to deliver the news. She recalled in The Tennessean, "How am I gonna make him understand... that I have to go?"She decided to write her way out, and when she sang it for him, Wagoner burst into tears.Decades later, Whitney Houston's legendary cover left Parton stunned. The latter admitted, "I almost wrecked [my car]. I couldn't believe my little country sad song could even be done like that."

© Photo: Getty/Christopher Polk

#16 Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine"

While Sweet Child O' Mine is Guns N' Roses' most defining hit, guitarist Slash initially despised it.The famous opening riff began as a "circus melody" and a simple finger-stretching exercise that Slash played to joke around during a jam session.He admitted to Guitar Edge in 2007, "I really just thought of it as a joke," adding that he never intended to present it as a serious song until Axl Rose paired it with a poem he had written for his girlfriend, Erin Everly.

© Photo: Getty/Kevin Mazur

#17 Stevie Nicks' "Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)"

Stevie Nicks' 2011 track Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream) was inspired by the Twilight film saga. After watching the first two movies while on tour, Nicks became captivated by the story of Bella, Edward, and Jacob.During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in 2016, she recalled, "I fell so in love with it that I went back to my room and I wrote this song."Nicks also credited the franchise with saving her career during a period when she believed her time in the industry was over."If it hadn't been for [Twilight], I would've never made In Your Dreams."

© Photo: Getty/Dia Dipasupil

#18 Eric Clapton "Tears In Heaven"

Clapton's most haunting song Tears in Heaven was born from unimaginable loss. The track was inspired by the passing of his four-year-old son Conor, who fell from a New York City apartment window in March 1991.Reflecting on that day, Clapton admitted, "I'll punish myself forever about why didn't I run? … the truth is I couldn't. I was so frightened."He wrote the song for the film Rush, describing it as a way to process grief."It was a good opportunity for me to write about my son… and express my own feelings." Clapton later said sharing that pain publicly became "a healing process."

© Photo: Getty/Michael Putland

#19 R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"

While many listeners assumed Losing My Religion was an autobiographical confession, lead singer Michael Stipe revealed that a single word change altered the song's entire perception.Stipe originally wrote the line as "That's me in the corner, that's me in the kitchen," envisioning a shy wallflower at a party.However, he changed "kitchen" to "spotlight", which he said "instantly made the song about me."He further explained during a chat with producer Rick Rubin for the Broken Record Podcast that the track is actually about unrequited love existing only in one's mind."He doesn't know whether he's said too much or hasn't said enough."

© Photo: Getty/Santiago Bueno

#20 The Eagles' "Hotel California"

The 1976 masterpiece Hotel California has been the subject of wild urban legends involving the occult, but its true meaning is a critique of American decadence.Don Henley clarified the song's intent, stating in 2007, "It's a song about the dark underbelly of the American Dream, and about excess in America, which was something we knew about."To create a cinematic, Twilight Zone atmosphere, Glenn Frey envisioned a protagonist trapped in a "disturbing web" of strange characters.The track also featured a playful industry jab, "they stab it with their steely knives," which was a direct response to the band Steely Dan.

© Photo: Getty/Michael Ochs Archives

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Dallas Cowboys' Kelli Finglass and Charlotte Jones Share Their Favorite Football Memories, Including One That 'Broke the Internet' Rachel RaposasFebruary 12, 2026 at 11:30 PM 0 Charlotte Jones and Kelli Finglass of the Dallas Cowboys recounted some of their favorite moments with the team Between the team's vice president and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders director, Jones and Finglass have more than six decades of experience with the organization Some of the most iconic moments from the team's recent history includes runins with Beyonce and Dolly Parton The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have an ...

- - Dallas Cowboys' Kelli Finglass and Charlotte Jones Share Their Favorite Football Memories, Including One That 'Broke the Internet'

Rachel RaposasFebruary 12, 2026 at 11:30 PM

0

Charlotte Jones and Kelli Finglass of the Dallas Cowboys recounted some of their favorite moments with the team

Between the team's vice president and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders director, Jones and Finglass have more than six decades of experience with the organization

Some of the most iconic moments from the team's recent history includes run-ins with Beyonce and Dolly Parton

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have an extra starry history!

Charlotte Jones and Kelli Finglass — the co-owner and vice president of the Dallas Cowboys and director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, respectively — sat down for a conversation with PEOPLE about their careers, their cheerleaders and their favorite moments (including some beloved celebrity cameos) from their years at the helm of America's Sweethearts and the team they cheer on.

Jones, daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has been with the football team nearly as long as her father has. Her contributions to the team and its games — including her creation of the Cowboys' 1996 Thanksgiving halftime show, which had never been done outside the Super Bowl at that time — have positioned her as an integral part of the organization.

Meanwhile, Finglass — who was featured throughout the Netflix docuseries on her squad, America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — will celebrate 35 years as the team's cheer director this year. Finglass was formerly a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader herself.

In their years as Dallas Cowboys executives, Finglass and Jones have their fair share of celebrity tales to tell.

Charlotte Jones and Kelli Finglass.

Courtesy of Netflix

While planning the team's 2005 halftime show, Jones recalled, sensitivities were high in the wake of that year's Super Bowl debacle (the infamous "wardrobe malfunction"); a Fox executive , was so worried about a repeat of that night that he told Jones to request the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Though she declined, opting instead for Destiny's Child, executives still demanded that she ask the group to edit the lyrics for maximum family-friendliness.

"We get [Beyoncé] on the phone, her team doesn't want to tell her. And she took great offense that her lyrics were not offensive and that someone up there was misreading and misinterpreting her lyrics," Jones said. They all reached an agreement, but to the league's horror, the group's attire as midriff-baring. (She rush-ordered furs from Neiman Marcus, but they ended up on the field so the group could dance.)

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Another unforgettable moment in DCC history was when Dolly Parton appeared on the field in a Cowboys cheerleader uniform in 2023, at age . The country legend's fashion choice was "a surprise to all of us," Finglass recalled.

"She rocked it ... she broke the internet," Jones said.

Dolly Parton in a Dallas Cowboys Cheer uniform.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty

Jones realized in hindsight that they got a little hint that Parton might show out in Cowboys attire, because the day prior Parton was donning "Cowboy silver" with "blue stars and everything." When someone complimented Parton and asked her what she planned to wear the next day, Parton had a cheeky response, Jones said.

"Boy, when my husband sees what I have on tomorrow, he's going to fall out of that La-Z-Boy," Jones recalled Parton responding.

America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will return this year for its third season on Netflix. Watch more of Finglass and Jones' empowering conversation above.

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Vance received a chilly reception laden with boos when he and wife Usha Vance attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan. Vice President JD Vance issues warning to U.S. Olympians over politics Vance received a chilly reception laden with boos when he and wife Usha Vance attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.jpg) Ryan Coleman Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

Vance received a chilly reception laden with boos when he and wife Usha Vance attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan.

Vice President JD Vance issues warning to U.S. Olympians over politics

Vance received a chilly reception laden with boos when he and wife Usha Vance attended the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 11, 2026 10:07 p.m. ET

JD Vance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Credit:

Peter Kneffel/POOL/PA Images via Getty

- JD Vance doesn't want American athletes criticizing the Trump administration during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

- "You're there to play a sport, and you're there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You're not there to pop off about politics," Vance told CNN on Wednesday.

- The vice president and his wife, Usha Vance, are currently in Milan, Italy, representing the U.S. delegation to the XXV Winter Olympic Games.

JD Vance has a word of advice for athletes considering speaking out against the Trump administration during the 2026 Winter Olympics: Don't.

The vice president is currently in Milan, Italy, with his wife, Usha Vance, representing the United States at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. After being booed during the opening ceremony, and apparently catching wind of several American Olympians voicing criticisms of Donald Trump; in particular, his administration's aggressive anti-immigration policies, Vance decided he'd had enough.

"Yes, you're going to have some Olympic athletes who pop off about politics. I feel like that happens at every Olympics," he reasoned during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. "My advice to them would be to try to bring the country together, and when you're representing the country, you're representing Democrats and Republicans. You're there to play a sport, and you're there to represent your country and hopefully win a medal. You're not there to pop off about politics."

"When Olympic athletes enter the political arena, they should expect some pushback," Vance continued. While he conceded that "most Olympic athletes, whatever their politics, are doing a great job" and "certainly enjoy the support of the entire country," Vance shared his view that "the way to bring the country together is not to show up in a foreign country and attack the president of the United States, but it's to play your sport and represent the country well."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

JD Vance gets booed at 2026 Olympics opening ceremony after official urged crowds to 'be respectful'

Musician resolves song dispute with Olympic skater Amber Glenn after calling her out

Several American athletes selected to participate in this year's Winter Olympic Games have offered their candid views on Trump's increasingly unpopular immigration policies.

Curler Richard Ruohonen, who is from Minnesota, the site of the administration's most aggressive deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, said during a press conference on Tuesday, "What's happening in Minnesota is wrong. There's no shades of gray. We love our country. We're playing for Team USA. What the Olympics means is excellence, respect, friendship. We are playing for the people around the country who show those, share those same values, that compassion, that love, and that respect."

Skier Hunter Hess incurred Trump's personal wrath for merely sharing that "it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now." Following those comments on Monday, Trump called Hess "a real Loser" in a post to his Truth Social platform.

JD Vance and Donald Trump at the White House on Jan. 9.

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty

The international community made its feelings on the administration known during the opening ceremony, where the announcement of the Vances' names was met with a volley of boos.

"There's the vice president, JD Vance... oop... those are not... eh, those are a lot of boos for him — whistling, jeering, some applause," a CBC announcer noted over the live broadcast.

- Entertainment Lifestyle

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These are the streamer's best shows and movies celebrating gridiron glory. The 11 best football movies and TV shows on Netflix to get you through the offseason These are the streamer's best shows and movies celebrating gridiron glory. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/514336335102304943393279467557882455941929038n7b895cc021994327ba8dc74b7d683d0c.jpg) Megan Vick is a news and evergreen contributor at . She's been writing at since 2024. Her work can also be found at TVGuide.com, Swooon, Variety, and other outlets.

These are the streamer's best shows and movies celebrating gridiron glory.

The 11 best football movies and TV shows on Netflix to get you through the off-season

These are the streamer's best shows and movies celebrating gridiron glory.

Megan Vick is a news and evergreen contributor at *. *She's been writing at ** since 2024. Her work can also be found at TVGuide.com, Swooon, *Variety*, and other outlets.

EW's editorial guidelines

and Ilana Gordon

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 11, 2026 9:00 a.m. ET

Dior Walker Scott in 'Last Chance U'; Patrick Mahomes in 'Quarterback'; Darin Brooks as Alex Moran on 'Blue Mountain State'. Credit:

Netflix (2); Lionsgate TV/Courtesy Everett

Huddle up, team. Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, it's time to accept reality and map out a game plan for what to do with our free weekends. Netflix is here to help us through the off-season with a curated list of the best football-centered comedies, docuseries, and dramas the platform has to offer. Learn the history of the game, follow some of your favorite college and professional players, and remind yourself why you fell in love with football to begin with.

Keep reading for EW's list of the 11 best football shows and movies on Netflix.

All American (2018–present)

Daniel Ezra as Spencer James on 'All-American'. Troy Harvey/The CW

This CW football drama, inspired by real-life New York Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger, stars Daniel Ezra as Spencer James, a talented wide receiver at South Crenshaw High who is hand-picked to play for Billy Baker (Taye Diggs) on a Beverly Hills football team. Spencer's culture shock initially drives *All American*, but the series soon expands to a 360-degree view of life on and off the field, including college recruitment, the NFL draft, and what it's like to be a Black youth in America.

As EW's critic writes, "*All American* is an interesting mix of the California-as-utopia teen drama — golden sunlight glinting off the Pacific, so many shirtless boys! — and a more nuanced exploration of the intersection between race and class." Season 8 starts Feb. 3, so catch up now! *—Megan Vick *

Where to watch* All American*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Cast:** Daniel Ezra, Taye Diggs, Samantha Logan, Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou

Audible (2021)

Amaree McKenstry-Hall in 'Audible'.

Courtesy of Netflix

This Oscar-nominated documentary short is only 39 minutes long, but it packs a hell of a punch. The football team at Maryland School for the Deaf is riding high in many ways. They're on a hot streak with more wins on the horizon, but throughout it all, senior player Amaree McKenstry-Hall must also cope with a dear friend's recent suicide.

Lauded for representing deaf students playing a contact sport, *Audible* also highlights the full spectrum of their lived-in experiences rather than just focusing on the facts of their disability. It's an empowering film that deftly balances grief and hope. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Audible*: Netflix

**Director:** Matthew Ogens

**Cast:** Amaree Mckenstry-Hall

Blue Mountain State (2010–2011)

Darin Brooks as Alex Moran on 'Blue Mountain State'.

Lionsgate TV/Courtesy Everett

If you're looking for the direct inverse of the *Friday Night Lights* viewing experience, consider checking out *Blue Mountain State*. A sitcom about three college freshmen who join the football team as the second-string quarterback, running back, and mascot, respectively, *Blue Mountain State *spends three seasons detailing the team's misadventures with their coach, women, and binge drinking.

*Blue Mountain State* premiered on Spike TV in 2010 and is clearly intended for a young, male audience whose comedic sensibility skews more *American Pie* than *American Beauty*. But the show features a standout performance from a young Alan Ritchson as Thadd Castle, the athletically gifted and socially stunted team captain, and fans of his *Reacher* performance will enjoy seeing the actor revel in his first major role. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *Blue Mountain State*: Netflix

**Cast: **Darin Brooks, Alan Ritchson, Page Kennedy, Sam Jones III, Chris Romano

Coach Snoop (2018)

Snoop Dogg in 'Coach Snoop'.

Netflix/AOL/Everett

Snoop Dogg demonstrated his sports prowess with his epic 2024 Summer Olympics commentary and will serve as an honorary coach for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but *Coach Snoop* proves the West Coast rapper's prior investment in athletics. This docuseries takes viewers inside the Snoop Youth Football League that he founded in California to help keep kids off the streets and focused on their goals. It centers on a specific team, Snoop's Stealers, while also exploring the ins and outs of the wider league.

*Coach Snoop *not only introduces you to kids who will win over your heart but also showcases a more serious, sincere side of the artist than we're used to seeing. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Coach Snoop*: Netflix

**Cast:** Snoop Dogg

Colin in Black & White (2021)

Mary Louise Parker as Teresa Kaepernick, Nick Offerman as Rick Kaepernick, and Jaden Michael as Colin Kaepernick in 'Colin in Black & White'. Netflix

After falling out with the NFL in 2017, civil rights activist and quarterback Colin Kaepernick teamed up with Ava DuVernay to tell his story on Netflix. The limited drama series traces the events that led Kaepernick to play professional football and later stand up for racial justice and equality.

As executive producer, Kaepernick also narrates each episode while Jaden Michael plays his younger self and Nick Offerman and Mary Louise Parker portray his adoptive parents. The result is an "ultimately edifying portrayal of the young athlete's coming of age as a biracial boy growing up in a predominantly white world," according to EW's critic. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Colin in Black & White*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Cast:** Colin Kaepernick, Jaden Michael, Nick Offerman, Mary Louise Parker

The 25 best football movies of all time, ranked

The 14 best female-driven sports movies, from 'Million Dollar Baby' to 'A League of Their Own'

Last Chance U (2016–2020)

Dior Walker Scott in 'Last Chance U'.

The "stunningly well-made" *Last Chance U* is one of the most underrated docuseries on Netflix. But rather than exploring a viral true crime, this gem follows troubled junior college football players looking at their shot to play Division I and secure a brighter future.

"*Last Chance U* is nonfiction, but like a lot of the most addictive sports documentaries, it feels 'cinematic' in the old-fashioned sense, luscious music, you-are-everywhere camerawork," writes EW's critic in their A-rated review. "It's ludicrously involving. But don't call it escapism. *Last Chance U* is brutally honest about its young players' prospects." *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Last Chance U*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A

**Cast:** Ron Ollie, Brittany Wagner, Buddy Stephens, John III Franklin, John Beam

Quarterback (2023–present)

Patrick Mahomes in 'Quarterback'.

Courtesy of Netflix

*Quarterback *is the first official partnership between Netflix and the NFL. Produced by former Colts QB Peyton Manning, this docuseries follows current Chiefs team captain Patrick Mahomes, then-Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, and former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota in its first season. Season 2 featured Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, and the return of Cousins.

All these pros were mic'd during their games, giving the viewers unprecedented access to how these star athletes function on the field and on the sidelines. The series also peers into the players' personal lives, showing intimate moments at home with loved ones and interviews about balancing football with family. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Quarterback*: Netflix

**Cast:** Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff

Receiver (2024–present)

Deebo Samuel in 'Receiver'.

Courtesy of Netflix

From the team behind *Quarterback*, *Receiver* follows four wide receivers — Davante Adams for the Las Vegas Raiders; Justin Jefferson for the Minnesota Vikings; Deebo Samuel for the San Francisco 49ers; and Amon-Ra St. Brown for the Detroit Lions — and 49ers tight end George Kittle during the 2023 NFL season. It gives you the same unprecedented access to these players as the flagship series, except now you're on the field with the players most likely to run the ball into the end zone. If you loved the behind-the-scenes intel and raw material of *Quarterback*, then *Receiver *will scratch that same itch. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Receiver*: Netflix

**Cast: **Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samuel, Amon-Ra St. Brown, George Kittle

SEC Football: Any Given Saturday (2025–present)

Brian Kelly on 'SEC Football: Any Given Saturday'.

In the Southeastern Conference (SEC), college football is life. In *SEC: Any Given Saturday*, the cameras journey into the locker rooms to capture the madness from the perspective of the game's coaches and players. Shot during the 2024 school year, the seven-episode first season features stories like the University of Florida's quarterback struggle, Vanderbilt's massive upset over Alabama, and other college football highlights. SEC fans will come away with a new appreciation for the depth of talent and interesting personalities that populate their conference, and casual football viewers will learn why the SEC is one of college football's most feared divisions. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *SEC Football: Any Given Saturday*: Netflix

**Director:** Collin Orcutt

Untold: Johnny Football (2023)

Johnny Manziel in 'Untold: Johnny Football'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Johnny Manziel became the first college freshman to ever win the Heisman trophy in 2012. The Texas A&M quarterback held on to that shine all the way to the 2014 NFL draft, where he was expected to be a top 10 pick, but when team after team passed him up, the attention turned sour when he landed at No. 22.

The "Johnny Football" episode of Netflix's sports docuseries *Untold* tells the story of Manziel's headline-making fall from grace and the many scandals that came before and after his disappointing draft, from $5 million benders to a litany of legal issues. It's a trainwreck you can't take your eyes off, featuring first-hand interviews with "Johnny Football" himself. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* Untold: Johnny Football*: Netflix

**Director:** Ryan Duffy

**Cast: **Johnny Manziel

We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (2021)

9U team in 'We Are: The Brooklyn Saints'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix knows how to pull the heartstrings with a well-produced sports docuseries. *We Are: The Brooklyn Saints* heads to the East Coast to follow a New York youth football team and their dedicated coaches. It is only four episodes, but it'll remind you why football is America's favorite sport with these kids' high hopes and the even higher stakes.

Similar to *Coach Snoop* and *Last Chance U*, many of the young players in *Brooklyn Saints* haven't had it easy, but they've found a sense of belonging and purpose on their football team. All of those emotions are expertly captured here through authentic moments on each step towards their potential victory at the National Championships in Florida. *—M.V.*

Where to watch* We Are: The Brooklyn Saints*: Netflix

**Director:** Rudy Valdez

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