Atlanta, GA

How Samuel L. Jackson Used His Personal Experience in 1970s Atlanta For ‘Fight Night’: “He Kept Us in Line”

Published

3 days ago

September 5, 2024

How Samuel L. Jackson Used His Personal Experience in 1970s Atlanta For ‘Fight Night’: “He Kept Us in Line”

Taraji P. Henson is posing in front of the hottest seat at the premiere of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.

There’s a line of her Fight Night co-stars waiting for their turn to be photographed on a metallic gold tufted sofa, flown in especially for the New York City afterparty. Attendees might believe it’s an inspired set design from the limited series based on a storied piece of Atlanta history from the 1970s, but the couch has its own history. More about that later.

Fight Night follows the real events around Oct. 26, 1970, the night Muhammad Ali made a historic return to boxing after a three-year suspension for avoiding the U.S. Armed Forces draft. At the same time, a celebratory party across town hosted by an Atlanta numbers runner Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams (played by Kevin Hart) was going terribly wrong. Chicken Man’s brazen attempts to impress notorious New York gangster Frank Moten (Samuel L. Jackson), the party’s honored guest, went widely askew as they entered the house party. Chicken Man, Moten and nearly 100 other affluent guests become victims of one of the city’s biggest robbery heists.

The series was adapted from the true-crime podcast, created by Atlanta-based screenwriter-turned-podcaster Jeff Keating and film producer Will Packer and launched on iHeartPodcast in October 2020. The podcast caught the attention of Kevin Hart, who signed on to star and executive produce when Peacock ordered the series.

Shaye Ogbonna, Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson and Will Packer

Jamie McCarthy/Peacock via Getty Images

With Hart on board, Packer made his next call as he began building out the ensemble cast: “Sam Jackson… We went straight to the big dog,” Packer told The Hollywood Reporter at the series premiere on Wednesday in New York City. “I said, ‘Yo, Sam, we got something for you, brother. This is gonna be good. We’re all in. And if you get in, you will be our anchor, and we will be able to build an incredible cast around you.’”

Jackson’s heavyweight talent grounded the series in more ways than one. The award-winning actor has personal ties to Fight Night’s history. “I knew Sam was around in Atlanta during the time this all went down. What I didn’t know is we were shooting in the neighborhood where his wife was from, and he had got married at the church around the corner 40 years ago,” said series creator and showrunner Shaye Ogbunna. “Samuel Jackson is a part of the constituency that I feel responsible towards telling the story accurately.”

Packer couldn’t agree more. “Sam was a wealth of information throughout. He would tell us if we weren’t getting things right — if that wasn’t the watch that they wore, if that wasn’t the look that they had,” said the executive producer. “Sam was very serious about that because he lived through it. He was at college at Morehouse at the time, so he was like an extra researcher for us that made sure he kept us in line. Sam said we got this right, and that meant a lot coming from him.”

Fight Night‘s stellar ensemble reunites several castmembers, including Taraji P. Henson, who plays Chicken Man’s right hand and lover Vivian Thomas, while Terrence Howard stars as Moten’s enforcer Cadillac Richie. Henson and Howard both had breakout moments when they appeared in 2005’s Hustle & Flow and 10 years later in the TV series Empire.

Don Cheadle plays J.D. Hudson, one of the first Black detectives in Atlanta’s desegregated police force, who gets assigned to the robbery case. Cheadle and Henson led the biopic Talk to Me in 2007. Although they did not share much screen time in Fight Night, they saw each other off-set and have been in touch through the years. “It’s like home,” Cheadle said of working with Henson. “I love her. I’m a big fan of her work, and I love whenever we have the opportunity to come together again.”

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Lenny Santiago/Peacock

Back at the afterparty at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Howard stayed in character by wearing a Farrah Fawcett-inspired feathered wig while Cheadle was outfitted by British bespoke tailor Ozawald Boateng. Other Fight Night co-stars Jackson, Sinqua Walls, Chloe Bailey, Dexter Darden, Lori Harvey as well as party attendees Ego Nwodim, Amber Ruffin, Busta Rhymes and more made their way to the gold couch for photos. The elaborate decor hails from the office of former Roc Nation senior vp Lenny “Kodak Lens” Santiago, who’s taking his love of photographing the private parties of Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Hollywood.

When asked about the significance of the couch to Fight Night, Santiago said this: “The couch has become sort of an aspirational thing. I used to be an A&R in the music business, where I would sign artists, develop talent, and then I used to feature those artists and people who I like on the couch. Now it’s become aspirational, like, ‘Look, I’m gonna make it to that couch.’ Because people who are on the couch have made it in one way or another, and it doesn’t matter in what capacity, hairdresser, mechanic, director, producer… The couch has become so popular it’s taken a life of its own.”

Fight Night’s first three episodes are now streaming on Peacock, with new episodes on Thursdays.

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Atlanta, GA

Getting through Atlanta was something to celebrate for some playoff drivers

Published

4 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

Getting through Atlanta was something to celebrate for some playoff drivers

HAMPTON, Ga. — A sense of relief pervaded over pit road for many after Sunday’s playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Because, quite frankly, it could have been worse.

They could have been Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Briscoe. All three finished 35th or worse.

While Joey Logano — who entered the playoffs seeded ninth — celebrated the victory and moved on to the second round of the playoffs, even Ty Gibbs could crack a brief smile after watching a chance to win turn into a 17th-place finish.

Joey Logano moves on a year after he was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Gibbs holds the final transfer spot with races left at Watkins Glen and Bristol in the first round. Those are viewed by many as wildcard races because of the tire wear that is expected at both events.

Even sitting on the cutline is a move up for Gibbs. He had entered the race last among the 16 playoff drivers in the standings.

Gibbs led with four laps to go to the scheduled distance and was in position to give the series its second first-time in the past three weeks.

But one wrong move changed everything.

“I was a little frustrated in myself because I didn’t block and just kind of put myself to the back,” Gibbs said. “So it’s my fault. Frustrated about that, but I’m just glad that we got good points and finished the race, honestly.”

Gibbs left the track with a one-point lead on Brad Keselowski, the first driver below the cutline.

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart

Joey Logano advances to the second round of the playoff with his victory.

Daniel Suarez was in position to sweep the Atlanta Cup races but finished second. After celebrating at this track in February, standing on pit road didn’t feel as good. Still, he went from 11th in the standings entering the race to ninth. He’s 22 points ahead of Keselowski.

“Honestly, right now, I don’t care about points,” Suarez said. “It’s just hard that we’re not in Victory Lane, but that’s part of it. Maybe there is a couple of things I could have done better.”

Ryan Blaney finished third, scoring a race-high 53 points and went from fifth in the points entering the event to first afterward.

“Even though we don’t advance automatically, we had a great day,” he said. “Winning a stage, second in the other, running … third today. That’s a really good day.”

Joey Logano scored his second victory of the season.

It was much better than others. Larson entered as the points leader because he had more playoff points than anybody else. But he finished 37th after an early crash and fell to 10th in the points. He’s 15 points ahead of Keselowski.

Chase Briscoe couldn’t avoid Larson and damaged his car beyond repair. Briscoe finished last in the 38-car field and fell to last in the playoff standings. He’s 21 points behind Gibbs.

“We just have to go win,” Briscoe said. “That’s what we had to do at Darlington and I know we’re capable of doing it again, so we’ll just have to go to Watkins Glen and Bristol and try to do the same.”

Truex is in a similar position after an awful day. He is 19 points behind Gibbs after finishing 35th. Truex was among three Joe Gibbs Racing cars that started at the rear after changing plug wires before the race. He had a pit road speeding penalty and his car was damaged when he hit Ryan Blaney’s car after Chris Buescher had hit Blaney on Lap 206.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons wear Apalachee HS t-shirts, hold moment of silence for shooting victims

Published

11 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

Atlanta Falcons wear Apalachee HS t-shirts, hold moment of silence for shooting victims

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson #7 before the Week 1 Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, September 8, 2024. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons went into their home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers with respect, paying homage to the victims of the Apalachee High School shooting.

The players wore Apalachee Wildcats t-shirts on the field during pregame warm-ups.

They also held a moment of silence for math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie, and 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo who were killed on September 4. Nine others were injured in the gunfire, according to the GBI.

How to help Apalachee High School shooting victims

The Falcons’ new quarterback Kirk Cousins said Coach Raheem Morris told the team about the deadly shooting the day it happened.

SEE ALSO: Apalachee High School accused shooter’s mother called the school, Washington Post reports

“It was very sobering,” Cousins said, as reported by Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney. “We’re praying for the families affected. The school, the community. It’s a tough deal. Going to go home tonight and hug and kiss my kids.”

Apalachee High School is about 20 miles away from the Falcons’ Flowery Branch training facility.

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Atlanta, GA

NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Atlanta: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Quaker State 400

Published

18 hours ago

September 8, 2024

Press Room

NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Atlanta: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Quaker State 400

Following 26 regular-season races, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are set to begin Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Sixteen drivers enter the 10-race playoffs with championship aspirations as the first round kicks off with three very different styles of racing: a superspeedway at Atlanta, a road course race at Watkins Glen International and a short-track race at Bristol Motor Speedway. From there, the bottom four drivers in the playoff standings will be eliminated ahead of the second round.

But before we look too far ahead, we focus on Atlanta.

When the Cup Series raced there this February, it produced one of the most electrifying finishes in recent memory, with Daniel Suarez winning a three-wide battle to the line over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish that ranks as the fourth closest in series history. It was Suarez’s only victory this season and just the second of his Cup career, and the Trackhouse Racing star will be looking for a repeat on Sunday.

Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta start?

The Quaker State 400 starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta on?

USA Network is broadcasting the Quaker State 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 is 260 laps around the 1.54-mile track for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta?

Daniel Suarez led nine laps before outdueling Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish to take the checkered flag on Feb. 25, 2024.

And in last year’s Quaker State 400, William Byron led the final 19 laps before the race was halted due to rain after 185 laps on July 9, 2023.

What are the driver standings heading into the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

Driver	Team	Points
1. Kyle Larson	Hendrick Motorsports	2040
2. Christopher Bell	Joe Gibbs Racing	2032
3. Tyler Reddick	23XI Racing	2028
4. William Bryon	Hendrick Motorsports	2022
5. Ryan Blaney	Team Penske	2018
6. Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing	2015
7. Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports	2014
8. Brad Keselowski	RFK Racing	2008
9. Joey Logano	Team Penske	2007
10. Austin Cindric	Team Penske	2007
11. Daniel Suarez	Trackhouse Racing	2006
12. Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports	2005
13. Chase Briscoe	Stewart-Haas Racing	2005
14. Harrison Burton	Wood Brothers Racing	2005
15. Ty Gibbs	Joe Gibbs Racing	2004
16. Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing	2004

What is the lineup for the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta?

Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver

1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

3. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

4. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

5. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford

6. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

7. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

8. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

9. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

10. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford

11. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet

12. (21) Harrison Burton (P), Ford

13. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

14. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

15. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

16. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet

17. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

18. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

19. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford

20. (54) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota

21. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

22. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota

23. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

24. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

25. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

26. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

27. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

28. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet

29. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

30. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet

31. (15) Cody Ware, Ford

32. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

33. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

34. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

35. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

36. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet

37. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

38. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

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