willie k

[Ian Rapoport @RapSheet]

The #Titans and All-Pro Jeff Simmons agreed to a deal making him the highest paid DT in NFL history, per me & @MikeGarafolo.

The 3-year, $105.8M extension with $100M guaranteed and was negotiated by Todd France and A.J. Stevens of @athletesfirst. Confirmed on IG by @toddfrance_

[AB @AB84]

books are so cool because there are NO FUCKING ADS IN THEM

[Giggling Ganon @GigglingGanon]

Before it was a multi-million dollar franchise, Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 was just a risky gamble built in secret.

​Here are 10 things you probably didn't know about the game that changed fighting games forever:

​1. The Mysterious Box Art Illustrator

While Tsuyoshi Wakayama handled the in-game 3D modeling and rendering, the iconic, vibrant promotional and packaging artwork for the Japanese and international boxes is widely attributed to Tetsuya Notoya—HAL Laboratory’s go-to house illustrator who crafted the look for many classic manuals and covers.

​2. It Started as "Dragon King"

Creator Masahiro Sakurai initially designed a prototype called Kakuto-Geemu Ryuoh (Dragon King: The Fighting Game). It featured generic, faceless polygonal figures. Because the blocky models looked a bit like a certain 90s commercial mascot, the development team jokingly nicknamed the prototype "Pepsiman."

​3. The Nintendo Characters Were Added in Secret

Sakurai knew Nintendo might say no to a fighting game featuring their mascots. To prove the concept worked, he and Satoru Iwata built a balanced prototype using Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus, and Fox without permission, only pitching it to Nintendo once it was fully playable.

​4. The "Bros." Meaning

The title wasn't just a nod to the Mario brothers. Satoru Iwata suggested adding "Bros." because he felt it gave the nuance that the fighters weren't mortal enemies trying to destroy each other—they were just "friends settling a little disagreement."

​5. Cut Fighters

Bowser, King Dedede, and Mewtwo were all originally planned to be playable in the N64 version. Due to tight deadlines and cartridge space limits, they were cut, though all three eventually made their debuts in later entries.

​6. The Character Select Screen Hack

Instead of drawing entirely new character icons for the selection screen, the team used slightly modified versions of official, pre-existing artwork from the characters' original games (like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time) to save time and ensure instant recognition.

​7. Hidden "Danger" Signs

If you pause the game on the unlockable Mushroom Kingdom stage and use the camera to look far off to the absolute left or right boundaries of the map, you can spot hidden wall textures that literally read "Danger."

​8. No Home Turf for Ness and Falcon

Out of the entire 12-character roster, Captain Falcon and Ness are the only two fighters who do not have a playable stage based on their respective franchises (F-Zero and EarthBound). 

​9. The Unused "Draw Game" Audio

Data miners found an unused audio clip of the announcer saying "Draw Game!" in the cartridge files. This suggests that the "Sudden Death" mechanic either didn't exist early in development or went by a completely different name.

​10. It Outsold the Wii U Era

Despite being a brand-new, experimental IP on a cartridge with only 12 characters, Smash 64 went on to sell over 5.5 million copies worldwide—meaning the original N64 version actually outsold Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

[The Maverick Approach @Maveapproach]

Free Tory.

[Austin Stanley @AustinStanley81]

Hell yeah that was awesome

[Allen Stone @allenstone]

Let’s do it again. Back on the road with @ChrisStapleton this Thursday in Jacksonville, FL. See you there 🎞️

📸: Matt Leddo

[Gary Vaynerchuk @garyvee]

Realize that you actually have an unbelievable amount of time to start over. 40 is young!

[AB @AB84]

Everyday I become a man of fewer words

[Gary Vaynerchuk @garyvee]

You'll never succeed if your fear of failing holds you back from even starting.

[CallUnc @Callunc]

I JUST REACHED THE GATE OF HELL

😂😂😂

[Calvin Ward @calvinaward]

Happy Birthday son @Cameron7Ward