The Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams will be on Hard Knocks.

HBO’s Hard Knocks will have a very Hollywood feel to it this summer.

Yes, the popular HBO series will feature not one, but two Los Angeles-based NFL franchises. The Los Angeles Chargers AND the Los Angeles Rams will be the stars of the 2020 season of the premium television product.

This will be the 15th season of the series. While it will be the first time the Chargers will be featured on it, this will be the Rams’ second time starring on the show. The Rams were the featured franchise during the 2016 NFL season when they first made the trek from St. Louis to Southern California. They join the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys as the only repeats.

The new season of Hard Knocks will begin on Aug. 11. It will be shown on HBO, as well as available to stream on HBO Max. Though it won’t be the first time HBO has had to deal with a chaotic NFL offseason, this latest season will be stranger than the one back in 2011 during the lockout, as no team wanted to take part in it and HBO had to go the retrospective route instead.

Hard Knocks will feature the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.

In most cases, most teams do not want to be picked to appear on Hard Knocks. Who wants a camera crew following them around during the preseason? These coaches are trying to win enough games to keep their jobs and it’s incredibly awkward to see a player cut on live television. However, going with the Chargers and Rams combo this offseason is the only logical solution.

Admittedly, there may not be enough footage to get from one franchise this offseason during the global pandemic. Having two that share a stadium that isn’t in New York City makes a ton of sense here. Both clubs will play their first seasons at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Rams were on it four years and were a captivating watch, something the Chargers are in desperate need of.

Though it is a twin-billing, we have to believe the primary team of focus of the two will be the Chargers. Head coach Anthony Lynn needs to win to keep his job heading into 2020. We know a lot players on the Chargers’ roster, but we don’t know them like we do the Rams from four years ago. Let’s hope Rams quarterback Jared Goff learned which way the sun sets in the last olympiad.

HBO plays it safe by going with the Chargers and the Rams for the new season of Hard Knocks.

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Nine Mexican-inspired cocktail recipes to make your stay-at-home Cinco de Mayo extra spicy.

Cinco de Mayo falls on a Taco Tuesday this year and as fate would have it, the world is under a pretty rigid quarantine forcing the closures of your favorite taquerias and carniceria so you won’t be able to order $2 tacos or jumbo pitchers of strawberry margaritas. But don’t fret, grab some chips the next time you go to the grocery store and the supplies for your favorite cocktail recipe (provided below) and host your own Cinco de Mayo from the comfort of your couch.

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

• 2 ounces Corralejo Silver Tequila
• 4 slices of cucumber
• 2 slices of jalapeno
• ¾ ounce agave syrup
• 1-ounce lime juice

Method:

Rim your glass with salt
Add cucumber and jalapeno to the shaker and gently muddle
Add the rest of the ingredients to the shaker
Shake to chill and combine ingredients
Fine strain into a low-ball glass
Garnish & Enjoy!

Tanteo Tequila Spicy Sandia Margarita

• 2 ounces Tanteo® Jalapeño Tequila
• 2 ounces  Watermelon Purée
• 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup (Or Agave Nectar)
• 1/2 ounce Fresh Lime Juice

Method: 

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Shake well and strain into a chilled Champagne Coupe Glass.
Garnish with a watermelon slice

Spicy Ginger Margarita

• 2 ounces Los Arango Blanco Tequila
• 1-ounce lime juice
• ½ ounce ginger simple syrup
• 3 slices fresh cut jalapeño
• Tajín for rim

Method:

Rim your glass with Tajín
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake to chill and combine ingredients
Fine strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice
Garnish & Enjoy!

Corralejo Tequila Spicy Pineapple Paloma

• 2 ounces Corralejo Silver Tequila
• ½ ounce grapefruit juice
• ½ ounce lime juice
• ½ sliced Serrano pepper
• ¾ ounce agave syrup
• Pineapple soda (to top)
• Tajín (for rim)

Method:

Rim your glass with Tajín
Add all ingredients except the bitters into a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients
Strain into your glass over fresh ice
Top with pineapple soda
Garnish & Enjoy!

Tanteo Tequila Dove Love Paloma

• 2 ounces Tanteo® Jalapeño Tequila
• 1 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice
• 1/2 ounce Agave Nectar

Method: 

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice
Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass
Garnish with a lime slice or a Jalapeño slice

“In Mexico, margaritas are reserved for the Gringos (a non-hispanic – usually American). The Paloma (Dove in Spanish) is the classic Mexican drink. We do a slight twist by using fresh grapefruit juice and Tanteo Jalapeno for a little extra kick.”

Strawberry Basil Paloma

• 2 ounces Los Arango Reposado Tequila
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• 2 chopped strawberries
• 5 basil leaves
• Soda to top
• Smoked sea salt for rim

Method:

Rim your glass with smoked sea salt
Combine all ingredients except soda in a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake to chill and combine ingredients
Fine strain into a hi-ball glass over fresh ice
Top with soda
Garnish & Enjoy!

Los Arangos Rose

• 2 ounces Los Arango Añejo Tequila
• ¾ ounce lime juice
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• ½ ounce grenadine

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake to chill and combine ingredients
Fine strain into a coupe glass
Garnish & Enjoy!

Corralejo Tequila Pineapple & Blackberry Margarita

• 2 ounces Corralejo Reposado Tequila
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 ounce lime juice
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• 5 fresh blackberries
• Salt (for rim)

Method:
Salt the rim of your glass
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients
Strain into your glass over fresh ice
Garnish & Enjoy!

Corralejo Tequila Spicy Grapefruit Sour

• 2 ounces Corralejo Reposado Tequila
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice
• 1 ounce lime juice
• ½ ounce jalapeño simple syrup
• 1 egg white

Method:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients
Strain out ice and shake hard again
Strain into your glass
Garnish & Enjoy!

Drink responsibly and enjoy your stay at home Cinco de Mayo. Follow along with FanSided for all your sports and entertainment news from around the world.

The post 9 cocktail recipes to make your at-home Cinco de Mayo extra spicy appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Yes, that was Marshawn Lynch you saw during the Westworld season 3 premiere on HBO. The NFL running back went Beast Mode too.

If Marshawn Lynch is retired for good from the NFL, he might be ready to take on Hollywood.

Yes, that was Lynch you saw in the Westworld season 3 premiere. If you missed the Westworld season 3 trailer, he made a brief cameo at the 55-second mark that had NFL fans and TV fans wondering what Beast Mode is doing in the HBO series.

After watching the season premiere on Sunday night, I’m still a little unsure what he’s exactly doing in the world of Westworld, but I can tell you, I’m definitely intrigued to find out more. And unlike his previous TV roles on The League and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Lynch is not playing himself.

Lynch plays a character named G and according to an HBO spokesperson, has a fun and substantial role, so that sounds promising. His character teams up with Lena Waithe and Aaron Paul to pull off a bit of a little heist to score a payday. It’s not clear if he’s a villain or a hero or somewhere in between.

The show is set in 2058 and the line does get blurry in this show between good guy, bad guy and guy just trying to survive.

Lynch tweeted about his excitement in the upcoming season in February.

Nicknamed Beast Mode for his physical and punishing running style, Lynch’s character in Westworld mirrors his personal style of not being a man of many words.

However, Lynch’s character was in a position where he had to get a little physical with another character who was delirious.

The former Bills, Seahawks, Raiders and Seahawks again running back came out of his second retirement at the end of last year to help the Seahawks for their playoff push after injuries decimated their backfield.

It’s unclear if Lynch will be back in the NFL this year or not, but it’s probably a safe bet to say Lynch is retired, but if a team gives him a call in Week 17 for a playoff run, he may be ready to take that call.

In the meantime, he’s got a budding acting career to worry about. Depending on the fate of his character in season 3, perhaps we’ll see Lynch back in season 4 of the sci-fi HBO series.

You can watch Lynch in Westworld on Sunday nights on HBO at 9 p.m. ET.

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Niles Fitch is enjoying a phenomenal run on the NBC hit television series This Is Us. He’s also thrilled to watch Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

Randall Pearson is from a Pittsburgh Steelers family. The man who plays Pearson as a young adult, Niles Fitch, is an Atlanta native and diehard Falcons fan.

Yet come Super Bowl 54, Fitch’s allegiance lies with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Fitch, 18, sees the same wunderkind in Mahomes everyone else does. The arm talent, the mobility, the swag. Fitch also sees the mentality, one that resonates with a kid who grew up loving Kobe Bryant much for the same reason.

“His confidence,” Fitch says about why he loves watching Mahomes. “I’m actually surprised his confidence hasn’t been used against him. That’s usually something people don’t like. When they were losing against the (Houston) Texans you could tell he wasn’t happy but for some reason his confidence never faded, and once they scored their first seven points, you could tell they were coming back. That’s bigger than sports, that’s that Mamba mentality.”

Mahomes’ belief in himself is something the ascendant actor believes is a common trait among those who find success.

“I believe that’s how you should be in life,” Fitch said. “You should approach things with a certain confidence and determination.”

While we wait on Super Bowl 54 in Miami come Feb. 2, This Is Us continues to roll on as one of the more iconic television shows in recent memory. The NBC program was an immediate success upon its arrival in 2016, showcasing the Pearson family at different stages in their lives. Despite most of the cast being relatively unknown before the series began, it has become a must-watch on Tuesday nights for many, touching on the real emotions in everyday life for legions of fans.

For Fitch, his role has grown through the four seasons. As the show has progressed, we’ve learned more about Randall’s relationship with his wife, Beth, and how the couple came to be in college. It’s a journey defined largely by Randall’s charming shyness and grand gestures, along with the shared tragedies of both losing their fathers just prior to enrolling in college.

As for Fitch, he’s happy with how the writers have continued to evolve his character. Of course, getting the chance to showcase his love for sports wouldn’t be the worst route if it’s taken.

“In season 1, Randall played football for a little while back in high school, so I got to be a linebacker in one episode and got to go against Kevin, which was pretty fun,” Fitch said laughing. “…It’s good enough for me right now. For right now.”

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Thanksgiving is a holiday for gathering – around a table, in front of a television, in a park playing flag football, in the streets at a turkey trot, in line for Black Friday shopping or any other number of places.

No matter what, it’s about getting together with other people (hopefully ones you like) and enjoying each other’s company (again, hopefully).

Of course, there’s a lot of time for conversation as we spend the day eating, watching football and doing whatever else we’re thankful for. Thanksgiving brings us all together and it brings a lot of different viewpoints together.

While you might be able to talk to even your most distant uncle about how bad the Lions are each and every Thanksgiving, some topics are a little more divisive. From paying NCAA players to Martin Scorsese’s opinions on Marvel movies, we asked our editors about how Thanksgiving fits into each section and which conversations to avoid for a peaceful holiday.

DETROIT, MI – NOVEMBER 22: Detroit Lions fans celebrate Thanksgiving Day during a regular season game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions on November 22, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

College Sports

You would think people would have no problem with people getting paid for doing a job, right? Well actually, when it comes to the topic of college athletes receiving financial compensation for competing in NCAA athletics, it’s a hot button issue that should be debated on CNN with Anderson Cooper as the moderator.

If you want to have a food fight reminiscent of Animal House, say, James Wiseman, Joe Burrow and Chase Young can’t pay their light bill with room and board.

If you want to avoid saying, “Okay Boomer” a dozen times to your aunts and uncles who think a “free” scholarship is enough and they “don’t deserve” a dime despite literally having years taken off their life to provide entertainment for them, just talk about the lousy weather and traffic.

A healthy alternative, no, I’m not talking about a plant-based turkey, but the College Football Playoff and who is the best one-loss team. That should be good for reasonable and nuanced conversations between hands of Euchre.

NFL

NFL football on Thanksgiving. It’s traditional, dating back to the Detroit Lions and the 1930s. It’s a time for family. A time for uncles making aggressive political statements. A time for the Lions to disappoint and the Dallas Cowboys to book a horrendous musical act for halftime.

Yes, Thanksgiving is the best of times. We get to eat dinner at 1 p.m. because that’s what the Pilgrims did. Then we undo our belts and slowly pass out to the dulcet tones of Jim Nantz and Joe Buck as gravy drips from the corners of our mouths.

If you can’t get amped up for a food coma with football, you are missing the whole point of Thanksgiving.

27 November 2014: Kansas Jayhawks fans dressed as Turkeys cheer on the Kansas Jayhawks on Thanksgiving during the 1st round of the Orlando Classic between the Kansas Jayhawks and Rhode Island Rams at the HP Field House in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Movies

In no particular order, here is a list of movie-related topics to avoid at the Thanksgiving dinner table:

• Marvel vs. Martin Scorsese

That’s it. That’s the list. Every other 2019 movie controversy — Joker’s incel indulgence, Quentin Tarantino’s foot fetish, Cats’ fur technology — is downright appealing compared to re-litigating the superhero vs. cinema debate.

TV

With so much TV to choose from, it will be remarkable if you find any common ground with your extended family, but don’t be tempted to bring up Game of Thrones final season to fill the silence.

Someone will rant about hating it. Someone will passionately defend it. Someone will forcefully assert they’ve never seen a second of it.

Additionally, we recommend steering clear of:

• The Big Bang Theory: Without a doubt, you have an uncle who loves Big Bang Theory.
• Friends: Everyone knows it was actually bad and a rip-off of Living Single.
• Real Housewives: Let people like what they like!
• 90 Day Fiancé: Thanksgiving is not the time to have the green card discussion.
• The Office: No one wants to hear your cousin’s thesis on how Michael Scott is problematic.
• Democratic Debates: Technically counts as TV.

If you need to break up all the sports talk, we have one universally unifying topic to recommend…

Baby Yoda.

The Mandalorian Chapter 3 / Exclusively on Disney+

NBA

The NBA is a global engine of growth but it still doesn’t touch the national ubiquitousness of college or professional football which means the NBA discussions you encounter on Thanksgiving are likely to be lukewarm and eye-rolling. Uncle Ned asking you, “what about this LeBron fella?” Cousin Ryan, who hasn’t watched an entire basketball game since … ever … extolling the balanced nature of the universe as the Warriors take wallow in the misery they earned, by being incredible at what they do (he leaves that last phrase out).

Keep dad focused on carving the turkey and don’t let anyone bring up Kawhi Leonard making a bajillion dollars while managing the load on his injured knees and you should be fine. Just start working on a plan to sneak away for Clippers-Lakers on Christmas Day.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 18: Bradley Beal #3 and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards host a Thanksgiving Assist Event on November 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Hockey

The biggest challenge you may face this holiday season will be getting your family to talk hockey at all, depending on your geographical location. South of the Mason–Dixon line? Not a chance, unless you’re a Washington Capitals fan enjoying your unmitigated success so far this year.

For folks up north, the recent firing of Maple Leafs’ head coach Mike Babcock is sure to spark debate among hard-core hockey fans who have taken sides for and against his old-school style of coaching. If it didn’t work for the good boys of Toronto, it surely can’t work anywhere else in the league, right? Speaking of Good Canadian Hockey Boys, any mention of former Sportsnet broadcaster Don Cherry is a sure-fire way to get opinions flying, and a noise complaint sanctioned upon your residence. Avoid at all costs, lest you’re ready for more than talk about his bad suit choices that have plagued hockey culture for decades.

OTTAWA, ON – OCTOBER 11: A young fan displays a Thanksgiving-themed sign before the Ottawa Senators home opener against the Montreal Canadiens at Canadian Tire Centre on October 11, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

MMA

Let’s be honest, there was a lot this year in the MMA world that should probably be avoided, and we covered that in-depth here. Some of it is light-hearted fun, like Henry Cejudo wanting to fight women to much more serious like pretty much anything Greg Hardy or Conor McGregor did this year. But overall, the biggest topic to avoid this holiday season is anything that starts with “Colby Covington said …”

Just don’t do that to yourself, trust us.

Soccer

Around the world there is always soccer’s one debate to rule them all – Messi vs. Ronaldo – but more than likely your cousins and uncles here in the States know the sides but don’t have strong enough opinions for you to avoid it all together. Unless your uncle is a Madridista, don’t worry too much about avoiding soccer’s unending GOAT debate.

Here at home, the soccer topic that is most likely to have both a wide base of recognition and some deeply divisive opinions is the United States Women’s National Team.

As we wrap up a World Cup year, the USWNT – and particularly the pink-haired figurehead of Megan Rapinoe – are a household brand across the U.S. Whether it was not going to the bleeping White House, racking up 13 goals against Thailand, winning another World Cup or fighting for more equitable pay and treatment, the USWNT have most certainly done something that one member of your family hates and something that another one loves.

MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 23: The Best FIFA Women’s Player Award Winner Megan Rapinoe of Reign FC and United States and The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award Winner Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Argentina pose for a photo with their trophies during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at Teatro alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Simon Hofmann – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

MLB

The MLB hot stove has yet to really heat up this winter, but at least it hasn’t been so slow as last year, forcing you to discuss labor laws and possible collusion (no, not that kind) with your baseball-loving family.

Luckily, the Houston Astros have provided the perfect topic to either stir a family feud or to be avoided all together: cheating. More specifically, using a camera to steal signs and then relaying information about pitches by banging on a trash can. Whether you want to get into it or not with the diehard Astros fan in your life, be sure to design elaborate methods for deciding which dishes to pass and always have a back-up method of communication.

Just whatever you do, please don’t bang your plate too loudly on the trashcan as you clean it, they might know which kind of pie is coming out next.

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