RDU On the Rise: Football, fun and the midterms

Hey y’all!

Remember me? Yes, it’s Drew Hill: Audience growth producer, football fanatic and frequent coffee consumer. I’m here to bring you this week’s edition of RDU on The Rise!

As you read this, I’m actually in the car heading to a football game out of town, because I truly wasn’t kidding about being a football fanatic.

Football (and other sports news)

Staying on theme, here’s some of this week’s sports news:

• It’s the first time 3 of NC’s Big Four teams make the initial College Football Playoff rankings! Check out C.L Brown’s roundup to find out how your team did.

• Not that he needs an introduction, but Roy Williams is the guest picker for The N&O sports staff’s weekly college football picks! Take a wild guess which team he picked.

• Steve Wiseman brought me to tears this week with the story of Duke Football’s Ja’Mion Franklin. Not only has Franklin already saved his father’s life but now he’s supporting his mother through her own illness.

• In non-football news, UNC’s Caleb Love is taking a step in a new direction, saying goodbye to the Jordan 11 shoes he wore during Tar Heels’ Final Four run.

• Whether you’re pumped for basketball season or still have hoops questions, we’ve got the lowdown! Join us for our ACC Now Tipoff Roundtable for a chance to meet the people covering your favorite teams. It’s going down next Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Tobacco Road Sports Cafe in Durham. Tickets are free, but limited, so register soon here! (I’ll be there too, for moral and tech support.)

Funny Business

I really love a good joke. Here are some things that made me laugh this week and hope they make you laugh, too:

• Should Raleigh start a Pork Patrol unit? Raleigh police officers were called to Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue downtown after a customer noticed that their pork “was pink.” The moral of this story, Drew Jackson writes, is that the customer “learned this week that there’s no medium rare in barbecue.” That took me out!

• Looking to see Taylor Swift on tour in NC? You’re on your own, kid. Long story short: She’s not coming to the Carolinas. But Colleen Hammond tells you where you can go, if you’re committed. Pro tip: Tally how many songs she references in the story.

• Only one buttery contender can be crowned biscuit king! I think about biscuits a lot and based on our latest bracket, so do many of you. Here’s who y’all picked.

The Midterms

We’re just days away from Election Day. Fun fact: I was an election worker in high school! One could say I’m a fan of handling our civic duties.

• Tomorrow is the last day of early voting, my friends. So if you’re planning to skip the polls on Nov. 8, make sure you know your closest early-voting location or find out how to vote by mail.

• Dawn Vaughan put together a lovely guide on voting in North Carolina for newbies like me, or for anyone who needs a refresher.

• If you’re still undecided on candidates in local, county or statewide races, The N&O politics team has a plethora of resources for you in this full Voter Guide.

• Plus, The Editorial Board put out its yearly endorsements late last month. (Note: Content produced by the Editorial Board is independent from the work of our newsroom reporters).

Calling all other concert lovers

If you know me, you know I LOVE live music. I went to my first pseudo-festival last winter. And J. Cole happens to be my favorite rapper. Is he the only reason I moved to North Carolina? No. Was he one of the reasons? Maybe.

• Cole’s Dreamville festival will be back in Raleigh next year and that’s HUGE. Not only for music lovers like me, but also for our local economy. This year, the festival generated $6.7 million in direct economic impact within Wake County.

• Supporting the local economy at what’s becoming one of the biggest festivals in the country? That sounds like my jam! Anyone looking for a concert buddy? I got you! Looking for tickets? then check out this story.

• The picture below is from when the Dreamville festival account shared our post to their Instagram story. Yes, I took a screenshot. (I was excited because, in a roundabout way, J. Cole must know I exist now!)

I recommend...

This weekend, I have plans. But as someone who is the human form of an indoor cat — this is rare. If I were home, here’s what I’d do:

• For your viewing pleasure: In my mind, it’s basically Christmas. Sure, the calendar says November — but time is an illusion. Last weekend, when I was at home I caught a glimpse of a few Hallmark Christmas movies. Yes, I love them and you should too. “God Forbid” is also out now on Hulu and it details the Jerry Falwell Jr. sex scandal. Plus, this latest season of “Abbott Elementary” has made me shed tears already, so catch up if you haven’t. And technically this doesn’t drop until next week, but I’m HYPED for season 5 of “The Crown.”
  
  

• A treat for your ears: Last month, two of my top 4 favorite bands released music. To say I’m still reeling is an understatement. The 1975’s fifth studio album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” really gave me throwback vibes. While mixing sounds from their second and third albums, it also has an air of 80s style and grandeur to it. Serving Kajagoogoo but for the 2020s, if you will. And, Arctic Monkeys’ latest ”The Car” was hauntingly beautiful. It’s very much Alex showing everyone that he’s still got it (which he does). But more than that, it’s a cigar bar album. If you’ve ever been to a dark club in the wee morning hours as smoke clouds your vision and thought, “I like this,” then that album is for you.

• Pick this up on your way home: Because it’s already Christmas in my head, I will be stopping at Target to purchase one of those monogrammed stockings for my door. In addition, I’m admittedly not a fan of Pizza Hut, but I bought one of those new Melts and it was actually pretty good. So if you want something that’s somewhere between a calzone and a quesadilla, go for it!

See you soon!

Thanks so much for reading. I gotta get back to that other newsletter, the one you see every morning. Circle back next week, when politics reporter Avi Bajpai takes the reins of RDU On the Rise.

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