Latest news with #Luchador
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
‘We're being hunted. That's how we feel.' ICE activity puts an MLS fan group on pause
On Saturday night, Nashville SC sprung a second-half rally to defeat Charlotte FC. It was the type of result that galvanizes a fanbase, the club knocking off an MLS regional rival in thrilling fashion, with all three goals scored in a six-minute sprint. However, the bank of supporters had visible gaps throughout the risers. Compared to previous home matches, the section lacked its usual verve. The reason was explained in a pair of large white banners. No estamos todos aquí. We are not all here. Advertisement On the night of May 3 – the same night many locals viewed the Canelo Álvarez boxing match at a popular public venue – Nashville experienced a series of raids from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency founded in 2003. As of May 9, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (which assisted ICE in the raids, along with the Department of Homeland Security) reported that they had conducted 588 traffic stops throughout that week, and that ICE had detained 103 people. In light of those events, La Brigada De Oro — Nashville SC's largest Latin American supporters group — decided to forgo its usual matchday routine, according to local independent website SixOneFive Soccer. There would be no hours-long tailgate with grills and thumping music, and no cheers led by their capos, whose lively demeanor and Luchador masks make them a common fixture in club and league promotional materials. La Brigada president and co-founder Abel Acosta spoke with The Athletic on May 10. Across a 45-minute conversation, his passionate support of the club was still unmistakable. But he said that he, his family and the Latino community at large are facing turmoil — which he feels goes beyond politics and into a humanitarian crisis. 'Our community is being terrorized right now,' Acosta said. 'It's in shambles. I used the word targeted before, and there's no (better) way to describe it. Right now, our Latino community, or anyone of our ethnic background, is being singled out, and we're being hunted. That's how we feel.' Acosta and his wife initially joined one of Nashville SC's supporters groups during the club's brief time in the second-division USL Championship. Noticing that most of their peers in the section appeared to be White, they worked to bring some Latin matchday customs into the group. However, they struggled to bring in a more diverse membership. Advertisement 'Just like anything, you know when something is authentic,' Acosta said. 'The best way I can describe it is going to Taco Bell, and then going to actual Mexican (restaurants). We tried it, but nobody was coming.' La Brigada De Oro was born ahead of the club's move to MLS for the 2020 season. The group's first game coincided with the team's first-division debut that February, mere weeks before the coronavirus put the world into lockdown. In their first couple of matches they brought flair to the stands, while reassuring the pre-existing groups that this wasn't a rival faction, but an addition to the established culture. 'We went in 100 percent just trying to be authentic,' Acosta said. 'We wanted to just bring our culture, our music, our food, our vibrancy, our love for the game — the way we celebrate the game that we're passionate about.' Cinco De Mayo is typically a time for such a celebration. Since this year's date fell on a Monday, it was largely observed over the preceding weekend. That Saturday, May 3, also carried increased significance for some Mexican sports fans, as Álvarez — the Guadalajara-born boxer who's arguably his sport's biggest star — had a bout scheduled with the super middleweight championship on the line. Álvarez beat William Scull by a unanimous decision. In Nashville, one of the biggest epicenters for the Latin American community is the Plaza Mariachi. The roughly-100,000-square-foot event space 'exists to celebrate cultural diversity,' according to its own mission statement. While Nashville has a reputation as a national epicenter of boot-scooting and bachelorette parties, it's also a multicultural and diverse urban center. As of the 2024 census, 13.8 percent of responders in the Nashville-Davidson metropolitan area identify as Hispanic or Latino; 9.2 percent of the area identifies as being part of two or more races; and 25.5 percent identify as Black. Advertisement 'That area is more Latino, and Plaza Mariachi is geared towards Latin cultures,' Acosta said. 'You have different businesses inside there that represent different cultures, different countries.' Acosta and his wife ventured to Plaza Mariachi to watch the boxing match with friends. Shortly after Álvarez claimed victory, the couple headed home, taking one detour to drop off a member of their group. As they neared their own home, however, their phones began receiving a deluge of messages and notifications. 'We had two other friends that stayed back and left maybe 20 minutes after us, and they saw some troopers in vans and unmarked cars stopping people,' Acosta said. 'Within 30 minutes of us driving, we started receiving phone calls from friends, that one of our friends' son was detained, arrested and taken, and others were seeing stops. 'We just started getting bombarded with all these messages. And that's when we noticed that something terrible was really happening.' The friend's son, who along with his family is not being named in order to protect their privacy and safety, had also gone to Plaza Mariachi for the bout. Acosta said the son is 20 and recently became a father with his fiancée. 'He came here like a lot of people come: with a tourist visa, but they wind up staying because they want to make a better living for themselves,' Acosta said. 'They work to try to get their paperwork, legalize themselves — like many folks do. 'For 24 hours, you didn't hear from him at all. (That Saturday night), he was taken. His dad didn't hear from him until Monday. He finally let us know that he heard from his son, but his son was already transferred to Louisiana, and that was around Monday, 3 or 4 in the morning.' The state of Louisiana has nine ICE Detention Centers, serving as holding spaces while authorities determine the next course of action for each person in detention. According to the Shreveport Times and a report by Yale Law School, Louisiana's facilities have received complaints and reports by the ACLU and other civil rights advocates in recent years, also becoming the subject of internal investigations by the Department of Homeland Security. ICE's media affairs office did not respond to The Athletic's request for comment on the raids. Sports can be a necessary distraction from the difficulties of everyday life, an escapist entertainment. For a group like La Brigada in a moment like this, however, even the world's game can't provide its usual comforts. A day before Nashville SC next took the field, La Brigada announced it would not be playing its usual role on matchday. Advertisement 'The difference with La Brigada is just that we are for a specific heritage,' Acosta said. 'We are a specific culture. Basically, we have Latino, Hispanic origins and descent, and honestly, we are Brown people. We're being almost systematically removed. So many people are, right now, in fear to the point of depression. So many people are in fear going to the stadium, and it's not just those that, say, don't have papers.' Among the causes for concern was the location of Nashville SC's GEODIS Park. The largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S., with a capacity of 30,109, was built on city-owned fairgrounds land to ensure accessibility for all communities in the area and benefit from some of the city's most utilized roads. Two of them are Nolensville Road and I-40 — common sites for ICE's activity over the past week. There was fear amongst La Brigada's membership that Nashville fans would be targeted after a match as they left the team-owned stadium for the public highways and byways. 'Another fear is, would they be able to come to the tailgate area, which is technically right in front of the Fairgrounds?' Acosta wondered. 'Who knows? Right now, it's the unknown that really is putting fear into everyone.' When reached for comment by The Athletic, an MLS spokesperson said the league had not been made aware of any presence from ICE around league matches and events. As part of its land usage agreement, the parcel of land that holds GEODIS Park is a private plot within a much larger public fairgrounds space — making it nearly impossible to avoid those spaces that Acosta fears could become places for focused raids. When asked by The Athletic for comment on La Brigada's decision and safety around GEODIS Park, Nashville SC issued the following statement: 'We have worked hard to make GEODIS Park a safe, family-friendly environment where everyone feels welcome to come and enjoy a soccer match, concert or other event. While we can only control what happens inside our stadium, we are committed to keeping GEODIS Park that way for all of our fans. Advertisement 'It is unfortunate that some of our fans aren't there with us right now. Their presence is certainly missed and we look forward to having all members of La Brigada and our Supporter's Groups back very soon. On Wednesday and every upcoming match night, we are going to continue to create a fun, inclusive environment for all our fans within the guidelines set forth by Major League Soccer.' Acosta was born in New Jersey, the son of a Honduran mother and a Puerto Rican father. He moved to Tennessee with his wife and children about 20 years ago. As he tells it, neither his son nor his daughter speaks much Spanish, communicating almost entirely in English. He senses that they feel safe amidst the raids but has tried to get them to live with caution. It's a message he thinks more citizens of the country with similarly colored skin must heed. 'They are having a hard time understanding that, because they feel like, 'Well, we're fine, we're American. We're born here,' and they speak perfectly good English,' Acosta said. 'They have never faced this in their lifetime, this hardship. 'Right now, the Latinos are the ones that are being racially profiled, whether you were born here or not. People are being stopped just because of the way they look.' Nashville is among the many areas of the U.S. that has seen ICE raids in its community. Since President Donald Trump took office for a second time, in January, major American cities impacted by ICE raids include Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Smaller communities have also been targeted. The scale of these efforts have spiked anxiety among many immigrants and citizens of Latino descent, with these fears making many afraid to go outside altogether. Acosta says the community is closely monitoring the latest in the proposed changes to American law from the Trump administration. This past week, top Trump aide Stephen Miller said the administration would consider suspending immigrants' right of habeas corpus — the legal principle that allows anyone who believes they are being unlawfully detained or imprisoned to petition for their release in court. Advertisement 'It starts with Latinos, Brown people,' Acosta said. 'Here's the part that scares us even more: it starts with us, but who could be next?' Acosta said that the group did not consult Nashville SC leadership ahead of its announcement, which dropped on the afternoon of May 9. Shortly after the post went live, however, he did hear from a few club employees. 'They expressed their concern, their sorrow for what's happening, those who reached out,' Acosta said. 'But they reiterated that they can't do anything, that they have to stay neutral at this time because it's a political matter, and they can't do anything by league rules or whatnot. So they have to stay with their hands tied.' This isn't the first time that MLS and its clubs have attempted to appear apolitical. In recent years, the Black Lives Matter protests and use of the anti-fascist Iron Front symbol have been sources of contention and forced the league and its clubs into difficult discussions and decisions. Those were different situations than what's currently occurring in Nashville and around the country. Nevertheless, the lack of actionable support from Acosta's local club was still viewed as a disappointment. 'It's understandable to a degree in a way, but at the same time… When it's Pride Month, when it's Hispanic Heritage Month, when it's Black History Month, certain events of that type, they're out there promoting and celebrating it,' he said. 'But when something is truly happening, and it's to us: this is not so much a political matter. This is something that is injustice happening in our society, in our community. 'We're asking for safety. We're asking for reassurance. We're asking for support, in that sense, understanding, more than anything. You're not supposed to get into political matters, but this is humanitarian.' Advertisement Acosta and La Brigada plan to remain absent from Nashville SC's matches, including Wednesday night's clash with the New York Red Bulls. This is not intended as an act of protest, Acosta said, but a decision made in the interest of safety. 'We have good friends within the club itself,' Acosta said. 'There are good people in the club, 100 percent. There are good people within the club that we respect and admire. We know that this is not on them. 'Now that the community is reeling and suffering, this demographic that is very much a key contributor to your sporting events, we're hurting. It's disheartening that they're not there or making some kind of statement. I have no other way to put it.'
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
30 Best Last-Minute Father's Day Gifts
Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter This hefty insulated lunch cooler is well built, with durable fabric, high-quality hardware, and a tough layer of mesh that separates the two compartments. It can hold a lot of food, but it likely won't fit in a backpack or a larger bag. If your dad packs a lunch and heads to a jobsite (or an office) every day, the Carhartt Insulated 12 Can Two Compartment Lunch Cooler will make sure that he brings enough food and that it stays fresh. One of our top lunchbox picks, it's easy to clean, it's rugged, and it's well designed. But mainly we like it because it's big: Our testers packed it with a hearty sandwich, drinks, ice packs, and multiple snacks, with room to spare. It holds 12 cans, so it can serve as a cooler on the weekends, and it has both a handle and a shoulder strap for easy carrying. Chums At 4.5 by 3 inches, this super-sturdy nylon wallet easily fits in a pocket but can also clip in place for raucous outdoor adventuring. The tiny but rugged nylon Chums Surfshorts Wallet holds all the essentials—two keys, 10 cards, cash, coins—in a nearly indestructible package smaller than a deck of cards. The handy metal keyring can hook into place and stay put during potentially squirrelly adventures like rafting, climbing, skiing, or surfing, but it also works for everyday use. The wallet has two zippered closures, plus an RFID-protection card that blocks unwanted scanning of personal information. Plus, it comes in nine different color combos, from the muted to the vibrant. Kikkerland Wrestle off bottle caps with this bendy plastic and stainless steel bottle opener celebrating Lucha Libre. The masked Mexican Lucha Libre wrestlers have become a beloved part of pop culture, even in the US. These plastic and stainless Luchador Bottle Openers, designed by Ariel Rojo and Andres Lima for the Kikkerland Mexico Design Challenge, wrestle off bottle caps with ease. Amazon sells only the black version; for more colors and wrestling holds, visit the Kikkerland site. Rozette Rago/NYT Wirecutter Kids these days come with a lot of stuff, and dads are often in charge of the schlepping. Consider easing his burden with the Outdoor Utility Wagon. It's our top-pick collapsible, folding wagon because it hits the sweet spot of price, versatility, weight, and ease of use. It weighs only 22.5 pounds but can hold up to 150 pounds, and it rolls well over mud, grass, bumps, and curbs (but it's not great on sand when fully loaded). These natural-rubber massage balls have a bit of give, so they're less intense than lacrosse balls for this purpose. For hard-to-reach aches, pains, and tight spots, there's nothing like rolling around on a therapy ball. About the size of a tennis ball, the natural-latex-rubber Tune Up Fitness Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls are meant to target specific trouble spots, helping to dig in and loosen muscles. They can work on everything from the spine, hips, shoulders, and neck to the feet, hands, and even the jaw to relieve TMJ pain. As editor and home-massage aficionado Katie Okamoto recently wrote, a therapy ball 'knocks all of the high-tech devices out of the park with its combination of simplicity, portability, maneuverability, and effectiveness.' This folding aluminium and steel handsaw has been made in the US in the same way for the past 60 years. Its lightweight case becomes its handle, and it works for both outback and backyard adventures. The beloved Sven-Saw, foldable, packable and versatile, was invented in 1961 by a Minnesota outdoorsman looking for a safer and easier way to cut wood while canoe-camping. The rest is outdoorsy history: The Sven was first carried by REI when it was a one-man, single-storefront operation in Seattle, and the handsaw is still family-owned and manufactured in Minnesota. The blade is made from Swedish steel, and the folding handle, which becomes a slim, protective case, is forged from lightweight aluminium. It's available in two sizes; the 21-inch saw weighs just 14 ounces, and the 15-inch saw is just 11 ounces. While you can take it into the rugged outback, it's just as handy for cutting branches and bushes in the backyard. Editor Hannah Morrill gifted one to her partner, and although he takes it camping, she has also seen him proudly wield it in their urban yard, too. Alex Aciman/NYT Wirecutter Wrap one or two of these soft, thick Comfort Colors tees in a fancy box, and dad doesn't have to know you got them online for less than $12 each. We discovered these garment-dyed unisex T-shirts by reading editor Alexander Aciman's declaration of love. Staff writer Samantha Schoech immediately bought one of the heavy (6.1-ounce) 100% cotton tees for her husband, who is fussy about sleeve fit and tight armpits, and he also declared it a revelation. The tee is cheap, comfy, sturdy, and available in a huge range of colors and sizes. It's no wonder Alexander writes: 'Good clothes should not be this easy to purchase or this affordable. This was the T-shirt heist of the century.' Fans of Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Black Panther will appreciate Douglas Wolk's rip-roaring, insightful distillation of the Marvel universe, which is a 2022 winner of the Eisner Award for the best comics-related book. $28 from Barnes & Noble May be out of stock Author and comic-obsessive Douglas Wolk read approximately 27,000 comic books to unlock the essentiality of the Marvel Universe for All of the Marvels: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told. The first few chapters substantiate his methodology, but after that, Wolk takes readers on a thrilling ride through Marvel history since 1961, zeroing in on deep cuts and key moments, such as how Christopher Priest, then one of the few Black comic writer-editors, helped shape Black Panther. In the closing chapter, Wolk lovingly recounts how he and his son bonded over Marvel stories together—an inspiration for any dad with kids who are reading comics. Pendleton This iconic flannel is made from double-brushed cotton that's durable and washable. Plus, it comes in a range of timeless, colorful plaids. Named after a historic street in Portland, Oregon, the washable Pendleton Burnside Flannel Shirt is made with 100% cotton and brushed on both sides for extra softness. Available in nearly a half-dozen plaids, it doesn't shrink or fade, and it looks great around campfires and tables for two. After nearly a decade, supervising editor Hannah Morrill's partner has found that his shirt hasn't worn on the elbows or ripped during roughhousing. Lyrically Correct This 150-card game—featuring questions like 'Wu-Tang says cash rules what?'—will have hip-hop heads jumping out of their seats to shout, rap, and sing the answers. Staff writer Mari Uyehara witnessed the competitive glee of the Lyrically Correct 90's and 2000's Hip Hop and R & B music trivia card game at a summer barbeque where dads (and moms) were either shouting over each other, gloating, or breaking into song. The 150-card pack features multiple-choice questions—such as 'What time was Ginuwine home?'—that elicit both nostalgia and good-humored rivalry. The Black-owned Lyrically Correct also offers three more trivia games (oldies and gospel editions and a '90s expansion pack) and The Cookout Bundle of all four together. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Our top-pick smart bird feeder has an integrated camera that captures 1080p videos and photos of feathered friends that perch on it to peck away at the seed (it holds up to 1.5 liters). The Netvue Birdfy Feeder labels the type of bird—say, house sparrow or mourning dove—in its notifications. It's also solar-powered, eliminating the hassle of battery changes. Plus, your gift recipient will have a whole community of birders to share pics with in the app, which means that he'll be less likely to jabber on to you about the red-winged blackbird that visited yesterday. At about 25 pounds, these 1.5-inch-diameter exercise ropes are made of high-tensile, three-strand, twisted Poly-Dacron rope with nonslip handles. Shaking each end of a battle rope seems a little silly and easy—or at least that's what Erik Vance, staff editor on The New York Times's Well desk, told us. But the low-impact exercise builds strength and engages almost every major muscle group, making for a killer workout without the possibility of injury (take that, CrossFit). Three strands of tough polyester fiber are woven together to make the Yes4All 50-Foot Battle Rope, which weighs 25 pounds and has grippy, nonslip handles. Easy to store and transport, the rope is a convenient, low-cost, and novel full-body workout that exercisers of all fitness levels can appreciate. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter This monthly subscription service sends a freshly pressed vinyl record in the recipient's favorite genre. Offerings include classics as well as obscure stuff. A subscription to Vinyl Me Please's Records of the Month brings welcome finds to any great collections—particularly if care-free days of leafing through albums are behind him. The company presses new releases and reissues in all the genres: hip-hop, country, rock, jazz, blues, soul, and more. Recent selections include John Prine's Sweet Revenge, The Wu-Tang Clan's The W, and Nina Simone's Silk & Soul. Choose a genre and then a subscription running from three months to a year. This seminal cocktail book says mixology can be simplified to six 'root' cocktails but has recipes for plenty more, plus infusions, syrups, and other embellishments. More than a collection of stellar drink recipes, Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions lays out the theoretical key for understanding mixology. (It was the first beverage book to win the James Beard Award for Book of the Year.) Alex Day and David Kaplan, the team behind several renowned cocktail bars in Los Angeles and New York, along with writer Nick Fauchald, argue that there are six 'root' cocktails: the old-fashioned, martini, daiquiri, sidecar, whisky highball, and flip. Master the principles of those formulas, and any home bartender can understand how cocktails relate, why they work, and how to improvise. Reef A favorite of surfers and beach bums, the Reef Draftsmen sandals have a grippy rubber sole that hides a built-in bottle opener, so dear old Dad will be ready to crack open a cold one, whether it's a refreshing Saison at a backyard barbecue or a Topo Chico on sandy shores. The flip-flops aren't just gimmicky though; both the footbed, which features arch support, and the strap, which has a comfortable stitch-free liner, are made with full-grain leather. Staff writer Samantha Schoech's surfer husband is a fan of the brand's quality construction and says that he can't feel the bottle opener under his foot. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter This mid-length coat has a charming retro appeal and is terrific for commuting. It's PFC-free and 100% waterproof, but it's not very breathable. Inspired by the brand's original 1950s fisherman coats, the Helly Hansen Men's Moss Raincoat, one of our picks for the best raincoats, has a handsome matte finish and flexible drape. Its rubberized polyurethane exterior, along with welded seams, make it completely waterproof, even in the heaviest of downpours, and exceptionally resistant to wind. It does trap heat, which makes it ideal for cooler climes but not so much for heart-pumping activities. It would make a great gift for a sailor, woodsman, or urban commuter. This two-tier Japanese steel toolbox has a roomy primary chamber and adjustable top compartments, and it comes in cheery colors. The cantilevered Trusco Two-Level Toolbox has 10 adjustable compartments on top, smooth hinges, and comes in three sizes. It's a bit more prone to scratching than plastic toolboxes and doesn't have shoulder straps like the canvas ones in our toolbox picks, which are better suited for serious jobs, but it's also easier to clean. If he's more of a hobbyist with an aesthetic eye, the Trusco toolbox may be just right for him. Steve Redmond for NYT Wirecutter We're not sure we've met a dad that doesn't have holey socks. And the Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Lightweight Hiking Sock—which came out on top after our testers hiked for 160 miles in 18 pairs of hiking socks—are extra-durable and come backed with a lifetime warranty. Constructed with breathable wool, nylon, and Lycra spandex, they keep feet from getting sweaty in the summer, and their form-fitted toe and underfoot padding are cushy for rocky hikes or long days of errands. Pop Chart Lab This scratch-off poster is a great must-watch list of movies from the 20th and 21st centuries and a cinephile show-off piece. From classics like On the Waterfront to recent critical hits like Parasite, the Pop Chart 100 Essential Films Scratch-Off Chart answers the perennial question: What should we watch tonight? Spanning over a century of filmmaking, the 12-by-16-inch poster features 100 standout movies concealed under gray wax designs. After watching each one, scrape off the wax to reveal a colorful mini original artwork for the film—and a feeling of smug satisfaction. Dads will find all sorts of uses for the Etsfmoa Beanie with Light in the dark: nightly dog-walking, changing a flat tire, or finding the campsite bathroom (be it indoors or outdoors). The soft acrylic beanie headlamp has three brightness settings and a removable LED light that charges via USB, and it runs for about eight hours when fully charged. It also comes in dozens of colors and patterns, so finding one that suits his style should be easy. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter These iconic sandals, made of a flexible plastic, are waterproof, versatile, and comfortable enough for long walks. The comfortable and versatile Birkenstock Arizona Essentials EVA sandals—a waterproof version of the originals—are made with a soft and flexible plastic. They're easier to maintain than traditional leather and shearling Birks: You can wipe them down with a damp cloth or toss them into a washing machine—that's part of why they're a pick here at Wirecutter. The EVAs also come in over a dozen colors, perfect for complementing whatever socks your dad may insist on wearing with them—a look that some people consider quite stylish now, luckily! SunNordic Requiring strategy and dexterity, this Swedish yard game involves tossing wooden dowels at larger blocks. It's simple, satisfying, and great for groups. Although kubb (pronounced 'koob') isn't the best-known yard game, it is one of the most fun. Also known as Viking chess, kubb involves throwing wooden sticks at blocks to knock them over. The SunNordic Kubb Yard Game Set is made of durable rubber wood, bundled with a compact carrying case, and it is sturdy enough to last for years. It's a great cross-generational family game, and you'll see teammates come together and break apart as new alliances form. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter These stylish, affordable sunglasses are comfortable and sturdy. Wearers get a lifetime warranty and a money-back guarantee. The dad in your life needs a proper pair of sunglasses—not just because they look cool but also to protect his eyes against harmful UV rays. Give him one of our picks, the Sungait Vintage Round Sunglasses. In our testing, they proved more comfortable and sturdier than others we tried, and they look good on most face shapes. Clumsy and sporty dads needn't worry—they come with a lifetime warranty that covers breaks. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter If you typically find your dad vibing to Spotify, Apple Music, or some other streaming service, consider the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4. We made this portable Bluetooth speaker our top pick for its clear, full sound, 11-hour battery life, and cute round shape. The Wonderboom 3 is a solid option if the dad on your gift list wants to listen to music while working from home—with its speakerphone feature, he can easily toggle between his tunes and work calls. And since it's water- and dust-resistant, he can bring it to the pool or beach. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter The WR-15 combines an eye-catching retro design with reliable performance, solid build quality, and superb value. Its taller, vertical form distinguishes it visually from many competitors. Whether the dad you're shopping for always has the dial set to NPR or never misses a grainy ballgame broadcast, a radio makes a great gift. The Sangean WR-15, one of Wirecutter's favorite tabletop radios, has a pleasing vintage look and a big tuning knob that makes scrolling through channels easy. It has some modern touches, too, including an auxiliary audio input that lets you play music from your phone. Rozette Rago/NYT Wirecutter This dishwasher-safe, classically styled growler keeps liquids fizzy, cold (or hot), and delicious. If Dad has an elementary-school-age daughter who's caught up in the throes of the Stanley tumbler rage, he might enjoy matching brands with her via the insulated Stanley's Classic Easy-Pour Growler. Though we found that the tumbler leaks (shh, no need to tell her), Stanley's insulated growler, which has a lifetime warranty, is our top pick for beer nerds. It has a comfortable handle, keeps drinks fizzy, and is handsomely designed. It also keeps liquids hot for up to 18 hours, so it's a great choice for the dad who drinks a lot of coffee or tea too. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter If your dad is trying to get more active, a fitness tracker might be just the gadget for him. Our top pick is the Fitbit Inspire 3, which accurately identifies and records workouts—including running, walking, and biking—through an especially user-friendly interface and app. If your giftee is a more socially motivated exerciser, this Fitbit also offers the option of connecting to a wide network of other people who wear Fitbits through the app. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter If the dad on your list loves ice cream and experimenting in the kitchen, a compressor-style ice cream maker—which doesn't require freezing a bowl overnight—might make his day. After testing more than 20 models over several years, we found that a great compressor-style model is the Whynter ICM-201SB. Not only did it make some of the smoothest ice cream we tasted, but it was quieter and easier to clean than others we tried, too. This three-bar combo of chunky, tasty, ethically sourced chocolate includes plain, hazelnut, and caramel flavors. Chances are, the dad you're shopping for likes chocolate. If you're looking for something less formal than a box set, consider a bundle of gourmet bars. The Tony's Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Bundle bars are wrapped in colorful, graphic packaging, and the nutty, salty, creamy chocolate inside is delectable. If you haven't tasted or even held a Tony's bar before, rest assured: They're substantial, and they're a lot more special than a Snickers. The milk chocolate caramel sea salt bar is a lot like a Toblerone bar but maybe even more addictive (if that's possible). Note: On April 1, 2025, Tony's Chocolonely issued a voluntary recall on two of its almond-containing chocolate bars — the Dark Almond Sea Salt and Everything Bars — sold between February 7 and March 24, 2025, after customers outside the US and Canada reported finding small stones not filtered during almond harvesting and processing. If you purchased a Dark Almond Sea Salt or Everything Bar during this period, check its lot code on the Tony's Chocolonely website to see whether it is subject to the recall. The Tony's Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Bundle linked in this guide was not affected. True film aficionados will appreciate this ever-changing assembly of the world's top docs, foreign films, art-house faves, and other hard-to-stream flicks. Buy from The Criterion Channel A subscription to The Criterion Channel gives the dad in your life access to some of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, from a library that dates back over 100 years and spans every corner of the globe. The channel also categorizes its selections in creative ways—like erotic thrillers, classic Hollywood, and a David Lynch collection. It works more like a film festival than an on-demand streaming service; films are carefully curated, and they're not available all the time. This collection of over 180 digestible lessons from industry-spanning celebrity talent is as edifying as it is entertaining. Give your dad a membership to MasterClass, and he can pick from a long list of virtual classes taught by famous instructors, including chess with Garry Kasparov, improv principles with Amy Poehler, spray painting with Futura, and poker with Daniel Negreanu. It's also a great gift for dads with young kids: Special projects editor Christine Cyr Clisset's kids watched the Alice Waters cooking class by themselves, and her 9-year-old 'can now make an amazing salad dressing.' Now that's a gift that keeps on giving.
