Latest news with #ReturnoftheMack
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Previewing King Mack's 2025 season after return to Penn State
You've heard of Return of the King and Return of the Mack, but this offseason marked the return of King Mack, a former 4-star safety. Mack committed to Penn State out of high school and spent his freshman season in Happy Valley before transferring to Alabama for one season. After a year with the Crimson Tide, Mack transferred back to Penn State, where he'll likely become a contributor on the two-deep in 2025. Here's a preview of his 2025 season with the Nittany Lions. 2024 in review In his lone season in Tuscaloosa, Mack saw time as a rotational piece, recording 14 tackles. The Crimson Tide took a step back in its first year led by coach Kalen DeBoer, finishing the regular season 9-3 before losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Biggest question in 2025 Mack's biggest question in 2025 is how he'll adapt to new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' scheme. Knowles has said his defense will be a combination of what he ran at Ohio State and what Penn State ran last year under Tom Allen, but Mack has no experience with either scheme. Knowles has been praised for his creativity, specifically on blitz packages, but his playbook can be hard to learn in one season. 2025 will be a success if… This season will be a success if Mack sees a significant bump in playing time, setting the stage for him to take over as a starter in 2026. With veteran safety Zakee Wheatley likely to depart after this year, Mack can put himself in position to start next fall with a strong year off the bench. 2025 will be a disappointment if… One of Mack's biggest weaknesses is his size, listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds. This makes it difficult for him to tackle larger receivers or running backs, something he struggled with at times throughout his first two collegiate seasons. Adding size and strength this offseason will be critical in preparing him for many of the Big Ten players he'll match up against. If Mack can't improve as a tackle, the season may not go the way he wants. Realistic outlook for 2025 Penn State lost safeties Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed to the NFL, opening the door for more playing time for Mack. The expectation is he'll contribute on the two-deep, likely setting career bests in tackles. Given Knowles' exotic blitz packages, he may also record his first tackles for loss since arriving in college.
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Return of the Mack star Mark Morrison's team hit out as battery charge dropped
Mark Morrison, whose song Return of the Mack topped the UK charts in 1996, was taken into custody on Saturday but denied that any battery occurred at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida A battery charge against British singer Mark Morrison - best known for his 1996 hit Return of the Mack - has been dropped. The musician, 51, was taken into custody on Saturday after an alleged altercation at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida. However, the star's lawyers have today confirmed he was at the restaurant to talk to the manager and attempt to collect payment on behalf of a local singer who had performed at the venue. Although the "conversation escalated", Mr Morrison's lawyers said no physical altercation happened and now police have been able to dismiss the battery charge. In a statement, King Legal Group said: "The decision to nolle prosse (formally decline prosecution) ends what should never have been a criminal matter in the first place. "Mr Morrison has consistently and unequivocally denied that any battery occurred. There was no physical altercation—only a demand for fairness and accountability. The evidence never supported criminal intent or conduct." The legal team explained how Mr Morrison, whose track Return of the Mack spent two weeks as UK number one in April 1996, values standing up for what he believes in. However, they suggested race may have played a role in how the singer was treated. "While we are relieved the State has dismissed the charge, the underlying context cannot be ignored. The refusal to pay — coupled with how quickly the situation was criminalised — raises legitimate concerns about whether race played a role in how Mr Morrison was treated. It's not lost on us that advocating for fair pay, especially as a Black man in a position of leadership, can be met with suspicion instead of dialogue," the statement added. "Mr Morrison has spent years supporting local artists and standing up for what's right. That won't change. He is grateful for those who stood by him, and he remains committed to uplifting the artistic community in Palm Beach County and beyond. Towards that end, and in furtherance of Mr Morrison's commitment to his community, he is donating the $1000.00 (£730) bond used to secure his appearance, to Little Smiles, a local children's charity." Mr Morrison posed for a mugshot in a blue jumpsuit before he was released on Sunday morning. The musician has had a long history of both musical success and legal troubles. He burst onto the music scene in the mid-90s, enjoyed significant success with Return of the Mack. The song became an anthem of its time, widely regarded as one of the defining tracks of the 1990s R&B movement. Its success propelled Mr Morrison into the spotlight, and he quickly became one of the genre's most promising stars.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
BK dad Doug Berns turns Knicks game recaps into viral musical parodies: ‘It's mind blowing'
This Knicks fan is dropping bars after the buzzer. Brooklyn-based audio engineer and musician Doug Berns is making waves in the Knicks fandom this season with bizarre musical recaps of each game — which he writes, shoots and uploads with a lightning-speed turn-around of less than a day. 5 Musician Doug Berns, 37, at his Prospect Lefferts Gardens home. Stephen Yang Advertisement 'Knick fans are a family at the end of the day,' said Berns, 37, a lifelong fan who grew up on the Upper West Side and now lives in Prospect Lefferts Gardens with his wife and two daughters. 'The emotional roller coaster of investing in this team is really, really intense. My songs tell the stories of those roller coasters, I hope.' While Berns started the project with the goal of writing one original metal song inspired by a Knicks game, he found that musical parodies of '90s rock and hip hop tunes resonated deeply with audiences – and his videos have since drawn over 15,000 Instagram followers and millions of views since he began the series on Nov. 13 after a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. 5 Berns writes, shoots and uploads all of his musical Knicks game parodies in less than a day. Stephen Yang Advertisement 'My wheelhouse is music that I grew up listening to, and a lot of my millennial contemporaries are Knick fans that grew up in the last golden age of Knicks basketball,' Berns told The Post. 'Most of [the parodies] are songs that swirl around in our emotional hearts and minds.' In the months since Berns launched the endeavor, he's found fans in filmmaker Spike Lee, as well as Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart — who showcased one of Berns' songs on their podcast Roommates Show. 'The Internet is so wild, I could never have conceived of this,' Berns said. 'When [90s R&B song] 'Return of the Mack' came out and I'm 5 or 7 years old, the idea that I'd be able to parody it and have two Knicks players with a platform where they're watching me perform and reacting to it, it's mind blowing,' Berns said, referencing his Feb. 28 game parody. 5 Berns estimates he's garnered between 3 and 4 million views since November. Instagram/@duglust Advertisement The Manhattan-born musician also plays in Cafe Wha? house bands in Greenwich Village, a jazz project with 'Bobs Burgers' star H. Jon Benjamin, wedding bands and teaches a 'rock band' music class at an Upper East Side high school. He said he started the project because he felt he 'could always do something with my Knicks knowledge.' 'I was more excited this time,' he said. 'The last four seasons built to this season, with the way the roster was shaping up. I was like, 'I'm excited, I'm inspired, I want to do something.' 'I want to get better at producing songs and recording and playing different instruments. And this is how I do it,' he added. Advertisement 5 'The last four seasons built to this season, with the way the roster was shaping up. I was like, 'I'm excited, I'm inspired, I want to do something,' Berns said. Stephen Yang Berns said he's already laid down the instrumentals for Wednesday's Eastern Conference Finals game one parody — and teased the tune would be a '90s rock classic.' His musical process usually begins the morning of a game when he'll pick out and lay down the instrumentals for a song. Parodies include Alanis Morissette's 'You Oughta Know' redone for a game afainst the Toronto Raptors and a take on the Beastie Boys' '(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!).' Other picks simply pay tribute to his home team: 'When I go towards a hip-hop direction they love it. It's synonymous with New York, a part of Knicks culture is hip hop.' The musician will then take notes during the game at night — watching for stand-out events and hot topics – and then will get to work right after the team wraps. The entire process takes about six hours, he said. 5 Berns isn't always a one-man band, and will sometimes feature guest artists, like TGIFLY (left), on his musical parodies. Instagram/@duglust 'I'll watch a game and be like, 'how am I going to do it?' But I have to, and then my creative juices kick in,' Berns said. 'It has to do with the pressure, the fact that people are counting on this as part of their game consumption ritual.' The Brooklyn musician is now planning to release a 'greatest hits' record on Spotify – and is already working out the copyright kinks. He's also hoping to turn his musical parodies into a 'live show' starting this fall. Advertisement 'I feel like I've been searching for a way to express my talent and fandom and personality for a long time, and I found it with this thing,' he added. 'My goal is to continue giving fans this thing that makes them happy: win or lose. 'It's a little microcosm of [the team's] successes and failures and triumphs and rejection,' he added. 'Music is a way of telling stories of people's lives, and I think doing both is a meta way to look at all of that.'
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Return of the Mack singer Mark Morrison arrested after ‘racially charged confrontation' in Florida
'Return of the Mack' singer Mark Morrison has been arrested for battery in Palm Beach, Florida. The 52-year-old R&B singer was allegedly involved in an altercation at wine bar and venue Le Bar à Vin on Sunday evening. According to CBS, witnesses at the scene reported that Morrison was upset about the the alleged lack of payment from the venue over an event Morrison had been planning there. He then allegedly got into an argument with the restaurant manager before pushing him twice. According to police records, Morrison was arrested and booked him into the Palm Beach County Jail for simple battery. He was released on a $1,000 bond, and an arraignment date has been set for April 15. In a statement to The Independent, Morrison's attorney Rick King said that the altercation had escalated from a dispute over payment to become a "racially charged confrontation.' King said: 'Mr Morrison acknowledges a recent legal matter stemming from a dispute over the non-payment of an entertainment fee that led to an allegation of simple battery. 'While the situation is unfortunate, Mr Morrison remains fully cooperative with authorities and is confident that the facts will provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident and vindicate him of wrongdoing. 'However, it is important to acknowledge that this altercation between Mr Morrison and the male employee of the Le Bar a Vin, Nicola Lavacca, arose in the context of a racially charged confrontation. 'At this time, Mr Morrison and legal counsel are working diligently to ensure that the facts of the case are fully understood and appropriately addressed. 'Mr Morrison appreciates the support of family, friends, and the community and asks that the public withhold judgment until all facts are presented. He remains committed to resolving this matter responsibly and in accordance with the legal process.' Morrison has faced various criminal charges over the course of his career. In 1997 he was convicted for attempting to bring a firearm aboard an airliner, just as his hit single was rising up the charts in the United States. The following year he served time in prison after paying a lookalike to perform his court-appointed community service. Speaking to The Independent in 2006, Morrison said: "I was in court more than I was on Top of the Pops." "I try not to dwell on the past because I can't change anything," he added. "The best gift we have is the 24 hours directly in front of us. When I'm up to my neck in hot water, the show must go on."
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Return of the Mack' singer Mark Morrison arrested after altercation in Florida
'Return of the Mack' singer Mark Morrison arrested after altercation in Florida English R&B singer Mark Morrison, best known for his 1996 hit song "Return of the Mack," was arrested Saturday following an altercation at a Palm Beach, Florida, restaurant. Morrison, 52, was charged with simple battery after he twice shoved a person inside a restaurant called Le Bar à Vin, according to a probable cause affidavit released by Palm Beach Police and obtained by Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network. He was released early Sunday morning on a $1,000 bond. An arraignment date has been set for April 15, according to court documents. USA TODAY has reached out to Morrison for comment. According to police, Morrison entered Le Bar à Vin around 6:15 p.m. and began "yelling and cursing" about an event there. Morrison then angrily confronted a person at the restaurant and allegedly pushed that person twice in the upper body "with an open hand," according to the affidavit. That person told police he did not consent to the contact and wanted to press charges. Fabrizio Riillo, the restaurant's nightlife manager, confirmed the victim's account of the incident, telling police that Morrison entered the restaurant "in an irate manner" and continued to exchange words with the victim before allegedly pushing him twice. Bodycam video shows Karen Huger's arrest following drunk driving Newly released bodycam footage showed "The Real Housewives of Potomac" star Karen Huger's interactions with police during her arrest. Riillo said he stepped in between both parties to separate them before asking Morrison to exit the business, according to police. He told police that the victim never touched or struck Morrison, who owns a home in Palm Beach. Riillo told the Daily News the altercation stemmed from an incident Friday night in which Morrison brought a singer to the restaurant and repeatedly told the singer's crew to turn up the music. When the music got too loud, the venue's general manager told Morrison that he could not tell the artist to raise the volume, Riillo said. In response, "Mark Morrison came back on Saturday night looking for a fight," Riillo said. Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@
