Men's Journal's Blog, page 85

Patrick Mahomes Shares What He Admires Most About His Wife Brittany

Two-time Super Bowl champion and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes opened up about one quality he loves about his wife, Brittany Mahomes in a new interview with People Magazine. "I admire my wife Brittany’s confidence," Mahomes told People.

Patrick and Brittany, both 29, married in 2022 and have three children. Both have garnered a big spotlight — Brittany is known for her Sports Illustrated Swim cover shoot, her social media presence, and her star-studded friendships.

"Whether it’s in business, or supporting our family, she always leads with strength and purpose. That kind of confidence is powerful; it pushes me to be better every day,” Mahomes continued.

The star quarterback also had some of his own thoughts on what it takes to be confident like his wife.

"Confidence isn’t something that you just wake up with one day," he tells PEOPLE. "It’s about staying committed to your goals, trusting yourself and the people around you and putting your best foot forward with every opportunity you get."

It’s clear how that translates to his performance on the field — but Mahomes said it also is something he has when he’s not playing football. "Off the field, I’m probably most confident when I’m with my family and close friends,” he said. “Being around the people who’ve supported me from the beginning and know me so well—that’s when I’m at my best."

Costco Announces Important Change for Certain Members Starting June 30

Costco is continuously switching things up to stay competitive in warehouse club and wholesale space. Costco opened 1976 under the Price Club name, and in 1983, the first Costco warehouse location opened in Seattle. They even became the first company ever to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years.

Now, Costco has announced a new perk for select members.

The warehouse club has announced that the company will start allowing executive members in the U.S. in their higher-priced membership tier to shop an hour earlier than standard members beginning June 30, according to an email to employees reported by Business Insider.

"Our Executive Members are our most loyal members, and we want to reward them for their commitment to Costco," the email stated. Also in that email, Costco said that executive members would start getting a $10 monthly credit for Instacart orders and $150 worth of additional benefits and savings on Costco services.

Business Insider reached out to Costco on the matter but didn't receive an immediate response.

This isn't the first time Costco has given some perks to executive members. The select group was previously offered extended shopping hours at certain Costco locations, but the perk was phased out, according to Costco Insider.

Adding perks such as early entry for Costco members on the executive tier could make it a more attractive option for those who are on the standard level. Costco has also started testing earlier hours at its gas stations for all members and stated during its May earnings call that it's had a good impact on sales.

"Costco warehouses carry about 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) compared to the 30,000 found at most supermarkets," Costco says on its website. "By carefully choosing products based on quality, price, brand and features, the company can offer the best value to members."

Related: Costco Members Cautioned Against Using Their Membership Card

‘The Last of Us’ Creator’s New Comments on Pedro Pascal’s Character Get Big Pushback

Season 2 of The Last of Us may be over, but it doesn’t mean that fans are ready to let bygones be bygones. While the popular HBO series burst onto the scene with a debut season that received high praise from fans and critics alike, things hit a rough stretch during the encore performance.

This largely stemmed from the creators of The Last of Us, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, sticking with the plan and making the adaptation as close to the video game as possible. This led to a fan-favorite actor, Pedro Pascal, who played a fan-favorite character in the show, Joel, being killed off extremely early in Season 2.

Although many fans knew that if the show followed the path of the video game, Pascal's character wouldn't make it out of the second season, the drastic change still didn't sit well with most.

(L-R) Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal attend the Los Angeles premiere Of HBO Original Series "The Last Of Us" Season 2 at TCL Chinese Theater.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

However, when Mazin and Druckmann addressed that decision recently, while also speaking about The Last of Us on a larger scale, their approach and comments received significant pushback.

The duo joined Variety's A Night in the Writers' Room and Mazin immediately grabbed some attention when discussing the high expectations in Season 2 after the show was "rolling down a hill on fire" with its stellar first season.

“The second season comes with so many expectations, and we did learn a lot of lessons. And the problem with learning lessons is then you have to be accountable to those lessons," Mazin said. "And you’re not allowed to make those mistakes anymore, which is tragic. You do feel pressure to somehow fulfill what people want but also surprise them."

"You’re now a topic of discussion, whereas before you were just new and surprising. I mean, the bar for video game adaptations was pretty low. We had that going for us in Season 1 — now we kind of f---ed ourselves.”

While Mazin raised eyebrows with the last line in that statement, his attempt at sarcasm after Druckmann brought up killing off Pascal's character is what drew reactions from the show's fanbase.

Related: Pedro Pascal Makes Candid Confession About ‘Fantastic Four’ Co-Star Vanessa Kirby

“He did a thing. Everyone lost their s---, and then I had to do that same thing, because he did the thing. I loved doing the thing, I thought it was great,” Mazin says of the death. “The big complaint that I’ve gotten is, ‘Why did you kill Pedro Pascal?’ And I keep explaining, we didn’t kill him! He’s a man, he’s alive. He’s fine. And he’s in literally everything else. So I don’t know what the problem is!”

The fan reactions ranged from some trolling Mazin's attempt to be funny, with others using the comments to vent their frustrations about the changes made to The Last of Us since Joel's death.

"We are aware that Pedro is alive and well. Mazin knew people were referring to his character, so the response wasn’t funny. Problem is, Joel was the heart of the show and many people stopped watching after his death. I think the writers know it doesn’t work as well without him," replied one fan.

"We got a comedian over here," said another fan.

Another fan called Season 2 "awful" following Joel's death, and dubbed the show "a teen drama" now.

"Mazin's feeble attempt at humor falls flat. He knows people stopped watching when Joel was killed. He also knows that the rest of season 2 was awful without the one character (and actor), who was the most responsible for season 1's success-Joel (Pedro). TLOU is now a teen drama," read the comment.

"Yawn anything to distract from there mistakes," replied another reader.

"They killed off a popular actor on the show and now they're rewriting history because they know the show will die without him," read one fiery response.

Fans have been frustrated since Joel's death on the show, which has led to many brutally honest reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. While Season 1 received a critic score of 94% and a 62% rating on the fan-focused Popcornmeter, the Season 2 fan score plummeted.

Although The Last of Us Season 2 earned a strong 92% mark from critics, it currently sits with a 37% rating from fans.

Related: Alan Ritchson Beat out Former ‘Jack Reacher’ Actor for Lead Role in Hit Series

'The Agency' Just Revealed New Cast and New Title

One of the best, and slightly underrated, shows of late 2024 and early 2025 was the CIA-centered spy series The Agency. A Paramount+ with Showtime series, The Agency stars Michael Fassbender as an agent codenamed "Martian" who returns from undercover work to find his world turned upside down. The series also packs an incredible pedigree of massive actors, including Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston, and Richard Gere.

But now, there are even more faces coming on board for Season 2. As reported by Deadline, six new actors are joining the cast of The Agency Season 2, which is currently filming in London. And, in addition to those new faces, it's been confirmed that the series will now be slightly retitled as The Agency: Central Intelligence. Apparently, this change is to hint at the specific focus of this season.

Here are the new cast members, including their roles, as per Deadline.

Christian Ochoa Lavernia as "Grandma, undercover agent." Clayne Crawford as "Viking." Medalion Rahimi as "Darya, niece of a powerful Mullah and Hassan Zamani’s girlfriend."Tessa Ferrer as Robyn, "a US Air Force nurse in Suffolk, England."Raza Jaffrey as Craig, "a data analyst on the Iran Desk."Keanush Tafreshi, in a yet-to-be-disclosed role. The Agency Season 1 streams on Paramount+ with Showtime.

Check In Early, or Pay the Price: What Most Travelers Still Get Wrong

Checking in for your flight might seem like a mindless step, but when you do it can seriously impact your travel experience. These days, most airlines let you check in online starting 24 hours before takeoff. If you're skipping that reminder email, you're playing with fire, according to Travel + Leisure.

First, early check-in can give you a leg up when it comes to seats. If you didn’t pay to pre-select one, your best shot at avoiding a middle seat is to check in as early as possible. Some international flights won’t even let you choose until check-in opens, so your window of opportunity starts the moment that email hits your inbox.

Then there’s the oversell factor. Airlines routinely book more passengers than they have seats, banking on no-shows. When everyone shows up, someone gets bumped. Often, it’s the person who checked in last. According to the Department of Transportation, check-in order can be a deciding factor. Don’t let a delay ruin your plans when you could’ve avoided it with a couple of clicks.

If you're checking a bag, the stakes are higher. At most airports, you need to check luggage at least 45 minutes before departure for domestic flights. Miss that window, and your bag may not make it no matter how on time you are. 

For international flights, that cutoff jumps to 60 minutes or more. Plus, some airports, like JFK, set even earlier deadlines.

Want to get upgraded? Some airlines take check-in time into account when bumping passengers into better seats. If you’re in the same status tier as someone else, whoever requested the upgrade earlier may win out.

Bottom line: checking in early is a low-effort way to reduce risk and increase reward. Some airlines even offer auto check-in features, like Southwest’s EarlyBird or Singapore’s no-fee auto-select. Use them.

And if you must check in at the airport, look for kiosks or curbside counters to cut through the chaos. It might cost a few bucks, but it’ll save your sanity, and maybe your trip.

Related: Capital One Cuts Beloved Lounge Perk, and Travelers Are Furious

Paulina Gretzky Turns Heads With 2-Word Message Before U.S. Open

Dustin Johnson hasn't had much success in major tournaments since deciding to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.

The two-time major winner has missed the cut in five of his last seven major appearances with his best finish a t-31 at the Open Championship in 2024. Johnson, though, is returning to a golf course this weekend that saw him win his first major title.

He won the 2016 U.S. Open played at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania by three shots despite a controversial ruling from the USGA.

“Obviously, a lot of good memories from that year here," Johnson said after his practice round on Monday, June 9. “Obviously, it was a long time ago. I like coming back here. I love the golf course. I was back here one other time when I got my honorary membership here, for that ceremony, which was really nice. [I’m] a proud member of Oakmont. I’m probably their favorite member because I never come.”

As Johnson prepares for the tournament, his wife, Paulina Gretzky, is making waves on social media. She posted a three-photo carousel of the couple ahead of the year's third major title with the caption "nobody else."

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Fans quickly found their way to the comments section.

"DJ is a very lucky man!! 👏🏻," one person said.

"DJ’s friends are gonna frame😂," joked another.

"Clearly DJ is zoned in on the US Open this week. Grinding like never before," offered a third.

Despite his lack of success in major tournaments of late, Johnson believes he can still compete with the best in the world. 

“Golf is a strange sport," he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve slipped any. My scores haven’t reflected [that], but it is a really fine line. Over the last couple months, I’m starting to see a lot of patterns and the game feels like it’s coming back into good form.

“I feel like my game’s been really close. I haven’t really gotten a lot out of it. It was definitely nice to have a nice finish last week [in Virginia]. I played really solid every day, hit it nice, gave myself a lot of opportunities, [but I] still kind of gave some shots away each round that you can’t afford to do at a golf course like this.

Johnson is slated for a practice round on Tuesday, June 10 with fellow LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Phil Mickelson at 1:25 p.m. ET. 

Related: Bryson DeChambeau's Rumored Girlfriend Turns Heads With Personal Announcement

Deion Sanders 'Health Issue' Becomes Growing Concern

Deion Sanders has dealt with a myriad of health issues during his lengthy football career - and even more so in his post-NFL career.

Blood clots led Sanders to have two of his toes amputated and led to the removal of the sides of his left calf. He battled the issue for two years and underwent 16 different surgeries while missing several media events, like the Pac-12 media days, in 2023.

“Could you imagine winning in life – I mean flat-out dominating life – and then you get hit, you get blindsided with news that you never would’ve fathomed: that you got to have surgery immediately. Then guess what? They tell you first, we’re going to have to amputate toes. Oh, or your foot, from the knee down. Now your whole leg, or your life," Sanders said at the time.

Fast forward to June 9, 2025 and Sanders appears to be in the middle of another health battle. According to a report from the USA Today, Sanders has been joined by athletic trainer Lauren Askevold in Texas as he deals with a "health issue" that has started "raising questions" in Colorado.

Sanders has reportedly been at his estate in Texas while dealing with the unspecified issue as summer camps for the Buffaloes got underway last week. He previously appeared at the camps in 2023 and 2024, which only heightens his absence so far this year.

On June 8, Sanders' eldest son, Deion Sanders Jr., said on a YouTube livestream that his father is "feeling well."

“He’ll tell y’all soon enough what he going through, what he went through,” Sanders said. “When we get back in Boulder, I don’t know. I’m waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I’ll go. Until then, I’m gonna sit here with him.”

Earlier in the day the NFL Hall of Famer canceled a speaking engagement in Florida because of an "unavoidable last-minute scheduling change," according to The Foundation for Sickle Cell Research. 

Sanders appears to have been battling a health issue dating back to at least May when he met with former NFL star Asante Samuel on a podcast. “I hope you’re feeling better,” Samuel said to Sanders before asking him if he ever tried fasting.

"What I’m dealing with right now is at whole 'nother level” Sanders said before noting he lost 14 pounds.

Colorado opens the 2025 season against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

Related: Aryna Sabalenka Breaks Silence After Taking Heat for Coco Gauff Comments

Conner Smith Sent Strong Message to Wife Leah

On June 8, country singer Conner Smith was involved in a fatal accident that left 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins dead.

A statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday, June 9 stated that Smith was behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck when he hit Dobbins, who was crossing the roadway. Smith showed no signs of impairment at the time of the accident and no charges have been filed, though the investigation remains ongoing.

Just days before the fatal accident, Smith's wife, professional surfer Leah Smith - formerly Thompson - revealed the strong message she received from her husband.

"my husband likes to say, 'the only way you fail is if you give up'… to all the people that have a dream of starting a business, just put one foot in front of the other, take one step at a time, & don’t give up !!! you learn as you go and get better every step of the way! you’ll never regret taking a leap of faith, but I do believe you’ll regret it if you don’t!" she said in a post featuring her swimwear brand Legacy the Label.

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"I’ve always wanted more from a bikini — something you can surf in and then lay out in without needing to change. I’m building a brand for the girl who loves to do both. Swimwear that’s functional, flattering, elevated, and born from a life lived on the beach," Smith said via the company's website.

The couple got engaged in September 2023 before marrying in April 2024. However, three months into dating, Smith revealed Thompson needed a break - which eventually led to the song “Roulette On The Heart" from his debut album "Smoky Mountains."

“About three months into dating, Leah needed some space,” he told The Boot. “She had a lot going on and she was just trying to figure some stuff out, so it was kinda that in-between where I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m either going to get really hurt here or this is going to be the best thing ever,’ so I thought of that idea, you know, I’m genuinely playing roulette on the heart. We took about a week of a break and then she was ready to go again, but I was thankful for it because it gave me a lot of song ideas, and that was the key one that came out."

"I think ‘Roulette On The Heart’ is probably her favorite song I’ve ever written as well. That song just feels special – it feels like a song that could last for a long time in country music.” 

Related: Country Singer Named in Death of 77-Year-Old Woman

Sydney Sweeney Details Wild Body Transformation for New Movie

Fans went wild last fall when paparazzi captured some photos of Sydney Sweeney looking very much unlike Sydney Sweeney while filming an upcoming movie. Now, the actress is giving more details about her upcoming Christy Martin biopic—and the physical work it took for her to get into character.

In a cover story interview for W, Sweeney dished on the still-untitled movie that will see her playing Martin—a pioneering boxer who helped to legitimize the sport for women in the ‘90s. “She was the first woman fighter on the cover of Sports Illustrated and fought on the Mike Tyson undercard,” David Michôd, the movie’s director and co-writer, told W. But Martin’s life was not a picture-perfect one.

Related: Sydney Sweeney's Breaks Silence on Relationship Status

“Her husband was also her trainer, and then, after her success, he tried to murder her,” Michôd explained. “Our film is a wild mix of inspiring underdog sports-world story and personal saga.”

In order to look the part of a world-class boxer, Sweeney underwent a complete transformation after spending months working out and packing on about 30 pounds.

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A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney)

“Sydney trained her butt off to play the part,” Michôd told W. But Sweeney tells a different version of the story. Specifically, that her butt was “huge.”

“I came onboard to play Christy, and I had about three and a half months of training,” the 27-year-old said. “I started eating. I weight-trained in the morning for an hour, kickboxed midday for about two hours, and then weight-trained again at night for an hour.”

CANASTOTA, NEW YORK - JUNE 8: (L-R) Christy Martin and Grand Marshall actress Sydney Sweeney react to fans during the Parade of Champions on June 8, 2025 in Canastota, New York. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)

Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

While speaking about her training, Sweeney found a photo of her on the set, in which she was practically unrecognizable. Between her musclebound look, not to mention brown contact lenses and a brunette wig that saw her sporting a kind of mullet hairstyle, Sweeney looks nothing like the characters she is best known for in projects like Euphoria, The White Lotus, and Anything But You. And she loved every second of it.“My body was completely different,” she said. “I didn’t fit in any of my clothes. I’m usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy!... But it was amazing: I was so strong.”

For his part, Michôd could not have asked for a more enthusiastic star. “The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go,” he said. “No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine.”

Country Singer Conner Smith Named in Death of 77-Year-Old Woman

A 77-year-old woman later identified as Dorothy Dobbins was killed after she was struck by a vehicle on 3rd Avenue North near Van Buren Street in Nashville on June 8.

A statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department on Monday, June 9 stated that a 24-year-old man named Conner Smith was behind the wheel during Sunday’s accident. Smith, 24, was allegedly driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck when he hit Dobbins, who was crossing the roadway. 

"It appears that she was inside a marked crosswalk when she was struck around 7:30 p.m. Dobbins, who lived nearby, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died," the statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department said. "The preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian."

Smith showed no signs of impairment at the time of the accident and no charges have been filed, though the investigation remains ongoing.

Smith's attorney Worrick G. Robinson told Billboard in a statement: “On June 8th, Mr. Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life. His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins’ family during this incredibly difficult time. Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.” 

The Nashville native first broke through in 2021, when his song “I Hate Alabama” went viral on TikTok. He later issued the EP Didn’t Go Too Far in 2022 and followed with the singles “Learn From It” and “Take It Slow.” 

Smith's biggest hit came in 2024 with “Creek Will Rise,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 89 and rose to No. 12 on the Country Airplay chart. 

Related: Caitlin Clark Praised for What She Did Before Fever Defeated Angel Reese, Chicago Sky