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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Todd Marinovich, former phenom QB-turned-cautionary tale, steps out from under his own myth in new book
The bond between fathers and their athletic-genius children is a complex, fragile and often treacherous one. If the father pushes too hard, the child rebels. If the father doesn't push hard enough, the child might never reach their astronomical potential. And either way, the traditional protective and nurturing role of the father becomes transactional rather than emotional. When fathers take an active interest in their children's athletic development, approval and support are conditional; blasting all those reps and showing up big at game time are what's mandatory. The resulting generational wreckage can last much longer than any career ever could. Before Tiger Woods his father Earl, before Venus and Serena Williams and their father Richard, and long before the feel-good tale of Home Run Derby champ Cal Raleigh and his pitching pop, there came Todd Marinovich and his father Marv — the ultimate sports-dad cautionary tale. Nationally famous long before he graduated high school, Todd Marinovich became the grim answer to the question: What if you attempted to genetically engineer an NFL quarterback? The answer, in Marinovich's case, was chaos, chaos that still echoes today more than three decades later. Marinovich, a southern California quarterback who played his college ball at USC and took snaps in the NFL for the Raiders, crashed and burned shortly into his NFL career, a victim of his own bad choices and — most everyone assumed — the immense pressure his father Marv placed on him practically from birth. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The truth, however, is far more complex and, to Marinovich's mind, far more favorable to Marv, who died in 2020. Marinovich — once dubbed the 'Robo QB,' or, even less charitably, 'Marijuanavich' — has at last put his own story, in his own words, into print. "Marinovich: Outside the Lines in Football, Art, and Addiction" documents, in painful detail, the battles that the onetime quarterback and present-day artist fought throughout his career and continues to fight even now — with addiction, with perception, with himself. It's a harrowing but ultimately impressive and inspiring look at reconciling a public image with personal belief. 'My most fundamental flaw was both a tremendous blessing and a horrible curse, but it was my reality,' he writes. 'Without the zeal accompanying obsession, who knows if I would've succeeded in football? Someone else could have been the first college sophomore in history to declare for the NFL Draft. Yet, on the flip side, there wouldn't have been a soul-crushing dozen arrests, five incarcerations, and over seven trips to rehab.' There's a reason, then, that he begins the book with this epigram: 'This book is an act of self-love after decades of self-defiance.' (Disclaimer: Marinovich and this writer share an agent.) For Marinovich, now 56, training began virtually at birth. His father, a former strength coach with the Raiders, developed a relentless regimen designed to maximize Todd's potential and hone his discipline. But early in his autobiography, Marinovich makes sure to draw a line in the sand: 'No one pushed me into football, least of all my dad, Marv,' he writes. 'I chose it. Any suggestions to the contrary were lies offered freely by the media to manufacture a Greek tragedy.' And yes, the media dove deep into the Marinovich story, starting long before he suited up for USC. Even as a high schooler, Marinovich was drawing national attention. 'That was a really trippy time for me, because I was so shy going into high school,' he told Yahoo Sports recently. 'And then articles were talking about my diet, like I was a freak show — 'He's never had a Big Mac!' It just wasn't true. I was healthy, and I ate healthy, but, you know, living in America, you're going to have a Big Mac.' During this time, Marinovich honed his ability to remain cool under pressure. An immensely talented basketball player, he played in dozens of hostile gyms, sinking last-second shots to win games in front of rabid crowds. It's the kind of training you can't teach, you just have to experience. 'I felt really comfortable when the time was running out that I want the ball,' he recalls. 'Not everybody wants the ball when time's running out. And that's OK. Just give it up, just pass it to the guy that does.' As much as he loved basketball, however, Marinovich loved football even more. Speaking today, he notes that there's an almost otherworldly component to the game when it's functioning at its highest. 'It's truly spiritual,' he says. 'It's 11 of us who are out there at once. It's so special when everyone has just got your back. All you've got to do is handle your guy, don't let the guy down next to you. You're looking at guys in the eye, and they know that you are not going to let them down. You're going, I'm going to die trying not to let you down, bro.' At his finest, Marinovich was something to behold at quarterback. He threw for 9,914 career yards in high school, a mark that was a national record at the time. (It's since been nearly doubled.) Marinovich threw for 2,477 yards his senior year, more than contemporaries John Elway, Jim Kelly or Dan Marino did in theirs. In two years at USC, he crafted some instantly indelible memories — a last-second drive to beat Washington State in 1989, a triumphant 45-42 victory over rival UCLA in 1990. Those were good days for Marinovich and anyone in the Marinovich business. He was winning nationwide acclaim and shaking off his shyness to become a fixture on the L.A. party scene. He counted Charlie Sheen and Flea among his friends, and he was an unmistakable redheaded presence wherever there was a party to be had. 'There were some really amazing next-level times that I had before it got really bad,' he laughs, 'and that's just, that's all I'll say.' But the cracks were already starting to show. He engaged in an on-camera shouting match with his head coach in what was then called the John Hancock (now Sun) Bowl on the last day of 1990. A few weeks later, he was busted for cocaine possession, but still managed to get drafted in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He saw little NFL action, playing in just eight regular-season games, with one playoff appearance, over parts of two seasons. He threw for eight touchdowns and nine interceptions, plus a zero-TD, four-INT game against the Chiefs in a 1991 wild-card game. He dodged NFL investigators, often with grimly comical results — he would use teammates' urine to pass drug tests, but got popped when one of his teammates gave him urine while drunk at four times the legal driving limit. After multiple failed drug tests and failed attempts at rehab, Marinovich was suspended for the 1993 season, and never played NFL football again. He attempted to catch on with the Canadian Football League, the Arena Football League and other organizations, but nothing stuck. Eulogies for his career pointed the finger at Marv, but Marinovich is adamant that the blame belongs on himself, and only himself. 'Marv was a thorny scapegoat, as he'd delivered the genes and created the environment offering addiction fertile ground,' Marinovich writes. 'He could be a ruthless tyrant obsessed with perfection, but ultimately, his criticism was child's play. The most damaging voice came from within. At the height of addiction, I needed drugs to silence my mind as much as others require air.' These days, Marinovich lives on the Big Island of Hawaii, hanging out with his dog and creating art. (Check out his work on Instagram.) Creating art isn't a bad life, he admits. 'Art takes me away,' he says. 'I can escape into a place that … it's hard to describe, but time is non-existent in this place, and there's a flow to it. It's kind of similar to athletics, there's a flow to athletics. But with art, there are no rules, and in football, there are.' Todd Marinovich remains one of football's great what-ifs. But even though his NFL career was a spark at best, he still tries to look back on his days at quarterback with pride. 'For me, it's truly about the experience,' he says. 'And I had some just beautiful, amazing — all the adjectives — experiences that the game has given me, and I'm grateful for it.' "Marinovich: Outside the Lines in Football, Art, and Addiction," by Todd Marinovich with Lizzy Wright, goes on sale Aug. 5.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Bronzed ‘SI' Swim model flaunts toned abs in string bikini, sheer sarong
New Sports Illustrated swimsuit star Allison 'Ally' Mason took to social media to show off the results of a recent golden hour photo shoot in beautiful Ibiza, Spain. Since the professional bikini model, 25, hit the Balearic Island for a sun-soaked holiday, she's been dropping stunning photos of herself in a series of chic swimwear looks. The latest? A white string bikini worn under a sheer sarong. 'Sweet escape,' the USC grad captioned the six-image carousel post, which immediately garnered a colorful collage of fire and heart eye emojis.. 'I loveeeee these!!!!!' gushed one fan in the comments. 'Just voted for you!' said another, referring to Sports Illustrated's Swim Search, for which Mason is a finalist. 'Hoping to see you on a poster next year.' 'You got my vote for SI Rookie of the Year!' agreed another. Sports Illustrated's annual Swim Search discovers new models for the next year's print issue. Mason has already hit the runway for the iconic magazine's fashion show to close out Miami Swim Week this past May 31. The VIP-only, sold-out show featured mostly models from this year's issue and took place at the super-glam W South Beach. Also walking in the show were cover stars Livvy Dunne, Jordan Chiles and Lauren Chan, plus models such as Penny Lane, Ilona Maher, Katie Austin, Nicole Williams English, Ali Truwit, Camille Kostek, Achieng Agutu, Jasmine Sanders and Denise Bidot. Read More! Bronzed 'SI' Swim model flaunts toned physique in string bikini 'SI' Swim model flaunts flawless bikini body in stunning braless gown Tanned 'SI' Swim model risks eye-popping swim look for tropical boat day
Geek Tyrant
4 days ago
- Geek Tyrant
George Lucas Makes First Comic-Con Appearance, Unveils His Vision for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art — GeekTyrant
Hall H was packed on Sunday morning at Comic-Con as George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars , made his first-ever appearance onstage at the massive geek event. Joining him were three-time Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and Academy Award-winning production designer Doug Chiang for an event that felt like a major post-COVID milestone for Comic-Con. The trio was there to share an exciting glimpse of the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and fans were treated to an exclusive first look at what Lucas calls a 'temple to the people's art.' The panel was moderated Queen Latifah, who kept the energy lively as these creative titans shared the story behind the ambitious museum project, set to open next year near the USC campus in downtown Los Angeles. 'It's a temple to the people's art,' Lucas said about the stunning Mobius-strip-inspired building designed by architect Ma Yansong. The museum will act as a cultural epicenter for storytelling art in all its forms. Lucas explained that one of his driving motivations for creating the museum was very personal: 'I refused to sell it,' said Lucas, referring to the massive collection he's built since his youth, ranging from comic books to thrifted pieces of art. With more than 40,000 pieces in his personal archive, Lucas wanted a space where this work could be appreciated for its emotional resonance: '(Art) is more about a connection and emotional connection with the work, not how much it cost or what celebrity did it. I don't think it's anything anyone will tell you. If you have emotional connection, it's art. If you don't, just move onto the next painting.' As a board member of the museum, Guillermo del Toro spoke passionately about its importance. After surviving the recent Los Angeles fires, the filmmaker revealed he's also looking at the museum as a safe home for his own personal art collection. He emphasized the universal role of myth in human culture: 'We realize that stories shape the world,' says del Toro. 'One of the narrative branches brutally applied is propaganda. Art is celebrating the work of incredible people, but also is celebrating the thing that belongs to us: Myth, belongs to us. Propaganda belongs to a very small group. Myth unites us and propaganda divides us.' Meanwhile, Chiang, who has worked on Star Wars: Episodes I–III and as production designer on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , The Mandalorian , Ahsoka , and Skeleton Crew , praised the museum for elevating art forms that have long been overlooked: 'It's giving respect to an artform that hasn't been honored before.' Chiang credited comic books as the spark that ignited his creative journey, though, at the time, they weren't respected in the art world. Lucas, he added, taught him that every piece of art needs a story behind it. His hope for the museum is simple yet profound: 'I hope this museum inspires the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta.' Fans in Hall H were treated to an exclusive sizzle reel narrated by Star Wars legend Samuel L. Jackson, offering a sneak peek at the incredible treasures the museum will showcase. Among the highlights: The General Grievous bike Luke Skywalker's landspeeder from the original Star Wars Anakin Skywalker's podracer from The Phantom Menace Concept art by Star Wars visionary Ralph McQuarrie These pieces will be part of the cinema gallery, just one of 30 to 40 planned galleries in the museum. But this isn't just a Star Wars showcase. Visitors can expect a stunning variety of works, including: Paintings by Frida Kahlo and Norman Rockwell Original comic art by R. Crumb and Jack Kirby The first character drawing of Flash Gordon (1934) Original Peanuts strips from the 1950s and 1960s The first Iron Man cover drawing from 1968 The original Black Panther pen-and-ink splash (1968) Lucas spoke with reverence about Rockwell's iconic Freedom From Want painting, saying; 'Family is important, it keeps society together, even if it's tough.' He added that family is one of the core reasons behind building the museum. One cool detail about the Lucas Museum is its design, the building has no right angles, only curves. This design choice symbolizes something essential to Lucas's vision: Art is endless. It outlives us, connects generations, and keeps our myths alive. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art isn't just a building. It's a declaration that the art we grew up loving such as comics, concept art, film design, illustration, is every bit as culturally significant as any masterpiece in a traditional museum. And if this Comic-Con panel is any indication, Lucas is about to give pop culture the cathedral it deserves.
