PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 21: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Today is essentially D-Day for the New York Giants and Saquon Barkley to hammer out a long term deal.
The two sides which have been in bitter and tense negotiations for months have until 4 p.m. today to get something done, or Barkley will indeed hold out of Giants training camp. The deadline would also mean the two sides can’t discuss a deal until after the 2023 season concludes.
Big Blue tagged Barkley during the off-season, which will pay the running back $10.1 million this season. Should they choose to tag him again in 2024, it would cost the Giants $12 million. At stake is guaranteed money. The Giants offered Barkley $19 million guaranteed, but he balked, since that price tag is lower than the $22 million he would make on two years worth of the franchise tag.
The Giants have also offered Barkley $13 million annually; Barkley wanted $16 million a year.
With each passing minute and hour, it is becoming increasingly likely that a hold out could happen, and it would jeopardize Barkley’s availability for Week 1 of the 2023 season against Dallas on September 10.
According to North Jersey.com, ” [I]f he starts missing games, the tag decreases by 1/17th and he’d lose $594,000 per week. In that case, if the situation reached post-Week 10, Barkley would not be allowed to play this season.”
There is no doubt that if the Giants are going to get back to the playoffs this season, coming off last year’s successful run, they need to have Barkley on the field. He accounted hauled in 75 percent of passes that went his way last season from quarterback Daniel Jones, and one can argue a big reason Jones went on to have his best season at quarterback was in due part to Barkley rushing for 1,312 yards on the ground.
Will the sides agree today? We’ll find out soon enough.
New Balance's Artist Roster Includes Jack Harlow
It used to be that when you heard of an artist “signed” to a brand name that was typically a record label. Today, it’s not uncommon for such acts to be part of a major non-music brand. In fact, over the past few years, artists have been signed to New Balance and will often rock their footwear on stage.
The footwear company has put a lot of effort — and money — into changing their image. In 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love Ryan Gosling’s Jacob Palmer famously dunked on Steve Carell’s Cal Weaver for wearing New Balances. “In that case, you got no right to wear New Balance sneakers, ever,” Jacob tells Cal, who was praising his 407’s while Jacob was trying to give him a lesson on style, and what not to wear.
New Balance has made a massive comeback, however. Much of this has to do with their retro and vintage approach. Sneaker lines like their 574 model have been the poster shoe for those who are completely embracing this vintage styling. You may even see striped tube socks in tandem with the 574’s.
Collabs
Complex Magazine detailed how New Balance was moving past their “dad” brand image. In their story, they highlight the company’s approach to being open to collaborations and allowing them to be innovative paths into new demographics. “Media impressions for its collabs increased around 200 percent from early 2021 to early 2022,” Complex explained.
In a recent feature by AOIbot that details the favorite sneaker of every state in the country, New Balance was all over the map. In fact, the NB 550 was Massachusetts’ favorite shoe.
Boston + Sports
With New Balance’s headquarters located in the Boston area, the brand has made a strong effort to have a visible local presence. Former Red Sox players like Dustin Pedrioa (who was a fan favorite) started wearing New Balance cleats. Now, they have partnered with the most popular player in the game in Shohei Ohtani. They announced the long-term deal back in January. Ohtani is not only one of the most popular players in MLB, but in the entire sport, globally.
New Balance has also had a firm grip on Lacrosse. They’ve designed and delivered on the most common brand of Lax cleats. Premier Lacrosse League All-Stars like Trevor Baptiste often collaborate with New Balance as well.
Narrowing in on the entertainment world though, you will find a number of artists sporting New Balance lines on stage. With touring being the primary avenue for artists to maximize their income, many are finding creative ways to to enhance their personal brands by using their platform to showcase others they have teamed with. In addition, comfort and support are important to artists who need to take the stage every night.
Here, we will take a further look at present-day artists who are signed to New Balance.
