The Daily Valet. - 10/1/19, Tuesday

✔️ California Is Making History

October 01, 2019

Tuesday, October 1st Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I think I want a kale salad for lunch. Who’s with me?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

A Historic Signing, in a Barber Chair

LeBron James hosted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on his show to sign a bill allowing college athletes to be paid

On Monday, the state of California made history as Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Pay to Play Act (also known as SB 206), a bill that gives college athletes the ability to hire agents and earn money from the use of their names, images and likenesses. Up until now, the standard principle behind college sports has been that student-athletes should not be paid beyond the costs of attending a university.

But that view has been increasingly under scrutiny as college sports becomes a bigger and bigger business. According to the New York Times, “the college sports industry swelled into a behemoth that generated at least $14 billion last year, and as athletes faced mounting demands on their bodies and schedules.”

The NCAA is protesting the bill, warning of a national fallout over the measure. CBS Sports reports that the NCAA believes that if college athletes in California profit off their likeness, they could be found in violation of the organization's longstanding amateurism rules. If that were the case, Cali teams and athletes could be banned from NCAA championship competition.

Whether that will actually happen remains up for debate. And while hands are wringing, other states are lining up to follow suit. Washington and Colorado are already exploring similar laws, while New York and South Carolina have also entered the introductory stages of similar legislation.

LeBron James had been a prominent supporter of the bill, which is why he invited the governor on his HBO show, “The Shop,” where he actually signed the bill—2019 is weird, man. And while the bill is expected to face a court challenge from the NCAA before it is scheduled to go into effect in 2023, the govenor doesn’t seem to be all that worried. He all but dared them to expel the schools. After all, would the NCAA actually let California universities go and take their fanbase in major media markets with them?

↦ FYI: Gov. Gavin Newsom of California played college baseball for Santa Clara and was once a regent for some of California’s largest public universities.

There May Be a Pattern Here

Another call with another world leader

The challenges continue for President Trump's associates caught up in the impeachment inquiry as the ground seems to have shifted again with the New York Times reporting that the president asked the prime minister of Australia to help William Barr, his administration's attorney general, to “probe the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation in a bid to discredit it.” Wait ... are we really going back there? The request came during a phone call, but the White House curbed access to a transcript of the call—which the president made at Barr’s request—to a small group of aides, one of the officials said. The restriction was unusual and similar to the handling of the call with the Ukrainian president at the heart of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. Oh, and Secretary of State Pompeo, who was playing coy about his knowledge of the call? He was actually listening in as it happened.

The attorney general asked the president on several occasions to initiate introductions between him and the leaders of Australia and Italy, among other countries. Why? It’s part of “his review of the origins of the investigation into possible Russian interference in the presidential election, and into members of President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign,” a Department of Justice official told ABC News on Monday. But Barr's conduct has been under heightened scrutiny in recent days, facing criticism from Democrats who have said that the attorney general is acting more as Trump's “protector” than the head of the Department of Justice.

↦ back in the News: Democrats subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani, requesting “text messages, phone records and other communications” by October 15, according to the Associated Press.

Want to Burn Calories While Sitting?

What you should know about the afterburn effect

Today on Valet., we look into the afterburner effect which, if you run in fitness circles, you've likely heard about. And perhaps, like me, you weren't exactly clear on what it meant. The process is said to rev up your metabolism, helping your body burn calories for hours after you exercise. It's a theory many High Intensity Interval Training gyms and personal trainers tout as one of the biggest benefits of their grueling workouts—promising you'll reap the rewards of their one-hour session until the next day. But are these benefits too good to be true?

The theory makes sense on the surface. Like after revving up a car's engine it stays warm for a while, right? But the science is a bit more varied. And like anything associated with health or losing weight, it seems like there's a fair amount of hyperbole built into the hype. But that doesn't mean you can't use the phenomenon to your advantage and burn as many calories and fat as possible.

↦ How To: Maximize the fat shredding benefits of the afterburn effect.

The Kale Boom Has Gone Bust

You don't have to pretend to like the dark leafy green anymore

I understand that I’m likely in the minority here, but I actually really like kale. I like it sautéed in pasta dishes or chopped finely in a salad. Unfortunately for kale, it seems that America was never that into it and the country is moving on. The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull heard that kale sales at the salad chain Sweetgreen were down recently.

So she looked deeper at sales and Google data trends from the vegetable’s full reign and came to what could be the only logical conclusion: Basically no one really liked kale in the first place. “Kale is currently at less than half the search popularity of its 2014 high,” she writes. “But spinach’s sales volume went up nearly four percent in the same period and brussels sprouts saw growth of 19 percent.” Poor kale. But I guess no one’s going to miss it much.

↦ There's always a Tweet: Carrie Brownstein famously tweeted “Kale. Ugh. Feels like a pity fuck every time.”

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The best sweaters on “Succession,” ranked

Are airplane seats getting too small to be safe?

How to tell if an article of clothing will actually last

Definitely Worth a Look

Need Supply Co.’s latest editorial brings new meaning to the term “fit pics”

This isn't sponsored (it'd be labeled if it were) ... I just love this. You've got appreciate a brand like Need Supply Co. They have a way of doing stuff just a bit differently than other retailers. Case in point: their new editorial, dubbed “Fit Pics.”

The images feature good looking outfit pairings as well as cool new accessories for fall. Everything's there ... except for the models. The images look like the rapture came and left behind some sharp looking ensembles. As someone who likes to lay out what he's wearing the night before, I can fully appreciate a production like this. It's certainly a clever way to get you to see yourself in the clothing. Or as they put it, “Picture this: You, living your life, in all the kits of Fall.”

↦ Get Fitted: Of course, every piece in the editorial is available to buy as well.

Sales We’re Eyeing

Navy madras button-down$168 / $69

Most workplaces today have a pretty relaxed approach to office style, but that comes with its own challenges, like having to decode what's appropriate to wear today. Refresh your work wardrobe with a few pieces from Todd Snyder's impressive fall sale.