Even though the ongoing reappraisal of nu metal has recognized that era as a significant cultural moment, Sacramento band Deftones still manage to catch a bad rap. Sure, they came up as part of the same movement as Korn and Limp Bizkit, and they toyed with some dated, aggro rap-rock on a couple songs in their early days—minor infractions that forever saddled them with the nu-metal label. But the only people who can actually complain about the band have never really listened to them. Deftones play a sort of hybrid of alternative metal and dream pop, sounding like Helmet fronted by Morrissey or the moody love child of Faith No More and the Cure. 

Deftones have even nodded to shoegaze and postrock: “Cherry Waves” (off 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist) is just as creamy and heart-wrenching as anything My Bloody Valentine has ever released, while “Mascara” (off 1998’s classic Around the Fur) could pass for a lost Slint demo. Hell, if Deftones’ 1998 single “Be Quiet and Drive” had picked up a bit more airplay upon its release, it could have usurped “Everlong” as 90s radio rock’s most ubiquitous post-shoegaze emotional banger. Deftones have attempted a slight reinvention with each of their records—on 2000’s White Pony they got moody and dynamic, and on 2016’s Gore they added some djent-inspired eight-string guitar. But they’ve never strayed too far from the formula that’s made them one of rock’s most enduring and consistent bands—groovy, absolutely slamming rhythms; incredibly heavy, chunky guitars; swaths of dreamy synths and sound design; and Chino Moreno’s gorgeous, crooning vocals. Their latest record, Ohms, released smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic, streamlines all Deftones’ signature moves into their most stripped-down and direct set of songs in years.

Deftones, Gojira, VOWWS, Fri 5/27, 7 PM, Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S. Linn White, $38-$79, all ages

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Major League Baseball has suspended New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson for one game for “inappropriate comments” made to Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson on Saturday.

Donaldson, who also was fined an undisclosed amount, is appealing the punishment, MLB announced. He will be eligible to play for the Yankees until the appeal process is completed. Shortly before the suspension was announced, the Yankees said Donaldson had been put on the COVID-19 injured list.

“MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said in a statement. “There is no dispute over what was said on the field. Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions. In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”

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White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz didn’t think the penalty was enough.

“Just one game. We all saw his malice at third a week ago, then this comment with the ridiculous excuse that followed. What’s the point or message behind a 1 game suspension? This is incredibly disappointing and plain frustrating,” Katz tweeted.

Donaldson after the game Saturday acknowledged calling Anderson “Jackie” — a nod to Jackie Robinson, who broke MLB’s color barrier in 1947 — in the first inning. The Yankees third baseman apologized, saying he meant no disrespect.

But Anderson, who is Black, said Saturday that he was offended by Donaldson’s comment, calling it “disrespectful” and “unnecessary.” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Saturday that he thought Donaldson’s comment was “racist.”

Donaldson, who is white, said the “Jackie” comment was in reference to a 2019 interview with Sports Illustrated in which Anderson described himself as feeling like “today’s Jackie Robinson” in how he’s “getting to a point where I need to change the game.” Donaldson said it was a reference about which he has “joked around” with Anderson in the past.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that he did not think Donaldson should have made the comment.

“I don’t believe there was any malicious intent in that regard,” Boone told reporters. “But you know, this is, just in my opinion, somewhere he should not be going.”

The American League East-leading Yankees are scheduled to open a three-game series against Baltimore on Monday night and then head to Tampa Bay for a four-game set beginning Thursday.

Donaldson had clashed with the White Sox on multiple occasions before this weekend.

The benches also emptied May 13 after Anderson shoved Donaldson following a hard tag in Chicago. White Sox ace Lucas Giolito used an expletive in calling Donaldson a “pest” last year after the third baseman appeared to yell “Not sticky anymore!” after a first-inning homer for Minnesota — a reference to MLB cracking down on pitchers using sticky substances on baseballs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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On NBC Sports Chicago, David Kaplan had Josh Schrock as a guest to talk about the Chicago Bears. In particular, they talked about second-year quarterback Justin Fields. Schrock is a Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago.

They talked about how he has been exceeding expectations so far at camp. There have been a lot of notable people talking about how good he has looked and what kind of impact he can make in the National Football League this season.

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DALLAS — One win away from returning to the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry says this is the best stretch of basketball this current Golden State Warriors team has played.

Having won four straight games dating back to Game 6 of the last round against Memphis, the Warriors look to complete a sweep of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 on Tuesday.

“For sure,” Curry said on Monday when asked if this is the best this team has played so far. “Because it is obviously magnified by the moment. You can look at other stretches where we probably played better offensively and better defensively in spurts. But to put it all together and for it to lead to wins at this stage, that is really all that matters.”

The Warriors opened this season winning 18 of their first 20 games and started off 41-13 before some key injuries slowed them down. But they’re finding a way to win when it matters most in this postseason, including the first three games of this Western Conference finals by 25, nine and nine points, respectively.

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One thing that the Mavericks hope for is a repeat of what happened when the Warriors had their first crack at closing out the Denver Nuggets in the first round and then the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round, both on the road.

Golden State lost Game 4 in Denver 126-121, when it was going for a sweep. They would eventually eliminate the Nuggets in five games at home. And in the second round, the Warriors had a chance to seal the series in Game 5 only to be obliterated 134-95 in Memphis. The Warriors trailed by as much as 55 in that one-sided affair before winning the series in six at home.

“In Denver, we played sloppy in the first half,” Curry said. “We were just kind of all over the place and gave them life, on top of them playing well. And that allowed their home crowd to get into it.

“In Memphis, we were outmatched, outgameplanned from the start and didn’t respond well until Game 6. Take those lessons and understand that feeling it is extremely hard to close out any team, especially on the road, you got to bring it.”

Draymond Green said on Sunday that the Warriors put a lot of their focus on getting Game 3 because they understood that with a former Hall of Fame player in head coach Jason Kidd and a likely future Hall of Fame player in Luka Doncic, the Mavericks won’t quit.

But now the Warriors say they’re going to have pick that focus up even higher to eliminate the Mavericks.

“I thought we were a little careless in Denver,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said at the team hotel after players and coaches gathered together. “And Memphis just destroyed us in that Game 5. I think our guys have improved and learned a lot during these playoffs and I would expect that we learned from those two games that we lost and we will have a more focused effort tomorrow.”

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The Chicago Cubs just celebrated Fergie Jenkins this weekend at Wrigley Field. He is one of the greatest pitchers in Chicago baseball history. Now, the Chicago White Sox have a guy hoping to have a similar impact on the city in terms of baseball.

Michael Kopech made another start on Sunday night. It was the second game of a doubleheader and the White Sox were looking to sweep it and take a big series with the New York Yankees. Kopech got the job done against the MLB team with the best record and best offense.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Lorenzen Wright’s ex-wife will not be granted early release from a 30-year prison sentence she received after pleading guilty to plotting the retired NBA player’s 2010 slaying, the Tennessee Board of Parole said Monday.

The board voted to deny parole for Sherra Wright, who entered a guilty plea in July 2019 to facilitation of first-degree murder in her ex-husband’s killing. The decision was reached after three of seven board members agreed to deny her release based on the seriousness of her offense, board spokesman Dustin Krugel said in an email to The Associated Press.

Sherra Wright appeared at a parole hearing May 11 at the prison in Nashville where she is being held. Wright said she has done well in classes she is taking from prison and has a support system to help her when she is released. Two of her children gave statements on her behalf.

Among those speaking against her early release was Lorenzen Wright’s mother, Deborah Marion. She said Sherra Wright should serve the full 30 years of her sentence.

Sherra Wright received the hearing based on her so-called “safety valve” date, which is the earliest possible release date for some inmates under an executive order regarding prison overcrowding. Tennessee’s Department of Correction said she has received more than three years of credit related to her time served.

Board member Barrett Rich presided over the hearing and recommended that the board deny parole. Her next parole hearing is scheduled for May 2027.

Lorenzen Wright’s slaying is one of the most highly publicized murder cases in Memphis history. His decomposing body was found riddled with bullet wounds in a swampy field in east Memphis on July 28, 2010. The 34-year-old father of six had been missing for days before his body was discovered.

A Memphis native, Wright was a 6-foot, 11-inch center who played 13 seasons in the NBA before he retired after the 2008-2009 season.

Billy Ray Turner and Sherra Wright were indicted on first-degree murder charges in December 2017, more than seven years after the killing. She entered a surprise guilty plea on the lesser charge of facilitation of murder, but Turner claimed he was innocent and went to trial. He was convicted in March of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

A motive for the slaying was not made clear during the trial, though prosecutors said the killers were driven by jealousy and greed. Sherra Wright received $1 million from her ex-husband’s life insurance policy and settled a court dispute in 2014 over how she spent the insurance money meant to benefit their six children.

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Q: I am a 37-year-old heterosexual woman in a monogamous relationship with a het cis male. Let’s call him “Rick.” We’ve been together for five years and engaged for two. Our sex went from passionate, fun, and frequent early in the relationship to nearly nonexistent now. I have gently initiated conversations about how to spice it up—sexy dates, sex toys, new positions, even nonmonogamy—but Rick never took me up on any of my suggestions. I encouraged him to get bloodwork done, thinking maybe it was a decline in testosterone or something. I loved him and was legitimately concerned. I also made the pact with myself that I could live with only having sex four to five times a year because Rick brought so much “good” to the table. Outside of sex, our relationship is supportive, positive, and fun.

Fast forward: I recently learned that Rick has a profile on an online dating app. We are not in an open relationship, even though I’d offered that as a possible solution to our sex woes. After some mild questioning, his story unraveled. He admitted to exchanging sexy pics and videos with more than 20 women on the Internet over the last few years. He was apparently going into our spare bedroom or bathroom to make and send these videos—sometimes when I was home, sometimes when I was waiting in bed for him. After talking with a friend, she confided in me that Rick’s ex had discovered dozens of sexting convos on Rick’s phone with strangers when they were together.

My questions are both general and specific to me. First, is it possible for someone to be incapable of physical intimacy when there is love involved? I’m no expert, but it strikes me as troubling that Rick can’t make love with me—going so far as to blame it on hormonal shifts—when it’s not biological at all; he just prefers to jerk off with strangers. Is this actually a thing? Only being physically attracted to an anonymous, impersonal, meaningless stranger? My next question is: Is there hope for a future with Rick when he is lying to me—a GGG partner who wanted to work through this—and also lying to himself? I think I know the answer, but: am I better off alone? —Sick Of Rick’s Dick Image Doings

A: Yes, SORDID, some people are incapable of being physically intimate when love is involved.

There are straight men out there with what’s called Madonna-whore complexes; these men can’t make love with and/or fuck women they love and respect. These men view sex as dirty and degrading, and they don’t wanna do dirty and degrading things with (or to) women they have feelings for. Frankly, I don’t know what would be worse: being married to man that refused to fuck me (because he respected me too much) or being fucked by a man like that (because he didn’t respect me at all). On the flip side, there are straight women who seem to have husband-material complexes. There are guys they can see themselves married to and possibly having kids with—husband material, e.g., good, kind, reliable guys—but those aren’t the men they’re excited about fucking. Instead, it’s bad, unkind, unreliable guys that turn these women on.

Oh, and there’s a new type of long-term, committed, romantic partner out there who doesn’t wanna fuck people they love: freysexuals.

A freysexual may love their romantic partner and wanna marry that person and make a life with them, SORDID, but a freysexual doesn’t wanna and/or can’t fuck someone they have strong and/or any feelings for. Basically, love is erotic kryptonite to the freysexual. Being freysexual doesn’t excuse your fiancé’s dishonesty, SORDID, assuming he is freysexual. Simply put, if your fiancé is freysexual and knew that about himself—even if he didn’t know there was a word/bespoke sexual orientation for him—he should’ve disclosed that to you. And if he only just realized it, he should’ve accepted your invitation to renegotiate the terms of your commitment, i.e., take you up on your offer to have an ethically nonmonogamous relationship. (For the record: I’m not suggesting that freysexuality isn’t a legitimate sexual orientation—freysexuals already have their own pride flag, and we all know how high that bar is—but I am suggesting freysexuals shouldn’t make sexually-excusive commitments to romantic partners or demand sexually-exclusive commitments from romantic partners.)

Whatever the deal is with your fiancé, SORDID, weddings are not famous for reviving sexually moribund relationships. So, if you want more than supportive, positive, and fun vibes from your future husband—if you want regular and decent sex on top of all that—don’t marry this guy. But if the idea of being in a companionate marriage with this man appeals to you, SORDID, that’s something you should explore with the help of a couples’ counselor.

Oh, and if sexting women he barely knows is his primary sexual interest and outlet, SORDID, your fiancé already opened your relationship—on his end. There’s no reason you should have to wait to open it on your end.

Q: My partner and I recently bought a bar in a small town, far from the city we’d lived in, which has been both fun and challenging. Anyway, a couple started coming in and quickly became very talkative about their personal situation. She’s a straight-presenting woman, he’s a bisexual man, they have an open relationship. At first I thought, okay, great. It’s a small community, and I’m glad they feel comfortable being themselves in our place. But their behavior has rapidly escalated, however, to the man making comments to staff members that are inappropriate, ranging from crude come-ons to telling one all about how ugly and weird his own dick is. I’m guessing that shaming himself like that is a kink for him. But we don’t want to hear his confessions. I need to address it, but I wanted some advice as to how. Shutting down garden-variety horny cis guys is something I have decades of experience with, but I wonder if I should be more delicate here, given their situation. I don’t want anyone to think we are biased, but this behavior is not acceptable, and I need to protect my staff. —Boundaries And Respectful Treatment Escape Numbskull Dumbasses

P.S. Public Service Announcement: Bartenders are not sex workers. It is lazy and exhausting for people to assume that just because someone’s job is serving and entertaining you, that they also are game for fucking you or your partner or both of you or you and your friends. Double shame on the ones who also hold a gratuity hostage while you politely rebuff them. It happens a lot and needs to stop.

A: I’m guessing these people started coming into your bar after you bought it, BARTEND, because the previous owners 86ed them years ago. And I predict their bad behavior is going to escalate the longer you hesitate to 86 these motherfuckers yourself.

Download the Savage Lovecast at savagelovecast.com.

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