Jerod Mayo gave an interesting answer when asked about the Patriots having the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
January 2024
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The Best Outdoor Speakers to Buy in 2024
There are a lot of great Bluetooth speakers, but not all of them are great for an outdoor speaker setup, which has to be tough enough to survive the elements and usually isn’t designed with the same portability in mind. While some Bluetooth speakers do make perfectly fine outdoor speakers, the quest for the best setup for your next pool party, barbeque, or camping trip might take you in a different direction.
The following speakers are all able to withstand rain, and some are even built to stay outdoors year-round, and all have enough battery life to last most of the day. Here are my picks for great outdoor speakers, depending on what matters to you.
Best outdoor speaker with voice control
The Sonos 2 differ from most outdoor speakers in that they can be controlled with your voice, via either Alexa or the Sonos Voice Assistant when you’re connected to Bluetooth. This speaker can also connect to your phone via wifi. The Sonos 2 offers an impressive 24-hour battery life, which makes the imposing design a bit more palatable. Another welcome feature: “Auto Trueplay”, which automatically optimizes the audio output to your environment, whether indoors or out.
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Sonos Move 2 ($449)
The best outdoor speaker for a large gathering
If you’re having a backyard gathering with friends or family and need a powerful speaker to power the party, the JBL Boombox 3 can hold its own. It’s one of the best-sounding boombox-style outdoor speakers you can find, and its PP67 waterproof rating means it can survive a pool party. One downside: This thing is hefty, weighing in at nearly 15 pounds, so it probably isn’t a good choice if you plan to be moving it around a lot. Also, keep in mind that in order to maximize its audio output, you will need to plug it into an AC outlet.
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JBL Boombox 3 ($499.95)
The best outdoor speaker for an event
If you’re hosting an event and need to string multiple speakers together, you’ll need something with more power. I’ve been hosting Street FC soccer games at my local park for three months using the Soundboks 4, and I’ve gotten more compliments and queries about my setup than the goals I’ve seen scored. The Soundboks 4 works great as a one-speaker setup, with powerful 126db sound that will turn heads, but it can also be wirelessly linked to five more of its kind. It has a 40-hour battery, and highly customizable EQ in its accompanying app. I’ve even used it to host karaoke parties, thanks to its input settings that allow you to plug in microphones and instruments.
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Soundboks 4 ($999)
The best stationary outdoor speakers
If you’re looking to set up your speakers outdoors and forget about them, consider the OSD Audio AP650. This pair of speakers is a great value for their price and audio quality. Their full sound can easily fill 1,500 square feet of outdoor space without dropping the beat., and they are fully sealed to protect them from intrusion by water, dust, and bugs.
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OSD Audio AP650 ($194.99)
The best budget outdoor speakers
For those on a budget, consider the Dual Electronics LU53PW. This pair of speakers is a little lacking in bass and can sound a bit rough at full volume, but they’ll give you the best bang for your buck, costing for less than half what you’ll pay for the OSD Audio AP650. They are likewise sealed to prevent water, dust, or bugs from getting in. If you’re especially frugal, wait for a sale—you can often pick them up at a discount.
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Dual Electronics LU53PW ($79.99)
Mike McCarthy, Bill Belichick & more head coach hiring cycle news | Inside Coverage
Jason Fitz is joined by Senior NFL Reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein to go behind the scenes and give the how and why on the latest news around the NFL. The head coach hiring cycle is in full swing, and the trio kick things off by discussing Jori and Charles’ upcoming piece on the best and worst head coach vacancies around the NFL. The consensus is that Carolina is the worst, while Philadelphia and Dallas would be the best should they open up. That leads to a conversation around Nick Sirianni and Mike McCarthy, and whether the two NFC East coaches are safe or not (and whether they should be). Charles strongly believes Bill Belichick would not be a good fit in Dallas, but would be in Atlanta.
Jim Harbaugh interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Charles and Jori are both fairly sure he will return to the NFL this offseason given the rumors coming out of Michigan. The Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons appear to be the frontrunners.
New England Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo had his first press conference, and Jori had some key takeaways, including the fact that Mayo had it written in his contract that he would succeed Belichick (which is very rare). Charles was impressed with Robert Kraft’s clear vote of confidence in Mayo going forward.
You Can Get a Year of NeuroNation for $40 Right Now
NeuroNation Brain Training offers personalized and fun brain exercises, and it’s on sale for $39.99 right now (reg. $84). When you launch the app, you’ll be led through a brief assessment to gauge your strengths and weaknesses, and then NeuroNation will generate a personalized set of brain games and other fun mental exercises ranging from practicing quick math, to solving riddles, to memory games and logic tests. Of course, nothing can magically give your brain a boost overnight, but brain teaser games are fun even if they don’t radically improve your analytical thinking. It’s available on iOS and Android, has a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on TrustPilot, and comes with a community of over 20 million members enjoying the games.
You can get a one-year subscription to NeuroNation on sale for $39.99 right now (reg. $84), though prices can change at any time.
Why the Pacers’ trade for Pascal Siakam makes so much sense
Sure, there is risk involved in acquiring the likely free agent, but with Siakam on board, Indiana might have a second All-NBA-caliber player who augments its greatest strength and strengthens its greatest weakness.
The Pacers are gambling on Siakam — but have an ace in the hole
Sure, there is risk involved in acquiring the likely free agent, but the chance to play alongside Tyrese Haliburton in an offense unlike any other he has before could sway Pascal Siakam.