Super Bowl champion and New Jersey native Victor Cruz recently launched a new fitness program called UNDRAFTED on the Ladder app. The former Giant's wideout told Cheddar that the partnership was a no-brainer allowing him to dish expert advice after years of training his own body.
"I wanted the feeling of that program to be different than the other programs they have on there because you get the dynamic approach of myself, a former athlete, and an actual trainer as well that knows what he's doing and my level of expertise from years of training and years of learning my body, I can add that as well, along with personal anecdotes," Cruz explained.
The personal training program featured on the app provides users with "fresh workouts" on a weekly basis, he said, with the opportunity to chat with other members of the program. Users can even upload progress pictures.
"It's something that I can speak to easily, and I just thought the app was dope because you get one-on-one training with myself and Eric in your ear, talking to you, in and out of your own music: your Spotifys, your iTunes, all of that can be listened to within the app. It's kind of integrated in there," the former NFL player noted.
Building Community
According to Cruz, community building isn't just limited to UNDRAFTED. The Victor Cruz Foundation has worked for years to establish strong community bonds and promote education.
The former New York Giant said it all started with a trip to the White House Science fair during the Obama administration, sparking Cruz to provide empowerment tools for the youth in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.
"I wanted to reach back to the people that look like me. The kids that walked the same hallways I walked, streets, boys and girls clubs, all these different places that really shaped me as a kid," he said. "I wanted to give them more resources and give them the kind of understanding that 'hey, look, there's more out there than you may think or what your resources may allow.'"
The foundation is focused on introducing children to STEM, and since its beginnings, Cruz said his proudest accomplishment has been watching the growth and success of the kids involved in the program.
The Big Game
Meanwhile, when it comes to winning, Cruz knows a thing or two about the process of being crowned champion on football's biggest stage. Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, win or lose, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady is already the greatest quarterback of all time, according to Brady's former opponent.
"I don't think people even understand the kind of level that Tom Brady's on right now. Even myself. I claimed him the best quarterback in the world like five years ago when he had his fourth championship," he offered.
Cruz, however, did not go so far as to predict a winner in the game between Tampa Bay and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, as those players gear up for the big game, Cruz noted that the pandemic's impact on the pomp and pageantry around this year's Super Bowl should allow them to be more relaxed about executing their game plans.
"Well you got to try your best to stay focused, and this year, I think, they're lucky that this year has been the kind of year that it's been in terms of fans and not having the same level of just fan craziness and family craziness," he said.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
