When Zozibini Tunzi moved into the Midtown apartment where Cheslie Kryst was living last December, some roommate tension might have been expected.
Ms. Tunzi — at the time the reigning Miss South Africa — had just beaten Ms. Kryst — the reigning Miss USA — in the Miss Universe pageant. The rival beauty queens were to be roommates for the next six months, until a new Miss USA was crowned in May 2020.
The setup certainly had the potential for awkwardness, if not outright animosity. But the apartment — a sprawling three-bedroom, three-bathroom in a luxury doorman building near Central Park South — was too good to pass up. Pageant winners live there for a year rent-free (or a year and a half, if Miss USA wins Miss Universe), and weekly housekeeping and grocery expenses are also covered. (Both pageants are run by the Miss Universe Organization.)
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The living room is primarily a workspace, with multiple tripods and a teleprompter corner. Though living room use might be an issue with some roommates, “it’s not like either of us sit in the living room watching TV super loud,” said Ms. Kryst. “The only time we have to accommodate each other is doing Instagram live.”Credit...via Cheslie Kryst & Zozi Tunzi
Ms. Kryst, who moved into the apartment after she won the Miss USA title in May 2019, wasn’t worried. In college, she was often friends with her track-and-field competitors. Besides, the women travel extensively during their yearlong reigns. “I barely ever saw my last roommate in the last seven months. I think we went out together for dinner five or six times,” Ms. Kryst said.
“Of course, if I knew about the pandemic, I would have been much more stressed,” she added.
When coronavirus hit, both women’s busy travel schedules came to an abrupt halt and their roster of international appearances turned virtual. In the first few weeks of the pandemic, they went from barely being in the apartment to barely leaving it.
“We would just go and walk in the park for hours. We were too scared to do anything else,” Ms. Kryst said. “I would wear gloves to the grocery store.”
Ms. Kryst’s room has more personal touches. “I wanted the room to feel like me with family photos, my jewelry,” said Ms. Kryst, who has lived in the apartment since May 2019, when she became Miss USA.Credit...via Cheslie Kryst & Zozi Tunzi
The Miss USA 2020 pageant has been postponed until later this year, meaning that Ms. Kryst will retain her tiara, her room and her roommate until organizers determine that it’s safe to hold the competition again. The same goes for Ms. Tunzi, as the Miss Universe pageant has been postponed indefinitely.
Fortunately, while the two women hadn’t spent much time together in the months leading up to the shutdown, they had enjoyed one another’s company when they did.
“I don’t want to lie — you do worry about having an unpleasant person as a roommate,” Ms. Tunzi said. “But we got along at the pageant and I knew that if I won, my roommate would be Cheslie. Whereas she could have had 90 different people.”
“I was happy that it was Zozi,” Ms. Kryst said. “People handle competition in different ways. Some people are outgoing, some people are quiet. Zozi and me are both chill. We liked to be together in the formations. After I didn’t make top five, I was like, ‘Let it be Zozi.’ ”
“She’s the best roommate ever,” Ms. Tunzi said. “Also, I’m a bit messy.”
Ms. Tunzi’s room is more minimalist. Coming to New York from South Africa, she had pared down her personal belongings before moving. Each woman has two personal closets, although there are additional ones throughout the apartment, mostly filled with suitcases.Credit...via Cheslie Kryst & Zozi Tunzi
“I’ve lived with much messier people,” Ms. Kryst said. “I have four little brothers. She’s not that bad.”
Both women lived alone before moving into the apartment. Ms. Kryst, 29, a civil litigation attorney, had a loft in downtown Charlotte, N.C. Ms. Tunsi, 27, who had been interning at an advertising firm in Cape Town, had never lived with anyone who wasn’t a family member.
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Zozibini Tunzi, 27, and Cheslie Kryst, 29
Occupation: Ms. Tunzi is Miss Universe; Ms. Kryst is Miss USA. Suitcase storage: Is an issue, despite the apartment’s large size and the many closets. Each woman has numerous suitcases since so much of the job usually involves long trips and many costume changes. Traveling with multiple gowns and a suitcase just for shoes is not unusual. Where do they keep their crowns? Ms. Tunzi prefers to store hers at the nearby Miss Universe offices, but Ms. Kryst keeps hers on the night stand. “It’s a Mikimoto tiara, which is one of the most iconic designs,” she said. “It’s embarrassing, but I like to wake up and look at it.” Ms. Tunzi and pageants: “At 7, my mom took me to this pageant at church. I was really shy, she wanted me to meet other young girls. But then I loved it, the feeling of making friends and then the confidence of walking onstage.” Ms. Kryst and pageants: “My mom was the second Black Mrs. North Carolina, so I knew no matter what, I was going to compete. I started when I was 13 or 14, in high school.”
The apartment’s size, they agree, makes sharing it relatively easy. Both were surprised at how large the space was the first time they saw it.
“Before I came to New York, everyone told me things are really small; even the hotel rooms are like shoe boxes,” Ms. Tunzi said. “I walked in and was like, ‘This is a huge space.’ ”
“You think of New York as being 300-square-foot apartments, but this is massive,” Ms. Kryst said. “With the pandemic, you get to the point where you want to be outside, but I have my own room, I have my own bathroom, we have an extra bedroom.”
The closet in the third bedroom, where Miss Teen USA stays when she visits the city, has become a voice recording studio since the women started working from home.Credit...via Cheslie Kryst & Zozi Tunzi
The third bedroom, which is reserved for Miss Teen USA when she visits the city, has become a work space — the closet is great for recording voice-overs — as has the living room. They had used the living room sparingly before, as a place to catch up between work trips, but they now shoot all their videos there; there’s even a teleprompter corner.
Unlike most people working from home these days, the women still spend a lot of time getting ready for work — a Zoom shirt will not suffice for a Miss Universe appearance. But even they have been able to relax things a little bit.
“If you’re doing your hair to go somewhere, it has to be really on point. On camera it’s not quite as hard,” Ms. Kryst said. “And probably the strangest thing is that I haven’t worn shoes — heels — in a really long time.”
Ms. Kryst keeps her Miss USA tiara on her night stand. “It’s a Mikimoto tiara, which is one of the most iconic designs,” she said. “It’s embarrassing, but I like to wake up and look at it.”Credit...via Cheslie Kryst & Zozi Tunzi
When they do go out, it’s often to Central Park. They like to walk through the park to get banana pudding at the Magnolia Bakery on the Upper West Side. The pandemic has meant not only getting to know the city better than they otherwise would have — “Before, people would be like, ‘What’s your favorite thing to do in New York and I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’m at the airport,” Ms. Tunzi said — but also each other.
“We’ve talked about Covid, Black Lives Matter,” Ms. Kryst said. “I think us being both women of color, having a real sister in the house, we understand the impact that being a person of color has on the titleholder. When we won we both had to face unkind comments.”
They had been talking about going to a Black Lives Matter protest together when, on a walk to Central Park, they bumped into one and joined in. “It was really cool to go to one with someone who valued it as much as I did,” Ms. Kryst said. “She knows we’re in this together.”
It’s an activity you do in the great outdoors, with plenty of fresh air. There are more than enough trees, usually, and there’s no need for everyone to crowd around the same one.
Sure, there are some fun things about apple picking that might not be suitable for social distancing. Some Maine orchards that usually have a lot of kids’ activities, like bouncy houses, are cancelling those this year. The selling of pies, cider or donuts will take place outside at many orchards, not inside an orchard’s store or barn. Several orchards say they’ll charge people by the container instead of by the pound this year, to avoid long lines at cash registers.
Happy apple pickers at Apple Acres Farm in Hiram. Photo courtesy of Apple Acres Farm
Maine’s pick-your-own apple orchards are open for business this fall, many kicking into gear this weekend. Orchard owners from around the state held a meeting this summer to figure out how to open safely, and discuss things like the state’s limit on outdoor gatherings – 100 people – as well as reducing contact and the state’s requirement that masks be worn when social distancing can’t be practiced. Most are discouraging people from eating the apples while they pick.
To find an orchard near you, including what they are offering and their COVID-19 rules, check out the website of the Maine Pomological Society at maineapples.org. The site lists some 60 orchards all over the state and lets you search by county.
Below are a few examples of southern Maine orchards, and what they’re offering this year.
BE RESERVED
McDougal Orchards in Springvale is letting people make weekend picking reservations online, to avoid crowds. Reservations are accepted up to 14 days before, but if there’s space available, walk-ins are accepted, too. The orchard will not have wagon rides or a swing set this year. But it will be offering a lot of fruit to pick, including apples, raspberries, pears, plums and pumpkins. The farm store will be selling foods, baskets and pre-picked produce, and there will be hot apple cider donuts for sale starting Labor Day weekend. The orchard has some 40 varieties of apples to choose from, but don’t sample them while picking, orchard managers say, and make frequent use of hand washing stations around the property. For more information, go to mcdougalorchards.com.
McDougal Orchards in Springvale is offering apple-picking reservations. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
PICK YOUR VIEW
Ricker Hill Orchards in Turner is high on a hill with gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside. It’s also spread out in a way that makes social distancing easier, as the activity area where kids play is about a mile and a half from the actual apple trees. There’ll be no bouncy house this year and probably no wagon rides. But there will be goats and a corn maze. Of course, there’s apple and pumpkin picking with hand washing stations nearby, and staff will keep track of how many people are in certain areas of the orchard. Cider doughnuts will be sold from a window in the store, so no one has to come in. There will be entertainment on some weekends, including juggler Jason Tardy and animal handler Mr. Drew and his Animals Too. For information, including dates of specific entertainment, go to rickerhill.com.
ACRES OF APPLES
Apple Acres Farm in Hiram is in the foothills of the western mountains, and has certified organic apples for picking. All apples will be sold by the bag and not by weight, and wagons for toting apples will be sanitized. The farm’s restaurant will be serving stone-fired pizza, sandwiches, soups and salads, with outdoor seating and limited indoor seating in the Treehouse Room. If you want to pick apples and then shop while keeping your distance, you can. Every item the farm sells, from maple syrup to gifts and doughnuts, will be available for purchase on the website and for curbside pickup. So you can pick apples outdoors, pick up your fresh local goodies, and be on your way. The farm is also having musicians play live outdoors on select weekends. For more information, go to appleacresfarm.com.
Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick will be selling doughnuts and smoothies in a variety of flavors. Michele McDonald/Staff Photographer
ROLLING HILLS
Doles Orchard in Limington sits on a gently rolling hill in a rural and scenic part of York County. This year, it expects to have some 30 varieties for picking, plus raspberries, too. Like most other orchards, they are selling by the bag, both to shorten lines and avoid contact. They’ll be selling baked goods – pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite – and will have some food trucks on weekends. For more information, go to dolesorchard.com.
YOU PICK
At Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick, there’s no doubt what business they are in. The 40-acre orchard had peaches earlier this year for picking, and as of last week had raspberries, blueberries and apples. The orchard will be making and selling homemade doughnuts in a variety of flavors: blueberry, strawberry, apple cider and red velvet. Fresh fruit smoothies and hot kettle corn will also be available. The farm has set up a check-in area and asks people to start there and follow the signs. Touchless payment is available with credit cards or Apple/Samsung Pay. Musicians will perform all day long on weekends, and some weekdays as well. For more information, go to libbysonupicks.com.
Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Follow him on Twitter »Ohm's chat archive »
LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected late in the first quarter of Game 6 on Sunday for a flagrant foul 2 committed against Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic in a continuation of the heated rivalry that developed between the two players in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
As Doncic drove to the basket with 1:07 remaining in the quarter, Morris swiped and smacked him on the right side of his head, causing Doncic to crash to the court. Morris glared at Doncic as he was down on the floor, and Doncic bounced to his feet to confront Morris before players and coaches separated the two.
Referee Scott Foster said in a postgame pool report that the replay showed Morris wind up, make impact and follow through to Doncic's head and neck area, which was "unnecessary and excessive contact" that merited a flagrant 2 and an automatic ejection.
"It was a terrible play. What can I say?" Doncic said after his 38-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist performance in the Mavs' season-ending 111-97 loss. "It's two games in a row he did something like that. I really hoped the first game it wasn't on purpose, but looking back on the foul this game, you know what I think.
"I don't want to deal with that kind of players. Just move on."
Morris said it was "a hard foul," and he understood that he got Doncic above the shoulders, which merits a flagrant 2. But he reiterated that he was not trying to hurt Doncic. Morris said he thought it was "absurd" that some thought he was trying to injure Doncic in Game 5, when he stepped on the Dallas star's left ankle area, which led to Doncic's shoe coming off.
"They had to make that call," Morris said of the flagrant 2 on Sunday. "I think, honestly, we had a lot of back-and-forth this series. It was a hard-fought series. I just don't want people to mistake playing basketball, playing hard with trying to hurt somebody. I think Tim Hardaway had an extremely hard foul with [Paul George] last game, and it wasn't taken in [the same context]."
Talking about Doncic, Morris said, "He's a young player. He's going to be the face of the league. I've taken into account all of that. I have been around for a while. I know how this thing works. ... I am a grown man. I stand on my own. Like I said, I didn't mean to step on his ankle. They can say the stuff that they want to say, this and that, on Twitter. ... Whatever they want to say, they can say it. I am going to continue to play, happy that my team is in the second round."
Morris said he does not think that the flagrant 2 and ejection warrant a suspension for Game 1 of the second round.
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Luka Doncic says the foul on him by Marcus Morris Sr. was "terrible" and he doesn't want to deal with players like that.
"Honestly, I don't think it escalated to that level," Morris said. "It is not like I didn't touch any of the ball. I didn't wind up. I didn't do any of that. It was a hard foul."
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle called Morris' flagrant foul "an unnecessary play and unfortunate," saying that it was immediately obvious that the play merited an ejection.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers praised Morris' play and ability to be "an instigator" in the first round. But Rivers said he believes that Morris should not have been ejected and that Morris' reputation led to the toss.
"I don't think he should have been thrown out, but listen, I'm biased," Rivers said. "I thought he made a play on a ball, and he hit him on the head. It happens all game. I think it was a reputation throw out, but you've just got to live with it. I love Marcus's intensity. Yeah, he's a tough guy. He's not backing down, and I love that."
Asked if Morris' reputation or previous tension with Doncic played any role in the ruling, Foster said, "No, of course not."
Morris, who was the Clippers' primary defender on Doncic in the series, had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in Game 6 before his ejection.
Sources told ESPN that the Mavericks believe Morris intentionally targeted Doncic's sprained left ankle twice in Tuesday's Game 5, a notion Rivers called "absolutely absurd."
Morris adamantly denied that he meant to step on Doncic's ankle early in the third quarter, when he jogged from the left wing after a basket by the Clippers and stepped on the back of Doncic's leg as he awaited an inbounds pass. The Mavs requested that the league office review an uncalled landing space violation by Morris on a 3-pointer by Doncic in the third quarter, when Morris slid his foot under Doncic as he was in the air.
"Somebody would actually really like [to] try to make a case for me trying to hurt another player intentionally," Morris said Wednesday. "I stand on respect, morals and hard work, and my family watching [me play] this game. I approach this game with the utmost respect for every player. I have been in many battles with great players, and not once have I ever tried to do anything dirty as far as taking a player out of a game. ... Luka is a great player for years to come, but to try to disrespect my character, I felt the need to speak on that.
"One thing I am not is a dirty player. And I hang my hat on being a hard worker. I am a respected man in this league, and I hope that people look at that and know me as who I am, and I would never go that far, trying to hurt somebody. I just think that's absurd, and it's just too far."
Doncic didn't directly accuse Morris of being dirty -- though he did raise his eyebrows and ask a reporter what he thought of Morris' stepping on his injured ankle -- and said he didn't care for an explanation from an opponent he exchanged trash talk with throughout the series.
"I don't want to talk to him," Doncic said after Game 5. "He's just saying a lot of bad stuff to me all the game. I just don't want to talk to him. I just want to move on. Like I say, everybody is going to have their own opinion. I just hope it wasn't intentional. If that was intentional, that's really bad."
Cocktails ($11 to $13) include margaritas in traditional, mango or strawberry margaritas, available frozen, up or on the rocks. Other specialty drinks with tequila and mezcal include La Paloma Última with Cimarrón blanco, ruby red grapefruit and grapefruit-lime sherbet, and the La Chinampa, with Cimarrón reposado, violette liqueur, Meyer lemon sherbet and a scatter of dried orange blossoms.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has struggled this year to keep up with the gains of its broader counterpart, the S&P 500, which has more representation from surging tech stocks. Changes coming to the Dow on Monday likely won’t help.
That is because the biggest change is Apple Inc.’s stock split, which takes effect Monday and slashes the tech component of the price-weighted Dow more than the addition of new member Salesforce.com boosts it.
After an uncertain future in Jacksonville, Yannick Ngakoue now has a new home.
The Minnesota Vikings have acquired Ngakoue from the Jaguars for a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2022, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
ESPN first reported the story.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport later reported, per an informed source, that both sides agreed to a one-year contract worth a few million less than the franchise tag, which is what it took to get the initial deal in Jacksonville done. Ngakoue was set to make $17.8 million with his former team, but he will now play under a revised $12 million deal, electing to play for less to leave Duval, Pelissero reported Sunday evening. There is also no no-tag clause in the deal, so the Vikings can use the franchise tag on the pass rusher in 2021, Pelissero added. Thus, the best scenario for all involved would be a long-term pact (which cannot happen until after the upcoming season as he was franchised this year).
It's evident Ngakoue wanted out of Jacksonville in a big way as he took a big pay cut (roughly 30% this season) and didn't command a no-tag clause. Furthermore, as reported by Pelissero, he was due $17.88 million on the franchise tag tender this season with Jacksonville, which would have come with no personal income tax as is a bonus of playing in Florida. Thus, Ngakoue gave up roughly $6 million to get a fresh start with the Vikings.
Ngakoue posted a statement on Twitter Sunday in regard to the transaction, which indicates his approval. Thus, as Rapoport reported initially, he will begin the process of heading to Minnesota for physical and COVID-19 testing. He's expected to sign when he goes through the protocols.
The Link Lonk
ESPN Staff Writer
ESPN Staff Writer
The Link Lonk
