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(Austin Mayor Steve Adler/Facebook)
In a Facebook video posted on Nov. 9, Austin Mayor Steve Adler asked residents to "stay home" as the local caseload increased.
Austinites were vocal after news broke that their mayor, Steve Adler, failed to follow his own pandemic advice.
Adler hosted an outdoor wedding and reception with 20 guests for his daughter downtown in early November, Austin American-Statesman reporter Tony Plohetski reported on Wednesday. The next morning, Adler and seven other attendees traveled by private jet to Cabo San Lucas, where they vacationed at a family timeshare, according to the newspaper.
Publicly, the mayor was asking Austinites to stay home as the COVID-19 caseloads in Austin and around the state climbed upward. "You need to stay home if you can," he said during a pre-recorded video message posted to his Facebook page on Nov. 9. "This is not the time to relax."
The next week, local health officials recommended a return to Stage 4, according to Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.
Adler has since expressed regret in a statement. But it did little to stop the flood of comments online.
Criticism came in from his opponents.
@MayorAdler I'd like to report a gathering of more than 10, which breaks the COVID rules outlined in the attached c… https://t.co/oD956eg6w5— Brad Swail (@Brad Swail)1606941690.0
NOT A JOKE: Austin Mayor Tells Residents to ‘Stay Home’ While Vacationing in Mexico After Wedding https://t.co/0hA1TfFHXv— Sean Hannity (@Sean Hannity)1606945600.0
Many of his supporters were also unhappy.
I say this as someone who is very happy with a few of the stances he has taken: Mayor Adler should resign. He of c… https://t.co/sX8pU9uZAJ— Austin Transit Blog (@Austin Transit Blog)1606946021.0
Unfortunately, it appears this applies to Mayor Adler as well. By violating his own COVID advice, he's likely hurt… https://t.co/ptZf5PcaoX— Pay People To Stay Home #PPTSH (@Pay People To Stay Home #PPTSH)1606942890.0
Yeah I’ve given @MayorAdler the benefit of the doubt and fought off the “Recall Adler” crowd, but straight up, this… https://t.co/F6F2pKPWke— C (@C)1606938784.0
Some expressed frustration about the sacrifices many have made—including forgoing vacations and family events—because of the pandemic.
More than 200 people had commented on a news story about the incident on Reddit's Everything Austin channel.(Reddit)
Some called for Adler to resign.
Adler needs to resign.— Maybe: Dago (@Maybe: Dago)1606940403.0
The incident has drawn comparisons to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who attended a birthday party at the Michelin starred French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley last month; the incident was covered by national outlets.
Other local officials have come under fire for similar reasons.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravel pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor last month for violating his own stay-at-home order earlier this year. And the Travis County GOP hosted a fundraiser in August that was attended by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Reps Dan Crenshaw and Chip Roy, among others, and prompted an investigation by local officials.
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Jiu jitsu greats including Crag Jones (in leopard print) have opened gyms in Austin. (Claire Partain/Austonia)
The legendary Danaher Death Squad, which started in 2007 and was led by black belt John Danaher, made a highly-publicized split in late July while in Puerto Rico, with Danaher, legend Gordon Ryan and teammate Gary Tonon announcing the aptly-titled "New Wave Jiu Jitsu" as their new studio to open soon in Austin.
Missing from the new roster were former teammates Craig Jones, Ethan Crelinstein, Nick Rodriguez and even Ryan's younger brother, Nicky Ryan. The new crew announced that day that they would also be forming a new studio with the tongue-in-cheek title "B Team Jiu Jitsu."
Jiu jitsu greats Craig Jones (left) and Gordon Ryan have opened rival studios in Austin.
Both teams chose to move to Austin, a hotbed for the sport that the B Team's Seth Belisle said is becoming a "mecca for jiu-jitsu." With plenty of renowned studios, jiu-jitsu enthusiasts like Joe Rogan coming into town and the presence of Flo Grappling, the sport's premier media outlet, Belisle said there's now "more jiu-jitsu here than anywhere in the world."
While Belisle, an Austin native, handles the business side for the crew, the team's coaching is headed by Jones, a leopard-print wearing Aussie who has been known to sport assless chaps and places importance on the lighter side of things (the studio advertises that they train "Mexican ground karate," a name they created for jiu-jitsu).
Rumors abound about the famed fighters' breakup, including money issues in the Ryan family or a well-rehearsed PR stunt, but Jones told Austonia that the split of the Death Squad simply comes down to personal differences between the fighters.
"It wasn't an amicable breakup at all," Jones said. "What Gordan represents is quite controversial... I would say there would be no line he wouldn't cross to promote a grappling match. So in that sense, we're sort of focused on a different, more positive sort of vibe."
B Team and New Wave alike are opening at a critical time for jiu-jitsu, as the sport slowly becomes a household name. Now, top fighters can make a living from their sport while still maintaining a much lower profile than MMA fighters or boxers.
That name recognition and B Team's positive attitude drew in droves of new trainees, with many opting to move to Austin solely to train at B Team.
"Jiu-jitsu is a relatively new sport," Belisle said. "If you love basketball, it's impossible for you to say, 'I'm going to go play with LeBron James and learn from him this weekend... in jiu-jitsu, that's possible. You have access to the stars of the sport because it hasn't really blown up yet. It's something special."
After an open house that saw over 150 athletes show up, the team realized they needed to become more exclusive. Now, the studio trains only the "Olympians" of the sport, something that sets them apart from other local studios. They also frequently bring in celebrities of the sport for training sessions, including famed female fighter Ffion Eira Davies.
"We're obviously a new gym, but we're probably some of the best guys in the world," Jones said.
Meanwhile, New Wave is training at the famed Renzo Gracie Studio, Danaher's former trainer, as they wait for a new studio.
Will the world's two best teams soon have showdowns in the Texas capital?
While it's unclear whether or not things will get personal (no brother vs. brother matchup is on the horizon), trainees under each studio went head-to-head for the first time Wednesday as New Wave's Gordon Ryan announced his first match out of semi-retirement. Ryan, often lauded as the best grappler in the world, forced UFC fighter Phillip Rowe to submit four times in the 15-minute friendly exhibition match at Austin's Palmer Events Center.
But Rowe, who was first a jiu-jitsu athlete before switching to UFC, said he didn't know about the beef and was just looking to train under his favorite athletes, Jones and Rodriguez.
He competed for a few reasons—including a break from UFC and a chance to give BJJ a bigger name—but he mostly came into town for the fun of it. Ryan and Rowe talked often prior to the meet, with Rowe gifting Ryan a Bumpboxx, or decorated boombox, in honor of Ryans' father. The respect was mutual—Ryan shouted out Rowe after the match for coming out with a broken hand and the death of some loved ones a week prior.
The match was the first indirect competition between the two gyms. Jones said they won't be training with the goal of fighting any of their former New Wave compadres.
"I don't know what's going to happen ultimately," Jones said. "Because obviously, we're not friendly as it is right now, but I mean. I wouldn't go so far as to train someone that was going to compete against them directly."
But with B Team fighters like Nick Rodriguez expressing their interest in fighting in the future and both gyms training for the WNO Championships in 2022, it's almost inevitable that the former teammates will find themselves on either side of the mat sooner or later.
"'I'd be lying if I said that every day since I started jiu-jitsu my goal is to beat Gordon. I'd be lying if I was saying that isn't true," Rodriguez told the Jason Chambers podcast. "My goal is to be the best grappler in the world and nothing less. That's an old teammate that I have to go through to knock him out and get to the top, then that's fine with me."
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Atop one of Austin's signature rolling hilltops, 1501 Ridgecrest Drive is similar to one of the plush palaces that one might find in Calabasas. For $10.9 million, the home has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and caps at 10,498 square feet.
Park in the massive, fully air-conditioned garage before walking in, where you'll have eight full spaces to park your collection of cars. If you're not a collector, the garage makes an excellent studio space.
The wide-open living spaces will draw your eyes to the two-story ceilings, glass catwalk, integrated fireplace and wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the pool.
Though the house was built in 2011, it doesn't show its age. Sleek, clean lines lead seamlessly from the formal living area to an elite open-plan kitchen. Separated by a 25-foot waterfall island that can seat at least eight people, the kitchen is fitted with only the finest Miele and Subzero appliances. The custom cabinets are just as pricey as the rest of the place, finished with custom high-gloss Aston Martin (you read that right) paint.
(Compass)
Upstairs in the sprawling master's suite, there are enough amenities to never have to set foot outside again. Armani tile floors, space for living and a walk-in showcase closet lead into the resort-style bathroom, where you'll find dual vanities, a walk-in shower and a lounging bathtub.
The bedroom is a quick elevator trip away from the "party" room, complete with a bar, wine room and movie theater, only the best for entertaining. If your guests are staying over, rest assured they'll be comfortable with the kitchenette, washer and dryer and spa-like bath in their suite.
Though summer has passed, you can still enjoy the grand lap pool's unobstructed Hill Country views, many private lounging areas, grill a homemade snack at the outdoor kitchen or shoot some hoops at the newly-added court.
The listing is held by Compass' Gary Dolch.
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