Belt Loops: Handicapping the BET Awards

Happy Sunday Funday! Cheers to those of you sipping mimosas right now, you the real MVP.

Not a lot of MAC-related stuff going on this weekend, so let's hit you with some World Cup action and some BET Awards hot takes.

• Today's World Cup Schedule:

The Oranje and El Tri will go at it first today and it'll be the best game of the day. Costa Rica doesn't really score and Greece's defense is superb, so I'm sure that'll be a snoozefest.

• Indiana University unveils Student-Athlete BIll of Rights - this is sure to cause some hearty discussion. There's a lot in here, but basically the "bill of rights" guarantees any athlete who has been eligible for two years a chance to finish their degree whenever they want to. It's essentially a lifetime scholarship, and if you make the mistake of dropping out of school to pursue a professional sport and don't make it, you could at least come back to finish up your degree. Oh and also all IU athletes will get iPads and blazers.
• THE BET AWARDS ARE TONIGHT - one of my favorite nights of the year. Following the #BETAwards hashtag is the best thing ever, right in front of the #Catfish hashtag on Wednesday nights. Plus Chris Rock is hosting so that will be awesome, unless it's Chris Rock from Grown Ups. Let's take a look at the categories and the likely winners:
  • Best Male Hip-Hop Artist - Jay-Z. Who had a better year than Jay? Magna Carta Holy Grail was just insane and popped out hit after hit. Collaborations with Beyonce and Justin Timberlake were amazing and helped push this record to the top. Drake could also sneak in here, but I'll be surprised if Jay doesn't take it.
  • Best Female Hip-Hop Artist - Nicki Minaj. No one else comes close, although Iggy Azalea is having a STRONG summer.
  • Best Video - Pharrell "Happy". I'm sure everyone is sick of the song, but the video is pretty sweet. Feel-good videos normally win here (I think).
  • Best New Artist - Ariana Grande. Not quite sure how Azalea didn't get nominated. This is Grande's to lose and she is on fire. She's got a top Billboard hit right now and seems to have some staying power. Not quite sure her style really reflects what the BET Awards theme is going for, but she should win.
  • Best Female Pop/R&B Artist - Beyonce or Rihanna? This is a heavyweight matchup. Let's go Bey, mainly because she released a huge album without anybody knowing about it beforehand. That's just unheard of.
  • Best Male Pop/R&B Artist - Here's another tough one. Pharrell, or Timberlake?  Both have had three or four hits this year and aren't going away. I think Pharrell would win if this were the MTV Awards, but not here. I'll go JT because he's a boss.