It’s not football season so you may be wondering why we’re talking about a football player. Well Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt isn’t just any football player whose time in the media is confined to just football season. This guy is everywhere, including in women’s hearts, and you’ll see him tonight alongside Erin Andrews (five things to know about Erin Andrews) co-hosting tonight’s CMT (Country Music Television) Music Awards.
Giddy up,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - At your next sporting event don't forget to tag Last Night's Game (@lastnightsgame) in your Instagram photo.
Five things to know about J.J. Watt
Born and raised a cheese head, Watt’s college career started in Central Michigan as a tight end (recruited by now Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly). He left Central Michigan and a scholarship behind after his freshman year to walk on at Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin had to deliver pizzas to pay tuition. He was drafted into the NFL after his junior year.
He has a tattoo in Chinese on his chest that means “family.” It also includes the initials of his siblings. His brothers (one of which plays in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers) also have the same tattoo. Now that’s family bonding.
He started the J.J. Watt Foundation to provide after school activities for middle-school aged children to become active in athletics where they learn the positive traits associated with sports in a safe environment. The Foundation recently raised $2 million in a charity softball game. You may recall a ‘memorable for the wrong reason’ photo of Watt’s teammate Vince Wilfork who wore overalls at the game.
He is by all accounts, including his own, just your average 26-year-old bachelor who enjoys eating, working out, shirtless photos and signed a six year, $100 million deal in 2014. At the time that was the highest contract for a defensive end in the NFL (although not anymore).
Ladies aren’t the only ones who like him. He spends his time in the celebrity circle, hanging out with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Lil Wayne and his biggest fan and partner-in-crime for literacy, former First Lady Barbara Bush. His coach loves him too as he’s good at what he does. Watt is a three-time defensive player of the year and four-time Pro Bowler (NFL All-Star game).
NFL (National Football League)
Hacked. Tuesday afternoon NFL fans received shocking news via the NFL’s official Twitter account. A tweet was sent stating that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had passed away at the age of 57. A few minutes later another tweet was sent out which made it obvious the account had been hacked. Goodell is very much alive but should we be concerned that nobody seemed too upset at the news of him passing?
MMA (MIXED MARITAL ARTS)
R.I.P. Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson) passed away at the age of 42 Monday night. He had been diagnosed with heart failure and was waiting on a heart transplant. Slice gained fame by participating in backyard fights, which I am sure you have all viewed on YouTube, or not. Slice parlayed his fame into an MMA career, fighting with UFC and headlining the first ever MMA fight card on primetime television on CBS. Kimbo Slice had a crazy, tough guy persona, but Kevin Ferguson was a great human being and family man.
Soccer
Victory. Team U.S.A. secured a much needed win in the Copa America Centenario, beating Costa Rica. With a win on Saturday against Paraguay they can advance into the next round.
No strike for you. Following up on a story we talked about awhile back involving the women’s soccer team’s quest for equal pay. A judge ruled that the U.S. Women’s Soccer team does not have the grounds to strike in regards to disputed pay. The women filed a complaint in March and the strike could've taken them out of the Olympics.
Overtime
In Olympic news, Zika is still a trending topic with Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie cancelling her trip to Rio because of her pregnancy. American cyclist Tejay van Garderen decided against Rio because he and his wife have a baby on the way and it wasn't worth the risk. Yesterday, NBA’s Steph Curry announced he will not join Team U.S.A. in Rio not because of Zika but because of his knee.
Sideline stat
Cleveland Cavaliers may be down in the NBA Finals, but that is not stopping guard J.R. Smith from living his dreams. Smith announced a Kickstarter project for a reality TV show. The announcement came the day the Cavs lost by 30+ points to the Warriors. Smith has accumulated around $44 million during his career, but needs your help to fund the project which is a reality show about himself and his celebrity bodyguard he hired to protect Smith from himself. Priorities.
Coaches’ Corner
Kimbo Slice fought in MMA and UFC, what’s the difference? MMA is the sport (think football) and UFC is a league (think NFL).