The Rundown: That Friday Feeling
It happens…the topic of conversation shifts to sports. Unsure what to share with your co-workers or neighbor on the airplane? Don’t panic. We have all you need to know to drum up a conversation.
Let’s talk,
The Last Night’s Game
PS – It’s officially opening day of our Last Night’s Game online store where you can shop for clothes that start a conversation. Subscribe for exclusive reader discounts.
NHL (National Hockey League)
- Home ice advantage is real. The Pittsburgh Penguins won game five of the Stanley Cup Finals, shutting out Mr. Carrie Underwood, Mike Fisher, and his Nashville Predators. With that win they take the lead in the series in which home teams have won every game. You better believe that Nashville will be rocking on Sunday for game six but which superstar will sing the national anthem? Stay tuned.
Belmont Stakes
- An eye on the prize. The third race of the Triple Crown is on Saturday. Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming and Preakness Stakes winner, Cloud Computing will not be participating in the Belmont Stakes. With Horsey McHorseface not eligible to race, everyone’s cheering for their favorite one-eyed horse, Patch, to bring home the victory.
Overtime
- Simona Halep (ranked #4 in the world) is in position to win her first grand slam tournament at the French Open on Saturday. What’s the key to her success on a clay court? Chocolate and specifically chocolate mousse, sometimes twice a day. A girl after our own hearts.
Sideline stat
- The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers play again tonight in game four of the NBA Finals (National Basketball Association). The Warriors are one win away from sweeping the series, going undefeated in the playoffs.
We’ve talked previously about a sweep (when one team wins a series without any losses) but how much it would cost the Warriors to not play all seven games of the Finals series? The answer? $22 million. This hefty number takes into account ticket sales, average merchandise and concession sales and parking.
Coaches’ corner
- NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) heads to Pocono Raceway (Pennsylvania) this weekend. Filling in for an injured Aric Almirola, Darrell Wallace Jr. will become the first African American driver to compete in a race since 2006.
The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - Blame It On The Rain
Rain is the name of the blame game this weekend. Unless you’re Draymond Green and you were “hacked.”
A little rain won’t get in the way of our excitement for the Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony on Friday night. Tune in on Wednesday for an Olympic edition of our “Five Things to Know” that you won’t want to miss.
Carrying the torch,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - In honor of National Girlfriend Day, share us with yours!
Summer Olympics
- Oops. Team U.S.A. men’s basketball and Golden State Warriors' player, Draymond Green, accidentally posted a very personal photo on Snapchat yesterday for all of his followers to see. The pic was up there for 10 minutes before he realized it and took it down. He first said he was hacked and then confessed he hit the wrong button. Green has also been in the news recently for an altercation in a Michigan bar.
NFL (National Football League)
- It’s almost here. This weekend was the last weekend of the year with no football games. Pre-season games start Sunday and the regular season begins on September 8th.
LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association)
- Girl power! 20-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn won the LPGA British Open. A big victory for the four-year LPGA veteran who was born in 1995. We have t-shirts that old.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- Not moving on up. Jonathon Lucroy had been traded from the struggling Milwaukee Brewers to the first place Cleveland Indians, but he decided to evoke his “no-trade clause” to stay with the team citing lack of financial incentives as the factor. Lucroy said “short term gains are great but long term is more important for me and my family.”
PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)
- Putting in the extra hours. Jimmy Walker won the PGA Championship. Due to a rainout on Saturday, Walker was forced to play two days’ worth of golf on Sunday (36 holes) making it the longest final day of the tournament in 64 years. Walker held off the world’s #1 ranked men’s golfer, Jason Day, to win. All major tournaments this season were won by first-time winners.
F1 (Formula One Racing)
- Everyone wins. Lewis Hamilton took home his fourth win in a row this weekend in Germany and there’s great news to report out of Brazil. Last week we reported that Bernie Ecclestone’s mother-in-law (he's the head of F1) was kidnapped from her San Paulo home. The kidnappers we're demanding a reported ransom of $36 million. After a massive police effort, she was freed with apparently no ransom paid. Big wins all around.
Overtime
- NBA legend Michael Jordan continues to dominate. At his Flight School camp (a children’s basketball camp) he made a bet that if he missed more than three of six shots, the entire camp would receive free shoes. He then led by example and showed them how it’s done. Let’s just say the entire camp did not get free shoes.
Sideline stat
- Due to rain the Pocono 400 NASCAR race will be held this morning, weather permitting. Always finding a silver lining, history was made with Sunday’s rainout. For the first time in NASCAR history, a race track had both races rained out. (There is always a Sprint Cup race the day before each NASCAR race. Intrigued? Click here for more on Sprint Cup).
Coaches’ Corner
- What is a no-trade clause? In American sports a no-trade clause allows a player to veto a trade by his current team to any other team. Not all players have this in their contract. Every sport is a little different but often this clause is negotiated into the player’s contract when they sign with the team.