Living The Dream

If you thought today’s Monday motivation was going to come in the form of a coffee cup, think again.

#Inspired,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (National Football League)

• Bling ring. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft knew his quarterback, Tom Brady, and his family had been through a lot during the team’s championship run last season. His mom, Galynn, was undergoing chemotherapy and for the first time ever, she missed all but one of Brady’s games. In honor of the sacrifice and challenges she faced, Kraft gave her a Super Bowl ring. Mama Brady’s cancer is now in remission.
• Enshrined. Saturday night the Pro Football Hall of Fame gained seven new members. One of the inductees, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, proved that everything is bigger in Texas. He threw himself one heck of a party, costing a reported $16 million, that boasted a special performance by Justin Timberlake.
• Determined. In case you missed it, the night featured memorable speeches from the inductees. The always well-spoken San Diego Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson, made sure his final words were unforgettable by sharing a moving story about his last name and its origin. If you need some Monday motivation, here are the highlights from each inductee’s speech.

Overtime

• Injured New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard (MLB - Major League Baseball) can now add actor to his resume. Living up to his nickname Thor, it was fitting that he made a cameo in last night’s Game of Thrones as a spear throwing warrior in a battle. Luckily his cameo was well received by fans, unlike Ed Sheeran’s appearance.

Sideline stat

• Usain Bolt is the most decorated sprinter of this generation. Saturday in the world championships, he raced in his final solo race and it didn’t go as planned. He finished third in his first-ever loss in the Olympics or a world championship semifinal, a 45-race winning streak.

Coaches’ corner

• Longtime Chicago Bears quarterback (NFL) Jay Cutler, retired after last season and accepted a job as a commentator with FOX for the upcoming football season. Apparently, retirement wasn’t for him. This weekend he signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins to replace their injured quarterback. (In case you’re wondering, Cutler is married to fashion designer and reality TV star Kristin Cavallari).

The Rundown: Working For The Weekend

Serving up bite-size pieces of sports for your weekend.

Bigger isn’t always better,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – While part of the U.S. is enjoying a snow day today, did you know that the Winter Olympics in South Korea are only 37 weeks away?

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NFL (National Football League)

• Blame it on the rain. The construction of the joint stadium for the Rams and the Chargers, who moved to Los Angeles to play in the $2.6 billion stadium, has been delayed. Excessive rain has pushed back the opening date by a year. Even NFL teams can’t get their home improvement project done on time.  

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

• Seeing stars. It’s the All-Star Race this weekend. Keep your eyes on Kevin Harvick in the Busch car. If he wins, one lucky fan will win $1 million through the Busch loyalty contest. That sounds easy but the format of the race itself is pretty complicated. Here's a great explanation of how drivers can take home the checkered flag.

Overtime

• Baltimore is buzzing this weekend - it’s time for The Preakness. Always Dreaming, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby, is the favorite to win as he takes the next step toward the ultimate horse racing title, the Triple Crown. (The Triple Crown is when a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness and The Belmont Stakes).

It’s a tough race for the Derby winner because it’s a two-week turnaround, as opposed to the usual month. Only five of the 10 horses racing participated in Derby, which means the other horses in the race are fresh.

Sideline stat

• The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) inked a deal with Twitter to live stream their games. The first game on opening weekend drew 1.1 million viewers. Also a product of the partnership, a WNBA emoji when fans tweet #WNBA or #WNBALive.

Coaches’ corner

• Earlier this week playoff hockey brought us Keith Urban signing the national anthem which led to a victory for Mr. Carrie Underwood, Mike Fisher, and his Nashville Predators. Last night Kelly Clarkson sang but the Anaheim Ducks beat the Predators in overtime to tie the series. While you may not be the biggest hockey fan, this series will get you excited to watch. The next game is Saturday night.

The Rundown: Gridiron Goals

For some of you today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, might be an extension of your weekend and for others it’s simply Monday.  In the world of football, today is the first day of the off-season for a few more teams.

If you can’t wait for football season to be over (or you’re simply counting the days until the Lady Gaga halftime show) there’s only one more set of playoff games until the Super Bowl.

On the edge of glory,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (National Football League) 

• Next! The New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons were too much for their opponents. They both took home significant wins against their playoff rivals, the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks, respectively. 
• Kickers save the day. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers put on a masterful display against the Dallas Cowboys. Kicker Mason Crosby hit a game winning field goal with time running out to give the Packers the win.  

The Pittsburgh Steelers leaned on kicker Chris Boswell to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. He kicked a postseason record six field goals en route to the Steelers win. 

• One more game until the Super Bowl. The Packers will play the Falcons and the Steelers will face the Patriots on Sunday. 

NCAA basketball (College)

• Record breaking. As we reported on Friday, the University of Connecticut (UConn) women’s basketball team was looking to beat the all-time win record for college basketball, men or women, this weekend. They set their minds to their goal and achieved it, winning their 91st consecutive game. The record breaking team hasn’t lost a game since 2014.
• Undefeated. The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the only remaining undefeated team in the nation.

Overtime

• Ringling Brothers announced they will be shutting down their circus operations but what do clowns, elephants and acrobats have to do with sports? When the circus comes to town it forces many NBA (National Basketball Association) teams to take extended road trips while the circus uses the arena. This will allow teams to take shorter road trips to help with the brutal NBA travel schedule. It’ll also help with the circus smell left behind. 

Sideline stat

• The price of Super Bowl tickets dropped 20% after the Dallas Cowboys loss yesterday. 

Coaches’ corner

• Someone hire a new graphic designer. STAT. The San Diego Chargers (NFL) announced their relocation to Los Angeles last week and they haven’t exactly been met with open arms. Their first attempt at a logo didn't go over well and the second was mocked for ripping off L.A. Dodgers logo (MLB team – Major League Baseball). The Chargers admit it was a mistake and are reevaluating the logo. There’s a reason they say the third time’s a charm.