It’s almost the weekend and you know what that means? Pool time and sports.
Served up with a tall glass of lemonade,
The Last Night’s Game Team
F1 (Formula One)
Start your engines eh? This weekend’s F1 race will be in Montreal. Mercedes driver, Nico Rosberg has a commanding lead in the standings going into the Canadian Grand Prix which can be seen on Sunday at 2 pm EST on NBC.
Horse racing
No crown here. The third leg of the Triple Crown takes place at the Belmont Stakes in New York on Saturday at 6:32 pm (EST) on NBC. Unfortunately, there will be no Triple Crown winner this year. Nyquist, winner of the Kentucky Derby, lost in the Preakness (the second race of the Triple Crown) and due to sickness, will not race this weekend. Exaggerator, winner of the Preakness, is the favorite to win at Belmont.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
Cleveland conquest. Home court advantage proved pivotal in the NBA Finals. Cleveland bounced back to beat Warriors on Wednesday night. The Cavs were led to victory with outstanding play from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The Warriors still lead the series 2-1 (wins-losses) with game four tonight at 9 pm EST.
NCAA Softball (College)
Sooner celebration. University of Oklahoma won the Women’s Softball College National Championship on Thursday, beating University of Auburn in the best-of-three series 2-1.
NHL (National Hockey League)
Sharks victory. Last night San Jose Sharks squeaked out a win in their quest for the Stanley Cup. Even with a win the Pittsburgh Penguins still lead the series 3-2 (best-of-seven series) going into game six on Sunday (8 pm EST on NBC).
Soccer
Playing it safe. Euro 2016 begins today. Due to numerous threats of terrorist attacks, the host country (France) has banned game viewing on televisions outside of bars and restaurants to prevent large groups of people gathering.
Tennis
A champ sidelined. Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years for testing positive for a banned substance. Sharapova took the supplement for years for health purposes but it was added to the naughty list on January 1st. Because it was ruled that she did not take the drug as a performance enhancer, her sponsors will continue their relationship with her. (Sharapova makes $30 million a year in endorsements). She is also appealing the suspension.
Overtime
15,000 people are expected at the funeral of “The Greatest” today in Louisville, KY. The service was scripted by Muhammed Ali himself. Eulogies will be given by Former President Bill Clinton, Will Smith (who portrayed the boxer in the movie “Ali”), Billy Crystal, Bryant Gumbel (sportscaster) and Ali’s wife Lonnie. Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Will Smith will be pallbearers alongside three of Ali’s family members.
Sideline stat
Forbes released its list of the world’s highest paid athletes (including salary and endorsements). They are:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer) - $88 million
- Lionel Messi (soccer) - $81.4 million
- LeBron James (basketball) - $77.2 million
- Roger Federer (tennis) - $67.8 million
- Kevin Durant (basketball) - $56.2 million
Coaches’ Corner
What is Euro 2016? UEFA European Championship (or simply Euro 2016) is a tournament to determine the best team in Europe (similar to Copa America). A few facts - the competition has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams with Team Iceland making their debut this year. Also new this year, stadiums will be smoke-free.
