The Tour de France is in its final week of the three-week competition. You may not be a super fan but many people watch the race for the scenic routes around castles and the fields of flowers with views of the Alps. Think Travel Channel interrupted by men in lycra and fans cheering with air horns.
Who doesn't love lycra?
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - If you want to relive your college days or simply need some entertainment, check out the Tour de Franzia - a college drinking game that pays homage to the race with boxed wine.
Five things to know about the Tour de France
- By the numbers - The Tour is over 2,100 miles long and features 200 teams made up of nine riders each. There are 21 stages (i.e. mountain or flat) that make up the race. Out of the 21 days of the Tour, the riders only have two days of rest. And you thought your weekend went by fast.
- More than 3.5 billion biking enthusiasts (or people simply watching for the scenery) will view the race on television with an expected 12 million in the crowd.
- Let’s talk about the white elephant in the room. The doping scandal. Lance Armstrong won seven years in a row but was stripped of his titles after it was revealed that he was “doping.” After he was stripped of his titles the Tour director recommended that none of the runners-up be elevated in the standings because doping was so prevalent in the sport at that time.
- Until the 1960s it was common for participants to drink alcohol to numb the pain. But it was later banned as alcohol is viewed as a stimulant.
- The average cyclist will burn 4,000 – 5,000 calories in each stage. By the end of the race they’ve burned the equivalent of 252 McDonald’s double cheeseburgers.
- Keep an eye on the race standings here.
NFL (National Football League)
- Join the team. New England Patriots’ Nate Ebner has put his NFL dreams on hold this week as he was chosen to play on the U.S.A Rugby Sevens team in the Summer Olympics. This is Rugby Sevens’ first appearance as a sport in the Olympics.
- A different kind of chip. The NFL has announced that it will begin using data chips inside the footballs during the 2016-17 season. On the heels of “Deflategate” one would think that his would be to measure the psi (inflation) of the ball but it’s not. According to ESPN, the football chip will provide information ranging from its precise location during kicks to the velocity of throws by quarterbacks, but there is no indication that the NFL has plans to use it for psi measurements.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- Headed to the slammer. Former St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correra has been sentenced to four years in prison for hacking into the Houston Astros player database. The database held vital information to the Astros minor league players, the equivalent of discovering your rival’s strategy and growth plan. The Cardinals fired Correra after learning of the breech but MLB is now investigating whether or not the Cardinals had anything to do with the hacking.
Overtime
- Satirical sports site, Barstool Sports made a bold choice and hired Erika Nardini as it’s first CEO. Nardini previously served at the chief marketing officer at AOL. Barstool Sports which started 12 years ago and recently sold for a rumored $10-15 million, is a controversial sports and men’s lifestyle website. You go girl!
Sideline stat
- New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman threw two pitches at 105 mph, narrowly missing the record for fastest pitch at 105.1 mph.
Coaches’ corner
- Nate Ebner is putting his football career on hold to play Rugby Sevens but what is Rugby Sevens? Rugby Sevens is very similar to rugby union although instead of 15 players this version is played with seven players. It’s a fast paced game with two-seven minute halves (instead of the typical 40 min halves). Players on a Sevens team are quick footed and the goal is to keep the game free flowing and fast moving. It’s a sprint, not a marathon.
