Full Out
Kobe & Gigi’s memorial is today, a Zamboni driver to the rescue and game changing Girl Scout cookies.
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Your amazing sports knowledge that is…
No need to apologize for greatness,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
The celebration of life for Kobe and Gigi Bryant will be held this morning at the Staples Center, which is widely known as the “house that Kobe built.” Over 20,000 fans are expected to show up and pay their respects. Vanessa Bryant mentioned that the date 2.24.20 has special meaning – No.2 for Gigi’s basketball jersey number, 24 for Kobe’s jersey number and 20 – the number of years Vanessa and Kobe were together and the number of years he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. You can watch the memorial on a multitude of platforms. REST IN PEACE
Overtime
Major League Baseball (MLB) players’ contracts have strict rules about extracurricular activities that they should avoid (think skydiving, skateboarding, anything that might cause them to injure/kill themselves). If you’re Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitcher Madison Bumgarner, you solve that problem by adopting an alias so you can compete in rodeos. Bumgarner was, of course, outed on social media. (Side note - Bumgarner missed three months of the 2017 season after an injury from a dirt bike accident). YEEHAW
Wonder what other oddities might be included when athletes sign the bottom line? Here are the five most unusual provisions included in an athlete's contract. DON’T SHOW THIS TO THE HR DEPT.
Sideline stat
Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon could be the best college basketball player we’ve ever seen. She’s only nine rebounds away from becoming the first player, man or woman, to finish their collegiate career with 2,000-plus points, 1,000-plus assists and 1,000-plus rebounds. If that’s not impressive enough, she is rumored to be a speaker at Kobe and Gigi Bryant’s memorial this morning and then head to Palo Alto where she and her team will play Stanford tonight. Kobe was a mentor to Ionescu and the duo were big fans of the Oregon Duck. STRENGTH
Coaches’ corner
The NHL (National Hockey League) has a quirky rule around the emergency goalie. If both of either teams’ goalies go out of the game, there’s a designated person in the arena who can step into the role of goalie (i.e. – someone who is not on the team). Cue the Carolina Hurricanes game this weekend where both goalies exited the game and who comes to save the day and win the game? A 42-year-old Zamboni driver. David Ayres is a former hockey player and kidney transplant recipient. The t-shirts of his jersey are selling like hotcakes with the proceeds benefitting a local kidney foundation. STILL GOT IT
What to watch
This Girl Scout knows the way to her favorite football player’s heart. During the St Louis Battlehawks (XFL) game, she exchanged a box of Thin Mints for a game ball. SOLID TRADE
Real Talk
It’s true, Monday is overrated. Although making a connection with a client or your boss through sports is not.
It’s true, Monday is overrated. Although making a connection with a client or your boss through sports is not.
It’s yours for the taking,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Wimbledon
A Monday is still a Monday. Yesterday was “The People’s Sunday,” a day off for everyone at Wimbledon. They’re back at it today, which is known as “Manic Monday,” where everyone who is still in the tournament plays including favorites Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Over the weekend, Williams revealed she missed her daughter’s first steps because she was training for Wimbledon. REAL TALK
Overtime
The Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB – Major League Baseball) saluted a hero dog whose story went viral. Todd saved his owner from a rattlesnake attack by taking one on the nose. The pup received a hero’s welcome and in case you’re wondering, Todd has recovered from the bite and is as cute as could be. PICS
Sideline stat
And then there were four. The excitement of the World Cup has come to a head with the semifinals this week and the final on Sunday. France will take on Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday brings us England vs. Croatia. A few English fans took their weekend victory over Sweden a little too far, storming and trashing an IKEA while singing their World Cup anthem, “It’s Coming Home.” THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS
Coaches’ corner
Extreme sports star and daredevil Travis Pastrana recreated three of Evel Knievel’s iconic stunts in Las Vegas yesterday, including the Caesar’s Palace fountain jump that nearly killed Knievel 50 years ago. While wearing Knievel style-attire, Pastrana nailed all the stunts like a champion and celebrated with a swim in the famed casino’s fountains. IF YOU THOUGHT YOUR WEEKEND WAS ROUGH
What to watch for
The names of the players for the MLB All-Star Game have been announced. The Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox lead the way with five players each. There’s still time to vote to complete the rosters. The game is on July 17 in Washington, D.C., home of the Washington Nationals. VOTE
5 Things You Need To Know About The Business Of The World Cup
There’s so much more to the tournament than scandals, corruption and billions in revenue, or is there?
There’s so much more to the tournament than scandals, corruption and billions in revenue, or is there?
So juicy it needs its own Neflix series,
The Last Night’s Game Team
5 Things You Need To Know About The Business Of The World Cup
1. We don’t like to throw around stats but they’re important for this one. There’s a reason the World Cup is the world’s most watched sporting event with over 3.2 billion people (essentially half the world’s population) watching the last World Cup. The sport itself is huge. In FIFA’s (Fédération Internationale de Football Association aka International Federation of Association Football) last count, over 265 million people in the world or 4% of the world’s population participates in some form of organized soccer. BY THE NUMBERS
2. The numbers surrounding the tournament are astounding with an expected $6 billion in revenue for FIFA and a prize pool of $791 million, of which $400 million will be awarded to teams based on their performance. WHERE DOES THE REST OF THE MONEY GO?
3. Besides the bragging rights and the eyesore 18-carat gold trophy, teams are competing for some serious prize money. The teams’ national federations will take home $8 million for their team showing up and $38 million in prize money if they finish in first place, $29 million for second and $24 million for third. HOW THE PLAYERS ARE PAID
4. Russia spent over $11 billion in a total of 11 host cities to put on the World Cup. While the tournament may provide a short burst of economic growth, the long-term benefits aren’t there. When countries bid on the tournament, unlike the Olympics where a city submits a bid, they are put through an evaluation process, which some say has been dishonest. At the center of the controversy is the site of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, which is spending $500 million a week to get ready for the tournament. MORE ON CORRUPTION
5. With this year’s host country (Russia) under sanctions, countries have had to walk a fine line when sending dignitaries to the games. For the first time in a decade, due to political disagreements, a member of England’s royal family will not be in attendance. (Prince William is the president of the Football Association, which is the governing body of football – aka soccer – in England). CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIANS BENEFITTING FROM THE GAMES
We’re just getting started
This is where we talk about the three things happening today that will make your clients clamor and your friends look at you in awe including golf hating on a legend, why it pays to play fair in the World Cup and a whole new meaning to a clean plate. READ