Ben Roethlisberger

The Rundown: Friday…Where Have You Been All My Life?

We don’t know about you but this week back to work after the holidays felt like a week full of Mondays. Phew – we made it. Happy Friday!

It’s a great weekend to work on your touchdown dance,

The Last Night’s Game Team

 

PS - Since the majority of the country is being hit with some sort of precipitation this weekend, here are a few tailgate treats that’ll give you an excuse to stay inside. 

NFL (National Football League)

  • This weekend is filled with wild card playoff games. Who qualifies to be a wild card team? They are the top four teams in each league that did not win their division but were still really good.

Saturday games

  • Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans - Raiders rookie starting quarterback Connor Cook has never started a game before and Texans starting quarterback Brock Osweiler was benched this year for bad performance. This ought to be a doozy. 
  • Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks- The Seahawks have never lost a playoff game on their home turf at CenturyLink Field and the Lions have never won a game there. Talk about home field advantage. 

Sunday games

  • Going back back back. After 31 years of hosting ESPN’s NFL studio programming, the iconic Chris Berman will be stepping down after this season. Berman is staying with ESPN, but in a different role. No replacement has been named but we guarantee his job is the hottest ticket in town since Billy Joel played in baseball stadiums.

Overtime

  • The piano man himself, Billy Joel, is determined to make baseball exciting. He announced that he’ll be playing in Major League Baseball stadiums on his upcoming tour. During his six stadium tour he’ll play where his career started, in Los Angeles. He’ll play at Dodgers Stadium on May 13th. Will he be rocking out in your city? Find out here.

Sideline stat

  • The Las Vegas SuperContest is one of the most prestigious competitions for NFL bettors. It puts your $1,500 entry fee up against 1,854 entries for a prize of more than $900,000. This year’s contest was won by a Starbucks barista. No word if he showed up to make Frappuccinos for demanding teenagers the next day.

Coaches’ corner

  • NBA (National Basketball Association) all-star voting is open to the fans and they are showing why the fan vote only counts for 50% of the game’s starting line-up. You’ve probably never heard of Golden State Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia, who is an average NBA player. Well he’s in second place in all-star voting behind his powerhouse teammate Kevin Durant. He may be a fan favorite but he’s not at the all-star level quite yet. This is why the fans can’t have nice things.

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - The Streak Is Over

Was your weekend as wild as the Ryder Cup? Fans gone wild was the name of the game on the course in Minnesota. Did Team U.S.A. channel their inner Simone Biles or Michael Phelps to bring home a United States win? We have that and so much more in today’s Rundown.

But first - coffee,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Ryder Cup

  • Big. Huge. Team U.S.A. defeated Team Europe for the first time since 2008 to win the Ryder Cup. The home-field advantage proved to be just that with U.S.A. fans draped in stars and stripes, taunting Team Europe like it was a high school basketball game. Team U.S.A.’s win was by the largest margin since 1981.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • Every game counts. It took all 162 games to determine the two wild card spots in both leagues. The Toronto Blue Jays will host Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in a one-game playoff for a spot in the postseason. The New York Mets will host the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the playoff game for the National League spot. If you've ever wanted to watch exciting baseball, these games are some of the best you’ll see with so much on the line. 
  • It’s time. See the post season schedule here. Stay tuned for Wednesday's five things to know about the MLB playoffs which are guaranteed to make you sports savvy.  

NCAA Football (College)

  • As good as advertised. Clemson (#3) vs Louisville (#5) had the potential to be one of the best games of the season and it lived up to the hype. The energy of the fans helped propel Clemson to a halftime lead, but Louisville took the lead over in the fourth quarter. Then Clemson scored the game winning touchdown with seconds left in the game. How’d Heisman front-runner, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson play? Click here.
  • Did your team win? See here.  

NFL (National Football League)

  • Can’t hold us. Coming into the weekend there were five undefeated teams in the NFL. Two teams no longer hold that title with Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots both suffering their first loss. The Minnesota Vikings play tonight and they’ll try to hold off New York Giants to remain undefeated.
  • Was your team victorious? Check here. 

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

  • It’s mine…all mine! Going into the final race with the field of 16 in the Chase for the Cup (elimination-style NASCAR playoffs), Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick were the only drivers guaranteed to advance due to previous wins. Truex Jr. was showing off on Sunday when he won again. The field now shrinks to 12 drivers for the next race. Check here to see if your favorite driver made the cut.   

F1 Racing (Formula One)

  • Can I get you something to drink? Red Bull’s Daniel Riccardo won the Malaysian Grand Prix - his first win since 2014. Riccardo celebrated by drinking champagne out of his shoe after he had been wearing it for a few hours in the hot and humid Malaysian climate. Ew. We could think of better ways to celebrate.

Overtime

  • Arguably the best Boston Red Sox player to ever wear the jersey, David Ortiz played in his last regular season game at Fenway Park on Sunday. The Red Sox pulled out all the stops - naming a street and a bridge after him and they will retire his number next season. Ortiz had such a big impact on baseball that Saturday Night Live spoofed him on “Weekend Update.” 

Sideline stat

  • Pittsburgh Steelers’ (NFL) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had as many touchdowns as incomplete passes (five) in last night’s blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Coaches’ corner

  • What does it mean to retire a number in sports? Unlike the mourning period you go through when retiring a cell phone number, this is a positive thing. When a team retires a player’s number, such as Ortiz’s #34, no member of the team (in his case the Red Sox) will ever be able to wear that number again. Teams do this to honor the outstanding career of that player. 

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - Pumpkin Fatigue

Fall is in the air and the flavor of pumpkin is everywhere. May your pumpkin spice latte bring you as much joy as today’s Rundown.

Non-fat please,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – This weekend’s tailgate treat is not made of pumpkin but liquid gold - Kristen’s chorizo queso. Pop that Lipitor and enjoy.  

NCAA football (College)

  • Don’t hold your breath. ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from Knoxville, TN ahead of the matchup between University of Florida Gators (#19) and Tennessee Volunteers (#14). Tennessee has been unsuccessful in beating Florida in their last 12 attempts. In sports, there’s always hope. Will this be the year the Vols beat the Gators?
  • Beak not included. The University of Oregon Ducks are known for having a plethora of uniforms because of their close relationship with Nike. This weekend they’ll be sporting uniforms that look like their mascot, The Fighting Duck.  

Need to schedule your Saturday around your team? Here’s the schedule.

NFL (National Football League)

  • I got this coach. New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick coached third-string rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a stellar shutout game last night against the Texans. Brissett replaces Tom Brady and back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
  • Viking strong. After losing their starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the preseason, the Minnesota Vikings have also lost their star Adrian Peterson to knee surgery. Peterson is likely out for the season. Although if anyone can return it is Peterson. He returned to the field nine months after ACL surgery (which typically requires a least a year recovery).  
  • Rivalry. Bragging rights for the Keystone State are on the line this weekend when Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles face off. Both teams are undefeated this season. The matchup is led by two quarterbacks who are on opposite ends of their careers – Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger is a veteran with hall of fame-type credentials and Eagles’ quarterback is rookie Carson Wentz from North Dakota State who was the second pick in the NFL draft. 
  • Commitment. What kind of dedication does it take to go from North Dakota State’s quarterback last season to the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this year? Sacrifices have to be made. Carson Wentz’s girlfriend said she has caught him watching game film under the table on their dates. We’ll have the chicken with a side of touchdown.  

When is your team playing? Here’s the schedule.

Overtime

  • Former NBA player and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, was at a charity event when a protestor smashed a pie in his face. (It was coconut cream in case you were curious). Johnson reacted quickly and punched the pie thrower in the face. The pie assaulter ended up with stitches, a trip to the hospital and then to jail, where he faces a felony charge for assaulting a public official.  

Sideline stat

  • The final stop on the PGA FedExCup Tour (i.e. the end of the PGA - golf - season) is this weekend in Georgia. The golfer with the most points at the end of the season wins bragging rights along with a $10 million check. Dustin Johnson is leading in FedExCup points and is currently tied in the Georgia tournament. Come Sunday Johnson could be in a higher tax bracket. (Johnson is also the husband of Paulina Gretzky, daughter of famed hockey player Wayne Gretzky).   

Coaches’ corner

  • What do you mean by third-string? A player, such as Patriots’ Jacoby Brissett, is considered a third-string player for his position. That means there are two other players ahead of him who will play before he does. In the Patriots’ situation, starting quarterback Tom Brady is suspended and back up Jimmy Garoppolo is injured.

 

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