The Rundown: Soccer, Football and Earthquakes! Oh my!

It’s Friday!  

Mic drop,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

PS - Now that your Thanksgiving leftovers have been demolished, here's an easy Tailgate Treat to fill bellies at a football game or holiday party. 

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NCAA Football (College)

• Almost there. This weekend is when the College Football Conference Championships take place. This means conference teams play for the winning title and hopefully a better postseason bowl game. There are too many big games for us to cover so you can find out the scoop on each game here.  

NFL (National Football League)

• I put a spell on you. New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski is out for the season as he will undergo back surgery today. Fans believe his injury is due to the “Madden Curse” which refers to the Madden Football video game. In the history of the video game, a significant number of players who were featured on the cover of the game have suffered season ending injuries. Although this is Gronkowski’s third back surgery by the ripe old age of 27.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• All hail King James. LeBron James has been named Sports Illustrated's "2016 Sportsperson of the Year.” He joins Tiger Woods as the only athlete to receive this honor twice. James was named not only for bringing the City of Cleveland its first major professional sports team championship in 52 years with the Cavaliers, but for his outstanding efforts in the community.

Soccer

• Futbol fun. The biggest rivalry in soccer takes place on Saturday between Spain’s top two teams - Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. These two teams are led by the biggest stars in soccer - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) and Lionel Messi (Barcelona). The game, known as “El Classico,” is being played for the 114th year. Madrid currently holds a big lead over Barcelona in league standings. Want more? Click here.  

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Welcome home. Major League Baseball agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association to avoid a lockout (i.e. a strike). One of the main points in the agreement removed awarding World Series home-field advantage to the winning league in the All-Star Game. Now that will be decided by the team in the World Series with the best record.

Overtime

• There’s a new trend in football - tents on the sideline and no they aren’t for camping. During the Monday night game Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (NFL) mysteriously went inside the sideline tent. The tent is designed so team trainers can treat players’ injuries without TV cameras, fans or other teams seeing what’s wrong. That’s strategery. (SNL version of Bush…anyone)? The tent was introduced by University of Alabama who began using it at the beginning of the season and the idea spread like wildfire. Check it out. 

Sideline stat

• Geologists measured the ground vibrations during last week’s Ohio State – Michigan football game. The two teams' fans we’re so rowdy and created so much seismic activity during the double overtime game that it registered as a 5.79 earthquake. 

Coaches’ Corner

• Major League Baseball players have participated in a strike before. The last lockout in baseball was the 1994 season. Yes, the whole season was cancelled.

The Rundown: Five Unusual Provisions In Athlete Contracts

Thinking about changing jobs this hump day? Don’t push your luck by trying to negotiate any of these oddities into your new contract.

Hey we’re happy with free coffee,

The Last Night’s Game

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Five unusual provisions in athlete contracts

1. Sports contracts are iron clad agreements that protect an asset of the team, the athlete. There is a long list of things athletes are prohibited from participating in to ensure their health and safety. A few of the most popular banned activities include sky diving, driving motorcycles, auto racing, skateboarding and hot air balloons.
2. When the now retired A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) was negotiating with the New York Mets some of his demands included an office at the stadium, his own marketing staff, a private jet and maximum billboard exposure. The Mets didn’t work out but A-Rod signed with the New York Yankees. No word on whether or not a private jet was included.
3. Former Arizona Diamondbacks player Troy Glaus’ contract included $250,000 for his wife’s personal business - equestrian horses.
4. Other odd inclusions include a soccer player who wrote in his contract that his team needed to pay for cooking classes for his wife. (Was she a bad cook)? Or the coach who wanted an annual gift certificate to the local gun shop? Even more interesting – a newly built house for every year of the athlete’s contract. 
5. When you hurt yourself while participating in a banned activity, why not simply lie about it? No one will know right? Wrong. Former San Francisco Giants infielder Jeff Kent said he broke his wrist while washing his truck. The team was suspicious because a man was cleaning. They found out he was popping wheelies on his motorcycle which was forbidden. Uh oh. 

• Extra credit – Which current head coach had the "Notre Dame clause" in his contract? Find out here. 

Golf

• Remember me? Do you know the golfer ranked 898th in the world? Yes, you do. It’s Tiger Woods. Woods, the former number one, looks to make his return to golf at this week’s tournament in the Bahamas after a 15-month break.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Glamorous life. New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes signed the largest contract for an outfielder in MLB. There is certainly no anti-golf clause in his contract. He’s been known to play golf right before night games and even sparked controversy last season for playing golf while on the disabled list with quad injury. (You may recall the story about Cespedes rolling into spring training last season with a new fleet of over the top vehicles).

Overtime

• Who doesn’t love a feel good story? The Los Angeles Lakers hosted a scrimmage game between the L.A.P.D. and local kids at their practice facility. The game wasn’t about recruiting, but to build the relationship between the two groups.  

Sideline stat

• 23,924 - The number of teddy bears thrown on the ice by fans at the Calgary Hitmen “Teddy Bear Toss” game. The Teddy Bear Toss is when fans bring stuffed animals to donate to underprivileged children. They throw them on the ice after the home team scores its first goal. This video shows every child’s dream come true – it’s raining bears. 

Coaches’ corner

• With only one week of college football left, the next to last set of rankings has been released. The top four ranked teams will play each other in a tournament style format to become National Champions.  

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Washington