The Rundown: Papa Don't Preach

So long July, welcome August!

Time flies when you're having fun,

The Last Night's Game Team

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MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Dad you’re embarrassing me. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may want to think twice the next time he goes to a baseball game. A few weeks after he was booed for catching a foul ball, Christie was caught on camera berating a fan at a Chicago Cubs – Milwaukee Brewers game. Good news. Even though he was angry, he didn’t spill his nachos. Bad news. His son works in the Brewers baseball operations department. Off to family therapy. 

Soccer

• You go girls. In a huge win, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team came from behind in the last few minutes to beat Brazil in the Tournament of Nations. Next up? They'll face Japan in the final game on Thursday.

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)

• Redemption. Fighter Jon Jones returned from a year suspension to reclaim his championship belt on Saturday night at UFC 214. He won with a knockout of opponent Daniel Cormier. It’s the first-time Cormier has ever been knocked out.

Overtime

• Meet 15-year-old Moziah Bridges, CEO of Mo’s Bows. Like many of us may have done as a kid, he started a business. His side hustle surpassed our lemonade stand when it was featured on Shark Tank. Bridges just inked a seven-figure deal to make bow ties for each of the NBA (National Basketball Association) teams. Check them out.

Sideline stat

• Texas Rangers’ Adrian Beltre joined the 3,000-hit club on Sunday. He is only the 31st player in baseball and the first Dominican born player in history to reach this milestone. How did his fans celebrate his accomplishment? The Fort Worth Zoo named a baby giraffe after him.

Coaches’ corner

• The insufferable papa LaVar Ball is once again in center of controversy. (Ball's son Lonzo plays for the Los Angeles Lakers). As a coach in a basketball tournament this weekend, he asked to have a female referee removed from a game after he was unhappy with her call. After Ball’s use of derogatory and sexist language, the officiating group gave the tournament a big middle finger and ended their relationship with the tournament organizer, Adidas. Enough already.

The Rundown: Sunshine and Summertime

Summer days are upon us and that means setting up poolside, frozen drinks and naps on the couch while watching sports. Although the true talent is doing all three at the same time.

Have we met?

The Last Night’s Game Team  

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NFL (National Football League)

• Coincidence? Two days after a study was released that CTE was present in 99% of the brains of former NFL players, the Baltimore Ravens' John Urschel, 26, announced his retirement. Don’t worry, he has a backup plan. He’s currently a Ph.D. candidate in mathematics at MIT. You may also recognize his mathlete abilities from a headphone commercial where he schools fellow player JJ Watt. That’s a noggin full of knowledge to protect.

Soccer 

• Because you’re worth it. “El Classico” is a rivalry game between some of soccer’s most popular teams, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The teams will bring their rivalry from Spain to Miami on Saturday night. No word if Real Madrid’s biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo, will be playing but the Miami Dolphins owner has a private plane on standby just in case.
• Victory! The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Jamaica in the Gold Cup finals on Wednesday night. This is puts them one step closer to their bid for the World Cup.

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)

• Battle for the belt. Similar to a black Friday sale, a coveted belt is on the line. Champion Daniel Cormier will take on longtime rival, former champion Jon Jones this weekend. In 2014, they couldn’t wait to get to the octagon and resorted to blows in a Vegas hotel lobby.  

Overtime

• What would a Friday be without puppies? Animal Planet announced it will be airing the Dog Bowl event as part of Road to Puppy Bowl XIV. The Puppy Bowl, featuring dogs from shelters, is synonymous with the Super Bowl. The shelters that the network works with wanted to showcase adoptable older dogs that often get overlooked in favor of a puppy. Age before beauty b#tches.

Sideline stat

• Texas Rangers’ (MLB – Major League Baseball) Adrian Beltre is only four hits shy of 3,000 career hits, a feat only 31 players in baseball have ever accomplished. He looks to join the exclusive club this weekend in his home stadium.

Coaches’ corner

• It is customary in baseball to tap your teammate on the head or slap their helmet when they do something good. (Because why not)? Adrian Beltre hates this tradition but something tells us him teammates will forego his wrath and do it anyway when he reaches his historic milestone (see above). It's all about tradition right?

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - It's Finals Time

Congratulations – you’ve made it to Friday. For that achievement we give you permission to spend your Sunday in the air conditioning, on the couch (or in the nearest sports bar) watching Formula One, the Wimbledon finals and Euro 2016 finals.

A mimosa please,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

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Tennis

• One match away. Serena Williams has advanced to the Wimbledon Final on Saturday but she won't get a chance to face her sister, Venus, who lost in the semifinals. Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber have met in a final match before. Williams lost to Kerber in the Australian Open. If she wins on Saturday, Williams will tie the record for 22 major wins. (Match begins on Saturday at 9 am on ESPN).
• Playing with the boys. The men’s semifinals take place this morning and Roger Federer and Andy Murray are still vying for a place in the finals, which takes place on Sunday (9 am EST on ESPN). For a complete men’s schedule click here.

Soccer

• The finals for Euro 2016 are set. Host nation France will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Sunday in the finals to see who is the top team in European soccer. (Game time is Sunday at 3 pm EST on ESPN).

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)

• Party pooper. UFC 200 was scheduled to be the biggest event in UFC history (Saturday on pay-per-view). On Wednesday, UFC announced that one of the fighters in the main event, former champion Jon Jones, had failed a drug test. Jones was immediately removed from the fight card, leaving champion Daniel Cormier without an opponent.
• Today’s your lucky day. UFC scrambled to find a replacement fighter on two days’ notice. Former middleweight champion and arguably the best second option ever, Anderson Silva has agreed to step up and fight Cormier. That’s like receiving a call to play in the Super Bowl on two days’ notice. Something tells us he wasn’t just sitting around eating donuts ala Homer Simpson.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• Bulls bound. Fresh off his co-hosting duties on "Live with Kelly," the face of the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, has decided to leave the team for his hometown Chicago Bulls. Wade spent 13 years with the Heat where he won three NBA championships. Many felt the Heat didn’t treat him as a priority (Wade notably took pay cuts to help the team) and they didn’t offer him the most money when it came down to it. Let’s hope Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union, is ready to trade in swimsuits for winter coats.

F1 (Formula One Racing)

• Race on. As if there isn’t already enough excitement happening in Europe, the next stop on the F1 schedule is the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton looks to close the gap in the overall standings on Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. After last week's controversial finish, both drivers have received a 'final warning' from the Mercedes team ahead of this Sunday's race. You can catch all the racing excitement on Sunday at 8 am on CNBC.

Overtime

• In case his Super Bowl ring needed company, Seattle Seahawks’ Quarterback Russell Wilson added another ring to his jewelry collection. Wilson married bombshell pop star and Grammy Winner, Ciara, on Wednesday in a small wedding in England. The couple were engaged in March in the Seychelles. See their wedding photo here.

Sideline stat

• Football powerhouses, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and Michigan Wolverines have agreed to renew their 100-year college football rivalry that ended in 2014. In 2018, the teams will meet in the season opener and then again in 2019. This schedule change comes with a price as the Wolverines were already scheduled to play the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2018. The Wolverines will pay the Razorbacks $2 million for cancelling their originally scheduled games.

Coaches’ Corner

• We're all about planning ahead but Notre Dame and Michigan announcing their plans to meet up in 2019 seems a little far away. How many years out do college football teams plan their schedules? Athletic directors have been known to get a little ahead of themselves; there are some teams that have games on the schedule for 2028. The players who will play on those teams are still playing tetherball in elementary school. There’s big money in a strong schedule (aka great football schools) therefore many schools plan years out to secure one.