5 Things You Need To Know About The Fastest Weekend Of The Year
Blink and you’ll miss it.
Hold onto your hats because we’re about to set the world on fire with the Circuit of the Americas Formula One race and the New York City Marathon both on the same day.
Where the rubber hits the road,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The first New York City Marathon took place in 1970 with 55 runners. Last year more than 100,000 runners applied to run in the race with only 15% accepted. That acceptance rate is lower than most elite colleges. This year if you’re a Michelob Ultra fan and can prove you’re environmentally friendly, you might qualify for one of the 95 entries that the beer is handing out. Or if you’re a celebrity, you’re in. POUNDING THE PAVEMENT FOR MOTHER EARTH
2. Women were barred from road races for a decade but in the Marathon’s third year, six women took their rightful places in the race. The AAU, the then-governing body of marathons, had previously squashed the idea of women running in marathons. It was considered a health risk for women to run distances as their uterus might fall out along with a host of other medical disasters. LADIES TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE
3. The F1 (Formula One) race takes place in Austin on Sunday . It’s the only F1 race in the U.S. and is known as the “Circuit of the Americas.” And if going fast doesn’t do it for you, each night of racing is followed by a concert. This year’s shows feature P!NK and Imagine Dragons. ROCK ON
4. F1 has always been a global sport with a massive international following, but expect to see more about F1 in the states because U.S. based Liberty Media is now the main stakeholder, buying in at a mere $4.4 billion. There have been talks about expanding the races to other U.S. cities outside of Austin including Las Vegas and Miami. COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU
5. Last season’s overall winner, Lewis Hamilton is looking to win his sixth championship in Austin. He’s the sport’s most recognizable current driver and is known for his time behind the wheel, big diamond earrings, his famous ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) and his Instagram famous bulldogs, Roscoe and Coco, that are raking in the international followers. BULLDOGS THAT DRIVE FAST? YES PLEASE.
Baby One More Time
It’s Friday. Let’s talk.
It’s Friday. Let’s talk.
Short and sweet,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NFL (National Football League)
When you accomplish your goal, just to start at the bottom. From walk-on player, to Heisman Trophy winner, to number one pick in last night's NFL draft, former University of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has taken a non-traditional path to get to this point. That determination will help as he takes the first step in his professional career – playing for the worst team in football, the Cleveland Browns. The team did not win a game last season so any improvement is a bonus. MORE ON MAYFIELD
F1 Racing (Formula One)
If Britney is your spirit animal. F1 (Formula One) races are more than fast cars on a track, it’s a party. The U.S Grand Prix, the only F1 race in the U.S., announced its big headliners for the post-race concerts. Bruno Mars and Britney Spears will take the stage in October when the international phenomenon of F1 racing arrives in Austin, TX. FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT F1 RACING
Overtime
From the “we can’t make this up” file. We’re knee deep in the NHL (National Hockey League) playoffs and the league has asked the Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand to stop licking opposing players. Marchand’s response to reporters who questioned him about the licking of his opponent? “He’s cute.” Speechless. THE DIRTY DETAILS
Sideline stat
The 28th pick of the NFL draft belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers and it was extra special. Ryan Shazier, the Steelers player who suffered a severe spinal injury in a game last year, impressed everyone by walking to the podium to deliver the team’s pick, Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds brother, Tremaine, was drafted earlier in the night to the Buffalo Bills, making them the first brothers ever drafted in the same round at the same draft. THE HEART WARMING MOMENT
Coaches’ corner
When you're a professional golfer, if you don’t play, you don’t get paid. That was a concern for LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) player Stacy Lewis when she found out she was pregnant. Showing their unwavering support, her major sponsor KPMG told her “they wanted to treat her like any other female in their organization that has a baby” and fulfill their sponsorship contract with her no matter how many tournaments she played in. DOING THE RIGHT THING
What to watch
The best is yet to come. Round one of the NFL draft may have been exciting but the fun isn’t over. What is there to look forward to? "Celebrity” draft pick announcers including a parrot, the football team from Stoneman Douglas High School and the gold medal winning U.S. Men’s Curling Team as well as free pizza for a year for one player. FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DRAFT