The 5 Sporting Events To Get Excited About in 2018
If creating relationships, growing your client base or expanding your network are on your list of New Year’s resolutions, develop the rapport with sports and keep the conversation going all year long.
If creating relationships, growing your client base or expanding your network are on your list of New Year’s resolutions, develop the rapport with sports and keep the conversation going all year long.
Talk the talk,
The Last Night’s Game
The Five Sporting Events To Get Excited About in 2018
1. Australian Open (Tennis): Monday, January 15 - Sunday, January 28
While the Australian Open is one of the big four in tennis (i.e. a Grand Slam tournament), it’s not one you might normally look forward to so why this year? The gal that some consider the greatest of all time, Serena Williams, is planning to make her return to tennis in the same tournament she won last year, while pregnant. Get ready for her to dominate the courts again.
2. Super Bowl - NFL (National Football League): Sunday, February 4
This year’s game will be played in the "warm and tropical" home of the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. An NFL team has never played in the Super Bowl in their home stadium and the Vikings, who are in the playoffs, may be the first team to break that streak. If the commercials and the parties aren’t enough, Justin Timberlake is headlining the halftime show. Bonus - his new album drops two days before the game.
3. Winter Olympics: Friday, February 9 – Thursday, February 25
It seems every Olympics there is a major controversy. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, Russian doping, Zika and now the proximity of PyeongChang, South Korea to North Korea is on the minds everyone heading into the Winter Olympics. A few positive stories to focus on? Lindsey Vonn’s comeback on the slopes and Nigeria’s first team ever in the Winter Olympics, which happens to be all women. Also, did you know that PyeongChang is the smallest host city since Lillehammer, Norway, with a population of 50,000.
4. Daytona 500 – NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing): Sunday, February 18
The Daytona 500 has been glorified in the movies (Days of Thunder anyone)? but the race that kicks off the NASCAR season will be without one of its most familiar faces this year. This will be the first time in almost two decades Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not be in the lineup. He retired last year but you can catch him on his new show on the DIY Network and in the broadcast booth for NBC. Another face slowly fading from racing is the most accomplished woman in NASCAR history, Danica Patrick. She will only race two races this year - the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
5. World Cup - Soccer: Thursday, June 14 – Sunday, July 15
In the world’s most watched sporting event, soccer teams from all over the world will compete to determine which country is the best. In 2014, over three billion people or nearly 40% of the world’s population watched the competition, which happens every four years. Three notable teams that failed to qualify and will miss this year’s tournament in Russia? United States, Italy and The Netherlands. The underdog? Team Iceland. They’re the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup and they’re playing in their first one.
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The Rundown: 5 Things To Know About Team Iceland
If you looked up the definition of an underdog in the dictionary there would be a photo of Iceland’s Euro 2016 soccer team next to it. In their first appearance ever in a major tournament, the team has impressed even the toughest critics with their win in an elimination game this week over soccer royalty England.
Making their own Northern Lights,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – We are very excited to announce that Last Night’s Game will be a weekly contributor to Stilettos on the Glass Ceiling, a website that unites, empowers, supports and promotes women in business. Every Wednesday we’ll share with their readers how to use the highlights of this week in sports to join the conversation. Check them out on Twitter, Facebook or read today's post.
Five things to know about Team Iceland
- Iceland is the smallest country ever to have qualified for a major international soccer tournament. (Total population 330,000)
- The team’s manager is also a part-time dentist. For comparison sake, England’s manager (who resigned immediately following the loss to Iceland) makes £3.5 million (approximately $3.9 million USD).
- Iceland’s supporters are called “Tólfan” (The Twelve), as they are the “twelfth man on the field.” They’re a well traveled fan club - 8% of Iceland’s population traveled to France to cheer on their team in this tournament.
- 10 of the 11 players who started in Iceland’s first Euro 2016 game had last names that ended in "son." The one who didn’t - Eidur Gudjonsen. So close.
- There are more volcanoes than professional soccer players in Iceland. There are 120 professional players, while there are 126 volcanoes.
Iceland will now look to upset host country France in their quarterfinal game this Sunday.
NCAA Baseball (College)
Don’t let the mascot fool you. Last night the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina tied up the best-of-three series in the finals of the College World Series. The University of Arizona Wildcats were ahead in the series 1-0 but it all comes down to tonight’s game (8 pm EST on ESPN) to see who takes home the title of college baseball champs.
NCAA Basketball (College)
- Lasting legacy. Legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt passed away yesterday at the age of 64. Summitt suffered from Alzheimer’s disease which caused her to step down as head coach in 2012. A Hall of Fame coach, Summitt wrote the book on women’s college basketball. She still holds the record for the winningest coach in Division I college basketball history (men or women). While the statistics and titles may try to show it, her impact on sports is immeasurable.
Overtime
- U.S.A Basketball announced their roster for the Summer Olympics. Although many of the top NBA stars have passed on the opportunity to play in Rio the United States is well represented with this roster that includes:
- Kyrie Irving, 2016 NBA Champions Cleveland Cavaliers
- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
See the complete roster here. You can catch the team in action when they play five exhibition games in Las Vegas starting July 22nd.
Sideline stat
- Chicago Cubs third baseman Chris Bryant had a historic night on Monday. In five at bats, Bryant hit three home runs and two doubles. No player has ever managed three home runs and two doubles in a single game.
Coaches’ Corner
- He clearly listened to his coach about being a good person. Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow was on a flight this weekend when a fellow passenger suffered an apparent heart attack during the flight. Tebow came to aide of the family, leading them in prayer. Once the flight landed, the man was transported to the hospital. Tebow helped the family with their luggage, accompanied them to the hospital and was with them when they received word that their loved one had passed away.