Making It Happen
This is no early April Fool’s prank; here’s what’s happening in sports so you can create conversation all weekend long.
This is no early April Fool’s prank; here’s what’s happening in sports so you can create conversation all weekend long.
Like a boss,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
If your Thursday was a home run. By all accounts, Opening Day in baseball was a success. It started with a home run on the first pitch of the season and ended with a visit from Jennifer Lopez in the broadcast booth, where her former baseball player boyfriend, Alex Rodriguez, was broadcasting the Los Angeles Dodgers – San Francisco Giants game.
College Basketball
If your mama taught you to respect your elders. The final four is Saturday night and it features Villanova (#1) vs. Kansas (#1) and Loyola Chicago (#11) vs. Michigan (#3). The teams may have met their match but so has Sister Jean. The 98-year-old nun and chaplain for Loyola has been challenged by Michigan’s “Fab Five” legend and former NBA (National Basketball Association) player Jalen Rose’s grandma. The 100-year-old Grandma Rose loves her some Michigan basketball and told Sister that “it’s been fun but Loyola’s time is up.” A little shade thrown from her elders.
Overtime
The Los Angeles Rams (NFL – National Football League) have made a lot of noise in the offseason with on-field acquisitions but this one made history. The Rams hosted cheerleading tryouts this week and their new squad will feature the first two male cheerleaders ever in the NFL. You’ll see Quinton and Napoleon, both professional dancers, on the sideline this the fall. (Other teams have stuntmen, but not actual male cheerleaders/dancers).
Sideline stat
The NCAA (governing body of college sports) allocates $3,000 - $4,000 for players’ families to attend the final four and the national championship game. The money is for travel costs, hotel rooms and meals. The funds allow Kansas player Udoka Azubuike’s mom to see her son play for the first time. Her visa was approved for travel from Nigeria. Also on Kansas, Svi Mykhailiuk, whose parents travelled from the Ukraine to see him play on Saturday. MORE
Coaches’ corner
Zeke Upshaw of the Detroit Pistons G League developmental league collapsed on the court on Saturday and later died. Last night, the Detroit Pistons honored Upshaw posthumously with an honorary call-up. Being called up means he’ll officially be memorialized in the record books as a player for the Detroit Pistons.
What to watch
March Madness continues tonight with the final four in the women’s bracket. Unlike the men’s bracket, all final four teams started off the tournament ranked #1 in their division – UConn, Notre Dame, Louisville and Mississippi State.
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The Rundown: 5 Things To Know About The NBA Draft
Happy Hump Day! Today we bring you what everyone is talking about. Not the latest Kardashian baby news, but the NBA Draft.
#baller,
The Last Night’s Game
Five Things To Know About The NBA Draft
- In order to be eligible for the draft, which is tomorrow, players must be out of high school for one year. International players can also declare themselves eligible for the draft. Collegiate athletes who go undrafted cannot go back to school to play. They will be forced to play in the G League (formerly known as the D-League) or for a foreign team overseas.
- The 14 teams that did not make the playoffs are entered into a lottery to determine the order for the first 14 picks in the draft. The remaining picks fall in order of how the team finished in the playoffs.
- Teams put in a lot of advanced scouting and work leading up to the draft – all for two players. Unlike the NFL (National Football League) that has seven rounds or MLB (Major League Baseball) that has 40 rounds, the NBA draft is only two rounds with 60 players drafted.
- Unlike NFL (National Football League) commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA commissioner Adam Silver seems to be a fan favorite. How do we know this? Silver isn’t booed by the fans every time he takes the draft podium like Goodell or the previous NBA commissioner, David Stern. All in due time.
- One proud mama and former WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) player, Pamela McGee was the first person to have a son and a daughter drafted into the NBA and WNBA, respectively. JaVale McGee was drafted into the NBA in 2008 (he won a title this year with the Warriors) and his sister Imani Boyette was drafted into the WNBA in 2016.
- The rumor mill has been going crazy in advance of the draft. So crazy that we can’t begin to cover all of the mock drafts and trade rumors for you, but ESPN can. Here’s what’s happening on a court near you.
Overtime
- This year’s NHL Draft features a new expansion team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, which will start playing this upcoming hockey season. The Golden Knights will pick 30 of their players from other teams today - one from each of the existing teams’ rosters. Current teams can protect some of their players from being picked off. Here’s the list of available players for the Golden Knights to choose from.
Sideline stat
- Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) rookie Cody Bellinger is on fire. Yesterday he hit his 22nd home run in his 52nd game. That’s the fastest any player has reached that feat.
Coaches’ Corner
- The only sure things in life? Death and taxes. Maybe not if you’re soccer team Real Madrid. Former manager Jose Mourinho and star Cristiano Ronaldo are both under investigation for tax evasion. Only the tax man knows who on the team is next.