Talk That Talk

Sports talk = preventing awkward silences all weekend long. It’s the least we can do since we can’t help your dance moves.

Don't break a hip,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – In honor of this weekend’s game in Mexico City, today’s Tailgate Treat will quench your thirst.

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NFL (National Football League)

Mile high club. Tom Brady and his New England Patriots head to Mexico City to play the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. The toughest part for these two teams isn’t all of the tequila they’ll drink, it’s that Azteca Stadium sits at 7,280 feet above sea level. To train for the game the Patriots opted to stay in Denver after playing the Broncos to adjust their elevation (approx. 5,280 feet). The Raiders opted to train in Oakland.

NASCAR (National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing)

Wrapping it up. The NASCAR season comes to a close this Sunday. If you’re ever going to watch a race, this is it. There will be a field full of drivers but only four of them will be eligible for the championship title. The highest-ranking finisher of those four will take home the trophy. This will also be Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final race before he cruises into retirement.  

Overtime

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. A UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighter has been charged with assault after throwing a boomerang at another fighter while in Australia. The incident stemmed from one fighter insulting the other’s heritage. Right back at ya.

Sideline stat

MLB’s (Major League Baseball) MVPs come in all shapes and sizes. Yesterday 6’6” Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins, who smashed the home run record, won the National League honor. The small but mighty, 5’6” Jose Altuve from the World Series Champion Houston Astros took home the American League MVP title.

Coaches’ corner

Head coach Nick Saban and his Alabama team are back at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings this week. Besides his team, what else is top of mind for Saban this week? His distaste for distressed jeans. See his passionate yet funny rant here. 

5 Things You Need To Know About Fantasy Football

Like driving through a puddle after a car wash, you can’t avoid fantasy football. Talk of leagues and drafts are omnipresent with the start of the football season around the corner. Now you can play a part in the conversation.

Boom!

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Five Things You Need To Know About Fantasy Football

1. The “sport” was originally developed in 1962 but modern fantasy football started in 1999 when Yahoo offered an online league. 
2. There are 59.3 million (!!) people who play fantasy football in the U.S. and Canada and over 34% of them are female. Who says football is for the boys?
3. Picking a team name is the best part but remember no one is intimidated by the Football Fairy Princesses. Like naming a baby, there are massive lists of names out there to inspire you. Some of our favorites? Here’s my number, call me Brady, Sacks and the City and Game of Throws.
4. Online betting sites like DraftKing and FanDuel bring in big bucks from fantasy football, but they are still illegal in a few states. Some states say fantasy football is a gambling while others say it’s a game of skill.
5. Drafts, trades and researching game day opponents are all part of the game, hence why U.S. employers suffer a $17 billion (yes with a 'B') loss in productivity due to fantasy football.

For more tips check out: fantasy football 101 and the top 100 players to draft.

Overtime

• You can do your celebration dance because the 2017-18 NBA (National Basketball Association) schedule has been released. The Minnesota Timberwolves will travel further than any other team this season. Let's hope they embrace it like the St. Louis Cardinals (MLB – Major League Baseball) and hold a dance party on the plane.

Sideline stat

• Everyone in the sports world is talking about Miami Marlins (MLB) slugger, Giancarlo Stanton. He’s on a hot streak, hitting home runs in six straight games AND setting a Marlins franchise record for home runs in a season, which is impressive because the season isn't even over for a month and a half. 

Coaches’ corner

• Dallas Cowboys' (NFL - National Football League) Ezekiel Elliott was hit with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The suspension was the result of a league investigation into an accusation of domestic violence. This week he filed an appeal, hoping to lower or even have the sentence dismissed. The hearing will take place a week before the season starts.

The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the ESPY Awards

The Oscars of sports, the ESPYS, take place tonight. They’re always held on the Wednesday after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game because today is the only day of the year with no major professional sports games. Make sure to read us on Friday for the winners and fashion losers.

And the ESPY goes to,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS –  Join the conversation by checking out our latest post, “Your Office Guide to Baseball Small Talk" on Stilletos on the Glass Ceiling. 

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Five Things to Know About Tonight’s ESPY Awards

1. Started in 1993 and held in Los Angeles, CA, the ESPYS stand for the “Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly" Awards. Fans vote for their favorite athletes in categories like best team, best international athlete and best record-breaking performance. 
2. The annual Arthur Ashe Courage Award is presented to a person who possesses strength in the face of adversity, courage and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. This year’s award recipient is Zaevion Dobson, a 15-year-old high school football player who was killed last year when he protected two friends during a shooting. His mother will accept the award. The award’s namesake, Arthur Ashe, was the first African American to win the men's singles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and the first black American to be ranked No. 1 in the world. He contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during heart surgery and spent his life raising awareness about the disease until his death in 1993.  
3. The people watching is great even if you don’t watch sports. Many famous leading ladies (Carrie Underwood, Olivia Munn and Ciara) are in attendance as their significant others are athletes. Lest we forget the athletes themselves; Danica Patrick, Serena Williams and LeBron James always bring their fashion A game. 
4. TNT’s basketball sideline reporter Craig Sager will receive the Jimmy V Award, named after famed college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, who weeks before succumbing to cancer delivered one of the most iconic speeches in sports. It’s most powerful statement of “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up,” is the story behind all recipients of the award. Sager who is battling leukemia has continued to work games including the NBA playoffs while undergoing treatments. The award will be presented by Vice President Joe Biden.
5. The host for tonight’s star studded event is professional wrestler John Cena. (You may have also seen him making regular appearances as a co-host on the Today Show).

• You can watch the ESPYS tonight at 8 pm EST on ABC. (Red carpet coverage begins at 5 pm EST on ESPN). 

Olympics

• No to Rio. Jordan Spieth became the latest athlete to announce he will not attend the Olympics. The four top ranked golfers in the world have opted out of Rio. This is the first time golf will be played in the Olympics in 112 years.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Going, going, gone. The MLB Home Run Derby has become one of the biggest spectacles in sports. Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton made sure the event lived up to the hype, hitting a record 61 home runs in three rounds to take home the trophy. If laid out, his home runs cumulatively would have traveled 5.1 miles.
• Something's fishy. Stanton’s win created a bit of a nightmare for the Marlins organization, who announced they would take a percentage off of a game ticket for every home run Stanton hit. Do the math - 61% off ticket prices is not really team friendly. Marlins refused to honor the 61% - they capped it at 25% off. If you're wondering, the Marlins rank 27 out of 30 in fan attendance.
• Take me home. In last night’s All-Star Game, the American League won to earn home-field advantage in the World Series for the fourth consecutive year. They beat the National League 4-2. 

Overtime

• It was hometown date week on the Bachelorette and contestant Jordan Rodgers finally broke down and talked about his “middle brother.” Jordan’s middle brother is Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who likely doesn’t even know Jordan is on the show because they have an estranged relationship. Or maybe because it's awkward to watch your brother on the Bachelorette?  

Sideline stat

• NBA MVP and Golden State Warriors’ star Steph Curry recently held a four day overnight kids’ basketball camp in Hawaii, charging an astounding $2,250. (For the record it sold out). Seattle Seahawks (NFL) Michael Bennett, who resides in Hawaii in the off-season, called out Curry for charging such an absurd amount for the camp. Bennett hosts a free camp for kids on the island. While Curry did not directly respond to the Bennett's criticism, he did post on Instagram that if you don't want to pay $2,000 for his camp, check out his brother Seth’s more affordable basketball camp.

Coaches’ Corner

• What does home-field advantage in the World Series mean? The MLB All-Star Game matters as the two leagues play for home-field advantage in the World Series. While we don’t know which teams will play in the Series, we do know that the American League team will have home-field advantage. That means your team is guaranteed to play game one (first game) and game seven (last game, if necessary) of the series at home.

Not only does that provide the team with the most fans but also the mental advantages that comes with the comforts of a familiar place and their own beds. The concept of home field advantage exists in every sport, not just baseball, but baseball is the only sport that determines it this way.