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.

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The Last Night’s Game

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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.

Live in the now

If you're focusing on the moment and not the future, then we have the news for you. Here are the top three topics your friends and neighbors will be talking about today. READ

Problem Solver

Nothing is more uncomfortable than an awkward silence. Solve that this today’s weekend preview.

Party on,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - Today's Tailgate Treat will make you feel like fall even if it's 100 degrees in your neck of the woods. Halloween turtleneck not included. 

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MLB (Major League Baseball)

Next episode. The road to a World Series championship runs through L.A. The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked last year’s World Series champion Chicago Cubs out of the playoffs. The Dodgers, who haven’t been to a World Series since 1988, will play the winner of the Astros/Yankees in the World Series.

College Football

We go way back. One of the most storied rivalries in college football is USC (University of Southern California) vs. Notre Dame. Their 89th meeting on Saturday carries some weight this time as both schools are actually ranked in the top 25 for the first time in eight years.

NFL (National Football League)

Look kids…big ben. This week brings us games from across the pond. The Arizona Cardinals and the “home team” Los Angeles Rams will play in London. The NFL is continuing their effort to broaden the international fan base for American football, playing games in London and Mexico City.

Overtime

From the file of “well, that’s awkward.” An Italian soccer player was penalized for urinating toward the away fans’ section. Apparently, that’s frowned upon. He’s now out for five games.  

Sideline stat

Tonight, it’s all in for the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. If the Yankees win, they move on to take on the Dodgers in the World Series.  To reach that goal they’ll have to do the unthinkable and beat Justin Verlander (model Kate Upton’s fiancé), who has won all eight games he’s started since being traded to Astros.

Coaches’ corner

Since 1979, the University of Iowa's visiting locker room has been donning a pink paint job. Intended to intimidate the most manly opposing team, they gave it an extra feminine touch adding pink toilets, sinks and lockers a little over 10 years ago. Barbie would be so jealous.