Better Than Advertised
Remembering 9/11, how much would you pay for a ‘sure’ win and the brilliant and strategic reason the Saints-Packers game is being played in Florida.
The NFL season kicked off last night with an Ed Sheeran concert. Oh, and a football game. Sheeran's NFL merch may not have lived up to expectations but the game exceeded them. Here’s to hoping your weekend does the same.
Thinking out loud,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Remembering 9/11
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the weeks following 9/11, it seemed like sports was the sense of normalcy so many craved. This weekend, teams across the country will be honoring those who were lost. The NFL (National Football League), MLB (Major League Baseball) and numerous college football teams have added pregame tributes, with some wearing special uniforms.
Select NFL teams are partnering with Tuesday’s Children, an organization that aids “families who have suffered losses due to the events of 9/11, post-9/11 military service or other acts of mass violence and terrorism,” to host and recognize a family during their home game. WE WILL NEVER FORGET
Overtime
The New Orleans Saints (NFL) were forced to move their home opener against the Green Bay Packers due to Hurricane Ida, but how they finally landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium as their home away from home is interesting. First, Aaron Rodgers’ (Packers QB) numbers show he struggles when playing in Florida. Florida also gave the Saints the humidity advantage as their players are used to it. Then out of the three available stadiums in Florida - Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville - they picked the one that would be the most expensive for Packers fans to travel to, so they might still have home field advantage. BRILLIANT
Sideline stat
LSU (Lousiana State) is looking to bounce back after their first game that ended in a disappointing loss. But they’ll have to do it against a familiar foe - the son of LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron’s son is the quarterback for LSU’s Saturday opponent, McNeese State. The mismatched game will likely be a blowout, but it’s common practice for college teams to pay opponents from smaller schools for an easy win. In fact, LSU is paying McNeese $600,000 to play them this weekend. NO SUCH THING AS BAD PR
Coaches’ corner
The final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, the US Open, comes to a close on Sunday. We know that the youth movement of Leylah Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, will play on Saturday in the all-teenage women’s singles finals. The men’s final will be determined later today, but we may be witnessing history if Novak Djokovic wins in the semifinals today. If he makes it to the finals and wins on Sunday, he will be the first tennis player since Steffi Graff in 1988 to win all four majors in a calendar year. FINISH STRONG
Calling In Sick - 5 Absurd Reasons Athletes Have Missed A Game
If you’re looking for an excuse to call in sick today, these might work if you can handle your boss laughing their (expletive) off.
If you’re looking for an excuse to call in sick today, these might work if you can handle your boss laughing their (expletive) off.
Points for creativity?
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Absurd Reasons Athletes Have Missed A Game
1. Now retired basketball player and current TV analyst, Charles Barkley, missed a game after an incident involving lotion. He rubbed his eyes while at an Eric Clapton concert, had a bad reaction to the lotion on his hands and had to miss the Phoenix Suns (NBA – National Basketball Association) season opener. IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES AN EYE
2. Former Baltimore Orioles (MLB – Major League Baseball) outfielder Marty Cordova missed a game due to severe burns he suffered from tanning bed exposure. BURNT TO A CRISP
3. In a motivational stunt gone wrong, former Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL – National Football League) punter Chris Hanson cut his leg with an axe, causing him to miss the entire season. The Jags coach put a log and an axe in the locker room as a motivational tool after a bad season start. This wasn’t Hanson’s first freak accident. He previously suffered severe burns when a fondue pot tipped over onto him. COVER HIM IN BUBBLE WRAP
4. MLB Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs strained his back (and subsequently missed a few games) from putting on his cowboy boots. GIDDY UP
5. Former baseball player Glenallen Hill had a serious fear of spiders. He woke up in panic after having a dream about spiders and fell through a glass table. YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP
That's not all folks
If those freak accidents weren’t enough to keep you entertained, there’s more where that came from. Here are the top three things happening in the world of sports to keep the conversation flowing, including why you can’t be an athlete and drink beer, how Christmas came early for one fan and why a few Italian men are in big trouble. READ
Poppin' Bottles
Celebrate your sports savviness and the fact that it's Friday by breaking open the bubbly.
Celebrate your sports savviness and the fact that it's Friday by breaking open the bubbly.
It’s never too early,
The Last Night’s Game team
NFL (National Football League)
When you’ve weighed all your options. The schedule for the 2018-2019 NFL season has been released. The schedule isn’t just thrown together, it’s a carefully thought out process that involves mapping out holidays, Beyoncé concerts and shared parking facilities. And you thought it was hard to find a time to have a drink with a few friends. SCHEDULE
When there's never enough time in the day. The NFL is giving its fans the gift of time. Fans can rejoice because the start time for primetime games (i.e. night games) have been moved up this season. Okay, so it’s not a lot of time saved but Sunday night games will start 10 minutes earlier than last season and Monday night football, 15 minutes earlier. MORE
Overtime
Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived last month in Los Angeles to play for the L.A. Galaxy (MLS - Major League Soccer) with his giant ego in tow. Ibrahimovic was a star player for Manchester United and greeted L.A. with a newspaper ad saying "Los Angeles, You're welcome." Now settling into LaLa Land, you might assume he'd like to meet up with fellow celebrities? Think again. When asked who he'd like to meet the most he said, “Me. I don’t want to meet nobody, they want to meet me.” Well then. READ
Sideline stat
The annual Time's 100 Most Influential list is out and while it’s full of big names, there are quite a few athletes that have landed on this list. The list recognizes activism and achievements of those in influential roles. On the list - Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors – NBA – National Basketball League), J.J. Watt (Houston Texans - NFL), Roger Federer (Tennis) and Olympians Adam Rippon and Chloe Kim. LIST
Coaches’ corner
Yesterday, the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars (both NFL teams) released their new uniforms for the upcoming season. The Jaguars took their big announcement a step further and revealed they're also opening the first dog park in an NFL stadium this season. Who says cats and dogs can't get along?
What to watch for
Sunday is Earth Day and here are five intriguing ways the sports industry is leading the charge in going green to share with your friends over a sustainable, organic mimosa at brunch. (Hint: one team even went vegan). READ