James Harrison

The Top 5 Most Memorable Sports Moments of 2017

This year brought us some big wins, tragic losses and definitely some memorable moments. When you ring in 2018, here’s what to talk about until the clock strikes midnight.  

 

Cheers,

The Last Night’s Game Team


The Top Five Most Memorable Sports Moments of 2017

1. Between three major hurricanes, multiple California fires and a mass shooting, sports teams and players stepped up to support their local communities by donating money and their time. Most notably was Houston Texans JJ Watt (NFL – National Football League) who started a fundraising effort for victims of Hurricane Harvey. He promised to match the first $100,000 raised and ended up raising over $37 million in donations for hurricane relief efforts. MORE 

 

2. After earning the title of the No Fun League, the NFL relaxed their touchdown celebrations rules this year. Players embraced this freedom of expression and have graced us with celebrations to honor the Rockettes, playing leapfrog, a bench press workout and of course a line dance to the electric slide. SEE MORE

 

3. Like we needed more evidence to prove that Serena Williams is nothing short of Superwoman. In January, she won her record 23rd Grand Slam win at the Australian Open. (A Grand Slam is one of the four major tournaments in tennis). Later she revealed that she was pregnant during her big win. Therefore, this year brought us the birth of her baby girl and her glamorous wedding to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. MORE

 

4. The hype was worth the hype in the Mayweather vs. McGregor boxing match. MMA fighter (Mixed Martial Arts) Conor McGregor stepped outside his comfort zone to step into the ring and fight one of boxing’s best, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather. The fight lasted 10 rounds and Mayweather was declared a winner but not before McGregor earned the sports world’s r-e-s-p-e-c-t. MORE  

 

5. This year was a terrible year for the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team. The U.S. team did not qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 31 years. Also having a crappy year? Team Italy. They didn’t qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 58 years. Ciao World Cup dreams.

 

PS – There are some great things ahead in 2018. Most notably, the College Football National Championship, Super Bowl, Winter Olympics and World Cup all in the first six months of the year.

 

There's more where that came from

Instead of focusing on the past, here are the top three buzzworthy topics in the world of sports right now, including cancelling Sunday Night Football, why the NBA had a very Merry Christmas and why Old Guys rule. READ

Old Guys Rule

As we dance into another weekend, we’re celebrating the start of football season, the fountain of youth and of course “The Ocho.”

 

Doing our touchdown dance,

The Last Night’s Game Team


NFL (National Football League)

  • Standing in the Hall of Fame. The NFL will induct the newest members of its Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. The list of worthy inductees includes Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has been instrumental in getting the NFL to where it is today.
  • The road less traveled. Also being honored is former quarterback Kurt Warner, who had an indirect path to the NFL. The Super Bowl winner has an incredible story that includes working at a grocery store to fund his family and his dream of playing in the NFL. Warner has chosen his wife to be his presenter. She’s only the second wife ever to present her husband at the famed induction ceremony.

WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)

  • Co-ed. EA SPORTS announced yesterday that WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) players will be featured on the video game NBA Live 18. The game, which will be released in September, is the first video game to feature the WNBA’s full roster of teams and players.

Overtime

  • Inspired by the movie Dodgeball, ESPNU will become ESPN8: “The Ocho” on Tuesday, August 8th. The network will only be live for one day but will stick to its mantra of showcasing seldom seen sports such as ultimate trampoline dodgeball, the Firefighters World Challenge and the 2017 Championship of Bags (i.e. the backyard game cornhole).

Sideline stat

  • Celebrating his 40th birthday yesterday, quarterback Tom Brady (NFL) proved that 40 is the new 30. He’s the oldest non-kicker in professional football and he's not slowing down thanks to yoga and his mostly vegan diet.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ James Harrison has also tapped into the fountain of youth. The 39-year-old credits his career longevity to spending $300,000 a year in care for his body with massage therapists, acupuncturists and chiropractors.  

Coaches’ corner

  • There was big soccer news yesterday. Superstar Neymar left Barcelona to sign with Paris Saint - Germain (PSG). The signing triggered a €222m transfer fee, the largest ever. What’s a transfer fee? PSG must pay Barcelona for the rights to acquire Neymar. Essentially, Barcelona owns Neymar and this is a fee to transfer him to PSG. This fee does not include his hefty salary.