Kurt Warner

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.

The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the National Championship Game

Break out the foam finger and pom poms because it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for all season. The College Football National Championship game is here.  

Go forth and impress with your sports knowledge,

The Last Night’s Game Team
 

Five Things to Know About the College National Championship Game

  1. Alabama (#1) and Clemson (#2) will battle it out for the title of National Champion on Monday at 8 pm EST. This game is a rematch of last year’s championship where Alabama defeated Clemson 45-40.
  2. The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL which resembles a pirate ship. It’s the first outdoor site for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Tampa is close to both schools (roughly 580 miles) therefore the demand for tickets is high. The average ticket price is $1,125. 
  3. Alabama head coach Nick Saban is looking for his sixth championship title and if he wins he will tie the all-time win record. (He has won four championships with Alabama). Saban is the highest paid public employee in the country with a salary of $7 million. 
  4. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a walk on at Alabama and part of their 1993 championship team. During his college days at ‘Bama, Swinney lived with his mom and a roommate in a two-bedroom apartment due to financial constraints. 
  5. The teams receive $2.16 million for their travel expenses but there’s no additional bonus for playing in the championship game. (The conferences received a $6 million bonus for their teams that made it to the final four).

Overtime

When asked about his teammates antics in advance of their playoff game this weekend, Giants quarterback Eli Manning voiced his displeasure by stating that he "was a little disappointed…Obviously they didn’t pack accordingly. They didn’t have any shirts. Kind of long pants. No shorts. No flip flops or anything.”  

Sideline stat

  • The Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB – Major League Baseball) sued Maricopa County who maintains Chase Field, their home ballpark. The 19-year old stadium is in need of $187 million in upgrades and there’s an impasse on who should pick up the tab. The team expressed interest in playing elsewhere.

Coaches’ corner

  • The NFL’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced their finalists for this year’s class. They include:
    • Jerry Jones, Owner, Dallas Cowboys
    • LaDainian Tomlinson, Former running back, San Diego Chargers
    • Terrell Davis, Former running back, Denver Broncos
    • Kurt Warner, Former quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
    • See the full list here. 

The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be elected on February 4th.

 

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