It’s Freaking Friday
A fiery plane crash, who’s playing like a girl and who lost their sh*t on the tennis court.
Hallelujah!
That’s all folks,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s plane caught on fire upon landing at a small airport in Tennessee yesterday. Luckily, Earnhardt, his wife Amy, their 1-year-old daughter, the family dog and the pilots all escaped without serious injuries. The racing family was in town for this weekend’s race at Bristol. The former driver will no longer be in the broadcast booth this weekend as he recovers with his family. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Overtime
The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams (NFL - National Football League) are saying aloha to Honolulu, Hawaii this weekend where they will play their preseason game. The Cowboys star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, continues to train in Cabo San Lucas while he holds out for a contract. Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is using gross and confusing analogies to describe contract negotiations. (For more on Mr. Jones and other wacky team owners, check out our five guys to know). HE SAID WHAT?
Sideline stat
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend and in this case, it’s baseball diamonds. Maddy Freking is the starting second baseman (or woman) for her team from Coon Rapids-Andover, representing the Midwest region in the tournament. She is only the 19th female to ever play in the Little League World Series. PLAY LIKE A GIRL
Coaches’ corner
In an Olympic qualifying event, the assumed first and second place runners joined hands as they crossed the finish line as a show of unity and teamwork. The two were disqualified for violating the rule that states athletes must not "finish in a contrived tie situation where no effort to separate the finish times has been made." RULES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
What to watch
The bad boy of tennis, Australian Nick Kyrgios had yet another melt down. You might remember his Wimbledon outburst from our five time sports imitated an episode of Real Housewives, but this time he destroyed a racket, used profanity to describe the chair referee and spit toward him. In addition to a significant fine, there could be a suspension looming for Kyrgios after this outburst. CLASSY
Let's Do This
Coffee? Check. Leftovers for lunch? Yum. Great chitchat to share at the office? You do now.
Coffee? Check. Leftovers for lunch? Yum. Great chitchat to share at the office? You do now.
Bring it on Monday,
The Last Night's Game Team
Little League Baseball World Series
Aloha champions. Providing their state with a much needed pick me up after Hurricane Lane, the team from Hawaii beat the South Korean team to claim the title of Little League Baseball World Series Champions. The Hawaiians and their opponents then engaged in an unusual series tradition, collecting a handful of infield dirt in baggies to commemorate their playing time. BRINGING SAND TO THE BEACH
Overtime
Week one of college football starts this Thursday but the University of South Carolina Gamecocks are having to do a little extra cosmetic work before their season opener. This weekend’s Jay-Z and Beyoncé concert destroyed the turf, days before the team is scheduled to take the field. ALWAYS TIME FOR A LAST MINUTE FACE-LIFT
Sideline stat
Last season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton led his team to a big victory over the Baltimore Ravens (NFL – National Football League). That win couldn’t save his Bengals postseason dreams but it allowed the Buffalo Bills to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. In gratitude, Bills fans donated $450,000 to Dalton’s charity. This weekend during his first game back in Buffalo, Dalton turned the tables and made a $450,000 donation to the Roswell Park Cancer Center in downtown Buffalo, earning him a standing ovation from the Bills' fans. RESPECT
Coaches’ corner
Yesterday, The Players’ Tribune published an essay by Golden State Warriors’ (NBA – National Basketball Association) Steph Curry entitled “It’s Personal,” highlighting the need for gender equality. The NBA MVP is surrounded by women including his wife, Ayesha - a successful chef and restaurateur and two young daughters. He spoke about how he wants his girls “to grow up in a world where their gender does not feel like a rulebook for what they should think, or be, or do.” READ THE INSPIRING ESSAY HERE
What to watch
Celebrating its 50th year, the U.S. Open (tennis) begins today and everyone will be there including the Serena Williams (in her long-awaited fashionable outfits), Roger Federer and last year’s champs Rafael Nadal and Sloane Stephens. SCHEDULE
Walk This Way
Don’t follow, lead the sports conversation right into the weekend.
Don’t follow, lead the sports conversation right into the weekend.
Channel that Friday feeling,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
Express yourself. It’s Players' Weekend this weekend and that means it’s a chance for the players to express themselves using their nicknames on the back of their specially designed jerseys, wear individualized custom cleats and hot glue thank you patches to someone who has impacted their career on their jerseys. (Okay we made up the hot glue part). Joey "Pico de" Gallo and Shane "Not Justin" Bieber are just two of the winners in the nickname department to look forward to this weekend. CREATE YOUR OWN MLB NICKNAME
Overtime
Oakland Raiders (NFL – National Football League) player Marshawn Lynch has long been obsessed with Skittles, eating them during games and even wearing custom Skittles cleats. This week, the candy company made Lynch the first athlete ever to be featured on a Skittles bag and subsequently shipped him a whole boatload of his special edition candy that he rolled around in gleefully. TASTE THE RAINBOW
Sideline stat
The prize money for the matchup between golfers Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods is set. The veteran golfers will play each other Thanksgiving weekend in Las Vegas for a cool $9 million. As expected, the two have begun trash talking on Twitter, which Mickelson recently joined. GRUMPY OLD MEN
Coaches’ corner
In a sweet story that we never want to see, 11-year-old Caleb Hammond has terminal cancer. The big NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) fan took to Twitter to ask for racing stickers so he can decorate his casket. Race car drivers everywhere, including a slew of NASCAR drivers, have stepped up, shipping him autographed items, stickers, and even taking him for a ride in a race car. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP
What to watch
This weekend is all about the Little League Baseball World Series. Saturday, the teams from Georgia and Hawaii will face off to determine the winner of the U.S. bracket. The winner of that game will play the winner of the international bracket (Japan or South Korea) on Sunday for the title of the best in the world. BREAK OUT THE CRACKER JACKS