The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - It's Finals Time
Congratulations – you’ve made it to Friday. For that achievement we give you permission to spend your Sunday in the air conditioning, on the couch (or in the nearest sports bar) watching Formula One, the Wimbledon finals and Euro 2016 finals.
A mimosa please,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Tennis
- One match away. Serena Williams has advanced to the Wimbledon Final on Saturday but she won't get a chance to face her sister, Venus, who lost in the semifinals. Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber have met in a final match before. Williams lost to Kerber in the Australian Open. If she wins on Saturday, Williams will tie the record for 22 major wins. (Match begins on Saturday at 9 am on ESPN).
- Playing with the boys. The men’s semifinals take place this morning and Roger Federer and Andy Murray are still vying for a place in the finals, which takes place on Sunday (9 am EST on ESPN). For a complete men’s schedule click here.
Soccer
- The finals for Euro 2016 are set. Host nation France will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Sunday in the finals to see who is the top team in European soccer. (Game time is Sunday at 3 pm EST on ESPN).
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- Party pooper. UFC 200 was scheduled to be the biggest event in UFC history (Saturday on pay-per-view). On Wednesday, UFC announced that one of the fighters in the main event, former champion Jon Jones, had failed a drug test. Jones was immediately removed from the fight card, leaving champion Daniel Cormier without an opponent.
- Today’s your lucky day. UFC scrambled to find a replacement fighter on two days’ notice. Former middleweight champion and arguably the best second option ever, Anderson Silva has agreed to step up and fight Cormier. That’s like receiving a call to play in the Super Bowl on two days’ notice. Something tells us he wasn’t just sitting around eating donuts ala Homer Simpson.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Bulls bound. Fresh off his co-hosting duties on "Live with Kelly," the face of the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, has decided to leave the team for his hometown Chicago Bulls. Wade spent 13 years with the Heat where he won three NBA championships. Many felt the Heat didn’t treat him as a priority (Wade notably took pay cuts to help the team) and they didn’t offer him the most money when it came down to it. Let’s hope Wade’s wife, actress Gabrielle Union, is ready to trade in swimsuits for winter coats.
F1 (Formula One Racing)
- Race on. As if there isn’t already enough excitement happening in Europe, the next stop on the F1 schedule is the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton looks to close the gap in the overall standings on Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. After last week's controversial finish, both drivers have received a 'final warning' from the Mercedes team ahead of this Sunday's race. You can catch all the racing excitement on Sunday at 8 am on CNBC.
Overtime
- In case his Super Bowl ring needed company, Seattle Seahawks’ Quarterback Russell Wilson added another ring to his jewelry collection. Wilson married bombshell pop star and Grammy Winner, Ciara, on Wednesday in a small wedding in England. The couple were engaged in March in the Seychelles. See their wedding photo here.
Sideline stat
- Football powerhouses, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and Michigan Wolverines have agreed to renew their 100-year college football rivalry that ended in 2014. In 2018, the teams will meet in the season opener and then again in 2019. This schedule change comes with a price as the Wolverines were already scheduled to play the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2018. The Wolverines will pay the Razorbacks $2 million for cancelling their originally scheduled games.
Coaches’ Corner
- We're all about planning ahead but Notre Dame and Michigan announcing their plans to meet up in 2019 seems a little far away. How many years out do college football teams plan their schedules? Athletic directors have been known to get a little ahead of themselves; there are some teams that have games on the schedule for 2028. The players who will play on those teams are still playing tetherball in elementary school. There’s big money in a strong schedule (aka great football schools) therefore many schools plan years out to secure one.