Oh, It’s On
Be 4th of July ready. Barstool Sports takes NIL to a new level, the 2nd highest-paid athlete in the world needs a job and 75 hot dogs in 10 mins - GO!
This Friday, we’re bringing you everything you need to be set up for small talk success poolside or at your Fourth Of July barbeque.
Going all out,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
After no fans last year (and an awkwardly quiet competition), the crowd might be just what the competitors need to defeat the 13-time hot dog eating champion, Joey Chestnut. Although, a Chestnut defeat is unlikely as he’s the obvious favorite after beating his own record last year by eating 75 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes The women’s champion Miki Sudo won’t be there to defend her championship as she’s pregnant with her first child, so the door is wide open for a new winner. We talk more about a “Roman Incident” and other hot dog eating traditions that would make our founding fathers so proud in this week’s podcast. DON’T SIT IN THE SPLASH ZONE
Overtime
You haven’t been able to turn on the news over the past few days without hearing about NIL (name, image and likeness) for college athletes. The NCAA announced that as of yesterday, July 1, college athletes could profit from their NIL.
A few athletes took advantage of this change from the word go. Twin women’s basketball players from Fresno State, Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who have over three million followers on TikTok already signed a deal with Boost Mobile. Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler said that he’d use this opportunity to donate a portion of what he makes to charity. One athlete, Addie Halverson, a volleyball player from Jacksonville State, reached out to Barstool Sports to see what it would take to be a "Barstool Athlete," and they've now set up a whole program to support these athletes. MONEY IN THE BANK
Sideline stat
Chris Paul has played in the NBA (National Basketball Association) for 16 years and never made it to the NBA finals until now. He and his Phoenix Suns punched their ticket to the finals Wednesday night. In his postgame interview, he talked about how he writes the words “can’t give up now” on his shoes every game. The inspiration came from a Mary Mary song. Paul, who you’ll recognize from his State Farm commercials, took a risk with the Suns - a team that hasn’t made it to the finals since 1993. AT LAST
Coaches’ corner
Though COVID restrictions are still tight in Canada, the Quebec government is allowing 3,500 fans to attend tonight’s game as the Montreal Canadiens take on the sending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the quest for their first Stanley Cup since 1993. In case you're wondering, the Lightning are up 2-0 in the series. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE
Rise And Shine
The college baseball player who barely escaped the Surfside building collapse, Biles heads to Tokyo and why Monday is must-see TV for sports.
Rise and shine; it’s small talk time.
Call us your favorite life hack,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Bigger Than Sports
We’ve all been watching the tragic story of the Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, FL. While the professional sports teams in the area have stepped up, donating food and supplies to the volunteers and first responders, the most amazing story came from UConn pitcher Justin Willis. Willis, who was staying with his grandparents who live in the building, was watching TV with his sister on Thursday around 1 am when they saw dust and debris. They went into the hall, and the elevators were gone, as was the apartment next to them. They evacuated their family down 11 flights of stairs, stopping to help an elderly lady on the way down, and were about 15 feet away from the building when it collapsed. TERRIFYING
Overtime
Channel your inner Kate Middleton because it’s time for her favorite sporting event, Wimbledon. The biggest news from the weekend is that Venus Williams and tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios are teaming up in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Sit back and enjoy a traditional glass of champagne and strawberries and cream; the Royals’ favorite tennis tournament is back today. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Sideline stat
We’re less than a month away from the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the last few competitors have been announced. This weekend Simone Biles was officially selected for the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team even though she had a rough night, by her standards, that left her in tears. She will be joined on the four-women team by Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum. MyKayla Skinner will compete in the "plus-1" specialist spot. GO GET ‘EM
Coaches’ corner
Tonight’s the night that the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens take the ice in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens hope to be the first Canadian NHL (National Hockey League) team to win a Stanley Cup since they won it in 1993. The teams can cross the Canadian border despite the country’s strict COVID rules, thanks to a special dispensation from the government. Although their fellow countrymen, the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB – Major League Baseball) did not make that cut; therefore, they’re still playing their home games in the U.S. EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER
What to watch
Tonight also marks game one of the Men’s College World Series finals between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. How Vanderbilt made it to the finals is controversial after the NCAA forced NC State to drop out, blaming COVID. GAME ON
And You Think You’re Cold – The 5 Coldest Games In Sports
What else is there to talk about besides the weather and sports?
What else is there to talk about besides the weather and sports?
Throw another log on the fire,
The Last Night’s Game Team
The Five Coldest Games In Sports
1. The beauty of the NBA (National Basketball Association) is that their games are fairly quick (as it relates to the sports world) and they’re inside, with the exception of four games that were played outside. The coldest game on record was between the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns outdoors in Palm Springs, CA. Temps dipped into the 60s and the wind toyed with the player’s shots.
2. MLB (Major League Baseball) players are called the boys of summer but not on April 23, 2013. The first game in a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies in Colorado started off at 23 degrees. Luckily it warmed up to just below freezing for the second game. Inevitably, somebody froze their you know what off.
3. We all love college football bowl game season in December, except for the coldest bowl game on record. Picture this. The Bluegrass Bowl in Louisville, KY in 1958. The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Florida State Seminoles take the field and your hot chocolate? Well, it’s frozen because it’s 12 degrees. That 60 degree basketball game suddenly looks like a beach vacation.
4. You expect to be cold at an NHL (National Hockey League) game since it’s played on ice after all. But what happens when it’s outdoors in the dead of winter? Ask the 56,000 fans that came out to the 2003 Heritage Classic to watch the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers battle it out in – 4 degree weather. A ride on the Zamboni is the only thing that would make that situation better.
5. We saved the best for last. The infamous NFL (National Football League) ”Ice Bowl” between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys proved to be the most brutal on the list. The New Year’s Eve game of 1967 in Lambeau Field (home of the Packers) saw actual temps around -13 degrees and with the wind chill, -48 degrees. No thank you.
Did you know? Legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (NFL) is forced to play in the cold quite often but how does he deal with it? He wears a wetsuit under his uniform to stay warm. Forget long johns, that’s brilliant.
Today’s The Day
Board meeting banter boring you? Heat up the conversation with the three hot topics in sports today. Don’t miss out on the blast from the past that's rocking the world of sports, a model’s promise to an Olympian and the awkward post-game interview you simply have to see for yourself. READ