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Take your networking abilities to the next level by sharing one of these topics in conversation today.

Let’s discuss,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NBA (NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION)

The slam dunk contest was the highlight of the NBA All-Star weekend in Charlotte, NC. Players dunked over airplanes (in honor of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk), over famous rappers and teammates. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Hamidou Diallo took home the trophy with dunks over 7’1” Shaquille O’Neal and rapper Quavo. SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS

In a ridiculously high scoring game, Team LeBron beat Team Giannis to claim the all-star game title. BEST OF THE BEST

OVERTIME

They may forever be known as president but one additional accomplishment they can add to their list? Athlete. In honor of Presidents’ Day, we take a look at the presidents who took control on the court, the diamond or the field. Did you know that four of our presidents were also cheerleaders? RAH RAH ‘MERICA

SIDELINE STAT

Driver Denny Hamlin (NASCAR – National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) didn’t win a race last season but he made up for it by winning the first race of the new season, the Daytona 500. The race gave us a lot of crashes including one at the very end that wiped out more than half the cars left in the race. In the end, Hamlin prevailed for his second Daytona win in four years. STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

COACHES’ CORNER

The Carolina Hurricanes (NHL – National Hockey League) have decided to have a little fun at the end of their games. Similar to a football touchdown celebrations, they’ve taken their postgame antics to another level by doing the limbo and human bowling, to name a few. Like everything in life, some fans are elated but the hockey purists are calling them “bunch of jerks.” CAN’T MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY

5 Things You Need To Know About Sports, America And The Anthem

Whitney’s is the most popular, Billy Joel’s is the shortest and Fergie’s is the weirdest. Here are five things to share with your fellow patriots today over burgers and beer.

We can toast to that,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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5 Things You Need To Know About Sports, America And The Anthem

1. Singing the anthem before a sporting event wasn’t always a thing. The tradition started in baseball where the song would be sung on opening day of a season or for special occasions/holidays. It wasn’t sung every game because the powers that be didn’t want to “cheapen it.” That eventually changed to the tradition we know now. HISTORY

2. College bands were originally called upon to play the Star-Spangled Banner before the Super Bowl. Diana Ross was the first pop star to sing the anthem before the big game in 1982. The longest rendition of the anthem at the Super Bowl? Alicia Keys at 156.4 seconds. Shortest? Billy Joel at 90 seconds. THAT WAS QUICK

3. Whitney Houston’s rendition of the anthem is undoubtedly the fan favorite. The not so fan favorites? Before Fergie’s “outside the box" rendition at last year’s NBA (National Basketball Association) All-Star Game, there was Roseanne Barr’s performance at a San Diego Padres (MLB – Major League Baseball) game. Her shrieking of the anthem (and classy crotch grab afterward) reminded us how not to represent our country. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK

4. Singing the Star-Spangled Banner is a lot of pressure especially when it’s before a game you could play in. Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) pitcher Steven Brault sang the national anthem before a game this season, fulfilling a promise to his grandma that he would sing before an MLB game as an MLB player. NOW THAT'S TALENT

5. As if the singing part wasn’t hard enough, try doing it on ice skates. Mark Donnelly found this out the hard way while singing the Canadian anthem, O Canada, before a hockey game. Nothing like hitting the high note with a belly flop. VIDEO

BUT WAIT There's more

You didn’t think we’d leave you without a little something extra to bring up poolside? Today the sports world is talking about the famed hot dog eating contest, the stars and stripes take the field and Japanese fashion takes over Wimbledon. READ

Medal-Worthy Monday

Break the ice this President’s Day by talking sports. If basketball or the Olympics aren’t your thing, bringing up golfer John Daly hitting a hole-in-one while dressed like an American flag should do it.

Hail To The Chief,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NBA (National Basketball Association)

When taking a risk pays off. Last night, the NBA All-Star Game came down to the wire, with Team LeBron (LeBron James) defeating Team Stephen (Stephen Curry) by three points. It seems the NBA has finally found a format that makes the all-star game competitive. ICYMI – the teams were selected like an old-school kickball game with the two captains picking their teams, regardless of conference.

When you try but fall flat on your face. Not everyone’s performance was as stellar as game MVP LeBron James. During the pregame, there was an odd rendition of the national anthem by Fergie that gave some players the giggles. Top that off with bizarre player introductions by actor/comedian Kevin Hart. Maybe it’s just not Hart’s year to be at sporting events between this and the Super Bowl incident.

Overtime

America’s newest star, figure skater Adam Rippon, has made a name for himself in these Olympics. He was offered a job as an NBC correspondent for the final days of the Games, now that his competition is over. He initially agreed but then changed his mind once he realized he would have to give up his athlete credentials and move out of the Olympic Village.

Sideline stat

Driving the #3 car just like Dale Earnhardt Sr. did in his first and only Daytona 500 win 20 years ago, driver Austin Dillon took home the first win of the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) season at Daytona yesterday. There were accidents galore with only 25 of the 40 cars that started the race crossing the finish line. Sadly, one of those crashes involved Danica Patrick, who was driving in the final NASCAR race of her career. She’ll drive one last race in the Indianapolis 500, which is not a NASCAR race, on May 27.

Coaches’ corner

Last week we talked about the Swiss free ski team and their unconventional escalator ride. Clearly unconventional runs in the family becauce Swiss free skier Mischa Gasser’s dad decided to ride a bike more than 10,500 miles from Switzerland to South Korea to watch his son compete. His mom took the conventional route and hopped on a plane.

What to watch

Keep an eye on American Olympian Justin Olsen in tonight's two-man bobsled race. Two weeks ago, he underwent an emergency appendectomy in South Korea. He'll not only pilot the two-man sled tonight but the four-man one later this week as well.