That's What I Want
It's not all sunshine and roses for Ronaldo, coach buys beer to fill the stands and the hire that makes us happy.
Who is ready for the weekend?
So close, yet so far away,
The Last Night's Game Team
SOCCER
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Manchester United seemed all sunshine and roses, thanks to Instagram. But behind the scenes proves otherwise. After only three weeks, the Ronaldo family moved into a new mansion because the local sheep kept them awake. And it turns out he's having a more significant impact on his team than thought. Ronaldo is such a health nut that his teammates are afraid to eat dessert in front of him at team meals. GUESS THEY'RE NOT GOING FOR SECONDS EITHER?
Overtime
The Milwaukee Bucks (NBA - National Basketball Association) have made a historic hire. The defending NBA champions named Lisa Byington as their new play-by-play TV announcer. This hire makes Byington the first woman to serve as a full-time TV play-by-play announcer for a major men's professional sports team. LOVE TO HEAR IT
Sideline stat
It's been a rough go for live sports TV ratings over the past year or so, but it seems like the NFL (National Football League) is headed in the right direction. They saw a seven percent increase in viewers in their opening week over last season. Those 17.4 million viewers remain the highest viewership numbers since 2017. MOVING ON UP
COACHES' CORNER
Portland State football hasn't had a win yet this season, but their head coach devised a plan to fill the stands despite the rough start to the season. Bruce Barnum offered to buy "all the beers" for fans who drop his name at the beer garden in the stadium. This offer seems like a great deal since tickets to the game start at $10. COLLEGE DREAMS COME TRUE
Better Than Advertised
Remembering 9/11, how much would you pay for a ‘sure’ win and the brilliant and strategic reason the Saints-Packers game is being played in Florida.
The NFL season kicked off last night with an Ed Sheeran concert. Oh, and a football game. Sheeran's NFL merch may not have lived up to expectations but the game exceeded them. Here’s to hoping your weekend does the same.
Thinking out loud,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Remembering 9/11
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the weeks following 9/11, it seemed like sports was the sense of normalcy so many craved. This weekend, teams across the country will be honoring those who were lost. The NFL (National Football League), MLB (Major League Baseball) and numerous college football teams have added pregame tributes, with some wearing special uniforms.
Select NFL teams are partnering with Tuesday’s Children, an organization that aids “families who have suffered losses due to the events of 9/11, post-9/11 military service or other acts of mass violence and terrorism,” to host and recognize a family during their home game. WE WILL NEVER FORGET
Overtime
The New Orleans Saints (NFL) were forced to move their home opener against the Green Bay Packers due to Hurricane Ida, but how they finally landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium as their home away from home is interesting. First, Aaron Rodgers’ (Packers QB) numbers show he struggles when playing in Florida. Florida also gave the Saints the humidity advantage as their players are used to it. Then out of the three available stadiums in Florida - Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville - they picked the one that would be the most expensive for Packers fans to travel to, so they might still have home field advantage. BRILLIANT
Sideline stat
LSU (Lousiana State) is looking to bounce back after their first game that ended in a disappointing loss. But they’ll have to do it against a familiar foe - the son of LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron’s son is the quarterback for LSU’s Saturday opponent, McNeese State. The mismatched game will likely be a blowout, but it’s common practice for college teams to pay opponents from smaller schools for an easy win. In fact, LSU is paying McNeese $600,000 to play them this weekend. NO SUCH THING AS BAD PR
Coaches’ corner
The final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, the US Open, comes to a close on Sunday. We know that the youth movement of Leylah Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, will play on Saturday in the all-teenage women’s singles finals. The men’s final will be determined later today, but we may be witnessing history if Novak Djokovic wins in the semifinals today. If he makes it to the finals and wins on Sunday, he will be the first tennis player since Steffi Graff in 1988 to win all four majors in a calendar year. FINISH STRONG
Pros And Cons
The NBA player who is going back to college, football is back and the thief who found out the hard way not to mess with a UFC fighter.
Bad news - the Olympics are over and it’s still really hot.
Good news - football is back and the fall is around the corner. (At least that’s what the Halloween candy in stores tells us).
Filling the void,
The Last Night’s Game Team
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
A warning to all the criminals out there, be careful who you mess with. A thief made the mistake of attempting to steal the car of UFC fighter Jordan Williams and didn’t end well. Williams left his car running at a gas station he frequents, only to come out to find someone backing out in his car. He managed to land some punches and kicks before the would-be thief ran off. Williams posted the security footage on his Instagram in hopes of catching the thief. DON’T MESS WITH ME
Overtime
Another familiar face from the football field is headed morning television. Taking the chair next to Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil on “CBS This Morning" is former NFL player and current “NFL Today” (National Football League) analyst Nate Burleson. If the move sounds familiar, in 2012, Michael Strahan made a move from the field to co-hosting with Kelly Ripa and is now a mainstay on “Good Morning America.” IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY
Sideline stat
When the new name, image, likeness rules were announced, critics were worried it would bring out the worst in college sports. BYU had another plan. They’ve partnered with health food company Built Brands to compensate all 123 players on the Cougars football team, but they’ve taken it one step further. Build Brands will pay BYU’s walk-on players enough to cover their full tuition. Walk-ons are athletes that do not have a scholarship, so this is huge for these student-athletes.
If you’re wondering, NCAA rules say college football teams can have 125 players on their roster but only distribute scholarships to 85 athletes. GOOD GAME
Coaches’ corner
As a high schooler, J.R. Smith had committed to the University of North Carolina to play basketball. However, he went straight to the NBA (National Basketball Association) due to his success and was told he could always go back to school “whenever.” Well, after a 16-year NBA career, a retired Smith decided "whenever" is now. Beginning this semester, Smith will attend North Carolina A&T State University. But that’s not all. Smith wants to play on the school’s golf team and is awaiting the NCAA ruling on his eligibility. SECOND ACT
What to watch
Hold onto your hats - football is back! The NFL preseason is in full swing, with games starting last night through Sunday. The No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Trevor Lawrence, is expected to make his debut on Saturday for the Jacksonville Jaguars. HERE WE GO