Our 5 Favorite Storylines To Follow During The Summer Olympics
Expect the unexpected.
Photo: Unsplash
The Olympics are filled with thousands of stories, with over 11,000 athletes competing. It was hard to narrow it down, but here are five storylines worth following during the Tokyo Olympics.
Gold medal-worthy small talk,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Wondering why it seems like the Olympic coverage appears to be overly female-friendly? The abundance of media coverage is seemingly because they’re the names we’re most likely to hear announced on the podium. Women have won more than 50% of Team U.S.A.’s medals at the last two Summer Olympics. GET IT GIRLS
2. Keep an eye on Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, golfers from South Korea. The two PGA (Professional Golfers Association) golfers dropped out of the British Open earlier this month to focus on their preparation for the Olympics. An Olympic medal for these two athletes (or any other South Korean athlete) would not only make their country proud but would provide the Olympian with an exemption from mandatory two-year service in the South Korean military. This exemption is something that not even the members of international sensation K-pop group BTS are able to achieve. EYES ON THE PRIZE
3. With the topic of transgender children in sports being hotly debated in the U.S., Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, will represent her country and proudly carry the title of the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics. After failed efforts from neighboring countries to ban her from the Commonwealth Games, Hubbard pushed on, with support from her fellow New Zealanders, and landed a spot on the Olympic team. SHINE ON
4. They were, and then they weren’t. The Japanese government was prepared to allow fans, Japan residents only, at Olympic competitions. Then earlier this month, they changed their mind, declaring a state of emergency due to COVID and will no longer allow fans at any of the Summer Olympic competitions in Tokyo. This ban on fans includes family and friends of the athletes competing as foreign fans were banned back in March. CHEERING FROM AFAR
5. There are five sports taking place in the Olympics for the first time. Look for your favorite men’s and women’s athletes to compete in surfing, sport climbing, skateboarding (park & street), karate (kumite & kata) and softball/baseball. While softball/baseball was voted out of the Olympics in 2006, they’re back and will bring the most new athletes to the Games, with 144 men and 90 women participating in the sport. GOING FOR GOLD
Most Of The Time
Why someone spent 15 hours in a Waffle House, the superwoman who is headed to the Olympics and a sweet Father’s Day victory for Jon Rahm.
Sometimes we jump out of bed, ready to tackle the day. Other times we begrudgingly roll out and pour a giant cup of coffee to get started. Either way, we have you covered for small talk with today’s news.
Fire up the engines,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Summer Olympics
This weekend swimmer Ryan Lochte did not qualify for the Summer Olympics, but runner Allyson Felix did. Felix's two-year-old cheered her mama on from the stands as she qualified for her fifth Olympics, her first as a mom. You might remember Felix took on Nike for their maternity policy for female athletes. (Nike has since changed its policies, and they do not apply any performance-related reductions for 18 months if an athlete becomes pregnant). GOLDEN GIRL
Overtime
We’ve officially heard it all when it comes to fantasy football punishment. Lee Sanderlin lost his fantasy league, and instead of getting a funny tattoo or making him wax a body part, he had to spend 24 hours in a Waffle House restaurant. There was a caveat. He could shave off an hour for every waffle he ate. He took to Twitter to pass the time, and his journey went viral. A ‘mere’ 9 waffles, and 15 hours later, Sanderlin went home with a stomachache and said he might never eat another waffle again. PASS THE PEPTO
Sideline stat
Golfer Jon Rahm is calling it karma. Over two weeks ago, he was in the lead at the Memorial Tournament and had to drop out after testing positive for COVID. Yesterday he took home his first major win (there are four major tournaments in the PGA – Professional Golfers Association). He is the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open, and he celebrated his Father’s Day win with his newborn baby boy. The course, Torrey Pines, also holds a special place in Rahm’s heart as that’s where he proposed to his wife. FULL CIRCLE
Coaches’ corner
New Orleans Saints (NFL – National Football League) Alvin Kamara is diversifying his resume from football. The football-playing racing fan has joined NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in a growth and engagement adviser role. In his role, he will work with the league in its "strategic planning and creative opportunities that support its fan development efforts." KEEPING THE OPTIONS OPEN
Fight For Your Right
Golf’s 2-hour beer lines, why Jimmy Kimmel is making history in college football and tennis superstars sayonara to England.
Small talk shouldn't be hard that's why we bring you the best of the best.
All for you,
The Last Night’s Game
Tennis
It’s been a rough summer to be a tennis fan with the most popular athletes dropping out of tournaments left and right. Yesterday, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, two of the world’s greatest players, announced they would not play in Wimbledon. But two-time Wimbledon champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal made a shocking announcement that he will not be participating in the Olympics this summer either. Osaka will still play in the Olympics for Japan. SUMMER BUMMER
Overtime
Jimmy Kimmel is making history, but not with his TV ratings. He will become the first human to have a college football bowl game named after him. The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl will debut on December 18. FUNNY GUY FOOTBALL
Sideline stat
The boys of summer are back in Omaha. After the Men’s College World Series was cancelled last year, eight teams will return to the tournament's home stadium to fight for the title in this double-elimination tournament. Stanford, NC State, Vanderbilt, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Mississippi State will take the field in the tournament that provides Omaha with an economic impactof $70 million. BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRACKERJACKS
Coaches’ corner
This weekend is the third of four major golf tournaments in the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour. The U.S. Open has been criticized for its obscenely long beer lines (2+ hours), so watching it on TV is the perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day. As you ponder whether or not the Brooks Koepka - Bryson DeChambeau rivalry is all for a cut of the PGA incentives fund, also remember there’s no better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a midday nap with championship golf on in the background. ZZZ…I WAS WATCHING THAT