Fly The Flag

You’re in for a treat because it’s Friday and you’re going to be the one in the know all weekend long.

We’re Olympic ready,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Winter Olympics

When karma catches up with you. With a last ditch effort, Russia tried and failed to overturn the ban on their athletes in the Winter Olympics. Russia is banned from competing over doping allegations, but some athletes were invited to compete after proving they were clean.

When luck is not on your side. Team U.S.A.'s athletes vote for who is going to carry the flag in the Opening Ceremony. This year's vote was a tie between speed skater Shani Davis and luge slider Erin Hamlin, both competing in their fifth Olympics. The winner, Hamlin, was chosen by a coin toss. After losing, Davis sent a controversial tweet calling the coin toss "dishonorable." Guess he's not much of a gambler. 

If your dad ever said nothing good happens after midnight. While you were sleeping, the Olympic Opening Ceremonies happened without you. You can catch the replay at 8 pm EST tonight on NBC and here are the Olympic events to watch this weekend.

Overtime

What do you get when you cross Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers quarterback), actor Bill Murray and actor Josh Duhamel? A good looking, funny guy with one heck of a throwing arm? Unfortunately no, but they're all golfing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The golf tournament, which is this weekend, is where professional golfers and amateurs mix and the who’s who of celebrities and athletes hit the links together.

Sideline stat

MLB (Major League Baseball) spring training is set to begin next week, but in a rare turn of events, a majority of free agents (players who aren’t committed to teams) remain unsigned. The MLB Players Association will put on their own spring training for unsigned free agents in hopes they will be picked up by a team.

Coaches’ corner

The NBA (National Basketball Association) trade deadline was yesterday and it left the league in shock because the Cleveland Cavaliers basically traded away their entire team, minus LeBron James. The team, which has been in the NBA finals the past three years, has been pretty terrible this season. Was this the doing of King James? Only time will tell

After you follow Last Night's Game on Instagram, go follow these Olympic athletes for a behind the scenes look at the Winter Olympics. 

The Rundown: Twinning

Talking sports is like being pregnant with twins in Hollywood, everyone is doing it. First Beyoncé, now George Clooney. Who’s next?

You go first,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NBA (NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION)

• #FreeOakley. Charles Oakley played for the New York Knicks for a decade. On Wednesday, he attended a Knicks game on his own dime. During the game, some say he heckled the team’s owner, others say he did nothing. Either way the owner, who is disliked by fans, had Oakley forcibly removed from the arena while the fans chanted “Free Oakley.” Oakley now faces charges.

• At their wits end. The NBA is a trendsetter when it comes to embracing social media but they’ve had enough. Recent Twitter wars between teams and players have pushed them over the edge. They hit their “don’t make me pull this car over” level and now prohibit mocking and/or ridiculing of opponents or game officials by teams on social media.

OVERTIME

• The Pebble Beach Pro-Am (golf) draws big name celebrities and golfers. Unfortunately, this also draws professional autograph seekers who profit off of free autographs. Golfer Jordan Spieth had enough of these seekers when one used profanity in front of kids, calling them scum. Needless to say, they won't be making money off of Spieth anytime soon. 

SIDELINE STAT

• The voice of the Olympics, Bob Costas, has 12 Olympics under his belt. Yesterday he announced that he is passing the proverbial Olympic torch to Mike Tirico, who previously worked for ESPN. Tirico will take the reins at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

COACHES’ CORNER

• One of the biggest complaints about baseball is how long the games are. MLB (Major League Baseball) is addressing this by tackling the length of extra-inning games (overtime). They have introduced a new rule that states, when the game is in extra innings a runner will start on second base, instead of first, to encourage scoring. The new rule is being tested in a sampling of the minor leagues this season.

The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About The Pebble Beach Pro-Am

It’s only Wednesday but as Bon Jovi says, “Oh we’re halfway there.”

Go forth and conquer,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - Did you know today marks exactly one year until the Winter Olympics in South Korea? 

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Five Things to Know About The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

1. Pebble Beach has golf courses that every golfer dreams of playing on.. It’s snuggled up against the Pacific Ocean in picturesque Monterey, CA. Vacay?
2. The “Pro-Am” refers to a tournament where professional golfers play with amateurs. Remember when Happy Gilmore played with Bob Barker? That was a Pro Am. This is the only Pro Am on the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Tour. 
3. The Pro-Am was originally started by Bing Crosby in 1937 when he invited friends to play golf and raise money for charity. Last year’s event raised over $10.8 million for a variety of non-profits.
4. Tonight, celebrities will be swinging for the fences in the $1 million Hole-In-One Challenge presented by Facebook. If achieved, it’s $1 million in prize money for the charity of their choice.
5. If you want to rub elbows with celebrities, this is the place. Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, Peyton Manning, Toby Keith, Kenny G (no that’s not a typo) and Bill Murray will all be in attendance.

Overtime

• The New England Patriots (NFL – National Football League) held their Super Bowl championship parade yesterday. Although he was injured and didn't play in the game, Rob Gronkowski stole the show at the parade by chugging beers from the crowd. He told reporters, “I wasn’t going to party but the fans asked for it so I partied for the fans." Mama must be proud.  

Sideline stat

• Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins received his 16th technical foul of the season for arguing with a referee. The NBA (National Basketball Association) rules stipulate after the 16th technical in a season, a fine and one game suspension will be enforced. That'll cost him $25,000.

Coaches’ Corner

• What is a technical foul in basketball? A “technical” is a foul given for behavior in the game that is considered unsportsmanlike conduct. This may include disrespecting an official or opposing teammate, taunting, fighting, etc.