I'm On A Roll

It’s Monday and that means it’s a new week for you to conquer the conversation by sharing a little something about sports.

Rolls off the tongue,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Winter Olympics

If you’re ready to dominate your Monday. The U.S. Figure Skating Team picked up a bronze medal in the team skate event. Their score was boosted by Mirai Nagasu’s free skate in which she did something no American has ever done. She successfully landed a triple axel in the Olympics. What is a triple axel? 3.5 rotations in the air. No big deal.

Because breakfast beers are perfectly acceptable at the Olympics. Red Gerard, 17, became the first American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Before the competition, he received early morning Snapchat videos from his family shotgunning beers on the way to watch him compete for gold. Too bad he’s not old enough to join them.

When there are never enough spirit fingers in your day. Overshadowing the athletes themselves are the North Korean cheerleaders. This handpicked crew of young women has more spirit than a remake of “Bring It On.” Their dances and cheers were on display at the Korea - Switzerland hockey game, where the joint Korean team was handily beaten by the Swiss team.

Overtime

The Westminster Dog Show begins today and so many people in the competition will be living out their doggie dreams including Hall of Fame NFL (National Football League) player Shannon Sharpe. He’ll be joining the long line of fantastic correspondents covering canines with names like Tickle Em Jock and Starfire’s Spank Me Hard Call Me Crazy. (Those are not names used to describe your former boyfriends, but in fact names of real dogs that have competed in the show).

Keep an eye on Sonnito, a Chihuahua that could be the first of its breed to claim the title of “best in show.”

Sideline stat

This weekend, a very emotional Paul Pierce became the 22nd player in Boston Celtics (NBA - National Basketball Association) history to have his jersey retired. Pierce wore #34 and was part of the team that brought the city of Boston a championship. (Unsure what it means to retire a jersey number? Here’s your answer).

Coaches’ corner

If you’re looking for a way to stay calm this Monday, look no further than Finnish snowboarding coach Antti Koskinen. You can find him in zen mode, knitting away while standing next to his athletes who are getting ready to take on the mountain. Who knew Grandma was a trendsetter?   

In tonight’s Olympic coverage, look out for Chloe Kim, another 17-year-old American snowboarding prodigy, on her quest for gold.

The 5 Sporting Events To Get Excited About in 2018

If creating relationships, growing your client base or expanding your network are on your list of New Year’s resolutions, develop the rapport with sports and keep the conversation going all year long.

Talk the talk,

The Last Night’s Game

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The Five Sporting Events To Get Excited About in 2018

1. Australian Open (Tennis): Monday, January 15 - Sunday, January 28

While the Australian Open is one of the big four in tennis (i.e. a Grand Slam tournament), it’s not one you might normally look forward to so why this year? The gal that some consider the greatest of all time, Serena Williams, is planning to make her return to tennis in the same tournament she won last year, while pregnant. Get ready for her to dominate the courts again.

2. Super Bowl - NFL (National Football League): Sunday, February 4

This year’s game will be played in the "warm and tropical" home of the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. An NFL team has never played in the Super Bowl in their home stadium and the Vikings, who are in the playoffs, may be the first team to break that streak. If the commercials and the parties aren’t enough, Justin Timberlake is headlining the halftime show. Bonus - his new album drops two days before the game. 

3. Winter Olympics: Friday, February 9 – Thursday, February 25

It seems every Olympics there is a major controversy. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, Russian doping, Zika and now the proximity of PyeongChang, South Korea to North Korea is on the minds everyone heading into the Winter Olympics. A few positive stories to focus on? Lindsey Vonn’s comeback on the slopes and Nigeria’s first team ever in the Winter Olympics, which happens to be all women.  Also, did you know that PyeongChang is the smallest host city since Lillehammer, Norway, with a population of 50,000.

4. Daytona 500 – NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing): Sunday, February 18

The Daytona 500 has been glorified in the movies (Days of Thunder anyone)? but the race that kicks off the NASCAR season will be without one of its most familiar faces this year. This will be the first time in almost two decades Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not be in the lineup. He retired last year but you can catch him on his new show on the DIY Network and in the broadcast booth for NBC. Another face slowly fading from racing is the most accomplished woman in NASCAR history, Danica Patrick. She will only race two races this year - the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.

5. World Cup - Soccer: Thursday, June 14 – Sunday, July 15

In the world’s most watched sporting event, soccer teams from all over the world will compete to determine which country is the best. In 2014, over three billion people or nearly 40% of the world’s population watched the competition, which happens every four years. Three notable teams that failed to qualify and will miss this year’s tournament in Russia? United States, Italy and The Netherlands. The underdog? Team Iceland. They’re the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup and they’re playing in their first one.

Live in the now

If you're focusing on the moment and not the future, then we have the news for you. Here are the top three topics your friends and neighbors will be talking about today. READ