5 Strange Summertime Sports Superstitions

When routines cross the line.

Off-the-wall and conversation ready,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Five Strange Summertime Sports Superstitions

1. Just in time for the World Cup, England’s Jamie Vardy ditched his habits of nicotine pouches, drinking half a bottle of port wine on the night before a game and his concoction of Skittles and vodka. Although, he won’t break his routine of three Red Bulls on gameday and black coffee. NO ONE IS PERFECT

2. Mississippi State’s baseball team is all about the rally banana. One of their players ate a banana in their big win in a regional qualifier game and now the team is playing in their first College World Series. The demand for banana themed merchandise in the state has gone through the roof and even Dole and Chiquita have jumped on board the banana wagon, showing their support for the team. THIS SH*T IS BANANAS

3. Hockey’s Sidney Crosby has so many ‘traditions’ that we can’t list them all. Some include wearing the same jock strap for years and not calling or seeing his mom or his sister on gameday because every time he does, he ends up with an injury. PHONE HOME

4. Portugal captain and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo must be the last one to leave the locker room and he always puts his right foot on the field first. BEST FOOT FORWARD

5. Anyone who has ever slipped into a pair of Spanx knows a good undergarment is the foundation of success and that brings us to the golden thong.  The golden thong was worn by former MLB (Major League Baseball) player Jason Giambi to help him break out of hitting slumps. Rumor has it that said tiny undergarment was left in the lockers of his teammates and they all began to hit well. WASH ME

It’s getting good now

What do nudity, a Russian beer shortage and the future of a sport have in common? They’re the top three things everyone is talking about in the sports world today. READ

All The Cool Kids Are Doing It - 5 Things You Need To Know About Esports

The NBA is launching its esports league this week. Therefore, we're keeping you in the know on the sport that’s all the rage and slowly taking over the world.

Never stop learning,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

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5 Things You Need To Know About Esports

1. Esports are based on multiplayer video games. Professional gamers play in tournaments and online. Online play will attract over 100,000 viewers who watch through Twitch, owned by Amazon (which is where you can also watch NBA 2K live), or YouTube. If you think that’s odd, on Sundays we all gather around to watch guys play football on TV. Same same but different.

2. Tournaments are often dictated by the game (i.e. Call of Duty) or esports gaming leagues (i.e. NBA 2K or  Major League Gaming). Games are categorized by PC (computer) or console (i.e. Xbox).

3. Corporations are following the trend. Players resemble race car drivers with sponsor logos all over their tournament clothes. Coke and Nissan are on board and Red Bull has a massive portfolio of esports teams. WHY RED BULL?

4. The NBA (National Basketball Association) is making history as the first North American major professional sports league to have its own esports league, which starts Friday. The NBA 2k League features the best players of the NBA 2k video game. SCHEDULE & MORE

5. In the case of NBA 2K, the players can make between $32,000 - $37,000. Not only are they paid generously for their six-month contract but they receive funds to relocate to whichever town they’re playing for. Living arrangements, health insurance and a retirement plan are also perks of the gig. We may need to consider a career change. MAKING BANK

Still not convinced of the esports phenomenon? A gamer named Ninja, leads all athletes worldwide in social media engagement, beating athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Shaq. RANKINGS

What’s on tap today?           

Now that you’re caught up with what the cool kids are doing, here’s what everyone will be talking about today including the Met Gala, a first for a long-time star and why you’re going to need your passport in 2019. READ

The Rundown: 5 Things To Know About Esports

For those of you who thought video games were simply Super Mario Kart or Pac-Man, prepare to have your mind blown. Big things are happening in esports. The NBA (National Basketball League) created the NBA esports league, Las Vegas has built large esports venues and the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) was broadcast live on ESPN.

That’s great but what does esports mean? Don't worry, we won't leave you hanging. 

This sport is growing and here to stay,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Five things to know about esports

1. Professional gamers play in tournaments and online. Online play will attract over 100,000 viewers who watch through Twitch, owned by Amazon, or YouTube. If you think that’s odd, we watch guys play football on TV. Same same but different.
2. Tournaments are often dictated by the game (i.e. Call of Duty) or esports gaming leagues (i.e. Major League Gaming). Games are categorized by PC (computer) or console (i.e. Xbox).
3. Corporations are following the trend. Players resemble race car drivers with sponsor logos all over their tournament clothes. Coke and Nissan are on board and Red Bull has a massive portfolio of esports teams. (Click here for more on the income of professional gamers). 
4. It is an unregulated sport. There is no national governing body like the NBA or NFL (National Football League).
5. There are colleges that offer scholarships for esports like University of California, Irvine. A college esports team is similar to a track team where everyone on the team has a specialty such as the 100m dash. On an esports team the game is their specialty (i.e. League of Legends or Street Fighter).

• Thank you to our esports expert Richard Mitchell – project lead for the XPO Festival, a festival for gamers, fans, developers and game industry leaders.

Overtime

• NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal announced he will be running for sheriff in 2020. The honorary deputy's goal is to bring people together.

Sideline stat

• The global audience for esports in 2016 was 256 million people and is projected to reach 345 million by 2019. If esports was a country, it would be the fifth largest in the world.

Coaches’ corner

• The Oakland A’s (MLB – Major League Baseball) have won an astounding three games in a row on walk-offs. The most impressive part? Massive amounts of Skittles are fueling their rallies. Don’t try this at work.

A walk-off is when the home team takes the lead in the last inning. Since the home team goes last – i.e. the visiting team won’t have a chance to bat again – the game ends immediately.