The Rundown: So Major
We hope your weekend is as major as this weekend in sports, which brings us America’s Cup, U.S. Open and College World Series.
Action packed,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PGA (Professional Golfers' Association)
- FORE! The U.S. Open, which is the second major tournament of the golf season, began yesterday at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. The one to watch: Rickie Fowler. The current leader is looking to win his first major.
- Haters gonna hate. Veteran golfer Phil Mickelson opted to skip the U.S. Open (only major tournament he’s never won) to attend his daughter’s high school graduation where she will deliver a speech as the class president. As expected, this move received cheers and jeers from sports enthusiasts.
- Is that the Hindenburg? The real winner at Erin Hills is the pilot of an advertising blimp that was circling the course yesterday and crashed after it caught on fire. Thankfully, he escaped with minor injuries.
College Baseball World Series
- Batter up. The 64-team tournament is down to the Elite Eight. On Saturday they will head to Omaha, the home of the College World Series, to determine which team will be the national champion. Is your uni squad in the mix? Find out.
Overtime
- On Wednesday, a gunman shot multiple people during a Republican team practice for The Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. The game was last night and even before it started over $1 million was raised for the event’s designated charities. A Capitol Police officer who was also injured during the shooting, David Bailey, threw out the first pitch. In case you’re wondering, the Democrats won the game.
Sideline stat
- The sports world has been buzzing about the long-awaited boxing match between UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Champion Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
The big payday lured Mayweather out of retirement for the August 26th match where he hopes to be the first boxer to reach a 50-0 record. McGregor, whose background in mixed martial arts, looks to utilize his size and powerful punches to take down Mayweather. Insiders expect the fight to break pay-per-view records projecting over 5 million buys.
Coaches’ corner
- The sailing race for the America’s Cup starts tomorrow in Bermuda. The “Billionaire’s Death Race” pits defending champion Team Oracle U.S.A against Emirates New Zealand, who overcame their boat capsizing during a qualifying race to make it to the finals. Check out our five things to know for attention-grabbing essentials on America’s Cup.
The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition
Channeling our inner Bryce Harper, we’re making sports fun again. You’re welcome.
Remember when you went to prom and all you got was a slow dance and some lemonade? A few professional athletes are bringing their A-game to add some excitement to prom.
Cummerbunds, corsages and all,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - Share the fun of sports with others by using the buttons at the bottom.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
Pick me! All-Star voting has begun for the MLB All-Star Game on July 12th in the home of the San Diego Padres - Petco Park.
- Think baseball is boring? So does Washington Nationals' all-star outfielder Bryce Harper. He wants to create a personality in baseball and become a single-name icon like LeBron or Beckham. "Endorsements, fashion -- it's something baseball doesn't see," he says. "In soccer, it's Beckham or Ronaldo. In basketball, it's Curry and LeBron. In football, it's Cam. Football and basketball have such good fashion." You can flaunt your style and show your support of Harper’s “Make Baseball Fun Again” campaign by buying your t-shirt here.
NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing)
Flipping out. Carl Edwards is doing a celebratory backflip for the second week in a row after winning the Toyota Owners 400 in Virginia. Edwards is the third driver to win back-to-back races this year.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
For the win! San Antonio Spurs swept Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers swept Detroit Pistons to move onto round two of the playoffs.
- Injury prone. Golden State Warriors beat Houston Rockets to go up 3-1 in the series. Guard Steph Curry, who just returned to the court after an ankle injury caused him to miss two games, slipped on the court and injured his knee just before halftime. The team rallied without Curry to win the game by 27 points. Early indications are that Curry has a knee sprain, possibly an MCL sprain.
- Franchise history. Charlotte Hornets beat Miami Heat to cut the Heat’s series lead to 2-1. This is the first playoff win in the 14-year franchise history. Basketball legend Michael Jordan is an owner of the Hornets.
NFL (National Football League)
Can I play? Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton gave some seventh graders a thrill of a lifetime when he decided to hop a fence and play football with them.
- That’s not good. A Dallas County grand jury will indict troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel on misdemeanor assault charges for a confrontation where he hit his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, so hard she temporarily lost hearing in her ear. The formal announcement of the indictment is expected today. A misdemeanor assault case carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
NHL (National Hockey League)
In playoff news. San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders have all advanced to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The last two teams to move onto round two will be decided by Wednesday.
PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)
What happens in the Bahamas doesn’t stay there. Top golfers Jordan Speith and Rickie Fowler took a spring break trip to the Bahamas. According to Rickie Fowler’s Snapchat they had a great time playing golf and diving off of buildings into the water. Rickie won the title of ‘shirt of the day’ with this gem. (He’s the one in the middle).
Overtime
We’re reminiscing about prom and apparently some athletes were feeling the magic of the dance as well. Houston Texans’ (NFL) JJ Watt proved he can do it all when he helped a high school senior ask a girl to prom via Snapchat. Not to be outdone, Los Angeles Dodgers' (MLB) outfielder Yasiel Puig crashed the Chatwood High School prom instead of going back to his hotel Saturday night after a game in Colorado.
Sideline stat
Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Byron Scott after two record breaking seasons. Although Scott’s Lakers career wasn’t record breaking for a good reason; he coached two of the worst seasons in Lakers history. Scott’s Lakers went 21-65 (wins-losses, a .256 winning percentage) and 17-65 (.207 winning percentage). The numbers don’t lie.
Coaches’ corner
What is a sweep? Most of us are used to hearing the word sweep when it comes to cleaning up. That’s exactly what it means in sports. A sweep is when the series’ winning team does so without giving up a win. For instance, Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons because they won their (best-of-seven) series with four wins (4-0). The Pistons didn’t win any games. The idea of a sweep applies to all sports where there are series – such as hockey playoffs and regular season baseball (teams play three game series against each other).