Rory McIlroy

Better Days

Armed robbery ≠ social distancing, there are actual live sports this weekend and how the Jordan documentary almost didn’t make the cut.

Worth Celebrating

Who’s part of the Fashionable 50, why one team is over the moon and why is a Tour rider drinking wine in a French vineyard right now?

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - Full On Friday

You never thought we’d make it. No, we’re not talking about it being Friday at last, but the final weekend of regular season baseball. Finally, six months later. Which reminds us it’s time to head to the dentist.  

Time for your checkup,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - It's Friday of football season and today's tailgate treat is a recipe for spicy pretzels, courtesy of ultimate fan Robin. 


MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • Who says baseball is boring? While the battles for the two wild card spots in each league are hot and heavy heading into the last weekend of regular season baseball, the division winners have clinched their spots:

American League

  • East: Boston Red Sox
  • Central: Cleveland Indians
  • West: Texas Rangers
  • Wild card: ?

National League

  • East: Washington Nationals
  • Central: Chicago Cubs
  • West: Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Wild card: ?

Click here for the wild card standings.

NCAA Football (College)

  • Dominating Death Valley. ESPN College GameDay is in South Carolina tomorrow for the Louisville Cardinals – Clemson Tigers game which features a matchup of two undefeated, top five teams. Heisman frontrunner Lamar Jackson (who has an amazing 25 touchdowns in four games) has a tough task ahead of him heading into “Death Valley” to face the Tigers.
  • See the full college football schedule here

NFL (National Football League)

  • Tea, crumpets and football? Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to play in England this Sunday. With the time change, the teams will be playing while you’re making breakfast (9:30 am EST). The winless Jaguars have played in London the past four seasons but this is the Colts' first time. This is the first of three NFL games that will be played in London this season.
  • Who is your team playing this weekend? Find out here 

Ryder Cup (Golf) 

  • You will miss this putt. During Ryder Cup practice, Team Europe’s Rory McIlroy was struggling to make a putt and a Happy Gilmore style heckler in the crowd was relentless during his failed attempts. McIlroy invited the heckling fan to attempt the putt. Teammate Justin Rose upped the stakes by throwing in $100. The cool, calm and collected American fan stepped up and nailed the putt. What like it was hard?
  • The foursome parings have been revealed for today. See who will be representing Team U.S.A. here.

Hockey

  • Victorious eh? Team Canada beat Team Europe to win the World Cup of Hockey.

Overtime

  • Team U.S.A. visited the White House (minus Ryan Lochte and his gas station buddies) on Thursday. Coincidentally, their visit came on the same day the U.S. Senate passed legislation for a tax exemption on the “victory tax" associated with winning Olympic medals (excluding athletes who make more than $1 million). 

Sideline stat

  • The Cleveland Cavaliers broke the city’s 52-year championship losing streak by winning the NBA (basketball) Championship earlier this year. They announced that over 1,000 part-time and full-time employees associated with the team will receive championship rings, a cost of over $1 million. Feeling generous, they will even send one to former head coach David Blatt, who was fired midseason. 

Coaches’ corner

  • What is the wild card in baseball playoffs? In 2011, MLB added wild card spots to the postseason. There are two wild card winners from each league (National League and American League) who play each other in a one game playoff to advance into the postseason. Essentially, the playoff game is between the two best teams from each league who didn’t clinch their division title. Consider it the bonus spot in the playoffs. For more on the wild card, read here