No Rest For The Wicked

While some of you might actually be working today, many of you are likely working on floating in the pool without spilling your drink.

#nodaysoff,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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College Football

• See the future. The sports world is buzzing about the long snapper from USC (University of Southern California). On Saturday, Jake Olson made his collegiate debut, snapping the ball successfully and his team earned the extra point. Why is this different than any other game? Olson is blind and has been since he was 12.

• Win some, lose some. In the game of the week, Alabama (1) dominated FSU (Florida State University- 3). The good news? Fans were able to enjoy Chick-fil-A at the game in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The painful news? FSU’s quarterback is out for the season with a knee injury.

• Did you hear about the great comeback by UCLA (University of California - Los Angeles) to beat Texas A&M last night? Click here for more and here to see how your college team did this week.

World Cup Soccer

• It’s in your hands. The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team is THIS close to being shut out of the 2018 World Cup. They lost this weekend to Costa Rica and will play Honduras tomorrow. They have to win or achieve a win and a tie in two of the remaining three games to qualify. Nothing like controlling your own destiny.

Overtime

• The Houston native Stacy Lewis hadn’t won an LPGA’s (Ladies Professional Golfers Association) tournament in three years. Regardless, she pledged that if she won yesterday, she would donate her $195,000 in prize money to the flood relief efforts. Not only did she win and donate her earnings, but her sponsor KPMG matched her donation.

Sideline stat

• Houston Texans’ (NFL - National Football League) JJ Watt’s flood relief fund, that started with a goal of $200,000, is on its way toward $20 million. Watt and his teammates delivered supplies this weekend to some of Houston’s most devastated residents.

Speaking of the NFL, the season starts this Thursday.

Coaches’ corner

• What is a long snapper in football? A long snapper snaps the ball to the kicker for field goals/punts. A snap (a.k.a hike) means they crouch over the ball and then pass the ball backwards to another player through their legs, like this.

The Rundown: Think Outside The Box

Don’t you just love a short work week? As if the fireworks and BBQ weight gain weren’t gift enough.

Running into the weekend,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Wimbledon

• A penny for your thoughts. There has been a series of unsportsmanlike (and very unWimbledon-like – yes we made up a word) behavior thus far at Wimbledon. To start us off, the first round winner, Daniil Medvedev, lost in the second round and threw coins into the umpire’s chair to protest what he perceived as unfair calls.
• Naughty. In other news of ungentlemanly behavior, Australian Bernard Tomic was fined for saying he was bored during his match, which he lost. After losing the match he also lost his racket sponsor Head. They stated Tomic’s opinions “in no way reflect our own attitude for tennis, our passion, professionalism and respect for the game.” Touché.

NFL (National Football League)

• A model life. Have you ever wanted to be a 39-year-old NFL quarterback with five Super Bowl rings but not sure what it takes? (Our problem too). New England Patriots' Tom Brady will let you in on some of his secrets in his new book hitting the shelves just in time for football season. We have no doubt that a stunning model wife and a mostly vegan diet are two of the tips.

Overtime

• Stop the presses, the Instagram Rich List is out. This list pertains to the money earned from a post on Instagram. Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list for athletes, earning over $398,000 per post, although he's third in overall earnings. He doesn’t hold a candle to the cash Selena Gomez (#1) and Kim Kardashian (#2) bring in.

Sideline stat

• The report of annual earnings for college athletic departments has been released. As no surprise to anyone, college athletics are big business. In 2015-2016, there were 28 universities that brought in over $100 million each. We bet you can’t guess which school is #1? Here’s the full list.

Coaches' Corner

• Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw was selected to pitch in the MLB (Major League Baseball) All-Star Game on Tuesday, but he won’t actually have a chance to pitch in it. He, along with his team, decided because he's pitching on Sunday before the Tuesday All-Star game, he shouldn't play. The health of his arm is more important and he's putting his team first.

Stay tuned on Monday for our special edition Five Things To Know About The MLB Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.

The Rundown: Bare Necessities

Friday, we’ve been waiting for you all week. Thanks for coming. We hope you brought coffee and wine. 

Only the necessities,  

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – Share The Rundown with a friend. Not simply because we make you happy in the mornings, but because there are prizes involved.

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NFL (National Football League)

• Welcome to Cleveland. As expected, defensive end Myles Garrett from Texas A&M was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the first pick in the draft. Garrett held to his word and did not attend the draft ceremony. He celebrated at home with friends and family.
• Brotherly love. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt (younger brother of Houston Texans’ heartthrob J.J. Watt). They join a rare group of NFL players with on-field family ties. The most notable brothers of the gridiron? Eli and Peyton Manning.
• A great night for guys named T.J. Make-A-Wish granted T.J. Onwuanibe's wish when he announced the Baltimore Ravens' draft pick last night. The 14-year-old, whose cancer is thankfully in remission, punctuated his big announcement with an excited fist pump. The video will make you smile. 

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• Friday night lights. The NBA playoffs are still rolling with the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Tonight the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz all have a chance to claim their spot in the next round tonight. Big night for shooting hoops.

Overtime

• Mpho' “Gift” Ngoepe became the first ever African born player to play in the major leagues (MLB – Major League Baseball). Carrying the weight of his continent on his shoulders, the Pittsburgh Pirate had a hit at his first at bat.

Sideline stat

• ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, had a rough week laying off 100 employees, including on air-talent. This is their second layoff in six months. Paying high prices for broadcast rights (we’re talking $1.4 B for their NBA TV deal) and a drop in cable subscriptions led to the layoffs. This is no longer the ESPN you grew up with. For an interesting article on their demise, click here.

Coaches’ corner

• It’s tradition at the draft to boo the commissioner when he walks on stage at the draft. Philadelphia fans did such a good job, that at times you couldn’t hear commissioner Roger Goodell. The Commish is booed because most fans just don’t like him. He’s the party pooper – the guy who enforces the rules in football. Do not try this at home.