Get Your Game Face On
College football bowl game season and “The Bachelorette” go head-to-head, the playoffs are set and hockey season is happening.
Refine your wrapping skills and sharpen your tongue - it’s party time.
Game on,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Football
We don’t want to jinx it but after a season of highs and lows, it looks like we will be able to crown a college football champion. We now know that Alabama (No. 1) will take on Notre Dame (No. 4) and Clemson (No. 2) will face off against Ohio State (No. 3) on January 1 in the playoffs. ‘Bama and the Irish were supposed to play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena but due to California’s COVID regulations that prohibit fans from attending, the game has been moved to AT&T Stadium in Dallas. KICK OFF 2021
overtime
It’s been a rough year for Vanessa Bryant who lost her husband, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, and her daughter Gianna in a helicopter accident in January. Now her mom is suing her claiming that she, Sofia Laine, was an unpaid “longtime personal assistant and nanny” and that Kobe “promised to take care of” her “for the rest of her life.” Laine is seeking back pay for all of the hours she’s worked over the years helping out and taking care of her grandchildren at the rate of $96/hour. In addition she is seeking “$5 million, a house and a Mercedes SUV.” In a statement to Us Weekly, Bryant said that Laine “has spiraled out of control” and is “continuing to try and find ways to extort a financial windfall from our family.” AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR HOLIDAYS WERE CONTENTIOUS
Sideline stat
The New York Jets (National Football League) secured their first win of the season but it was bad news for the team. Why? With the win, they lost their grip on the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft which would presumably be used on Clemson’s quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In other shocking NFL news, for the first time in 11 years, the New England Patriots will miss out on the playoffs. BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR
Coaches’ corner
Tiger and Charlie Woods had fans swooning while playing together at the PNC Championship (golf). While the father and son combo didn’t win, their twinning was a win in our book with the matching fist pumps to their traditional “Sunday Red.” Charlie is the youngest player to every play in the tournament. THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
What to watch
College Football Bowl Season starts today. There aren’t nearly as many games as usual with games being cancelled and teams dropping out but regardless, there’s plenty of football to watch during “The Bachelorette” commercial breaks. (Don’t forget to set your brackets)! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Also, the NBA (National Basketball Association) regular season begins tomorrow.
May The Force Be With You
A new professional sport now has a home in the U.S., star-studded soccer playoffs and the family-friendly golf tourney with a $1M purse.
As curfews go into effect across the country, that means your masked conversation while dining outdoors should be interesting and thought-provoking. What better way to relate to everyone than where sports meets pop culture?
No need for a curfew if your bedtime is 10 pm,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLS (Major League Soccer)
Tonight’s Friday night lights bring us a different kind of football tonight with the start of the MLS playoffs in a COVID world. With a compressed schedule, MLS will do everything in their power to reschedule a game where one or both teams is suffering from a COVID outbreak but it could result in a forfeit of the game and therefore the team would exit the postseason (it’s a single-elimination tournament). The Sporting Kansas City and Philadelphia Union are both ranked No. 1 in their respective conferences but it’s anyone’s guess who will end up in the finals on December 12. Kevin Durant (Phil. Union) is one of the star-studded athletes and celebrities to have an ownership stake in an MLS team. SIDE HUSTLE
Overtime
Don’t get us wrong, we all wish COVID would go away but the wife of Detroit Lions (NFL - National Football League) quarterback Matt Stafford took to social media to share her displeasure with the rules in place. In Kelly Stafford’s Instagram life story she said “I'm over living in a dictatorship we call Michigan.” The rant comes days after Michigan implemented new rules including taking school and work virtual. She later apologized for the use of the word dictatorship and praised healthcare workers. RUBBED PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY
Sideline stat
There’s nothing like quality family time on the golf course but how about doing it for your share of $1M? Tiger Woods announced that he and his son Charlie, 11, will be battling it out against John Daly and 18 other legendary golfers (think Greg Norman, David Duval and Jim Furyk) and a member of their family in the PNC Championship on December 17. While the tourney is for fun and won’t go against anyone’s records there is a total purse of $1M on the line. FAMILY FUN
Coaches’ corner
Wednesday night was a big night for the Ball family. First, the youngest of the three basketball brothers, LaMelo Ball was the third selection in the NBA (National Basketball Association) Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. (Michael Jordan is an owner and chairman of the Hornets). And SPOILER ALERT older brother, Lonzo Ball who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, was unveiled as the whatchamacallit on the “Masked Singer.” Like a man to man defense, actor Ken Jeong nailed it when he said it was Ball, who is also a rapper on the side. SO LITTLE TIME FOR THAT MUCH TALENT
Good To Great
The NBA bubble looks like a frat party, the football team who said never is making a change and you can be a part of the hockey playoffs.
Sports news you can use.
Like a boss,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
In case you’re wondering, life inside the NBA “bubble” at Disney World looks a bit like a millionaire sleepover. Teams are hunkered down as they prepare for the season to restart. Life on the inside includes golf, fishing, video games, regular COVID tests and shotgunning beers for retweets. Other big news in the basketball world is the suspension of ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski after he responded to a senator via email with “F-You.” Players are speaking out on his behalf so maybe that’ll help him get reinstated sooner. BLAME AUTOCORRECT?
Overtime
After decades of a lot of talk, the Washington Redskins have decided that now is the time for action. The team, who previously said they’ll never change their name, announced that they will be changing the team’s name in the next few days. This change comes after big sponsors like FedEx (the dollars behind their home stadium – FedExField), PepsiCo and Nike asked them to change their name. NEVER SAY NEVER
Sideline stat
You might remember that Wimbledon had an insurance policy that paid them out $141M when they cancelled the tournament for COVID reasons – the first time they cancelled the tournament since WWII. Well they’re using that money to pay out over $12.7M to the 620 players who would’ve qualified for the famed tennis tournament but never had a chance to compete for the prize money. PAYING IT FORWARD
Coaches’ corner
The NHL (National Hockey League) will return to the ice on August 1 but without fans. To combat the sounds of playing in an empty arena, the NHL has enlisted the teams’ season ticket holders. They’ve asked them to submit a 30-second audio recording of them cheering their team along. Those clips will then be played in the arena and on the broadcast to fill the crowd-free silence. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
A glance at the week ahead
July 15 - NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) All-Star Race
July 16 - The Memorial Tournament (A BFD because it's Tiger's return to golf)
July 18 - Start of the Major League Lacrosse Season