Never A Dull Moment
The Super Bowl halftime performers announced, Tom Brady’s dad has dad jokes and the NBA is 90% vaccinated so why the controversy?
Giving you something else to talk about besides how it’s still too hot to drink pumpkin spice lattes.
Spice up your life,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NFL (National Football League)
This season's Super Bowl halftime show is a millennial's dream come true. Yesterday, the NFL announced that Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar would headline the halftime show during Super Bowl LVI on February 13 at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. MF'ERS DID NOT FORGET ABOUT DRE
Overtime
The Phoenix Mercury (WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association) are getting kicked out of their house ahead of Sunday's game three in their playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces. Last week the team was forced to seek another place to play because of a concert. The team has is forced out because the arena is hosting Disney On Ice instead. Surely, Minnie disapproves of sending six all-stars to play a professional league playoff game at a university basketball arena. HOW ABOUT A LITTLE RESPECT?
Sideline stat
You’ve read the headlines about the drama surrounding the NBA’s (National Basketball Association) goal to get the entire league vaccinated. Players like LeBron James got it, and others like Kyrie Irving don’t want it. Irving is in an interesting conundrum as players who play on teams based in San Francisco (Golden State Warriors), and New York (Nets and Knicks) must be vaccinated to play in their home arenas. Visiting teams are exempt. The NBA said they will not pay players for missed games if they “elect not to comply with local vaccination mandates.” The NBA said that more than 90% of its players had received the COVID vaccine. ARMED FOR BATTLE
*For reference, the WNBA is 99% vaccinated and the NFL is 93%.
Coaches’ corner
Tom Brady heads back to his old stomping grounds on Sunday when his defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) take on former head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Brady has played down his return, especially after his dad's comments that he thought Tom felt "vindicated," leaving the Patriots and winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs. Brady's comedic response to his dad's comments included how his dad should know better at this point in his life, and Tom Jr. reserves the right to put him in a home against his will. DAD JOKES FOR DAY
What to watch
Things are getting exciting as we head into the last weekend of the MLB (Major League Baseball) regular season. There are four teams within one game of the American League Wild Card playoff spot - the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. BATTER UP
Now What?
Olympic wrap-up, there’s a dance party in Toronto and hall of fame speeches that’ll inspire you this morning.
Now that the Olympics are over guess it’s time to binge-watch “Mare of Eastown” or one of the 20 other shows everyone is talking about.
So many choices, so little time,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Olympics
The last weekend of the Summer Olympics wrapped up with a few huge wins for Team USA, which finished one gold medal ahead of second-place China in the medal count. Adding to that Team USA tally were the women’s basketball team (their seventh straight gold medal), men’s basketball team (fourth consecutive gold) and women’s volleyball (first gold ever). Also, for the first time, 93 Olympic organizing committees won a medal - the most to ever win a medal at a single Olympic Games. SEE YOU IN PARIS
Overtime
The NFL (National Football League) Hall of Fame speeches are always inspirational, and this weekend’s induction lived up to the hype. We had high hopes for Peyton Manning’s speech. After all, he has been the host of “Saturday Night Live.” He had the audience laughing especially as he took a jab or two at his longtime rival Tom Brady, who attended the ceremony as Manning’s guest.
The thought-provoking speech came from former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, 78, who talked about QTL – quality time left. "Think about that," Johnson said. "I'm 78 years old and I think about QTL all the time." BE IN THE MOMENT
Sideline stat
Arguably the world’s best soccer player, Lionel Messi, is moving on. During an emotional press conference, he said farewell to his team, FC Barcelona, that he had played for since he signed with them at age 13. (He’s 34-years-old). Messi is leaving because of team financial constraints and has agreed to a two-year deal with PSG (Paris Saint-Germain). PASS THE TISSUES
Coaches’ corner
The Toronto Blue Jays (MLB – Major League Baseball) finally returned to their home stadium after being banned from traveling across the border all season due to COVID protocols. (They split their time between Buffalo and Florida). It's clear they like being home, judging by the dance party that ensues after each home win. The clubhouse turns into a club, complete with strobe lights. RAVING JAYS
Rise And Shine
The college baseball player who barely escaped the Surfside building collapse, Biles heads to Tokyo and why Monday is must-see TV for sports.
Rise and shine; it’s small talk time.
Call us your favorite life hack,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Bigger Than Sports
We’ve all been watching the tragic story of the Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, FL. While the professional sports teams in the area have stepped up, donating food and supplies to the volunteers and first responders, the most amazing story came from UConn pitcher Justin Willis. Willis, who was staying with his grandparents who live in the building, was watching TV with his sister on Thursday around 1 am when they saw dust and debris. They went into the hall, and the elevators were gone, as was the apartment next to them. They evacuated their family down 11 flights of stairs, stopping to help an elderly lady on the way down, and were about 15 feet away from the building when it collapsed. TERRIFYING
Overtime
Channel your inner Kate Middleton because it’s time for her favorite sporting event, Wimbledon. The biggest news from the weekend is that Venus Williams and tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios are teaming up in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Sit back and enjoy a traditional glass of champagne and strawberries and cream; the Royals’ favorite tennis tournament is back today. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Sideline stat
We’re less than a month away from the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the last few competitors have been announced. This weekend Simone Biles was officially selected for the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team even though she had a rough night, by her standards, that left her in tears. She will be joined on the four-women team by Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum. MyKayla Skinner will compete in the "plus-1" specialist spot. GO GET ‘EM
Coaches’ corner
Tonight’s the night that the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens take the ice in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens hope to be the first Canadian NHL (National Hockey League) team to win a Stanley Cup since they won it in 1993. The teams can cross the Canadian border despite the country’s strict COVID rules, thanks to a special dispensation from the government. Although their fellow countrymen, the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB – Major League Baseball) did not make that cut; therefore, they’re still playing their home games in the U.S. EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER
What to watch
Tonight also marks game one of the Men’s College World Series finals between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. How Vanderbilt made it to the finals is controversial after the NCAA forced NC State to drop out, blaming COVID. GAME ON