So Easy A Caveman Could Do It

It may be Monday, but you’re one step closer to the start of football season. If you’re not into football, that means the stores will be less crowded on Sundays and all you have to do is read The Rundown to stay in the loop.

Easy peasy,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Soccer

• Took it a step too far. It was quite the day for Cristiano Ronaldo. In Sunday’s El Clasico game between Real Madrid and Barcelona, he scored a goal and celebrated by removing his shirt to mock rival player Lionel Messi. Then it all went downhill. Ronaldo shoved a referee and was subsequently ejected. He could receive a 12-game suspension for the shove. He should’ve stopped at the shirtless celebration.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• A first. For the first time ever, a graduate from West Point played in an MLB game. Chris Rowley was the starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday and he not only brought home a win for his team but paved the way for other Army grads to take the field.
• Slippery little suckers. Baseball’s most recognized current player, Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper, slipped on a wet base in a game this weekend and suffered a knee bone bruise. He’s out of the game until it heals.   

Overtime

• In the final major of the season, 24-year-old Justin Thomas pulled off a win at the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) Championship. Thomas is a third-generation PGA member. Justin’s grandfather and father are longtime PGA professionals. (A PGA membership is one that you have to qualify for by being a great golfer). 

Sideline stat

• Gavin and Joe Maloof know sports. The wealthy entrepreneurs owned the Sacramento Kings (NBA – National Basketball Association) but now they’re jumping into the ring. The Las Vegas based brothers bet a whopping $880,000 on their neighbor Floyd Mayweather in the upcoming fight between Mayweather and Conor McGregor. If they win, they’ll give their $160,000 in profits to charity.

Coaches’ corner

• The last race in runner Usain Bolt’s career did not have a Disney-style ending. In the relay at the World Championships, he pulled a hamstring and did not finish. It may have not been the ending he wanted but he had a stellar career that speaks for itself.

Living The Dream

If you thought today’s Monday motivation was going to come in the form of a coffee cup, think again.

#Inspired,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (National Football League)

• Bling ring. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft knew his quarterback, Tom Brady, and his family had been through a lot during the team’s championship run last season. His mom, Galynn, was undergoing chemotherapy and for the first time ever, she missed all but one of Brady’s games. In honor of the sacrifice and challenges she faced, Kraft gave her a Super Bowl ring. Mama Brady’s cancer is now in remission.
• Enshrined. Saturday night the Pro Football Hall of Fame gained seven new members. One of the inductees, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, proved that everything is bigger in Texas. He threw himself one heck of a party, costing a reported $16 million, that boasted a special performance by Justin Timberlake.
• Determined. In case you missed it, the night featured memorable speeches from the inductees. The always well-spoken San Diego Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson, made sure his final words were unforgettable by sharing a moving story about his last name and its origin. If you need some Monday motivation, here are the highlights from each inductee’s speech.

Overtime

• Injured New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard (MLB - Major League Baseball) can now add actor to his resume. Living up to his nickname Thor, it was fitting that he made a cameo in last night’s Game of Thrones as a spear throwing warrior in a battle. Luckily his cameo was well received by fans, unlike Ed Sheeran’s appearance.

Sideline stat

• Usain Bolt is the most decorated sprinter of this generation. Saturday in the world championships, he raced in his final solo race and it didn’t go as planned. He finished third in his first-ever loss in the Olympics or a world championship semifinal, a 45-race winning streak.

Coaches’ corner

• Longtime Chicago Bears quarterback (NFL) Jay Cutler, retired after last season and accepted a job as a commentator with FOX for the upcoming football season. Apparently, retirement wasn’t for him. This weekend he signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins to replace their injured quarterback. (In case you’re wondering, Cutler is married to fashion designer and reality TV star Kristin Cavallari).

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - The End Is Near

All good things must come to an end and the Summer Olympics are coming to a close on Sunday. Don’t go into a “what am I going to watch every night until midnight?” depression yet. There’s a whole weekend of Olympic excitement ahead as well as a gold medal quality UFC fight.

We prefer gold teeth,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Summer Olympics

• Kind of a big deal. The debate on whether or not Usain Bolt is “best sprinter ever” got a little more exciting. He won his third consecutive gold medal in the 200m race - the first man to ever win three Olympic medals in the 200. That was most likely his last individual race of his career although it’s not too late to witness the best; he will compete in the 4x100 relay today.
• Get that gold. For the first the time ever, Americans swept the 100m hurdle race. Brianna Rollins (gold), Nia Ali (silver) and Kristi Castlin (bronze) claimed the top three spots in the race to make history.
• Marriage made of medals. American Ashton Eaton won his second consecutive gold in the grueling event that is the decathlon. His wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton (you might recognize the duo from the VISA commercial) won a bronze medal in the heptathlon for Canada. That’s what we call a fit family.

What to watch before it’s all over

• Team U.S.A. women’s basketball team play Spain for the gold tomorrow. The women have been dominating the Olympics. Fingers crossed they’ll win their sixth straight gold medal.
• Team U.S.A. men’s basketball team plays Spain today in the semifinals. It should be a great game as it features a rematch of the past two gold medal games.  
• 18-year-old American high jumper Vashti Cunningham, daughter of former Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, advanced to finals of high jump and will go for gold today.
  
• Click here for a full Olympic schedule. 

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)

• Save the drama for your mama. Yesterday’s UFC press conference featuring fighters Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz looked like an episode of Jerry Springer. Tensions ran high and clearly there was enough talking as the conference turned into a profanity laced, water bottle throwing tirade. The roots run deep here as the first fight between these two was the highest grossing Pay-Per-View in company history. For the record, Diaz won that fight.  

Tensions are so high that all team members, minus the fighters, are banned from attending the weigh ins today. Mostly because the UFC was tired of splurging on bottled water.

Overtime

• The U.S.A Olympic Committee, is apologizing to host Brazil for a PR nightmare started by four U.S.A. swimmers. The group, lead by Ryan Lochte, said they were robbed at gunpoint. Surveillance video shows the foursome at a local gas station where they vandalized a bathroom. Long story short, the group tried to leave in their taxi but were confronted at gunpoint by security to pay for the damages, which they did. Brazil said it’s not likely to press charges but they’re not happy about the men lying by saying they were robbed and would like an apology. The hashtags #LochteGate and #Lochtemess are now trending. Of course.

Sideline stat

• While it seemed like a brilliant marketing plan at the time, McDonald’s put a location in the Olympic village offering free food for the athletes. After years of training and eating healthy, the athletes are known to splurge on junk food post medal stand. They’ve been so popular that this McDonald’s location, with lines longer than a football field, had to put a limit of 20 items ordered at a time per person. We’ll have fries with that.

Coaches’ corner

• The Boston Red Sox (baseball) coaches put in a request to delay the start time of their game vs. Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox arrived very late into Detroit (at 3 am) for a 1 pm game. The travel schedule and 162 game season is tough on players but the Tigers had the competitive advantage and denied the request. The Tigers had an ulterior motive as they are 3.5 games behind the Red Sox in the standings. Cheeky move. FYI, the Red Sox ended up losing the game.