This weekend brought us big upsets on the field, the court and the baseball diamond. Here’s to Monday starting off on the right foot with plenty of coffee.
Let’s conquer the week,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NFL (National Football League)
- They’re going to the Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons gave the Georgia Dome a memorable sendoff. In the last game in their home stadium the Falcons beat the red hot Green Bay Packers. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones teamed up to crush the Packers' Super Bowl dreams.
- Headed to the big show. The New England Patriots took care of business last night, dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a record breaking seventh Super Bowl appearance for quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- At the top of his game. Baseball lost a young talent over the weekend. Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano “Ace” Ventura was killed in a car crash while at home in the Dominican Republic. Ventura was a key piece in the Royals' 2014 World Series win. He won game six of the World Series days after his childhood friend and fellow MLB player Oscar Tavares was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Overtime
- A Patriots fan set off the fire alarm in the Steelers team hotel at 3 am Sunday morning. The hotel was evacuated and the man was arrested. No bunny slippers were harmed during the incident but it looks like the team could've used that extra beauty sleep.
Sideline stat
- There were plenty of upsets down under this weekend at the Australian Open with both the world’s #1 ranked players Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber losing. This is the first time since 2004 that both the #1 and #2 seeds on the men’s side have failed to reach the quarterfinals of a major tournament. (Novak Djokovic, #2, lost earlier in the tournament).
Coaches’ corner
- The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious awards given in the NFL and it has nothing to do with athletic achievements. Every year on the night before the Super Bowl, the award is given to the player who has made the biggest impact on his community through charity work. The three finalist were revealed yesterday and they are:
- Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
- Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers tight end
- Eli Manning, New York Giants quarterback