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
It’s Freaking Friday
A fiery plane crash, who’s playing like a girl and who lost their sh*t on the tennis court.
Hallelujah!
That’s all folks,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s plane caught on fire upon landing at a small airport in Tennessee yesterday. Luckily, Earnhardt, his wife Amy, their 1-year-old daughter, the family dog and the pilots all escaped without serious injuries. The racing family was in town for this weekend’s race at Bristol. The former driver will no longer be in the broadcast booth this weekend as he recovers with his family. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Overtime
The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams (NFL - National Football League) are saying aloha to Honolulu, Hawaii this weekend where they will play their preseason game. The Cowboys star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, continues to train in Cabo San Lucas while he holds out for a contract. Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is using gross and confusing analogies to describe contract negotiations. (For more on Mr. Jones and other wacky team owners, check out our five guys to know). HE SAID WHAT?
Sideline stat
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend and in this case, it’s baseball diamonds. Maddy Freking is the starting second baseman (or woman) for her team from Coon Rapids-Andover, representing the Midwest region in the tournament. She is only the 19th female to ever play in the Little League World Series. PLAY LIKE A GIRL
Coaches’ corner
In an Olympic qualifying event, the assumed first and second place runners joined hands as they crossed the finish line as a show of unity and teamwork. The two were disqualified for violating the rule that states athletes must not "finish in a contrived tie situation where no effort to separate the finish times has been made." RULES WERE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
What to watch
The bad boy of tennis, Australian Nick Kyrgios had yet another melt down. You might remember his Wimbledon outburst from our five time sports imitated an episode of Real Housewives, but this time he destroyed a racket, used profanity to describe the chair referee and spit toward him. In addition to a significant fine, there could be a suspension looming for Kyrgios after this outburst. CLASSY