no-hitter

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition

There is never a dull moment in sports. Whether it's getting fired for inappropriate tweets or being named one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People; we cover it all here in five mins or less.

In an unusual Earth Day scenario, the Weekend Preview Edition wasn't written to the normal background noise of a game but to the jams of Prince. That means today's inspired write up is totally bad*ss.

Driving the little red (clean fuel powered) corvette into the sunset,

The Last Night's Game Team


MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • Shutout. ESPN fired analyst and former MLB pitcher, Curt Schilling for a controversial post on social media. Schilling clearly didn’t agree with North Carolina's "bathroom law." This wasn't Schilling's first social media outburst that landed him in hot water. ESPN said "enough already. We're an inclusive company." We're pulling the pitcher. 

  • No no. Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta threw his second no-hitter of his career last night. The Cubs' pitcher led his team to a 16-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs also celebrated their veteran catcher David Ross, affectionately known as "Grandpa Rossy," who caught his first no-hitter. (The catcher is the key player to call all of the pitches and command the game from behind home plate).

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

  • Keep it to yourself. Driver Tony Stewart is expected to return to the track this weekend after missing eight weeks for a broken back sustained in an ATV accident. The buzz of his return has been marred by the fact that NASCAR fined him for comments he made surrounding race safety. NASCAR officials have stopped enforcing a rule that requires a tire on the race car to have all five lug nuts (bolts that anchor the tire to the body of the car) secured, just three or four are sufficient. While that creates faster pit times for drivers, it also makes for a potential hazard as Stewart stated. Apparently NASCAR didn't like him pointing that out. Fine. 

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry did not play in game three (still that ankle injury) and Houston Rockets took advantage. James Harden led his team to a victory over the Warriors in game three. The series is now 2-1 in favor of the Warriors with game four on Sunday. 

  • Lucky you. There are playoff games all weekend. Here's the full scheudle.

NHL (National Hockey League)

  • It's about time. Chicago Blackhawks beat St. Louis Blues in double overtime on Thursday night. The Blackhawks avoided elimination with a goal by star player Patrick Kane. This was Kane's first goal of the playoffs. Better late than never.  

  • The couch is calling. There are more playoff this weekend. For the entire playoff scheudle, click here 

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)

  • Ninth wonder of the world. 90s wrestling star and arguably one of the most famous female wrestlers, Chyna, was found dead yesterday in her California apartment. She was found by a friend who came to check on her after not hearing from her for days. Chyna (real name Joan Marie Laurer) was 46.   

Overtime

  • Yesterday the music and sports world lost a legend in Prince. How is Prince tied to sports you ask? You mean besides his love for his hometown Minnesota Vikings or the fact that all Minnesota Twins' rookies have to sing "Little Red Corvette" for the entire clubhouse? In 2015, Billboard Magazine ranked his 2007 Super Bowl halftime performance as the greatest in the history of the Super Bowl. In a torrential downpour he played iconic songs such as "Proud Mary" and "Along the Watchtower" in tandem with his hits including "Let's go Crazy" and "Purple Rain." This is a great clip from a Super Bowl producer's perspective of an epic and legendary artist as he conquered the world's biggest stage. Rock on and rest in peace.

Sideline stat

Coaches’ corner

  • King of the long ball, steroid user, whatever you call him he's now known as coach. Former San Francisco Giants' slugger Barry Bonds returns to San Francisco this weekend, although this time he's wearing his number 25 on a Miami Marlins jersey. Bonds will be making his first appearance at AT&T Park as the hitting coach for the Marlins. This is Bonds' first season back in the major leagues since retiring as a player in 2007.

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

This weekend defending champion Jordan Spieth blew his lead to lose the Masters. To add insult to injury, he then had to put the esteemed green jacket on the winner, Danny Willett.

Speaking of bitter beer face, Kevin Durant is said to share the same sentiment in a farewell video to Kobe Bryant, whose last game of his career is on Wednesday.

Turn that frown upside down,

The Last Night’s Game Team


Boxing

  • Going out on top. Saturday night in Las Vegas Manny Pacquiao dominated his fight against Timothy Bradley, winning with a unanimous decision. This was said to be Pacquiao’s last fight but many questioned his retirement after Saturday’s stellar performance. 

MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • So close you can taste it. Los Angeles Dodgers’ rookie pitcher, Ross Stripling, almost had a dream come true on Friday night. Stripling was called up from the minor leagues and took advantage of his chance on the big league field. He pitched a shut out/no-hitter into the eighth inning when he was pulled by coach Dave Roberts. Unfortunately, the relief pitchers blew the game and the Dodgers lost to the San Francisco Giants.
  • Sweet start. Colorado Rockies' rookie shortstop Trevor Story is off to an unheard start to the season. Story has hit seven home runs in the team’s first six games. Story is the first player in baseball history to accomplish this.
  • Hello Herbert. Washington Nationals are adding a new face to their presidential race that is run on the field between innings. Former President Herbert Hoover has been nominated to join the race. Hoover joins the other racing presidents - George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. In case you were wondering, Hoover won his inaugural race.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Setting records. Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night to win their 72nd game of the season, tying the record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. This was the first home loss of the year for the Spurs. The Warriors have a chance to break the record with their last game of the regular season against the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday.
  • Bon voyage. Kobe Bryant’s last game of his storied career is on Wednesday. Nike put together a tribute featuring athletes saluting Bryant. (Some people are saying Kevin Durant comes off as bitter, you be the judge.)  

NCAA Basketball (College)

  • Totally inappropriate. Louisiana Tech women’s baseball team’s head coach Tyler Summit resigned last week. Summitt, 25, is the son of Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Tyler resigned due to an inappropriate relationship with a player which, according to rumors, resulted in the player’s pregnancy, 

NFL (National Football League)

  • Tragic loss. Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and his wife were shot in an alleged road rage incident in New Orleans. Smith died from his injuries. Smith spent his career with the Saints and was part of their 2010 Super Bowl team and was to be inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame later this year.

PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)

  • On the back nine. Defending Masters champion Jordan Spieth led the tournament for the first three days and had a five shot lead going into the last nine holes on Sunday. In a span of three holes, Spieth went from leading by five strokes to losing by three. Danny Willett took advantage of Spieth’s struggles and took the lead and finished strong to win.
  • Baby daddy. Anticipating the birth of his first child whose due date was yesterday, Willett almost did not participate in the Masters. The baby was born a week early on March 30th, paving the way for him to play in the Masters. Although his child was not born on April 10th, it still turned out to be a very special day for Willett and his wife.

Overtime

  • With the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, around the corner, the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams announced that they plan to stay on a cruise ship instead of in the Olympic Village.

Sideline stat

  • Kyle Busch swept the NASCAR races for the second weekend in a row; a feat that had not been accomplished since 1991. Busch won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Friday night and then the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday.

Coaches’ Corner

  • What is a no-hitter in baseball? A no-hitter is a complete game in which the opposing team does not get on base from a hit. This doesn’t mean no one from the opposing team makes it to base (they can be walked or hit by a pitch) but no one from the opposing team actually gets to a base by hitting the ball. It’s a rare feat and only 292 pitchers have pitched a no hitter since 1876.