Rise And Shine

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The Last Night’s Game Team

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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

Pony Up - 5 Things You Need To Know About The Kentucky Derby

The Derby may be the greatest day in sports because you get to wear great hats, drink mint juleps and the whole event is over in two minutes.

Short is sweet,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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1. The Derby is often referred to as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” because that’s how long it takes for the horses to run the 1¼ mile track. TIME YOUR BATHROOM TRIP RIGHT OR YOU’LL MISS THE WHOLE RACE

2. The favorite horse heading into Saturday’s race, Omaha Beach, was scratched this week before most people could even place their bets. There are a whole slew of rules set forth by the Jockey Club to abide by when naming a horse. Of course, nothing racy is approved but names like Hoochiecoochiemama, Bodacious Tatas and Hardawn (say it aloud) have slipped past the reviewers. WE’D PAY TO HEAR ANNOUNCERS READ THOSE NAMES ON TV

3. The horses are all three-year-old males. You’ll never see a horse win the Derby twice because they’re only allowed to race when they’re three and that’s it. The horses (and their jockey) are competing for the largest-ever guaranteed purse of $3 million, an increase of $1 million from last year. PEAKING EARLY IN LIFE

4. Ever wonder how these high-priced horses get from one race to another? Air Horse One. No, really. They fly on a Boeing 727 cargo plane nicknamed “Air Horse One.” It’s equipped with stalls built around the horse and even inflight snacks. AND YOU THOUGHT BUSINESS CLASS WAS EXPENSIVE

5. We’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss the hats. The long-standing tradition started with a goal to have high-class spectators attend the race. The Derby hat as we know it, didn’t come around until the 1960s when fashion norms loosened up and big, bright and festive were socially acceptable. THE BEST CELEBRITY DERBY HATS  

Watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4th live from Churchill Downs at 6:50 EST.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

Stallions aren’t the only thing to talk about today, here are the top three hottest topics in sports including how U.S.A Gymnastics continues to be a hot mess, why one basketball player is literally the sh*t and an iconic sports magazine is no more. READ