THE 5 BEST ATHLETE DADS AND THEIR EQUALLY ATHLETIC KIDS
We bet family game night was a little competitive.
It runs in the family.
Genetics are a crazy thing,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Laila Ali had big shoes to fill when she followed in her dad’s footsteps. Her father was the one and only, the “World’s Greatest,” boxer Muhammed Ali. A boxing champion herself, she's also a television personality and fitness guru who has appeared on shows such as American Gladiator and Dancing With The Stars. LIGHT ON THEIR FEET
2. NASCAR’s (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) dynamic duo was Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Earnhardt Jr. Papa Earnhardt died from injuries sustained in a crash at the Daytona 500 at the age of 49. Earnhardt Jr. won that same race three years later in 2004. Earnhardt Jr.'s grandfather was also a NASCAR driver and his nephew races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. ONE FAST FAMILY
3. Basketball greatness runs in the family for the NBA (National Basketball Association) Champion and two-time league MVP, Stephen Curry. His father Dell, is the all-time leader in points and three pointers for the Charlotte Hornets. Steph’s youngest brother Seth plays basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers. They’re the first brothers to face off in the NBA conference finals. ONE OF THEM HAS TO BE YOUR FAVORITE KID
4. Her dad, two-time Hall of Famer Rick Flair, is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and wrestler Charlotte Flair is living up to his legacy. The college volleyball player turned WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) star has been a trailblazer for women in WWE, with nine championships to her name. “The Queen” was also the first WWE star to grace the pages of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. ROYAL FAMILY
5. You can’t have a list of famous fathers and their kids without mentioning the ultimate trio – the Manning crew. Dad, Archie Manning was a NFL (National Football League) quarterback for 15 years. His quarterback sons Peyton and Eli have both won two Super Bowls. Their third brother Cooper, is ‘only’ a partner in a law firm and a TV personality. Cooper’s son, Arch, is keeping the family name alive as an impressive high school football prospect. A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Wednesday Wisdom
It’s all the buzz today including who shot their player in the face with a paintball, all the finals drama, David Ortiz’s recovery and how the U.S. Women made history in yesterday’s game. READ
5 Things You Need To Know About The Business Of The World Cup
There’s so much more to the tournament than scandals, corruption and billions in revenue, or is there?
There’s so much more to the tournament than scandals, corruption and billions in revenue, or is there?
So juicy it needs its own Neflix series,
The Last Night’s Game Team
5 Things You Need To Know About The Business Of The World Cup
1. We don’t like to throw around stats but they’re important for this one. There’s a reason the World Cup is the world’s most watched sporting event with over 3.2 billion people (essentially half the world’s population) watching the last World Cup. The sport itself is huge. In FIFA’s (Fédération Internationale de Football Association aka International Federation of Association Football) last count, over 265 million people in the world or 4% of the world’s population participates in some form of organized soccer. BY THE NUMBERS
2. The numbers surrounding the tournament are astounding with an expected $6 billion in revenue for FIFA and a prize pool of $791 million, of which $400 million will be awarded to teams based on their performance. WHERE DOES THE REST OF THE MONEY GO?
3. Besides the bragging rights and the eyesore 18-carat gold trophy, teams are competing for some serious prize money. The teams’ national federations will take home $8 million for their team showing up and $38 million in prize money if they finish in first place, $29 million for second and $24 million for third. HOW THE PLAYERS ARE PAID
4. Russia spent over $11 billion in a total of 11 host cities to put on the World Cup. While the tournament may provide a short burst of economic growth, the long-term benefits aren’t there. When countries bid on the tournament, unlike the Olympics where a city submits a bid, they are put through an evaluation process, which some say has been dishonest. At the center of the controversy is the site of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, which is spending $500 million a week to get ready for the tournament. MORE ON CORRUPTION
5. With this year’s host country (Russia) under sanctions, countries have had to walk a fine line when sending dignitaries to the games. For the first time in a decade, due to political disagreements, a member of England’s royal family will not be in attendance. (Prince William is the president of the Football Association, which is the governing body of football – aka soccer – in England). CONTROVERSIAL RUSSIANS BENEFITTING FROM THE GAMES
We’re just getting started
This is where we talk about the three things happening today that will make your clients clamor and your friends look at you in awe including golf hating on a legend, why it pays to play fair in the World Cup and a whole new meaning to a clean plate. READ
The 5 Things You Need To Know About The World Cup
Nearly half of the world’s population watched the last World Cup, which happens every four years. Therefore, the topic of soccer is going to be unavoidable for the next month.
Nearly half of the world’s population watched the last World Cup, which happens every four years. Therefore, the topic of soccer is going to be unavoidable for the next month.
If you can’t beat 'em, join 'em,
The Last Night’s Game Team
The Five Things You Need To Know About The World Cup
1. Starting tomorrow and for the next month, the world’s eyes will be on Russia as they host the best 32 teams in the world in their fight for the global title. Not in the battle? A team from Italy and the U.S. It has been 60 years since the Italians failed to qualify for the World Cup and 32 years for the Americans. BUT WHY?
2. FOX paid over $400 million for the broadcasting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. Despite shelling out that cash, 8 of the 12 broadcasters will be calling games from a studio in Los Angeles, not live from Russia. Guess they forgot to include funds for a travel budget? On the bright side, Aly Wagner will become the first woman to call a men’s World Cup soccer game. KUDOS ALY
3. With the United States out of the tournament, who should you cheer for? How about Team Iceland? They’re the smallest country to ever qualify for the men’s World Cup (population 330,000), it’s their first time ever playing in a World Cup AND their coach was a dentist up until two years ago, so give it up for the underdog. (Not to be confused with the under bite – obligatory dentist joke). WHO TO ROOT FOR
4. Three of the best soccer players in the world also happen to be three of the highest paid athletes on earth, but what’s the one thing they all have in common besides big bank accounts? No World Cup trophy. You can catch Lionel Messi (Team Argentina - #2 in the world in getting paid), Cristano Ronaldo (Team Portugal - #3) and Neymar (Team Brazil - #5) as they fight for the one thing they can’t buy. LAST CHANCE
5. The host team automatically qualifies for the tournament so Russia is in. What’s also in right now in Russia? Smiling. Apparently workers who will interact with the influx of tourist (ex. train workers) have been learning how to smile in hopes of dispelling the stigma that Russians aren’t friendly. SAY CHEESE
Bonus: Announced this morning – a joint bid by Canada, Mexico and the United States to host the 2026 World Cup has been successful. Canada and Mexico will host 10 of the games and the U.S. will host 60. MORE
Let’s talk about today
Living life in the present? Here’s what everyone is bantering about over their bacon this morning including an epic championship day, a scholarship surprise and they spent how much on booze in the past week? READ