The Rundown: Five Things to Know About J.J. Watt

It’s not football season so you may be wondering why we’re talking about a football player. Well Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt isn’t just any football player whose time in the media is confined to just football season. This guy is everywhere, including in women’s hearts, and you’ll see him tonight alongside Erin Andrews (five things to know about Erin Andrews) co-hosting tonight’s CMT (Country Music Television) Music Awards.

Giddy up,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - At your next sporting event don't forget to tag Last Night's Game (@lastnightsgame) in your Instagram photo. 

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Five things to know about J.J. Watt

Born and raised a cheese head, Watt’s college career started in Central Michigan as a tight end (recruited by now Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly). He left Central Michigan and a scholarship behind after his freshman year to walk on at Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin had to deliver pizzas to pay tuition. He was drafted into the NFL after his junior year.  

He has a tattoo in Chinese on his chest that means “family.” It also includes the initials of his siblings. His brothers (one of which plays in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers) also have the same tattoo. Now that’s family bonding.

He started the J.J. Watt Foundation to provide after school activities for middle-school aged children to become active in athletics where they learn the positive traits associated with sports in a safe environment. The Foundation recently raised $2 million in a charity softball game. You may recall a ‘memorable for the wrong reason’ photo of Watt’s teammate Vince Wilfork who wore overalls at the game.  

He is by all accounts, including his own, just your average 26-year-old bachelor who enjoys eating, working out, shirtless photos and signed a six year, $100 million deal in 2014. At the time that was the highest contract for a defensive end in the NFL (although not anymore).

Ladies aren’t the only ones who like him. He spends his time in the celebrity circle, hanging out with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Lil Wayne and his biggest fan and partner-in-crime for literacy, former First Lady Barbara Bush. His coach loves him too as he’s good at what he does. Watt is a three-time defensive player of the year and four-time Pro Bowler (NFL All-Star game).

NFL (National Football League)

Hacked. Tuesday afternoon NFL fans received shocking news via the NFL’s official Twitter account. A tweet was sent stating that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had passed away at the age of 57. A few minutes later another tweet was sent out which made it obvious the account had been hacked. Goodell is very much alive but should we be concerned that nobody seemed too upset at the news of him passing? 

MMA (MIXED MARITAL ARTS)

R.I.P. Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson) passed away at the age of 42 Monday night. He had been diagnosed with heart failure and was waiting on a heart transplant. Slice gained fame by participating in backyard fights, which I am sure you have all viewed on YouTube, or not. Slice parlayed his fame into an MMA career, fighting with UFC and headlining the first ever MMA fight card on primetime television on CBS. Kimbo Slice had a crazy, tough guy persona, but Kevin Ferguson was a great human being and family man. 

Soccer

Victory. Team U.S.A. secured a much needed win in the Copa America Centenario, beating Costa Rica. With a win on Saturday against Paraguay they can advance into the next round.

No strike for you. Following up on a story we talked about awhile back involving the women’s soccer team’s quest for equal pay. A judge ruled that the U.S. Women’s Soccer team does not have the grounds to strike in regards to disputed pay. The women filed a complaint in March and the strike could've taken them out of the Olympics. 

Overtime

In Olympic news, Zika is still a trending topic with Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie cancelling her trip to Rio because of her pregnancy. American cyclist Tejay van Garderen decided against Rio because he and his wife have a baby on the way and it wasn't worth the risk. Yesterday, NBA’s Steph Curry announced he will not join Team U.S.A. in Rio not because of Zika but because of his knee.

Sideline stat

Cleveland Cavaliers may be down in the NBA Finals, but that is not stopping guard J.R. Smith from living his dreams. Smith announced a Kickstarter project for a reality TV show. The announcement came the day the Cavs lost by 30+ points to the Warriors. Smith has accumulated around $44 million during his career, but needs your help to fund the project which is a reality show about himself and his celebrity bodyguard he hired to protect Smith from himself. Priorities.  

Coaches’ Corner

Kimbo Slice fought in MMA and UFC, what’s the difference? MMA is the sport (think football) and UFC is a league (think NFL).

The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the Indy 500

Is it too early to talk about the weekend? Never! This Memorial Day weekend features the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Dare to impress your BBQ buddies this Memorial Day weekend with your new found knowledge from today's five things to know.

You’re the hit of the party,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

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Five things to know about the Indianapolis 500

1. The Indy 500, called “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS or the “Brickyard”). Back in the day the track used to be made of paving bricks, which are still exposed under the current asphalt track at the start-finish line.
2. The 33 drivers and fans watching in 250+ countries will join in on the pre-race tradition of singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” alongside “The Voice” winner Josh Kaufman. Country star Darius Rucker (you may know him from “Hootie and the Blowfish”), will sing the national anthem.  
3. Move over Gatorade, milk is the drink of the winners at IMS. The tradition that involves the winner swigging milk began in 1936 with Louis Meyer, whose go to drink after a win was a refreshing glass of milk. The act was spotted by an overjoyed milk executive and the rest is history.  
4. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is considered one of the world’s largest spectator facilities with more than 250,000 permanent seats. The infield is 253 acres and includes a golf course. Churchill Downs, Yankees Stadium, Rose Bowl, Roman Colosseum and Vatican City can all fit inside the Speedway.
5. The race isn’t just for men. In it’s history 10 women have raced at Indy with Danica Patrick setting the record for the highest finishing position for a woman with a third place finish in 2005.

• Extra credit - The first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911. It has been held every year since, except for during the two World Wars, hence why 2016 is the 100th running of the race. You can catch all the centennial excitement of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 22 at 4 pm (EST) on ABC.

Horse racing

• Nyquist no more. Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist has been pulled from the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes (June 11), due to a high white cell blood count. The quest for the Triple Crown is tough on the horses with three races in five weeks; most horses won’t race more than once a month. (Recap -Nyquist lost last weekend to Exaggerator in the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown.) 

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Taking on tobacco. The family of former MLB player Tony Gwynn, has filed a lawsuit against tobacco companies, saying they targeted and encouraged him to use smokeless tobacco and did not disclose the dangers of dipping. Gwynn dipped his entire career and died two years ago at the age of 54 from salivary cancer after 31 years of tobacco use. Cities are fighting back against tobacco companies as well - New York, Boston and Los Angeles are just a few cities to ban smokeless tobacco at ticketed sporting events this year.   

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• Wrath of the Raptors. Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night to even the series 2-2. The home team has won every game so far. Game five is tonight from Cleveland at 8:30 pm (EST) on ESPN.
• Big win. Oklahoma City Thunder won again last night against the Golden State Warriors. Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game five will take place on Thursday at 8 pm (EST on TNT) in Sacramento.

NFL (National Football League)

• The story that refuses to go away. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has filed an appeal with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in regard to his four-game suspension for Deflategate. Brady is contesting a lower court’s decision to uphold his four-game suspension for his involvement.

Overtime

• On Dancing with the Stars, UFC fighter Paige VanZant may have put on a good show but was beat out for the esteemed mirrorball trophy by model Nyle DiMarco. (DiMarco is the first deaf winner on the show). VanZant used the show as a platform and hoped to inspire others by talking about being bullied in school. She was bullied so badly that her family had to moved from their town of Dayton, Oregon eight years ago.

Sideline stat

• Under Armour has signed the biggest deal in college sports history with UCLA - 15-years, $280 million. The school has been with Adidas since 1999.  

Coaches’ corner

• Yesterday the NFL announced their Super Bowl host cities through 2021. There has never been a Super Bowl host city whose home team has won it all in the same year they've hosted. 
  • 2017- Houston (Texans)
  • 2018- Minnesota (Vikings)
  • 2019- Atlanta (Falcons)
  • 2020- South Florida (Dolphins)
  • 2021- Los Angeles (Rams)

The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the WNBA

Our mission at Last Night’s Game is to not only bring you the latest and greatest in sports news but also to expand your horizons. We learned a lot researching today’s five things to know about the WNBA and we hope you do to.

Always learning,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

PS - Are we talking about what you want to hear? Let us know. We're all ears!

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Five things to know about the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)

1. This year is the 20th season for the WNBA, whose season is May - August. The original eight teams were NBA owned and only located in cities where there was an NBA team. After 2002 the NBA allowed the sale to groups in cities that did not have an NBA team – for a total of 12 teams.   
2. Players, who make an average salary of $76,500 for the five-month season, must be 22 years old to be drafted, as opposed to 19 in the NBA.
3. Many players also play overseas in the off-season to supplement their income. WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner earn over $1 million in salary to play in Russia.
4. The WNBA is in financial turmoil. Ticket sales in 2015 were at an all-time low; although sellouts are at an all time high at 33 games – up 25 from the season before. Their six-year television deal with ESPN that runs through 2022 is worth $12 million. While that might seem like a lot, for comparison sake the NBA television deal with Disney (ABC, ESPN) and Turner (TNT) is $25 billion for nine years.
5. There is no all-star game this year due to the Olympics. Former Olympian and all-star, Lisa Leslie, was the first WNBA player to dunk the ball during a game.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• Going where no team has gone before. The NBA approved a trial period (starting in 2017-18 season) for advertisements on team jerseys. No professional sport (NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL) in the U.S. allows for advertising on jerseys until now. The Philadelphia 76ers are the first team to unveil their new look, partnering with StubHub for a reported three years, $15 million deal. Teams can sell to just about anyone except for companies dealing with gambling, alcohol or politics.  
• Champs challenged. The defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors lost game one against Oklahoma City Thunder. The two teams will play again tonight at 9 pm (EST) on TNT.  
• Total domination. Kyrie Irving and his Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Toronto Raptors last night, winning by 31 points and taking the first game of the series. Cavs are undefeated in this post season.

NFL (National Football League)

• Sticker shock. Atlanta Falcons announced that they will have the cheapest concession prices of any sports team for next season. We’re talking $2 for a bottomless soda and the same price for bottled water and popcorn. More importantly, beer and cheeseburgers will be $5. The team’s attendance numbers were down last year but they say the cheap concessions have nothing to do with an attempt to increase ticket sales. Either way we love a cheap beer. #winning

Overtime

• The fan votes are in and UFC women’s fighter Paige Van Zant will stick around for another spray tan. The Dancing with the Stars finale featuring Van Zant, Ginger Zee - Good Morning America's Meteorologist and Nyle DiMarco - a deaf and devastatingly handsome actor/model, will take place on Monday. Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown advanced to the semi-finals but was eliminated before making it to the final round.

Sideline stat

• $1 billion (said in a Dr. Evil voice) - That’s the alleged value of LeBron James’ lifetime deal with Nike, signed earlier this year. James is the first person to sign a lifetime deal with the company. That's a lot of $5 beers.  

Coaches’ Corner

• The NBA draft lottery took place yesterday. This lottery is to determine which team will receive the first pick in the NBA draft (June 23). The worse your team in the previous season, the more chances you have to ‘win’ the first pick. The 76ers took home the right to the first pick followed by Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Chomping at the bit to see where your team landed? Click here.