The Rundown: The 5 Most Talked About Sports Moments of 2016

It wouldn’t be the end of the year without a host of lists to celebrate the year that was. We’re bringing you the most talked about sports moments of 2016. Chatting to your NYE date has never been easier.

 

Break out the bubbly,

The Last Night’s Game

The five most talked about sports moments of 2016

  1. Cubs win! The Chicago Cubs (MLB - Major League Baseball) ended their 108-year championship losing streak by coming from behind in the World Series to defeat the Cleveland Indians. Chicago went wild with an estimated five million fans attending the victory parade.
  2. Summer Olympics in Brazil. The Zika scare. Ryan Lotche’s late night antics (and maybe his hideous blue hair?) landed him in hot water. Michael Phelps retired with 28 career Olympic medals, 23 of them gold. Swimmer Katie Ledecky became the most decorated female of the Rio Olympics.  The U.S.A. women’s gymnastics team, The Final Five led by Simone Biles, dominated the competition.
  3. Championship Cavs. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA (National Basketball Association) championship, ending the City of Cleveland’s 52-year professional championship drought. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and their Cavs were down three games to one but managed to take home the title over the Golden State Warriors.
  4. Take a knee. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (NFL - National Football League) started taking a knee during the national anthem to demonstrate police brutality and racial oppression. No matter how you feel, the protest propelled the conversation and motivated action around the nation.
  5. Legends retire. Everyone’s favorite quarterback and five-time MVP Peyton Manning called it quits after winning the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos (his second Super Bowl victory). Although post retirement he's still starring in primetime, but in advertisements. 

Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers were terrible in his final season of basketball but the 18-time all-star still went out on top with five NBA Championships. He and his wife welcomed their third baby girl during his retirement. Better than 73-year-old Mick Jagger who’s still working and having babies.  

Overtime

  • Northwestern University will wear stickers on their helmets to honor Craig Sager, an alum of the school. Sager, who lost his battle with cancer on Dec. 15th, was one of the most respected sideline reporters in sports and was known for his colorful outfits.

Sideline stat

Coaches’ corner

  • The sports world lost so many sports icons this year including "The Greatest" boxer Muhammed Ali (74), sports reporter Craig Sager (65), women's basketball coach Pat Summitt (64), Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (24) and the storied golfer and namesake of your favorite refreshment Arnold Palmer (87).

The Rundown: 5 Ways Athletes Are Making A Difference

The holidays are around the corner therefore we’re bringing you a “Five Things to Know” that will warm your heart and make you smile. We’re aware that not one person can save the world but these athletes are trying. (For the record there are so many athletes doing great work that we’d have to write a novel to cover them all).  

Humbled,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Five Ways Athletes Are Making A Difference

  1. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a New Orleans native with a big heart. He is very involved in the community but one of his biggest projects was raising over $3 million to construct a children’s clinic in Jackson, MI, the only hospital in the state devoted to children. His clinic helps more than 75,000 children a year. Manning has been named one of the Top 20 Philanthropists Under 40.”  
  2. Soccer’s Cristiano Ronaldo gives back in many ways. He's dedicated to fighting hunger and obesity through two separate international campaigns. There are stories of him paying out of his pocket for children’s surgeries that their parents couldn’t afford (think $83,000 each). He also donated his entire Champions League bonus to charity (€600,000). 
  3. Serena Williams is a legend on the tennis court and that status extends to her charity work. She serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a role through which she has helped improve education for over five million African students, she's fought against breast cancer and works to provide access to education in impoverished areas through "Schools for Asia."
  4. The Miami Dolphins Ndamukong Suh took a break from the field to “Pay Away the Layaway” for Miami area families who were paying off items on layaway at an area merchant. He also supports children with school supplies and makes significant donations to education. He recognizes how his family struggled and like so many athletes, acknowledges he is now in a place to help.
  5. Basketball's LeBron James is making a significant impact. His expansive community outreach touches many charities. Through his foundation he provides more than 1,100 full ride scholarships to University of Akron for students from Akron, OH. The program starts in third grade and the students are mentored through high school graduation and must have 3.0 GPA. This program is said to cost $41 million. 

Overtime

  • Bowl games are another chance for a college player to impress NFL teams, but we are seeing a trend of players not playing in the games to avoid injury which could hurt their upcoming draft status. Tell us what you think – are they counting their chickens before they’re hatched?

Sideline stat

Coaches’ corner

  • The rosters for the NFL all-star game, The Pro Bowl, have been announced. The game takes place a week before the Super Bowl in Orlando. The players whose teams are in Super Bowl are ineligible to play in the Pro Bowl. Typically most starting players starters announced will not play in the game and risk injury.

The Rundown: 5 Things You Need To Know About College Football Bowl Games

For some this might be the most wonderful time of the year with the kids jingle-belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer. (Thanks Andy Williams). For others it is because college football bowl game season is around the corner. What’s a bowl game? Is it similar to spin the bottle?  

Glad you asked,

The Last Night’s Game

Five Things You Need To Know About College Football Bowl Games

1. Background

 

- Bowl games are a one-game matchup where teams are paid to play after the regular season. The bowl games promise TV time and great national exposure for the teams. 

- Not all teams are selected for a bowl game – you have to be good enough to be invited.

- The teams that play each other have likely not played during the regular season as they’re usually from different conferences.

2. Some bowl games have weird names like the Raisin Bowl or the Salad Bowl but others are corporate (i.e. boring) such as the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl. Zzzz.

3. College football players are permitted to receive $550 in gifts from the various bowl game sponsors. Curious what the players won’t have to ask Santa for? We have the list of gifts for each bowl game. Hint – the big guy won’t need to pack an ugly sweater or a selfie stick on his sleigh.

4. The Final Four teams are chosen by their regular season rankings. Alabama Crimson Tide (#1) vs Washington Huskies (#4) and Clemson Tigers (#2) vs Ohio State Buckeyes (#3) will battle in two playoff games on December 31st. The winners of the semifinal games will play for the national championship on January 9th.

5. Of course these games aren’t for simply the exposure, there’s cold hard cash involved. (Santa’s best gift yet). Companies will pay around $100 million this year to sponsor the games. The conferences then make big money when one of their teams attends a game. How much? Find out.

- Join our Last Night’s Game’s ESPN Bowl Mania Group to win prizes or to simply have a good time. Think of it as a March Madness bracket for college football.  (Once you click the link above, select "play now for free." Password: sports curious). 

MLB (Major League Baseball)

Overtime

  • A photo of a six-year old Afghan boy wearing a plastic bag jersey of his favorite soccer player, Barcelona's Lionel Messi, went viral awhile back. His dream of meeting Messi finally came true. Yesterday Murtaza walked on the field with Messi and the team while wearing a new Messi jersey. This video of their meeting will make you smile. 

Sideline stat

  • There are 42 bowl games between December 17th and early January. Want the whole schedule? Here you go. 

Coaches’ corner

  • Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher received his stocking full of coal early this year - he was fired on Monday. Fisher tied the undesirable record of the most losses for a head coach in NFL (National Football League) history.

 

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