5 Things You Need To Know About The Fastest Weekend Of The Year
Blink and you’ll miss it.
Hold onto your hats because we’re about to set the world on fire with the Circuit of the Americas Formula One race and the New York City Marathon both on the same day.
Where the rubber hits the road,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The first New York City Marathon took place in 1970 with 55 runners. Last year more than 100,000 runners applied to run in the race with only 15% accepted. That acceptance rate is lower than most elite colleges. This year if you’re a Michelob Ultra fan and can prove you’re environmentally friendly, you might qualify for one of the 95 entries that the beer is handing out. Or if you’re a celebrity, you’re in. POUNDING THE PAVEMENT FOR MOTHER EARTH
2. Women were barred from road races for a decade but in the Marathon’s third year, six women took their rightful places in the race. The AAU, the then-governing body of marathons, had previously squashed the idea of women running in marathons. It was considered a health risk for women to run distances as their uterus might fall out along with a host of other medical disasters. LADIES TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE
3. The F1 (Formula One) race takes place in Austin on Sunday . It’s the only F1 race in the U.S. and is known as the “Circuit of the Americas.” And if going fast doesn’t do it for you, each night of racing is followed by a concert. This year’s shows feature P!NK and Imagine Dragons. ROCK ON
4. F1 has always been a global sport with a massive international following, but expect to see more about F1 in the states because U.S. based Liberty Media is now the main stakeholder, buying in at a mere $4.4 billion. There have been talks about expanding the races to other U.S. cities outside of Austin including Las Vegas and Miami. COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU
5. Last season’s overall winner, Lewis Hamilton is looking to win his sixth championship in Austin. He’s the sport’s most recognizable current driver and is known for his time behind the wheel, big diamond earrings, his famous ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) and his Instagram famous bulldogs, Roscoe and Coco, that are raking in the international followers. BULLDOGS THAT DRIVE FAST? YES PLEASE.
5 Reasons You Should Be Excited About The World Series
It's not all about peanuts & cracker jacks but tacos, baby sharks & adopted puppies.
This isn't your average list - this is what people actually want to talk about.
Because who won the 1972 World Series isn't the key to a great conversation,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros are playing in the 115th World Series. The Nationals are hoping to win their first ever franchise World Series and the Astros are striving for their second title win after winning their franchise first in 2017. The Astros are favored to win but the Nationals were fighters all season, so it’s anyone’s guess. (At the time of publication the Nationals are up 1-0 in the series). YOU'LL NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST
2. There are a lot of good luck charms that have come into play for the Washington Nationals, who started off the season in the dumps (19-31 to be exact). Luck came in the form of the song "Baby Shark" and a four-legged friend. First, Gerardo Parra changed his walk-up song for his kids to the song we all love to hate, "Baby Shark." He broke out of a hitless slump and the song became a rally cry for the team. Then there’s Ryan Zimmerman, who adopted a rescue dog named Penny before the postseason and they went on to crush it after that. UNDERDOGS DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO
3. While the regular season saw balls fly out of the park at a record rate, this series is not likely to reflect that because these two teams boast some of the best pitchers in the league. When it comes to hitters at the plate, keep in mind that when the games are in an American League ballpark (Astros’ stadium) both teams will play with a designated hitter (DH), a batter specifically designated to hit in the place of the pitcher. When the teams play at the home of the Nationals, the designated hitter won’t exist as the National League does not play with a DH. A pitcher has to hit. WHO DOESN'T WANT TO CALL IN A SUBSTITUTE SOMETIMES?
4. Your medical terminology for the day - Heterochromia iridis. That’s the condition that causes Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer to have two different color eyes. One is blue and the other is brown. THE EYES HAVE IT
5. Who says you have to be big and burly to be a professional athlete? Well, whoever did has never met Jose Altuve. Altuve is the Astros second baseman and has been the hero of the postseason. And he stands at 5’6.” Besides who needs to be big when your big, burly athlete friends in the Houston area have your back? The other Houston teams are in full support of their baseball team with players from the Houston Rockets (NBA – National Basketball Association) and Houston Texans (NFL – National Football League) supporting the team from the stands throughout the playoffs. Texans player J.J. Watt made the official “Play Ball!” call before last night’s game. STAND AS ONE
The Only 5 Things You Need To Know About The 2019-2020 NBA Season
Keeping it short and sweet so you can be in the know on the go.
The 2019-2020 NBA (National Basketball Association) season is upon us (starting Tuesday, October 22) and here’s what you need to be in the know.
Short and sweet,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The most exciting part about this upcoming NBA season (unless you’re a Warriors fan) is that there is no guarantee that Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are going to dominate like in the past. Eyes will be on quite a few teams including the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, which have made some major moves in the off-season and the Toronto Raptors will be defending their first championship title from last season. UP FOR GRABS
2. A big focus this season for the league is on the players’ mental health throughout the grind of the season. The league’s mental health and wellness program requires teams to have 1-2 mental health professionals available to players in addition to a psychologist and have a written plan for emergencies along with a confidentiality plan. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love has long been open about his mental struggles in the league including panic attacks during games and has been an advocate for transparency when talking about mental health. SPEAKING OUT AND STANDING UP
3. Love it or hate it, instant replay has taken over the NFL (National Football League) and NBA fans will now get a taste of it. In a one year trial, the NBA will implement instant replay, allowing coaches to have one challenge and allow the NBA Replay Center to trigger instant replay in certain situations. One thing you won’t see on instant replay? Branded tattoos. The league has put a kibosh on players repping any brands during games (yes players have tattooed corporate logos on their bodies) besides the league approved ones. KEEPING AN EYE ON YOU
4. NBA players are just like you in that they lack sleep too. Between boarding flights after late night games and arriving in the next city in the wee hours of the morning, to back-to-back-to-back travels days, fatigue is a real problem in the league. In a less than six month season, teams will travel 50,000 miles, roughly 20,000 more miles than NFL teams cover in a season. That’s enough miles to circle the globe twice. FLY THE FRIENDLY (AND TIRED) SKIES
5. The guy everyone is excited about is Zion Williamson. While he has never played a minute in the NBA, the #1 draft pick not only has New Orleans Pelicans fans on the edge of their seats but the world. Only time will tell how his rookie season will pan out. NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Bonus - Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the already complicated relationship between the NBA and China that was rocked by a tweet. Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong and the ramifications have been extremely complicated and harsh, including teams planning for a possible drop in salary cap if the relationship between the two completely sours. SUMMING IT UP