The 5 Things Even Golfers Don't Know About The Masters
Being part of the conversation is not a long shot.
Better late than never. The biggest tournament in golf is back, seven months late and without fans. We’re sharing a few facets of every golfer’s favorite weekend of the year.
Golf clap,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The Masters is the only one of the four Major tournaments in the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) that doesn’t change locations - it’s always at Augusta National Golf Course. But becoming a member of Augusta is somewhat of a mystery. There are no criteria listed for membership and the members list is not public. Ron Townsend was named the first African American member in 1990 and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice became the first woman member in 2012. (There are now six women members). ABOUT TIME
2. The Masters winner receives the iconic green jacket that is only worn by members of Augusta National. The winner is allowed to have the jacket for a calendar year. After that year, they’re only permitted to wear the jacket on the grounds of Augusta. NO TAKE BACKS
3. While most of the pomp and circumstance has been cancelled for this year’s event, the famed Champions Dinner still carried on Tuesday night. The previous year’s winner Tiger Woods hosted a dinner for all the former Masters champions. It is a tradition for all the champs to wear their famed green jackets. Woods’ menu had something for everyone including steak and chicken fajitas, sushi and a dessert trio. One former champion was not present. Sergio Garcia, who won in 2017, tested positive for COVID and he has withdrawn from the tournament and is in quarantine. SURROUNDED BY GREATNESS
4. The scenery will look a little different with a fall tournament. The colors of the famous azaleas of Augusta will be replaced by the fall colors of the trees. Fall will also provide another challenge for the players – less daylight. Due to limited hours of sunlight, in order for players to make the cut, only the top 50 players will advance. Normally anyone within 10 shorts of the leader makes the cut but not this year. (Making the cut in golf means that golfers who are in the top 50 by Friday night will move on to play over the weekend. The rest will be eliminated). 2020 STILL THROWING US FOR A LOOP
5. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the beautiful greens of the course. Augusta uses a SubAir system – a high tech draining system installed below the grass. It’s the same system that many football and baseball teams use on their fields. This SubAir will be key to keeping the conditions on the greens similar to April with its moisture-controlling system. A TALL ORDER
Bonus - We saved the best for last. Longtime broadcast partner of the tournament, CBS, admitted they edit in melodic bird sounds during the telecast to enhance the programming and make it feel more like a “natural paradise.” TWEET TWEET
Five Athletes Who Turned Their Fame Into A Career In Politics
They left behind the big paycheck behind for a role in civil service.
These athletes quit their day job and big paychecks for a job in civil service.
Still in the limelight,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao went from the boxing ring to the Senate floor in the Philippines. He also released two music albums in his home country, and in September, he declared he was running for president. JOIN THE CELEBRITY TRAIN
2. Jesse “The Body” Ventura dominated the ring during his WWE (Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment) career. But tiny speedos, knee-high boots and baby oil had nothing on politics in the Midwest. Ventura served as the governor of Minnesota, where he won spending spent $250,000 to his competitor’s $4.3M. He raised funds by selling $22 t-shirts and accepting $50 donations from his supporters. IN IT TO WIN IT
3. Former Phoenix Suns (NBA – National Basketball Association) guard Kevin Johnson became mayor of Sacramento. He was quite successful as a mayor focusing on education, but multiple allegations of sexual abuse ended his political career. NOT THE LEGACY TO LEAVE
4. We’ve seen our fair share of Kate McKinnon as Jeff Sessions on “Saturday Night Live,” but did you know that Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville defeated Sessions in the Republican primary? Tuberville is now serving in U.S. Senate. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE
5. Steve Largent went from the University of Tulsa to an NFL (National Football League) Hall of Fame career to Congress. The Seattle Seahawks legend left a lasting impression in the Emerald City, and then he won his seat in Congress in his home state of Oklahoma. After running on a conservative agenda as a republican, he lost his bid for governor in the general election to a democrat. YOU LIVE, YOU LEARN
Honorable mention: You can’t have this list without the Mr. Universe, the California Governator himself - Arnold Schwarzenegger. But that seemed like a too obvious choice, and we wanted to bring you some outside-the-box thinking, hence the honorable mention.
Batter Up! Why This World Series Is More Interesting Than Most
Diamond jewelry, a few firsts and free tacos.
The World Series starts tonight and let’s be honest with the amount of COVID outbreaks in a shortened 60-game season, we weren’t sure we’d ever get here but we made it.
Now sit back, relax and enjoy,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The Tampa Bay Rays are the underdogs in this series but not by much as both teams were the best in their league coming into the playoffs. Interestingly enough the Rays entered into the postseason with the third lowest payroll in the league. The cost of the prorated salaries for their entire team is $28.3 million, while the prorated salaries for only four of the Dodgers’ biggest players are $32.3 million total. WORTH IT?
2. The Rays are just one of five teams in the league to never win the World Series and the franchise itself has only been to the World Series one other time in 2008. Even though the Dodgers are playing in their third World Series in four years, they haven’t won it all since 1988. OVERDUE
3. There will be around 11,000 fans at the games. The Dodgers had fans during the League Championship Series in Rangers Stadium in Arlington, TX (home to the World Series) but this will be the first time the Rays have played in front of fans for the entire season. (They played their postseason games in Southern California, not Texas). BUT WILL THEY DO THE WAVE?
4. Los Angeles and Tampa Bay have been hotbeds for COVID-era championships with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA (National Basketball Association) Championship and the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the NHL (National Hockey League) Championship. This is the first time we’ve seen this happen with the two league champions battling it out for a World Series title. FIGHTING OVER THE KEYS TO THE CITY
5. While the teams are playing for the coveted World Series ring, that’s not the jewelry that will be stirring up the conversation in the broadcast booth. The trend of players wearing big chains as part of their unis is something that has social media and the broadcast buzzing. Keep an eye on the blinged out Mookie Betts (Dodgers) and Randy Arozarena (Rays) sporting this fashion trend. (If you want to see why diamonds on the diamond are a bad idea, check out this video of Yoenis Céspedes’ chain break while he was sliding into second that became a scavenger hunt for gems on the infield). HARDBALL HEIST
Honorable mention - The “steal a base, get a taco” promotion is back. If a player successfully steals a base during the series, fans across the country will get a free taco from Taco Bell. And in last night’s Game One, Mookie Betts made that a reality with a stolen base. Finally, something we can all agree on. FREE FOOD