A Pigeon Chasing Hawk, The Loudest Grunter And Pimm's - What You Need To Know About Wimbledon 2021
What you need to know and what you never expected.
Photo: Unsplash/shep979
The oldest tennis tournament in the world may be steeped in history, but that doesn’t stop the common folk like us from enjoying a match, traditional Pimm’s or donning our Wimbledon whites.
Like royalty,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. There’s a strict dress code at the prestigious tournament, requiring players to wear all white. (Rumor has it was that it was because it didn’t show sweat like other colors). Now we all know that nothing ruins your summer whites like bird poop. Luckily you don’t have to worry about that at Wimbledon. Rufus is a specially trained hawk that keeps those pooping pigeons away from the grounds. Like a good predator, Rufus flies above the grounds for one hour (9.00 am) most mornings before the gates open to keep the birds away. EYES LIKE A HAWK
2. Did you know that Wimbledon is the largest single annual sporting event in Europe from a catering perspective? In previous years, spectators consumed over 276,000 glasses of Pimm’s to wash down 18,061 servings of fish and chips. Although this year, those numbers might be a little lower as fan capacity is limited to 50% occupancy until the men’s and women’s finals, when the stadium will be at 100% capacity. The tournament has served 4,242 servings of sushi and 6,147 of pasta to their racket-wielding athletes. WHO’S HUNGRY?
3. The tennis balls are replaced every seven to nine games to ensure they’re kept in perfect shape. It’s no wonder more than 54,000 tennis balls are used during the two-week tournament. But did you know that tennis balls used to be white or black, not yellow? They were changed to yellow to make it easier for the TV viewer to see the ball, but Wimbledon was a late adopter to the color change, waiting until the 80s. HOLY BALLS
4. Grunting is something no longer left to gremlins and grumpy old men. Even the classiest of tennis players vocalize their play. While you may think this is a new thing, Monica Seles and Jimmy Connors are known as the original creators of the tennis grunt. The loudest one on the court? Russia’s Maria Sharapova at 105 decibels – the equivalent of standing next to an accelerating motorcycle. THAT’S NOT AWKWARD AT ALL
5. The biggest news about Wimbledon is who isn’t going to be there. Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal have both dropped out of the tournament. But instead of looking at the glass half empty, let’s talk about how Serena Williams will be there to go for her record-tying 24 Grand Slam win. Or the two of the biggest names in men’s tennis, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, will take the court. Djokovic has won the first two Grand Slam tournaments (aka majors) this year. (Wimbledon is the third major of the year). BE THERE OR BE SQUARE
Bonus: Last year’s tournament was cancelled but don’t feel too bad. The All-England Lawn Tennis Club had been paying pandemic insurance for 17 years, and it finally paid off with a rumored payout of $141 million.
Famous Fathers And Their Super Athletic Offspring
For these sons and daughters, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Photo: Instagram/Laila Ali
These sons and daughters are following in their fathers’ footsteps while making their own name.
Big shoes to fill,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. Her dad, two-time Hall of Famer Rick Flair, is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and 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
2. You can’t have a list of famous fathers and their kids without mentioning the ultimate trio – the Manning crew. Dad, Archie Manning, was an 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
3. You’ll not likely be able to miss the 6’6” Vashti Cunningham in next month’s Summer Olympics. The high jumper is the daughter of Hall of Fame quarterback turned pastor Randall Cunningham. This will be the second Olympics for Vashti, who competed in Rio. She has long discussed how her dad is her rock as she competes at the highest levels. INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
4. 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. But she doesn’t stop there. Laila has her own line of seasonings (including the G.O.A.T seasoning), a skincare line and her own clothing line at Nordstrom. LIGHT ON THEIR FEET
5. The future of baseball lies in the hands of the 22-year-old offspring of two baseball (MLB - Major League Baseball) legends. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, follows in his father’s footsteps, leading the league in home runs and all-star voting. Then there’s San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr (son of former MLB player Fernando Tatis). At a young age, he has already been on the cover of the “MLB The Show” video game, landed his own Gatorade commercial and is the leading vote-getter amongst shortstops for the all-star game. LEGACY
The Best In Show - 5 Things You Need To Know About The Westminster Dog Show
Best in show will be determined tonight.
The year 2000 brought us the hilarious “Best in Show” and now 20 years later, we bring you the real-life version. Just as interesting and almost as funny.
Sit. Stay. Enjoy.
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. It’s been said that no good story ever started with a salad and neither did the Westminster Dog Show. The story starts with a group of guys who met at the Westminster Hotel to boast about their hunting dogs. In 1877, they named themselves the Westminster Kennel Club after their favorite bar. Now on its 145th show and is the second longest-running sporting event after the Kentucky Derby. WHY TRY TO TEACH OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS?
2. Naming your prized show dog isn’t as easy a calling them Spot or Rover, there are strict rules on how you name your prized pooch. While Siba the Standard Poodle - show name GCHP CH Stone Run Afternoon Tea - took the title of best in show last year, but did not get paid for it. There’s no prize money. The handlers make their money by charging more for breeding rights. LUCKY DOG
3. These dogs don’t just show up and take the title, they have to work hard to get there. Like the Boston Marathon, they must qualify by winning lesser competitions to make it to the big show. In case you’re wondering over 204 breeds are welcome to compete for best in show. If you’re placing a bet on the winner, remember male dogs have won 73 times and the females, 40 times. LADIES NIGHT?
4. There are seven categories of dogs in the show and most were originally bred for hunting or life on the farm. There are also pups from the non-sporting and toy categories that are bred to be your B.F.F. LOYAL COMPANION
5. The event takes place at Madison Square Garden and the winning pup used to score a photo op with Mr. New York himself, pre-president Donald Trump at Trump Tower. Since he became president, that’s no longer an option. PRESIDENTIAL PUPS
Honorable mention – We can’t leave you without a good laugh. Here’s the "Saturday Night Live” parody of the famed pup show featuring Matt Damon. LOL