The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition

Shh don’t tell the boss but today is all about watching the Masters online at the office. Although we don’t think our lunch break is going to involve Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s favorite sandwich.

Hold the mayo,

The Last Night’s Game Team


PGA (Professional Golfers' Association)

  • The greatest game on grass. The Masters began yesterday and the defending champion Jordan Spieth leads the field after the first day.

1. Jordan Spieth: -6

T2. Danny Lee: -4

T2. Shane Lowry: -4

  • Record setting. 46-year-old Ernie Els set a record yesterday but not in a good way. He set a record for shooting nine shots on the first hole which is a par four. (See below for more about par).

Tune into www.cbssports.com or CBS for coverage from Augusta. 

Boxing

  • End of an era. Manny Pacquiao will face Timothy Bradley for the third and last time. This is Pacquiao’s last fight before retirement. You may remember Pacquiao for his memorable moves and fights but unfortunately many will remember him for his offensive comments about the LGBT community that caused him to lose sponsors.  The fight will be held Saturday in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and can be viewed on Pay-Per-View starting at 6 pm (EST).

MLB (Major League Baseball) 

  • That’s just wrong. Three people were arrested for stealing a scooter signed by San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Hunter Pence from the San Francisco Make-A-Wish office. 
  • Zero, zip, zilch, nada. Also in the news of records that aren’t good for the ego, the San Diego Padres tied a record for starting off the season with 26 scoreless innings. They went almost three games without scoring a run.

NFL (National Football League)

  • Let’s get it started. The NFL released the preseason schedule for the 2016-17 season. Each team will play four preseason games to warm up for the regular season. Your favorite team’s schedule can be found here.

Overtime

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be competing in Saturday’s Duck Commander 500 (those Duck Dynasty guys are everywhere). Earlier in the week Earnhardt tweeted a photo of his favorite meal - a banana and mayonnaise sandwich. An interesting combination for the best sandwich ever, but I guess they say don’t knock it ‘till you try it. You go first. Catch Saturday’s race at 7:30 pm (EST) on FOX.

Sideline stat

  • Golden State Warriors became the second team in NBA history to reach the 70-win mark in a single season. Warriors are on track for a record 73 victories in a season after a win over San Antonio Spurs yesterday.  

Coaches’ Corner

  • Tell me about these golf scores. We could go on for days but to understand scoring in golf you have to understand one thing – par. Par is the number of strokes (times you hit the ball) a golfer is expected to take on that hole – from the tee off to putting it into the hole.

The individual hole scores are combined each day for the entire round of golf. The basic breakdown is that the players with a minus (i.e. -4) means they went under par (in this case four strokes under par). That’s a good thing. So on a par four hole (like mentioned above) they hit the ball into the hole in less than the suggested strokes (four). The golfers with a plus after their name (i.e. +3) means it took them more than the number of strokes to get the ball in the hole by three. 

Have we confused you enough? To learn more click here.

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition

 

 

Unlike the infamous Taco Liberty Bell joke or secretly recording your teammate, there are no April Fool’s Day pranks here; just good old fashioned sports.

The NCAA Final Four is this weekend and we still have three people in the running for the top spot in the Last Night’s Game Bracket Challenge

Winner, winner, chicken dinner,

The Last Night’s Game Team

 


MLB (Major League Baseball) 

  • Batter up. The MLB regular season starts on Sunday with opening day games across the country. Check out Wednesday’s Five Things to Know About MLB to prepare you for the excitement of the big leagues. You can find the opening day schedule here.
  • #CapsOn. MLB is encouraging fans to wear their favorite team’s hat in honor of opening day. Finally, a cause where we don’t have to worry about a bad hair day or even have hair for that matter.  

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Breaking bro code. Lakers’ rookie D’Angelo Russell found himself in a bad situation after a private video that he recorded of teammate Nick 'Swaggy P’ Young found its way to a gossip blog. The video highlights Young’s alleged exploits with women who are not his fiancée, rapper/singer Iggy Azalea. Queue locker room tension, fans booing Russell at games and being shunned by his teammates. Amidst the scandal, Azalea just released a new single entitled ‘Team.’

NCAA Basketball (College)

  • Saturday Night Live. Spend your Saturday night wrapped up in March (cough, April) Madness. The Final Four is on Saturday night, live from Houston, TX.

Villanova (#2) vs Oklahoma (#3),  Saturday at 6:09 pm (EST) on TBS

  • Spread: Villanova -2 (favored by two points)
  • Key Players: Oklahoma senior Buddy Hield (runner-up for national player of the year) and Villanova senior Ryan Arcidiacono.

 Syracuse (#10) vs North Carolina (#1), Saturday at 8:49 pm (EST) on TBS

  • Spread: North Carolina -10 (favored by 10 points)
  • Key Players: North Carolina senior Brice Johnson and Syracuse senior Michael Gbinije.
  • Orange you glad you made a bet? A bet on Syracuse at the beginning of the tournament could score you $100,000 if they win the tournament. The Westgate SuperBook had the odds of Syracuse winning at 1,000-1 and four people took that bet. Come on Orangemen!  
  • The greatest. Michigan State's Denzel Valentine won the title of AP Player of the Year. The AP (Associated Press) hands out the award every year to the best on the court and Valentine is the first ever honoree from Michigan State

Overtime

  • In case you needed an excuse to break out your lace-up boots and an awkwardly small speedo, here’s your chance. The Super Bowl of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), Wrestlemania 32, is this Sunday at 8 pm (EST) on the WWE network.  

AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will be bursting at the seams with fans who are there to check out all the action including the main event of Roman Reigns vs. Triple H. Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey appeared at Wrestlemania 31 with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and rumors are swirling that she is going to make a surprise appearance this year as well.

Sideline Stat

  • Five of the most prominent players on the Women’s U.S. National Soccer Team have filed a suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for alleged wage discrimination. The suit points out that as part of their collective bargaining agreement the female players make 40% less than the men, despite their dominate success including a 2015 World Cup win. (Something the men haven’t done). USSF said the men’s team brings in twice the attendance and revenue of the women’s team. Stay tuned for the ongoing debate and to read more about the story, click here.

Coaches’ Corner

  • Former snowboard instructor, yogi and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is giving world leaders a run for their money when it comes to the title of fittest world leader. Following in this father’s footsteps, the yogi’s social media accounts are full of sporting and outdoor activity photos, including this one of him mastering the mayurasana (or peacock pose). 

The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the basketball court. Isn't that how the song goes? Then the Easter bunny doesn’t know March Madness. Book your spot on the couch for all of the courtside excitement this weekend.

Pass the Cadbury Eggs please,

The Last Night’s Game Team


MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • Long road to retirement. New York Yankees star Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez announced he will retire when his contract is up after the 2017 season. If he plays out his contract he will have made over $400 million in his 20-year career (not including endorsements). He will be the first ever American professional athlete to pass the $400 million mark. We’re sure he doesn’t regret much about his career. Okay maybe his involvement with steroids and of course the photoshoot where he kissed himself in the mirror. He is known for his love of beautiful women having dated Hollywood’s finest in Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz and Madonna. Six degrees of separation anyone? 

NCAA Basketball (College)

  • Please pass go. On Thursday, Villanova (#2), Kansas (#1), Oregon (#1) and Oklahoma (#2) dominated to reach the Elite Eight. So long Duke (#4). 
  • Friday fun. Friday holds the second half Sweet 16 basketball. Full schedule here.
  • There goes the weekend. Teams in the Elite Eight will play this Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the schedule.

NFL (National Football League)

  • It’s a hard knock life. The newest residents of Los Angeles, the Rams, will be featured on the show “Hard Knocks” on HBO. The show will follow the team throughout training camp. The Rams are re-locating from St. Louis to L.A.
  • RG3 moves to the C. Free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III, (aka RG3) signed a two-year contract with Cleveland Browns. (Party boy Johnny Manziel was the former QB for the Browns). RG3 was drafted second overall in 2012 draft by the Washington Redskins and was named the offensive rookie of the year that season. Since then, injuries and differing views from coaches led to his release from Redskins. A healthy RG3 did not play in a single game last year due to coaching decisions. 

Overtime

  • MLB is encouraging all fans to put their #CapsOn and wear their favorite team's cap on Monday, April 4th in honor of the opening day of baseball. Ellen DeGeneres and her studio audience shared their #CapsOn opening day excitement on Thursday. Share with us the team’s hat you’ll be sporting that day.

Sideline stat

  • Cleveland Browns have had 24 different starting quarterbacks since their reinstatement in 1999 which is the most QB swaps in the NFL during that time span. Apparently it’s as easy as swiping left.  

Coaches’ Corner

  • Who's the boss? Warriors’ Stephen Curry shared how his daughter, Riley, helped sway his decision to move to Under Armour. He told the story of how she was presented with a Nike, Adidas and Under Armour shoe. One by one she picked up the Nike and Adidas shoes and threw them over her shoulder. She picked up the remaining shoe and brought it to Curry. The queen has spoken.