Survival Of The Fittest

Raise your hand if elastic pants are your friend this morning! Luckily today’s weekend preview is full of flavor and fun but light in calories.

Off to the gym,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – Unsure of what to do with those leftovers? Today’s Tailgate Treat has you covered.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Let’s get it on. The Apple Cup, Paul Bunyan’s Axe, the Iron Bowl….it’s rivalry weekend in college football and these are all trophies teams are competing for. The distaste for each other goes back generations but it makes for great football. Arizona and Arizona State will compete for the Territorial Cup, the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. Since rivalry games are full of passion, you never know who might take home a win. SCHEDULE

NFL (NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE)

What’s in a name? Minnesota Vikings' Everson Griffin and his wife welcomed their son into the world right before yesterday’s football game. After a key play, Griffen revealed his undershirt that said "I just had a baby boy, what should we name him?"   

OVERTIME

We saw so many athletes doing the right thing yesterday by giving back to their communities. Miami Marlins owner Derek Jeter (MLB – Major League Baseball) and his team handed out 1,000 meals to families in need, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony (both NBA players – National Basketball Association) worked with children in need in their cities and DeMarco Murray and 70 of his Tennessee Titan teammates (NFL) feed the homeless in Nashville a hot Thanksgiving meal.

SIDELINE STAT

The Cleveland Browns haven't won a game all season, but through the miracle of math they could still make the playoffs. They have a 1-in-19-quintillion chance. We were never good at math anyway. HOW?

Coaches’ corner

We love a good touchdown celebration and sticking with the Thanksgiving theme, the Minnesota Vikings celebrated with an Oscar worthy touchdown “feast.” WATCH

Talk That Talk

Sports talk = preventing awkward silences all weekend long. It’s the least we can do since we can’t help your dance moves.

Don't break a hip,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – In honor of this weekend’s game in Mexico City, today’s Tailgate Treat will quench your thirst.

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NFL (National Football League)

Mile high club. Tom Brady and his New England Patriots head to Mexico City to play the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. The toughest part for these two teams isn’t all of the tequila they’ll drink, it’s that Azteca Stadium sits at 7,280 feet above sea level. To train for the game the Patriots opted to stay in Denver after playing the Broncos to adjust their elevation (approx. 5,280 feet). The Raiders opted to train in Oakland.

NASCAR (National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing)

Wrapping it up. The NASCAR season comes to a close this Sunday. If you’re ever going to watch a race, this is it. There will be a field full of drivers but only four of them will be eligible for the championship title. The highest-ranking finisher of those four will take home the trophy. This will also be Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final race before he cruises into retirement.  

Overtime

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. A UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighter has been charged with assault after throwing a boomerang at another fighter while in Australia. The incident stemmed from one fighter insulting the other’s heritage. Right back at ya.

Sideline stat

MLB’s (Major League Baseball) MVPs come in all shapes and sizes. Yesterday 6’6” Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins, who smashed the home run record, won the National League honor. The small but mighty, 5’6” Jose Altuve from the World Series Champion Houston Astros took home the American League MVP title.

Coaches’ corner

Head coach Nick Saban and his Alabama team are back at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings this week. Besides his team, what else is top of mind for Saban this week? His distaste for distressed jeans. See his passionate yet funny rant here. 

We Salute You

This Friday we have an extra reason to celebrate - it’s Veterans Day. Thank you to our men and women in uniform and their families for their service and sacrifice.

We are grateful and we salute you,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - It's Friday and that means it's time for a Tailgate Treat. This could be the best chili you've ever had. Fire up the crockpot! RECIPE

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College Basketball

Here we go! College basketball is tipping off the season today with two overseas games. Texas A&M (#25) will take on West Virginia (#11) from Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and Georgia Tech plays UCLA (University of California – Los Angeles, #21) in Shanghai, China. GAME SCHEDULE

Sticky fingers. While in China for the game, three UCLA players were apparently getting their Christmas “shopping” done early when they were arrested for shoplifting at the Louis Vuitton store. The players are still on “hotel arrest” (think house arrest), therefore will not be playing.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Blowing into town. The NBA announced that the 2020 All-Star Game will be in Chicago for the first time since 1988. During that 1988 All-Star weekend, Michael Jordan made his iconic dunk from the free throw line. (You’ve seen this dunk photo before).

Overtime

Players on the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) have been very active and vocal about kneeling during the national anthem. To reiterate that it's not about the military, they stood during the anthem before last night's game in honor of Veterans Day.

Sideline stat

You have until tomorrow night to tweet using #SaluteToService to raise money for dedicated military non-profits. The NFL (National Football League) is donating $5 for every tweet using the hashtag as part of their Salute to Service week.

Coaches’ corner

You asked the question and we have the answer. What is targeting in football? It’s not a new term for trips to "Tar Jay," although it is kind of catchy.

Targeting is when a football player uses the crown of their head to make forcible contact or forcible contact is made to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent. These rules were put into place to protect players from concussions and head trauma. MORE INFO