Friday Night Lights
The Rock is back, who’s taking a voyage to India and uniforms fit for a superhero.
Be the bright spot this Friday by enlightening your friends with the always exciting world of sports.
Shine bright like a diamond,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION)
The Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers are in Mumbai, India for the first ever NBA game in that country. The teams will play two preseason games in the city as part of the league’s continued efforts to take the NBA global. The league also hosted youth clinics, including one hosted by WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) legend Ebony Hoffman for girls. Expect to see more than 3,000 children at the game as part of the Reliance Junior NBA school program. SLAM DUNK
OVERTIME
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) makes its “SmackDown” debut on FOX tonight and they’re bringing out the big guns. Former football player and wrestler turned actor, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson will re-enter the ring for the first time in six years. CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING? A GIANT PAYDAY
SIDELINE STAT
The Tampa Bay Rays (MLB - Major League Baseball) landed a spot in the playoffs with the lowest payroll in the league. The players’ salaries slide in at $60 million in a league where the highest payroll is $200 million. The team is an underdog for so many other reasons besides payroll. They have a terrible stadium, the worst attendance in the league and yet still they thrive. They’ll play the Houston Astros in the first round of the playoffs this afternoon. THRIFTY AND THRIVING
COACHES' CORNER
A college football game to watch this weekend is Georgia Tech as they take on North Carolina. Saturday is “Cape Day” for Georgia Tech, a special day where the football team will wear uniforms that pay tribute to the brave children who battle illnesses every day at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The tradition has been around since 2014 and fans are encouraged to wear capes to celebrate the superhero patients at the hospital. IT’S A BIRD, A PLANE
What to watch
We’re in the midst of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) finals and the series between the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun is tied 1-1. (Series is best of five). Keep an eye on the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas in game three on Sunday. The all-star is so dedicated to her team and determined to win the overall title that she’s playing with a torn labrum in each shoulder. DEDICATED DAME
Flying High
The Super Bowl halftime show is set, why nudes were sent from the locker room and why NBA players have to stop lying about their height.
Soar into the weekend and maybe a conversation with the friendly stranger in the plane seat or cubicle next to you.
So much to talk about,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NFL (National Football League)
The performers for the most important part of the Super Bowl, the halftime show, have been announced. The Super Bowl halftime show in Miami (February 2) will feature Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. The league says the show will have a very “Miami” feel. WHO NEEDS THE GAME?
Overtime
The NBA (National Basketball Association) is making a big push toward transparency in the off-season, likely due to the prominence of gambling. They are requiring all teams to submit the exact height (sans shoes) and ages for all of their players by the first week of training camp. It’s unspoken knowledge that players’ heights are often fudged. THEY’RE TALLER WHEN THEY’RE STANDING ON THEIR WALLETS
Sideline stat
During the NFL off-season, there was a lot of noise around players taking a gamble and holding out on reporting to their team, hoping for a new, bigger contract. It worked out well for Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) but not so much for Melvin Gordon (Los Angeles Chargers). His holdout cost him $989,117 in base salary plus he could be dealt fines for missing training camp. To add insult to injury, he returns to the team without a new deal. INSERT FOOT IN MOUTH
Coaches’ corner
The locker room post-win is all fun and games, until you show your teammate’s bare buns on Instagram. Chicago Bears (NFL) running back Tarik Cohen was celebrating a big win on Instagram Live when he made a big mistake, unknowingly showing his teammate Kyle Long in his birthday suit in the background for about 10 seconds. The NFL prohibits players from posting on social media from 90 minutes before kickoff through all postgame interviews. Most leagues have similar policies. I GOT YOUR BACK BRO. LITERALLY.
What to watch
Actress Gabrielle Union, whose husband is former NBA player Dwyane Wade, will be the guest picker (the celebrity who weighs in on who will win the big games of the week) on ESPN “College GameDay” tomorrow morning. SHOW THOSE BOYS WHO’S BOSS
Hello Weekend!
Why CA is giving the NCAA a migraine, did officials take it too far and why fans are dressing up for their opponent?
The weekend is upon us and you have everything you need to make it a success.
Let’s do this,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Sports
The state of California could make college sports more interesting. Ahead of the third week of college football, both the State Assembly and Senate have passed legislation that would allow college athletes attending school in California to be paid for their names, images and likenesses. (Currently that’s against the NCAA - governing body of college sports - rules). It now sits on the governor’s desk. The NCAA says this blurs the line between collegiate and professional athletes and that repercussions such as ruling California schools ineligible for national championships could happen. THE PLOT THICKENS
Overtime
A high school swimmer in Alaska was disqualified after winning her heat because of the way her swimsuit fit. She was wearing a school-issued suit that an official said showed too much of her backside. The school district appealed to the athletic association because they believed "our swimmer was targeted based solely on how a standard, school-issued uniform happened to fit the shape of her body." LIKE HIGH SCHOOL ISN’T ROUGH ENOUGH
Sideline stat
With no ranked teams scheduled to play each other this weekend in college football (i.e. could be a boring Saturday), ESPN College Gameday" is heading to Ames, Iowa for the first time ever. The home team, Iowa State, will be playing their in-state rivals, Iowa Hawkeyes (#19). WEEKEND WARRIORS
Coaches’ corner
The NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) playoffs start this weekend. It’s a little confusing because when you watch a race, even the drivers who are not eligible for the championship are still racing. The number of eligible drivers will decrease, based on a combination of wins and points, as they get closer to the final race of the season. One driver you won’t see racing for the championship for the first time in his career? Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson. RUBBIN IS RACIN’
What to watch
Georgia fans won’t be wearing their traditional colors on Saturday, instead fans have been encouraged to wear pink to the home game vs. Arkansas State. The change is in honor of the wife of Arkansas State’s head coach, Wendy, who passed away a few weeks ago from breast cancer. KINDNESS GONE VIRAL