Do I Know You From Somewhere?
No Tinder dates in the NBA bubble, why LeBron and the Dodgers are teaming up and college championships are cancelled.
There’s something so satisfying about being the one who knows just what to say to get the weekend conversation started.
Did you hear the story about….
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Sports
With a handful of conferences cancelling their fall sports, the NCAA (the governing body for college sports) had no choice but to cancel fall championships. This includes championships for men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s field hockey and women’s volleyball. The Board of Governors has a requirement that states that 50% of schools need to play to hold the postseason. There’s hope to revisit the championships in the spring. UNPREDICTABLE
Overtime
We all know that leagues have implemented the “bubble” scenario to keep players and staff safe. While the NFL (National Football League) doesn’t have an official bubble, some teams are putting their players and staff up in a hotel to create one. Enter in Seattle Seahawks rookie Kemah Siverand, who was cut from the team after he snuck a woman into the team hotel. She was dressed in Seahawks gear in an attempt to look like a member of the team. (Aren’t you curious to know if she was wearing a helmet, jersey and shoulder pads? Us too). The NFL season is scheduled start on time on September 10. TIME TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB
Sideline stat
The biggest story out of the NBA (National Basketball Association) bubble isn’t the fact that the San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years or the play-in games happening this weekend for the final two spots in the playoffs. It’s that family will be able to join players in the bubble after the first round of the playoffs. The NBA made the rules very clear on who can enter the bubble. Yes – up to four family/longstanding friends (exceptions made on this number for children). No – Your Tinder date (rules specifically state it can’t be someone you’re meeting for the first time), massage therapist, personal chef or tattoo artist. Regardless, everyone new will need to quarantine for approximately seven days before entering the bubble. FAMILY FRIENDLY
Coaches’ corner
They may compete in different sports but the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB - Major League Baseball) and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (NBA) will play together in November. The two teamed up, along with James’ organization “More Than A Vote,” to use Dodgers stadium as a polling location. It will be the first time a Major League Baseball team has offered its facility as a voting center. REGISTER TO VOTE
What to watch
The St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) haven’t played a game since July 29 due to positive COVID tests amongst the team. Fingers crossed; they should return to the field on Saturday. They won’t be able to make up all the games they’ve missed because there are only 45 days left of the regular season. FULL ON FALL
No Limits
Tyson + Shark Week = winning, whose alter ego rivals Sasha Fierce and a football tradition comes to an end.
Break the ice with one of today’s topics in sports and use that to lead into something you actually want to talk about like sharks or awkward Instagram videos.
The options are endless,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Boxing + SHark Week
Boxer Mike Tyson might be the most infamous biter in sports. Back in 1997, you might remember that he bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight. Fast forward to now where he’s battling it out with the animal with the biggest bite on Shark Week. Tyson will take on massive sharks in an underwater ring. (Don’t worry, no sharks were harmed. They don’t have earlobes so they’re safe). In case that wasn’t exciting enough, Shaq and William Shatner will also make an appearance during the week-long celebration of sea life. Shark Week begins this Sunday on the Discovery Channel. HUNGRY FOR NEW THINGS TO WATCH
Overtime
Not to be outdone by Beyoncé and her performance alter ego Sasha Fierce, Russell Wilson has revealed his own alter ego, in a much more awkward away. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback (NFL – National Football League) posted a video of him talking about his alter ego “Mr. Unlimited.” During the explanation his wife Ciara shouts out questions like “Who motivates Mr. Unlimited?” (Spoiler alert: Mr. Unlimited motivates Mr. Unlimited). This cringeworthy video has Twitter shook up and confused. PEP TALK
Sideline stat
As college football teams begin to release their modified schedules of conference only play, one tradition is finally coming to an end. For the first time since 1927, Notre Dame will not play Navy in football. The two were scheduled to meet in Ireland and now with the changes in schedule, it won’t work out for them to meet up even stateside. DARN YOU COVID
Coaches’ corner
The NBA (National Basketball Association) announced a new foundation that will fund economic empowerment in the Black community. Team owners will contribute $300 million over 10 years and work alongside the NBA Players Association to steer the foundation. Its goal is to increase access and support for high school, college-aged and career-ready Black men and women, and assist national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development in NBA markets and communities across the United States and Canada." CREATING CHANGE
When You Thought Things Couldn't Get Any Better
Hockey is back, Shaq does it again and when fire ants “attack.”
Live basketball, baseball and now hockey, oh my!
Oh and it’s Friday,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NHL (National Hockey League)
The road to the Stanley Cup begins tomorrow when the NHL restarts their season in two hub cities. The bubble looks a little different than other sports with the Western Conference playing in Edmonton and the Eastern Conference playing in Toronto. The two conference winners will meet up in late September to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. What’s more interesting than the fact that hockey started off by using frozen cow dung as a puck? The fact that the Stanley Cup lives its best life on a daily basis by traveling the world and never having to worry about catching COVID. DON’T WE WISH
Overtime
Shaq had four months off from his day job and he was still late to his first day back on set. The NBA (National Basketball Association) Hall of Famer and current commentator for TNT was stuck in Atlanta traffic and missed the start of the show, which kicked off the NBA season restart. SHAQ-A SNAIL
Sideline stat
There’s been a buzz with college football conferences across the country choosing to only play necessary conference games this season. Now the big daddy of conferences, the SEC (Southeastern Conference – think Alabama and LSU) has jumped on the bandwagon. This week’s “Ask Amy” explains why this is such a big deal and is a detriment to football programs, in a way that normal humans can understand. NO PH.D. NEEDED
Coaches’ corner
Golfer Bryson DeChambeau came back for the start of the season with a buffed-up physique and a very short fuse for officials. So it was almost comical when he asked officials for relief when he hit his ball into some ants. The PGA (Professional Golfers Association) has a “dangerous animal condition” and DeChambeau wanted the rule enacted for said ants. The rule says, "A 'dangerous animal condition' exists when a dangerous animal (such as poisonous snakes, stinging bees, alligators, fire ants or bears) near a ball could cause serious physical injury to the player if he or she had to play the ball as it lies." The official determined that they were not fire ants and he had to play his shot as it lies in the brush. KARMA?
What to watch
This Megan Rapinoe (U.S. Women's National Soccer Team) narrated Nike commercial was released last night and will give you chills. WE CAN'T STOP WATCHING IT