Heard It Through The Grapevine
The Olympic Opening ceremonies are tonight, Simone Biles gets hits another milestone and the NFL is laying the smackdown on unvaccinated players.
Rumor has it, it's going to be an epic weekend.
It's all you,
The Last Night's Game Team
Olympics
The Olympics kick off tonight with the Opening Ceremonies. Team U.S.A. will be led by flagbearers five-time Olympian Sue Bird (women’s basketball) and Eddy Alvarez from the baseball team. (Alvarez also won a silver medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics in speedskating). The highlight of the evening is the lighting of the torch, which will be powered by hydrogen, promoting a carbon-free future. No word who will light the torch but rumor has it is that it’s the Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama. LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Overtime
We all know that Simone Biles is the G.O.A.T., and now Twitter is on board. If you write a tweet with #SimoneBiles or even #Simone a goat in a leotard, doing a split leap on the balance beam will appear. AS IT SHOULD
Sideline stat
How does one celebrate an NBA (National Basketball Association) Championship and being selected as the MVP? With a fast food run, of course. NBA. Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ordered 50 nuggets at Chick-Fil-A to match the 50 points he scored in game six win. WHAT’S FOR DINNER
Coaches’ corner
The NFL (National Football League) is laying the smackdown when it comes to vaccinated players. They added extra incentives for players to get vaccinated, threatening forfeits and losing paychecks if an outbreak amongst unvaccinated players disrupts the regular-season schedule. The new rules, amongst other things, call for the team that causes the forfeit to pay the other team’s expenses. MAKING THEIR STANCE CLEAR
What to watch
Everyone’s favorite football coach turned soccer coach Ted Lasso is back today with season two. TUNE IN
Choose Confidence
Why a small bladder seems to be the key to winning in the NBA Finals, rent a gold medalist's house to watch the Olympics and be prepared to Space Jam.
Dive confidently into any social situation knowing that you're armed with exactly what it takes to create a conversation.
Such a boss,
The Last Night's Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
Everyone knows that two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo can handle the pressure of the NBA Finals. He has led his Bucks back from a two-game deficit to tie the series. It seems the only thing that can stop him from a championship title is his bladder. He checked out of games three and four early so that he could pee. (They won both games, so maybe that’s the secret to success)? The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns will continue their series with game five on Saturday in Phoenix. DOING THE DANCE
Overtime
How much would you pay to watch the Summer Olympics from a gold medal winner’s house? How about $92? If you’re wondering where you sign, head over to Airbnb, where you can book a night in NBA Hall of Famer and member of the Team U.S.A. Dream Team Scottie Pippen’s house. Pippen is the only player to have won an NBA championship and gold medal at the Olympic Games in the same calendar year twice, first in 1992 and then again in 1996. But there are some rules you need to abide by - no partying, no smoking and no shooting baskets in the master bedroom—he’s the only one allowed to do those things in the house. BUT WILL HE ACHIEVE SUPERHOST STATUS?
Sideline stat
Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB – Major League Baseball) pitcher Trevor Bauer is under investigation for a domestic violence restraining order filed by a woman in L.A. County Superior Court. The league initially put him on a seven-day administrative leave while they conducted the investigation. Bauer’s leave has been extended for a third time through July 27, which means he’s making $1.5 million a week from the Dodgers not to work. THERE ARE NO WORDS
Coaches’ corner
While the sequel is rarely as good as the original, LeBron James attempts to prove that theory wrong as the star of “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which is out in theaters and on HBO Max today. PASS THE POPCORN
Wanna Get Away?
It’s going to be a party weekend in London, your favorite athletes hit the red carpet and what murraya and solidungulate have to do with $50k.
Thanks to COVID and masks, you're not likely to spend your flight stuck next to a chatty seatmate on a plane, but if you do, you're now prepared to make small talk about more than your vaccination records.
Come here often?
The Last Night's Game Team
Soccer + Tennis = One Heck Of A Weekend
The place to be this weekend is in London. On Sunday, England's National Football Team (aka soccer) will be playing for their first major tournament championship in 55 years. They will play Italy in the Euro 2020 final in Wembley Stadium with 60,000 fans present. HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS
Over at Wimbledon, the stadium will be at 100% capacity for the crowning of the new women's (Saturday) and men's (Sunday) champion. And Wimbledon does it right when it comes to equal pay. Both of the winners take home $2.35 million in prize money. AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
Overtime
The biggest night in sports is Saturday night. Everyone's favorite athletes and celebrities will hit the red carpet to celebrate the best in sports over the past year at the ESPYs. The recipients of the night's three significant awards aren't necessarily the biggest names in sports but the athletes with the most drive and biggest hearts. The red carpet fashion is always worth checking out. Want more on why to tune into a night where the athletes ditch their jerseys for couture? Check out this week's podcast. AND THE WINNER IS…
Sideline stat
"Querimonious," "solidungulate," and "Nepeta," those were some of the words 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde had to overcome to win last night's Scripps National Spelling Bee. With the correct spelling of murraya, a type of tree, Avant-garde became the first winner from Louisiana, the first African-American winner of the Spelling Bee and the recipient of $50,000 in prize money. Oh, did we mention she's also an elite middle school basketball player? SHE'S GOING PLACES
Coaches' corner
The Phoenix Suns are up 2-0 in the NBA (National Basketball Association) Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Last night before the game, Devin Booker of the Suns received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his dedication to the community. Amongst many things, Booker donated $100,000 to five non-profits in the community to help Arizona youth and also serves as a Special Olympics global ambassador. Booker and his Suns will play in game three on Sunday in Milwaukee. NEXT LEVEL
What to watch
The Japanese Government declared a state of emergency due to COVID and will no longer allow fans at any of the Summer Olympic competitions in Tokyo. TBD if they'll do the same for events taking place throughout the country. COUNTING ON TEAM SPIRIT