Confidence Boost
Why Team Europe is wearing cheeseheads, the US Olympic Committee is taking a stand on vaccinations, WNBA playoffs are on, and everyone is watching.
No one exudes confidence like you after reading today's weekend preview.
Look out world,
The Last Night's Game Team
WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)
The WNBA playoffs have begun with the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky winning round one of the single-elimination games. The action on the court is must-see, and the viewership numbers prove it. The regular season viewership numbers are up 49% this season over last. The Las Vegas Aces and defending champion Seattle Storm are the favorites to win it all. WATCH THEM SOAR
Overtime
The Summer Olympics just wrapped up, but that doesn't mean we can't start talking about the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Team USA announced that they will only consider vaccinated athletes for the 2022 Games. LINE IN THE SAND
Sideline stat
Typically when the City of Chicago celebrates the Irish, they dye the river green but not this weekend. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will take on Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago. It's the first time these two teams have played in 57 years, and tickets are sold out, with the average StubHub resale ticket price running at $400. ESPN College GameDay will also be broadcasting live from the stadium on Saturday morning. BE THERE OR BE SQUARE
Coaches' corner
The Ryder Cup (golf) is underway, and Team Europe is deep in enemy territory. Their players are trying to win over the fans in Wisconsin (home of the 2021 Ryder Cup) while defending their title. The fans are expected to be a game-changer for Team USA at this year's tournament. In an attempt to make new friends, the players from the European team showed up wearing cheesehead hats – the unofficial headgear of Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin fans. WORTH A SHOT
The Ryder Cup is a biennial competition between the US and Europe and could be one of the most contentious sporting events around. Check out our five things you need to know to learn a little more about why there's no prize money and who could come to blows over a golf game.
That's What I Want
It's not all sunshine and roses for Ronaldo, coach buys beer to fill the stands and the hire that makes us happy.
Who is ready for the weekend?
So close, yet so far away,
The Last Night's Game Team
SOCCER
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Manchester United seemed all sunshine and roses, thanks to Instagram. But behind the scenes proves otherwise. After only three weeks, the Ronaldo family moved into a new mansion because the local sheep kept them awake. And it turns out he's having a more significant impact on his team than thought. Ronaldo is such a health nut that his teammates are afraid to eat dessert in front of him at team meals. GUESS THEY'RE NOT GOING FOR SECONDS EITHER?
Overtime
The Milwaukee Bucks (NBA - National Basketball Association) have made a historic hire. The defending NBA champions named Lisa Byington as their new play-by-play TV announcer. This hire makes Byington the first woman to serve as a full-time TV play-by-play announcer for a major men's professional sports team. LOVE TO HEAR IT
Sideline stat
It's been a rough go for live sports TV ratings over the past year or so, but it seems like the NFL (National Football League) is headed in the right direction. They saw a seven percent increase in viewers in their opening week over last season. Those 17.4 million viewers remain the highest viewership numbers since 2017. MOVING ON UP
COACHES' CORNER
Portland State football hasn't had a win yet this season, but their head coach devised a plan to fill the stands despite the rough start to the season. Bruce Barnum offered to buy "all the beers" for fans who drop his name at the beer garden in the stadium. This offer seems like a great deal since tickets to the game start at $10. COLLEGE DREAMS COME TRUE
Better Than Advertised
Remembering 9/11, how much would you pay for a ‘sure’ win and the brilliant and strategic reason the Saints-Packers game is being played in Florida.
The NFL season kicked off last night with an Ed Sheeran concert. Oh, and a football game. Sheeran's NFL merch may not have lived up to expectations but the game exceeded them. Here’s to hoping your weekend does the same.
Thinking out loud,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Remembering 9/11
Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the weeks following 9/11, it seemed like sports was the sense of normalcy so many craved. This weekend, teams across the country will be honoring those who were lost. The NFL (National Football League), MLB (Major League Baseball) and numerous college football teams have added pregame tributes, with some wearing special uniforms.
Select NFL teams are partnering with Tuesday’s Children, an organization that aids “families who have suffered losses due to the events of 9/11, post-9/11 military service or other acts of mass violence and terrorism,” to host and recognize a family during their home game. WE WILL NEVER FORGET
Overtime
The New Orleans Saints (NFL) were forced to move their home opener against the Green Bay Packers due to Hurricane Ida, but how they finally landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium as their home away from home is interesting. First, Aaron Rodgers’ (Packers QB) numbers show he struggles when playing in Florida. Florida also gave the Saints the humidity advantage as their players are used to it. Then out of the three available stadiums in Florida - Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville - they picked the one that would be the most expensive for Packers fans to travel to, so they might still have home field advantage. BRILLIANT
Sideline stat
LSU (Lousiana State) is looking to bounce back after their first game that ended in a disappointing loss. But they’ll have to do it against a familiar foe - the son of LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron’s son is the quarterback for LSU’s Saturday opponent, McNeese State. The mismatched game will likely be a blowout, but it’s common practice for college teams to pay opponents from smaller schools for an easy win. In fact, LSU is paying McNeese $600,000 to play them this weekend. NO SUCH THING AS BAD PR
Coaches’ corner
The final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, the US Open, comes to a close on Sunday. We know that the youth movement of Leylah Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, will play on Saturday in the all-teenage women’s singles finals. The men’s final will be determined later today, but we may be witnessing history if Novak Djokovic wins in the semifinals today. If he makes it to the finals and wins on Sunday, he will be the first tennis player since Steffi Graff in 1988 to win all four majors in a calendar year. FINISH STRONG