Bare Essentials
Golfing for Ukraine, Jerry Jones is in hot water, Selection Sunday and this week's Tailgate Treat.
Everything you need for your weekend and nothing you don't.
Short and sweet,
The Last Night's Game Team
PGA (Professional Golfers Association)
The Players Championship is already setting records with the largest purse in PGA history, $20 million. That's a 60% increase from 2019. The field will divide the earnings with the winner taking home $3.6 million, the first tournament ever to crack the $3 million mark.
While you're lulled into your nap by the sweet sounds of a golf broadcast, you might catch a glimpse of the players, caddies and staff wearing blue and yellow ribbons in support of Ukraine. This is just one of the ways the golf industry is supporting Golfers for Ukraine, an industry-wide effort collecting donations for UNICEF. HOLE IN ONE
Short and Sweet
Dallas Cowboys (NFL - National Football League) owner Jerry Jones is being sued by a woman who says he's her biological father, and he paid her mom off to keep it a secret.
Why former NFL player and current Jackson State coach Deion Sanders is two toes short of a set
Tiger Woods' hall of fame induction speech is one for the ages.
Sunday night is when all of the magic happens. That night, the teams that will play in both the men's and women's March Madness tournaments are revealed. So be forewarned it'll dominate the conversation on Monday at the office.
Before We Go
Batter up! The baseball season will officially begin on April 7. After a long, arduous negotiation process, the owners and the MLB Players Association agreed on terms that include putting advertisements on team uniforms and helmets and increasing the postseason to 12 teams from 10 teams. The National League will now use a designated hitter, and the minimum wage for a major league player rises from $570,500 to $700,000. STEP UP TO THE PLATE
How You Doin'?
Tiger Woods' victory, the Paralympics begin with notable absences, when your dad acts like a rodeo clown and this week's Tailgate Treat.
A successful conversation is one where both parties can connect over common ground. Today's post has you covered.
Paving the way,
The Last Night's Game Team
WINTER PARALYMPICS
The Paralympics kicked off this morning in Beijing with the Opening Ceremonies but athletes from Russia and Belarus were noticeably absent. After initially saying they would not ban the athletes, the International Paralympic Committee changed their minds. The committee cited boycott threats and safety concerns as the reason for the change of heart.
Paralympians are nothing short of amazing and inspiring. For more on the Paralympics, check out this all-inclusive guide.
Short and Sweet
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina is donating all the prize money she wins at the Monterrey Open to the Ukrainian army.
This weekend's ticket prices for longtime Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski's last game vs. rival North Carolina are through the roof. We're talking more expensive than a Super Bowl ticket. Every player he's coached since 1980 (and there are some big names) has been invited to attend.
This rodeo dad took on an angry bull to protect his son.
Before We Go
Tiger Woods hasn't played in a PGA (Professional Golfers Association) event since his car crash in February 2021, but he scored a significant victory this week. Woods won the inaugural Player Impact Program, which is based on a player's appeal and popularity on social media. The Player Impact Program uses Nielsen ratings, Google searches, MVP Index, Meltwater Mentions and Q-Rating to select a winner. At No. 1, Woods took home an $8M bonus and the No. 2 on the list, Phil Mickelson, $6M. AND THEY SAY SOCIAL MEDIA IS BAD...
SHIRT NOT REQUIRED
This week's NFL Combine could be the most invasive job interview around. It's called the "Underwear Olympics" for a reason. Here's why a business suit won't cut it. HELP WANTED
Comfort Food
Get a taste of Mardi Gras at your dinner table with this week's Tailgate Treat, instant pot jambalaya. BEADS NOT REQUIRED
Big Energy
A country music concert with a side of hockey, women are leading MLS, sporting events pull out of Russia and this week's Tailgate Treat.
May the excitement of the weekend carry you through your last Friday of February.
Make the most of it,
The Last Night's Game Team
MLS (MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER)
MLS kicks off its 27th season this weekend. At the start of the season, the two key talking points are that five women serve as either president or CEO of an MLS club. And at age 14, most of us were in teenage angst but not Axel Kei. In January, Kei officially became the youngest MLS player ever when he signed with Real Salt Lake. CALLING COACH LASSO
Short and Sweet
This morning, UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) moved the biggest game in European soccer, the Champions League final, out of Russia to Paris after the Ukraine invasion. Will the summer World Cup playoffs be next?
The touching reason golfers and caddies are wearing purple at this weekend's PGA (Professional Golfers Association) tournament.
Ukrainian men aged 18–60 are required to stay as part of the martial law, including the mayor of Kyiv, former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko and his boxer brother Wladimir who are preparing to fight. (Wladimir has a child with actress Hayden Panettiere).
Formula 1 (F1) pulls September's Russian Grand Prix off the calendar with support from its drivers.
Before We Go
Hockey is taking it outside this weekend in Nashville when the Nashville Predators play the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the hockey takes a backseat to the entertainment. Country stars Dustin Lynch, Walker Hayes, Jessie James Decker and more will join headliners (and first intermission performers), Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. Managing the talent could be the most challenging job of the weekend unless you're the ice crew in charge of keeping the outdoor rink in pristine condition. They've had to deal with warm temps, then rain and now (finally!) near freezing temps. WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND
