Late Night Talking
Wash those whites; it's time for the Wimbledon finals, Miles Teller and Aaron Rodgers hit the links and this week's Tailgate Treat.
Good morning to you and your inbox. Here's your perfect start to the weekend.
Nice to see you,
The Last Night's Game Team
Wimbledon
Wash those whites; it's time for the Wimbledon finals this weekend. Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina will make history when they play in the women's final on Saturday. Jabeur is the first woman from Africa to play in a Grand Slam singles final, and Rybakina is the first player from Kazakhstan to play in a Grand Slam final.
On the men's side, tournament favorite Rafael Nadal dropped out yesterday ahead of the semifinals with an abdominal tear. It could be a spicy final between the winner of the Cameron Norrie/Novak Djokovic match and the unseeded Australian Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios, who reached the final with Nadal's withdrawal, is known for his outbursts and temper. Proof - Kyrgios spit at a fan who was "disrespecting" him earlier in the tournament. IT MAKES FOR GOOD TV RATINGS
Want more on Wimbledon? Check out the five things you need to know about tennis' most famous Grand Slam tournament.
Short and Sweet
The Las Vegas Raiders (NFL – National Football League) make sports history by hiring the first Black woman team president. Congratulations to Sandra Douglass Morgan.
Nick Jonas, Colin Jost, Miles Teller, and "Today Show's" Dylan Dreyer are just a few celebrities to join a host of athletes, including Steph Curry, Aaron Rodgers and Charles Barkley, in the American Century Championship (golf) at Lake Tahoe.
A group representing minor league baseball players (MLB – Major League Baseball) sent a letter to Congress asking for the same protections already extended to major leaguers. They cite low salaries and the law that allows MLB teams to avoid paying minor league players minimum wage or overtime.
Before We Go
Sue Bird is playing in her final WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) All-Star Game on Sunday in Chicago. The WNBA legend, who will grace the cover of the video game NBA 2K23, is retiring after this season. She's handing the league off to the talented captains of the two teams - A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm). Notably absent from the game is seven-time all-star Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, who was selected as an honorary member of the all-star game roster. BEST OF THE BEST
Photo: Skinny Taste
Game Changer
We're partnering with the "I Hate Green Beans" podcast for this season's Bachelorette Bracket. Fill out your bracket and join us as we watch two Bachelorettes, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, battle it out. (Or is it more like BFFs helping each other find Mr. Right)? SMELLS LIKE ROSES
Tailgate Treat
Ahi poke stack - a restaurant favorite that is deceivingly easy to make. DELISH
The Time Is Now
Police raids in the Tour de France, we knew diamonds were a girl's best friend but so are TV ratings and this week's Tailgate Treat.
We're placing bets internally about how many out-of-the-office replies we'll get to today's email.
Wish you were here,
The Last Night's Game Team
Tour De France
The butt-busting Tour de France starts today in Copenhagen and ends at Paris' Champs-Elysees on July 24. It will cover 2,068 miles over 21 stages across 23 days. (Translation - they have two days off total).
But that's not the big story. Yesterday, driven by Danish authorities, Team Bahrain Victorious faced their second police raid in a week. This Danish raid stems from an ongoing doping investigation launched by the French authorities during last year's Tour de France into the team. A few days ago, Europol made several raids across Europe at key staff and riders' homes. STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
Short and Sweet
The trial of Brittney Griner (WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association) is set to start today in Russia. Griner, who played for a Russian team in the off-season, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The NBA (National Basketball Association) off-season is proving more action-packed than the season, with Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Then on the eve of free agency, Miles Bridges likely blew his chances at a big payday after being arrested for domestic violence.
The numbers don't lie. The Women's College World Series outdrew the men's in TV viewership.
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series is in Oregon for its first tournament on US soil, but it wasn't without controversy. Survivors of 9/11 and victims' families protested and criticized golfers for working with Saudi Arabia, which they say was complicit in the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Before We Go
Football fans are aghast at the news that USC and UCLA are ditching the PAC-12 for the Big Ten. Here's why it's such a big deal. The Big Ten conference used to be only Midwestern teams, and USC and UCLA have been mainstays in the PAC-12, longer than Penicillin has been around. USC has the most college football championships in the PAC-12. They'll join the likes of Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten, where it's anyone's guess if they'll be able to hang, but the money is good. GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER?
Photo: Instagram/joeychestnut
Photo: Delish
Game Changer
An American tradition unlike any other- the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is on Monday. Be prepared to spice up any conversation this weekend with useless hot dog knowledge from this week's podcast. READ OR LISTEN
Tailgate Treat
Your friends will be grateful for a healthy dish to compliment the giant bowl of potato chips at the Independence Day party. DELISH
Whole Lotta Love
What Marc Jacobs has to do with Ohio State's "The" trademark, Nat'l Take Your Dog To Work Day, crying over spilled milk and this week's Tailgate Treat.
Friday, we love you. Almost as much as Saturday.
Thanks for being you,
The Last Night's Game Team
PS: It's National Take Your Dog To Work Day. Meet our office pup.
College Sports
Ohio State won its battle to trademark the word "The," which is the most common word in the English language.
According to Yahoo, Ohio State initially applied for the trademark in Aug. 2019 but was rejected because a) the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office found it to be "merely ornamental" and b) clothing company Marc Jacobs applied for a trademark on the same word months earlier. The university opposed Marc Jacobs' application and ultimately settled in Aug. 2021, allowing co-ownership of "The."
Don't worry; you don't owe Ohio State money every time you use the word "the" (if you're wondering, we've used it 33 times in this email). The trademark only pertains to clothing in the realm of sports apparel. THE END
Short and Sweet
Two-time Olympic artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez fainted after her competition and sank to the pool's bottom. The photos of her coach diving in to save her will give you chills.
The famed Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight, as the Colorado Avalanche (NHL - National Hockey League) have a chance to win it all if they defeat the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Oklahoma will face Ole Miss in the best-of-three College Baseball World Series championship series starting tomorrow. Oklahoma hopes to become the first school to win the baseball and softball championship in the same season. Meanwhile, at the local Jell-O challenge, Ole Miss fans are drunker than your school's fans.
Duke's Paolo Banchero was the first pick in last night's NBA (National Basketball Association) Draft. His blinged-out purple suit with a diamond-encrusted chain still has people talking. Here are all of the incredible suits from the draft.
Before We Go
Washington Commanders (NFL - National Football League) owner Dan Snyder is about to be subpoenaed by lawmakers for his alleged disruption of an NFL investigation into widespread misconduct at the team, including sexual harassment of women employees by execs.
In the testimony against Snyder, former Washington COO David Pauken said Snyder instructed Pauken to pour milk on the carpet under the seats in Washington Nationals (MLB - Major League Baseball) owner Mark Lerner's suite at FedEx Field so that it would smell of sour milk when Lerner and his family attended a game. Snyder was miffed about a business deal with Lerner. SOUR PUSS
Photo: Delish
Game Changer
Each player of the championship NHL team gets to spend the day with the Stanley Cup trophy. It has been a baptismal font, to a strip club and everything in between. Here are some of the epic adventures it's been on, some it might rather forget. PARTY ON
Tailgate Treat
You say tomato and I say tomahto. Either way, we call it taco tomato dinner and this week's Tailgate Treat. YES, PLEASE