LAST NIGHT'S GAME 4/11/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 4/11/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

This weekend defending champion Jordan Spieth blew his lead to lose the Masters. To add insult to injury, he then had to put the esteemed green jacket on the winner, Danny Willett.

Speaking of bitter beer face, Kevin Durant is said to share the same sentiment in a farewell video to Kobe Bryant, whose last game of his career is on Wednesday.

Turn that frown upside down,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Boxing

Going out on top. Saturday night in Las Vegas Manny Pacquiao dominated his fight against Timothy Bradley, winning with a unanimous decision. This was said to be Pacquiao’s last fight but many questioned his retirement after Saturday’s stellar performance.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

So close you can taste it. Los Angeles Dodgers’ rookie pitcher, Ross Stripling, almost had a dream come true on Friday night. Stripling was called up from the minor leagues and took advantage of his chance on the big league field. He pitched a shut out/no-hitter into the eighth inning when he was pulled by coach Dave Roberts. Unfortunately, the relief pitchers blew the game and the Dodgers lost to the San Francisco Giants.
Sweet start. Colorado Rockies' rookie shortstop Trevor Story is off to an unheard start to the season. Story has hit seven home runs in the team’s first six games. Story is the first player in baseball history to accomplish this.
Hello Herbert. Washington Nationals are adding a new face to their presidential race that is run on the field between innings. Former President Herbert Hoover has been nominated to join the race. Hoover joins the other racing presidents - George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. In case you were wondering, Hoover won his inaugural race.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Setting records. Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night to win their 72nd game of the season, tying the record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. This was the first home loss of the year for the Spurs. The Warriors have a chance to break the record with their last game of the regular season against the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday.
Bon voyage. Kobe Bryant’s last game of his storied career is on Wednesday. Nike put together a tribute featuring athletes saluting Bryant. (Some people are saying Kevin Durant comes off as bitter, y ou be the judge.)

NCAA Basketball (College)

Totally inappropriate. Louisiana Tech women’s baseball team’s head coach Tyler Summit resigned last week. Summitt, 25, is the son of Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Tyler resigned due to an inappropriate relationship with a player which, according to rumors, resulted in the player’s pregnancy,

NFL (National Football League)

Tragic loss. Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and his wife were shot in an alleged road rage incident in New Orleans. Smith died from his injuries. Smith spent his career with the Saints and was part of their 2010 Super Bowl team and was to be inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame later this year.

PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)

On the back nine. Defending Masters champion Jordan Spieth led the tournament for the first three days and had a five shot lead going into the last nine holes on Sunday. In a span of three holes, Spieth went from leading by five strokes to losing by three. Danny Willett took advantage of Spieth’s struggles and took the lead and finished strong to win.
Baby daddy. Anticipating the birth of his first child whose due date was yesterday, Willett almost did not participate in the Masters. The baby was born a week early on March 30th, paving the way for him to play in the Masters. Although his child was not born on April 10th, it still turned out to be a very special day for Willett and his wife.

Overtime

With the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, around the corner, the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams announced that they plan to stay on a cruise ship instead of in the Olympic Village.

Sideline stat

Kyle Busch swept the NASCAR races for the second weekend in a row; a feat that had not been accomplished since 1991. Busch won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Friday night and then the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday.

Coaches’ Corner

What is a no-hitter in baseball? A no-hitter is a complete game in which the opposing team does not get on base from a hit. This doesn’t mean no one from the opposing team makes it to base (they can be walked or hit by a pitch) but no one from the opposing team actually gets to a base by hitting the ball. It’s a rare feat and only 292 pitchers have pitched a no hitter since 1876.

LAST NIGHT'S GAME 4/4/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 4/4/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

We have good news and bad news, WrestleMania 32 and the Final Four both set records this past weekend. One record for the right reason, the other not so much.

The Final Four victors, Villanova and North Carolina, play for the title of National Champions tonight. Lastly, the day is finally here and we know the boss will appreciate it when you walk into the office with your #CapsOn supporting baseball’s Opening Day and your favorite MLB team.

Hats off to you,

The Last Night’s Game Team

NCAA Basketball (College)

See ya Sooners. Villanova Wildcats (#2) beat Oklahoma Sooners (#2), 95-51 in game one of the Final Four. The Sooners never stood a chance. This was the biggest blow out in final four history. Wildcats shot 71% to Oklahoma’s 31%. Wildcats only missed five shots the entire second half.
Shattered dreams Saturday. In game two of the Final Four, University of North Carolina Tar Heels (#1) beat Syracuse Orange (#10), 83-66. Tar Heels used their size to dominate the Orange in the paint. Naismith Player of the Year, Buddy Hield of Oklahoma was held to only nine points, well below his 25 point average for the tournament.
National champions. Tonight is the last game of the NCAA tournament, the National Championship game. Villanova Wildcats (#2) will take on North Carolina Tar Heels (#1).

Here’s the skinny…

Game time - Monday, 9:19 pm (EST) on TBS (first time ever for the game to be shown on cable)
North Carolina is the slight favorite at -2 (must win by two to win your bet).
TV coverage will include taped performances from NCAA March Madness Music Festival featuring Maroon 5 and Pitbill.
Villanova Head coach Jay Wright was named 2016 coach of the year.
Both teams have won a national championship previously - Villanova (1985) and North Carolina (1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009).

Ladies Night. University of Connecticut Huskies (#1) will play Syracuse Orange (#4) for the women’s national championship on Tuesday at 8:30 pm (EST) on ESPN. If UConn wins, they will bring home their fourth consecutive title.

F1 RACING (FORMULA ONE)

Racing for the checkered flag. Nico Rosberg of the Mercedes team won the second race of the season in Bahrain, making it his fifth race win in a row.
Overnight sensation. In his F1 debut (driving for an injured Fernando Alonso), Stoffel Vandoorne, 24, traveled overnight from Japan and raced in a car he had just met to finish the race in 10th place.
Incredible start. The newly established Haas Racing, an American owned F1 race team is embracing their rookie year and having an incredible one at that. Haas Racing (drivers are Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez) have collected points in each race this year. Only the top 10 in each race earn points and it’s quite the feat for a new team to compile points so early into their career. Grosjean has finished sixth and fifth in the first two races. Keep your eyes on this team.

La Liga Soccer

Spanish showdown. Real Madrid beat Barcelona, 2-1 in “El Classico,” the battle of the rivals in the La Liga League. This was the first loss for Barcelona in 39 games. The winning goal was scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. (Ronaldo, who is usually connected to smoking hot babes and Hollywood ladies like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton, celebrated the game in his underwear).

MLB (Major League Baseball)

World Series rematch. While today is opening day for most teams, yesterday Kansas City Royals took on the New York Mets in an opening day rematch between the two World Series teams. Kansas City won last year’s World Series and yesterday’s game.

WWE (Word Wrestling Entertainment)

Super Bowl of wrestling. WrestleMania 32 took place in Dallas yesterday and it boasted more cameos than the Entourage movie. From the national anthem sung by Fifth Harmony to appearances by Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shaq and Snopp Dogg, the WWE brought out their A-game. The winners of night were the fans who saw a 20 foot dive off the top of a cage by Shane McMahon (who has been out of the WWE ring for 15 years) and a record breaking attendance of 101,763. In case you’re wondering, the new WWE Champion is Roman Reigns.

Overtime

The Masters starts this week in Augusta, GA. The Drive, Chip and Putt is for kids ages 7-15, who qualify for a chance to play the Sunday before the Masters. As if this wasn’t already an incredible experience for the kids, they received a surprise visit from three special people - Justin Rose (PGA golfer), Niall Horan (One Direction) and Justin Timberlake (needs no introduction).

Sideline stat

Golden State Warriors lost to the Boston Celtics, ending their 54 home game winning streak. San Antonio Spurs now have the longest active home winning streak at 39 straight games.

Coaches’ Corner

What is ‘the paint’ in basketball? The paint is the painted area in front of the basket and is also referred to as the key. It is literally painted on the basketball court in front of and around the basket and is a primary location for the offence to score and defense to defend the basket. There are specific rules that pertain to a player’s time in the paint. Dying to know more? Click here.

LAST NIGHT'S GAME 3/28/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 3/28/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up

Grace was not the key word of the weekend in sports as bizarre injuries ran amok.

Caffeine in hand this morning and we’re buzzing like bees at a Cubs spring training game.

Sweeter than honey,

The Last Night’s Game Team

MLB (Major League Baseball)

Freak accident. Milwaukee Brewers Reliever Will Smith (no not THAT Will Smith) tore a ligament in his knee while attempting to take off his cleats after a game. He expected to miss "significant time.”
Buzz off. A swarm of bees were the cause of a delay in the Mariners vs. Cubs spring training game on Sunday. Cubs’ outfielder Jason Heyward was surrounded by a swarm and stung several times.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

Was the crime worth the time? Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been medically cleared to resume basketball activities after a quad injury and broken hand have kept him out since Christmas Day. Since he has been cleared from his injuries he must now serve his suspension for punching a team equipment manager outside a restaurant in January. Griffin will be back on the court on April 3rd. Clippers clinched a playoff spot with a win last night.

NCAA Basketball (College)

Not so fast. Going into to Saturday all four #1 seeds were still in the NCAA tournament. The picture looked a little different by Sunday night. Oregon (#1) lost to Oklahoma (#2) and Kansas (#1) lost to Villanova (#2).

But wait there’s more! Syracuse (#10) beat Virginia (#1) to secure their place in the Final Four. North Carolina, who beat Notre Dame (#6) on Sunday, is the only #1 ranked team to make it to the Final Four. The Final Four is this weekend.

Orange fever. Both Syracuse’s men and women’s basketball teams secured a spot in their respective Final Four tournaments for 2016. The men won the National Championship in 2003 and this is the first ever trip for the ladies.

PGA (Professional Golfer’s Association)

At the top. Jason Day surpassed Jordan Spieth to claim the spot as #1 ranked golfer in the world after winning the Dell Match Play Tournament in Austin, Texas. Day is not a newcomer to the spotlight as he was ranked #1 last year but he had a humble beginning. Growing up Day was so poor that his first golf club was one his father pulled from the town dump.

Overtime

In the spirit of Easter, the Houston Cougars changed up a drill during spring practice by dressing up in bunny costumes. No bunnies (or football players) were harmed in the making of this video.

Sideline stat

University of Connecticut women's basketball team won their Elite Eight game, handing Mississippi State a 98-38 loss. The UConn ladies will play Texas (#2) tonight. So far they have outscored their tournament opponents 296-138.

Coaches’ Corner

Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey injured himself in the game vs. Wisconsin last week. No it wasn’t from his rebound skills but from stepping awkwardly on the grip pad (which the players’ use so their shoes have a better grip on the court). He reportedly pulled a calf muscle. Apparently the luck of the Irish wasn’t shining on Brey or his team. They lost to North Carolina last night.