LAST NIGHT'S GAME 10/10/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 10/10/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - Monday with Matthew

Hurricane Matthew dominated the weekend, bringing soggy game day conditions to many. Making the weekend brighter in New England, Tom Brady returned to the field and to his usual greatness sans tan lines from his Italian holiday.

Everyone wins,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (National Football League)

Then there was one. With a win over Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings are the only remaining undefeated team left in the league.
Like new. This weekend the winless Cleveland Browns were the sacrificial lambs for Tom Brady’s return from his four game “deflategate” suspension. Brady didn’t miss a beat and picked up right where he left off – dominating.
For the complete NFL Scoreboard, click here.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

Moving on. In front of their home crowd, Toronto Blue Jays swept the Texas Rangers to win the ALDS (American League Division Series). The Rangers held the best record in the American League. In case you were wondering, no cans of beer were harmed during this series because the Blue Jays started serving beer out of cups. The outfielders thank you. (What are we talking about? Click here).
Need a miracle. Both the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants are at risk of being swept in their respective series if they don’t pull off a win in their games tonight. The Giants play the Chicago Cubs and Red Sox will take on the Cleveland Indians. Here's the schedule,

NCAA Football (College)

Downpour defeat. An unranked Naval Academy pulled off their biggest upset in 32 years, beating an undefeated University of Houston (#6) at home in the pouring rain. Your Last Night's Game team was there, ponchos and all and it was brilliant.
Check the rest of the scores here.

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

A force to be reckoned with. Hurricane Matthew delayed the race in Charlotte to Sunday afternoon. Although not even a hurricane could keep Jimmie Johnson from clinching a spot in the next round of the playoffs, breaking his 24 race winless streak.

WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)

High achievers. The Los Angeles Sparks upset the Minnesota Lynx in a close game at home in the first game of the finals. Game two is on Tuesday.

Overtime

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan (home of University of Michigan) ran a promotion this weekend that included a percentage off your bill equal to Michigan’s margin of victory, with 50% off as the cap. Michigan won 78-0 on Saturday vs. Rutgers University. They probably won’t be running that deal again anytime soon.

Sideline stat

Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is off to a record-breaking start in his first season on the field. He’s winning and setting records including number of pass attempts straight without an interception (155) - a rookie record. He’s aiming upset to Tom Brady’s record of 162.

Coaches’ corner

What does it meant to sweep? When a team sweeps a series, it means the other team did not win one game. Fans love to bring brooms to the game to taunt the other team when a sweep is on the horizon. Now if we could only get them to sweep up our houses…

LAST NIGHT'S GAME 10/3/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 10/3/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - The Streak Is Over

Was your weekend as wild as the Ryder Cup? Fans gone wild was the name of the game on the course in Minnesota. Did Team U.S.A. channel their inner Simone Biles or Michael Phelps to bring home a United States win? We have that and so much more in today’s Rundown.

But first - coffee,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Ryder Cup

Big. Huge. Team U.S.A. defeated Team Europe for the first time since 2008 to win the Ryder Cup. The home-field advantage proved to be just that with U.S.A. fans draped in stars and stripes, taunting Team Europe like it was a high school basketball game. Team U.S.A.’s win was by the largest margin since 1981.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

Every game counts. It took all 162 games to determine the two wild card spots in both leagues. The Toronto Blue Jays will host Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in a one-game playoff for a spot in the postseason. The New York Mets will host the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in the playoff game for the National League spot. If you've ever wanted to watch exciting baseball, these games are some of the best you’ll see with so much on the line.
It’s time. See the post season schedule here. Stay tuned for Wednesday's five things to know about the MLB playoffs which are guaranteed to make you sports savvy.

NCAA Football (College)

As good as advertised. Clemson (#3) vs Louisville (#5) had the potential to be one of the best games of the season and it lived up to the hype. The energy of the fans helped propel Clemson to a halftime lead, but Louisville took the lead over in the fourth quarter. Then Clemson scored the game winning touchdown with seconds left in the game. How’d Heisman front-runner, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson play? Click here.
Did your team win? See here.

NFL (National Football League)

Can’t hold us. Coming into the weekend there were five undefeated teams in the NFL. Two teams no longer hold that title with Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots both suffering their first loss. The Minnesota Vikings play tonight and they’ll try to hold off New York Giants to remain undefeated.
Was your team victorious? Check here.

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

It’s mine…all mine! Going into the final race with the field of 16 in the Chase for the Cup (elimination-style NASCAR playoffs), Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick were the only drivers guaranteed to advance due to previous wins. Truex Jr. was showing off on Sunday when he won again. The field now shrinks to 12 drivers for the next race. Check here to see if your favorite driver made the cut.

F1 Racing (Formula One)

Can I get you something to drink? Red Bull’s Daniel Riccardo won the Malaysian Grand Prix - his first win since 2014. Riccardo celebrated by drinking champagne out of his shoe after he had been wearing it for a few hours in the hot and humid Malaysian climate. Ew. We could think of better ways to celebrate.

Overtime

Arguably the best Boston Red Sox player to ever wear the jersey, David Ortiz played in his last regular season game at Fenway Park on Sunday. The Red Sox pulled out all the stops - naming a street and a bridge after him and they will retire his number next season. Ortiz had such a big impact on baseball that Saturday Night Live spoofed him on “Weekend Update.”

Sideline stat

Pittsburgh Steelers’ (NFL) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had as many touchdowns as incomplete passes (five) in last night’s blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Coaches’ corner

What does it mean to retire a number in sports? Unlike the mourning period you go through when retiring a cell phone number, this is a positive thing. When a team retires a player’s number, such as Ortiz’s #34, no member of the team (in his case the Red Sox) will ever be able to wear that number again. Teams do this to honor the outstanding career of that player.

LAST NIGHT'S GAME 9/26/16 LAST NIGHT'S GAME 9/26/16

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - A Tough Weekend in Sports

It was a tough weekend in sports. There were some big wins but also some big losses that will leave a gaping hole in the sports world.

Happy trails,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PGA (Professional Golfer’s Association)

A trailblazer. Legendary golfer and creator of your favorite lunchtime beverage, Arnold Palmer, passed away Sunday at the age of 87. Dominant on and off the course, Palmer was known as the “father of modern-day sports marketing” by starting what we now know as endorsements, including this great ESPN commercial. Thank you Mr. Palmer.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

Tragic loss. Early Sunday morning Miami Marlins’ young superstar pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident. At only 24, Fernandez had the potential to end up in the hall of fame. Fernandez, a soon-to-be father, defected from Cuba four times before successfully making it at the age of 15. The Marlins cancelled yesterday’s game.
Thanks for the memories. Sunday was Los Angeles Dodgers’ longtime broadcaster, Vin Scully’s last home game after 67 years with the team. He couldn’t have scripted it any better if he tried. Dodgers won the game on a walk-off home run and clinched the NL (National League) West Division, securing a spot in the playoffs.

NCAA Football (College)

See ya. LSU Tigers (Louisiana State University) fired head coach of 12 years, Les Miles. Miles had a winning career record with LSU but some say this play was 10 months in the making. Tigers lost their season opener to unranked Wisconsin and then to unranked Auburn on Saturday.
Remember this name. University of Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson is leading the pack in the race for the Heisman Trophy. He alone scored seven touchdowns on Saturday. He has 25 touchdowns in four games. Unreal.
Did your team win? Check all the scores here.

NFL (National Football League)

Victorious. We’ve wrapped up week three and there are a handful of undefeated teams in the league. The Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings are all without a loss.
A little help here? Conversely, there are three teams who haven’t won a game - Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
Catch the scores from the weekend here.

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

Next! Kevin Harvick won yesterday’s race in New Hampshire. Harvick earned himself a spot in the next round of the “Chase for the Cup” (NASCAR playoffs), joining Martin Truex Jr.

Overtime

Kevin Garnett announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Garnett was drafted straight out of high school and made the most money of any player in NBA history, over $330 million. The MVP spent his career playing for Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, who he helped put on the map.

Sideline stat

Rory McIlroy was three shots behind the leader with three holes to go in yesterday’s final round of the PGA season. Rory caught up and forced a playoff round, where he won after four holes. McIlroy not only won the tour but the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize. Take that to the bank.

Coaches’ Corner

Can you be drafted to the NBA out of high school? Once upon a time this was true, but not any longer. Kevin Garnett was the leader of the influx of high schoolers drafted (Kobe Bryant and LeBron James among them), prompting the league to add the "one year out of high school" requirement that effectively requires players to play at least one year of college basketball. This is so scouts can see players perform against higher competition before they are considered draft picks.