The Rundown: Return With Receipt

As we sleep off our Christmas hangover many of our friends around the world are celebrating the third day of Hanukkah and Boxing Day. While our Commonwealth buddies are watching soccer and horse racing, here in the U.S.A. we’re sale shopping and returning unwanted gifts.

Store credit? We’ll take the cold hard cash,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE)

• Coal in their stockings. For the first time since 2003, neither of the two teams that played in the previous year’s Super Bowl will make the playoffs (Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers). 
• Show me your muscles. The Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions game has been flexed into the Sunday Night game next week as the NFC North title hangs in the balance. This game is dubbed “game 256” because it’s the last of the 256 regular season games.
• Put your back into it. Dontari Poe, a 346-pound player for the Kansas City Chiefs, became the heaviest player in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass. Seriously? Who keeps these stats? 

NBA (NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION)

• I'd like to report a crime. The new collective bargaining agreement has a clause where players can call a designated hotline to voice their displeasure to the league about individual referees. Do you have a quarter? 

OVERTIME

• New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony gifted a new car to the family of Jarrell Lara before yesterday's Christmas Day game. Lara, who Anthony previously met on a Make-A-Wish visit, suffers from a rare form of cancer.

SIDELINE STAT

• There was a Christmas miracle in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns (NFL) won their first game in 377 days, ending their quest for a winless season. 

COACHES’ CORNER

• What does it mean to be a “flexed” game like the Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions?  This has nothing to do with the “gun show.” It means NBC has the ability to pick the most important game of the Sunday football schedule and move it into the primetime TV spot.

The Rundown: Wet Suits, Winter and Waiting on Santa

We hope your weekend didn’t involve hitting the mall or battling it out for a Hatchimal. We did our shopping the good old fashioned way, with a laptop in the comfort of our own home. Hence why we have what everyone is buzzing about today, besides the passing famed socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Dahling, 

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS – Tomorrow is our first birthday. Follow us on Instagram for a chance to win special birthday prizes.

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NFL (National Football League) 

• Persistence. The Oakland Raiders clinched a playoff spot. The last time they made the playoffs was 14 years ago. It was so long ago you couldn’t even post about it on Facebook, which was invented in 2004.
• The silver lining. The Salvation Army earned some serious air time in last night’s game. After Dallas Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott scored a touchdown he jumped into an oversized Salvation Army donation kettle on the sideline. Elliott was penalized for his antics and awaits a possible fine for his excessive celebration. He said he’ll “match whatever they (the NFL) fine me with a donation to the Salvation Army.” 

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• Into the rafters. Retired Tim Duncan played 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs winning five championships. Sunday night the team retired his jersey number (#21). In his honor, the Spurs wore game socks with his number on them. Duncan’s former coach described their relationship as “soulmates” off the court. Awkward. 

NCAA Football (College) 

• Bye Bye Bison. The North Dakota State Bison have won five consecutive FCS championships. Friday night they saw the streak come to an end when James Madison University beat them in the semifinals. (What is the FCS? See today’s coaches’ corner below).

How are your picks doing in our College Bowl Mania? Check here. 

Overtime

• Chicago Bears quarterback and California native Matt Barkley channeled his inner Scuba Steve and wore a wet suit on Sunday but not for the reasons you think. Barkley wore the wet suit to combat the subzero temperatures in Chicago, a trick passed down from Tom Brady. It didn’t help that much as the Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers.

Sideline stat

• In the Las Vegas Bowl San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey broke the FBS record for all-time rushing yards with 6,397 yards. Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne has held this record since 1999. What's FBS? See below. 

Coaches’ corner

• North Dakota State and James Madison play in the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) which is a division below the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). The FBS is formerly known as Division 1-A football and FCS used to be called 1-AA. The FBS teams play bowl games after their conference championships and is the division where most of the notable schools play such as Ohio State, Stanford and University of Texas. Need more? Here you go.

The Rundown: Ugly Sweater Not Included

While you were busy this weekend rocking that ugly sweater and singing holiday karaoke, there was plenty of excitement happening in the world of sports. We have what everyone is talking about, besides that video of your co-worker’s impression of the boss.

Darn you vodka,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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MLS (MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER)

• Winner winner.  The Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC (Football Club) battled Saturday for the MLS Cup but neither of them scored a goal in regulation time or overtime. Therefore, the quest for the title came down to penalty kicks. Seattle won, securing the club’s first ever MLS Championship. Seattle did not have a shot on goal until the penalty kicks. (That means they didn’t even come close to scoring a goal until the penalty kicks).

NCAA Football (College) 

• Pat on the back. The presentation of the award for the best player in college football, the Heisman Trophy, was on Saturday. It was no surprise that University of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson was named the winner. Jackson is the first Heisman winner from Louisville and the youngest recipient ever. He also claimed the award while rocking a red velvet sport coat.
• Good vs Bad. The Heisman Trophy presentation brings together all of the former winners. A photo from the award presentation of Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel together set the internet on fire as they are literally different ends of the moral spectrum. Read the funny tweets here.
• At last. Army ended a 14-year winless drought to the Naval Academy, winning in front of a crowd of 71,000+ that included President-Elect Donald Trump.

NFL (National Football League)

• Brr. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills game in New York was exactly how you'd imagine, freezing cold with heavy snowfall. Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell wasn’t bothered as he set the franchise record for rushing yards and secured a Steelers win. 
• You had one job. The Buffalo ground crew didn’t have quite the same luck in the snow. While removing snow from the field they also removed the black rubber pellets from the artificial turf causing a delay in the game to fix the field. The pellets make the turf soft (i.e. safe), otherwise it’s basically concrete.

Overtime

• Wrestler and occasional Today Show co-host John Cena hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend. He spared no expense poking fun at student athletes with this skit about a football player at Alabama. He struck gold with a game show skit entitled “Where’d Your Money Go?” featuring "athletes." Key takeaway - don't buy a cheetah.  

Sideline stat

• The Dallas Cowboys (NFL) were on an 11-game winning streak after losing their only game this season to the New York Giants. Last night the Giants once again beat the Cowboys to break their winning streak. No word yet on whether or not the state of Texas has outlawed Green Giant products. 

Coaches’ corner

• Jägermeister and the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) are in the headlines but not for a new collaborative cocktail.  Jägermeister has filed an appeal with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over the redesigned Bucks logo featuring a deer. The appeal states that the new Bucks logo is very similar to the German liquor company's logo. See for yourself.