The Rundown: We're Never Eating Again
We made it through the holiday season and 2017 is finally here. We don’t know about you but the diet starts today. All that couch surfing while watching sports and spiked eggnog has finally caught up with us.
Break out the stretchy pants,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – Don’t forget to share your excitement for Last Night’s Game with your newly found treadmill buddy. 2017 is the year of the sports savvy!
NCAA Football (College)
- Have we met? While you were celebrating the end of 2016, Alabama beat Washington and Clemson shutout Ohio State. The winners move on to the National Championship game on January 9th. The game will be a rematch of last year’s final game, which Alabama won.
- But wait there’s more. Don’t worry, if you missed out on bowl season football there are still a few major bowl games today. These games were moved from their typical New Year’s Day time slot because of an NFL scheduling conflict (the NFL played on Sunday).
- Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX) - Western Michigan vs Wisconsin
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) - Penn State vs USC
- Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - Oklahoma vs Auburn
NFL (National Football League)
- See ya. Unlike most NFL coaches, Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is leaving the games on his terms. Kubiak informed the team he is retiring as head coach. Rumors have it he’s retiring for health reasons but we think it’s because he misses Peyton Manning.
Overtime
- NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. may have been out most of the season with a concussion but he took the plunge on New Year's Eve. Earnhardt married his longtime girlfriend and everyone was there. Guess which leading lady caught the bouquet and might be the next one to walk down the aisle? (FYI - NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing).
Sideline stat
- On Friday night Ronda Rousey made her much anticipated return to fighting after a lengthy absence. Albeit all that training for her comeback fight didn’t pay off as she hoped because she was knocked out in 48 seconds by champion Amanda Nunes. All signs point to Rousey retiring after her loss but pour one out for her because she’s a pioneer - the Amelia Earhart of women’s MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) if you will.
Coaches’ corner
- Today is known as Black Monday in the NFL. It is the Monday after the regular season finishes when many losing coaches are shown the door. There have already been five coaches fired before today therefore the infamous day might not live up to the hype this year. “Tell me about it” said Black Friday.
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
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.
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.