The Talk Of The Town

It’s undoubtedly the talk of the town and we’re not talking about the latest celebrity gossip.

Let the bracket bonanza begin,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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College Basketball

When nothing is as good as the original. The big Selection Sunday show that announced which men’s teams made it into the March Madness tournament took a different turn this year. The network announced all of the teams in the first 15 mins in alphabetical order instead of the previous format where the teams and their rankings were slowly announced throughout the show. Fans were not happy, including the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department that tweeted, “Please do not call 911 to complain about the format of the NCAA tournament selection show. We can’t do anything about it, no matter how bad it is.”

PS- The women’s bracket will be announced tonight. 

When you have nothing to lose. Over 70 million people filled out brackets for last year’s tournament, so why not join in on the fun? Play in our bracket challenge for a chance to win prizes (there are even prizes for last place). Questions are encouraged and novices are welcome. No pressure - pick by team color, mascot or use the random button and let the computer pick for you. Expect lots of upsets, which means your guess is as good as anyone’s. Here’s the bracket link. (password: sportscurious)

Have more questions? Check out our March Madness 101 or send us a note. 

Overtime

When you have a Bridesmaids moment in the middle of a soccer game. Captain of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, Sergio Ramos, ran off the field in haste during his team’s win yesterday. When asked about Ramos’ immediate departure in a postgame press conference, his manager so delicately answered “He sh-- himself.” Well that's a crappy excuse. 

Sideline stat

Tiger Woods is back, finishing in second place in the Valspar Open this weekend. He may be looking a little older but he’s playing like a young Woods and the PGA (Professional Golfers Association) is loving it as their ratings and fan engagement soar.

Coaches’ corner

The March Madness tournament starts tomorrow with the two play-in games. What is a play-in game? They are two pre-tournament games where four teams that almost made it to the tournement play and the winners get into the actual tournament. The games for all other teams start on Thursday.  

What to watch

Serena Williams continues her comeback, facing her sister Venus in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA today.

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Don’t really want to divulge the details of your weekend during the small talk around the coffee pot this morning? Use sports to shift the conversation and show off your savviness.

You’ve got this,

The Last Night’s Game Team  

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College Basketball

If you’re feeling like a champ this morning. It’s championship week in college basketball. That means the different conference tournaments have begun in advance of the big March Madness tournament, which starts next week. Teams that win their conference championship earn an automatic bid into the tournament. The rest will have to sit and wait to hear their team name announced on Selection Sunday (March 11).

Who doesn’t love an underdog? The Lipscomb University Bisons won their conference tournament, which guarantees the team from a small university in Nashville a spot in the March Madness tournament for the first time ever. LIST OF TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED

If you’re interested in participating in the bracket madness of the NCAA (the governing body of college sports) tournament, you can play with us. After Selection Sunday we’ll share a link to our bracket so you can pick your teams and play along in a judgement free zone for a chance to win prizes and have a little fun too.

Overtime

Kobe Bryant isn’t only one of the best in basketball, but he can now add one of the best in Hollywood to his list of accomplishments. Last night he took home an Oscar for his animated short Dear Basketball. He is the first professional athlete to win an Academy Award.

Sideline stat

In hopes of making a team, NFL (National Football League) hopefuls showed off their athletic and mental abilities to scouts in the NFL Combine. University of Central Florida’s Shaquem Griffin was not on the original invite list but the one-handed Griffin certainly made the best out of his appearance, dominating the Combine. Not only did he bench press 225 pounds an impressive 20 times using a prosthetic hand, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash for linebackers in 10 years. And with that, we have no excuse to skip the gym today.

Coaches’ corner

Michelle Wie and Phil Mickelson are two of the biggest names in golf who have been down on their luck for years until this weekend. Wie ended a four-year losing streak by taking home a win on the last hole of the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore. Mickelson, 47, finally broke his five-year losing streak, winning the Mexico Championship this weekend.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

The Olympics may be over (boo) but the world of sports doesn’t stop turning (yay). Here’s what you missed over the weekend that you can share around the watercooler today.

Did you hear…

The Last Night’s Game

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NFL (National Football League)

When you’re thinking about quitting your day job. The NFL (National Football League) has partnered with the NBA (National Basketball League) to provide their players with an externship to prepare for life after football. If you’re in Manhattan on Tuesday, don’t be surprised to see an NFL player ringing up your purchases at the NBA Store. One player not looking for a job? Retired NFL player Charles “Peanut” Tillman who recently became a full-time FBI agent. What like it’s hard?

Golf

So a tiger and a goose walk into a bar. Tiger Woods finished a tournament in the top 15 for the first time since 2015 but it wasn’t without some sacrifices. He hit an unsuspecting goose with a shot. The goose was okay but it would've been better if it ducked. 

Overtime

The U.S. Curling team won its first ever gold medal in the Winter Olympics, something The Simpsons predicted back in 2010. The team was on top of the world until they tweeted at Delta for possible upgrades on their flights home. Delta promptly denied their request stating that they “didn’t have any upgrades to offer but congratulations.” The answer’s always no if you don’t ask.  

Sideline stat

Norway took home the most medals at the Games, 39, breaking the record for most medals won by a country in the Winter Olympics. The previous record was held by the United States.  

Coaches’ corner

In September, the FBI released the names of four college basketball teams that were part of a pay-to-play scandal. Over the weekend the FBI released additional coaches, players, agents and schools involved in the scandal. The list now includes, but isn’t limited to, Oklahoma State University, Auburn, University of Arizona, Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, Kansas and Alabama. FULL LIST OF SCHOOLS

What to watch

No need to go into depression now that the Winter Olympics are over. The inspiring athletic greatness of the Paralympic Games start on March 8.