Caffeinated Conversations
It’s Monday and we’re serving up the hot topics to talk about around a cup of coffee so you don’t even have to think.
It’s Monday and we’re serving up the hot topics to talk about around a cup of coffee so you don’t even have to think.
Your Monday Motivation to make it happen,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Basketball
You’ll never forget your sweet sixteen. To say it’s been a wild weekend of upsets and bracket busting last second victories is an understatement. We saw two number one teams get bounced from the tournament, the underdog Nevada coach become so excited after their big win that he ripped off his shirt (awkward) and 98-year-old Sister Jean’s Loyola-Chicago team is still playing, thanks to her extra prayers and motivation. Her encouragement might end here as she has her team losing next weekend in the sweet sixteen in her own bracket.
Check your dumpster fire of a bracket here. (Ours is a hot mess too).
PGA (Professional Golfers Association)
When you wish the haters would just fade away. Rory McIlroy agrees with you. After winning this weekend’s tournament named after golf legend (and creator of the iconic non-alcoholic drink), Arnold Palmer, McIlroy spoke out saying he’d like to see a limit on alcohol sales to combat the hecklers on the course. He said it’s getting out of hand. Unlike Happy Gilmore, he’s trying to hit the haters where it hurts, in their livers.
Overtime
The movie “The Sandlot” turns 25 this year and the Milwaukee Brewers (MLB – Major League Baseball) decided to reenact their favorite scene of the movie, costumes and all. Besides the acting, the best part is the reveal of “The Beast.” You’re killing me smalls.
Sideline stat
Zero – the number of perfect brackets left after Friday night. UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) shocked the world as the first #16 seeded team to ever beat a #1 team, hence the lack of perfect brackets. Your bracket may not be a winner but because of the upset, everyone will receive free pizza for lunch at Little Caesars on April 2nd. If that’s not enough you can get your morning laugh catching up with the sassy UMBC twitter account that has fought off cynics all weekend. (For the record, UMBC lost last night in the second round).
Coaches’ corner
The Paralympics have come to a close but the last day was highlighted by a big win by the U.S. Sled Hockey Team that took home their third consecutive gold. Overall, it was the best performance for Team U.S.A. in 16 years, winning 36 medals, with 9 of those medals going to military veterans.
The Talk Of The Town
It’s undoubtedly the talk of the town and we’re not talking about the latest celebrity gossip.
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
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.
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
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.