Think About It

Head into the week firing on all cylinders - prepared for any small talk topic thrown your way.

The best of the best,
The Last Night's Game Team

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MLB (MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL)

Don't look now, but baseball season may not happen as planned. After months of negotiations between the Players Association and owners, it all comes down to today. If the two sides, who are said to be far apart, can't agree by today, opening day will be pushed back, and regular season games will be canceled. Spring training was already canceled. PLAY BALL??

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Short and Sweet

• "Ted Lasso" cleans up at the SAG Awards, and Will Smith lands his first-ever Actor® for his role as tennis dad Richard Williams in "King Richard."

• FIFA may have refused to oust Russia from the World Cup, but they are sticking it to them by not allowing their team to fly the country's flag or play the Russian National Anthem during this winter's World Cup. The Czech Republic, Poland and Sweden all spoke out, refusing to play Russia in games leading to the World Cup.

• March Madness could be extra spicy this year.

• It's not polite for the royals to have a public disagreement, but rugby has made Kate and William a house divided.

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Before We Go

Olympic gymnastic sensation Suni Lee does it again - performing a nabieva, which has never been seen before in collegiate gymnastics. She also scored her first perfect ten on the beam during her competition as a member of the Auburn gymnastics team. BEAST MODE

PS: In case you're wondering, according to Yahoo Sports, the nabieva consists of laying out vertically over the high bar, swinging around, then passing over the bar backward before grabbing it again. It carries the highest difficulty rating.

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SALUD!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere, which means it's dinner time. Check out our Tailgate Treats for some inspiration for dinner time (or happy hour). LIKE A BOSS

HELP WANTED

The Winter Olympics is over, which means it's back to work for many Olympians. But what do they do for their day jobs? BACK TO REALITY 

You've Got A Friend In Me

With the Olympics in full swing and the Super Bowl on deck, confidently talk sports this week with today's Weekend-Wrap Up.

Teamwork,
The Last Night's Game Team

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Olympics

Snowboarder Julia Marino brought home the first medal for Team USA this weekend. Hoping to continue their path to gold, rival teams, US and Canada, meet up on the ice in the final game of the group stage. The women's hockey teams are the favorites and have been dominating their opponents. The game will air live at 11:10 pm ET Monday night. QUEST FOR GOLD

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Short and Sweet

• At 50, Kelly Slater proves he's still the best, beating a surfer half his age to win the Billabong Pro Pipeline.

• Aaron Rodgers missed the NFL Pro Bowl for a fifth-grade girls basketball game.

• Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders won defensive MVP in this weekend's Pro Bowl, but it's his story from rehab to NFL success that's the most impressive.

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Before We Go

COVID is putting a damper on the social culture of curling. The sport is known for its camaraderie with pregame handshakes and postgame drinks. The practice of "broomstacking," or competitors stacking their brooms by a fire after a game and sharing a drink, has all but vanished. Teams are operating inside a bubble and missing out on the chance to unite over a cold one. A GOOD SPORT

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Brilliance

Mindmapping? Neurofeedback? Learn more about the last frontier of healthcare, the brain, with Braincode Centers Co-Founder and CEO Rachel Lambert on the latest episode of Water Me Wednesday. MIND-BLOWING

This Is Next Level

Rejoice the Winter Olympics are finally here. Here are the five storylines you need to follow to be in the know. LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Renegade

Defy the urge to talk about the weather because you're better than that. 


Yeah, you are, 
The Last Night's Game Team

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Olympics

If this were “Sesame Street,” the number of the week would be 13. While you were sleeping, 13-year-old Nishiya Momiji won Japan’s first gold medal in women’s skateboarding. Not to be outdone, the U.S. is back in the finals for softball. After a 13-year hiatus from the Olympics, softball made its return for the 2020 Games, and the undefeated U.S. women will face Japan in the gold medal game tomorrow. Japan is the defending champion. They upset the United States in Beijing in 2008, which was the last time softball appeared in the Olympics. BATTER UP

Overtime

Five-time gold medalist, Katie Ledecky, has been dominant in the swimming world for almost a decade. Yesterday the world was shocked as she fell to Ariarne Titmus of Australia in the 400-meter freestyle. But no one was happier to see Titmus defeat her idol than her coach, whose celebration video went viral. TEARS OF JOY

Sideline Stat

Fans of college football can’t stop talking about the rumors swirling around the University of Texas and Oklahoma. Rumors surfaced that the two powerhouse sports schools plan to move to the SEC (Southeastern Conference). The schools are currently members of the Big 12 conference, but a shift to the SEC would create the most dominant conference in college athletics. If you need a talking point on this one, it’s not likely to happen soon. The TV contracts for both of the schools expire after the 2024-25 season. If they back out earlier, each team will have to pay $80 million. RUMOR HAS IT

Coaches’ Corner

The U.S. Men’s Basketball Team is off to a rough start in Tokyo after falling to France in their opening game (and losing two preseason games). This defeat was the team’s first official loss in an Olympic game since 2004. Luckily, the loss to France does not squash Team U.S.A.’s chances at winning their fourth consecutive gold medal as the top two teams from each group move on to the quarterfinals. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME