You Get What You Give
Wrapping up March Madness tonight, why all women should care about last night’s Stanford/Arizona game and Aaron Rodgers starts his Jeopardy! gig.
You don’t have to know a lot about sports to join in on the office sports chatter. It’s a great topic to carry over the conversation from the good ‘ole boys club into something in your comfort zone.
Show ‘em who’s boss,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College basketball
It was a nail-biter in the women’s national championship game. The game came down to the last second, but Stanford pulled out the win over Arizona. Stanford may have been the top-ranked team coming into the tournament, but their journey wasn’t easy. Because of COVID regulations in their home city, they spent 86 days in hotels on the road, playing only six home games all season. Their head coach Tara VanDerveer won her third championship, adding last night’s win to her long list of wins that make her the winningest coach in women’s Division 1 basketball. CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
Overtime
If you’re feeling the need for a challenge this Monday, how about some trivia? Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (NFL - National Football League) begins his two-week-long stint as a replacement “Jeopardy!” host tonight. If you thought studying x’s and o’s or planning a Hollywood wedding to Shalene Woodley was tough, Rodgers said he ‘studied like no other’ for this gig. This isn’t the first time Rodgers has made an appearance on the iconic TV show; he was a celebrity contestant in 2015. WHAT IS MUST SEE TV?
Sideline stat
It’s the moment everyone’s been waiting for. Just about everyone’s bracket is busted, but that’s not putting a damper on the excitement for tonight’s men’s March Madness game between Baylor and Gonzaga. Gonzaga is trying to do something no team has done since 1976, have an undefeated season. No doubt Chip and Joanna Gaines will be cheering for Baylor. Their hometown team hasn't won a championship in 73 years. Tipoff is at 9 pm ET. HOOP DREAMS
Coaches’ corner
We have to give so much love to Arizona women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes, who inspired women everywhere in her quest for her dream job and a national championship. Barnes, who won a championship during her time in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association), coaches alongside her husband and is a mom to two children. During halftime in yesterday’s game, she was not only giving a pep talk to her team but also pumping as she’s still nursing her six-month-old daughter. Barnes shed light on the NCAA’s rules that have stifled working moms. Coaches’ children, such as Barnes’ six-month-old daughter, counted against a team's limited traveling party numbers, which means she had to choose between her children and a member of her staff. SURVIVAL MODE
WHAT TO WATCH
The greatest game on grass, the Masters, starts this week. Make sure to tune into this week’s podcast for all things PGA (Professional Golfers Association), including cheap pimento cheese sandwiches, draconian cell phone rules and the famed green jacket. Oh, and mounting pressure to move the Masters out of Georgia. FORE!
Can't Stop, Won't Stop
How is it almost April? Elite Eight, U.S. men’s soccer team fails to qualify for the Olympics and sports + vaccinations = a beautiful relationship.
Ever struggle talking to that one coworker? Well, sports are a great conversation starter and serves as a brilliant bridge to a fabulous conversation.
You heard it here first,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Basketball
This weekend in the men’s March Madness tournament, the underdogs went home and the teams you expected to be in the Elite Eight are there. Oral Roberts, Loyola Chicago (hi Sister Jean) and Syracuse were all sent packing but three of the No. 1 ranked teams are still in it. The Elite Eight play takes place today and tomorrow. PREDICTABLE
On the women’s side, the first No. 1 seed lost with Indiana upsetting North Carolina State. NFL (National Football League) quarterback Russell Wilson was spotted cheering on his sister Anna and her No. 1 ranked Stanford team. Keep your eye on the University of Arizona, whose team is on fire heading into the Elite Eight, which runs today and tomorrow. YAS GIRLS
Overtime
A mere days after U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team star Megan Rapinoe spoke in D.C. on Equal Pay Day, the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team failed to qualify (again) for the Olympics. The U.S. men’s team has not qualified for the Olympic games since 2008, yet the women’s team is still having to fight for similar paychecks and working conditions as the men’s team. For the record, the women’s soccer team has more Olympic golds than any other participating country. (Note, the men’s team is working with primarily amateur players as some MLS – Major League Soccer – teams refused to release players to play on the U.S. team). THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMM
Sideline Stat
The NFL (National Football League) is expected to announce this week that the next NFL season will be a 17-game season, one more than previous years. Owners are ecstatic over the option of more time to make money, and fans are excited about more regular-season games, but players aren’t happy about it. The collective bargaining agreement gave the league the option to expand the season. The league has paired down the preseason from four games to three but players are still concerned about injuries. Why? Let us explain. JUST THE BEGINNING
Coaches’ corner
The MLB (Major League Baseball) season kicks off on Thursday. And while you might think everyone sat around during the off-season eating bonbons, think again. Over 1 million vaccinations were distributed at MLB ballparks during the off-season. There are 11 ballparks across the league that have been converted into mass vaccination centers, and some will continue to be vaccination centers, even with the start of the season. Some teams will be allowing fans when the season opens up this Thursday. For more on the MLB season, stay tuned for Wednesday's podcast. THAT’S A HOME RUN
Going Bananas
No perfect brackets remain, the Savannah Bananas are taking the world by storm and the NCAA women’s weight room update.
Between March Madness and a banana mascot with abs, this weekend’s wrap-up will give you plenty to discuss over coffee this morning.
Expect the unexpected,
The Last Night’s Game Team
College Basketball
Your perfect bracket never stood a chance. No perfect brackets remained after less than two days into the men’s March Madness tournament. Why? There were plenty of underdog wins this weekend, including Loyola-Chicago. Sister Jean’s pregame prayer gave her team the lift they needed out Illinois (No. 1) from the tourney. This round of games wraps up today, with the next round beginning on Saturday. BRACKET BUSTED
Don’t worry, the women’s tournament is still in session and there’s plenty of excitement left. Unlike the men's tourney, all No. 1 seeds are still in it. UConn's freshman star Paige Bueckers dominated in her team's win against High Point, setting the school record for points scored in a tournament debut.
Overtime
The Savannah Bananas are taking the sports world by storm. The collegiate league team has gone viral after their revolutionary “banana ball” rules and banana mascot with washboard abs. Who doesn't love a team whose uniforms include a kilt? The Bananas' new rules include shorter games and the fans are part of the game. If a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out. The umpires are even in on the gig, doing backflips before calling an out. It may seem a bit like a circus, but when’s the last time you said a baseball game held your attention? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
Sideline stat
Oral Roberts University is the talk of the men's March Madness tournament as the only the second No. 15 seed in history to advance to the Sweet 16. They shocked the world, taking out Ohio State (No. 2) and Florida (No. 7). If you're wondering "Where is Oral Roberts University?" we'll save you the time it takes to ask Siri. The university is located in Tulsa, OK. FLAUNTING THAT CINDERELLA SLIPPER
Coaches’ corner
The Los Angeles Lakers (NBA – National Basketball Association) will be without LeBron James for the foreseeable future after a high ankle sprain. The loss of James is a big hit to the Lakers, who are also without their other star player Anthony Davis. The Lakers are sitting in third place in their division. LONG ROAD AHEAD
What to watch
An update to a story we brought you on Friday. A post went viral of the serious inequity between the women’s and men’s weight rooms at their respective March Madness tournament. The NCAA said it was a space issue, but a beautiful new women’s weight room was unveiled over the weekend. STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL