How The Sports World Is Saving Mother Earth

How far are you willing to go to save Mother Earth? Well for these teams, the sky’s the limit.

Recycle, reuse, repeat,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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1. The Green Rovers, a soccer team from Western England, is leading the charge to go green. They claim the title as the only vegan football (i.e., soccer) club in the world. Since 2015, there have been no animal products for sale in the stadium. Some of the players eat non-vegan outside of the stadium (and there are paparazzi photos to prove it), but some have adopted the vegan lifestyle. The team is also the world’s first U.N. certified carbon-neutral sports club. NO MEAT PIES FOR YOU

2. From medals made of recycled consumer electronics to recycled cardboard beds, expect the Tokyo Summer Olympics to set the bar high when it comes to a sustainable Games. Anyone can reduce their carbon footprint by using fuel-efficient vehicles and existing venues, but Japan is taking it one step further using post-consumer plastic packaging collected throughout Japan to create the medal podiums. Not to be outdone, organizers are aiming to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for the electricity used to power the Games. DOING THEIR PART

3. Pocono Motor Speedway’s (NASCAR - National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) green efforts not only benefit the earth but you. The raceway runs completely on solar power and has sheep for lawn mowers. But they have an industry-specific problem – what to do with as many as 600 used tires after a race? Answer – recycle. The recycled residue from old tires is used in everyday items such as portable speed bumps, the anti-fatigue mat in your kitchen or playgrounds. WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD

4. Home field advantage for some sports teams is an urban farm. Fenway Park, one of the oldest stadiums in baseball, was granted its LEED certification. The home of the Boston Red Sox (MLB) also has a rooftop farm that generates 5,900 pounds of produce annually to be used in the stadium. The home of the San Francisco 49ers boasts a 27,000-square foot rooftop farm that generates 500 pounds of produce monthly. BATTING FOR BROCCOLI

5. The Cleveland Indians were the first MLB (Major League Baseball) team to install a wind turbine to power their stadium. Others have since followed. Although the Indians can boast that their stadium is 100 percent powered by renewable energy from wind power. BLOWN AWAY

It’s A Small World After All

Today’s weekend wrap-up is all about what a small world the sports world can be. Well, that and a dose of European soccer.

Life’s too short,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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European Soccer

The biggest teams in European soccer (aka football) are ready to make a break for it. A group of high-profile European soccer teams is set to go rogue and form a “super league.” Teams include basically most European teams you’ve ever heard of including, AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. The league would threaten the Champions League, the biggest football club competition (read club teams, not country teams). UEFA (the governing body of European soccer) announced a new tournament designed to stop some of the biggest clubs from leaving. SHAKING THINGS UP

Overtime

We talked about former race car driver Danica Patrick in our last podcast, “Athletes You Can Thank for Your Next Hangover,” and here she is making another appearance. Over the weekend, she became Instagram official with Carter Comstock, the co-founder of meal-prep company Freshly. Patrick is involved in a plethora of business, including Somnium wine. She and her new beau are notably both investors in a wellness brand known for THC-free CBD products. She captioned her post from Mexico, “Beach workouts are fun for one, but better with you,” complete with a pink heart emoji. HERE’S TO HOPING

Sideline Stat

Also making the cut for last week’s podcast is former NBA (National Basketball Association) player Dwyane Wade. Wade was in the news over the weekend because he joined the impressive list of former players to own a piece of an NBA team. Wade bought into the Utah Jazz, a team he never played for but will be able to have a hands-on role. Wade isn’t “just” a former player; he has his hands in many businesses, including Wade Cellars in Napa Valley. (If you haven’t seen his wife Gabrielle Union’s sales pitch for his wine, you’re in for a laugh). Wade joins Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill as former NBA players to own an NBA team. The financial terms of Wade’s deal have not been released. WELCOME TO THE TEAM

Coaches’ corner

Now onto Danica Patrick’s ex, Aaron Rodgers. Following in Aaron Rodgers’ footsteps at a guest host of “Jeopardy!” Is hall of fame NFL (National Football League) and MLB (Major League Baseball) broadcaster Joe Buck. Rodgers is hoping Buck is terrible at this guest role as he’s been eyeing the full-time position to replace former host Alex Trebek (RIP), all while playing quarterback for the Green Bay Packers (NFL). PLACE YOUR BETS

Bite-Sized Goodness

A little snack of conversational goodness to share with your friends.

Delectable and delightful,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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PGA - Professional Golfers Association

11 years ago, Hideki Matsuyama struggled to find food to eat and wondered if his family was alive after the tragic tsunami that hit Japan's coast where he was at university. Yesterday, 10 years after he made his debut at Augusta National, he took home the Masters championship and the iconic green jacket. He made history as the first male Japanese-born player to win a major. (A major consists of four tournaments on the tour, one of which is the Masters). The moment that fans loved so much was Matsuyama’s caddie’s bow, a traditional gesture in Japanese culture, after the win. KUDOS ARE IN ORDER

Overtime

Much like UPS, the New York Yankees (MLB - Major League Baseball) are notorious for their facial hair policy. The team traded for second baseman Rougned Odor, whose signature look is a giant beard. Not anymore. Odor had to shave his beard and now his three-year-old daughter won’t even look at him. The policy states that the only facial hair that’s okay is a mustache and scalp hair may not grow below the collar. GOOD THING FABIO DOESN’T PLAY BASEBALL

Sideline stat

The Baltimore Orioles’ Trey Mancini (MLB) came back this season full of hope. He missed last season fighting Stage 3 colon cancer. Mancini struggled at the plate the first week of the season, but Saturday he hit his first home run and you can bet that felt good. He’s been cancer-free for five months and it looks like nothing is going to stop him now. WELCOME BACK

Coaches’ corner

In a move that shocked no one as the WWE (WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment) is admittedly scripted, Latin rapper Bad Bunny won his bout in this weekend’s WrestleMania. In fact, some are calling his 15-minute appearance the “greatest celebrity wrestling appearance” ever. While that’s quite the title to add to the list of accomplishments for the Grammy award winner, don’t expect him to quit his day job anytime soon. *ADDS WWE EXPERIENCE TO LINKEDIN

What to watch

Keep an eye on former MLB player Alex Rodriguez and former Walmart president and CEO Marc Lore, who are in negotiations to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves (National Basketball Association) and the Minnesota Lynx (WNBA - Women’s National Basketball Association). Last year, Rodriguez was part of a group, along with fiancee Jennifer Lopez, to buy the New York Mets (MLB) that fell through. QUITE THE SIDE HUSTLE