To Be Expected
A sweet moment amongst rivals, an American star abroad and all the women at the French Open.
Contrary to popular belief, MDW small talk (with a side of sports) is not hazardous to your health.
Good till the last drop,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Soccer
Chelsea won the Champions League yesterday, and the bright spot of U.S. Soccer Christian Pulisic was a key player in the championship win. Pulisic is the first American-born man to play in and then win a Champions League. If you’re not familiar with European soccer, the Champions League consists of the best club teams in Europe. FUTURE OF THE SPORT
Overtime
While the rival San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB – Major League Baseball) played on the field, a young Giants fan became the star of the game for giving the ball he received from an outfielder to his neighboring Dodgers fan. The Dodgers and Giants fans are known for their violent rivalry so this was a glimmer of hope. A SWEET MOMENT
Sideline stat
The old guys are making their presence known in the sports world. Helio Castroneves, 46, won the Indy500 yesterday for a record-tying fourth time. He joins Tom Brady (NFL - National Football League), 42, and Phil Michelson (PGA - Professional Golfers Association), 50, as the oldest guys in their respective sports to bring home a huge win. The former “Dancing With The Stars” winner celebrated his win with, of course, 2% milk. BOTTOMS UP
Coaches’ corner
Serena Williams takes the court today in the French Open in her quest for her record-tying 24th Grand Slam victory. Also taking the court is her sister Venus Williams, 40, and tennis phenom Coco Gauff, 17, who are making their debut together in the doubles tournament. On the other hand, for opting out of all press conferences, Naomi Osaka has been fined $15,000 and received a grave warning of suspensions should she choose to abstain from future press conferences. The French Open is the second of four majors (i.e., Grand Slam tournaments) and the only one played on clay courts. PLAYING HARDBALL
Beautiful Mistakes
Simone Biles makes our jaws drop, old guys rule in golf and Matthew McConaughey feels the need for speed.
No one’s perfect, and you don’t have to be when trying to work your way into a conversation. The fun part about sports is…that it’s truly a team sport. Asking questions and admitting you’d like to learn more only incites interest and intrigue.
Killer confidence,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PGA (Professional Golfers Association)
Three cheers for golfer Phil Mickelson who won the PGA Championship tournament yesterday. With his win, Mickelson, who is 50 years, 11 months and 7 days old, became the oldest player in history to win a major and the oldest to win the PGA Championship. (FYI - the PGA has four major tournaments a year - the Masters is one of them). Mickelson, aka “Lefty,” has six PGA major wins under his belt and beat out Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen for the win. FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Overtime
If you needed any more proof that gymnast Simone Biles is a total bad*ss, she landed the Yurchenko Double Pike on the vault on Saturday. In the first time she’s competed in over a year, she became the first woman ever to land the move in competition. She said she is considering performing the move at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Just another reason to get excited and tune in. DRIVE THOSE RATINGS
Sideline stat
The New York Knicks (NBA - National Basketball Association) are in the playoffs for the first time in eight years, but the ‘F-You’ chants coming from the crowd during their last game might have made you think otherwise. The 15,000 fans, separated into vaccinated/unvaccinated sections, knew their team was playoff-bound. Still, when Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks made a game-winning shot, causing the Knicks to lose, the Knicks fans let him have it because it put a damper on their celebration. ALWAYS WANTING MORE
Coaches’ corner
Racing really showed off their big guns yesterday, with Matthew McConaughey kicking off the first-ever road course race for NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in Austin. Mother Nature wasn’t so impressed, and Chase Elliott won the rain-shorted race. Serena Williams waved the checkered flag at the scenic F1 (Formula One) race in Monaco. The phenom Max Verstappen took home the win. SPOTTED
Going Out On A Limb
A baseball player gives MLB the middle finger, screw donuts - race cars for vaccines is where it’s at and a beautiful hall of fame speech.
Post-COVID small talk isn't easy. So after the "which vaccine did you get?" conversation, allow us to help you make a connection with sports with a side of pop culture.
Social anxiety no more,
The Last Night's Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
After all the last year and a half has thrown at her, Vanessa Bryant remains a stoic head of her family, and she wowed us again this weekend. Her speech at the Naismith (i.e., NBA) Hall of Fame ceremony accepting the honor on behalf of her late husband, Kobe, was incredible and wasn’t without some humor. She said, "I used to avoid praising my husband in public because I felt like he got enough praise from his fans around the world, and someone had to bring him back to reality. Right now, I'm sure he's laughing in heaven because I'm about to praise him in public for his accomplishments on one of the most public stages. I could see him now, arms folded, with a huge grin saying, 'Isn't this some s---?' He's still winning.” ALL THE FEELS
Overtime
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has always been an outside-the-box thinker, so when MLB (Major League Baseball) told him that he wasn’t allowed to promote his own logo or he’d be fined, he got creative at a postgame press conference. NOTHING A SHARPIE AND TAPE CAN’T FIX
Sideline stat
Forget free donuts for getting a vaccine. How about going full out on a superspeedway? To encourage vaccinations, Tallegdega Motor Speedway (NASCAR - National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) opened up the race track to anyone who came to the track for a vaccine. The newly vaccinated Alabamans could take to the track in their own vehicles for two laps, all thanks to the speedway. WHATEVER IT TAKES
Coaches’ corner
If you haven’t seen it already, the “Saturday Night Live” spoof of Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” documentary was golden. SNL cast member Heidi Gardner played John Michael Wozniak, the curly-haired, slightly quirky Chicago Bulls’ locker room security guard and guest host Keegan-Michael Key played Jordan. START YOUR MONDAY OFF RIGHT