The Rundown: Santa Edition

Have you been naughty or nice? 

Looking for Christmas TV that doesn't involve Will Ferrell in an elf costume? (Blasphemy!) We break down Christmas and Boxing Day sports for you, along with last night's highlights. Just in case you need an excuse to watch TV to avoid the awkward Trump vs Clinton discussion with Aunt Gertrude, the game times are below. 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours,

The LNG Team 

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 NBA

• The best is yet to come. The 2016 NBA Hall of Fame Nominees have been announced. The nominees must be retired for four years to be considered. The inductees will be announced in September. Some of the notable nominees are:
  • Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal: Coming out of Louisiana State University Shaq possessed size and athleticism never before seen in the NBA (7’1,” 325 pounds). Throughout his 18-year career, Shaq became one of the most dominate forces in the league.  
  • Allen Iverson: A guard, Allen Iverson was known for his tenacity for his stature (6 feet tall, 165 pounds). Iverson had ability to score with ease and play incredible defense.  He played two years at Georgetown and was the first overall pick in 1996 draft by Philadelphia 76ers.
  • Yao Ming: Hailing from China, Yao Ming was one of the tallest players in the league at 7’6.” Using his physical abilities became unstoppable as a center for the Houston Rockets. His career was cut short by injuries but the impact he had on introducing NBA to the biggest market in the world (China) is unmeasurable. 
• But wait, there's more. Golden State Warriors are on a record setting pace with 26 wins thus far in the season.  (The record is 72 season wins set by 1996 Chicago Bulls.) On the contrary, Philadelphia 76ers are 1-29. Ouch.

 MLB

• Cash is king. St. Louis Cardinals sign starting pitcher Mike Leake to a five-year, $80 million contract

 NFL

• He's on QB's naughty list. Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson announced he will retire after this season. Woodson was a Heisman winner at the University of Michigan in 1997, drafted fourth overall by the Raiders in 1998, ranks fifth with 65 interceptions, has intercepted 41 different quarterbacks and has a Super Bowl ring from a win in 2010 with the Packers.

 BOXING DAY SPORTS

• In case you need another excuse to watch sports. Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated in most of the Commonwealth Nations. Boxing Day marks the beginning of a five-day test cricket match between Australia and India in Melbourne, Australia.

• I'm on a boat. The day after Christmas also begins the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which is widely considered one of the most difficult sailing races in the world due to the high winds and difficult seas associated with the Bass Strait and Tasman Sea. While the race is only about 720 miles, each year nearly 20% of the flotilla (fleet) retires before finishing. 

• Pajama Party. If you want to partake in Boxing Day celebrations from the comfort of your couch, catch these Premier League games Saturday morning:
  • Stoke City vs Manchester United 7:30 am (EST), on NBCSN
  • Manchester City vs Sunderland, 10 am (EST), on NBCSN

OVERTIME

• The NFL selected this season’s Pro Bowl roster. The Pro Bowl is the all-star game for American football which is played on Jan 31 in Hawaii. (the weekend before the Super Bowl – which is Feb.7) Click here for the full player list but a few notables include:
  • Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Berry is making his fourth appearance. This appearance is a year after beating cancer. Touchdown dance.
  • Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson is selected for the ninth time.
  • Carolina Panthers lead with 10 players selected for the game

SIDELINE STAT

• University of Florida men’s basketball team beat Jacksonville 89-65 last night. The highlight of game was walk-on player Zach Hodskins who scored his first ever basket. Hodskins was born without a hand on his left arm.

COACHES' CORNER

• What is a walk-on player? An athlete who has not been recruited or invited to try out for a team. You would simply call them a walk-on. In this case above, Hodskins wasn’t invited to join the team, tried out anyway and made it. Booya.

A FULL SLATE OF NBA GAMES TO WATCH AFTER OPENING PRESENTS. HEY IT’S A TRADITION!

Christmas Day NBA games (all times are EST)

• New Orleans Pelicans vs Miami Heat, Noon on ESPN
• Chicago Bulls vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 2:30 pm on ESPN
• Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors, 5 pm on ABC. Game note: This is a rematch of last season’s NBA finals
• San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets, 8 pm on ESPN. Game note: a battle for NBA supremacy in Texas. 
• Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 pm on ESPN. Game note: this game is bragging rights of the Staples Center, where both teams play home games.

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

This weekend was full of sports action.  Here's a snapshot to impress your friends and family at holiday parties this week. They'll be so impressed. Just don't eat the fruitcake. 

Seasons Greetings, 

The LNG Team

PS - Give us some coaching tips. Let us know in the comments your likes, dislikes or if you want to learn something specific. 

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NCAA Football (National Collegate Athletic Association aka College Football)

• Ladies hide the remote. Capital One Bowl Mania began Saturday. There are 42 bowl games in all with the culmination in the National Championship Game on January 11 in Phoenix, AZ. 

NBA (National Basketball Association)

• All-Star Alert! Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving made his season debut Sunday vs 76ers. This was his first game back since breaking his knee in NBA Finals vs Warriors last year.
• Who you calling old? Kobe Bryant dunked for the first time this season against the Houston Rockets. Bryant will retire at the end of the season after a 20 year NBA career. 
• Solid Gold. The Golden State Warriors continue their hot streak with a 26-1 record.

NFL (National Football League)

• What's his secret? New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, clinched a first round playoff bye for 6th season in a row. (Brady is married to Victoria's Secret model Gisele.) 
• Yet another reason to hide the remote. NFL playoffs start on January 9, 2016.
• Heading North? San Diego Chargers beat Miami Dolphins 30-14 in most likely last game in San Diego before inevitable move to Los Angeles.
• Perfection. Carolina Panthers hit a late field goal to stay undefeated against New York Giants 38-35. Only Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand in the Panthers' way of a perfect season. 

overtime

• University of Nebraska Cornhuskers' Women's Volleyball Team swept the University of Texas Longhorns to claim the National Championship in front of a record setting crowd of 17,561.

Sideline Stat

• The only NFL team to finish undefeated is the Miami Dolphins in 1972 (14-0)

coaches' corner

• What's a bye? A team receives a bye which means they don't have to play a game when most other teams have to play. In this instance, the Patriots finished in first place in their division and have earned a weekend off to rest and practice before they play their first playoff game.