The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition
Finally, it’s Friday! We’re not going to send you off into the weekend without a few teachable moments including spell checking your tattoos, avoiding drugs and what happens on Twitter doesn’t stay on Twitter. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Point taken,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
Hugs not drugs. Florida Marlins’ second baseman Dee Gordon has been suspended for 80 games. Gordon tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs or PEDs. Coincidence that his hitting coach, Barry Bonds, has a stellar career tarnished for allegedly dabbling in PEDs?
NBA (NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION)
- Logoed for a lifetime. The Sacramento Kings unveiled their new logo. To take it a step further, they paid for fans to get the new logo tattooed on their body and encouraged them to share photos using #NewEraOfProud. I bet their mamas were proud.
- Spell check please. Tattoos are the name of the game today. America’s favorite couple Iggy Azalea and Nick Young are back in news. Azalea reportedly stopped her fiancée Young from getting a misspelled tattoo on his back. He almost ended up with the ferocious “BORN REBLE” instead of “BORN REBEL.” Young is the Lakers’ player who was secretly filmed by his teammate talking about his deviant behavior.
- Moving on. The Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics to claim a spot in the next round of the playoffs. They will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals. Semifinal games start on Monday May 2nd.
NFL (National Football League)
- The first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft is...The first pick of the draft was the quarterback from Cal (University of California, Berkeley) Jared Goff to the Los Angeles Rams. For the full analysis of the first round picks, click here. Tonight the draft continues at 7 pm (EST) on ESPN and NFL Network.
- Meanwhile in Vegas. While everyone was talking about the draft, Oakland Raiders were eyeing a move to sin city. The Raiders’ owner has pledged $500 million towards a new stadium and stated “Let’s turn the silver state into the silver and black (Raider's colors) state.”
NHL (National Hockey League)
Victorious. Washington Capitals beat Pittsburgh Penguins in sudden death overtime 4-3, taking 1-0 series lead in round two of the playoffs.
Soccer
- What are the odds? On Sunday, an improbable event could take place in the English Premier League (England’s professional soccer league). Underdog Leicester City could win the Premier League with a victory over the powerhouse Manchester United. To show you how unexpected this feat is, the odds for Leicester City to win the league before the season started were 5000-1. The odds for Elvis being alive are also at 5000-1. The game will air on Sunday at 9 am (EST) on NBCSN.
Overtime
UFC fighter Ronda Rousey and tennis superstar Serena Williams have signed on with Lifetime Network. Rousey has signed on for three movies with the intention of developing and producing flicks focused on female empowerment. Williams is set to produce a film inspired by the annual dance-off competition she hosts with her tennis star sister Venus.
Sideline stat
10 minutes before the draft, the Twitter account of top prospect Laremy Tunsil showed a video of someone (maybe Tunsil)? smoking an illegal substance while wearing a gas mask. Tunsil’s agent says his account was hacked. Regardless Tunsil has a history of bad behavior that already made some teams wary. The top pick slid all the way down to the 13th pick. According to Sportrac.com, the third pick (Tunsil’s consensus ranking) in the 2016 draft is set to earn $25.8 million. Dropping down to 13th may have cost him more than $10 million.
Coaches’ corner
What is sudden death overtime in hockey? If the game is tied at the end of regulation it goes into sudden death overtime which is three-on-three play for five sudden-death minutes. (During regulation time, there are six players on the ice for each team). The first team to score wins. If a goal isn't scored, the game moves to a three-round shootout.
The Rundown: Five Things to Know About the NFL Draft
The NFL draft is not unlike picking your kickball teams in grade school. Some players are chosen quickly but for the rest, it’s a slow, awkward and drawn out process. At the end of the day, most of us aren’t making millions with our athletic skills. Instead we’re putting them to use to give you today’s Rundown.
First round draft picks in our minds,
The Last Night’s Game Team
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Five things to know about the NFL draft
There are only 31 picks in the first round this year because Patriots lost their pick in the first round due to the “Deflategate” scandal (see below). Expect for 255 players to be drafted over the course of three days.
College players must be at least three years out of high school to be eligible for NFL draft
USC has the most players ever drafted from their football program at 493 with Notre Dame closely behind with 486 players drafted.
The last pick of the draft is dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant.” He is dubbed this as the odds are against him that he’ll actually make the team’s roster. Broncos have the distinguished pick this year.
Extra credit. The ones to watch:
Baylor tight end LaQuan McGowan could be the heaviest player ever drafted at 405 pounds.
Newly relocated Los Angeles Rams have the number one pick in this year’s draft. They claim to know who they are picking but will not reveal their choice until Thursday night. It will likely be either Cal quarterback Jared Goff or North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz.
A unicorn? Literally. Draft prospect, Moritz Boehringer, from the Swäbisch Hall Unicorns could be the first player drafted straight from Europe to the NFL. Boehringer (nicknamed Silence for his quiet demeanor) was introduced to football by watching clips on YouTube.
The first round starts on Thursday at 8 pm (EST) on ESPN or NFL Network. Teams receive 10 minutes for each pick. For the rest of the schedule click here.
Here is the draft order (excluding any trades between now and then) and list of players scheduled to attend NFL draft. For those not selected in first round it’s a long and unpleasant wait.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Ouch. With round one of the playoffs still in full swing injuries are changing the face of the playoffs. Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry will miss two weeks with a sprained MCL. Warriors currently lead series 3-1 against Rockets.
- Clipped by the injury bug. Clippers’ starting point guard Chris Paul is out for the playoffs with a broken hand and Blake Griffin (missed 47 regular season games with quad and hand injuries) is also out for the playoffs after re-injuring his quad. Clippers play the Blazers in Los Angeles with series tied 2-2 tonight on NBC at 10 pm (EST).
- Congrats. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won the “Coach of the Year” award despite missing 43 games this season due back surgery. Warriors set all-time season win mark at 73.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
I salute you. Detroit Tigers’ outfielder Tyler Collins will not face discipline charges after flipping off the heckling crowd after he misplayed a fly ball.
NFL (National Football League)
Flattened. On Monday, a federal appeals court ruled to overturn a lower court’s decision in the "Deflategate" scandal. New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady will have to sit out four games to start the 2016 season. Brady is being penalized for allegedly playing with a purposefully deflated the football in order to give his team an advantage.
NHL (National Hockey League)
Ding! Round two of the playoffs starts today with Islanders vs Lightning at 7 pm (EST) on NBCSN.
- Almost there. Game seven between Predators and Ducks is also today at 10 pm (EST) on NBCSN.
- Simply the best. Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have advanced to the second round and will play each other on Thursday (8 pm EST on NBCSN). This series features two of the biggest NHL superstars pitted against each other, Sydney Crosby of the Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals.
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- Don’t change the channel. UFC is taking over the set of Good Morning America today from 7 – 9 am (ABC). UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, current Dancing With the Stars participant Paige VanZant and UFC President Dana White are just a few of the familiar faces you’ll see to start your morning.
Overtime
Move over Oprah because Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has started a book club. Luck went to Stanford and was the number one draft pick in 2012. He will be choosing books for “rookies” and “veterans. A “rookie” book is one that Luck liked when he was younger. His “veteran” book will be one he is currently reading. For more information or to join the book club, click here.
Sideline stat
3,500 miles. That was the goal of runner Reza Baluch who was attempting to run from Florida around the Bermuda Triangle in an inflatable bubble. He made it 70 miles before he was exhausted and picked up by the Coast Guard, again. Yes, this isn’t Baluch’s first attempt at this voyage, which he expected to last for five months. His human hamster wheel was stocked with protein bars, water and a hammock for sleeping. You have to see it to believe it.
Coaches’ corner
- Social media allows people to hide behind their phones and say some pretty dastardly and obscene things. Esquire Magazine asked real men to read some of the mean tweets sent to two women sportscasters. The result is what you expected. Keep up the good work ladies – we’re rooting for you.
The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition
Channeling our inner Bryce Harper, we’re making sports fun again. You’re welcome.
Remember when you went to prom and all you got was a slow dance and some lemonade? A few professional athletes are bringing their A-game to add some excitement to prom.
Cummerbunds, corsages and all,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - Share the fun of sports with others by using the buttons at the bottom.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
Pick me! All-Star voting has begun for the MLB All-Star Game on July 12th in the home of the San Diego Padres - Petco Park.
- Think baseball is boring? So does Washington Nationals' all-star outfielder Bryce Harper. He wants to create a personality in baseball and become a single-name icon like LeBron or Beckham. "Endorsements, fashion -- it's something baseball doesn't see," he says. "In soccer, it's Beckham or Ronaldo. In basketball, it's Curry and LeBron. In football, it's Cam. Football and basketball have such good fashion." You can flaunt your style and show your support of Harper’s “Make Baseball Fun Again” campaign by buying your t-shirt here.
NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing)
Flipping out. Carl Edwards is doing a celebratory backflip for the second week in a row after winning the Toyota Owners 400 in Virginia. Edwards is the third driver to win back-to-back races this year.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
For the win! San Antonio Spurs swept Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers swept Detroit Pistons to move onto round two of the playoffs.
- Injury prone. Golden State Warriors beat Houston Rockets to go up 3-1 in the series. Guard Steph Curry, who just returned to the court after an ankle injury caused him to miss two games, slipped on the court and injured his knee just before halftime. The team rallied without Curry to win the game by 27 points. Early indications are that Curry has a knee sprain, possibly an MCL sprain.
- Franchise history. Charlotte Hornets beat Miami Heat to cut the Heat’s series lead to 2-1. This is the first playoff win in the 14-year franchise history. Basketball legend Michael Jordan is an owner of the Hornets.
NFL (National Football League)
Can I play? Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton gave some seventh graders a thrill of a lifetime when he decided to hop a fence and play football with them.
- That’s not good. A Dallas County grand jury will indict troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel on misdemeanor assault charges for a confrontation where he hit his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, so hard she temporarily lost hearing in her ear. The formal announcement of the indictment is expected today. A misdemeanor assault case carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
NHL (National Hockey League)
In playoff news. San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders have all advanced to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The last two teams to move onto round two will be decided by Wednesday.
PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)
What happens in the Bahamas doesn’t stay there. Top golfers Jordan Speith and Rickie Fowler took a spring break trip to the Bahamas. According to Rickie Fowler’s Snapchat they had a great time playing golf and diving off of buildings into the water. Rickie won the title of ‘shirt of the day’ with this gem. (He’s the one in the middle).
Overtime
We’re reminiscing about prom and apparently some athletes were feeling the magic of the dance as well. Houston Texans’ (NFL) JJ Watt proved he can do it all when he helped a high school senior ask a girl to prom via Snapchat. Not to be outdone, Los Angeles Dodgers' (MLB) outfielder Yasiel Puig crashed the Chatwood High School prom instead of going back to his hotel Saturday night after a game in Colorado.
Sideline stat
Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Byron Scott after two record breaking seasons. Although Scott’s Lakers career wasn’t record breaking for a good reason; he coached two of the worst seasons in Lakers history. Scott’s Lakers went 21-65 (wins-losses, a .256 winning percentage) and 17-65 (.207 winning percentage). The numbers don’t lie.
Coaches’ corner
What is a sweep? Most of us are used to hearing the word sweep when it comes to cleaning up. That’s exactly what it means in sports. A sweep is when the series’ winning team does so without giving up a win. For instance, Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons because they won their (best-of-seven) series with four wins (4-0). The Pistons didn’t win any games. The idea of a sweep applies to all sports where there are series – such as hockey playoffs and regular season baseball (teams play three game series against each other).