The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition - Pumpkin Fatigue
Fall is in the air and the flavor of pumpkin is everywhere. May your pumpkin spice latte bring you as much joy as today’s Rundown.
Non-fat please,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – This weekend’s tailgate treat is not made of pumpkin but liquid gold - Kristen’s chorizo queso. Pop that Lipitor and enjoy.
NCAA football (College)
- Don’t hold your breath. ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from Knoxville, TN ahead of the matchup between University of Florida Gators (#19) and Tennessee Volunteers (#14). Tennessee has been unsuccessful in beating Florida in their last 12 attempts. In sports, there’s always hope. Will this be the year the Vols beat the Gators?
- Beak not included. The University of Oregon Ducks are known for having a plethora of uniforms because of their close relationship with Nike. This weekend they’ll be sporting uniforms that look like their mascot, The Fighting Duck.
Need to schedule your Saturday around your team? Here’s the schedule.
NFL (National Football League)
- I got this coach. New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick coached third-string rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a stellar shutout game last night against the Texans. Brissett replaces Tom Brady and back up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
- Viking strong. After losing their starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the preseason, the Minnesota Vikings have also lost their star Adrian Peterson to knee surgery. Peterson is likely out for the season. Although if anyone can return it is Peterson. He returned to the field nine months after ACL surgery (which typically requires a least a year recovery).
- Rivalry. Bragging rights for the Keystone State are on the line this weekend when Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles face off. Both teams are undefeated this season. The matchup is led by two quarterbacks who are on opposite ends of their careers – Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger is a veteran with hall of fame-type credentials and Eagles’ quarterback is rookie Carson Wentz from North Dakota State who was the second pick in the NFL draft.
- Commitment. What kind of dedication does it take to go from North Dakota State’s quarterback last season to the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles this year? Sacrifices have to be made. Carson Wentz’s girlfriend said she has caught him watching game film under the table on their dates. We’ll have the chicken with a side of touchdown.
When is your team playing? Here’s the schedule.
Overtime
- Former NBA player and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, was at a charity event when a protestor smashed a pie in his face. (It was coconut cream in case you were curious). Johnson reacted quickly and punched the pie thrower in the face. The pie assaulter ended up with stitches, a trip to the hospital and then to jail, where he faces a felony charge for assaulting a public official.
Sideline stat
- The final stop on the PGA FedExCup Tour (i.e. the end of the PGA - golf - season) is this weekend in Georgia. The golfer with the most points at the end of the season wins bragging rights along with a $10 million check. Dustin Johnson is leading in FedExCup points and is currently tied in the Georgia tournament. Come Sunday Johnson could be in a higher tax bracket. (Johnson is also the husband of Paulina Gretzky, daughter of famed hockey player Wayne Gretzky).
Coaches’ corner
- What do you mean by third-string? A player, such as Patriots’ Jacoby Brissett, is considered a third-string player for his position. That means there are two other players ahead of him who will play before he does. In the Patriots’ situation, starting quarterback Tom Brady is suspended and back up Jimmy Garoppolo is injured.
The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the World's Most Obscure Sporting Event
With all of America focused on football and baseball, we didn’t want our international readers to feel left out. For this reason, we decided to diversify your sports knowledge. Today we bring you Five Things to Know About the Nomad Games. We’re not sure how these sports missed the Olympics.
This post is not PETA approved,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five things to know about the Nomad Games
- The Nomad Games began in 2014 designed to celebrate the nomadic heritage of the Central Asian nations (although it has expanded as the U.S. and several African countries have a team). Their goal is to show the world "the greatness of nomadic civilization" and to promote the revival and preservation of the historical heritage of nomadic people.
- 2,000 athletes from 40 different cultures came to compete for a week in host country Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan dominated the games winning 79 medals, of which 16 were gold.
- The impressive opening ceremony featured none other than guest of honor, action hero Steven Seagal riding in on horseback donning armor of an ancient Kyrgyz warrior.
- The Games are comprised of 16 events or “ethnosports,” which include horseback javelin-throwing, bone throwing, archery and wrestling on a horse. One of the most popular sports is kok-buru, where two teams of horsemen attempt to push a headless goat into a goal. Think polo with a dead goat. Sorry if you were eating breakfast.
- Most of those attending stayed in traditional yurts and like any other sporting event they attended concerts and a host of other activities including a fashion show and taking eagle selfies.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- Don’t poke the bear. With the playoffs approaching, division rivalries are picking up in intensity. On Monday night, Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner and Dodgers Yasiel Puig had a staring contest which ended with the benches clearing and a heated exchange. Bumgarner kept yelling "don’t look at me” at Puig. Yesterday the Dodgers continued to stir the pot wearing #dontlookatme shirts in the clubhouse and sharing their photos on Instagram. The Dodgers and Giants are fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
- With only a few more weeks of regular season baseball, keep up with who’s in and who’s out of the postseason here.
NCAA Football (College)
- We’ll always have Rio. Devon Allen was in Rio running for Team U.S.A., finishing fifth in the 100-meter hurdles. From Rio, he went straight to the University of Oregon Ducks to play football. Unfortunately, on Saturday he tore his ACL in the game against Nebraska.
Hockey
- Don’t dream it’s over. The World Cup of Hockey started this weekend and the dream is already over for Team U.S.A. They were expected to make a run for the championship but things didn’t go as planned. Team U.S.A. was knocked out of the tournament last night after losing to Canada.
Overtime
- As one of the bottom four couples, Ryan Lochte was at risk of being eliminated in last night’s Dancing with the Stars. Luckily he once again lived to see another day and former Disney star Jake T. Austin was eliminated.
Sideline stat
- Seattle Seahawks violated the league's "no live contact" rule during an off-season organized team activity and they paid the price. The NFL fined the team $400,000, head coach Pete Carroll $200,000 and they will also lose their fifth round draft pick next year. The incident in violation of the rules occurred when two helmet-less players “bumped heads” and were injured. This is not Seattle's first violation under Pete Carroll.
Coaches’ corner
- The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) playoffs start today and we’ll see a new postseason format. In a different format than most professional sports, the top eight teams by winning percentage, regardless of conference, make the playoffs. Playoffs start with two single elimination games. Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks are the top teams coming into the postseason. Here’s the full schedule.
The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up - The Edge of Glory
Sometimes we wish we could predict the future simply for the sake of our fantasy football teams. While we can’t predict the future, we can tell you that the newly selected Super Bowl halftime show performer will be entertaining.
Born this way,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NFL (National Football League)
- Who’s the new guy? New England Patriots beat Miami Dolphins, but replacement quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury that could keep him out for awhile. With Tom Brady’s suspension lasting another two weeks, Patriots rookie Jacoby Brissett will now take on the task of leading the Patriots.
NCAA Football (College)
- The prodigal son returns. Tom Brady is making the most of his four game suspension from the Patriots. This week he traveled to his alma mater Michigan to serve as the honorary captain. Brady and Michigan head coach, Jim Harbaugh, even played a spirited game of catch before the game.
- Bummer sooner. Oklahoma Sooners and Notre Dame Fighting Irish may be on the outside looking in at the college football playoffs because both ranked teams suffered their second loss of the season at home this weekend. The Fighting Irish lost to Michigan State and the Sooners lost to Ohio State.
Did your team win? Find out here.
F1 (Formula One Racing)
- Light it up. Nico Rosberg won the Singapore Grand Prix, his first ever win under the lights. (Singapore is a night track). Rosberg also took the overall points lead from his teammate Lewis Hamilton with six races to go in the season.
- Oh the irony. Singapore is known as a “fine city” because they don’t hesitate to penalize anyone who breaks their rules. One Ferrari team member, who happened to also be an ex-Philip Morris staffer, found that out the hard way. He was fined $730 USD for throwing his cigarette butt on the ground while in the country.
Hockey
- Tough loss. In a shocking victory, Team Europe upset Team U.S.A in the World Cup of Hockey. To advance Team U.S.A. must beat favored Team Canada on Tuesday, or hope for a miracle. Same same but different.
NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing)
- Cowabunga. Martin Truex Jr won the first “Chase for the Cup” race this weekend at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. (Yes that’s the real name – we can’t make this stuff up).
Overtime
- After rumors that Adele turned down the opportunity, the all important halftime performance for this season’s Super Bowl has been announced. Lady Gaga has accepted the challenge of entertaining the nation in February. We have no doubt she’ll put together a memorable performance.
Sideline stat
- Los Angeles Rams beat Seattle Seahawks 9-3 as football returned to L.A. The Rams scored in the game with three field goals which means they still have not scored a touchdown as the L.A. Rams since 1994 (that’s when the team left L.A).
Coaches’ Corner
- What is this NASCAR “The Chase for the Cup?" The “Chase” is an elimination-style playoff to crown the best driver in NASCAR. It starts with 16 drivers in 10 races. It’s quite an in depth points system so if you’re interested in hearing more click here to learn from the experts. We just play ones on TV.