The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About the National Championship Game
Break out the foam finger and pom poms because it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for all season. The College Football National Championship game is here.
Go forth and impress with your sports knowledge,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Things to Know About the College National Championship Game
- Alabama (#1) and Clemson (#2) will battle it out for the title of National Champion on Monday at 8 pm EST. This game is a rematch of last year’s championship where Alabama defeated Clemson 45-40.
- The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL which resembles a pirate ship. It’s the first outdoor site for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Tampa is close to both schools (roughly 580 miles) therefore the demand for tickets is high. The average ticket price is $1,125.
- Alabama head coach Nick Saban is looking for his sixth championship title and if he wins he will tie the all-time win record. (He has won four championships with Alabama). Saban is the highest paid public employee in the country with a salary of $7 million.
- Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a walk on at Alabama and part of their 1993 championship team. During his college days at ‘Bama, Swinney lived with his mom and a roommate in a two-bedroom apartment due to financial constraints.
- The teams receive $2.16 million for their travel expenses but there’s no additional bonus for playing in the championship game. (The conferences received a $6 million bonus for their teams that made it to the final four).
Overtime
- This week members of the New York Giants (NFL – National Football League) partied in the Miami clubs with Justin Bieber and shirtless on a yacht.
When asked about his teammates antics in advance of their playoff game this weekend, Giants quarterback Eli Manning voiced his displeasure by stating that he "was a little disappointed…Obviously they didn’t pack accordingly. They didn’t have any shirts. Kind of long pants. No shorts. No flip flops or anything.”
Sideline stat
- The Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB – Major League Baseball) sued Maricopa County who maintains Chase Field, their home ballpark. The 19-year old stadium is in need of $187 million in upgrades and there’s an impasse on who should pick up the tab. The team expressed interest in playing elsewhere.
Coaches’ corner
- The NFL’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced their finalists for this year’s class. They include:
- Jerry Jones, Owner, Dallas Cowboys
- LaDainian Tomlinson, Former running back, San Diego Chargers
- Terrell Davis, Former running back, Denver Broncos
- Kurt Warner, Former quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
- See the full list here.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be elected on February 4th.
The Rundown: We're Never Eating Again
We made it through the holiday season and 2017 is finally here. We don’t know about you but the diet starts today. All that couch surfing while watching sports and spiked eggnog has finally caught up with us.
Break out the stretchy pants,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – Don’t forget to share your excitement for Last Night’s Game with your newly found treadmill buddy. 2017 is the year of the sports savvy!
NCAA Football (College)
- Have we met? While you were celebrating the end of 2016, Alabama beat Washington and Clemson shutout Ohio State. The winners move on to the National Championship game on January 9th. The game will be a rematch of last year’s final game, which Alabama won.
- But wait there’s more. Don’t worry, if you missed out on bowl season football there are still a few major bowl games today. These games were moved from their typical New Year’s Day time slot because of an NFL scheduling conflict (the NFL played on Sunday).
- Cotton Bowl (Arlington, TX) - Western Michigan vs Wisconsin
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) - Penn State vs USC
- Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - Oklahoma vs Auburn
NFL (National Football League)
- See ya. Unlike most NFL coaches, Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is leaving the games on his terms. Kubiak informed the team he is retiring as head coach. Rumors have it he’s retiring for health reasons but we think it’s because he misses Peyton Manning.
Overtime
- NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. may have been out most of the season with a concussion but he took the plunge on New Year's Eve. Earnhardt married his longtime girlfriend and everyone was there. Guess which leading lady caught the bouquet and might be the next one to walk down the aisle? (FYI - NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing).
Sideline stat
- On Friday night Ronda Rousey made her much anticipated return to fighting after a lengthy absence. Albeit all that training for her comeback fight didn’t pay off as she hoped because she was knocked out in 48 seconds by champion Amanda Nunes. All signs point to Rousey retiring after her loss but pour one out for her because she’s a pioneer - the Amelia Earhart of women’s MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) if you will.
Coaches’ corner
- Today is known as Black Monday in the NFL. It is the Monday after the regular season finishes when many losing coaches are shown the door. There have already been five coaches fired before today therefore the infamous day might not live up to the hype this year. “Tell me about it” said Black Friday.
The Rundown: NYE Edition - Baby You're A Firework
The big guns are coming out this weekend for New Years. From a woman looking for revenge, to a group of guys who need to prove themselves on the field, to a gal who needs more muscles to keep her left hand up, they're all going to end 2016 with a bang.
See you next year,
The Last Nights’ Game Team
PS - Today's tailgate treat is in honor of Robert Leo Hulseman, the inventor of the Red Solo Cup who passed away at age 84. He brought joy (and pain) for so many. Cheers to you!
NFL (NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE)
- Over already? They say time flies when you’re having fun. That’s right, this weekend is the last weekend of the NFL regular season. The experts have overanalyzed the heck out of the team playoff scenarios. Should you wish to explore their rationale, check them out here.
UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- Kind of a big deal. UFC 207 is tonight in Las Vegas. It will feature the first fight for female fighter extraordinaire Ronda Rousey since her devastating first career loss in November 2015. Rousey faces the current champion Amanda Nunes, who is a badass and the first openly gay UFC Champion.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Help a fella out. It’s time for fans to vote for the NBA All-Stars. Philadelphia 76ers rookie Joel Embiid needs your help. Embiid was told by his crush Rihanna that he needed to be an all-star to get a date. The game is February 19th so your vote could come just in time for Valentine's Day.
Overtime
- Top ranked women’s tennis player Serena Williams (35) revealed that she is engaged to the co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian (33). Surprisingly, they announced their engagement on….Reddit.
Sideline stat
- Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo rejected an offer from a Chinese soccer team that would have paid him over $105 million a year. His agent Jorge Mendes said “money is not everything; the Spanish club (his current team Real Madrid) is his life."
Coaches’ corner
- This isn’t your normal New Year’s Eve party pre-game routine. The final four teams in college football will battle it out on Saturday for a spot in the National Championship game, which determines the best team in FBS college football. (FBS stands for the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division One).
- The Peach Bowl (3 pm EST) - Alabama (1) vs Washington (4)
- The Fiesta Bowl (7 pm EST) - Ohio State (3) vs Clemson (2)