This Is How We Do It
When the star QB takes the field but his parents have the worst seats in the house, NYC Marathon history and White House visits.
A new week, another chance to take over the world. Or something like that.
Don't stop me now,
The Last Night's Game Team
NFL (NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE)
With Aaron Rodgers out on COVID protocol, Jordan Love made his NFL debut yesterday for the Green Bay Packers. It was a momentous occasion for his family, who had to watch the game from the nosebleed seats at Arrowhead Stadium. Love's first game didn't go as planned as his Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
SHORT AND SWEET
Today, the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA - National Basketball Association) will be the first NBA Championship team to visit the White House since 2016.
Yesterday, Peres Jepchirchir became the first woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics and NYC Marathon in the same year.
Congrats to the University of Arizona for "bearing down," ending the nation's longest college football losing streak.
BEFORE WE GO
It only seemed fitting that Kyle Larson won the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Championship in Phoenix yesterday. A year and a half ago, it seemed like Larson's career was toast. He was fired and lost nearly every sponsor for using a racial slur while racing online. Larson underwent intense sensitivity training before returning to the track, something not many expected to happen. Yesterday, he took home his first championship win. UNCHARTERED TERRITORY
Full Speed Ahead
All the celebs running Sunday's NYC Marathon, this week's Tailgate Treat and the sports dad who may have cost his son his NFL career.
Judging by the endless Hallmark holiday movies available (40 new ones, in case you're counting), the holiday season is upon us. Instead of small talk about politics or the weather, share your newfound sports knowledge to get the party started.
Cue the snow,
The Last Night's Game Team
New York City Marathon
Forget a trip to Los Angeles for a celebrity sighting this Sunday; the NYC Marathon is the place to be. Former U.S. Women's National Soccer Team teammates and Olympic gold medalists Abby Wambach and Lauren Holiday will be joined by Bachelor nation's Matt James, Tyler Cameron, Tayshia Adams and her fiancé, Zac Clark. TODAY's Willie Geist and legendary supermodel Christy Turlington Burns will be lacing their shoes up too. Everyone mentioned above will be running for a charity of their choice. POUNDING THE PAVEMENT
Short and sweet
The real reason boxer Canelo Alvarez might be wearing eyeshadow and nail polish in the ring this weekend.
The overzealous dad of Odell Beckham Jr. may have cost his son his NFL (National Football League) career.
How the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) are honoring the U.S. military and the country's National Medal of Honor recipients with their throwback helmets this weekend
Breaking down the Aaron Rodgers (NFL) COVID controversy
Before We Go
The NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) season wraps up on Sunday with the championship race in Phoenix. Four drivers - Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Martin Truex, Jr. are fighting for all the glory, the trophy, and of course, the prize money. EAT MY DUST
The 5 Things You Never Knew About NFL Cheerleaders
Movin’ and shakin’ do not bring home the bacon.
Like most jobs, it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.
Limelight and lawsuits,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. If you become an NFL (National Football League) cheerleader, you're not doing it for the money. On average, they make under $10/hour and with practices, appearances and games, they put in 30-40 hour weeks during the season. For the most part, they are not reimbursed for money spent maintaining their team-defined appearance. (Think coloring their hair, uniforms, makeup, etc). Cheerleaders are often required to have another full-time job or be a full-time student. (Yes, being a mother does count as a full-time job in this case). There have been many lawsuits against teams over their pay, and some teams have settled. In the case of the Buffalo Bills, they disbanded their cheer squad altogether. SEEKING THE SILVER LINING
2. The NFL's most famous pom-pom wielding gals, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, have a vigorous application process that includes a written test with questions like "Name a member of Biden's cabinet? or "How many yards are assessed for a personal foul penalty?" In fact, a few years back, ESPN talked 12 Cowboys players into taking the test and…they failed. BRAINS AND BEAUTY
3. The cheerleaders are required to maintain a particular look (see above) because if they don't, they can be benched without pay for violating their contract. Some team's cheer coaches conduct "jiggle tests" to assess the firmness of the cheerleader's bodies during the season, and if they don't pass the test, they're benched. Others have a height-to-weight ratio requirement intended to make sure the cheerleaders do not become too skinny. (NOT) BODY POSITIVE
4. While there are six NFL teams without cheerleaders - Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. The Los Angeles Rams broke down barriers by having male cheerleaders on their squad. SHARING THE SIDELINE
5. The film "A Woman's Work: The NFL's Cheerleader Problem" follows the league's "general insensitivity toward women" and the lawsuits over low pay (crediting the NFL's greed). It even covers some of the inner workings of the sport, such as cheerleader handbooks that "patronizingly mansplain how to use cutlery and tampons." It's not streaming yet but can be seen on the film festival rotation. WATCH IT WITH POPCORN, IF THERE'S NO JIGGLE TEST AFTER