Wednesday Wisdom
Women leading sports teams from the C-Suite. Plus today’s watercooler topics.
It's March 1, and we're still writing 2022 on things.
Win some, lose some,
The Last Night's Game Team
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View from the top
These women aren't the norm to hold positions in the C-Suite, but they are changing the face of sports.
Cynthia Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, became the first Black female CEO in the NBA (National Basketball Association). But being first is nothing new for her. In ninth grade, her mother inspired her to claim her place in school leadership. Later Marshall became the first African American president at her school. "It was historic and the faculty was more emotional than I was. We've been blazing trails ever since then," Marshall said. She became the first African American cheerleader at Berkley and the first Black woman in Delta Gamma at the school.
Learn more about "Women Leading Sports Teams From The C-Suite" in this week's podcast. LISTEN OR READ THE TRANSCRIPT
Short and Sweet
Novak Djokovic breaks Steffi Graf's record for most weeks as the world's No. 1 ranked tennis player (378 weeks).
Taylor Lewan, former offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans (NFL - National Football League), was recently cut by the team. According to a photo he posted on Twitter, the team dropped off his belongings on his doorstep in trash bags.
Meet the high school cheerleader who performed alone at the state championships after her entire team quit. And she set a team record.
The TV ratings were so low for the season opener for LIV Golf that more people tuned into "World's Funniest Animals" and a rerun of "Masters of Illusion" than golf.
Photo: Unsplash
One In A Million
Support for the youngest victims of the Turkey quakes, Serena and Brittney Griner awarded and making enemies one pitch at a time.
Make this week yours.
Onward and upward,
The Last Night's Game Team
Soccer
Fans of the Turkish soccer club Beşiktaş showered the team's Istanbul sidelines with thousands of toys during Sunday's match to donate to the children affected by the earthquakes that impacted Turkey and Syria earlier in the month. Fans began to throw the toys at the 4:17 mark in the game to signal the time of day that the first earthquake struck the region.
Before kickoff, fans also paid tribute to the more than 50,000 victims, including former Chelsea player Christian Atsu who died due to the earthquakes. HEARTBREAKING
Short and Sweet
The Cavinder twins, women's basketball players from the University of Miami, are two of the most famous faces of the NIL era, with projected earnings at or above $790,000 each. They also received the first-ever infraction in the new college basketball name, image, and likeness era.
Former YouTube personality turned boxer Jake Paul suffered his first career loss to Tommy Fury (brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury).
Expansion team St. Louis City FC played its first-ever game, which featured an unlikely player pregnancy announcement, as an MLS (Major League Soccer Team) team when the season opened this weekend.
In an attempt to speed up the game, the new MLB (Major League Baseball) pitch clock is doing its job but making a lot of people mad along the way.
Before We Go
A young fan named Aaliyah attended Thursday's SheBelieves Cup (NWSL - National Women's Soccer LeaSerena Williams (tennis) and Brittney Griner (WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association) were recognized at the NAACP Image Awards. Griner and her wife Cherelle received a standing ovation. Retired NBA (National Basketball Association) player Dwyane Wade pleaded from the stage for LGBTQ rights on the heels of a judge's ruling to allow his daughter Zaya a name change and legal transition. STAND UP
Photo: ABC
Photo: Instagram/lewishamilton
I Can Love Me Better
Golf clap for drama, a glimpse inside Aaron Rodgers' "darkness retreat," time for spring training and this week's Tailgate Treat.
This weekend in sports leads us to a golf clap for drama, with a glimpse inside Aaron Rodgers' "darkness retreat," and it's time for spring training.
The Last Night's Game Team
GOLF
The LIV golf league season begins today, and it's about to get even more exciting. LIV golfers can now play in the four majors*, which was off the table last season when the LIV divide happened. Big names playing in the Saudi-backed LIV have won plenty of majors, like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. They will be able to compete against the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who have been very outspoken against LIV. LONG DRIVE DRAMA
* There are four major golf tournaments during the golf season, affectionately called the "majors." They include The Masters, The US Open, The Open Championship and The PGA Championship.
Short and Sweet
We finally get a glimpse inside Aaron Rodgers' darkness retreat, and it led to all the jokes about an NYC apartment.
The NFL (National Football League) is following in the footsteps of the PGA with a Netflix documentary. "Quarterback" will be released this summer and features quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota.
Break out the sunscreen; spring training games (MLB - Major League Baseball) officially start today in Florida and Arizona. Noah Song is entering the season in an unusual situation. He received a waiver to transfer his status with the Navy from active duty to selected reserves to attempt to make the Phillies roster.
The USWNT (US Women's National Soccer Team) wins their sixth SheBelieves Cup title, and Alex Morgan breaks the USWNT record for most goals scored as a mom.
Before We Go
The second half of the NBA (National Basketball Association) season has begun. Steph Curry is hoping to return to the court following an injury. In the meantime, he's been taking in some women's basketball games with his kids.
When asked by a fifth-grade reporter, "What does women's basketball mean to you?" Curry responded, "When I was growing up, I played with a lot of young girls, we played a lot of pickup together. I love that the game is growing and getting some more exposure. I grew up watching sports, and now to drive awareness on how good the women's game is, all that stuff matters." BETTER TOGETHER
Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Instagram/xfl