David Ross

The Rundown: 5 Things To Know About The Indy 500

One of the biggest highlights of every Memorial Day weekend isn’t the famous baked beans at Uncle John’s BBQ, it’s the Indianapolis "Indy" 500 race. Don’t worry today’s Rundown has all you need to know to carry on a conversation with anyone at said BBQ.

 

Hot dog or hamburger?

The Last Night’s Game Team


Five Things To Know About The Indy 500

  1. The Indy 500, called “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway aka the Brickyard. It’s called the Brickyard because the track used to be made of bricks, which are still exposed under the asphalt at the start-finish line. It’s a tradition to kiss these bricks. We can confirm that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention did not come up with that idea.
  2. Scott Dixon set the pole (see Coaches’ Corner) for this year’s Indy 500. He was going so fast in qualifying, a mere 232 MPH, that he thought his dashboard was broken. Later that same day, Dixon and another driver were robbed at gunpoint at a local Taco Bell. The cherry on top of the day.
  3. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman will serve as honorary starters for the race. Gyllenhall is set to play Bauman in an upcoming movie. This is the first time two people will wave the green start flag. The anthem will be sung by singer Bebe Rexha.
  4. Pippa Mann is the lone female driver in the race. For the fourth straight year, she'll use this spotlight to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and prevention. 
  5. Not into racing? Don’t worry. Within the race track is the “The Snake Pit,” which hosts EDM (Electronic Dance Music) concerts during the race. It's no Preakness port-a-potty races, but close. 

Overtime

  • The Dancing With The Stars finale came down to two athletes, former Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross and NFL (National Football League) player Rashad Jennings. The judges and America voted and the athlete with the best moves is Rashad Jennings. While it’s no Super Bowl ring, the current free agent (he’s looking for a job) took home the famed mirror ball trophy.

Sideline Stat

  • The crowd at this year’s Indy race is expected to be over 300,000 people. That’s slightly behind the 350,000 at last year’s 100th anniversary race. For perspective, the second largest sporting venue in the U.S., behind the Brickyard, is the University of Michigan’s football stadium and that holds 107,601 fans.

Coaches’ Corner

  • What is pole position in auto racing? The pole position is the number one position to start the race. Drivers have to qualify beforehand by driving the track. Typically, the driver with the fastest time from qualifying is slotted into the pole position. In this case, that's Scott Dixon. 

The Rundown: Monday Motivation

It’s Monday again but hang in there. It’s almost a three-day weekend!

 

You can do it,

The Last Night’s Game team

 

PS - Need a little extra motivation this morning? Leave it to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to kick-start your day


Horse Racing 

  • It’s in the cloud. The quest for the Triple Crown came to an end on Saturday. Cloud Computing, who was fresh after not racing in the Kentucky Derby, won The Preakness. Derby winner, Always Dreaming, came in eighth in a field of 10.
  • Hold my beer. The other race at The Preakness isn’t on the track; it’s the famed port-a-potty races. Yes, racing atop port-a-potties while onlookers try to knock you off by throwing beer cans. What could go wrong?

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Unstoppable. The Golden State Warriors make things look easy. Saturday, they beat the overpowered San Antonio Spurs to take a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs. The Warriors remain undefeated in the playoffs.
  • Detained. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Enes Kanter, a Turkish citizen, was traveling abroad on behalf of his charity. Kanter has long been an outspoken critic of the Turkish president and upon arriving in Romania, he was detained because his passport had been cancelled by the Turkish government. The NBA called the U.S. State Department for help and he was later released.

Overtime

  • The Dancing With The Stars season 24 finale begins tonight and it features two athletes. Former Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross (MLB – Major League Baseball) and NFL (National Football League) running back Rashad Jennings will battle it out with pop star Normani Kordei for the mirrorball trophy.  

Sideline stat

Coaches’ corner

  • Former NFL player Myron Rolle has accomplished more than most by age 30. He's not only a Rhodes Scholar who played professional football but a medical school graduate who will start his neurosurgeon residency at Harvard next month. Guess you’d say he’s accomplished.  

The Rundown: Best Enjoyed With Friends

We haven’t been this excited about Friday since last Friday. It’s a great weekend to put your newfound sports knowledge to the test.

Show them what you’ve got,

The Last Night’s Game Team


MLS (Major League Soccer)

  • Here we go. The MLS season begins today and runs through December. (MLS is the league David Beckham played for when he played in the U.S.).  Here are a few MLS pointers for your Friday night happy hour.
    • There are two new teams this season. Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC bringing the total to 22 teams in the league.
    • Unlike most professional sports, MLS teams are only allowed four charter flights in a season. That means you’ll see them standing in line with their A-17 boarding pass just like you and me.
    • Many of the teams have “FC” in their name which stands for football club. Yes, the U.S. is the only place that doesn’t call the game of soccer “football.”

NFL (National Football League)

  • Take a knee. Controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick has opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming a free agent. Kaepernick also announced that he will now stand for the national anthem, citing major progress in the issues he took a knee for.  

Overtime

  • Northwestern has never made the NCAA March Madness tournament but a last second win over Michigan all but guaranteed their first tournament appearance.  Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ son plays for Northwestern and her reaction to the dramatic win is priceless.

Sideline stat

  • Get your sequins and spray tans because it’s time for another season of Dancing with the Stars. Season 24 premieres on March 20th and will feature some of America’s favorite faces in sports.
    • Olympic gold medal gymnast, Simone Biles
    • Retired Chicago Cubs catcher and the first baseball player ever on the show, David Ross
    • Free agent football player, Rashad Jennings
    • Former Olympic ice skater, Nancy Kerrigan

Coaches’ corner

  • What is a free agent in sports? A free agent means that the player is on the market and available, they do not have ties to a team. Free agent is the sports word for “being in between jobs.”