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The Rundown: Weekend Preview Edition

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There’s never a dull moment in the world of sports. There is so much to report between Kobe’s retirement, Warriors historic win, UConn women setting records and in the world of real life experiences, bullying.  

Showing bullies who’s boss, today in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball when he became the first African–American Major League Baseball player.

Now that’s record breaking,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - Pass us on. We're cool with that.

MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • Making a statement. Bryce Harper hit his 100th home run at the ripe old age of 23. He is the eighth youngest player in history to reach this career milestone. As if that wasn’t enough, he actually broke the scoreboard with his 100th home run.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Fitting farewell. Kobe showed fans what they’ll be missing when he retires. In front of a crowd full of celebrities and Kobe fanatics, his final game was filled with tributes that also saw Kobe score 60 points (that’s a lot, especially for a guy who’s retiring). The Lakers only won 17 games this season (season consists of 82 games), therefore they will not be going to the playoffs.
  • Winning Warriors. On Wednesday Golden State Warriors beat Memphis Grizzlies to become the first team ever to reach 73 wins in an NBA season. Kudos Warriors. Now let’s see if Steph Curry and his team can win in the playoffs. 
  • Playoff excitement. NBA playoffs start this weekend. Don’t get too excited as it’s a long playoff system – the NBA Finals don’t start until June. Yep June.
  • The playoff system is long because teams play a series of games and there are a lot of teams involved. The first round is a best-of-seven games series. More than half of the NBA teams make it to the playoffs with 16 of the 30 teams making it into the first round. For complete playoff coverage, including a schedule for this weekend's games, click here. 

NFL (National Football League)

  • Football frenzy. The 2016 regular season schedule was released this morning. Find it here.

WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) 

  • Still breaking records. The WNBA draft took place yesterday and it continued to be a record setting year for the women's national champions, UConn. The UConn women set yet another record for being the first team ever to have three of their players selected to start the WNBA draft.

Overtime

  • According to his former trainer, Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval has an eating problem and some are saying he’s too heavy to be bringing home $19 million a year. Sandoval lost his job at third base to Travis Shaw and has since been placed on the DL (disabled list) for a shoulder injury.  Cue Ben Stiller in Heavyweights. 

Sideline Stat

  • The Lakers sold a record breaking amount of merchandise on Wednesday for Kobe’s last game. Fans spent a record $1.2 million on jerseys, foam fingers and other memorabilia at the Staples Center. According to ESPN, that’s an average of $63 spent per fan in attendance. The previous single event merchandise record was set by Led Zeppelin who sold $1 million in goods during their reunion tour stop at the O2 arena in London in 2007.

 Coaches’ Corner

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The Rundown: Five Things to Know About Kobe Bryant

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Today marks the last day of Kobe Bryant’s basketball career. He will be known for his dedication to the game, unparalleled skills and work ethic. Our Five Things to Know is about the master of the pump fake, the $4 million apology gift and a legendary career – Kobe Bryant.

See you in the senior basketball leagues,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Five things to know about Kobe Bryant

  1. At age 6, Young Kobe moved to Italy for his father’s career.  His father Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant played in the NBA and in Europe. Kobe’s favorite sport is soccer, not basketball like you might’ve guessed. He’s a big fan of Italy’s AC Milan.

  2. Kobe (nickname Black Mamba) was drafted right out of high school in Philadelphia by the Charlotte Hornets as the #13 pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He was then traded to Los Angeles Lakers where he spent his entire career.

  3. Kobe went to prom with singer Brandy in 1996. According to her, he was late picking her up.

  4. He apparently loves music because he met his wife Vanessa while recording a rap song. (She was a backup dancer working in the same building). They were married when he was 22 and she was 19. The couple has two daughters. 

  5. By the numbers -  Five NBA Championships, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 18-time all-star, leading scorer in Los Angeles Lakers history and 1996 High School Player of the Year. There are more accolades than we have space to mention. Now that’s a career.

MLB (MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL)

  • Leaving fans in the dark. The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the most popular teams in the league, so why are fans in the dark when it comes to watching their games on TV? There is a big dispute between cable companies that is keeping the team off the TV and there’s no sign of hope for screen time anytime soon. 

  • I got it! Normally we wouldn’t encourage grown men to bring their glove to the stadium to catch fly balls but this Tigers fan was determined to have a big day. He caught five foul balls for little Tiger fans.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Pick your poison. Tonight you will be forced to make a choice between Kobe Bryant’s last game as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers or the Golden State Warriors playing to take home the single season win record at 73. Both games start at 7:30 pm (EST) with the Lakers playing the Utah Jazz on ESPN2 and the Warriors playing the Grizzlies on ESPN.

NHL (National Hockey League)

  • No playoffs eh? The NHL playoffs start tonight and for the first time since 1970 there are no Canadian teams in the playoffs.
  • What are the odds? According to vegasinsider.com these teams are favored to win the Stanley Cup. 1. Washington Capitals 2. Chicago Blackhawks 3. Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Show me some hockey. Here’s a link to the TV schedule and the playoff bracket. 
  • Who to watch. Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane is the first American born player to lead NHL in scoring. 

Overtime

Sideline stat

  • Kobe Bryant holds the second highest single game scoring performance with 81 points against Toronto Raptors in 2006. (For comparison sake – the Lakers scored a total of 79 points as a team in Monday night’s game against the Thunder).

Coaches’ Corner

  • What is the Stanley Cup? The Stanley Cup is the trophy awarded to the NHL Champions, the team that wins the NHL playoffs.  

 

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The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

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This weekend defending champion Jordan Spieth blew his lead to lose the Masters. To add insult to injury, he then had to put the esteemed green jacket on the winner, Danny Willett.

Speaking of bitter beer face, Kevin Durant is said to share the same sentiment in a farewell video to Kobe Bryant, whose last game of his career is on Wednesday.

Turn that frown upside down,

The Last Night’s Game Team

Boxing

  • Going out on top. Saturday night in Las Vegas Manny Pacquiao dominated his fight against Timothy Bradley, winning with a unanimous decision. This was said to be Pacquiao’s last fight but many questioned his retirement after Saturday’s stellar performance. 

MLB (Major League Baseball)

  • So close you can taste it. Los Angeles Dodgers’ rookie pitcher, Ross Stripling, almost had a dream come true on Friday night. Stripling was called up from the minor leagues and took advantage of his chance on the big league field. He pitched a shut out/no-hitter into the eighth inning when he was pulled by coach Dave Roberts. Unfortunately, the relief pitchers blew the game and the Dodgers lost to the San Francisco Giants.
  • Sweet start. Colorado Rockies' rookie shortstop Trevor Story is off to an unheard start to the season. Story has hit seven home runs in the team’s first six games. Story is the first player in baseball history to accomplish this.
  • Hello Herbert. Washington Nationals are adding a new face to their presidential race that is run on the field between innings. Former President Herbert Hoover has been nominated to join the race. Hoover joins the other racing presidents - George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. In case you were wondering, Hoover won his inaugural race.

NBA (National Basketball Association)

  • Setting records. Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night to win their 72nd game of the season, tying the record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. This was the first home loss of the year for the Spurs. The Warriors have a chance to break the record with their last game of the regular season against the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday.
  • Bon voyage. Kobe Bryant’s last game of his storied career is on Wednesday. Nike put together a tribute featuring athletes saluting Bryant. (Some people are saying Kevin Durant comes off as bitter, you be the judge.)  

NCAA Basketball (College)

  • Totally inappropriate. Louisiana Tech women’s baseball team’s head coach Tyler Summit resigned last week. Summitt, 25, is the son of Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Tyler resigned due to an inappropriate relationship with a player which, according to rumors, resulted in the player’s pregnancy, 

NFL (National Football League)

  • Tragic loss. Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and his wife were shot in an alleged road rage incident in New Orleans. Smith died from his injuries. Smith spent his career with the Saints and was part of their 2010 Super Bowl team and was to be inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame later this year.

PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association)

  • On the back nine. Defending Masters champion Jordan Spieth led the tournament for the first three days and had a five shot lead going into the last nine holes on Sunday. In a span of three holes, Spieth went from leading by five strokes to losing by three. Danny Willett took advantage of Spieth’s struggles and took the lead and finished strong to win.
  • Baby daddy. Anticipating the birth of his first child whose due date was yesterday, Willett almost did not participate in the Masters. The baby was born a week early on March 30th, paving the way for him to play in the Masters. Although his child was not born on April 10th, it still turned out to be a very special day for Willett and his wife.

Overtime

  • With the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, around the corner, the U.S. men’s and women’s basketball teams announced that they plan to stay on a cruise ship instead of in the Olympic Village.

Sideline stat

  • Kyle Busch swept the NASCAR races for the second weekend in a row; a feat that had not been accomplished since 1991. Busch won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Friday night and then the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday.

Coaches’ Corner

  • What is a no-hitter in baseball? A no-hitter is a complete game in which the opposing team does not get on base from a hit. This doesn’t mean no one from the opposing team makes it to base (they can be walked or hit by a pitch) but no one from the opposing team actually gets to a base by hitting the ball. It’s a rare feat and only 292 pitchers have pitched a no hitter since 1876.

 

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