Happy dance! It’s Friday and there’s football, baseball, NASCAR and more to watch this weekend. We hear a weekend of sports filled brunches calling our names.
We’ll take a mimosa please,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS - Get excited for this week’s tailgate treat. It comes to us from a guy you might have heard of, Al Roker. His recipe for homemade brisket beef jerky is out of this world if you go light on the liquid smoke. That’s what’s going on in our neck of the woods.
NCAA Football (College)
- Force majeure. Hurricane Matthew has forced the cancellation of LSU (Louisiana State University) – University of Florida game this weekend. The teams do not have an open date in common for the rest of the season so it will not be rescheduled.
- Surprise guest. ESPN College GameDay heads to College Station, TX ahead of the Tennessee Volunteers (#9) and Texas A&M Aggies (#8) matchup. Will free agent and hometown hero Johnny Football, aka Johnny Manziel whose four-game NFL suspension is over, be the guest picker to try to improve his image?
NFL (National Football League)
- Welcome back. Tom Brady’s suspension for “deflategate” is officially over and just in time for his New England Patriots to face the winless Cleveland Browns. Brady seemed to enjoy his four week break by attending a football game at his alma matter, University of Michigan, and nude sunbathing in Italy with is wife, but it’s back to work for him this Sunday.
- Bottom of the barrel. In Thursday Night Football news, Arizona Cardinals improved from their 1-3 record (wins-losses), beating the equally dreadful San Francisco 49ers.
MLB (Major League Baseball)
- That was easy. Toronto Blue Jays used the momentum from their wild card win to thoroughly defeat Texas Rangers (final score 10-1) in Game One of the ALDS (American League Division Series).
- Hometown pride. Building off Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Championship momentum, Cleveland Indians a took step in the right direction with a Game One win over Boston Red Sox in the other ALDS game.
- If you’re looking for an excuse not to work, all four playoff games will be played today. Catch the full schedule here.
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
- Shake and bake. The second round of the “The Chase for the Cup” begins on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 12 remaining drivers look to win this race to guarantee their spot in the next round. Kevin Harvick will start from the pole position.
WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)
- Showdown. The WNBA finals begin on Sunday with Los Angeles Sparks (#2) taking on Minnesota Lynx (#1).
Overtime
- The Toronto Blue Jays win over the Baltimore Orioles in the wild card game was overshadowed by a fan incident. A Blue Jays fan threw a full beer at an Orioles outfielder catching a fly ball. The fan has since been identified and charged with criminal mischief and wasting a perfectly good beer.
Sideline stat
- Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown received a fine of $24,000 for his “pump” (aka twerking) touchdown celebration. This is his second fine of the year for his suggestive celebrations.
Coaches’ corner
- Barry Bonds, the leading home run hitter of all-time, was fired as the Miami Marlins hitting coach after one season. Bonds rubbed everyone wrong as a player and apparently nothing changed in his career as a coach.
