The Rundown: 5 Things to Know About Championship Celebrations at The White House

Earlier this week the World Champion Chicago Cubs brought their victory parade to the White House. President Obama took a break from his packing duties to show the team around. It’s tradition for the nation’s champions to be celebrated at the White House but why?

Curious like a cat,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Five Things to Know About Championship Celebrations at The White House

1. The tradition of sports teams visiting the White House began in 1865 but it wasn’t until 1924 that the World Series Champion Washington Senators (baseball) were celebrated by President Calvin Coolidge. Although the NBA (National Basketball Association) champs didn’t make their first visit until 1963, NFL (National Football League) in 1980 and NHL (National Hockey League) 1991. 
2. Since you never show up to a party empty handed, teams typically bring along their winning trophy and a gift for the president, usually a team jersey. Not sure he has enough wall space for all of those.   
3. It’s not all pomp and circumstance. When the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) visited the White House, the team and the president packed over 3,000 care packages for troops serving overseas. During their time in the capital, the San Antonio Spurs (NBA) visited wounded veterans and the U.S.A. Women’s Soccer Team put on a youth soccer clinic. 
4. It’s not always warm and fuzzy as some players boycott the visit and use it as an opportunity to speak out against the president’s policies or the government. Others simply can’t make it. President George W. Bush said "I guess his grandmother died again" about the absence of Boston Red Sox (MLB) player Manny Ramirez.
5. When the New York Giants (NFL) visited in 1987, the team dumped a cooler full of popcorn on President Reagan to honor the traditional merriment of pouring Gatorade on the head coach to celebrate a victory.  

• Extra credit: It’s not only the professional athletes who visit, college champions and Olympic athletes have graced the Rose Garden with their presence.

Overtime

• Pittsburgh Steelers’ (NFL) Antonio Brown violated the sacred space of the locker room after the team’s big playoff win this weekend. Brown streamed postgame locker room talk of head coach Mike Tomlin making not so nice comments about the Patriots, their next opponent.

Sideline stat

• When Brown took to Facebook, he violated the NFL’s social media policy. The policy prohibits social media activity 90 minutes before kickoff as well as after game through the postgame press conferences. Brown is certainly going to be fined by the league for that one. 

Coaches’ corner

• College football is a year-round grind and that became apparent when three players on the University of Oregon Ducks football team were hospitalized after an off-season workout. The Ducks’ strength and conditioning coach has been suspended. Phew and we thought working out with Jane Fonda was tough.

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition - Nat'l Boss's Day

While Monday’s may not be your favorite we have a plethora of weekend sports excitement to start your day. Consider it a reward for getting out of bed this morning. Unless of course you’re still under the covers when reading this. In that case, hit the snooze and go back to bed.

Start the day in nine minutes,

The Last Night’s Game Team

PS - It's National Boss's Day. Say thank you to your boss not with flowers, but with the gift of The Rundown. Share it - it's the gift that keeps on giving.  

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MLB (Major League Baseball)

• We’re even. With fans in Wrigleyville paying $100 for a parking spot, the home team Chicago Cubs won Game One on Saturday night. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers sent out their ace Clayton Kershaw to even the series last night. The two teams will continue the series in L.A. on Tuesday.
• Due north. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians play tonight in Canada with the Indians leading the best-of-seven series 2-0 over the Blue Jays. The winner of this series (and the Cubs/Dodgers series) will play in the World Series.

NCAA Football (College)

• Shake it off. This weekend we saw a shake up in the top three team rankings in college football. Clemson dropped and now the rankings stand with Alabama in the number one spot followed by Ohio State and then Michigan.

NFL (National Football League)

• The black sheep. The City of Cleveland is experiencing big wins with their professional basketball and baseball teams excelling, but their football team? Not so much. The Cleveland Browns are still winless six games into the season.

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

• I’m in. Kevin Harvick won to secure his spot in the next round of eight drivers in the elimination-style playoffs in the "Chase for the Cup.” There is one race left in this round of 12 cars for a driver to win to secure a spot and move on.

WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)

• Ladies who dunk. With basketball legends Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson in the crowd the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks to force a fifth and final game on Thursday in the series for the WNBA championship.

Overtime

• The NFL league office recently put a social media ban on teams posting highlights from TV to the team’s individual accounts. The ridiculous ban is not sitting well with teams. On Sunday, a few teams posted funny reenactments of their games since they couldn’t post highlights. The new policy also forbids teams from shooting video inside the stadium during the game and posting it on social media. Welcome to the stone age NFL. 

Sideline stat

• Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dax Prescott is making a campaign to replace the injured Tony Romo for good. Yesterday he broke the record of 162 passes, held by Tom Brady, for passes without an interception.

Coaches’ corner

• Not paying college athletes has always been a hot topic. Wisconsin Badgers basketball player Nigel Hayes took advantage of ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting from his campus and held up a sign saying “Broke college athlete, anything helps” to start the conversation on the discrepancy between what universities make on sports (big money) vs athletes (zero). Hayes is unable to accept money due to NCAA rules, so any donations will be given to the Boys and Girls Clubs.