The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up Edition

Recovery is the word of the day after a wild weekend of college basketball. Luckily we have until Thursday to lower our blood pressure and mourn our destroyed brackets.

No use crying over spilled milk,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NCAA Basketball (College)

• Underdogs reign supreme. In the first two rounds of tournament there were 10 wins by double-digit seeded teams, the most in NCAA tournament history.

• Back to normal. The second round saw fewer upsets with the big win going to Gonzaga (#11) beating Utah (#3).  
• The games everyone will be talking about.
  • Texas A&M (#3) came back from 12 points down with 30 seconds left to tie game against Northern Iowa (#11), eventually winning in double overtime
  • Wisconsin (#7) and Xavier (#2) were tied 63-63 with two seconds left. Coming out of a time out Wisconsin hit a three-pointer to win 66-63. 
  • Notre Dame (#6) won 76-75 on last second tip in to beat Stephen F. Austin (#14) 

F1 Racing (Formula One)

• From the land down under. Nico Rosberg edged out teammate Lewis Hamilton to win the first race of year in Melbourne, Australia. There was a major accident in the race (luckily no one was injured) and the red flag came out. This was the first time since 2007 that a red flag made an appearance. (A red flag means the race has to stop).

MLB (Major League Baseball)

• Buena Vista Social Club. The Tampa Bay Rays will play the Cuban National Team in Cuba on Tuesday (1:30 pm EST on ESPN). They are the first team to do so since the Baltimore Orioles in 1999. Also in attendance will be President Barak Obama, Rachel and Sharon Robinson (wife and daughter of the late great Jackie Robinson) and retired New York Yankees star Derek Jeter. 

• Returning home. The Rays have added Dayron Varona (who has never played on a Major League team) to their roster for the trip. Varona defected from Cuba three years ago to pursue his baseball dreams. 
• Thanks but no thanks. ESPN radio/TV host Dan Le Betard offered a heartbreaking but passionate perspective on the upcoming game in Cuba and why he and his parents will not be attending. Le Betard’s parents left Cuba for Miami.

Overtime

• The Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) signed Tautvydas Kieras, a track and field standout from Mississippi State. Normally this wouldn’t be that notable but Kieras has never played football. Kieras trained for Mississippi State’s pro day where he wowed the team with his abilities.

Sideline Stat

• Jimmie Johnson (#48) won the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, California. This is 77th career win and he surpassed legendary driver Dale Earnhardt in wins.

Coaches’ Corner

• For the first time since 2012, all #1 seed teams in the NCAA tournament have advanced to the Sweet 16 (i.e. the next round where there are only 16 teams left in the tournament).

Five Things to Know About March Madness

Need a few pointers to pick your NCAA bracket? Then you’ll love today’s Five Things to Know.

Make sure to pick your bracket for the Inaugural Last Night’s Game Tournament Challenge. We’ve submitted our picks and we’re dancing around with anticipation like a leprechaun waiting in line for the bathroom on St. Patrick’s Day.

Doing an Irish jig,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Five things to know about picking your NCAA tournament bracket

1. If a team loses once they’re out of the tournament. Teams have to win six games to become champions. 
2. No #1 team has ever lost to a #16 team.
3. The #5 team vs #12 team matchup statistically has the most upsets (i.e. the lower ranked team - #12 - beats the #5 team).
4. Many people pick their brackets by colors or mascots. If you pick by color, blue is a good choice as 12 of the last 15 champs had a variation of blue as their main color. If you pick by mascots, Wildcats are a wise selection (Arizona, Kentucky, Weber State, Villanova).
5. It’s unusual to have a final four made up of all #1 ranked teams (even though they’re the best teams coming into the tournament).  In 2006, not one of the #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. 

The reason March Madness is just that, madness, is because anything can happen. Someone who knows very little about college basketball has just as great of a chance of winning their bracket as someone who researched the crap out of it.

Moral of the story. Give it a whirl. Pick a bracket and see what all of the fuss and excitement is about. Remember to set your Last Night’s Game March Madness bracket before games start on Thursday morning for a chance to win prizes. (Free to participate).

The schedule for all the tournament games can be found here. 

Overtime

• Monmouth University was left out of the field of 68 teams for the NCAA tournament but they accepted an invitation to NIT. They’re a team to watch because they have the best choreographed bench in basketball. This highlight reel might give you some new ideas for moves to use at the club. Just saying.

Sideline Stat

• University of Connecticut (UConn) enters the women's NCAA tournament on a 69 game wining streak, having won three straight women's NCAA championships. (A pointer if you’re picking the NCAA women’s tournament bracket…UConn is really good).  

Coaches’ Corner

• Should you be completely stumped on how to pick your bracket, here’s another idea. CBS Sports conducted a survey of college basketball head coach’s favorite singer/band.

Notable teams

• #1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks’ coach Bill Self: Luther Vandross
• #1 ranked North Carolina’s coach Roy Williams: Luke Bryant
• #1 ranked University of Virginia’s coach Tony Bennett: Boys II Men
• #1 ranked University of Oregon’s coach Dana Altman: Rolling Stones

 Honorable Mention:

• Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard: Beastie Boys
• Green Bay’s Linc Darner: Meat Loaf
• Xavier’s Chris Mack: Kid Rock

The Rundown: Weekend Wrap Up

What has bling, brackets and balloons? This weekend did. Don’t worry your future looks bright, as the inaugural Last Night’s Game Tournament Challenge is here.

The week is off to a great start,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NCAA Basketball (College)

• The bracket for the NCAA tournament (i.e. March Madness) are set and the number one seeds (top ranked teams in the tournament) are:
  • East - North Carolina Tar Heels
  • South - Kansas Jayhawks
  • Midwest - Virginia Cavaliers
  • West - Oregon Ducks

The first games start with the play-in games on Tuesday with the actual first round starting on Thursday. Click here for the entire schedule of games.

• Bracket fun. The inaugural Last Night’s Game Tournament Challenge is here! Winners (and losers) will receive prizes, bragging rights and a chance to actually enjoy March Madness without the stress of the office pool. It’s free to participate. (More about picking your bracket in the ‘Five Things to Know’ on Wednesday). Email us if you have any questions. 
• A different party. The NIT (National Invitational Tournament) is for 32 teams that did not make the big dance of the NCAA tournament (hence why it is also referred to as the “not invited tournament.”) Games start Tuesday.  
• Oops. CBS held their official two-hour bracket release show on Sunday, dramatically releasing the teams one by one. Oh the suspense. Apparently someone had had enough because halfway through the show the complete bracket was leaked online. CBS currently investigating to find the leak of this very valuable information.

NFL (National Football League)

• Buh-bye. Cleveland Browns released quarterback and notable party boy, Johnny Manziel, after two years with the team. During his time with the Browns, former Heisman Trophy winner “Johnny Football” put partying before football which lead to his release. Like any good breakup, Manziel took it in stride by partying in L.A.
• He put a ring on it. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson popped the question to singer Ciara over the weekend. Judging by the engagement ring, their future looks bright. The couple is known for their devastatingly good looks and their vow of abstinence until marriage. (Ciara has a son, Future, with former fiancée, rapper Future).

NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing)

• Quick delivery. In the #4 Jimmy John’s car, Kevin Harvick won his first race of the season by the narrowest finish in Phoenix International Raceway history.

Iditarod

• Can you spell D.U.I? A man was arrested for deliberately driving his snowmobile into two sleds competing in the Iditarod race on Saturday, killing one dog and injuring two others. The suspect admitted to drinking hard alcohol and blacking out before driving his snowmobile into the sleds.  There is still no motive of why he intentionally targeted the sled dog teams. 

Overtime

• VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) lost to St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 Championship game, hurting their chance to make the NCAA tournament. One cheerleader took the loss very hard and took her frustration out on the St. Joseph’s balloons. (VCU made tournament anyways). She gave a whole new meaning to the cheer be aggressive. Be be aggressive.  

Sideline Stat

• Lee McCoy, who is a senior at the University of Georgia and an amateur golfer, finished fourth in the The Valspar Championship. Since he is an amateur he cannot collect the $292,800 prize money associated with his finish. When asked about the money, "It was a lot of money. I think I've got like $350 in my bank account right now, so that's mostly gas money. It hurt, but there’s so much going great for me right now. I’m just trying to take it all in. Just really grateful to be standing here.” Talk about a good sport. McCoy now has to turn around and play in a 36-hole tournament today for the University of Georgia. 

Coaches’ Corner

• In the NCAA tournament, what is a play-in game? A play-in game is played by four teams in two games to determine whether or not they will make the tournament. The winning teams will then play a higher seated team in the first round and the losers go home.