Game Time!

The Play by Play

Trade of the Year

Think back to sitting in the hallways of your elementary school- trading your sparkly slammer for a friend’s 8 pogs, or your  bull dog beanie baby for someone’s panda bear… Yet millions of dollars are involved. The other day, Kyrie Irving (the 2nd in command for the Cleveland Cavaliers) was traded to the Celtics, in exchange for Isaiah Thomas (Celtics all-star whose sister tragically died in a car accident during last year’s play-offs), a few other lesser known players and a draft pick. It’s the first time in NBA history that two players who routinely score more than 25 points a game (that’s a lot if you consider most games end with a team scoring between 80-100 points) have been swapped.

The Season Begins

Sundays now mean more than the next episode of Game of Thrones. Football is back! The preseason, where teams play 3 games that are considered more of a practice, has started, with the regular season (16 games) commencing on Thursday, September 7th. The New England Patriots (last year’s Super Bowl champs) face off against the Kansas City Chiefs. Looks like Tom Brady might have to win this game, and all subsequent, without one of his go-to wide receivers, as Julian Edelman is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Now…. Who to watch? Maybe you already have a favorite team. If that’s the case, click here to scope out their 2017-2018 schedules. If it’s more about the outfits, here’s a breakdown of the best and worst uniforms in the league. Maybe you want to read a bit more about each team or tune in to see who’s hot and who’s not.

Either way, pick your team(s) and their schedule. Maybe even check out the roster and memorize a few of the players’ names. Name dropping is bound to impress.

The Faces and Facts

As football season comes into full swing, it is good to know a few key players, past and present. So here’s you go: 

Vince Lombardi: A legendary coach for the Green Bay Packers (along with the NY Giants and the Washington Redskins). The trophy awarded to the team that wins the Super Bowl is named in his honor. 

Cam Newton: The inventor of the “dab.” Now that end zone celebrations are allowed, let’s see what interesting moves he comes up with.

The Rundown 

False Start

No, it isn’t a move from the electric slide. When the referee appears to be rotating his forearms over each other in a continuous fashion, it’s signaling a false start. Once the offensive players take their position along the line of scrimmage (divides the offense and defense/ where the football is placed at the start of each play) they are not allowed to move until the ball is snapped (passed from the center to the quarterback). If an offensive player flinches, the referee will call false start and the offense receives a 5 yard penalty.

The Upcoming

McGregor v. Mayweather: Tune in to watch the most highly anticipated boxing match of the year as Conor McGregor of the UFC faces off against Floyd Mayweather, one of the best boxers of all time.

Tennis Time: The US Open kicks into high gear next week. If you’re in the TriState Area, try to snag some tickets. Otherwise, the entire tournament is televised. Check out the rankings and schedule to pick and choose your daily TV time.

 

The Social Hour

Watching sports isn’t just about knowing the players, the rules or the teams. They are a social activity at heart and should thus involve celebrations, large and small. Check out these delicious football inspired cocktails and consider making a few in preparation for September 7th, when the season officially kicks off.