What is #SportBits? #SportBits is a weekly sports wrap up, plus a quick look at what’s coming up over the weekend. Do you have a date Saturday night? Or a dinner party perhaps? Spend a little time educating yourself on the current sports news, and you’ll be surprised at how fun it is to start up a conversation, wherever you may be. It’s my hope that you’ll be able to talk some sports with your friends, family, co-workers and clients. Don’t be left out because you don’t know what the big game is. It’s empowering to know what’s going on in sports, and to have the confidence to #jointheconversation. Trust me. #SportBits.. because a little bit of info is all you need. Let’s get started.
4SportBits…4Stories
The Most Talked About Story of the Week: The controversy surrounding Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. #Backstory: Hardy was arrested, convicted, then had charges expunged relating to a domestic abuse case in the summer of 2014. Soon after, he was signed by Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys to a one yr/. 11million dollar deal. Last week new details and photos outlining the domestic assault incident went public, and despite the brutal and graphic nature of the new info, Cowboy owners, teammates and sponsors have supported him. Public opinion has not been so kind. Read more and decide for yourselves. #stoptheviolence
The Power of Sports: At the University of Missouri, a graduate student went on a hunger strike protesting school president Tim Wolfe’s handling of racial issues on campus. Last weekend, thirty two black football players posted a tweet announcing they would not play another game until Wolfe resigned. He resigned on Monday. The boycott lasted only 2 days, but it brought to light the growing boldness of college athletes, and the power they have to affect change. Read the full story here . #riseup
#SportBitsScandal: This is a doozy. University of Notre Dame has been sued for sexual harassment. A female academic coach is accused of pressuring a male student into a sexual relationship with her daughter, and arranging sexual encounters with football and basketball players. The madam – I mean academic coach – who tutored basketball and football players, allegedly coerced the students into having sex with her daughter, a student at a nearby school who also works at ND. Now stay with me here, because it gets even weirder, apparently the academic coach enlisted another university employee to take part in this kinky plan. #crazytown
#SportbitsScandal2: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reported on Monday that Russian athletes engaged in the government sanctioned use of performance enhancing drugs, and suggested the country’s track and field team be banned from all events, including the 2016 Olympic games. Russia denounced all allegations, and accused the west of using the sporting world for “demonstrative shaming and settling of scores.” #tsktsk It’s like I tell my kids, don’t blame others for your mistakes.
#SportBits Weekend Highlights : Lots of sports to watch this weekend. We are deep in the college and pro football seasons, so that’s the main topic of conversation these days.
College Football – Its week 11 and teams are vying to be one of the top four to compete in the College Football Playoffs. Keep an eye on:
#3 Alabama v. #20 Mississippi State . Are the Crimson Tide on upset alert after their emotional, physical win last week v. LSU? Saturday/3:30pm/CBS
#9LSU v Arkansas – These two SEC West rivals had completely different types of outcomes last weekend, with Arkansas pulling off a 53-52 overtime road upset of Ole Miss in unbelievable fashion, while LSU watched its undefeated season crumble with a 30-16 loss at Alabama. Saturday/7:15pm/ESPN
#12 Oklahoma @ #4Baylor – Undefeated Baylor opened as six-point home favorites against Oklahoma, but that line has dropped to within three points. The No. 12 Sooners are set to play their three highest-ranked opponents in three straight weeks, starting Saturday with Baylor. Saturday/8pm/ABC
*full college gameday listing
NFL week 10 *check local listings for games in your area
New England Patriots @ NY Giants –The New England Patriots are one of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the National Football League. Tom Brady seems unstoppable, but don’t forget the Giants have their number of late. Since February 2008, the Pats have beaten every team in the NFL at least once — except for the Giants.
New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins – The Saints are 4-5, and sit on the fringe of the playoff picture. If the Saints lose this game, it would be tough to make the playoffs from 4-6. The Redskins, on the other hand, aren’t considered a playoff contender at the moment, but a win might put them back in the conversation.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks – the Seahawks (4-4) have come alive in this second half of the season, which has been their MO’ the last three years. The Cardinals at 6-2 have an impressive record, but are 0-2 when they play teams with a .500 or better.
One Last Bit: Ronda Rousey. This UFC fighter and budding movie star is ALL OVER the news this week. She has a fight on Saturday v. Holly Holm in Australia. If you haven’t seen her fight (and they usually last only a minute!) you should check her out. But she’s also in the news because in her recent autobiography, Rousey describes a harrowing incident in which she repeatedly struck her ex-boyfriend, MMA fighter Timothy DiGorrio, after discovering he had taken nude photos of her. Rousey is well known for joking about Floyd Mayweathers abusive nature, so some wonder how she justifies her own abusive actions. #doublestandard. Saturday/10pm/PayPerView
That’s it for #SportBits. Follow me on social media for daily sports news and highlights, and check back in with ModernMom next Friday for another wrap up. Now go step outside your comfort zone this weekend, and spark up a sports conversation. #practicemakesperfect
