George Springer, Houston Astros outfielder and World Series MVP, joins Cheddar to discuss his journey to the biggest stage in major league baseball.
Springer talks about being on that famous cover of Sports Illustrated in 2014, which predicted the Astros would win the World Series in 2017. He says he remembers when it happened, but at that point, the team had a lot of work to do in order to get there. Springer says a lot of data and science goes into bringing the team together.
He's provided with a lot of information from the scouting and analytic members on staff. But he points out that ultimately the team is made of human beings, and instinct & heart need to also be taken into consideration.
Springer also talks about being mentally and physically prepared for game day. He says he does anything he can to have his body recover at nighttime because he needs to play the next day. It's a draining sport, so he finds ways to relax his mind and body through yoga, meditation, or just watching a show on TV.
He also talks about growing up with a stutter and transforming from a shy kid to the MVP of the World Series. At the age of 21, he realized he can't control his stutter and decided to embrace it. He now works with kids who stutter to provide a role model and inspiration.
Naz Aletaha, head of esports partnerships for Riot Games, said that the "priceless" experiences with new global sponsor Mastercard will start with the world championships in October, offering premium content and behind the scenes access to the biggest event for esports lovers.
Mastercard, seeing a market opening in the skyrocketing popularity of esports, signed a deal to become first global sponsor for Riot Games' "League of Legends." Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer for Mastercard, said the company will become exclusive payment service provider for the game. The deal represents the largest mainstream sponsorship thus far in the esports world.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
As the online gaming world continues to boom, professional sports organizations are working to marry the online and physical sports world. Hugh Weber, president of the New Jersey Devils, said that there is a way for live esports events to be compelling enough to translate to ticket sales.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Chris Raybon, senior editor at The Action Network, breaks down the best bets for sports fans heading into Week 2 of the NFL Season.
The company's recent growth on the back of a newly invigorated gaming segment is only the beginning, according to president and CEO Bracken Darrell. He said in an interview on Cheddar that esports could become "the biggest sport in the world," and Logitech will be there as its top hardware provider.
If you had any lingering doubts that eSports had gone mainstream, they would have been erased when the North American League of Legends Summer Split took over the Oracle Arena ー home to the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Cheddar was there for the last stop before the World Championships in South Korea next month.
Bettis, known as "The Bus" when he was an unstoppable running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, voiced support for the NFL player protests but also said he thought the league was "doing the right thing" in a tense situation.
Serena Williams's altercation with a chair umpire during the U.S. Open final was just the latest example of women being treated differently than their male counterparts in the sport. But whether things change by the Australian Open in January, said the Washington Post's Cindy Boren, is hard to say.
