Category: FTW UsaToday

Sunday night was the premiere of the 8th season of Game of Thrones, HBO’s hit fantasy show. Fans around the country gathered around their TVs to take in the spectacle, and while the episode was a bit of a place setter, plenty did happen and we learned quite a bit.

Where are things going? Who will sit on the Iron Throne? All remains to be discovered. No major questions were answered in this episode, but it is cool to see all the characters who have been spread across the seven kingdoms finally coming together.

Here are five things we learned from the first episode.

1. Dragons, and Dothraki, gotta eat

For a show with so much magic (and dragons), Game of Thrones has always been at its best when the showrunners pause the action to remind us about the very human parts of their world.

After Daenarys and Jon Snow ride into Winterfell, and all our characters are finally brought together, we see them … discuss what everyone is going to eat. It’s a wonderful moment that reminds us that before they take on the army of the dead, they got to figure out how to keep everyone on their side living.

The new Lady of Winterfell, Sansa Stark, had prepared to feed her people for the winter. She hadn’t prepared to feed an army of Dothraki, Unsullied, and dragons, and before anyone battles with anything, she’s gotta dig up some instant ramen and find couches for everyone to crash on.

“What do dragons eat, anyway?” Sansa asks, in the best early moment of the show.

Daenarys waits a beat, then answers: “Whatever they want.”

2. Euron Greyjoy is the perfect man for this world

If there’s anything we’ve learned in eight seasons in Game of Thrones it’s that being loyal and honest will just as quickly get your throat cut as it will lead to anything good happening to you. Those who survive are those who feel nothing, and are happy to double cross whoever is needed to double cross.

Euron Greyjoy is the man for this world. On his way to King’s Landing to meet Cersei, he talks to his niece, Yara, and calmly tells her he won’t be killing her because he needs someone to talk to. She tells him he’s joining the wrong side, linking up with the Lannisters, to which he shrugs. If it’s the wrong side, well, then he’ll just switch sides. This isn’t that complicated.

When he arrives at King’s Landing and meets Cersei, she wants to know why some of her troops have gone missing. They’re dead, he tells her. And why?

“They cheated at dice,” Euron says. “Or I cheated. Someone cheated.” It’s irrelevant, of course. Finally. Someone gets it. 

Later, after bedding Cersei, he asks how he compares to the late king … and the kingslayer. She asks him if he likes risking his neck. Of course he does. The reason: “Life is boring.” My man.

Via HBO

3. Varys and Tyrion are playing matchmaker

All I’ve ever wanted is Varys and Tyrion hanging out together indefinitely, trading one-liners and being perfect in every way. In this episode we got that, and they have a new mission: Hook up Daenarys and Jon Snow. Davos Seaworth gets in on the fun as well, and all around the world the fans cheered as one: MAKE IT HAPPEN, YOU THREE OLD MEN. EVEN THOUGH TYRION ISN’T THAT OLD, AS HE HIMSELF POINTS OUT. NOT AS OLD AS DAVOS, ANYWAY.

Later we see Jon and Dany hop on the two remaining living dragons and re-enact the “A Whole New World” scene from Aladdin. Just, you know, with flying magical murder reptiles as opposed to a magic carpet.

4. Samwell gets to break some news

Samwell, sweet Sam, comes stumbling into Winterfell and has a lot of news for Jon Snow. One, that Daenarys killed Sam’s father and brother. And two, just the little bit of news that, oh yeah, Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne.

“You’ve never been a bastard,” Samwell says. “…You’re Rhaegar Targaryen.”

“This is treason,” says Jon.

“It’s the truth.”

And just like that, finally, the big secret is out in the open. If Jon had only had access to Reddit he could’ve figured this out years ago.

Also, I guess shout out my dude for realizing he’s been with his aunt and only thinking about the honor of Ned Stark. Would not have been my first concern with the news.

5. The Night King isn’t into subtle messages

A pinwheel of detached arms with a screaming undead child in the middle of it? Could have just left a note, Night King. Would’ve been a lot easier and not made me scream and wake up my neighbors. Jeez.

Tiger Woods won his fifth Green Jacket by rallying to win the Masters in awesome fashion Sunday at a wild final round at Augusta National Golf Course.

But he only has one Green Jacket, because that’s how they do things at the club.

The Green Jacket has two strict rules, as well as a rich history explained by PGA.com:

1. You only get to bring it home for the year after your win. The following year it has to stay at the club and can only be worn on the grounds.

2. If you’ve won before you get the same jacket, unless your size has changed a lot. Tiger hasn’t changed all that much, which is why he seemed happy to say “it fits” when he put it on Sunday.

He does get to keep the trophy, though. And gets a new one each time.

So yeah, Tiger, who’s 43 years old, still fits into the jacket he won when he was 21.

He must work out.

Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest golfer to ever play the game.

He’s also a proud dad. A dad who wanted to show his daughter, Sam, and his son, Charlie, what it was like to see their father win a major championship.

And he did just that on Sunday when he rallied for the first time in the final round of a major to win his fifth Masters and his first major since 2008.

Tiger said afterward that down the stretch he focused on really wanting to win this for his kids. They had a chance to see him win the The Open Championship last summer but that didn’t happen and it stuck with him.

That’s something he didn’t want to repeat on Sunday, as he said after:

“They were there at the British Open last year when I had the lead on that back nine, and I made a few mistakes, cost myself a chance to win The Open title.  I wasn’t going to let that happen to them twice.”

Tiger and his son shared a special moment right after the round and the whole family had fun celebrating as he made his way to the scorer’s table to make it official.

He added, via Golf Channel:

“I think the kids are starting to understand how much this game means to me and some of the things I’ve done in the game,” Woods said late Sunday, while wearing the green jacket. “If I tried to swing a club I would be on the ground and I struggled for years, and that’s basically all they remember.

“Now I’m able to play golf again, and do it at an elite level again, which is something that I’m just very blessed to be able to have that opportunity again.

“So, for them to see what it’s like to have their dad win a major championship, I hope that’s something they will never forget.”

It was a special win for Tiger and the rest of the sports world, as we all got to see him play like he used to and to shake off some demons that have been following him since his last major victory all the way back at the 2008 U.S. Open.

But most of all, it was a special day for a dad, who just happens to be a pretty darn good golfer.

“I just hope they’re proud of their dad,” he added.

Yeah, I think they are.

Francesco Molinari seemed destined to win the 2019 Masters on Sunday, especially after his hot start that saw him robotically burying key putts to stay ahead of of Tiger Woods and the rest of the field.

But then, as often happens Sunday at the Masters, disaster struck on the back nine for the Italian star as he double bogeyed the par-3 12th and then did the same on the par-5 15th, finding the water on both holes.

It must have been crushing for him, especially considering how well he played until those shots.

But moments after his round he conducted a classy interview with CBS and even chuckled a bit as he made a joke about how he might have gained a few new fans with those double bogeys. Meaning, some Tiger fans were probably happy to see him fall apart, which allowed Tiger to win.

He must have been crushed with how things turned bout but to make a joke about his mistakes speaks of who he is as a person and fans loved it:

Tiger Woods had just about everyone glued to their televisions Sunday morning as he made his dramatic comeback at the Masters and capped it off with a tap-in on the the 18th hole for his fifth win at Augusta.

It was an emotional time, too, watching Tiger perform like he used to on this stage. It was hard not to have goosebumps watching him almost get a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

And then those fist pumps after winning were just a thing of beauty. All those battles with injuries and other issues since the last time he won a major were a thing of the past.

He was now, once again, a Masters champion.

Tennis legend Serena Williams was one of those fans watching and she shared how she got emotional watching it all go down:

Yup, I can certainly relate with Serena. It was an incredible round of golf and an iconic sports moment that none of us will forget.

Greatness, indeed.

Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday, chomping on gum like had been all tournament long.

It left fans wondering why he was chewing gum, because it’s normally not something he does during a tournament.

On Friday I did some research and found a New York Times story from March in which Phil Mickelson basically explained how chewing gum helps him focus and a doctor said that chewing gum in stressful situations helps ease tension.

Those theories and explanations make sense.

So when Tiger Woods was asked about the gum during his press conference Sunday my ears perked up for his answer. I, like all of you, have been waiting days to hear someone bring this up.

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

So what did Tiger say? He chuckled and said he chewed the gum to help suppress his appetite because he eats a lot.

I’m a huge Tiger and and couldn’t be happier that he won, but I’m happily calling-you-know-what on his explanation. There’s no way he was chewing gum just to stop himself from snacking. Not during the Masters, even though the pimento cheese sandwiches there are really good.

This is classic Tiger, not wanting to share any information that might help any of his competitors. Tiger is back to winning and he’s still competitive as all heck and I couldn’t be happier. This shows he still wants to have all the edges, too, which I’m all in favor for.

And now I’m guessing pro shops everywhere are going to be making a ton of money on gum sales.

Because look at the results. And look at all the attention the gum got:

Last week before the start of the Masters we told you about a gambler who put $85,000 down on Tiger Woods to win the Masters.

Well, Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday and now that person who made the bet is now $1.19 million richer.

And the sportsbook isn’t too thrilled with it. ESPN has the details:

On Tuesday, a bettor at a William Hill U.S. sportsbook in Nevada placed an $85,000 bet on Woods to win the Masters at 14-1 odds. The ticket will pay out $1.19 million, the largest single golf ticket in the company’s history in the U.S.

“It’s great to see Tiger back,” Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill U.S. said in a release. “It’s a painful day for William Hill — our biggest loss ever — but a great day for golf.”

Yup, it was a pretty awesome day for golf. And for whoever made that bet.