February 17, 2012
Sports fans are in for a smorgasbord of action in the upcoming month. Whatever your sporting fancy may be, there will be plenty to speculate, watch and love. The next month will be stuffed with non-stop rumors of trades, free agent signings and March Madness bracketology.
Fans should cancel their plans, hunker down and plan on ingesting all things sports over the next month.
Here’s a run-down of things to come:
MLB: Spring training is near as pitchers and catchers report to their teams any day now. This means that baseball fans can breathe easier as our national pastime resumes. Just when all are tired of the long, cold winter, baseball swoops in to save the day.
Fans won’t be disappointed as plenty has happened in the offseason to stir the chili.
The St. Louis Cardinals look to defend their title as teams like the Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim all made considerable noise in the winter months.
The St. Louis Cardinals will have alot of reloaded teams hoping to prevent a repeat of this image next season.
This season will be nothing short of spectacular.
NHL: The NHL trade deadline is February 27 as teams look to shake up their rosters in a last ditch effort to solidify themselves as playoff contenders.
While some may be skeptical that things will be rather calm—be patient. While there may not an abundance of chatter at the moment, there will be plenty of moves to satiate our desires.
From now until the Stanley Cup is won, the NHL will be nothing but excitement.
NBA: The NBA has rebounded quickly after the lockout that cut the season short. Thanks to stars like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and some kid from Harvard named Jeremy Lin, the NBA has plenty of momentum.
Speaking of stars, the NBA All-Star break in Orlando takes place the weekend of February 24-26—Magic will be in the air.
This year there’s a kick to the star-studded event as the Rookie/Sophomore teams will be selected and coached by NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. This matchup between the NBA’s best young talent will be highly amusing as the coaches are two of the NBA’s All-Star personalities.
Shortly after All-Star weekend, the NBA gets serious as the trade deadline is March 15. With a shortened season, the NBA is all business as massive trades will go down as always. The NBA deserves credit for always providing entertainment with at least one eight-player, three-team deal before the deadline.
Expect the unexpected from the NBA the rest of the season.
NFL: The NFL may have been somewhat silent since the Super Bowl, but that all changes when the NFL Scouting Combine takes place in Indianapolis from February 22-28. The scouting combine has become primetime television as NFL fans must fill their football needs. NFL die-hards will then have a better idea of which player may be on their team’s roster come April.
Something else that will have NFL fans stirring is the upcoming opening of free agency. This year, March 13 is when millions of dollars will change hands as players will be on the move.
An interesting twist to the new NFL collective bargaining agreement is that NFL teams will be able to carry over leftover cash from the previous year’s salary cap. Teams that have loads of cash heading into the free agent market include the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins.
The NFL has gotten to the point where no one can get enough. We’ll get plenty of football in the near future.
NCAA: Well, the month of March is just a few weeks away and that can only mean one thing—March Madness.
The showcase of 68 well deserving colleges and universities is the best sporting event the United States has to offer. Besides the Olympics and the World Cup, March Madness is the best thing on earth.
Who doesn’t love it?
From the future NBA stars to the Cinderellas of the big dance, March Madness is the sporting world’s cherry on top.
February 3, 2012
While many people think they have their sports viewing schedule covered with the Super Bowl, that isn’t going to cut it for the real sports fan. This weekend is packed with must-see games, and like every other week, we want to make sure you catch all of the big games. Here is how we envision your weekend sports viewing schedule. (All times EST).
We get you ready for all of the games to watch before Super Bowl XLVI.
Friday night
Winnipeg @ Florida – NHL – 7:30pm
This is a game that has plenty at stake as we come back from the All-Star break. The Florida Panthers are the 3rd seed in the East right now, while Winnipeg is on the outside looking in as the 10th seed. So why is it intriguing? Winnipeg only trails Florida by 3 points. The Southeast division is a tight race that will be fun to watch as the season goes on. Florida has been taking advantage of power play opportunities, while the Jets have been doing well to kill them. These teams are very even statistically, and should start off the weekend right.
Saturday
Ohio State @ Wisconsin – MCBB – 2:00pm
Saturday kicks off with the Battle for the Big Ten. Ohio State has a half game lead on Wisconsin, but the Big Ten has had a rough time finding wins on the road. Wisconsin has had a rough time against ranked opponents this season though, going 2-4. However, the Badgers have won 6 in a row including their 2 wins against ranked opponents. Ohio State’s three losses have all come on the road, but they crushed Nebraska in their last road game. This game should provide a lot of back and forth with two teams trying to claim their spot atop the Big Ten.
#12 Creighton @ Northern Iowa – MCBB -5:00pm
I know what you are thinking. “Mid-majors? In the middle of my Saturday?” The fact is #12 Creighton deserves the credit they have been getting this season. The Blue Jays are first in the nation in Field Goal percentage and only have two losses on the season. Still, Northern Iowa gave them all they could handle, 63-60 AT Creighton, in January. Now, the Blue Jays have to go on the road and try to pull off another win against a Panthers squad that would like nothing more than to get a W against the a ranked team.
Orlando @ Indiana – NBA – 7:00pm
We might come into this game a little bit after tip-off, but plenty of time to catch most of the action. This will be the 3rd time in a little of over 2 weeks the teams have played. Orlando won the first contest at Indiana by 19, only to have the Pacers come to Orlando to win by 21. The rubber match will be played in Indiana, and should be a very entertaining game. Indiana 11-4 in their last 15, while the Magic are 8-7 and battling the drama of when Dwight Howard will be traded. After both teams suffered a blowout at the hands of the other, this 3rd battle should be full of intensity.
UFC 143 – MMA – 10:00pm
An event that was supposed to be headlined by Georges St. Pierre, we now get to crown an interim welterweight Champion. Nick Diaz, the fighter originally set to face St. Pierre, will now face Carlos Condit in what should be a great fight. Also on the card is a guy you have to love watch fight, Roy Nelson. Taking on Fabricio Werdum, Nelson looks like he just came from out of the crowd. A large beard and larger belly, Nelson looks out of place in the UFC ring. However at 16-6, not many people are laughing at him. I am only a casual UFC fan, so I can’t make any guarantees on excitement, but I am rarely disappointed when I tune in to watch.
Sunday
#22 Michigan @ #10 Michigan State – MCBB- 2:00pm
What?! Basketball on Super Sunday?! Relax; there will be plenty of time for that. Rather than watch hours of pregame, tune in to a rematch of two rivals whose previous contest in January was won by Michigan 60-59. A rivalry where both schools really just don’t like each other, you know this game will have plenty of action. The Spartans won 15 games in a row before dropping 3 of their last five, and would like to back on track with a win over the Wolverines. Michigan has had a tough time winning on the road this year, and a road victory at the Breslin Center would look great on their tournament resume. Factor into this that Michigan (.5 back) and Michigan St. (1 back) are both close to claiming the Big Ten, and another close game could be just the way to kick off Super Sunday.
Giants vs. Patriots – NFL – 6:29pm
We have finally made it to the main event! Of course the game of the weekend will be the Patriots and Giants, which should be a great matchup. The drama leading up to the game has all been focused on the ankle of Rob Gronkowski, which we all know will play, but how effectively? A rematch from Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots once again need to defeat Eli Manning and the Giants to get their 4th Super Bowl win. The Giants pass rush has been terrorizing quarterbacks this postseason and Manning and his receivers have been clicking. No one has performed like Tom Brady when it comes to Super Bowls, but can Eli and the Giants be his kryptonite again? Enjoy what should be a great Super Bowl and very entertaining sports weekend!
January 31, 2012
Here we go again. Looking into the future isn’t as easy as one might think. My Magic 8 Ball is worn out and I don’t think I can stomach another fortune cookie. So let’s not waste anymore time. Here’s what I see happening in the NCAA in 2012.
Urban Meyer takes over at Ohio State and leads the Buckeyes to a 10-2 finish and a No. 1 ranking in a new poll that consists only of teams who are not eligible for postseason action.
Matt Barkley and USC build on the momentum of the 2011 season and make a run at the BCS championship. However, the Trojans come up short in the final BCS standings. As usual, the standings become controversial when Wikileaks publishes documents that reveal “distance from SEC country” is part of the computer formulas. When a one-loss SEC team gets into the national championship game over two undefeated teams, it is the final straw for the BCS system. The NCAA will finally adopt some sort of system that allows for a champion to be determined on the field.
Could an undefeated USC team only get a trip to the Rose Bowl in 2013?
Brittney Griner leads No. 1 Baylor to an undefeated regular season. The Bears suffer their first loss in the Big 12 tournament, but Baylor will be cutting down the nets in Denver.
On the men’s side, a mid-major team will make a run to the Final Four. This not only takes me out of the running in my office pool, but it also ignites more talks of adding teams to the tournament. Officials say they have several scenarios under consideration with the most likely option expanding the field to 70 teams and changing the championship game to a best-of-three series.
In an attempt to keep up with the Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC, the Big 12 and ACC reach an agreement to have all Big 12 teams face off with a team from the ACC on the second Saturday of the season. It seems like a good idea but cannot begin until 2014 and nobody knows what schools will be in what conferences in 2014.
Speaking of realignment, plenty more moves will be made as conferences scramble to survive in a landscape that continues to change. The Big 12 reels in BYU but needs another school for an even 12 teams. They can’t talk Notre Dame into joining, so the conference goes with plan B and brings in a Canadian school, the Manitoba Bisons.
(To read Part 4 of this series, click here.)
January 20, 2012
Friday Night
8:00pm – Lakers @ Magic – NBA
2:00pm – Missouri @ Baylor – Men’s College Basketball
Luckily, we are giving you plenty of time to sleep in and get some errands done before filling your day with sports. We start with a BANG! 17-1(#5) Missouri takes on 17-1 (3) Baylor in a huge college basketball showdown. Baylor is coming off its only loss (to #7 Kansas) and will look to rebound against a Mizzou team that is facing its first top 15 opponent. Missouri is 4th overall in PPG, averaging over 80 a game. Baylor can put up points as well, scoring over 100 against Oklahoma State in their last win. This should be an exciting shootout to watch.
4:00pm – San Jose @ Vancouver – NHL
The Baylor/Mizzou game might take you a little past the puck drop, but you will have plenty of time to catch up on the action. Taking a complete role reversal from the game before, the Sharks are 6th in goals against and the Canucks are 7th. The biggest difference is on offense, as Vancouver is 4th in goals scored and 1st in power play percentage. These teams are only separated by 3 points in the standings, and both teams are looking to bounce back from losses. This game should have plenty of action.
6:00pm – Syracuse @ Notre Dame – Men’s College Basketball
Once again, you might come in a little late, but that’s the trouble with so many great games being on. Hopefully you have a DVR. If not, try to get over to this game as quick as possible. The Big East always provides great basketball, and this game shouldn’t be any different. (#1) Syracuse will look to remain unbeaten as they travel to South Bend to take on a reeling Notre Dame team. Coming off of two losses, Notre Dame would like nothing more to get their season back on track by knocking off the undefeated #1 seed.
10:30pm –Colorado @ Los Angeles Kings – NHL
We are getting to the midway point of the NHL season, and playoff seeding is starting to take form. Los Angeles hosts Colorado in a battle between the current 7th and 8th seeds, respectively, in the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles has a balanced attack, while Colorado tends to be a little better offensively. Ranked 7th in power play efficiency, they need to continue to take advantage of odd-man situations if they are going to hang on to their 8th seed.
Sunday
3:00pm – Baltimore @ New England – NFL
We stayed up late watching the hockey game, so make sure you get plenty of rest before these HUGE games today. Baltimore and New England kick off the NFL Conference Championship games as it pairs the Ravens trademark defense against Tom Brady and New England’s quest for a 4th Super Bowl trophy. The Patriots offense was 2nd scoring in the regular season and lit up Denver last week for 45 points. However, their defense was 31st in the league, and will go up against a Ravens offense that is very capable of taking advantage. This game should be intense to watch as two veteran teams try to make their way back to the Super Bowl.
6:30pm – New York Giants @ San Francisco – NFL
We have come to the final game of our weekend schedule and by this point Sunday, I’m not sure how much more your heart could take. The game that will determine the Super Bowl pairing, the Giants and 49ers could come down to weather. The Giants have been doing two things well the last few weeks: passing the ball and rushing the passer. If the prediction of rain for the game is true, and running the ball is the trend, this could truly be a Cinderella season for the 49ers. A defense who thrives on takeaways, a slippery atmosphere would only benefit the 49ers. This game could really go either way, regardless of weather, and should be a great way to end the weekend.
December 2, 2011
We like to make sure you keep track of all the relevant games nationwide. In order to ensure that you can watch all the big games, we have created your weekend viewing guide so that whenever you have some down time, you know which game you should be watching. Here is how we envision your weekend sports viewing schedule. (All times EST).
Friday night
6:30pm – (9) Florida at (3) Syracuse – College Basketball
It’s finally the weekend. Relax from your long week at work with a battle of Top 10 college basketball teams. This won’t be Florida’s first time facing the #3 team in the nation, already having fallen to then #3 Ohio State. They kept the score close though, showing they are a team that doesn’t shy away in a big game. Syracuse is undefeated this season, and this will be their toughest test so far in this early college season. It should be exciting to watch.
8:00pm – UCLA at Oregon (PAC 12 Championship) – College Football
If you watch the previous game in its entirety, there is a chance you might be coming in late. The inaugural PAC 12 title game isn’t projected to be a close game, but you can’t miss out on the chance of an upset. Oregon will take on a UCLA team who got in due to USC being ineligible, but the Bruins will be trying to prove they deserve to be there. If they can’t keep up with the Ducks, it’s the perfect game to help you wind down your night.
Saturday
Saturday is a hard day to project with the amount of games on all over the sports spectrum. Hopefully, you have multiple TV’s and can watch multiple games. If you can’t, here is what we recommend during each time slot.
12:00pm – (5) North Carolina at (1) Kentucky – College Basketball
Whenever two of the Top 5 teams in the country schedule each other out of conference, you know it’s a game you need to watch. These two storied programs will square off to try and prove they are the top team in the nation. North Carolina was previously #1, losing that ranking when they fell to UNLV. They have already rebounded, beating #7 Wisconsin on Wednesday, and they will look to continue that streak against Kentucky. Not shying away from tough competition, Kentucky has remained undefeated this season while already having beaten #11 Kansas. This game is a must see.
It'll be a packed house at Rupp Arena when Kentucky squares off against North Carolina on Saturday.
4:00 pm – (14)Georgia vs. (1)LSU (SEC Championship) – College Football
All eyes will be on this game Saturday, as many teams are affected by the outcome of this game. Many say LSU can still go to the BCS Championship even with a loss, but a win closes the door on any chance of being left out. A Georgia win makes the case for a lot of one loss teams, while a loss would open the door for teams ranked below Georgia to qualify for an at-large BCS bid. This game is interesting no matter the outcome.
8:00 pm – (10)Oklahoma at (3)Oklahoma State – College Football
This is the hardest time slot to fill and if you don’t have multiple TV’s make sure you have the remote handy. Michigan State takes on Wisconsin in the first ever Big Ten Title game at the same time. Virginia Tech travels to Clemson in the ACC Championship game. However, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is the game I think could be the most interesting. Oklahoma State has always had a hard time beating Oklahoma, but they will have to in order to have any chance at a BCS Title shot. Oklahoma, meanwhile, could get into a BCS game with a win in what is basically the Big 12 Championship game.
Get your rest, we won’t be slowing down at all tomorrow.
Sunday
1:00pm – Cincinnati at Pittsburgh – NFL
The AFC North is a tight race, and currently has three of its teams in the playoff picture, where Cincinnati and Pittsburgh hold both of the Wild Card spots. The Bengals lost a close game to the Steelers three weeks ago, but showed they can go toe-to-toe with last year’s AFC Champions. Pittsburgh currently holds the higher Wild Card spot since they have a better record, but a loss would bring them even with the Bengals. With a tougher schedule coming up for the Bengals, a win by Pittsburgh could help them solidify a spot in the playoffs this year.
4:15pm – Green Bay at New York Giants – NFL
Whenever a team is 11-0, they have earned the right to be on a list of must-see games. When their opponent is the team who ended the Patriots undefeated season in the Super Bowl in 2008, you have to tune in. While the Giants have lost three straight games, a win against the juggernaut Packers could be exactly what they need to make a run at the playoffs. The Giants have one of the most feared pass rushes in the NFL, and they better hope they can get to Aaron Rodgers early and often if they want to do what no other team in the NFL has this year.
8:30pm – Detroit at New Orleans – NFL
This game all depends on which Lions team shows up when they travel to New Orleans. Having lost 3 of 4, the Lions need desperately to get on track after starting the season 5-0. They picked a hard place to rebound at, as the Saints are undefeated at home and are coming off a big win against the Giants. The Lions need to generate a pass rush, even if Ndamukong Suh is out, if they want to stay in this game. The Lions offense is going to have a hard time keeping up with Brees and the Saints if it becomes a shootout, so the Lions need to force turnovers if they are going to steal one on Sunday night.
Enjoy the games and we’ll see you next week!
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