Weekend Watchdog: Bracket Buster Time
George Mason and VCU have busted brackets in past years. Murray State hopes to do it in 2012.
It’s the weekend of the annual BracketBusters, where teams from mid-major conferences battle against each other to get ready for March Madness.
VCU hosts Northern Iowa Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, then Saturday play opens at noon with Wichita at Davidson on ESPN2. Akron visits Oral Roberts at 2 p.m. and it’s Nevada-Iona at 4 p.m. The night concludes at 10 p.m. when Long Beach State goes to Creighton.
St. Mary’s plays one-loss Murray State on ESPN at 6 p.m. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Bracket Buster Time” »
Weekend Watchdog: Look ‘Hoos in contention
When I arrived in Charlottesville in the summer of 1995, the Virginia Cavaliers were coming off a finish in the NCAA Elite Eight.
The 16 seasons since the arrival of Ralph Simpson had been pretty good for the school – a pair of NIT titles, two visits to the Final Four and shares of four ACC regular season championships.
The 16 years since haven’t been much to talk about.
The 2011-2012 Cavaliers started strong, pushing their way toward the top. They get a chance to impress Saturday when they visit North Carolina at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Look ‘Hoos in contention” »
Weekend Watchdog: XLVI
The menus are planned.
By the end of Sunday, one team will have won its fourth Super Bowl.
The big game – and big commercials – will be on NBC this year. The New England Patriots and New York Giants kickoff Super Bowl XLVI sometime after 6:30 p.m. – depending on the length of the performance of the Star Spangled Banner.
It’s been 10 years since Tom Brady and the Patriots splashed onto the scene, edging the Rams in the final seconds. And it’s been seven years since their last title – thanks to the Giants’ win four years ago. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: XLVI” »
Weekend Watchdog: Time for stars to shine
From the ice to the tropical sun, the best players gather this weekend.
The NHL holds its All-Star game Sunday at 4 p.m. in Ottawa, just before the NFL’s Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
Due to his action last Sunday, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin plans to miss the festivities on NBC Sports Network.
Who’s going to be playing on which team Sunday? They host a Fantasy Draft Thursday at 8 p.m., and the skills competition is Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Pro Bowl now kicks off Super Bowl week, meaning the best players of the best two teams will miss the event. Instead of canceling the trip after the big game. NBC has the coverage starting at 7 p.m. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Time for stars to shine” »
Weekend Watchdog: Who’s going to Super Bowl XLVI?
We know Madonna’s going to be doing the halftime show February 5.
We know there’s going to be some good commercials.
Sunday night, we’ll know which teams will meet in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI.
The AFC goes first, at 3 p.m. on CBS. New England and its dominant offense face the Ravens and their tough defense – third in the NFL for the season. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Who’s going to Super Bowl XLVI?” »
Weekend Watchdog: Best NFL weekend of the year
If you watch ESPN at all, you know Chris Berman’s going to be excited this weekend.
It’s time for the final eight NFL teams to meet. Four teams with first round byes hosting the four teams that won last weekend.
The weekend starts off Saturday at 4:30 p.m., as the Saints visit San Francisco on FOX. Both teams finished 13-3, and Drew Brees’ record-passing season will go against a tough 49er defense. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Best NFL weekend of the year” »
Weekend Watchdog: Championship time
The best two teams in college football meet Monday.
The best of the college football playoff level meet Saturday afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday, the NFL starts its run to the Super Bowl.
It’s a good time to be a football fan.
New Orleans hosts two of the big games – a Saints playoff game and the BCS National Championship between LSU and Alabama. ESPN has coverage Monday at 8:30 p.m.
LSU enters the game as the top-ranked team in the nation, thanks to a 9-6 overtime win over Alabama in November. With other rivals dropping down the stretch, the Crimson Tide climbed back into the championship game rematch.
There’s a few more games before the Tigers and Tide battle. FOX has the Cotton Bowl Friday at 8 p.m., matching Kansas State and Arkansas. Saturday at 1 p.m., Pittsburgh faces SMU in the Compass Bowl on ESPN, and Sunday at 9 p.m. Northern Illinois plays Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl.
The real Division I playoff concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, with Sam Houston State playing North Dakota State. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Championship time” »
Weekend Watchdog: Chilly in Philly?
For the second straight year, the NHL brings its Winter Classic to Pennsylvania.
We’ll see if it will be chilly enough in Philly.
The Flyers host the Rangers Monday at 1 p.m. on NBC in the fifth Winter Classic. The fourth Classic, last year in Pittsburgh, had to be moved to the evening due to rain. Previous Classics in Buffalo, Chicago and Boston provided enough cold and thrills to make the contest a highlight of the schedule.
The festivities include an Alumni Game Saturday at 1 p.m. on Versus. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Chilly in Philly?” »
Weekend Watchdog: Basketballs on Christmas Day
NBA fans got their Christmas presents a few weeks ago – a shortened season, but still a season.
The 2011-12 season starts Christmas Day with five games.
TNT begins the day at noon, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks.
ABC takes over at midway with a 2010 Final rematch between the Heat and Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. The Bulls play the Lakers at 5 p.m.
ESPN caps the day with a doubleheader, as the Magic travel to Oklahoma City at 8 p.m. The Clippers battle the Warriors at 10:30 p.m.
Your NFL weekend begins with the AFC South champion Texans at the 1-13 Colts on NFL Network Thursday at 8 p.m. Christmas Night, the Packers host Chicago on NBC while ESPN has its final Monday Night game with the Saints hosting the Falcons. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: Basketballs on Christmas Day” »
Weekend Watchdog: First of 35
Saturday starts the college bowl season. Over the next 24 days, there will be 35 bowl games from New Mexico to New Orleans.
Only six days are quiet – and one is January 1. It’s a Sunday, so the NFL takes the field and bowls wait until January 2.
ESPN has the first three bowls of the season – starting at 2 p.m. with Temple facing Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. It’s off to the blue turf as Ohio plays Utah State at the Idaho Potato Bowl, then the day concludes with the New Orleans Bowl – San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
It’s a long way and a lot of games until LSU-Alabama Jan. 9. Continue reading “Weekend Watchdog: First of 35” »
Weekend Watchdog: Army-Navy
How do you know the college football regular season is over? Army and Navy play. The annual battle moves to FedEx Stadium this year, on CBS Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
It hasn’t been a great gridiron year for either team – no bowl trips like in 2010. But over 100 years of history permeates the matchup, which will make its first trip to the Nation’s Capital.
The end of the regular season means awards season starts. ESPN has most of the awards Thursday at 9 p.m., and the Heisman Trophy presentation Saturday at 8 p.m.
The old I-AA continues its march to a national championship with the quarterfinals this weekend.Northern Iowa takes on Montana Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, and Saturday at noon Montana State battles Sam Houston State on ESPN.
Another AFC team visits Washington this week – Tom Brady and the Patriots take on the Redskins on CBS at 1 p.m. CBS has the doubleheader, with Oakland’s visit to 12-0 Green Bay highlighting the late schedule. FOX in Washington offers the Bears’ trip to Denver.
The NFL network has the Browns facing the Steelers Thursday at 8 p.m. The Cowboys and Giants battle for the top of the NFC East Sunday on NBC, while ESPN has the Rams heading to Seattle Monday night.
In college basketball, CBS has Duke facing Washington Saturday at noon, warming up for the Army-Navy game.
ESPN2 starts its weekend in the Big East, with Harvard at Connecticut Thursday at 7 p.m. followed by West Virginia at Kansas State. Friday at 8 p.m., it’s the battle of Richmond as VCU plays the Spiders.
ESPN offers a pair of contests Saturday – Ohio State at Kansas at 3:15 p.m. followed by the border war of Kentucky-Indiana.
ESPN2 has a full day of hoops Saturday. The day begins in Cincinnati, with the Bearcats taking on Xavier at noon. Oklahoma State plays Pittsburgh at 2:30 p.m., then it’s east on the turnpike to show Villanova-Temple at 5 p.m. West Virginia visits Miami at 7 p.m., and Michigan State closes the night with a game at Gonzaga.
Comcast has four contests on Saturday, starting with Austin Peay at Tennessee at noon. Then it’s west for BYU-Utah at 2 p.m. and Clemson’s trip to Arizona at 4 p.m. George Washington faces Syracuse at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, MASN brings a pair of Big East games – Howard at Georgetown at noon and Fairleigh-Dickinson vs. Louisville at 4 p.m. – with the NEC contest between Loyola and Mt. St. Marys at 2 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m., South Florida hosts Florida A&M.
Comcast offers the Pennsylvania battle between the Penguins and Flyers Thursday at 7 p.m. The Capitals host Toronto Friday at 7 p.m.
NBC has the Shark’s Shootout Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Mike Judge blogs at http://weekendWatchdog.wordpress.com.
Weekend Watchdog: Conference title time
Saturday, the 12-member Big Ten will host its first conference championship game. And teams in the 10-member Big 12 will be finishing their regular seasons – too small for a title game this year. That’s how we end the regular season.
In the Big Ten, Michigan State meets Wisconsin in Indianapolis for the BCS berth Saturday on FOX. The Pac-12 also holds its first conference title game, matching Oregon and UCLA Friday at 8 p.m. on FOX.
The league that started it all at major college level – the SEC – has its 20th conference championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. on CBS. Top-ranked LSU faces Georgia, with the Tigers hoping to go for another national championship.
The ACC title game clash between Virginia Tech and Clemson is on ESPN Saturday at 8 p.m.
Other conference championship games include the MAC(Ohio vs. Northern Illinois) Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Conference USA matchup between Southern Mississippi and Houston Saturday at noon on ABC.
It all starts Thursday as West Virginia visits South Florida at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Other Big East teams close out the regular season Saturday at noon – Connecticut at Cincinnati on ESPN while Syracuse visits Pittsburgh on ESPN2.
Without a championship game, the Big 12 brings some rivals together. Oklahoma battles Oklahoma State in a top-10 contest on ABC at 8 p.m.
Versus shows TCU vs. UNLV at 2:30 p.m., with BYU ends the season at Hawaii at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
It’s the weekend of the Colts matchup with New England, annually one of the best TV draws of the season. Not so in 2011. NBC pulled it from the Sunday night lineup weeks ago, putting Detroit at New Orleans there instead.
The Eagles travel to Seattle Thursday on NFL Network to start the weekend, and ESPN has the Chargers playing in Jacksonville Monday night. Sunday, the Redskins are on CBS in Washington as the Jets come to town at 1 p.m. FOX in Washington can only show one game of the doubleheader, going with Packers at Giants at 4:15 p.m.
The Capitals have another big meeting with the Penguins, Thursday at 1 p.m. on Comcast. Ottawa visits Verizon Center Saturday at 7 p.m.
Fresh off the ACC-Big Ten challenge, Virginia hosts Longwood Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast. Texas heads to UCLA at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Comcast shows St. Joseph’s at American at 8 p.m.
CBS starts its march to the Final Four with North Carolina visiting Kentucky Saturday at noon.
ESPN brings a pair of matchups between the Big East and SEC Friday – Florida at Syracuse at 7 p.m. followed by Vanderbilt-Louisville. Saturday, Connecticut hosts Arkansas at 3:15 p.m., then Pittsburgh takes on Tennessee.
ESPN2 starts the weekend Thursday at 7:15 p.m., with St. John’s at Kentucky. Georgetown heads to Alabama at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Gonzaga plays Illinois at 3:15 p.m., followed by South Florida facing Kansas.
MASN has George Washington’s trip to Kansas State Thursday at 8 p.m., and two contests Saturday – Charlotte at East Carolina at 5 p.m. followed by Winthrop at Gardner-Webb. It’s a pair of games Sunday from Washington, with George Washington playing VCU at 2 p.m. followed by Maryland-Notre Dame.
Tiger Woods gets to play with the big boys this weekend, at the Chevron World Championship Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. on NBC.
More from Weekend Watchdog Mike Judge at http://WeekendWatchdog.wordpress.com.
