Bowls or Winter Classic?

For years, college football has been the tradition on New Year's Day. But with the Bowl Championship Series, several games moved off the traditional day each year as we build up to the national title game.

The past three years, the NHL has stepped into the Jan. 1 breach with its Winter Classic. After stops in Buffalo and Chicago, this time Boston's Fenway Park hosts the Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Classic continues to grow with each edition. In Boston this year, there's been a high school game on the ice. There's a college tournament next week, and the people of Boston will have a chance to skate on the ice - unless they decide to sell their free tickets for big bucks.
If the temperatures are in the 30s and the chance of snow arrives,
a cool hockey venue will look even cooler.

New Year's Day gives you five college bowl games - so does New Year's Eve and Jan. 2. I guess that helps you pace yourself.
Three of the New Year's Eve games are on ESPN - local fans will be waiting for Virginia Tech's game with Tennessee in primetime. Before that, it's service academies playing in Texas - Air Force vs. Houston at noon, followed by Navy against Missouri.
CBS shows the Sun Bowl - Stanford vs. Oklahoma - at 2 p.m. while the NFL Network has its bowl telecast - Minnesota vs. Iowa State in the Insight Bowl at 6 p.m.
You can still find the Rose Bowl at its traditional New Year's Day place - Oregon meeting Ohio State at 5 p.m. on ABC. The Sugar Bowl (Florida vs. Cincinnati) is in prime time, but on FOX.
There are three games around midday - highlighted by Bobby Bowden's farewell from Florida State in the Gator Bowl on CBS. ESPN shows the Outback Bowl with Northwestern meeting Auburn, while the Citrus matches Penn State and LSU on ABC.
With no NFL games on Jan. 2, the bowls claim the day. The Cotton Bowl will be on FOX, with Oklahoma State taking on Mississippi. There's the International Bowl from Toronto (South Florida taking on Northern Illinois on ESPN2) and a trio of games on ESPN - South Carolina vs. Connecticut in another pizza bowl at 2 p.m., followed by Arkansas against East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl and Michigan State vs. Texas Tech in San Antonio.
It's the final weekend of the NFL regular season, giving both CBS and FOX the chance to show a pair of contests Sunday afternoon. The Redskins (at Chargers on FOX) and Ravens (at Raiders on CBS) are both on the west coast.
The early games in Fishersville look likely to be Steelers at Dolphins on CBS and Giants at Minnesota on FOX. It will be the Dolphins' first appearance on over-the-air TV, leaving only four teams - Houston, Tennessee, Arizona and Seattle - not seen on Sunday afternoons in our area this season.
NBC has decided to show the Bengals at the Jets as its last game Sunday night. It's the final football game at Giants Stadium, unless the Jets win and as the fifth seed host the sixth-seeded Ravens in the AFC championship. (I'm just anticipating a Ravens' win on Sunday.)
TNT has a doubleheader on New Year's Eve - Heat at Spurs starting at 7 p.m., followed by the Sixers at Clippers. The Wizards host San Antonio Saturday on Comcast.
The Capitals open the new year on the West Coast, facing the L.A. Kings Saturday afternoon.
Comcast closes 2009 with a pair of basketball games - Arizona State vs. UCLA at 4:30 p.m., followed by William & Mary at Maryland. Sunday, the Terps face UNC-Greensboro at 1 p.m. Florida takes on N.C. State at 4 p.m., and the ACC contest of the week matches Clemson and Duke.
ESPN2 shows six games on New Year's Eve - going from noon to midnight. Michigan at Indiana starts the fun, and Duke hosts Penn at 6 p.m.

West Virginia visits Purdue Friday on ESPN, and there's three games on ESPN2 Saturday - Marquette vs. Villanova at 3:30 p.m., followed by Kansas at Temple. Seton Hall comes to Virginia Tech at 8:30 p.m. to cap off the day.
CBS offers two choices early Saturday - Arizona at UCLA or Gonzaga vs. Illinois - prior to showing Kentucky battling Louisville.
In women's basketball, Oklahoma visits Tennessee Sunday night on ESPN2.

Sports under the Christmas tree

After Santa Claus finishes his run, there's a few sporting events to catch as part of your Christmas fun.
The NBA has expanded its offerings to five for the day. The two big games are on ABC - Boston at Orlando at 2:30 p.m., followed by Cleveland facing the Lakers. After hours of having kids battle over their new toys, you can watch LeBron and Kobe battle.
ESPN opens the day's activities at noon with the Heat visiting the Knicks. The primetime schedule has the Clippers meeting the Suns at 8 p.m., followed by Denver at Portland.
The NFL Network has its final game of the season on Christmas Night, with San Diego visiting Tennessee.
CBS has the Sunday doubleheader, and Fishersville should get the Ravens at Steelers early and Broncos at Eagles late. Fox features the Giants at the Panthers.
NBC choose to keep the Cowboys at Redskins as their Sunday night game. The Vikings visit the Bears in ESPN's final Monday night game of the season.
The college bowl schedule heats up Christmas Eve with the Hawai'i Bowl on ESPN - Nevada vs. SMU. The Mustangs are making their first bowl appearance since 1984.
Saturday, ESPN has three bowls. Marshall and Ohio kick off the action from Michigan at 1 p.m. (get your pizza early), followed by a pair of ACC teams in their bowls - North Carolina vs. Pitt in Charlotte then Boston College vs. Southern Cal at the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
Sunday, Kentucky faces Clemson at 8:30 p.m. from Nashville.
A few college basketball teams hit the hardcourt after Christmas. Saturday, CBS has West Virginia visiting Seton Hall.
MASN offers Radford at Louisville Sunday afternoon.
The Wizards have Christmas off, but play at Minnesota Saturday on Comcast.
The Capitals host New Jersey Saturday on Comcast.

Let's go bowling

Sure, it's two weeks until New Year's Day. But it's already bowl season.
The first of two of 34 bowls will be held Saturday. The New Mexico Bowl kicks off the season, matching Fresno State and Wyoming. Later Saturday, it's the St. Petersburg Bowl matching Rutgers and Central Florida.
Not enough for you? How about catching the R&L Carriers Bowl from New Orleans? It's on Sunday, featuring Southern Mississippi and Middle Tennessee.
Between Saturday and Jan. 7, only three days will not feature a bowl game somewhere. Most on ESPN.
In the parts of the college football world where there's a playoff, Villanova meets Montana Friday on ESPN2 for the FCS (old Division I-AA) title.
Salem hosts the Division III championship game, televised on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. But it's a rerun - Mount Union faces Wisconsin-Whitewater for the fifth straight year.
NFL Network has a pair of contests this week - Indianapolis at Jacksonville Thursday, then the Cowboys visiting New Orleans Saturday. Will both stay perfect? Is it good for the NFL to put these games on their own network?
Fox has the Sunday doubleheader this week, and Fishersville will get a pair of NFC North teams visiting the AFC North - Chicago at Baltimore early, then the Packers at the Steelers.
CBS in Washington has decided to show the late CBS game - Cincinnati at San Diego - but other parts of Virginia south and west of us will be watching New England at Buffalo at 1 p.m.
NBC gets another chance to show Brett Favre and the Vikings - this week at Carolina - and the Redskins host the Giants on ESPN's Monday Night Football.
ESPN has an interesting college basketball doubleheader Saturday. Michigan visits Kansas for the "Green" game at noon, then North Carolina plays Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium. I wonder how many guys on exercise cycles it would take to power that 60-yard long video screen.
On ESPN2, Xavier visits Butler at 2 p.m., followed by Western Kentucky facing Louisville and Memphis-Massachusetts.
Comcast has a pair of men's basketball games Saturday - Tennessee at Southern Cal at 4:30 p.m., then UNC-Wilmington visiting Virginia at 7 p.m. Sunday, it's Sam Houston vs. Auburn at 2 p.m. and an ACC doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. - Florida State at Georgia Tech, followed by N.C. State-Wake Forest.
MASN starts its Saturday hoops slate with Howard vs. Loyola at 1 p.m. They join West Virginia-Cleveland State when that game ends, and show Old Dominion at Georgetown at 7 p.m. Sunday they offer Central Florida at Connecticut.
Comcast also offers a women's basketball game Saturday, with Tennessee visiting Stanford at 2:30 p.m.
TNT starts Thursday's NBA action in Florida - Orlando at Miami - then offers Phoenix at Portland. ESPN has Milwaukee at Cleveland, then Washington at Golden State for its Friday doubleheader.
The Wizards visit Phoenix Saturday on Comcast.
The Capitals are spending their weekend in western Canada, visiting Vancouver Friday and Edmonton Saturday on Comcast. The Penguins-Flyers fill Comcast's scheduling void Thursday night.

Army-Navy

Anchors aweigh, it's time for Army-Navy.
The service academies have their annual grudge match Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS, and they have the major college football weekend all to themselves.
Navy's been on a roll in the rivalry, winning a series-record seven straight. The Middies would claim a seventh straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy with a victory.
Navy knows they have another game to play - the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31 - and Army can claim a bowl berth with a victory. If the Middies win, then UCLA will go to the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington.
The smaller colleges are closing in on their championship games. In the Football Championship Series, William & Mary visits Villanova Friday on ESPN2 in one semifinal. The winner awaits Saturday's game on ESPN between Appalachian State and Montana.
ESPN has the Heisman Trophy presentation Saturday at 8 p.m.
For the other kind of college football, the soccer Final Four starts Friday on ESPN2 with Virginia facing Wake Forest at 5 p.m. The winner advances to play either Akron or North Carolina on ESPN2 Sunday at 1 p.m.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday night with the slumping Steelers visiting Cleveland, the first NFL team this season to clinch last place in their division.
The CBS doubleheader in Fishersville will feature division leaders - Cincinnati visits Minnesota early, then San Diego heads to Dallas in the 4:15 p.m. slot. Redskins fans will getto see if their team can beat the Raiders, who have posted comeback wins in two of the last three weeks.
NBC's Sunday Night package offers the Eagles-Giants, and the Cardinals vs. 49ers have the spotlight on ESPN's Monday Night Football.
It's exam time at colleges across the country, so the basketball schedule may be a little lighter.
CBS has Kentucky at Indiana at noon before the Army-Navy game.
ESPN has Syracuse-Florida Thursday at 9 p.m., after ESPN2 shows DePaul vs. Mississippi State. Saturday there's two games on ESPN starting at noon (Ohio State at Butler, then LaSalle-Kansas), while ESPN2 has three games. Virginia Tech visits Penn State at 7 p.m. in the middle of the tripleheader.
Comcast shows Georgetown against Washington Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by Eastern Kentucky taking on Maryland. Sunday's game in the ACC package features the non-conference matchup of Rhode Island vs. Boston College.
MASN has a pair of Big East teams in non-conference play Saturday - Western Carolina at Louisville at 4 p.m., followed by West Virginia hosting Coppin St. at 7 p.m.
The Wizards get a spot in TNT's Thursday doubleheader, hosting Boston. Orlando visits Utah in the nightcap. Friday on ESPN, it's the TrailBlazers at the Cavaliers early, then Orlando heads to Phoenix.
Wizards are also on Comcast Saturday, facing Indiana.
The Capitals are home Friday against Carolina, then visit Toronto Saturday on Comcast. There's a hole in Comcast's schedule on Thursday, so they have Ottawa vs. Philadelphia on the schedule.
If you'd like some golf to warm up your weekend, NBC has the Shark Shootout Saturday and Sunday.

Conference championship time

Remember back 20 years ago, when conferences determined their champions through their regularly scheduled games? Then the Southeastern Conference picked up South Carolina and Arkansas to become a 12-team league, and used a rule established for a Division II league to have their own December conference championship game.
Saturday, football fans will be really glad for what they did.
The SEC brings us the de facto national semifinal when top-ranked Florida meets No. 2 Alabama on CBS at 4 p.m. Both teams have finished the regular season 12-0. Both made their way through the tough SEC.
And the winner heads to Pasadena for the national championship game Jan. 7. Fox has the official announcement of BCS bowl pairings Sunday at 8 p.m.
Texas expects to join the SEC winner in Pasadena, and can with a win over Nebraska in the Big 12 championship. ABC has that at 8 p.m., while at the same time in Tampa Bay the ACC championship will be held - matching Georgia Tech and Clemson on ESPN.
Two conferences without a championship game still have final weekend title matchups. In the PAC-10, the winner of Thursday's Oregon-Oregon State game (ESPN, 9 p.m.) will advance to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
In the Big East, it's Cincinnati at Pittsburgh at noon on ABC.
The league championship roundup also includes the MAC, where Ohio faces Central Michigan Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2, and the Conference USA matchup between Houston and East Carolina Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
Some other regular season games this weekend include West Virginia-Rutgers (noon, ESPN), Arizona at Southern Cal (3:30 p.m., ABC). South Florida at Connecticut (8 p.m., ESPN2) and Wisconsin at Hawaii (11:30 p.m., ESPN2).
The NFL weekend begins Thursday in Canada, with the Bills hosting the New York Jets on NFL Network.
The Sunday afternoon schedule includes New Orleans at the Redskins and Cowboys at Giants on FOX. CBS in Washington has to avoid going up against the Redskins, so Fishersville gets its first chance to watch the Cleveland Browns when they host San Diego.
Brett Favre and the Vikings visit Arizona Sunday night on NBC, while the Ravens head to Lambeau Field to battle the Packers on ESPN Monday.
There's a smattering of college basketball games over the weekend. ESPN2 shows a pair of contests Thursday - Washington at Texas Tech and USC-Texas - and two games with ACC teams Saturday - St. Johns at Duke at 3:30 p.m., followed by Wake Forest at Gonzaga.
MASN has two contests Thursday - Mt. St. Mary's at Robert Morris at 7 p.m. and Coastal Carolina-VMI at 9 - followed by UNC-Asheville at Gardner-Webb Friday. Saturday there's three games starting at 3 p.m. - N.C. State at Marquette, then George Mason at UNC-Wilmington and Coastal Carolina-Liberty.
Sunday it's Harvard taking on Connecticut at 1 p.m. and the BB&T Classic from Verizon Center starting at 5 p.m. - Navy vs. George Washington in the opener and Maryland facing Villanova in the nightcap.
Comcast has late night Pac-10 action Thursday and Friday - Baylor at Arizona State, then Colorado at Oregon State. Saturday it's a CAA doubleheader - VCU vs. William & Mary at noon, then Georgia State at James Madison.
Sunday night, ESPN2 offers the women's matchup between Texas and Tennessee.
TNT's Thursday NBA doubleheader features the Celtics at San Antonio at 8 p.m., followed by the Heat at Denver. On Friday, ESPN offers Bulls at Cavaliers and follows Miami west for a matchup with the Lakers in the nightcap.
The Wizards host Toronto Friday, then visit the Pistons Sunday at 6 p.m.
The Capitals host Florida Thursday and begin a three-game road trip at Philadelphia Saturday.
The PGA tour has the Chevron World Challenge on NBC this weekend. You might not have known about that until news of Tiger Woods' trouble came out.
Soccer fans can begin gearing up for World Cup 2010 when the 32 teams find out what groups they will be playing in. ESPN2 has coverage of the draw Friday at noon.