Moving to Wordpress

Blogger went down for a day this week.
Time for an experiment.
I'm moving this blog to Weekendwatchdog.wordpress.com.

No Lakers? No Celtics?

The Lakers didn't make the NBA Western Conference Finals - is that allowed?

The two-time champions exited the playoffs Sunday after being swept by Dallas.
The Celtics lost to the Heat Wednesday, watching Miami score the last 16 points of the game. The teams with the most NBA titles are on the sideline the rest of the way.
Thursday, the Bulls try to close out their series in Atlanta. The tip is 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday, Memphis hosts Game 6 of its series with Oklahoma City. Results from those contests will determine rest of the weekend schedule.
The top two seeds in the NHL's Eastern Conference have been ousted, leaving Boston and Tampa Bay to battle for a Stanley Cup Final berth. They start their series Saturday at 8 p.m. on Versus.
Out west, Vancouver hosts Game 1 Sunday at 8 p.m. on Versus. Either San Jose or Detroit - who play their Game 7 Thursday at 9 p.m. - will be the opponent.
The Red Sox visit the Yankees this weekend - guess what's ESPN's Sunday game of the week? FOX has Saturday baseball in prime time. Games include Giants at Cubs, Dodgers-Diamondbacks and ....Red Sox-Yankees.
Sunday afternoon, TBS has the Phillies visiting Atlanta.
The Nationals are in Atlanta Thursday on MASN, then host Florida this weekend - Friday and Sunday on MASN2, and Saturday at 1 p.m. on MASN.
The Orioles face Seattle Thursday on MASN2, before heading to Tampa Bay for a series with the Rays on MASN (MASN2 Saturday at 4 p.m.).
NASCAR visits the Monster Mile this weekend, with the Sprint Car racers on FOX Sunday at 1 p.m. The Nationwide race takes the track Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
The PGA tour hits TPC Sawgrass and it's famous 17th hole for the Players Championship this weekend. NBC has coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 2 p.m.
The D.C. United face Colorado Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast.
Comcast has SEC baseball Friday at 7 p.m., with Vanderbilt going against Florida. Saturday, it's ACC action at 1 p.m. with Miami at Virginia followed by Tennessee-LSU at 4 p.m.
The ACC crowns its softball champion Sunday at 1 p.m. on Comcast.

Horsepower

You like your horsepower with four legs or four wheels? Saturday is for you.

In the afternoon, you have the running of the Kentucky Derby on NBC, starting at 4 p.m. Lots of horses start but only one leaves Kentucky with a chance to win this year's Triple Crown.

In the night, FOX shows the NASCAR race from Darlington.

That ought to rev your engine for Mother's Day.

The horsepower in Kentucky gets featured on Versus in the days leading up to the big event. The fillies have their race - the Kentucky Oaks - Friday at 5 p.m.
Before the flag drops for the Southern 500, the Nationwide racers will go Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The second round of the NBA playoffs continues this weekend with doubleheaders each day. Friday, ESPN shows Game 3 of the Bulls' series with Atlanta at 7 p.m., followed by the Lakers-Mavericks.
Saturday, ESPN has Game 3 of the Thunder-Grizzlies series from Memphis at 5 p.m., then ABC offers the Heat at Celtics at 8 p.m. Sunday's it's back to Dallas for the Lakers-Mavericks at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. Game 4 of the Bulls vs. Hawks will be at 8 p.m. on TNT.
The NHL continues its second round, starting Thursday at 8:30 p.m. with Game 4 of Vancouver-Nashville on Versus. Friday, the Sharks take on Detroit at 7 p.m., followed by the finish of the Flyers' game with Boston.
The Capitals were supposed to be playing Game 5 Saturday. Instead, they're off to the golf course after another disappointing playoff run. Later Saturday, the Predators head to Vancouver for Game 5 on Versus at 8 p.m.
Sunday, NBC has Game 5 from Philadelphia (if necessary) at 3 p.m. and Game 5 from San Jose will be on Versus at 8 p.m. - if the Red Wings win Game 4.
The Orioles make a rare national TV appearance this weekend, hosting Tampa Bay at 1:10 p.m. on FOX. Other parts of the nation get the Twins at Red Sox and Reds-Cubs. The Orioles-Rays games on Friday and Sunday are on MASN after a Thursday afternoon special in Kansas City.
ESPN's Sunday game features the Braves at Phillies. TBS shows the Yankees at Texas Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
The Nationals play at Philadelphia Thursday on MASN, then head to Florida for the weekend.
The PGA tour hits Charlotte this weekend, with the Wells Fargo championship on CBS Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Comcast has C-USA college baseball this weekend, with Rice facing Houston at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.. From the SEC, LSU visits Alabama at 7:30 p.m.
The NCAA crowns its men's volleyball champion this weekend. Thursday, Southern California faces UC-Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, followed by the Big Ten battle between Ohio State and Penn State. The winners go for the title Saturday at 7 p.m.
ESPN2 offers the MLS Saturday night, with New York at Los Angeles at 11 p.m.
SEC softball gets the coverage Saturday at noon on ESPN, with Florida meeting Tennessee. Sunday at 1 p.m., it's off to the Big 12 for Texas taking on Missouri.

Drafting for the picket line

We have a 2011 NFL schedule. Thursday, we have the 2011 NFL draft. Will we have a 2011 NFL season on time?

Ask the lawyers about the coming season. Until then, the NFL draft opens Thursday on ESPN and NFL Network. There's plenty of questions due to the lockout, but nobody locks out Mel Kiper Jr.

It's one round of picks Thursday night at 8, two more on Friday starting at 6 p.m. and the final four rounds Saturday beginning at noon.
Then it's back to the negotiating table. And more waiting for fans.
The Capitals advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs, and begin play Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast and Versus. Game 2 against the Lightning is set for Sunday at 7 p.m.
The second round begins Thursday on Versus, with the Predators visiting Vancouver at 9 p.m. The second West semifinal begins Friday at 10:30 p.m. with Detroit heading to San Jose.
NBC shows the opener of the Bruins-Flyers series Saturday at 3 p.m., and Game 2 from San Jose Sunday at 3 p.m. Versus has the second game from Vancouver Saturday at 9 p.m.
In the NBA playoffs, there's a pair of Game 6 contests on TNT Thursday - Lakers at Hornets at 8 p.m., followed by Dallas at Portland. ESPN has Game 6 between San Antonio and Memphis Friday at 9 p.m.
Saturday's schedule? Depends on who wins Thursday. The first East semifinal kicks off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. when the Heat take on the Celtics.

NASCAR heads to Richmond for the weekend, with the Sprint Cup race Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on FOX. The Nationwide racers take the track Friday for the Bubba Burger 250 on ESPN2.
For a more exotic locale, the IndyCar drivers are in Sao Paulo Sunday at noon on Versus.

FOX Saturday baseball goes early this week, with the Mets visiting the Phillies at 1 p.m. Other games in the time slot are Angels at Rays and the Cardinals taking on the Braves. The Mets and Phillies meet again Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, while the Yankees host the Blue Jays in the afternoon on TBS.

The Orioles play the Red Sox Thursday on MASN, then go to Chicago this weekend on MASN2. The Nationals are home this week, with the Mets on MASN2 Friday and Giants in town Friday through Sunday on MASN.
Comcast has ACC baseball this weekend, with Florida State at Miami Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday afternoon at 1, Georgia Tech visits Clemson.
Comcast goes to the Sun Belt Saturday at 4 p.m. for Arkansas-Little Rock taking on Louisiana-Lafayette.
ESPN2 has SEC baseball between Arkansas and Georgia Saturday at 1 p.m. and Auburn-South Carolina Sunday at 3 p.m.
ESPN showcases college softball Saturday at 8 p.m., with Oklahoma facing Texas.

The PGA tour visits New Orleans this weekend, with CBS providing coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.

Sports for the Easter basket

Easter Sunday means NASCAR Sprint Cup takes a rare week off. But other sports continue their marches.

The second weekend of the NBA playoffs starts Thursday with Game 3 from Philadelphia (against the Heat at 8 p.m.) and Portland (against Dallas at 10:30 p.m.) Friday, ESPN offers a pair of games starting at 7 p.m. - Celtics vs. Knicks, then Lakers at Hornets - while the Hawks play the Magic at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

Saturday, TNT has the afternoon doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. The Pacers host Chicago in Game 4 of that series, followed by the Mavericks at Portland. ESPN shows a pair of games, with the Spurs taking on Memphis at 7:30 p.m. then Thunder and Nuggets play at 10.

ABC has an Eastern Conference doubleheader on Sunday. The 76ers host the Heat at 1 p.m., then it's Celtics-Knicks. TNT has coverage starting at 7 p.m. with the Magic at Hawks, then the Lakers take on the Hornets.
Then it's a week of "if necessary, while the NHL enters the "if necessary" zone this weekend. Thursday, Versus starts coverage at 7 p.m. with Game 4 of the Canadiens and Bruins. Chicago made Game 5 necessary with a win Tuesday, and will face Vancouver Thursday in the nightcap.
Friday, it's necessary for Versus to find some programming - Detroit won in four straight. From the West Coast, the Predators go against the Ducks in Game 5. There's four games on the Saturday schedule. NBC shows the Capitals against Rangers in Game 5 at 3 p.m., with three other games on Versus - Lightning at Penguins at noon, Canadiens-Bruins at 7 p.m. and the Kings facing the Sharks at 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, Versus has Game 6 of the Flyers-Sabres series - if it makes it that far.
The NL Central battle between Cincinnati and St. Louis take centerstage this weekend, on FOX Saturday afternoon and ESPN Sunday night. FOX also shows the White Sox at Tigers and Braves-Giants, while TBS has the Dodgers at Cubs Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles face Minnesota Thursday on MASN, then the Yankees visit for the weekend.
The Nationals have a Thursday afternoon game in St. Louis on MASN, then head to Pittsburgh for a series with the Pirates on MASN2.
ACC baseball gets coverage on Comcast Friday, as Miami visits North Carolina at 7 p.m. Saturday, Virginia hosts N.C. State at 1 p.m. and Louisiana-Monroe visits Middle Tennessee. ESPN2 offers Alabama against Florida Saturday at 8 p.m. and LSU-Vanderbilt battle Sunday at 3 p.m.
Since it's Easter weekend, the Nationwide Series goes it alone - racing from Nashville Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
The PGA tour heads to Hilton Head for the Heritage this weekend, with coverage of the final two rounds on CBS at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
D.C. United plays New York Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
MASN has Saturday lacrosse, with Yale visiting Georgetown at 1 p.m. Comcast has the ACC women's lacrosse championship at 1 p.m., followed by the men's title tilt at 3:30 p.m.
For an SEC softball doubleheader, it's Alabama vs. Friday Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 and Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

Let the long postseason begin

When the NFL playoffs begin, Tuesday Morning Quarterback mournfully notes that there's only 11 more games left.
You can't count the number of games in the NBA and NHL postseasons.

The two-month long marches to championship began in the NHL Wednesday and start Saturday in the NBA.
The Capitals, top seeds in the Eastern Conference, got things going Wednesday against the Rangers - a come-from-behind overtime victory. Game 2 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, and NBC has Game 3 in New York Sunday at 3 p.m.
NBC shows Game 2 between Phoenix and Detroit Saturday at 1 p.m.
Versus has the majority of the ice hockey action, starting Thursday at 7 p.m. with Montreal at Boston. The Kings at Sharks is the nightcap.
Friday, Versus shows the Capitals-Rangers nationally before heading west for the Blackhawks against the Canucks. Saturday, it's another dose of Canadiens-Bruins and Kings-Sharks, starting at 7 p.m.
Chicago, the 2010 Stanley Cup champion, hosts Vancouver on Sunday at 8 p.m.
The NBA show begins Saturday on ESPN. The Pacers visit the top-seeded Bulls at 12:30 p.m., then ABC gets LeBron, D-Wade and the gang against the 76ers at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN returns to the action at 7 p.m. when the Hawks meet Orlando, followed by Dallas hosting Portland.
The other four series start on Sunday. ABC features the Hornets at Lakers at 3:30 p.m, and TNT has the rest - Memphis-San Antonio at 1 p.m., Knicks facing the Celtics at 7 p.m. and the Thunder hosting Denver at 9:30 p.m.
Basketball and ice hockey - on TV almost every night for the next two months.
NASCAR goes to Talledega this weekend. FOX has the Sprint Cup race Sunday at 1 p.m. while the Nationwide race is Saturday on ESPN2 at 3 p.m.
Versus has the Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Yankees get another appearance on ESPN's Sunday night baseball, hosting Texas at 8 p.m. Early in the day, the Red Sox and Blue Jays meet on TBS.
FOX offers three contests on Saturday afternoon - Twins vs. Rays, Angels at White Sox and Mets visiting the Braves.
The Nationals have a Thursday contest against Philadelphia on MASN2, then Milwaukee comes to town for a three-game series on MASN.
The Orioles close out their series with the Yankees Thursday on MASN, then continue the road trip at Cleveland on MASN2.
Comcast offers a pair of college baseball games Saturday - Florida State at Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. and Vanderbilt visits South Carolina at 7 p.m. Sunday, there's more SEC baseball as Florida takes on Georgia at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 shows Vanderbilt-South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m.
The PGA tour heads west this weekend for the Valero Texas Open. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
MLS has Chicago visting Portland Thursday at 11 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN2 offers SEC college softball Saturday at noon, with Tennessee facing LSU. Sunday on ESPN, Oklahoma plays Missouri at 4 p.m.

A tradition unlike any other

Amen Corner.

The Azaleas.

The walk to the 18th green.

It's time for the Masters.

CBS has its coverage Saturday and Sunday, through the winner's interview at Butler Cabin.  And don't forget the late-night highlights Thursday and Friday after your local news.

ESPN gets to show the first two rounds, starting Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. Don't miss the honorary starters on the tee early Thursday morning.

Another rite of the spring is the start of baseball.
The Yankees and Red Sox have their first series of the season this weekend, so they get coverage Saturday afternoon on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. The Phillies' visit to Atlanta is the other game on FOX Saturday, and the TBS game Sunday afternoon.

The Orioles close out their first home series Thursday, facing Detroit at 7 p.m. on MASN2. They then host Texas for the weekend on MASN2.

The Nationals play Florida Thursday at 7 p.m. on MASN, then visit the Mets on MASN - Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

On the other end of the schedule, the NBA and NHL are winding down. TNT has its final Thursday regular season doubleheader, with the Celtics at Chicago at 8 p.m. followed by the Trail Blazers taking on the Jazz.

The Bulls visit Orlando Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC, while the Celtics face the Heat at 3:30 p.m.

At the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the Wizards visit Boston Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. and host Atlanta Saturday on Comcast-plus.

The Capitals close out the regular season against the Panthers Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. Versus fills the schedule with a bunch of contests - Thrashers at Rangers Thursday at 7 p.m. and Blackhawks against Red Wings Friday at 8 p.m. NBC has the rematch Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the regular season finale.

Having withdrawal from the Final Four? This weekend the NCAA offers the Frozen Four on ESPN. Notre Dame faces Minnesota-Duluth at 5 p.m., followed by Northern Michigan against North Dakota. The winners battle Saturday at 8 p.m. for the championship.

NASCAR heads to Texas for the weekend. FOX has the Sprint series drivers Saturday at 7 p.m., while the Nationwide racers hit the track Friday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

ACC college baseball gets coverage on Comcast Saturday at 1 p.m., with Boston College taking on Duke. Sunday, Comcast goes to the SEC for Auburn at Kentucky.

LSU spring football gets coverage on ESPN Saturday at 4 p.m.
The tennis tour hits South Carolina this week, with ESPN2 showing the Family Circle Cup Thursday through Sunday starting at 1 p.m. each day.
Virginia hosts North Carolina in college lacrosse Saturday at noon on ESPN.

MASN shows the Illinois Derby Saturday at 5 p.m.

Opening up and closing down

In college basketball, four teams are vying for number one.
In major league baseball, everybody's tied for first place.

The 2011 Major League Baseball season gets going on a Thursday this year, with three games on ESPN. The Tigers visit the Yankees at 1 p.m. and the Padres take on the Cardinals at 4 p.m.
The night closes with a big bang, as World Champion San Francisco Giants host the Dodgers by the Bay at 8 p.m.
ESPN continues the opening action Friday with a pair of games - Houston at Philadelphia at 1 p.m. followed by Boston-Texas. Weather permitting in Philly.
Sunday night on ESPN2, the Dodgers and Giants close out their series at 8 p.m.
The Nationals open the season at home against the Braves. MASN has the first pitch Thursday at 1 p.m., and the last two games of the series Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Orioles start the year in Tampa Bay, playing Friday at 7 p.m. on MASN. The teams play Saturday night on MASN and Sunday afternoon on MASN2.
NCAA basketball closes its season with the men's Final Four in Houston and the women's championship in Indianapolis.
Who had VCU playing Butler for a spot in the national championship game? It sounds more like a Bracket Buster game from February. But these two have advanced to Saturday's 6 p.m. game, and one will play either Kentucky or Connecticut for the title Monday.

On the women's side, Texas A&M plays Stanford in one semfinal Sunday and it's a Big East battle between Notre Dame and Connecticut in the other on ESPN. The victors meet Tuesday for the national championship.
Before the Final Four, the NIT crowns its champion Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Wichita State, which eliminated Virginia Tech, takes on Alabama.
NASCAR invades the paper clip this weekend, as the racers cruise around the Martinsville Speedway starting at Sunday 1 p.m. on FOX.
The PGA tour gets ready for the Masters with the Shell Houston Open on NBC Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
TNT returns Thursday NBA doubleheader action as the Celtics visit San Antonio at 8 p.m. followed by the Mavericks against the Lakers. ESPN offers a Friday twinbill, with the Celtics at the Hawks at 8 p.m. The Lakers visit the Jazz at 10:30 p.m.
The NBA on ABC opens April with the Suns at San Antonio Sunday at 1 p.m. Then the Nuggets face the Lakers.
A tough task faces the Wizards Friday - a Cleveland team coming off a win over LeBron and the Heat. Comcast has the coverage at 7 p.m., then Sunday at 6 p.m. the Wizards head to Charlotte.
The Capitals host Columbus Thursday at 7 p.m. and the Sabres Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. NBC has the Rangers facing the Flyers Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Tennis stars compete at the Sony Ericsson Open this weekend. ESPN2 has coverage Thursday and Friday starting at 1 p.m., and Friday at 7 p.m., then CBS takes over Saturday and Sunday.
In college baseball, Florida meets Tennessee Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast. Sunday at 2 p.m., Alabama hosts Arkansas. If you want college football, ESPN has the Texas preseason finale Sunday at 3 p.m.
ESPN2 has a women's soccer match between England and the USA Saturday at 3 p.m.
The SEC women's gymnastics championship will be on ESPN2 Sunday at 3 p.m.

16...8...4

The Cinderella stories have enjoyed their moment in the sun - especially in Richmond. Now it's time to boil down the field to the Final Four.

CBS and TBS offer doubleheaders Thursday and Friday to get us ready for the regional finals this weekend. CBS covers the action from Anaheim, with San Diego State facing Connecticut in the early game at 7:15 p.m. followed by Duke-Arizona.

TBS gets to be in New Orleans, with Florida-BYU followed by Wisconsin-Butler.

Friday, the Cinderella stories from Virginia will be on TBS. Richmond takes on top-seeded Kansas at 7:27 p.m. before VCU meets Florida State in a 10-11 matchup that broke many brackets.
CBS has the games from Newark, with North Carolina playing Marquette in the opener before Ohio State takes on Kentucky.

Then CBS has coverage of the final seven contests - two Saturday starting at 4:30 p.m., two Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. and the Final Four next weekend.
The women's Sweet 16 fills the weekend on ESPN. Ohio State meets Tennessee at noon Saturday, followed by Oklahoma-Notre Dame. Out west, it's Gonzaga-Louisville at 9 p.m. with Stanford meeting North Carolina in the nightcap on ESPN2.
Sunday's contests start with Georgetown facing Connecticut at noon on ESPN, with the winner meeting either DePaul or Duke (2:30 p.m. on ESPN2) for the Final Four berth. The final regional kicks off with Georgia battling Texas A&M, followed by Green Bay against top-seeded Baylor.
NCAA Division II's Elite Eight concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. on CBS. Division II crowns its women's champions Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
In the week between Bristol and Martinsville, where does NASCAR go? California.
FOX has the Auto Club 500 Sunday at 3 p.m., while the Nationwide drivers are on ESPN Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The IndyCar season opens in St. Petersburg, with ABC covering Danica and the other drivers Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
MASN gets ready for opening day with the Nationals playing the Cardinals Friday at 6 p.m. The Orioles take on the Red Sox Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN has the White Sox against the Cubs Thursday at 5 p.m. and Braves taking on the Phillies Friday at 1 p.m. Saturday at 4 p.m., ESPN2 shows the Cubs against the Rangers.
Comcast offers college baseball Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. as Georgia Tech visits Miami.
After the college basketball quiets down Sunday night, ESPN shows Portland at Oklahoma City at 8 p.m. Dallas plays Phoenix in the nightcap.
The Wizards head west, facing Denver Friday at 9 p.m. on Comcast and Golden State Sunday at 9 p.m.
The Capitals take on Ottawa Friday on Comcast-plus and Montreal Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Major League Soccer has started for the year, and Comcast has D.C. United's game at New England Saturday at 4 p.m. At 11 p.m., Houston takes on Seattle.
As time for the Kentucky Derby approaches, MASN shows Spiral Stakes Saturday at 5 p.m. and the Sunland Derby from New Mexico Sunday at 7 p.m.

68....64...32....16

It used to be called Court TV. This week, it's hardcourt TV.
CBS shares the NCAA tournament with the new contract, adding TBS, TNT and TruTV (formerly Court TV) so all games can be seen in their entirety on cable systems across the country.

You caught the first four tournament games on TruTV, didn't you? Play-in games Tuesday and Wednesday were on the channel. Hokie fans couldn't watch after being left out of the tournament again.
The field of 64 kicks off Thursday at noon when West Virginia meets the play-in winner Clemson on CBS. TruTV starts at 12:30 p.m. with Butler-Old Dominion, while TBS offers Morehead State against Louisville at 1:30 p.m. and TNT starts its day from Tucson at 2 p.m. with Temple taking on Penn State.
Each network has four games Thursday and four more Friday. TNT covers the formerly barren area between 5-7 p.m., when CBS shows local and national news. So race home from work and watch college basketball the rest of the night.
CBS continues its full weekend schedule starting Saturday at noon and Sunday at noon. TNT has two games Saturday beginning at 6 p.m., while TBS begins its weekend coverage at 7 p.m.
Then it's down to 16 teams, and likely no more basketball on TruTV until next year.
The women's tournament gets going Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. Play in the Charlottesville region starts Sunday at noon on ESPN2 when Miami faces Gardner-Webb. Local favorite James Madison plays Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m.
ESPN shows a second-round NIT game Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.
For more top college athletes, ESPN shows the NCAA wrestling championships Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
NASCAR heads to Bristol this weekend, with the Sprint Cup race Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. Danica Patrick and the Nationwide racers hit the track Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
The surging Capitals take on New Jersey Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, while the Rangers visit Pittsburgh Sunday on NBC.
Comcast offers the Flyers against the Thrashers Thursday at 7 p.m. and at Dallas Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Wizards play at Toronto Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast-plus.
The PGA tour is on NBC Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. for the Transitions Championship.
MASN has a Nationals exhibition game against the Tigers Sunday at 1 p.m.

And the field is....

It's time for those mid-March traditions - waiting for the NCAA tournament field to be announced, and watching either Duke or North Carolina win the ACC championship.

The 58th edition of the ACC tournament kicks off Thursday at noon on NBC29 and other ACC Network affiliates with Virginia meeting Miami.

Boston College plays No. 12 seed Wake Forest at 2:30 p.m., and Virginia Tech tackles Georgia Tech at 9 p.m. ESPN2 has the 7 p.m. Thursday game between Maryland and N.C. State.

The top seeds get into the action Friday at noon, starting with North Carolina against either Virginia or Miami. Fourth-seeded Clemson plays at 2:30 p.m., with Duke tipping off the night session at 7 p.m. and Florida State in the final game at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday's semifinals start at 1:30 p.m., with the final Sunday at 1 p.m.

Outside the ACC area, ESPN2 has the Friday coverage and ESPN shows the semifinals and final.

The Big East tournament opened Tuesday, but the top four seeds get to wait until Thursday to play. Top-seeded Pittsburgh has its first game at noon against Connectiuct on ESPN, then fourth-seed Syracuse plays St. John's at 2 p.m. Notre Dame and Louisville are the top seeds for the evening contests. The semifinals are Friday night and championship Saturday at 9 p.m.
As the home of the NCAA tournament, CBS gears up with some big games. Conference USA crowns its champion Saturday at 11:30 a.m., then it's the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. The PAC-10 conference final will be at 8 p.m.
Sunday, the Atlantic 10 title tilt is at 1 p.m. followed by the Big Ten championship. Then it's wait to see who's in, who's not and who's going where at 6 p.m.

ESPN2's tournament coverage includes Thursday's opening round of the Big Ten tournament, starting at 2:30 p.m. between Minnesota and Northwestern. Iowa faces Michigan State in the second contest. There's also Big 12 games at 12:30 p.m. (top-seed Kansas vs. Oklahoma State) and 9 p.m.
The Big Ten goes to ESPN Friday afternoon, with games at noon and 2:30 p.m. (Illinois vs. Michigan). After the ACC tournament finishes its day, there's a contest from the WAC at midnight on ESPN2.
Friday, Lafayette and Bucknell battle for the Patriot League crown at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Six leagues crown their champs on ESPN2 Saturday - America East at noon, followed by MEAC, Southland, MAC, Big West and WAC. The Big 12 championship game is Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN before the Big East finale.
ABC offers the Southeastern Conference final Sunday at 1 p.m.
Comcast heads west Thursday for three of the four quarterfinal contests in the Pac-10 tournament. The day begins at 3 p.m. and both games of the night session are on the channel starting at 9 p.m. The 5:30 p.m. game will be seen on Comcast-plus.
The first two games of the Atlantic 10 tournament take the stage Friday at noon. The Pac-10 semifinals will air after Capitals' ice hockey Friday, with the first game joined in progress at 10 p.m.
MASN gets into the tournament fever Thursday with a pair of games from the Big 12 tournament - 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The second semifinal tips Friday at 12:30 p.m.
Versus brings the mens and womens final from the Mountain West Saturday. The women tip at 4 p.m. and the mens teams battle at 7 p.m.
The women's field will be announced Monday on ESPN, and there's plenty of tournament action this weekend. Comcast has the Big 12 championship Saturday at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Pac-10. Sunday at 1 p.m., the CAA crowns its champion.
MASN shows a Big South semifinal Saturday at 4 p.m. and championship game Sunday at 2 p.m.
The pros play this weekend also. TNT has its doubleheader Thursday, with the Lakers at Miami at 7 p.m. with the Knicks taking on the Mavericks in the nightcap. ABC has Orlando at Phoenix Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Wizards host the Clippers Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Spring training takes the air Friday on MASN, with the Nationals playing the Astros at 6 p.m. Saturday, it's the Yankees playing Washington at 1 p.m.
TPC Blue Monster hosts the PGA tour this weekend, with the WGC-Cadillac Championship on NBC Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Capitals are home this weekend, hosting Carolina Friday on Comcast and Chicago Sunday afternoon on the NBC Game of the Week.

Start filling the dance card

Want to know which teams will be playing in Dayton when the NCAA tournament opens in two weeks?
They're the ones who will be cutting down the nets this weekend.

With the expansion of the field to 68 teams, there will be four NCAA tournament games in Dayton March 15-16 - two to find first-round opponents for the top-seeded teams and two other battles between the bottom four at-large teams.

The first automatic qualifiers earn their tickets to the field Saturday, and could likely face a trip to Dayton on the road to an impropable national title. ESPN2 shows the Big South tournament final Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by the Atlantic Sun and Ohio Valley Conference.

CBS shows the Missouri Valley Conference championship Sunday at 2 p.m. as part of its regular season finale weekend. There's four games on Saturday, beginning at noon when Kansas heads to Missouri. There's a split national window at 2 p.m., with either Oregon at Arizona or Michigan State-Michigan on the air. It's off to the Big East at 4 p.m. when Villanova plays Pittsburgh, then in primetime Duke visits North Carolina.

Sunday, Kentucky plays Tennessee at noon and top-ranked Ohio State hosts Wisconsin at 4 p.m.

Virginia closes out its regular season at Maryland Saturday at 2 p.m. on NBC29. Sunday at noon, Wake Forest heads to Boston College followed by Miami at Georgia Tech at 2:30 p.m.

ESPN starts its Thursday basketball in the SEC, with Tennessee at South Carolina at 7 p.m. Wisconsin visits Indiana at 9 p.m. ESPN2 offers St. John's taking on Seton Hall followed by UCLA-Washington. Friday, it's off to the Mid-American Conference as Akron faces Kent State.

Virginia Tech looks to secure its spot in the NCAA tournament at Clemson Saturday at noon on ESPN2. Then South Carolina meets Mississippi State at 2 p.m.

ESPN opens Saturday with a pair of games from the Big East - Louisville-West Virginia at noon followed by Notre Dame against Connecticut. Then it's off to the Big Ten for Purdue-Iowa and Florida facing Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. The GameDay crew has the Big 12 matchup between Baylor and Texas.
ESPN2 closes the weekend with a pair of games from the West Coast Conference tournament Sunday starting at 8 p.m.
MASN offers four Big East games Saturday. Georgetown visits Connecticut to start the action at 2 p.m., followed by DePaul at Syracuse. Marquette heads to Seton Hall at 6 p.m. then South Florida takes on St. John's.
There's a game from the MAAC tournament Saturday at 10 p.m.and the second semifinal Sunday at 4 p.m.
Comcast has a Pac-10 game Thursday at 10:30 p.m., and another Saturday at 10:30 p.m.
Versus offers UNLV at Utah Saturday at 4 p.m.
The ACC women's tournament starts Thursday on Comcast, with games at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday there's quarterfinal games at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the two semifinals Saturday at 1 and 3:30 p.m. and the final tips Sunday at 1 p.m.
MASN shows a game from second round of the Big East womens' tournament Saturday at noon.
ESPN2 has a pair of championship games Sunday - the Big Ten at 3:30 p.m. and SEC at 5:30 p.m.
NASCAR heads to Las Vegas for the weekend, with FOX dropping the flag at 3 p.m. Sunday. The Nationwide Drivers are on ABC Saturday at 3 p.m.
Hang on, baseball's coming. ESPN has spring training action Thursday at 1 p.m. with the Tigers playing the Braves. Sunday, MASN shows the Nationals playing the Braves at 1 p.m.
TNT opens Thursday with the battle of Florida - Orlando visiting Miami at 8 p.m. - and has Denver at Utah as the nightcap. ESPN continues the Florida theme Friday, with the Bulls at Orlando in the first game and Heat at the Spurs at 10:30 p.m.
ABC's Sunday doubleheader starts with the Bulls facing Miami at 1 p.m., and the Lakers play San Antonio at 3:30 p.m. ESPN adds two more games in the evening - Knicks-Hawks at 6:30 p.m. and the Celtics in Milwaukee for the nightcap.
The Wizards meet Minnesota Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, and visit Detroit Sunday on Comcast-plus.
The Capitals host St. Louis Thursday on Comcast, then head south to play Florida Sunday at 5 p.m. NBC shows the Flyers at Rangers Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The PGA tour heads to the East Coast, with the Honda Classic on NBC Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. both days.
ESPN offers college gymnastics between Alabama and Georgia Sunday at 2 p.m.

Hokies in primetime

Cassell Coliseum and its fans get to shine this weekend.
ESPN's GameDay crew pays a visit to Cassell Coliseum Saturday, as the Hokies host Duke at 9 p.m. The festivities begin in the morning with the two-hour preview show, and then get you ready for the game at 8 p.m.
The question remains - are the Hokies ready for primetime? They lost both matchups to Virginia, and fourth place in the ACC doesn't guarantee anything - even with the field now 68 teams.
But they won at Wake Forest Tuesday, giving needed momemtum to face the top-ranked Blue Devils.
ESPN's Saturday begins at noon when Missouri heads to Kansas State, followed by St John's at Villanova. It's back to the Big 12 at 4 p.m. when Kansas plays Oklahoma, then Mississippi State takes on Tennessee.
ESPN2 has Wichita State at Missouri State at 1 p.m., followed by Memphis-UTEP. It's off to the Big West at 8 p.m. when UC Santa Barbara battles Long Beach State.
Thursday there's Big East on the menu as ESPN2 shows Marquette-Connecticut at 7 p.m. and ESPN offers West Virginia at Pittsburgh at 9 p.m. The night begins on ESPN at 7 p.m. with Georgia facing Florida, while ESPN2 heads west as the night goes on - Penn State at Northwestern at 9 p.m. followed by Gonzaga-St. Mary's.
Friday, Judgment Week begins on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. when Siena meets Fairfield in the MAAC.
Sunday, ESPN shows Purdue-Michigan State at 1 p.m. while ESPN2 goes with Xavier at Dayton.
The ACC network splits its coverage of games Saturday at 2 p.m. NBC29 and northern areas will feature Georgia Tech at N.C. State, while CW29 shows Miami at Florida State.
CBS has a full weekend of college basketball as the NCAA tournament nears. There's three games Saturday, starting at noon when Syracuse visits Georgetown. BYU heads to San Diego State at 2 p.m., followed by Florida taking on Kentucky.
Sunday at 2 p.m. it's back to the Big East when Louisville meets Pittsburgh. The Big Ten battle between Indiana and Ohio State caps off the weekend.
Comcast starts Thursday in the CAA with Northeastern taking on George Mason at 7 p.m. Then it's off to the west coast as UCLA hosts Arizona State at 11 p.m. Saturday, Boston College meets Virginia at noon, followed by Temple at George Washington and William &Mary-Old Dominion.
The Sunday ACC game of the week features Maryland traveling to North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. Comcast heads west at 10:30 p.m. for Washington State-Washington.
MASN offers a pair of games Thursday - Mt. St. Mary's at Robert Morris at 7 p.m. and a WAC battle between Nevada and Idaho at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, there's three games from across the nation. At 2 p.m., there's the Big East matchup between South Florida and DePaul, followed by Texas at Colorado. The Big South takes the stage at 7 p.m. with VMI meeting Winthrop.
Sunday West Virginia visits Rutgers at noon, followed by St. Peter's at Rider. It's back to the Big East at 4 p.m. when Providence heads to Marquette.
As the weather warms and time for the Masters quickly approaches, the PGA tour brings together its 64 best golfers for the World Match Play Championship this weekend.
In most tournaments, the players get four rounds to notch the best score. This week, it's beat your opponent each day or head off for next week's venue. Sorry, Tiger Woods, but you won't be exciting the crowds this Sunday.
Golf Channel has coverage during the week, and NBC picks up the action Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. both days.
Fresh off his upset win at the Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne and the NASCAR gang head to Phoenix this Sunday. Coverage begins at 3 p.m.
The Nationwide drivers hit the track Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
TNT's Thursday NBA doubleheader starts at 8 p.m. when Miami heads to Chicago. In the nightcap, the Celtics face the Nuggets. ESPN has the Magic hosting Oklahoma City Friday, and the Nuggets meet the TrailBlazers in the nightcap.
ABC only offers one game this weekend, with the Lakers heading to Oklahoma City at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
With Carmelo Anthony now on the squad, the Knicks host Miami Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The Hawks play Portland at 10:30 p.m.
The Wizards visit Miami Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, and host Dallas Saturday on Comcast-plus.
For the hopeful stars of the future, Versus shows the D-League game between Bakersfield and Idaho Saturday at 11 p.m.

Comcast offers three women's basketball games Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. when Virginia Tech hosts Virginia in the regular season finale. It's off to the CAA at 3 p.m. when Delaware visits Old Dominion, then back to the ACC for North Carolina-Duke.
MASN goes to the Big East for women's basketball Saturday at noon, with South Florida at Villanova.
ESPN2 shows Baylor taking on Oklahoma Sunday at 5 p.m.

It's a New York weekend for the Capitals, with the Rangers in town Friday on Comcast plus and a trip to play the Islanders Saturday on Comcast.

The flag drops on NASCAR season

Can Jimmie Johnson win yet another title?

Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. win once?

Will a new star burst onto the scene in 2011?

NASCAR begins answering its questions Sunday when the flag drops on the 53rd annual Daytona 500. Fox has the coverage starting at 1 p.m., and by nightfall a new hero will be crowned. Dale Jr. has the pole, with teammate Jeff Gordon in the second slot. But Dale Jr. had the second spot in the 2010 Daytona 500, and failed to reach Victory Lane for the second straight season.

The rest of the Daytona 500 field will be set in the Twin 125, shown Thursday at 2 p.m. on Speed.

First race of the Nationwide Series season will be Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

Boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racing boys. 

The best of the NBA gather in L.A. Sunday for the All-Star game at 7 p.m. on TNT. Saturday is time for the other all-star events, starting at 8 p.m. and finishing with the Slam Dunk champion.

For those who want an early start to the weekend, ESPN has the Celebrity All-Star game Friday at 7 p.m. For the hopeful stars of the future, Versus shows the D-League game between Bakersfield and Idaho Saturday at 11 p.m.

It's BracketBuster weekend at ESPN. Friday, ESPN2 offers Virginia Commonwealth at Wichita State at 7 p.m. There's four more games on the ESPN2 schedule Saturday, starting with Missouri State at Valaparaiso at 5 p.m., followed by George Mason-Northern Iowa. The coverage heads west at 9 p.m. for Utah State taking on St. Mary's, then Montana meets Long Beach State. Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, Cleveland State visits Old Dominion.

The hoops weekend begins Thursday on ESPN when Penn State takes on Minnesota at 7 p.m., followed by Alabama-LSU. On ESPN2, Clemson visits N.C. State at 7 p.m., then it's DePaul at Providence. Friday, ESPN has the Big East at 9 p.m. as Connecticut takes on Louisville.
ESPN offers five games on Saturday, beginning at noon with Pittsburgh at St. John's. Top-ranked Kansas hosts Colorado at 2 p.m., then it's Boston College-North Carolina and Washington at Arizona. The GameDay crew will watch Illinois take on Michigan State at 9 p.m.
Sunday, ESPN has Florida-LSU at 1 p.m.
Virginia hosts Virginia Tech on the ACC network and NBC29 Saturday at 1 p.m., while CW29 and southern areas of the conference see Florida State at Wake Forest.
CBS has a pair of games to show Saturday at 1 p.m. - splitting the country between Georgia-Tennessee and Notre Dame-West Virginia - then Sunday at 1 p.m. it's Ohio State at Purdue.

MASN offers four Big East games Saturday, starting at noon when Villanova visits DePaul. Rutgers goes to Syracuse at 4 p.m., then it's a primetime doubleheader starting at 7 p.m. - Georgetown traveling to South Florida and Seton Hall-Marquette.

There's a pair of Atlantic 10 games on Comcast Saturday - Duquesne-Dayton at noon and George Washington taking on LaSalle at 7 p.m. - with Oregon State-Oregon at 4 p.m.

Sunday is the ACC doubleheader - North Carolina State at Maryland at 5:30 p.m. with Georgia Tech-Duke as the nightcap. UCLA visits California at 10:30 p.m.

MASN carries Big East women's basketball Saturday at 2 p.m. when Notre Dame goes to Connecticut. Sunday, it's time for America East action when UMBC visits Hartford at 1:30 p.m.

Comcast offers CAA women's basketball Thursday at 7 p.m. when William & Mary meets Drexel. Saturday, it's off to the Big 12 for Baylor-Texas Tech at 2 p.m. and Sunday's there's a pair of games - Boston College at Virginia at 1 p.m. followed by James Madison at Delaware.

ESPN2 has a women's doubleheader Sunday - Maryland at Florida State at 3 p.m., then it's off to the Big 10 for Ohio State-Purdue.

Outdoor ice hockey takes the stage on Versus Sunday at 6 p.m., when Calgary hosts Montreal in the Heritage Classic.

The Capitals continue their road trip at San Jose Thursday at 10:30 p.m. on Comcast, then visit Buffalo Sunday at 12:30 p.m. as one of three games on NBC. NBC continues the hockey action at 3:30 p.m. when Pittsburgh takes on Chicago. Versus
Comcast has the Flyers visiting Carolina Friday at 8 p.m.

CBS has the PGA tour -the Northern Trust Open - Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.

A sure sign of spring is college lacrosse, and Sunday at 3 p.m. ESPN shows Duke at Notre Dame.

Get revved up

It's Speed Week at Daytona.
You've got a week to wait until the flag drops on the Daytona 500, but hopefully the Daytona Shootout will whet your appetite. The race is on FOX Saturday at 8 p.m.
Boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racing boys.
The racing weekend continues Sunday with qualifying at 1 p.m. that sets the first two spots for next Sunday's Daytona 500 and the fields for Thursday's Twin 125s.
Less than two weeks after they met in L.A., the Celtics and Lakers get together again Thursday at 8 p.m. on TNT. In the nightcap, Dallas visits Denver. ESPN's Friday doubleheader features the Lakers at New York at 8 p.m. followed by the Suns at the Jazz.
ABC's Sunday doubleheader starts with the Celtics hosting the Heat at 1 p.m., then the Lakers visit Orlando. ESPN offers the Thunder at Warriors Sunday at 8 p.m.
The Spurs visit Washington Saturday at 8 p.m. on Comcast. Then somebody's gotta win when the Wizards take on Cleveland Sunday at 6 p.m.
The ACC Network offers split regional coverage for games Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The Hokies host Georgia Tech Sunday at 1 p.m. on NBC29, while other fans can tune to CW29 for N.C. State against Wake Forest. Saturday, the choices are North Carolina-Clemson on NBC29 and Maryland-Boston College on CW29.
ESPN has a doubleheader Thursday, with Connecticut against St. John's at 7 p.m. followed by Illinois-Minnesota. ESPN2 has three games, starting at 7 p.m. with the ACC battle between Florida State and Georgia Tech. Alabama meets Vanderbilt at 9 p.m., then it's Gonzaga taking on Loyola Marymount.
There's five games on ESPN and six on ESPN2 Saturday. ESPN starts in the Big East with Syracuse-Louisville at noon, then offers Ohio State-Wisconsin, Texas taking on Baylor at 4 p.m. and Tennesee-Florida at 6 p.m. The GameDay crew will be in Philadelphia for Pittsburgh's contest with Villanova.
On ESPN2, the day begins with a pair of games in Virginia - St. Louis at Richmond at noon followed by Old Dominion-VCU. North Texas faces Western Kentucky at 4 p.m., then it's Southern Miss-Memphis, Detroit meeting Butler and Northern Iowa hosting Wichita State.
ESPN returns to the Big East Sunday, with Marquette against Georgetown at 1 p.m.
CBS goes to the SEC Saturday, as Kentucky takes on Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. Sunday, it's a Big Ten matchup between Purdue and Illinois.
Comcast has Oregon at Southern Cal Thursday at 11 p.m. Virginia heads to Florida State Saturday at 3 p.m., then it's James Madison at George Mason. Arizona battles Arizona State Sunday at 9 p.m..
MASN heads to the Big South Thursday, with Charleston Southern at Winthrop Thursday at 7 p.m. Saturday, there's four games starting with Notre Dame taking on South Florida at noon. UNC-Charlotte visits Rhode Island at 2 p.m., then it's back to the Big East as DePaul goes to West Virginia.
ESPN2 has a high school contest Friday at 7:30 p.m., with Oak Hill Academy crossing the border into North Carolina and facing Christ School.
Comcast has an ACC women's doubleheader Friday - Georgia Tech at Florida State at 6:30 p.m., followed by Duke-Wake Forest. Sunday at 1 p.m., it's Florida State vs. North Carolina. On ESPN2 Sunday, it's Michigan State-Michigan at 2:30 p.m. then West Virginia meets Louisville.
CBS heads to Pebble Beach for PGA golf Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
Before embarking on a two-week road trip, the Capitals host Los Angeles Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on Comcast. Comcast also has Carolina at Philadelphia Thursday at 7 p.m., while NBC's Sunday afternoon game matches Boston and Detroit.

XLV

You're Jerry Jones.
You're proud to have the Super Bowl at your new stadium.
You really wanted the Cowboys to be playing this weekend, but that didn't happen.

Can you name two worse teams to be at Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV?
From the AFC you have the Steelers, who beat the Cowboys in two Super Bowls. A fierce rival in the 1970s.
From the NFC you have the Packers. The team that beat Dallas in two NFL title games before the first two Super Bowls. Maybe they aren't the Redskins, but seeing either of these teams celebrate on your field won't feel quite right.
The game and commercials begin at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.
The pregame? Probably started now as you're reading this.
In college basketball, there's a split ACC doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Wake Forest visits Maryland at 1 p.m. on NBC29, while southern areas (and Charlottesville's NBC29) have Clemson at Georgia Tech.
CBS offers either St. John's-UCLA or Illinois at Northwestern Saturday at 1 p.m., then the Big Ten battle between Michigan State and Wisconsin Sunday at 1 p.m.
Comcast goes west Thursday for Arizona State at California at 11 p.m. Saturday, Comcast starts with James Madison hosting VCU at noon before Old Dominion meets George Mason. Then it's off to the Pac-10 at 4 p.m. for Washington taking on Oregon.
The ACC game of the week is Sunday at 2 p.m., with Florida State against North Carolina.
MASN has America East action on Thursday, with Binghamton at UMBC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, there's four Big East games starting at noon with Providence at Georgetown. Syracuse visits South Florida at 2 p.m., then Cincinnati takes on Pittsburgh at 6 p.m. followed by DePaul at Louisville.
Sunday at noon, Rutgers battles Notre Dame and Marist takes on Niagara at 3 p.m.
ESPN's Thursday schedule starts with Michigan-Ohio State at 7 p.m., followed by Notre Dame visiting DePaul. ESPN2 goes to the ACC for Georgia Tech against Miami at 7 p.m., then it's Vanderbilt-Auburn and Gonzaga battling Portland.
It's five games each for ESPN and ESPN2 on Saturday. ESPN starts the day at noon with West Virginia heading to Villanova, then it's Baylor-Texas A&M, Memphis vs. Gonzaga and North Carolina State heading to Duke. The Primetime crew watches Kentucky take on Florida at 9 p.m.
On the deuce, the day begins at noon with Butler vs. Cleveland State and Rhode Island at Temple. Iowa heads to Indiana at 4 p.m., followed by Mississippi against Arkansas and Loyola Marymount at St. Mary's.
Sunday while getting ready for the big game, Ohio State meets Minnesota at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
In women's basketball, MASN has Pittsburgh at West Virginia Saturday at 4 p.m. Comcast goes to the CAA Thursday as Towson visits Drexel at 7 p.m., then offers a pair of games Sunday - N.C. State vs. Maryland at noon and Nebraska facing Colorado at 4 p.m.
ESPN2 has high school basketball Saturday at 10 p.m. with Bishop Gorman meeting Long Beach Poly.
TNT starts its Thursday NBA doubleheader in Florida with the Heat visiting the Magic at 8 p.m. The Spurs take on the Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ESPN offers the Celtics hosting Dallas at 8 p.m. followed by Jazz-Nuggets.
Sunday on ABC, the Magic visit Boston at 2:30 p.m.
The Wizards have a pair of home games on Comcast this weekend - Friday against the Magic and Saturday against the Hawks.
CBS has the PGA tour from Phoenix Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. And don't forget to take out the trash.
The Capitals host the Penguins Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC, after playing at Tampa Bay Friday on Comcast-plus.

Stars on parade

Before the Super Bowl kicks off, the best of the rest head to Hawaii.
FOX has the NFL's Pro Bowl Sunday at 7 p.m., with the best players from 30 teams - the Packers and Steelers are gearing up for the real big game next week.
The best players, minus those who are injured. Or had another reason to get out of the contest.

Another group of all-stars gather in North Carolina this weekend - the NHL's best play on Versus at 4 p.m. Sunday. There's a draft to stock the teams Friday night, with the skills competition Saturday at 7 p.m.
The best, except for Penguins' star Sidney Crosby. He's missed most of January with a concussion, and will miss his third straight all-star weekend.
For lower level stars, the AHL skills competition from Hershey will be Sunday at 3 p.m. on Comcast.
The stars of the tennis world shine in the finals of the Australian Open this weekend. The women's title begins real early - Saturday at 3 a.m. on ESPN2 - and the men finish up Sunday at 3 a.m. Sorry fans, but that's prime time down under.
ESPN offers four nights of wild winter action - the 15th Winter X games. Coverage starts Thursday at noon on ESPN2, and there's two hours Thursday starting at 9 p.m. Friday, it starts at noon on ESPN2 and 7 p.m. on ESPN, Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 and 9 p.m. on ESPN, and finishes up Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN.
The PGA tour returns to network TV this week, with the Farmers Insurance Open on CBS Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
ABC gets its Sunday NBA package going with Miami's visit to Oklahoma City at 1 p.m. The Celtics take on the Lakers at 3:30 p.m.
TNT starts the weekend Thursday when LeBron James and the Heat visit the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. The Celtics face Portland in the nightcap. ESPN has the Celtics' game with Phoenix Friday at 10:30 p.m., while Sunday at 10 p.m. the Jazz take on Golden State.
The Wizards visit Oklahoma City Friday, then meet the Grizzlies in Memphis Saturday on Comcast.
For your ACC coverage, NBC29 has Boston College at Duke Thursday at 8 p.m. Saturday, Virginia visits Wake Forest at 4 p.m. on NBC29, after Florida State takes on Clemson.
Comcast brings Maryland at Virginia Thursday at 7 p.m., then heads west for Oregon State's game with California at 11. Saturday it's a tripleheader, with George Mason at William & Mary at noon followed by St. Louis-George Washington and Delaware hosting James Madison.
There's an ACC doubleheader Sunday night - Miami at Virginia Tech at 5:30 p.m. followed by Maryland-Georgia Tech. Then Washington plays Washington State at 10:30 p.m.
ESPN has Michigan at Michigan State Thursday at 7 p.m., while ESPN2 goes south with Vanderbilt taking on Mississippi State at 7 p.m. followed by UCLA-Arizona and St. Mary's facing Gonzaga.
Saturday, ESPN and ESPN2 both have four games. ESPN starts at noon with Georgetown-Villanova, followed by N.C. State taking on North Carolina. Georgia meets Kentucky at 4 p.m., with Kansas State battling Kansas at 7 p.m. with the Primetime crew.
On ESPN2, Xavier takes on Richmond at noon and Bradley meets Wichita State at 2 p.m. Top-ranked Ohio State takes on Northwestern at 6 p.m., then Pittsburgh visits Rutgers.
CBS has games at 1 p.m. both days of the weekend -either Minnesota-Purdue or Florida at Mississippi State Saturday, then Duke meets St. John's Sunday.
MASN visits the Big South Conference Thursday, with UNC-Asheville visiting Liberty. Saturday, there's a pair of Big East games among the four contests on the slate - Louisville at Connecticut at noon and West Virginia-Cincinnati at 8 p.m. In between, it's Oklahoma State taking on Texas Tech at 4 p.m. followed by Coastal Carolina at Radford.
Sunday, Manhattan visits Marist at noon, then it's a Big East battle between Providence and Seton Hall.
Versus has BYU at New Mexico Saturday at 4 p.m.
Comcast gives you ACC women's basketball Sunday at 1 p.m. - Florida State at North Carolina State. ESPN2 features Georgia-LSU at 5 p.m.
For those interested in gymnastics, Auburn and Georgia hit the mats Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.

Who's going to Super Bowl XLV?

The first two franchises to win Super Bowls were Green Bay and the New York Jets. They could return for Super Bowl XLV.

Fresh off upsets of the top-seeded squads, the Packers and Jets hope for one more upset Sunday - and the first championship meeting of the lowest seeded playoff teams in each conference.

Green Bay gets the day started at 3 p.m. on FOX against the Bears in Chicago. The Packers have two Super Bowl trips in the 1990s to go with winning the first two games. Three years after the departure of Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers has the Pack almost back to the big game.

The Jets haven't been to the Super Bowl since Joe Namath took them there in 1969. But they hadn't won in the state of Pennsylvania until beating the Steelers in December. The Steelers have plenty of experience making the Super Bowl, but have lost several times at home in the AFC championship. CBS has the coverage starting at 6:30 p.m.

In college basketball, Virginia hosts Georgia Tech Saturday at noon on NBC29 and the ACC Network. Clemson visits Maryland at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon it's Miami taking on N.C. State.
CBS has a Saturday afternoon tripleheader, starting in the Big Ten with Ohio State-Illinois. At 2 p.m., there's the choice between Stanford and UCLA or Tennessee at Connecticut, then Texas battles Kansas at 4 p.m.
ESPN and ESPN2 have Thursday doubleheaders, highlighted by Maryland's game with Virginia Tech at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. South Florida-Rutgers gets things going on ESPN2 at 7 p.m., while ESPN offers Florida meeting Auburn followed by Indiana-Wisconsin.
Saturday's ESPN schedule starts at noon with Villanova-Syracuse. Kansas State faces Texas A&M at 2 p.m., followed by Duke-Wake Forest and Kentucky against South Carolina. The GameDay crew has Michigan State-Purdue.
ESPN2's four-game day starts at 1 p.m. with Arkansas-Little Rock meeting Florida Atlantic. Then it's Temple facing Xavier, Creighton-Missouri State and the Conference USA battle between Memphis and UAB at 7 p.m.
Comcast heads west Thursday night, with Arizona going to Washington at 10:30 p.m. There's three games on Saturday, starting with Massachusetts-Richmond at noon. Charlotte hosts Duquesne at 2 p.m., followed by VCU at Old Dominion.
MASN has Sacred Heart against Mt. St. Mary's Thursday, and fills the schedule with five games Saturday. The Big East tips off the day at noon with Rutgers at Seton Hall, then Loyola plays Marist in a MAAC contest.
At 4 p.m., Pittsburgh visits DePaul and Notre Dame hosts Marquette at 7 p.m. The night closes with Towson taking on UNC-Wilmington at 9 p.m. Sunday, St. Peter's meets Manhattan at noon, followed by South Florida against West Virginia.
Versus offers New Mexico at UNLV Saturday at 4 p.m.
Comcast has a women's college basketball tripleheader on Sunday. Boston College visits Georgia Tech at 1 p.m., followed by Oregon State-Oregon and the ACC battle between Duke and North Carolina State at 5 p.m. ESPN2 heads to the ACC Sunday at 5 p.m. for North Carolina's game with Maryland.
TNT has its NBA doubleheader Thursday, starting with Dallas at Chicago at 8 p.m. The Clippers - off Blake Griffin's 47-point effort Monday - travel to Portland in the nightcap. On ESPN Friday, the Celtics head to San Antonio at 8 p.m. then the Lakers face the Nuggets.
The Wizards host the Suns Friday on Comcast and the Celtics Saturday at 7 p.m.
Down under, the Australian Open reaches its midpoint. ESPN2 has coverage throughout the weekend - Thursday starting at 11 p.m., Friday at 9 p.m., Saturday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
The NHL season on NBC begins Sunday with Philadelphia at Chicago at 12:30 p.m. The Capitals meet the Islanders Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast, then visit Toronto Saturday on Comcast-plus.
The PGA tour heads to California this weekend, with the Bob Hope Classic on Golf Network.

Best NFL weekend of the year

Four games.
The four winners are the final four teams alive for the Super Bowl.
You can hear Chris Berman's excitement from here.

The weekend starts with a big bang - Baltimore at Pittsburgh Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on CBS. The Ravens won by three points in early October, then the Steelers took the Sunday night contest in Baltimore by three. The Ravens haven't lost since then.

In primetime, FOX has the Packers visiting Atlanta. Matt Ryan won the first outing, but the perfect mark at the Georgia Dome ended on the final Monday Night game of the season.

Sunday starts with the surprising Seahawks taking on Chicago at 1 p.m. Seattle won there early in the season.
CBS closes the weekend with the rubber match between New England and the New York Jets at 4:30 p.m. Both teams won at their home stadiums, with the Patriots putting a real thumping on the Jets in early December.
With college football done, ESPN calls this week "Conference Tip-off." Thursday, Virginia Tech heads to North Carolina at 9 p.m. on ESPN after Minnesota-Purdue. On ESPN2, West Virginia takes on Providence at 7 p.m. followed by Mississippi State-Mississippi and Loyola Marymount at Portland.
Saturday, the day starts at 11 a.m. on ESPN2 with Marquette battling Louisville. Then it's Missouri-Texas A&M, the SWAC battle between Jackson State and Texas Southern and the MEAC contest of Morgan State and South Carolina State at 5 p.m.
ESPN offers Tennessee-Vanderbilt at noon, then Virginia has to battle top-ranked Duke at 2 p.m.
NBC29 has a pair of ACC games Saturday - N.C. State at Florida State at 4 p.m., then Wake Forest heads to Virginia Tech at 8 p.m.
CBS brings Maryland's trip to Villanova Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday it's Purdue at West Virginia.
Comcast has Southern Cal at Oregon late Thursday, and has three games Saturday from the CAA. The day begins with Northeastern against VCU at noon, followed by Georgia State-George Mason and Old Dominion traveling to Hofstra.
Sunday night, North Carolina visits Georgia Tech in the ACC game of the week at 7:30 p.m. followed by Washington at California.
MASN has WAC basketball Thursday, with Hawaii at New Mexico State at 9 p.m. Saturday, there's three games from the Big East, starting at noon with Cincinnati at Syracuse. Connecticut battles DePaul at 2 p.m., and Seton Hall's visit to Pittsburgh gets coverage at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Notre Dame takes on St. John's at noon.
In women's basketball, ESPN gives the showcase to Vanderbilt-Tennessee Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday, there's a doubleheader on ESPN2 with UCF-SMU at 2 p.m. followed by Illinois-Penn State.
Georgetown faces Providence Saturday at 4 p.m. on MASN.
There's a pair of high school basketball games added to the weekend mix. ESPN2 shows St. Patrick of New Jersey vs. Winter Park of Florida Friday at 7 p.m., and Saturday at 4 p.m. St. Anthony's meets DeMatha.
On TNT Thursday, the Florida teams head west. Orlando visits Oklahoma City at 8 p.m., followed by Miami-Denver. ESPN offers San Antonio-Dallas Friday at 8 p.m., followed by Portland at Phoenix.
The Wizards visit Minnesota Thursday at 8 p.m. on Comcast, then host Toronto Saturday at 7 p.m. and Utah Monday at 1 p.m. in an Martin Luther King Jr. holiday special.
A pair of Canadian teams visit the Capitals this weekend, with Vancouver in town Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. Ottawa takes the ice Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Australian Open kicks off its two-week run Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The PGA tour's Sony Open is on Golf Network this weekend.