Weekend Watchdog

Moving to Wordpress

2011-05-13T21:10:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-05-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-05T07:17:00.010-04:00

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

2011-04-28T07:19:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-21T07:22:00.017-04:00

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

2011-04-14T07:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-07T07:17:00.002-04:00

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

2011-03-31T06:20:00.004-04:00

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

2011-03-24T06:06:00.001-04:00

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

2011-03-17T06:04:00.019-04:00

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....

2011-03-10T06:06:00.001-05:00

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

2011-03-03T06:06:00.032-05:00

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

2011-02-24T06:12:00.012-05:00

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

2011-02-17T06:11:00.004-05:00

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

2011-02-10T06:07:00.017-05:00

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

2011-02-03T06:22:00.002-05:00

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

2011-01-27T06:33:00.002-05:00

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?

2011-01-20T06:18:00.001-05:00

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

2011-01-13T06:17:00.002-05:00

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.

National championship weekend

2011-01-06T06:12:00.010-05:00

Back in the old days, college football ended Jan. 1. The big bowl games, and that was it.
In 2011, the second weekend of the New Year means college football championship games - one official, one assumed.
Friday, the Football Championship Subdivision (old I-AA) closes its expanded playoffs when Delaware meets Eastern Washington in Frisco, Texas on ESPN2. The playoffs previously ended before Christmas, but adding four teams - including a Coastal Carolina squad that lost to one-win Towson in September - meant the game had to be pushed into the New Year.
The Bowl Championship Series title game keeps going deeper and deeper into January. It lands January 10th this year, with Auburn trying to maintain the pride of the SEC against Oregon.
Several other bowls fill the weekend while awaiting Auburn-Oregon. Middle Tennessee plays Miami of Ohio Thursday in the GoDaddy.com Bowl (wonder if Danica Patrick will be there) on ESPN, and FOX has the Cotton Bowl between Texas A&M and LSU Friday at 8 p.m.
Saturday at noon, Pittsburgh and Kentucky square off in the Compass Bowl while Boston College faces Nevada Sunday at 9 on ESPN in the Fight Hunger Bowl from San Francisco.
The pros begin their march to the Super Bowl this weekend with four games. The last in will likely be the first out, as the 7-9 Seahawks host New Orleans at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC. In the nightcap, Peyton Manning and the Colts take on the Jets.
Sunday, the Ravens invade Kansas City at 1 p.m. on CBS. The Packers, who began the campaign in Philadelphia back in September, will try to continue onward against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on FOX. The winners advance to next weekend's conference semifinals. The losers start talking about the looming labor agreement.
In college basketball, ESPN2 has a doubleheader from the Midwest Thursday. Cincinnati takes on Xavier in a cross-town battle at 7 p.m., followed by Northwestern-Illinois.
Saturday basketball starts early on ESPN2, with West Virginia meeting Georgetown at 11 a.m., followed by Kansas State-Oklahoma State and Florida State's visit to Virginia Tech at 3 p.m. Vanderbilt plays South Carolina at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, while Connecticut takes on Texas at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
The ACC season heats up Saturday at noon when North Carolina visits Virginia on NBC29, followed by Wake Forest-N.C. State on CW29 at 2:30 p.m.
CBS follows NFL playoff football with Kansas heading to Michigan Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Comcast heads west Thursday night for California at Arizona. Saturday there's an afternoon doubleheader, with George Mason-Old Dominion tipping off at 2 p.m. Richmond meets LaSalle at 4 p.m., and then Sunday's ACC prime time contest matches Maryland and Duke. The night concludes with UCLA taking on Southern Cal.
MASN offers Charleston Southern's visit to Liberty Thursday at 7 p.m. and five games Saturday - three from the Big East. The day begins at noon with Syracuse-Seton Hall, followed by Marquette at Pittsburgh. The action moves to the Atlantic 10 at 4 p.m. - UNC-Charlotte at St. Bonaventure - then Coastal Carolina takes on Liberty. Providence tackles Rutgers at 8 p.m.
Versus has the Mountain West Saturday at 4 p.m., with San Diego State heading to Utah.
CBS offers a women's basketball doubleheader while the NFL playoffs are on NBC. Connecticut tries to build a new winning streak at Notre Dame at 2 p.m., followed by Ohio State-Iowa.
Comcast has the ACC battle between Maryland and Duke Thursday at 7 p.m., then a pair of games Sunday afternoon - North Carolina-Boston College at 1 p.m., followed by James Madison at Old Dominion. ESPN2 has Dayton-Xavier at 3 p.m. Sunday, followed by Tulane's game with UAB.
TNT's NBA doubleheader starts Thursday at 8 p.m. with the Thunder visiting Dallas. In the nightcap, Denver heads to Sacramento. ESPN's twinbill on Friday starts with the Rockets in Orlando, then the Knicks visit the Suns.
The Wizards host the Nets Friday on Comcast at 7 p.m., then visit Charlotte Saturday on Comcast-plus.
The Capitals take on Florida Saturday on Comcast.
You can think warm thoughts, since the new PGA season begins in Hawaii Thursday on the Golf Network.

Over the air, out of luck

2010-12-30T06:21:00.013-05:00

New Year's Day used to be the big day for college football on the TV networks - three or recently four games on the same time in the early afternoon.
In 2011, if you don't have cable, you won't have a full bowl menu to choose from. There's just one game - Florida vs. Penn State in the Outback Bowl on ABC at 1 p.m. And that's only because there's no room on ESPN or ESPN2 in the time slot.
The Granddaddy of them All - the Rose Bowl - will be on ESPN at 5 p.m. Your memories of Curt Gowdy calling the game on NBC while your family got together to watch - long gone. Of course, TCU's purple in one end zone doesn't go with tradition. Although Wisconsin and its run game would fit right into the Woody Hayes era.
ESPN starts its bowl day with the Capital One Bowl between Alabama at Michigan State, while ESPN2 has the Gator Bowl goes with Mississippi State against Michigan at 1:30 p.m. in the nightcap, it's the Fiesta Bowl between Connecticut and Oklahoma.
CBS retains the Sun Bowl from El Paso, bringing together Miami and Notre Dame, Friday at 2:30 p.m. ESPN has three other games that day - South Florida tackling Clemson in the Car Care Bowl at noon, followed by Georgia-Central Florida at the Liberty Bowl and South Carolina meeting Florida State in the Peach Bowl.
Thursday, there's four games on ESPN. Army battles SMU in the Armed Forces Bowl at noon, then new Yankee Stadium hosts the first Pinstripe Bowl with Kansas State meeting Syracuse. You head south for North Carolina facing Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, with the finale matching Nebraska and Washington in the Holiday Bowl.
The NHL has added something to the New Year's Day menu - the Winter Classic. This year, Pittsburgh gets the hosting duties, with the Steelers' Heinz Field getting a rink for the Penguins to face the Capitals.
Venues were the stars the past two years - Wrigley Field and Fenway Park - but this year it's Sid the Kid vs. the Great Eight.
The final weekend of the NFL season means doubleheaders on both CBS and FOX, except the markets of teams playing at home. CBS in Washington shows the Ravens facing the Bengals at 1 p.m., with Baltimore fans rooting for Cleveland to pull the big upset of Pittsburgh.
On FOX, the Saints and Bucs battle at 1 p.m. before the Redskins finish their lousy season against the Giants. The Redskins know they will be packing up their gear after the contest, while the Giants have a slim postseason chance - needing the Bears to beat Green Bay.
NBC brings the classic NFC West showdown - 7-8 St. Louis vs. 6-9 Seattle for the playoff berth. And the hosting duties next weekend before getting quickly booted from the postseason.
College basketball begins to gear up for the conference schedule as the new year starts. Comcast offers Iowa State's visit to Virginia Thursday at 8 p.m. Sunday, Comcast has four games on the schedule, starting Gonzaga-Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Virginia hosts LSU at 5:30 p.m., followed by Miami-Duke. When that game ends, you head west for the conclusion of Arizona's game at Oregon State.
ESPN2 has the Philadelphia battle between Temple and Villanova Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday, Northwestern battles Purdue at noon, followed by College of Charleston-Tennessee and Florida-Xavier. The night tripleheader begins at 6 p.m. with Ohio State's visit to Indiana, then it's Seton Hall vs. Cincinnati and Oklahoma facing Gonzaga as we ring in the new year.
Saturday, West Virginia and Marquette have an early tip - 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
CBS brings the big contest between Louisville and Kentucky Friday at noon.
MASN offers Big East basketball Saturday as St. John's visits Providence. Sunday, there's UNC-Charlotte tangling with Georgia Tech at 7 p.m.
In women's basketball, Stanford tries to end Connecticut's lengthy winning streak Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
TNT offers its Thursday doubleheader, with the Knicks in Orlando at 7 p.m. followed by San Antonio-Dallas. The Wizards close out 2010 on Comcast with a 3 p.m. game at Indiana, then host the Hornets Saturday at 7 p.m.

Sports under the tree

2010-12-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

After spending time with a tree with Christmas balls, the NBA hopes you'll watch their players on the court Christmas afternoon.
Five NBA games tip off Christmas Day, with the two biggest on ABC. The Celtics head south to face Orlando at 2:30 p.m., then at 5 p.m. LeBron, D-Wade and the crew take the Heat against the Kobe and the Lakers.
The day starts at noon on ESPN with the Bulls visiting Chicago at noon. At 8 p.m., Denver takes on Oklahoma City followed by Portland-Golden State.
Before the big day, TNT has its usual Thursday doubleheader - the Spurs meet the Magic at 8 p.m. before the Heat and Suns meet in Phoenix. The Wizards head to San Antonio Sunday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
NFL network has its final games this week, with Dallas visiting Arizona Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The weekend begins with Carolina traveling to Pittsburgh Thursday at 8. Once the Steelers ice the Panthers, rink-building begins for the NHL's Winter Classic New Year's Day.
The NFL moved Vikings-Eagles to the Sunday night NBC slot, and the NFC South battle between the Saints and Falcons has coverage on ESPN Monday.
Sunday afternoon, the Ravens visit Cleveland on CBS. FOX has the doubleheader, with the Redskins taking on Jacksonville in the early game and the Giants-Packers earning the 4:15 p.m. spotlight.
College bowl season continues Thursday in San Diego, as Navy faces San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Tulsa spends Christmas Eve in Hawaii, meeting the Rainbow Warriors at 8 p.m., while Sunday at 8:30 p.m. Florida International takes on Troy in the Little Caesar's Bowl.
College basketball has a few contests over the Christmas weekend. ESPN2 shows Georgetown-Memphis Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by a game from the Diamondhead Classic. Friday starting at 7 p.m., there's two games from the Cancun Governor's Cup.
Christmas Night, there's two more games from the Diamondhead Classic at 7 p.m.
MASN has St. Francis of Pa. taking on Cincinnati Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Capitals host Pittsburgh Thursday on Comcast, then visit Carolina Sunday on Comcast-plus.

Bowling with Beef O'Brady

2010-12-16T06:06:00.013-05:00

It's college bowl season. Thirty-five bowls spread over 24 days, starting Saturday with a tripleheader on ESPN. But don't wear yourself out watching too much early bowl football. You've got to pace yourself to make it to the national championship game Jan. 10.
The first bowl champion will be crowned at the New Mexico Bowl, with BYU facing UTEP at 2 p.m. Then it's Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl, and Troy faces Ohio in the R&L Carriers Bowl from New Orleans.
Tuesday is the famous Beef O'Brady Bowl, with Southern Mississippi going against Louisville.
ESPN is your home for almost every bowl game - CBS is down to the Sun Bowl and FOX keeps the Cotton Bowl - ESPN produces the Capital One Bowl on ABC New Year's Day.
The former I-AA has its semfinals, with Villanova meeting Eastern Washington Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 with the other semifinal Saturday on ESPNU. The Division II final matches Delta State and Minnesota-Duluth Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
On Sunday, FOX has only one NFL game and some good choices - the NFC East battle between the Giants and Eagles, and a potential Super Bowl preview as the Saints and Ravens meet in Baltimore. Sorry Fishersville fans, but you'll get the Redskins and Cowboys fighting for last place in their division.
The CBS doubleheader will be Jacksonville meeting Indianapolis with the AFC South title basically on the line, followed by the slumping Jets at the Steelers.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday when the 49ers and Chargers meet on NFL Network. The Packers visit the Patriots on NBC Sunday night, and the traveling Vikings play the Bears on ESPN Monday night. Might be a bit chilly for Viking fans outdoors.
TNT starts the NBA weekend Thursday with Atlanta facing the Celtics, followed by the Spurs taking on the Nuggets. Friday, ESPN has the Heat meeting the Knicks at 7 p.m., then the Suns visit the Mavericks in the nightcap.
The Wizards visit New Jersey on Thursday on Comcast, then host LeBron and the Heat Saturday.
The college basketball schedule is limited with the exams finishing and holidays looming. Virginia gets back into action Friday, hosting Oregon on Comcast at 8 p.m. Saturday, Comcast hangs out in Florida for Miami vs. Central Florida at 1 p.m. and Florida-Kansas State at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN has USC-Kansas Saturday at noon, while ESPN2 offers Arkansas-Texas A&M at 2 p.m. followed by Gonzaga vs. Baylor and Alabama-Oklahoma State.
MASN offers four games from the Big East Saturday, starting with Loyola at Georgetown at noon. Cleveland State visits West Virginia at 2 p.m., then Gardner-Webb plays Louisville. The day concludes at 7 p.m. with Maryland Eastern Shore against Pittsburgh.
Women's hoops takes center stage Sunday at 7 p.m. when Stanford visits Tennessee.
ESPN even goes with high school basketball this week, with a pair of games Thursday starting at 7 p.m.
The Capitals are on the road this weekend, visiting Boston Saturday on Comcast-plus and Ottawa Sunday on Comcast.
The NCAA women's volleyball champion will be crowned this weekend. Thursday on ESPN2, Texas meets Penn State at 7 p.m., followed by California-USC. The final will be Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Changing of college seasons

2010-12-09T06:21:00.002-05:00

With college football basically down to the bowl season, college basketball begins to step into the spotlight.
Saturday, CBS has a two-sport doubleheader. Saint Louis visits national champion Duke at noon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, then the coverage heads to Philly for the annual Army-Navy game. While it's the biggest game of the season for both, they still have bowl season to look forward to.
The Football Championship Series (old I-AA) playoffs provides the rest of the football this weekend. The quarterfinals start Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 with a battle between CAA schools - New Hampshire at Delaware. Villanova visits Appalachian State Saturday at noon on ESPN, and MASN features Georgia Southern-Wofford at 2 p.m. North Dakota State visits Eastern Washington following the conclusion of that contest.
Off the field, ESPN has the college football awards season, capped by the awarding of the Heisman Trophy Saturday at 8 p.m. Plenty of other awards will be given Thursday at 7 p.m.
ESPN continues it's early-season hardcourt action Thursday - Georgetown-Temple at 9 p.m., while ESPN2 has the doubleheader starting at 7 p.m. with Kansas State-Florida. Butler battles Xavier at 9 p.m.
The SEC takes center court Saturday on ESPN, with Tennessee against Pittsburgh at 3:15 p.m. followed by Kentucky-Indiana. ESPN2 begins the day with Auburn-Rutgers at 12:30 p.m., followed by Wisconsin-Marquette. Then it's a matchup in the Big 12/Pac-10 challenge - Washington vs. Texas A&M - followed by a team moving from one conference to the other - Colorado - meeting Kansas.
Gonzaga plays Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m.
MASN offers George Mason at Liberty Saturday at 7 p.m., then Sunday at 2 p.m. Wake Forest takes on UNC-Wilmington. Comcast shows Dayton's game at Old Dominion Saturday at 4 p.m., then Sunday Virginia Tech hosts Penn State at 1 p.m. and Maryland battles Boston College at 4 p.m.
The NFL weekend begins the Indianapolis visiting Tennessee Thursday on NFL Network. The other primetime games come from Texas - Eagles at Cowboys on NBC Sunday night, then the Ravens take on the Texans on ESPN Monday night.
The Redskins host Tampa Bay Sunday afternoon on FOX, while CBS has the doubleheader. The Washington CBS channel doesn't have a game at 1 p.m. - while most of Virginia sees Cincinnati-Pittsburgh - and in the nightcap New England visits Chicago.
TNT has the NBA doubleheader Thursday,with the Celtics visiting Philadelphia at 8 p.m. followed by the Magic's trip to Portland. ESPN starts Friday with the Lakers heading to Chicago at 8 p.m., then it's the Heat at Golden State.
The Wizards take on the Knicks Friday on Comcast.
The Capitals host Florida Thursday on both Comcast and Versus, then take on the Avalanche Saturday and visit the Rangers Sunday on Comcast.
NBC will feature the Shark Shootout Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The NCAA crowns its men's soccer champion this weekend. The second semifinal - Akron against Michigan - is Friday at 11 p.m. on ESPN2, with the final Sunday at 4 p.m.

Conference title time

2010-12-02T06:07:00.012-05:00

We know when the BCS bowls will be.
We basically know who's going to be in the BCS bowls.
But it won't be until Sunday night that we officially know who's going where, and who's playing for the national championship January 10.
ESPN's BCS selection show Sunday at 8:15 p.m. - and the bowl selection show at 9 p.m. - caps off the final big weekend of college football.
Top-ranked Oregon knows it's in the BCS, and plays Oregon State in the Civil War Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Over on CBS, No. 2 Auburn faces South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference final at 4 p.m.
Virginia Tech goes for it's 11th straight victory and a BCS berth against Florida State at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN. Keep the clicker busy, as the Big 12 title game matches Oklahoma and Big Ten-bound Nebraska on ABC at 8 p.m. while Connecticut can clinch the Big East crown when it plays South Florida on ESPN2.
West Virginia can stay alive in the Big East with a win in its noon contest against Rutgers on ABC.
The battle between Arizona State and Arizona kicks off the weekend Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Friday, ESPN2 has a doubleheader - the MAC championship between Northern Illinois and Miami at 7 p.m., followed by Illinois visiting Fresno State.
Saturday at noon, ESPN2 shows the C-USA title game between SMU and Central Florida, while Pittsburgh meets Cincinnati on ESPN.
Versus offers the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State Saturday at 7 p.m. Comcast brings together L.A. rivals - USC vs. UCLA - Saturday at 10:30 p.m.
In the world of college football playoffs, MASN shows a pair of games from FCS (the old I-AA) - Wofford at Jacksonville State at noon, followed by Villanova taking on Stephen F. Austin.
Going against the BCS selection show is one of the top NFL games of the season - Steelers at Ravens on NBC Sunday night football. The AFC North title and likely a top-seed will be on the line when the rivals meet in Baltimore.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday night when the faltering Texans visit Michael Vick and the Eagles. Monday night, ESPN has the AFC East grudge match between the Jets and Patriots.
On Sunday afternoon, the Redskins visit New York at 1 p.m. on FOX. So CBS in Washington decided to show the Raiders' game with San Diego in the 4 p.m. slot, against the Cowboys' visit to Indy.
LeBron James returns home to Cleveland Thursday, bringing the struggling Heat to town on TNT. The Suns visit Golden State in the nightcap.
Friday on ESPN, the Bulls visit Boston at 8 p.m., then the Mavericks play the Jazz.
The Wizards host Portland Friday on Comcast, then begin a west coast swing at Phoenix Sunday at 8 p.m.
In college basketball, the ACC hits conference play early when Virginia visits Virginia Tech Sunday at 6 p.m. on Comcast.
ESPN has two games from the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardcourt Series - Arizona State faces Baylor at 7 p.m., followed by UCLA-Kansas. Saturday, there's an afternoon doubleheader on ESPN - Butler-Duke at 3:15 p.m., then Illinois meeting Gonzaga - while ESPN2 offers Alabama-Purdue and N.C. State-Syracuse starting at 3:30 p.m.
Comcast's basketball weekend tips off Thursday at 11 p.m. when Missouri heads to Oregon. Friday, the Big 12-Pac10 challenge continues as Kansas State takes on Washington State at 11 p.m. There's two more games Saturday afternoon -California heads east to face Iowa State, then Texas Tech battles Washington - and Sunday at 11 p.m. it's Texas at Southern Cal.
Comcast goes to the CAA Saturday at noon when VCU plays William & Mary.
MASN has a Big South doubleheader Thursday - Gardner Webb vs. High Point at 7 p.m., followed by Presbyterian's visit to Liberty. Friday, Connecticut hosts UMBC at 7 p.m.
CAA basketball gets the coverage Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when UNC-Wilmington goes to George Mason. The weekend closes with a pair of games from the BB&T Classic - George Washington vs. Navy at 5 p.m., followed by Maryland-Temple.
Comcast offers women's basketball Sunday at 2 p.m., when Tennessee visits rival Old Dominion, while ESPN2 has Purdue-Notre Dame at the same time.
The Capitals visit Dallas Thursday on Comcast, then return home Saturday to face Atlanta.
The NCAA Women's College Cup semifinal will be on ESPN2 Friday at 5 p.m., with Notre Dame taking on Ohio State. The final will be Sunday at noon.

Turkey Day TV

2010-11-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

When the NFL schedule came out, fans circled the Cowboys-Saints game as the highlight of Thanksgiving football.
Then the Cowboys flopped.
Sure Dallas has won two straight since chopping coach Wade Phillips. But their season is still a turkey.
The show must go on, and the Saints must win to keep pace with Atlanta in the NFC South. FOX has the festivities Thursday afternoon, after CBS opens the day with Tom Brady and the Patriots visiting Detroit.
The day concludes with the Bengals visiting the New York Jets on NFL Network. But people will likely be asleep by then, either due to the turkey dinner or getting ready for Friday's shopping.
The NFL weekend continues Sunday with the Redskins hosting the Vikings at 1 p.m. on FOX. Just six more games until Brett Favre's next retirement.
CBS in Washington will offer Miami at Oakland at 4 p.m., and FOX shows Eagles at Bears in Fishersville and Ravens-Bucs in Washington.
In primetime, the Chargers visit the Colts on NBC Sunday, then Monday ESPN has the NFC West contest between the 49ers and Cardinals.
College football pretty much closes down the regular season through the weekend, starting Thursday with Texas A&M meeting Texas at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday features plenty of great football, as No. 2 Auburn plays No. 11 Alabama on CBS at 2:30 p.m. In primetime, No. 1 Oregon takes on Arizona on ESPN, followed by No. 4 Boise State at Nevada.
ABC has an afternoon doubleheader, starting with the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh at noon. Colorado closes out its time in the Big 12 with a visit to Nebraska.
The day starts with a Big East battle between Louisville and Rutgers at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
Virginia Tech prepares for the ACC championship game by hosting Virginia Saturday at noon as the ACC game of the week.
Saturday's slate starts with Michigan's contest with Ohio State at noon on ABC. In the afternoon, fans will see either Wisconsin-Northwestern or Florida's visit to Florida State (the other game is on ESPN) and in primetime it's Oklahoma against Oklahoma State and Notre Dame heading west to meet USC.
ESPN2 starts Saturday with Michigan State against Penn State, and contests with ACC teams fill up the rest of the day on the Worldwide Leader of Sports. Boston College visits Syracuse at noon on ESPN, then ESPN2 shows N.C. State against Maryland at 3:30 p.m.
In primetime, South Carolina visits Clemson on ESPN2 and it's Georgia Tech-Georgia on ESPN.
CBS closes the SEC regular season with LSU's matchup with Arkansas.
Versus offers two of the top six in action, with No. 3 TCU at New Mexico at 4 p.m., followed by No. 6 Stanford hosting Oregon State. Comcast has the Big 12 contest between Missouri and Kansas Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
MASN shows the Big East game of the week Saturday at noon - Cincinnati vs. Connecticut - then heads west for the WAC contest between Hawaii and New Mexico State.
The NBA has a Thanksgiving doubleheader on TNT, with the Wizards in Atlanta at 8 p.m., followed by Sacramento visiting the L.A. Clippers. The Wizards then host Orlando Saturday on Comcast.
ESPN2 has the Friday twinbill, with the Rockets traveling to Charlotte at 7 p.m. and the Warriors-Grizzlies late.
The Capitals host a pair of 5 p.m. games this weekend - Friday against Tampa Bay and Sunday versus Carolina on Comcast.
It's Feast Week for college basketball over at ESPN. There's four games from the Old Spice Classic Thursday - starting at noon with Boston College vs. Texas A&M - and two more from the 76 Classic at 5 p.m. and 11:30. Friday there's five more tournament games, including the NIT Tipoff.
Saturday, ESPN2 has the Las Vegas Invitational at 10:30 p.m., then Sunday it's finals from the Old Spice Classic at 7 p.m. and 76 Classic at 9 p.m.
MASN has two games from the (not so) Great Alaska Shootout Thursday - Houston Baptist vs. Arizona State at 9 p.m., followed by Weber State against Alaska-Anchorage. There's two more games Friday, starting at 9:30 p.m., then the third place game Saturday night followed by the championship contest at 11:45 p.m.
West Virginia's Mountaineers host VMI Saturday at 7 p.m. on MASN. Comcast has Maryland's game with Elon Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday goes with Florida against Florida State at 7:30 p.m.
The second UFL season closes with the championship game between Las Vegas and Florida Saturday at noon on Versus.

Gentlemen, finish your season

2010-11-18T06:13:00.001-05:00

Can Jimmie Johnson win another NASCAR championship?
Or will Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick hoist Sprint Cup sometime Sunday?
The NASCAR season is down to a three-way shootout for the title. When the green flag drops Sunday at Homestead, ESPN viewers will be watching the closest contest of the "Race for the Cup" era. One that may not be decided until the white or checkered flags drop.
Johnson has won the last four championships, and enters Sunday only 15 points behind Hamlin. Hamlin finished 12th at Phoenix to watch his lead dwindle, and basically needs to finish ahead of Johnson to win the championship. But we really won't know for sure until the race is over.
The Nationwide racers close out their season Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
Also ending this weekend is the MLS season. FC Dallas will compete with Colorado for the 2010 MLS Cup, starting at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. Neither team has won an MLS championship, although Colorado lost to D.C. United in the second league title game in 1997.
College football still has a few more weeks left, but some traditional rivals close out their season this weekend. Versus has the Ivy League battle between Harvard and Yale Saturday at noon. If you can't park the car at Harvard yard, sit in front of the TV for the game.
The weekend starts Thursday at UCLA visits Washington at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Friday, ESPN2 goes back to the blue turf as Boise State hosts Fresno State.
Notre Dame meets Army at new Yankee Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m. on NBC. The Fighting Irish kept their season alive by whipping Utah last Saturday, and a win makes them bowl eligible.
CBS offers Mississippi's visit to LSU Saturday afternoon, while ABC offers the Big Ten battle between Ohio State and Iowa.
In primetime, ACC country will likely watch Florida State's game with Maryland. Other parts of the country will get either USC-Oregon State or a top 20 contest between Nebraska and Texas A&M.
Virginia Tech can wrap up a spot in the ACC championship game when the Hokies visit Miami Saturday afternoon on ESPN.
At noon, Wisconsin and weary Bucky Badger travel to Michigan on ESPN while Pittsburgh takes on South Florida on ESPN2. In primetime, Arkansas visits Mississippi State on ESPN and Oklahoma heads to Baylor on ESPN2.
Arch-rivals clash in the ACC as North Carolina State faces North Carolina in the game of the week.
Comcast has a Saturday doubleheader, starting with Oklahoma State at Kansas at noon. They then head to the Pac-10 for Stanford's big game with California. MASN's doubleheader begins with West Virginia at Louisville at noon, then offers Stony Brook against Liberty from the Big South.
The NFL weekend begins Thursday on NFL network with the Bears heading to Miami to play the Dolphins. The big game of the weekend comes Sunday afternoon on CBS, when the Patriots and Colts meet in their traditional November battle. The early afternoon games have the Ravens visiting Carolina on CBS, while the Redskins travel to Tennessee on FOX.
In primetime Sunday, the Giants visit the Eagles on NBC. Monday night, it's an AFC West contest between the Chargers and Broncos - usually the top two teams in the division, but this year they are at the bottom.
TNT starts the NBA weekend Thursday when the Suns travel to Orlando. In the nightcap, the TrailBlazers host the Nuggets. ESPN's Friday doubleheader begins with the Thunder heading to Boston, then the Bulls face the Mavericks.
The Wizards play the Grizzlies Friday on Comcast-plus, then head to Detroit to face the Pistons Sunday at 6 p.m.
College basketball continues its opening schedule this weekend. Thursday on Comcast, Virginia visits Stanford at 10:30 p.m. as the Cavaliers head to Hawaii for a Thanksgiving week tournament. Sunday, Virginia Tech is on the road at UNC-Greensboro on Comcast.
ESPN2 has the Coaches vs. Cancer doubleheader Thursday, with Pittsburgh facing Maryland at 7 p.m. followed by Illinois-Texas. Two more games take the stage Friday starting at 5 p.m., and Sunday on ESPN2 two games from the Puerto Rico Tip-off begin at 5:30 p.m.
MASN features the Charleston Classic Thursday, starting at noon with Coastal Carolina against Georgetown and USC-Upstate vs. Wofford. The night begins at 6 p.m. with East Carolina taking on N.C. State, then George Mason plays Charlotte.
The tournament continues Friday, with coverage of games at noon and 8:30 p.m.
The Capitals visit Atlanta Friday on Comcast, then host the Flyers Saturday.

I want my game, NFL network

2010-11-11T06:07:00.001-05:00

Do you have NFL network? It's the most popular of the league networks, but not popular enough to make most basic cable packages.
So the second half of the season, eight games on NFL network means most fans must head to a sports bar or a friend with the upper tier programming to watch. Fans in the local cities get to watch over-the-air, but out-of-market areas like Fishersville are out of luck.
This year's slate starts with a good one - Ravens visiting the Falcons Thursday. Teams with young quarterbacks who have had success in the past two years, and continue that in the 2010 campaign. They are among a bunch of teams with 6-2 records midway through the season, so the winner gets a big boost toward the playoffs.
Fire up the computer or catch the highlights. And wait for whatever's left for Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the Redskins get prime time exposure Monday night against the Eagles. Sunday night, the Patriots visit Pittsburgh on NBC.
In the Sunday afternoon coverage, CBS will show the Colts against Bengals. The FOX doubleheader starts with the Vikings at Bears, then heads to the New Meadowlands as the bumbling Cowboys visit the Giants.
The college football weekend begins Thursday on ESPN when the Pitt Panthers head to Connecticut. Friday, Boise State continues its run for a prefect season at 9 p.m. against Idaho.
Virginia Tech's big contest with North Carolina gets coverage on ABC Saturday, starting at 3:30 p.m. Other games in the slot include Penn State going against Ohio State (likely ESPN game in the mid-Atlantic) and Texas Tech at Oklahoma.
In primetime, ABC shows Clemson-Florida State or USC at Arizona.
CBS has a doubleheader Saturday, with Mississippi facing Tennessee at noon and Georgia taking on Auburn at 3:30 p.m. Notre Dame tries to bounce back against Utah on NBC. The Utes got blown out for their first loss Saturday, so might not be a good day for the Fighting Irish.
The Big Ten gets more coverage at noon, with Iowa at Northwestern on ESPN and Wisconsin-Indiana on ESPN2. In primetime the SEC takes over, with South Carolina visiting Florida on ESPN and Mississippi State-Alabama on ESPN2. Close out your night with Nevada-Fresno State on ESPN.
Miami's visit to Georgia Tech gets the coverage as ACC game of the week Saturday at noon. Comcast offers the Big 12 game of the week as Kansas State visits Missouri Saturday afternoon.
MASN goes with the Big East game of the week between Connecticut and West Virginia Saturday at noon, then offers Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State from the WAC at 6 p.m.
Versus gets to show some of the top teams in the country, with San Diego State at TCU at 4 p.m., followed by top-ranked Oregon battling California. The day begins at noon with Brown-Dartmouth.
NASCAR is in Phoenix for the next to last race of the season - Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. Can Denny Hamlin hold onto the chase lead? Will Jimmie Johnson's crew troubles continue?
The Nationwide racers go Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
TNT's Thursday doubleheader features the Celtics visiting the Heat at 8 p.m., followed by the Lakers taking on the Nuggets. ESPN's Friday doubleheader starts at 7 p.m. with the Hawks hosting the Jazz, then the action shifts to Oklahoma City with the Thunder meeting Portland.
The Wizards take on Charlotte Friday on Comcast, then play the Bulls Saturday night on Comcast-plus and WGN.
College basketball begins gearing up this week, and MASN offers Kentucky Wesleyan at Louisville Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday, it's a Big East doubleheader with Connecticut hosting Stony Brook at 7 p.m., followed by Prairie View A&M at Marquette.
Saturday, Pittsburgh takes on North Florida at 4 p.m., and Sunday there's the Patriot League game between Lafayette and Rider.
The Capitals host Tampa Bay Thursday on Comcast, then visit Buffalo Saturday and close a busy weekend with a 5 p.m. home game against Atlanta on Sunday.
The MLS has Dallas battling Los Angeles Sunday on ESPN2 for a berth in next Sunday's MLS cup. For your college action, MASN has the Big East men's soccer tournament championship at noon, while the ACC title game will be on Comcast-plus Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tech vs. Tech

2010-11-04T06:08:00.002-04:00

After losing its first two games of the season, Virginia Tech has rolled to six straight wins. Will the trend continue in the November stretch run?
The Hokies host Georgia Tech Thursday in ESPN's Prime Time game. Since being upset by James Madison, Virginia Tech has righted its ship nicely - leading its division by two games over Georgia Tech, Miami and North Carolina.
A win Thursday puts the Hokies in great shape to spend the first Saturday of December at the ACC championship game. Then a BCS game is only one win away.
Friday, ESPN2 shows the C-USA contest between Central Florida and Houston at 8 p.m. Saturday at noon, ESPN will feature Illinois against Michigan.
CBS has the top 20 battle between Alabama and LSU Saturday afternoon. ABC gives the country four choices in that time slot, with ESPN2 showing either Washington-Oregon or Northwestern-Penn State. ACC country will watch North Carolina's game with Florida State, and parts of the Midwest will get Nebraska at Iowa State.
In primetime, ABC has the Pac-10 matchup between Arizona and Stanford or Missouri at Texas Tech. ESPN goes with an SEC contest between Arkansas and South Carolina at 7 p.m., while ESPN2 has Texas taking on Kansas State.
Clemson hosts North Carolina State on the ACC game of the week Saturday at noon. Comcast offers CAA action Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., with James Madison taking on Richmond. Later in the evening, there's Arizona State's visit to Southern Cal.
On MASN, the Big East game between Louisville and Syracuse kicks off at noon. Then it's Navy's visit to East Carolina. Versus has Penn-Princeton from the Ivy League at 3 p.m., then heads west for Oregon State-UCLA.
The Redskins have a bye this week - maybe Donovan McNabb can catch his breath - but fans can enjoy watching the Cowboys limp into Green Bay Sunday Night. ESPN features the Steelers' visit to Cincinnati on Monday Night football.
Sunday afternoon, CBS has the doubleheader - Dolphins at Ravens early followed by Peyton Manning taking the Colts to Philadelphia. FOX in Washington plans to show the late game of New York Giants at Seattle.
NASCAR's chase for the Cup heads to Texas, with the green flag dropping at 3 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide racers hit the track Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
The NBA on TNT Thursday starts with the Knicks taking on the Bulls at 8 p.m., then Oklahoma City against Denver. ESPN's Friday doubleheader starts with the Bulls' visit to the Celtics at 8 p.m., followed by the Clippers vs. Nuggets.
The Wizards take on New York Friday on Comcast-plus, then host the Cleveland not-LeBrons Saturday on Comcast.
It's Breeders Cup weekend, with action Friday on ESPN2 and Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.
The Capitals are home twice this weekend, meeting Boston Friday and Philadelphia Sunday at 5 p.m. on Comcast. With no local action Thursday, Comcast shows the Rangers facing the Flyers.
The MLS playoffs continue Thursday with San Jose's trip to New York on ESPN2. Sunday at 9 p.m., Seattle battles the L.A. Galaxy.
On Sunday, Comcast has a pair of ACC women's championships - the field hockey contest at noon and the women's soccer tournament final at 2 p.m. MASN has the Big East's women's soccer title game Sunday at noon.
ESPN2 has Big 10 volleyball Sunday afternoon with Penn State facing Michigan.

Nine weeks, nine teams to go

2010-10-31T16:06:00.000-04:00

Through eight weeks of the season, 23 of the 32 teams have appeared over the air on Sunday afternoon in Fishersville.
Nine more teams wait to appear in the final nine weeks of the season. Five are AFC - N.Y. Jets, Miami, Jacksonville, Oakland and Kansas City. The four remaining in the NFC are Tampa Bay, Arizona, San Francisco and Seattle.

November Classic

2010-10-28T06:07:00.006-04:00

It's Trick or Treat meets Seventh Inning Stretch.
Go vote after watching the new champions celebrate - maybe?
The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants started the 2010 World Series Wednesday on FOX, and it's Game 4 on Halloween night. Good thing it's in Texas, not a colder northern climate.
If necessary, Game 5 is Monday. Go vote Tuesday, then see if the series heads back to San Francisco for the final two games Wednesday and Thursday.
The Giants are looking for their first championship since Willie Mays patrolled the Polo Grounds. The Rangers had never won a postseason series until a few weeks ago.
Someone's long drought ends shortly.
The NBA opened its regular season Tuesday, and Thursday TNT offers the Wizards' season opener at Orlando. The TNT nightcap will be Phoenix at Utah.
ESPN has a Friday doubleheader, with the Magic-Heat at 8 p.m. followed by the Suns' game against the Lakers.
Comcast gets its first Wizards game Saturday, when they meet Atlanta at 7 p.m.
The Ravens have the weekend off, but Sunday Night Football goes up against the World Series with the Steelers visit to New Orleans. Monday night on ESPN, you can watch the Texans at Colts if you don't care for World Series Game 5.
Sunday afternoon, will Brett Favre limp onto the field when the Vikings face New England on FOX at 4:15 p.m. The Redskins are in Detroit at 1 p.m., while CBS in Washington, D.C. goes with the late game of Titans at Chargers. Other parts of Virginia will see Jacksonsville's game against Dallas.
The college football weekend starts Thursday with an ACC contest between Florida State and N.C. State. Friday, ESPN2 has West Virginia trying to bounce back against Connecticut.
Notre Dame, fresh off another loss to Navy, hosts Tulsa on NBC. Feel the tradition. The CBS game oozes tradition, as Georgia meets Florida in the world's largest cocktail party.
ABC has a pair of top 20 showdowns in the afternoon - Michigan State-Iowa and Missouri against Nebraska - then in primetime offers top-ranked Oregon at USC or Ohio State taking on Minnesota.
Virginia hosts Miami on ESPN at noon Saturday, while ESPN2 shows Purdue-Illinois. ESPN2 has Auburn-Mississippi at 6 p.m. followed by Oklahoma-Colorado, and ESPN offers Michigan's battle with Penn State at 8 p.m.
The ACC game of the week features Clemson taking on Boston College.
MASN has a pair of games Saturday - the Big East game of the week between Louisville and Pittsburgh at noon, then East Carolina's visit to Central Florida. Versus offers Stanford at Washington at 7 p.m.
Comcast offers a doubleheader Saturday - Oklahoma State against Kansas State at noon, then the CAA battle between Massachusetts and James Madison. If you get Comcast-plus, there's Arizona-UCLA at 3:30 p.m., followed by Baylor taking on Texas.
NASCAR heads to Talledega for Halloween weekend, starting at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
The Capitals are on the road this weekend, visiting Minnesota Thursday at 8 p.m. and Calgary Saturday at 10 p.m. on Comcast. With no local teams playing Friday, Comcast offers the Penguins and Flyers at 7 p.m.
The MLS playoffs have begun, and ESPN2 has Columbus at Colorado Thursday at 9 p.m. and L.A. vs. Seattle Sunday at 8 p.m.

Is it too early for flex scheduling?

2010-10-21T05:56:00.002-04:00

The NFL probably felt very good about this week's national games - Vikings going to Green Bay Sunday night and Giants-Cowboys on Monday - until the season started.
After Sunday's meeting, the Vikings are 2-3 and the Cowboys 1-4. People will still watch them, but it's likely they won't be watching them when the playoffs start.
Hey, Cowboys, which team will be in your locker room for Super Bowl XLV?
The Redskins travel to Chicago Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. CBS has the doubleheader, starting with the Ravens hosting Buffalo. Most of the country will get the Patriots' visit to San Diego, another disappointing squad, at 4:15 p.m.
The baseball playoffs will have their World Series participants by Sunday night. The National League has Game 5 from San Francisco Thursday on FOX, then Game 6 Saturday and Game 7 Sunday if necessary.
The Rangers have two chances to put away the Yankees and reach their first-ever World Series. The teams meet Friday at 7:30 p.m. on TBS. If the Yankees win, then it's Game 7 Saturday.
CBS has a college football doubleheader Saturday, thanks to Navy playing host to Notre Dame. The game kicks off at noon from the new Meadowlands, then it's an SEC shootout between LSU and Auburn.
ABC has a pair of top 25 shootouts in the afternoon - Wisconsin-Iowa and Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State - but ACC country will likely watch Georgia Tech's trip to Clemson. In prime time, Oklahoma takes on Missouri.
Virginia Tech seeks its sixth straight win as the ACC game of the week against Duke at noon.
ESPN opens the college football weekend Thursday at 9 p.m. as new Number 1 Oregon hosts UCLA. Friday, South Florida battles Cincinnati at 8 p.m on ESPN2.
Saturday at noon on ESPN it's Michigan State-Northwestern. In the evening, Alabama goes to Tennessee at 7 p.m., followed by Washington heading to Arizona.
ESPN2 has Syracuse facing West Virginia at noon, then at 7:30 p.m. it's North Carolina taking on Miami.
MASN offers a pair of games Saturday - the Big East contest between Rutgers and Pittsburgh at noon and a Big South match between Stony Brook and Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m.
Comcast has Texas taking on Iowa State at 12:30 p.m., followed by Massachusetts-New Hampshire from the Atlantic 10.
NASCAR visits the short track at Martinsville Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide races are in the Midwest, at the Gateway track outside St. Louis, Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals head to Boston Thursday to face the Bruins on Comcast, then host Atlanta on Saturday.
ESPN2 has its MLS Game of the Week Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with New England facing the New York Red Bulls.
ESPN offers an NBA preseason doubleheader Friday, with the Heat facing the Magic at 7:30 p.m. and Warriors-Lakers at 10 p.m. The regular season starts Tuesday on TNT.
There's Big 10 women's volleyball Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, with Illinois facing Minnesota.

Yankees again? Yuck

2010-10-14T05:56:00.001-04:00

Fresh off their three-game sweep of the Twins, the New York Yankees continue their march to spoil the postseason for Yankee-haters everywhere.
The evil empire opens the American League championship series Friday on TBS in Texas. Game 2 is Saturday, and the series shifts to New York Monday evening.
The Yankees won baseball championship number 27 last season, but must travel as the wild-card team from the AL East.
The Rangers have never won a World Series, or a league pennant. Or a playoff series until Tuesday in Tampa. They lost nine straight games in three division series against the Yankees in the late 1990s.
Saturday night on FOX, the National League series starts in Philadelphia, as the Phillies try to make a third straight World Series trip. The Giants are seeking their first World Series title in San Francisco. Game 2 is Sunday at 8 p.m., then the teams head west for games Tuesday through Thursday (if necessary).
Peyton Manning gets another shot at the Sunday Night spotlight, bringing the Colts to face the Redskins on NBC. Monday night on ESPN, the Titans visit the Jaguars in a battle for first place or last place in the AFC South (all four teams stand 3-2 after week 5).
Sunday afternoon, the Ravens visit New England on CBS. Fox has the doubleheader without the Redskins, meaning NFC East foes get the TV time - the Eagles hosting Atlanta followed by the 1-3 Cowboys at 1-3 Minnesota. Not where those teams expected to be.
CBS gets another top SEC matchup Saturday afternoon, with Arkansas facing No. 7 Auburn. On the other side of the competition scale, Notre Dame faces Western Michigan at 2:30 p.m. on NBC. Bonus points if you know where the school is located and its mascot (Kalamazoo and the Broncos).
On ABC, Texas visits Nebraska or Iowa-Michigan in the afternoon. The game not on ABC in your area will be on ESPN.
ESPN opens the college football weekend Thursday night as West Virginia hosts South Florida, and stays in the Big East Friday with Cincinnati against Louisville. At noon Saturday, it's Florida State taking on Boston College while ESPN2 has Minnesota-Purdue.
ESPN's big contest in primetime is Ohio State's visit to Wisconsin, followed by Oregon State-Washington at 10:15 p.m. ESPN2 offers Alabama hosting Mississippi at 9 p.m.
Maryland's trip to Clemson gets the ACC game of the week coverage Saturday at noon.
MASN offers a pair of college games Saturday - the Big East game between Pittsburgh and Syracuse at noon and the WAC battle between Idaho and Louisiana Tech at 4 p.m.
Comcast has the Big 12 matchup between Texas A&M and Missouri Saturday at noon. Comcast-plus offers Villanova against Maine at noon, then California-USC and Oklahoma taking on Iowa State at 7 p.m.
Versus joins the action with fourth-ranked TCU facing BYU at 4 p.m., followed by Arizona's contest against Washington State.
NASCAR heads back home this weekend, racing in Charlotte Saturday night on ABC. The Nationwide racers hit the track Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Capitals head south to play the Predators Saturday night on Comcast. Versus offers Thursday night NHL action as Tampa Bay faces the Flyers.
There's NBA preseason basketball Thursday on Comcast as the Wizards host the Bucks.
D.C. United will be in Chicago to fight the Fire Saturday at 4 p.m. ESPN2 offers the Chivas USA game at Seattle Friday at 11 p.m.
For fans of volleyball, ESPN2 will show Minnesota at Penn State Sunday at 1 p.m.

Ice is nice

2010-10-07T06:02:00.001-04:00

October means the baseball postseason.
And the NHL season openers.
Ice hockey returns with three games on Versus Thursday. The day starts at noon, since Carolina and Minnesota are among six teams opening the season in Europe. After their game in Helsinki, the action heads to Pennsylvania as the Penguins and Flyers face off at 7 p.m. The day closes with Chicago's visit to Colorado at 10 p.m.
There's three more games from Europe the rest of the weekend. Carolina and Minnesota play again at noon Friday, followed by Columbus against San Jose in Stockholm. Saturday at noon, it's Boston facing Phoenix from Prague.
Enjoy the different dasherboards.
Here in the States, the Capitals open their season Friday in Atlanta against the Thrashers. Saturday is the home opener against the Devils, then they play Ottawa Monday on Comcast.
TBS has the baseball division series coverage, with three games Thursday - Texas at Tampa Bay at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Yankees at Twins and the Game 1 of the Braves-Giants at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, it's game two of both National League series then Saturday it's game three in the American League contests from Texas and New York. Sunday, there will be either two, three or four games, depending on how Saturday's games go.
If various series go the full five games, they will be Tuesday in the American League and Wednesday in the National.
Brett Favre returns to New York, as the Vikings visit the Jets at new Meadowlands Stadium Monday on ESPN. The Eagles' game against the 49ers gets featured on NBC's Sunday night game - will Michael Vick play? Can San Francisco win a game?
The Packers visit Washington Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX, while CBS has doubleheader coverage most places - except Fishersville. We will get the Titans' trip to Dallas at 4:15 p.m., but the early game gets blacked out. Richmond and the rest of Virginia will be watching the Ravens host the Broncos, and I hope my cable picks up that game.
ESPN starts the college football weekend Thursday with Nebraska heading to Kansas State. Friday, ESPN shows the Big East matchup between Connecticut and Rutgers at 7:30 p.m., while ESPN2 goes with Oklahoma State and Louisiana-Lafayette at 9 p.m.
Saturday's schedule starts at noon on ESPN with Indiana against Ohio State, while ESPN2 shows Illinois-Penn State. In primetime, ESPN has LSU-Florida.
CBS goes with top-ranked Alabama's visit to South Carolina at 3:30 p.m., while Pittsburgh visits Notre Dame on NBC. ABC's regional action includes Clemson at North Carolina in ACC territory, while other areas see a top 20 battle between Michigan State and Michigan or Arkansas vs. Texas A&M from Cowboys Stadium.
In primetime, ABC has the ACC battle of Florida with Florida State facing Miami. Other parts of the country will watch USC-Stanford, while ACC country gets that game on ESPN2.
N.C. State's contest against Boston College gets coverage as the ACC game of the week. Can the Wolfpack hold a lead this week?
MASN shows the Big East game of the week at noon, then West Virginia hosts UNLV at 3:30 p.m. Comcast has a Big 12 game between Texas Tech and Baylor at noon, while Versus goes with Oregon State's visit to Arizona at 7 p.m.
Jimmie Johnson's back on top of the NASCAR Chase for the Cup, with seven of the 10 playoff races to go. Will someone catch him or will his lead balloon? We'll find out Sunday at 3 p.m. as the drivers take the track at Fontana on ESPN.
The Nationwide Series will race Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
In MLS play, D.C. United hosts San Jose Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast-plus. Thursday on ESPN, Philadelphia takes on the LA. Galaxy.
The NBA preseason has started, and TNT shows it's lone exhibition Sunday night as Dallas plays Phoenix.

Play ball, postseason style

2010-10-04T06:46:00.001-04:00

Are you ready for four weeks of postseason baseball?
Will the Yankees be in prime time most of the time? As much as possible.
Baseball's postseason starts Wednesday at 1:35 p.m. when the Rangers visit American League East champion Tampa Bay. The Reds' first postseason trip in 15 years begins at 5 p.m. in Philadelphia, then at 8:30 p.m. the Yankees and Twins meet at new Target Field.
Thursday, the Rangers and Rays play game two at 2:30 p.m., then it's the Yankees and Twins at 6 p.m. The Braves meet NL West champion San Francisco at 9:30 p.m. to start their series.
There's two National League games Friday - Reds at Phillies at 6 p.m. and Giants-Braves at 9:30 p.m. - and Saturday the Rangers host the Rays at 5 p.m. and Twins visit New York at 8:30 p.m. while the National League teams travel to the sites of their Game 3.
The rest of the divisional series schedule is to be announced. The American League Game 5 would be on Oct. 12, and the National League finales would be Oct. 13.
The American League championship series will be on TBS, starting Oct. 15. FOX carries the National League series starting Oct. 16, and has the World Series beginning Oct. 27. If there's no sweep, there will be November baseball.

Tide rides into Prime Time

2010-09-30T06:13:00.021-04:00

Once a season, CBS shows a Southeastern Conference game in prime time. It's a good one this week.
Top-ranked Alabama, fresh off a come-from-behind win at Arkansas, hosts Florida in a rematch of last year's SEC championship game.
And the schools with two of the last three Heisman Trophy winners.
And the last two national champions.
Ought to be something worth watching. Even if Tim Tebow is in the NFL.
If that's not enough, in the late afternoon slot CBS shows Tennessee at LSU.
ABC usually shows prime time games on Saturday, and has some good ones this week also. Out west, Oregon takes on Stanford while Notre Dame's visit to Boston College will be shown to much of the east. ESPN2 will show the game you don't get on ABC, except a few western areas will see Washington-USC.
ABC fires up the football day at 3:30 p.m. with the Red River Rivalry - Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas. Too bad the Longhorns lost to UCLA last week. Parts of the country will get to see Wisconsin-Michigan State, while ACC country gets Virginia Tech's game with North Carolina on the main channel and something else on ESPN.
ESPN begins the weekend Thursday with Texas A&M going against Oklahoma State, then Friday it's BYU facing Utah State.
Saturday begins on ESPN with Northwestern against Minnesota at noon, while ESPN2 shows Miami's visit to Clemson. ESPN's primetime contest matches Penn State and Iowa.
Virginia gets its turn in the ACC game of the week, hosting Florida State at noon. Should be a tougher game for the Cavaliers than the last two home contests.
Versus brings another battle in the Commander-in-Chief trophy series, when Navy heads west to face Air Force. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Comcast brings three games on Saturday, starting at noon with Kansas at Baylor. There's CAA action at 3:30 p.m. when Villanova goes to William & Mary, then at 7 p.m. Georgia takes on Colorado.
Golf's feature event this weekend is the Ryder Cup, being played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales. ESPN starts the coverage Friday at 2:30 a.m. (set your alarm clocks). NBC takes over for the weekend, with play Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., then the final day starting at 7 a.m.
It's week four for the NFL, and the first one with byes. Four teams have the week off, and the Eagles welcome someone they said "bye" to in the offseason - quarterback Donovan McNabb. McNabb and the Redskins visit Philadelphia at 4:15 p.m. on FOX.
In the early slots in Fishersville, CBS has the Steelers hosting the Ravens while FOX offers Carolina at the Saints.
In prime time, the Bears make a journey to new Meadowlands Stadium to play the Giants on NBC. Monday Night's game features the Patriots and Dolphins on ESPN.
The major league baseball regular season ends this weekend, bringing a merciful end to the season for the Orioles and Nationals. The Orioles face the Tigers on MASN2, while the Nationals are in New York to meet the Mets on MASN.
The Red Sox are done, but their games with the Yankees are on FOX Saturday and TBS Sunday afternoon. FOX also shows the Phillies-Braves and the NL West showdown between the Padres and Giants. Close pennant races could add games to the national schedule.
The IRL season closes at Homestead on Versus - Saturday at 7 p.m. - while NASCAR is in Kansas Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The Nationwide Series, waiting for Danica Patrick to return - goes Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN2 offers MLS action Sunday night, with the Galaxy going against Chivas USA.

Danica does Dover

2010-09-23T06:09:00.021-04:00

How has Danica Patrick's season been in the Nationwide Series? Been a long time since she's raced there.
After appearing in just six of the first 27 races, Patrick heads to Dover Saturday for her fall tour on the Nationwide Series. She should appear in seven more races to close out the season, as the IRL has only one more race to run in 2010.
The flag drops on ESPN2 Saturday at 3 p.m.
Race two of the NASCAR Chase for the Cup will be at the Monster Mile Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. Jimmie Johnson dropped four spots after struggling, but somehow, I bet he'll be back near the top. Can't say the same about Clint Bowyer.
The Red Sox and Yankees aren't battling for the AL East championship, but they do meet twice this weekend on national TV - Saturday on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. The Reds take on the Padres also on FOX, while the Giants and Rockies battle Sunday afternoon on TBS.
The Nationals continue their final homestand with three games against the Braves on MASN. The Orioles are in Toronto to face the Blue Jays on MASN2.
The Ravens open their home season against the closest thing the NFL has to bye - the Cleveland Browns. CBS will show that at 1 p.m. in the Fishersville area, followed by the Colts' visit to Denver. The Redskins host the Rams in the late afternoon slot on FOX.
The Jets visit Miami for NBC's Sunday night game, while ESPN has the Packers heading to Chicago on Monday night.
CBS has the top college football matchup of the weekend, with top-ranked Alabama playing Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Notre Dame takes on Stanford in the time slot on NBC, while ABC/ESPN2 offers Wake Forest-Florida State, Ohio State against Eastern Michigan and UCLA facing Texas.
In primetime, ABC will feature Oregon State against Boise State on the blue turf in the Broncos' final big non-conference game.
Virginia Tech's visit to Boston College gets to be the ACC game of the week, starting at noon.
ESPN begins the weekend Thursday when Miami heads to Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, TCU meets SMU at 8 p.m., then Saturday at noon it's N.C. State facing Georgia Tech. In primetime, it's a top-20 battle between South Carolina and Auburn.
On ESPN2, the day starts at noon with Bowling Green meeting Michigan. Oklahoma goes to Cincinnati at 6 p.m., followed by the big battle between West Virginia and LSU at Death Valley.
Versus presents the Atlanta Football Classic Saturday at 3:30 p.m., with Tennessee State meeting Florida A&M.
Comcast has football early - Central Florida at Kansas State at 12:30 p.m. - and late from the Pac-10 as Oregon goes to Arizona State at 10:30 p.m.
MASN has college football in prime time Saturday, with Western Kentucky visiting South Florida.
For your younger football action, ESPN2 shows high school football from South Carolina Friday at 7 p.m.
The main part of the PGA tournament schedule closes this weekend with the Tour Championship. NBC provides coverage Saturday starting at noon and Sunday from 1:30 to 6 p.m.
D.C. United takes to the pitch Saturday night on Comcast, hosting Houston at 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 has its MLS game Friday night, as the Red Bulls visit Los Angeles at 11 p.m.

And the Chase is on

2010-09-16T06:20:00.002-04:00

Ten more NASCAR races to go, which means 12 drivers enter the Chase for the Cup starting Sunday.
NASCAR designed the chase to heighten excitement down the stretch. But how much excitement has there been with Jimmy Johnson winning the last four cups?
Johnson is second to Denny Hamlin going into this year's cup, which starts at New Hampshire on ESPN.
If you want real late night Saturday racing, the IRL is in Tokyo. The green flag drops at 11 p.m. on Versus.
The Manning Bowl highlights the second weekend of the NFL season - Eli and the Giants visit Peyton and the Colts Sunday night on NBC. Monday night, the Saints head to San Francisco as the 49ers seek to bounce back from a lousy opener.
After no local teams played last Sunday afternoon, CBS gets both this week. The Ravens visit Cincinnati in the early game, then the Redskins look for a second straight win over a Texas team - meeting the Texans at 4:15 p.m.
FOX will show the Bears going to Dallas in the Fishersville area in the early slot.
The Orioles get national coverage on TBS Sunday afternoon, hosting the Yankees. MASN also has the series all weekend, while the Nationals face the Phillies on MASN2.
The Tigers and White Sox play Sunday night on ESPN, and join the Braves-Mets and Padres-Cardinals as the offerings for the FOX Saturday package.
With tennis done, CBS enters the college football realm as Florida visits Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. The Vols' big loss to Oregon and Florida's opening game struggles may dim a little luster from the contest.
ABC has a pair of big games on Saturday night - Texas against Texas Tech and Notre Dame-Michigan State. In the late afternoon, games include Alabama at Duke, Nebraska-Washington and Arizona State's visit to Wisconsin. In both time slots, ESPN2 has one of the offerings not on ABC in your area.
ESPN opens the weekend Thursday as Cincinnati goes to North Carolina State. Friday, it's Kansas-Southern Mississippi at 8 p.m. on ESPN and California taking on Nevada at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
Saturday starts on ESPN with Arkansas meeting Georgia at noon, then USC visits Minnesota. Will the Trojans be tougher than South Dakota? In primetime, it's Clemson taking on Auburn.
On ESPN2, Penn State hosts Kent State at noon and Wake Forest heads west to play Stanford at 11 p.m.
The ACC game of the week features Georgia Tech at North Carolina. Wonder if there will be over 100 points scored in the ACC game like last Saturday?
MASN shows Connecticut at Temple Saturday at noon, as the former Big East team tries to impress a rising star.
Comcast goes with four games Saturday from all across the country, after starting at noon with Iowa State against Kansas State from Kansas City. Air Force visits Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m., followed by William & Mary-Old Dominion before heading west for Houston against UCLA at 10:30 p.m.
Versus has Baylor against TCU at 4 p.m.
The WNBA champion could be determined tonight, when Seattle visits Atlanta at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

Time for a summer hiatus

2010-06-24T14:01:00.002-04:00

I'm going to take a break from the watchdog for the next few weeks while I enjoy summer vacation with my sons. I hope to resume weekly updates as football season rolls around at the end of August.
You know your summer sports. Here's your links.
MASN covers the Orioles and Nationals.
MLB's national schedule can be found here. They have all previous games still listed, so you'll have to scroll down.
Wimbledon got underway Monday, and breakfast at Wimbledon will be Sunday morning, July 4. A great way to start that day.
The PGA summer include the British Open in July and PGA championship in mid-August.
The World Cup crowns a new champion July 11, after round of 16 matches begin Saturday.
NASCAR visits Daytona for July 4th weekend on TNT, then one more race before ABC and ESPN take over coverage at Indy July 25.
Danica Patrick will be racing both IRL and Nationwide at times this summer.
Comcast will have various events through the summer, including the Washington Mystics and D.C. United soccer.
As always, ESPN has sports covered.

Father's Day viewing

2010-06-17T14:04:00.010-04:00

Last year, Father's Day was a sports feast for dads. This year, you get to add the World Cup to the weekend mix.
The United States plays its second game Friday, meeting Slovenia at 9:30 a.m. on ESPN. That's the group leading Slovens after the first batch of matches. Germany meets Serbia to open the day at 7 a.m., then England meets Algeria at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Will the Brits be able to keep up with the Yanks in group play?
Saturday opens with the Netherlands vs. Japan at 7 a.m., then it's Ghana vs. Australia at 9:30 p.m. ABC gets to show Denmark against Cameroon at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, you've got Slovakia vs. Paraguay, then Italy against New Zealand in the morning on ESPN. ABC has favorite Brazil going against Ivory Coast in its afternoon slot.
By the next weekend, the group play will be done and it's off to the single-elimination round of 16.
Golf dads will be focused on the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. NBC will be on the air 3-5 p.m. Friday, while ESPN has coverage from 1-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.
Saturday, NBC is on from 4:30 p.m. and through prime time. The final round is on from 3-9 p.m. The College World Series kicks off Saturday in Omaha, and don't feel too bad Virginia fans - only three of the top eight seeds advanced to the final eight.
TCU meets Florida State Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN to open the festivities, then it's Florida-UCLA at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oklahoma meets South Carolina at 2 and Arizona State faces Clemson at 7 p.m.
The Nationals host the White Sox this weekend, with games Friday and Sunday on MASN. FOX has picked up the Saturday afternoon game for its package. Other areas will see the Dodgers at Red Sox or Twins-Phillies. TBS will show the Yankees and Mets Sunday afternoon, with Dodgers-Red Sox being ESPN's Sunday night game.
The Orioles conclude a west coast swing with a weekend at San Diego's Petco Park on MASN2.
NASCAR gets a late start, with TNT's coverage from Sonoma starting at 3 p.m. The Nationwide drivers are in Wisconsin Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Indy cars are in Iowa, with Versus coverage starting at 1:30 p.m.
Comcast offers the Washington Mystics facing Chicago Saturday at 7 p.m.
For something different, the Red Bull Air Race will be seen on Comcast Sunday at 2 p.m.

The world arrives in South Africa

2010-06-10T13:57:00.002-04:00

It's an event held every four years, but this time it's unique.
The World Cup comes to Africa for the first time in its 80-year history, and host South Africa opens play against Mexico Friday at 9:30 a.m. Uruguay takes on France at 2 p.m.
The United States team has its first contest Saturday at 1:30 p.m., facing on England on ABC. Earlier in the day on ESPN, it's South Korea vs. Greece at 7 a.m. and Argentina-Nigeria at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, the day begins with Algeria vs. Slovenia at 7 a.m., then Serbia vs. Ghana. ABC brings Germany against Australia at 1:30 p.m.
Play continues daily through the opening round, with the final set for July 11.
Getting you ready for the action, ESPN2 shows D.C. United's visit to Seattle Thursday at 10 p.m. The NBA Finals continue Thursday with Game 4 from Boston, starting at 9 p.m. on ABC. Game 5 will be Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Celtics' final home game of the series. And maybe the last NBA game of the season.
The NHL season is over, but minor league hockey continues. Comcast will show Game 5 of the American Hockey League's final - Hershey at Texas - Friday at 8:30 p.m.
It's time for interleague play in baseball. The Orioles start a series with the Mets on MASN, while the Nationals visit the Indians on MASN2.
Nationally, the battle of Chicago between the White Sox and Cubs gets the national attention on FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night. The Red Sox and Phillies are the other FOX offering, and the game featured on TBS Sunday afternoon.
College baseball is down to the Super Regional level, with eight series determining the eight participants in next week's College World Series. Virginia hosts Oklahoma, playing Saturday at 3 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN and Monday (if necessary) at either 1 or 7 p.m.
The ESPN family of networks starts the fun Friday afternoon with Vanderbilt-Florida State and Texas against TCU on ESPN2. Florida faces Miami at 7 p.m. on ESPN, then it's UCLA and Cal State-Fullerton on ESPN2 at 10:30 p.m.
The best available games will fill the time slots Saturday and Sunday, with four finals possible on Monday.
NASCAR heads to Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m., while the Nationwide racers are in Kentucky Saturday night at 7:30 on ESPN.
The PGA tour is in Memphis for the St. Jude's Classic. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Mystics host the New York Liberty Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Saturday afternoon, ESPN2 offers Major League Lacrosse at 3 p.m. (Denver vs. Boston) and women's pro softball (Chicago vs. Florida) at 5 p.m.

Let the Finals begin

2010-06-03T12:22:00.000-04:00

Do you think ABC is happy?
The NBA Finals tip off Thursday at 9 p.m. with the league's most storied rivalry - Celtics vs. Lakers. Game 2 will be Sunday at 8 p.m.
Getting ready for the series, you'll see black-and-white matchups from the 1960s. And the Bird vs. Magic rivalry of the 1980s. And maybe a little bit from 2008, when the Celtics won the last Finals meeting.
The Lakers have the homecourt advantage, always big in the Finals. When it's all over, one of the most successful teams in NBA history will add another title to its list.
The Stanley Cup finals continues Friday, with Game 4 on Versus. The teams return to Chicago for Game 5 Sunday on NBC.
In Paris, it's the end of the French Open. NBC shows the mens' semifinals Friday at 11 a.m., then has the women's championship Saturday at 9 a.m. The men's winner is crowned during live coverage Sunday at 9 p.m.
NASCAR bid farewell to Digger, Darrell and the crew for the season last weekend. Sunday, TNT picks up the coverage for the next six races, starting at Pocono at 1 p.m. The Nationwide Series is in Nashville Saturday night on ESPN2.
The IRL, fresh off its biggest race of the year, heads to Texas Saturday night on Versus.
The Orioles start a nine-game homestand as the Red Sox visit Camden Yards on MASN. The Nationals host the Reds on MASN2.
The Brewers visit to St. Louis gets the most national attention in baseball this weekend - on FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night. The Marlins vs. Mets and Rays-Rangers are also in the FOX mix of games, while TBS shows the Yankees and Blue Jays Sunday afternoon.
Tiger Woods is back to defend his title at the Memorial. CBS has coverage Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
D.C. United hosts Real Salt Lake Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast.
Want something different? NBC has the Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championships from Columbus Saturday and Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. both days.
The NCAA softball championships start Thursday in Oklahoma City with four games -Missouri vs. Hawaii and UCLA-Florida in the afternoon on ESPN, then Arizona against Tennessee at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 followed by Georgia-Washington.
There's two winners bracket games Friday, four more games Saturday and four Sunday on either ESPN or ESPN2 to reduce the field to two teams. Those two play a best-of-three series starting Monday.
The triple crown races end Saturday with the Belmont Stakes on ABC at 5 p.m.

Va-room

2010-05-27T13:30:00.013-04:00

It's the official kickoff weekend of summer. Are you going to spend it in traffic, or watching fast traffic?
Sunday is the biggest day in motor racing, with the Indianapolis 500 on ABC and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at night on FOX. That's 1,100 miles of racing from 1 p.m. until near midnight.
Also at Charlotte, the Nationwide race takes the flag Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
The University of Virginia's quest for a national lacrosse championship continues Saturday in Baltimore, as the Cavaliers face Duke. The ACC foes play at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2, following the 4 p.m. start between Cornell and Notre Dame.
The winners battle for the championship Monday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
There's a few more games to decide the champion of the NHL season. The Stanley Cup Finals get underway Saturday at 8 p.m. on NBC as Philadelphia visits Chicago. Game 2 is Monday on NBC.
The NBA playoffs will have their final participants set by the end of the weekend. The Lakers face the Suns Thursday at 9 p.m. in Game 5 on TNT, then Saturday at 8:30 p.m. If necessary, Game 7 will be Monday.
The Celtics try to close out Orlando Friday in Game 6 on ESPN. If they don't, then Game 7 will be Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
The French Open reaches its middle weekend. NBC will show highlights Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon. ESPN2 has Friday coverage from noon to 6:30 p.m.
The Orioles head to Toronto for the weekend on MASN, while the Nationals are in San Diego. On Memorial Day, the Nationals are in Houston for a 2 p.m. game.
The Rangers' visit to the Twins gets coverage on FOX Saturday afternoon and on Sunday Night baseball (on ESPN2 this week). FOX also shows the Cardinals at Cubs and Mariners-Angels. TBS has the Cardinals and Cubs Sunday afternoon.
There's plenty of ACC tournament baseball on Comcast. Thursday and Friday, games will be shown at noon and 8 p.m. Saturday, the games at noon and 4 p.m. will air. The championship game is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN has the SEC baseball championship Sunday at 2 p.m.
The PGA tour is in Texas for the Colonial. CBS has the coverage on the weekend, starting at 3 p.m. both days. The Seniors hold their PGA Championship on NBC, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For your MLS action, FC Dallas visits Chicago Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. D.C. United faces Chivas USA Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast. The United States World Cup team plays its final friendly on home turf Saturday, meeting Turkey on ESPN2.
Sunday at 4 p.m., Comcast has Major League Lacrosse as Chesapeake faces Chicago.
NCAA softball has reached the super regional round. Thursday at 8 p.m., Tennessee battles Michigan on ESPN, followed by Oklahoma vs. Washington on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. There's two more games on ESPN2 Friday, four on ESPN Saturday and two on Sunday.

Who's on the pole?

2010-05-20T12:25:00.001-04:00

The biggest weekend in racing is still a week away. But they are warming up in Indianapolis and Charlotte.
The field of the Indy 500 will be determined Saturday and Sunday in time trials. Versus has the full coverage both days, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Then the 33-car field will be ready for May 30.
Saturday night in Charlotte, NASCAR gets together for it's all-star race on Speed. Only after lettting the rest of the drivers race for a spot in the final field. There's four segments to the race, concluding with a 10-lap shootout. Should be plenty of fun.
Then they have a little rest before the 600-mile run Memorial Day weekend.
The first round of interleague play begins this weekend, so the Orioles and Nationals play on MASN and MASN2 - 7 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Nationally, it means you see the Yankees at Mets Saturday on FOX (7 p.m. this week) and Sunday night on ESPN. FOX has three other games to offer different parts of the country - Red Sox vs. Phillies, Cubs at Rangers and Tigers meeting Dodgers - then TBS shows the Red Sox at Phillies Sunday afternoon.
The NBA playoffs continue into the Conference finals. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals will be Saturday on ABC, with Orlando visiting Boston at 8:30 p.m.
Out west, the Lakers head to Phoenix Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
The NHL, also in the conference finals, shows the Flyers at Canadiens Thursday on Versus and Saturday afternoon on NBC. The Blackhawks host the Sharks Friday on Versus and Sunday on NBC.
CBS offers the Byron Nelson Classic, starting at 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Comcast has plenty of college baseball scheduled as the regular season winds down. Thursday, it's Florida State's visit to Clemson, then on Friday Virginia heads to Miami.
It's a Saturday tripleheader, starting with Florida State-Clemson at 1 p.m. Mississippi State goes to LSU at 4 p.m., then it's Sun Belt play between Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky at 7 p.m.
NCAA softball regionals begin Friday, with Auburn meeting Oregon at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and Georgia Tech vs. Jacksonville State at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Three more games are set for Saturday on ESPN, starting at noon, and another pair start Sunday at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 shows the MLS game of the week Thursday, with Columbus visiting the New York Red Bulls. On Saturday, they have Major League Lacrosse with Chesapeake visiting Toronto.

Triple crown or not

2010-05-13T13:33:00.003-04:00

Going into the Kentucky Derby, all the horses have a chance of winning the Triple Crown.
Saturday in Baltimore, only one still has that chance.
Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver leads the field into the Preakness Stakes on NBC. Coverage starts at 4:30 p.m., and a few hours later we'll know if the Belmont Stakes really matters this year.
Also in Baltimore this weekend, the Orioles host Cleveland on MASN. The Nationals are in Colorado on MASN2.
The Phillies' visit to Milwaukee will be seen Saturday afternoon on FOX and Sunday night on ESPN. Other FOX choices are Seattle at Tampa Bay and Astros-Giants. Sunday afternoon, TBS will show the Twins' visit to the Yankees.
While the NBA season winds down, the WNBA kicks off its season Saturday afternoon on ESPN2 as Los Angeles meets Phoenix. In the NBA playoffs, Game 6 of the Cavaliers and Celtics will be Thursday on TNT. Game 7 is Sunday afternoon if necessary, and if it's not then the winner will play Orlando in the opener of the Eastern Conference final.
The fourth member of the NHL's final four will be decided Friday, when the Flyers head to Boston for Game 7 of their series. The Flyers are trying to win a seven-game series after losing the first three games, and Friday's winner plays Montreal in the Eastern Conference final.
San Jose and Chicago have advanced to the Western Conference final.
The NCAA lacrosse tournament starts this weekend, and Saturday at noon ESPN shows Johns Hopkins' visit to Duke.
NASCAR heads to Dover a few weeks earlier than normal. The "Monster Mile" usually gets its visit after the Memorial Day weekend race in Charlotte, but with the holiday coming on May 31 Dover moves up to fill a hole in the schedule. FOX will be there.
The Nationwide Drivers go racing Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
DC United faces the Colorado Rapids Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast. Thursday on ESPN2, the Houston Dynamo visit Real Salt Lake.
CBS has the Valero Texas Open Saturday and Sunday, starting at 3 p.m. both days.
Comcast has college baseball Friday as Miami visits Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday afternoon, North Carolina takes on Virginia. ESPN has Mississippi vs. Alabama Saturday at 4 p.m.
The SEC crowns its softball champions Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

NASCAR for Mother's Day, Darling

2010-05-06T12:40:00.002-04:00

For the longest time, NASCAR took off Mother's Day weekend. Not anymore.
Saturday is the big night for the Lady in Black instead.
NASCAR travels to Darlington on FOX for its lone visit of the year to the storied track. Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m., and the Nationwide crew visits 7 p.m. Friday on ESPN2.
The PGA tour heads to TPC Sawgrass and its famous 17th-hole this weekend for the Players Championship. NBC has the coverage Saturday and Sunday, from 2-7 p.m. each day.
The NBA playoffs continue Thursday with Game 2 of Atlanta-Orlando at 8 p.m. on ESPN. It's a Friday doubleheader, with the Cavaliers at Celtics at 7 p.m. and Suns-Spurs at 9:30 p.m., then Saturday the Magic visit the Hawks at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
ABC enters the fray with a Saturday 8 p.m. game featuring the Lakers and Jazz, then Sunday afternoon it's the Cavaliers-Celtics. TNT offers Game 4 of the Suns-Spurs Sunday at 8 p.m.
The NHL conference semifinals continue this weekend on Versus. Thursday it's Game 4 of Montreal-Pittsburgh at 7 p.m., mingled in with Game 4 of San Jose-Detroit.
Friday, the Bruins face the Flyers at 7 p.m., then it's Chicago at Vancouver. Saturday will at least feature Game 5 in Pittsburgh, and Sunday the Canucks and Blackhawks return to Chicago for Game 5.
The Orioles visit the new Target Field in Minnesota this weekend on MASN2, while the Nationals host Florida on MASN. The schedule for both teams is Friday night, then Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
The Red Sox and Yankees meet again this weekend, on FOX Saturday and ESPN Sunday night. The Braves' visit to Philadelphia is the backup game on FOX, and featured game on TBS Sunday afternoon.
Comcast has plenty of college baseball on the schedule this weekend. Friday, it's Florida visiting Alabama. Saturday, Wake Forest heads to North Carolina at 1 p.m. and Sunday Georgia hosts Tennessee at 2 p.m.
ESPN shows SEC softball (LSU vs. Tennessee) Saturday at noon.
Do you like women's soccer? The Washington Freedom start their season Saturday on Comcast against Boston.
ESPN2 will be there Saturday at 7 p.m. when the NCAA crowns its men's volleyball champion.

Run for the Roses

2010-04-29T08:18:00.002-04:00

The first Saturday in May looms. As does only horse race most Americans know.

The Kentucky Derby takes the stage late Saturday afternoon, with 20 horses vying for the first Triple Crown since 1978. Two minutes after the race starts, only one will have a chance to join the great horses of the past.

If you like to watch the fillies, the Kentucky Oaks will be held Friday at 5 p.m. on Bravo.

For more speed on an oval, NASCAR brings its horsepower to Richmond. FOX has the Sprint Cup race Saturday at 7:30 p.m. after the Nationwide crew goes Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Also, the IRL will be in Kansas Saturday on ABC.

The NHL goes into its second round this weekend, starting Thursday with Detroit visiting San Jose on Versus. Friday on Versus, Pittsburgh starts its series against Montreal.

NBC has a pair of games set for the weekend - the Flyers-Bruins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Montreal at Pittsburgh Sunday at 2 p.m.

Versus has the first game of Vancouver-Chicago Saturday at 8 p.m., then Game 2 from San Jose Sunday at 8 p.m.

The NBA playoffs continue with a pair of Western Conference Game 6s Thursday on TNT. The Spurs try to finish off the Mavericks at 8 p.m., then the Suns look to end the Blazers' season in Portland.

Friday on ESPN, it's the Hawks vs. Bucks at 7 p.m., then the Lakers try to win at Oklahoma City at 9:30 p.m. The Nuggets hope to stay alive in Utah at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.

The conference semifinals begin Saturday when the Celtics visit Cleveland on TNT. Time will be announced closer to tipoff, along with other games on the weekend.

The Orioles host Boston this weekend on MASN, while the Nationals visit Florida on MASN2.

The Mets and Phillies get national coverage twice this weekend, on FOX Saturday afternoon and Sunday night on ESPN. The other choices on FOX will be Astros-Braves and Rangers-Mariners. The White Sox visit the Yankees Sunday afternoon on TBS.

Tiger Woods and the PGA tour will be in Charlotte this weekend. CBS has coverage at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The D.C. United host the Red Bulls Saturday at 4 p.m. on Comcast.

Comcast brings you college baseball throughout the weekend. Friday, it's LSU vs. Florida at 8 p.m. Saturday, it's ACC play between Georgia Tech and North Carolina State at 1 p.m., then off to the SEC for Georgia-Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. Sunday, there's more SEC play with Mississippi and Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m.

ESPN joins the diamond fun, showing LSU-Florida Sunday at 1 p.m.

ESPN has some Southeastern Conference softball on the schedule, with Georgia-LSU Thursday at 8 p.m. and Tennessee-Alabama Saturday.

MASN offers college lacrosse Saturday at 2 p.m. when Bellarmine faces Ohio State.

ESPN2 continues showing spring college football, featuring Oregon Saturday at 5 p.m.

I feel a draft

2010-04-22T14:23:00.009-04:00

Are you ready for three nights of Mel Kiper Jr.? ESPN and the NFL hope so.
The NFL draft will now spread across three days, starting Thursday at 7 p.m. with the first overall pick.
The second and third rounds take place Friday starting at 6 p.m., and the final four rounds kick off 10 a.m. Saturday. Then it's three months of mini-camp news and signing questions before the preseason gets underway.
The postseason continues in the NBA and NHL this weekend. TNT has the top seeds in each conference in action Thursday - Cleveland visits Chicago at 7 p.m., followed by the Lakers' visit to Oklahoma City - the Thunder's first-ever home playoff game.
Friday, ESPN has a doubleheader - Boston at Miami at 7 p.m., then the Mavericks vs. Spurs. And ESPN2 adds Denver at Utah at 10:30 p.m.
There's four games Saturday, starting with Orlando at Charlotte at 2 p.m. on TNT. TNT also has Phoenix-Portland at 4:30 p.m., then it's off to ESPN for two more games - Hawks at Bucks at 7 p.m., with the Lakers at Oklahoma City in the nightcap.
Sunday, ABC has an afternoon doubleheader - Boston-Miami at 1 p.m., then Cleveland-Chicago. TNT returns to the scene at 7 p.m. with the Mavericks visiting the Spurs, and closes the night with Denver at Utah.
In the NHL, all eight series stood at 1-1 after two games. The Capitals hope to close out the Canadiens Friday in Game 5 on Comcast.
Versus starts Thursday at 7 p.m. with Pittsburgh looking to put away Ottawa. Game 4 of Chicago-Nashville follows, then Game 5 of the Colorado-San Jose series. Friday, it's Game 5 of the Canucks-Kings at 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday's slate depends on what teams fight off elimination. The Kings and Canucks split their first two games, so Game 6 is currently set for Sunday at 10 p.m.
NBC has games on the schedule Saturday - Predators at Blackhawks - and Sunday - Game 6 of the Coyotes at Red Wings.
For early season baseball, the Orioles close out their road trip in Boston on MASN, while the Nationals host the Dodgers. All three Orioles' games are on MASN, while the Friday and Sunday Nationals games are on MASN2.
FOX, hoping to avoid another 20-inning Saturday game, goes with the Yankees at Angels or Mariners at White Sox. Sunday afternoon, TBS shows the Cubs at Brewers and the ESPN Sunday night game features the Braves visiting the Mets.
Comcast has three college baseball games on the schedule for Saturday. Miami vs. Florida State starts the day at 1 p.m., folllowed by Kansas State facing Missouri and Tennessee-Vanderbilt at 7 p.m.
The PGA tour visits Louisiana for the Zurich Classic, with play on CBS starting at 3 p.m. both days of the weekend. The Senior PGA will be at the Libery Mutual Legends of Golf Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS.
After a makeup Monday in Texas, NASCAR heads to Talledega. The Sprint Cup races Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX, after the Nationwide race Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
Comcast has both ACC lacrosse finals Sunday, with the women's contest at 1 p.m. and the men crowning their champion at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN2 shows MLS soccer between Seattle and Dallas Thursday at 8 p.m., and the Penn State spring game Saturday at 2 p.m.
There's Big 12 softball Sunday at 3 p.m., with Missouri facing Texas A&M.

Playoff time

2010-04-15T14:27:00.009-04:00

The long winter of regular season play is over. It's playoff time in the NHL and NBA.
Versus started the NHL coverage Wednesday, and Thursday it's the Capitals' turn to shine. They play Montreal in Game 1 at 7 p.m., (local coverage on Comcast) then it's the L.A. Kings at Vancouver at 10 p.m.
Game 2 of the Penguins-Senators starts Friday's action. The Red Wings visit Phoenix at 10 p.m., and in between Versus shows parts of the Nashville-Chicago and Colorado-San Jose games.
Game 2 for the Caps and Canadiens is Saturday at 7 p.m., again followed by Kings-Canucks. Sunday, the Penguins and Senators have Game 3 at 6:30 p.m., with Nashville-Chicago and San Jose-Colorado closing out the night.
NBC also gets into the NHL action, with Boston at Buffalo Saturday at 1 p.m. and Phoenix-Detroit Sunday at 3 p.m. The first round goes through April 28, or until eight teams win their series.
The NBA gets the postseason started Saturday with four games. Chicago at Eastern Conference top-seed Cleveland starts the action at 3 p.m., then it's off to ESPN for the rest of the night. Milwaukee visits Atlanta at 5:30 p.m., then it's Miami-Boston and Utah at Denver.
Sunday, the Lakers start their run against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 3 p.m. TNT has the next three contests - Charlotte-Orlando, San Antonio against Dallas and the Trail Blazers facing the Suns.
The best-of-seven opening series can continue through May 2.
The Orioles head west to face Oakland on MASN2 Friday and Sunday. The Nationals host the Brewers Friday night and in the daytime Saturday and Sunday.
The Mets' visit to St. Louis will be the ESPN Sunday game of the week, along with one of the FOX choices Saturday afternoon. Other choices are White Sox at Indians and Dodgers-Giants. TBS will show the Rays at Red Sox Sunday afternoon.
NASCAR heads to Texas for the weekend - the Nationwide race Saturday on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. and Sprint racers go Sunday at 3 p.m. on FOX. The IndyCar crowd is in California, with the green flag dropping at 4:15 p.m. Sunday.
The PGA tour heads to Hilton Head this weekend, with the Heritage on CBS at 3 p.m. both days. The Senior PGA tour is on NBC this weekend (Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.), with the Outback Pro-Am.
The Family Circle Cup tennis tournament will be on ESPN2 throughout the weekend, with coverage starting at 1 p.m.
To tide you over until fall, ESPN has the Alabama Crimson Tide spring football game Saturday at 3 p.m.
Comcast has ACC baseball Saturday at 1 p.m., with Clemson visiting Georgia Tech. Sunday at 1 p.m., it's North Carolina's game at Miami. ESPN2 goes with SEC baseball Friday, with Georgia facing Arkansas.
MASN has college lacrosse Saturday night, with Albany at UMBC.
ESPN2 offers MLS action Thursday, with Philadelphia at Toronto at 7 p.m.
ESPN's Sunday includes Big 12 softball, with Texas against Oklahoma at 3 p.m.

Tiger's back

2010-04-08T08:03:00.001-04:00

There's a golf tournament this weekend in Augusta, Ga. Ho-hum.
Tiger Woods is playing. How many cameras can be pointed at him? It started Monday with his press conference. Thursday, he and the rest of the field begin the Masters.
ESPN has afternoon coverage Thursday and Friday, starting at 4 p.m. How convenient that Tiger's playing in the next-to-last group Thursday, so he'll be playing live most of the program.
CBS gives the full coverage throughout the weekend, beginning Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. As the sun sets on the azaleas, someone will slip on the green jacket.
Spring also means the start of baseball. The Orioles have their home opener Friday at 3 p.m. against the Blue Jays, and the series continues through the weekend.
The Nationals, who opened at home against the Phillies, visit the Mets this weekend.
FOX has its' first Saturday game of the week at 3 p.m. Fishersville will likely see the Yankees at Rays, with Cardinals at Brewers and Rangers-Mariners going to other parts of the country.
TBS opens its Sunday afternoon schedule with the Yankees at Rays, and the Cardinals and Brewers battle Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
The NCAA's Frozen Four takes place this weekend in Detroit. RIT faces Wisconsin Thursday at 5 p.m. and Boston College meets Miami of Ohio at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The winners go for the championship Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
The NHL closes its regular season, and NBC shows the Bruins at Capitals Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The Capitals face Atlanta Friday on Comcast.
Comcast also offers late night hockey Thursday, as Vancouver visits San Jose.
NASCAR has Saturday night racing this weekend, with the green flag dropping in Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. ESPN has the Nationwide race starting Friday at 9:30 p.m. The IndyCar crowd will be in Alabama Sunday at 3 p.m. on Versus.
The NBA reaches its final weekend also, with TNT's final Thursday doubleheader - Cleveland at Chicago at 8 p.m., then the Lakers at Denver. ABC's Sunday doubleheader features Orlando at Cleveland at 1 p.m., then the Trail Blazers visit the Lakers.
The Wizards visit Boston Friday on Comcast-plus and host Atlanta Saturday on Comcast.
Virginia Tech hosts Miami in college baseball Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast.
With three weeks until the Kentucky Derby, NBC shows the Bluegrass Stakes and Arkansas Derby Saturday at 5 p.m.

Opening Day and Final Four

2010-04-01T13:23:00.000-04:00

It's a weekend where sports seasons change.
Saturday, you'll be watching the Final Four on CBS.
Sunday, it's off to Fenway Park for the first game of the major league baseball season - Yankees at Red Sox.
And Monday, it's Official Opening Day and One Shining Moment night.
Starting with the NCAA, Saturday has a pair of 5th seeded teams battling in the first semifinal - Michigan State vs. hometown team Butler at 6:07 p.m. The nightcap features West Virginia against Duke, with the winners going for the championship Monday at 9 p.m.
The women start their Final Four Sunday on ESPN. Will the Connecticut women complete another perfect season? They play Baylor at 9:30 p.m., after Stanford takes on Oklahoma. The women cut down the nets Tuesday.
And don't forget the NIT - North Carolina plays Dayton Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN for that championship. UNC last won the NIT in 1971, the days of one NCAA bid per league.
On the diamond, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to show five games on Monday. ESPN starts at 1 p.m. with the Cardinals at Reds, then the Cubs visit Atlanta at 4:10 p.m. ESPN2 starts with the Indians at White Sox at 2 p.m., followed by Giants-Astros and Twins-Angels.
MASN has the Nationals' home opener against the Phillies Monday at 1 p.m.
Before teams head north, ESPN shows the Yankees and Orioles Friday at 1 p.m. MASN has the Red Sox's exhibition visit to Washington Saturday at 4 p.m.
TNT offers its' NBA doubleheader Thursday, with the Magic visiting the Mavericks at 8 p.m., followed by Portland-Denver. ESPN offers the Hawks visiting Cleveland Friday at 8 p.m., then the Jazz visiting the Lakers.
ABC has a Sunday doubleheader, starting with Cleveland at Boston at 1 p.m. The Spurs visit the Lakers at 3:30 p.m.
The Wizards host the Bulls Friday at 7 p.m. and Nets Sunday at 6 p.m. on Comcast.
The Capitals open April by hosting Atlanta on Comcast, then visit Columbus Saturday. NBC offers Detroit vs. Philadelphia Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The PGA tour is in Houston for the Shell Open Saturday and Sunday on NBC.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup is off for Easter. Hope they enjoy the day, since it's three and a half months until the next open weekend (July 18th). The Nationwide tour does run, visiting Nashville Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
Comcast brings some SEC baseball Sunday, with Georgia visiting LSU at 1 p.m.
MLS has a doubleheader Thursday on ESPN2 - Real Salt Lake at Houston at 9 p.m., followed by Chivas USA at L.A.
As we close in on Kentucky Derby time, NBC shows the Santa Anita Derby Saturday at 5 p.m.

16..8..4

2010-03-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

Four more days and we'll be down to the Final Four.
CBS tips off the Sweet Sixteen Thursday at 7 p.m. with the Big East survivors in the early slot - Butler against Syracuse and Washington vs. West Virginia. Nightcap games around 9:45 p.m. include Kentucky-Cornell and Kansas State facing Xavier.
Friday, the Tennesee-Ohio State game begins coverage at 7 p.m., along with Baylor against St. Mary's. Later, it's Northern Iowa meeting Michigan State before Purdue tackles Duke. Of the eight games in the Sweet Sixteen, it's the only one matching either a No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 or 2 vs. 3.
Regional finals start Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Then it's on to Indy.
The women's Sweet Sixteen kicks off Saturday on ESPN at noon with a doubleheader from Memphis. Tennessee faces Baylor early, then it's Duke against upstart San Diego State.
The Sacramento region tips off at 9 p.m. with Stanford vs. Georgia on ESPN. The nightcap game between Xavier and Gonzaga will be on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, the action shifts to Dayton at noon with Connecticut against Iowa State on ESPN. Then it's off to ESPN2 for Florida St.-Mississippi State, and they show both games from Kansas City starting Sunday at 7:30 p.m. - Oklahoma-Notre Dame and Nebraska-Kentucky.
Want to see the best of Division II? CBS shows the men's championship Saturday at 1 p.m., after ESPN2 offers the women's championship between Fort Union and Emporia State Friday at 8 p.m.
TNT has its NBA doubleheader Thursday, with Miami at Chicago at 8 p.m. followed by the Mavericks at TrailBlazers. Sunday, ESPN offers San Antonio's visit to Boston.
The Wizards visit Charlotte Friday, then host Utah Saturday on Comcast.
The Major League Soccer season starts Thursday on ESPN2, with the new Philadelphia Union visiting Seattle. Saturday, ESPN shows Chicago at the New York Red Bulls.
NASCAR stays on the short tracks, heading to Martinsville Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
The PGA tour is at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, with coverage on NBC.
The Capitals visit Carolina Thursday, then host Calgary Sunday afternoon on Comcast.
ESPN gets into exhibition baseball, showing the Tigers against the Braves Friday afternoon.
Virginia's lacrosse contest with Johns Hopkins will be shown on ESPN2 Saturday at noon. MASN also offers college lacrosse Saturday, with Hobart facing Fairfield.
For those who can't wait until September, ESPN2 shows the LSU spring football game Saturday at 4 p.m.
ESPN2 also has college softball from the SEC Saturday at 2 p.m. - Florida vs. Alabama. They are the worldwide leader in sports, you know.

64..32..16

2010-03-18T08:51:00.004-04:00

Ready for your TV screen to be divided into four parts, to show all the live games? Ready for your bracket to be shredded?
Thursday at noon, the first NCAA tournament game tips off on CBS. I expect Notre Dame-Old Dominion to be seen on WUSA9 in the Fishersville area, and the hard-working people at this website are trying to map all coverage of the first three rounds for wherever you are in the nation.
The first round, coverage is on from noon until 5 p.m., and resumes at 7 p.m.
Saturday, coverage starts at 1 p.m. and goes through the conclusion of the last two games around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, it's noon to 7 p.m. and we'll be down to the Sweet 16.
Remember, there's also the NIT hanging around. ESPN shows the second-round matchup between Mississippi State and North Carolina Saturday at noon.
If 65 teams in the men's tournament isn't enough, there are 64 teams to keep track of in the women's bracket. ESPN2 has first round coverage Saturday starting at noon and 8 p.m.
Sunday, ESPN2 has games at noon, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., while ESPN covers the 2:30 p.m. slot that includes James Madison's game with Temple in Norfolk. The Virginia women play at 7:21 p.m. against Green Bay.
TNT has its usual Thursday NBA doubleheader, with the Magic at Heat at 7 p.m. and the Hornets at Nuggets as the nightcap. ESPN waits until Sunday night, as San Antonio visits Atlanta at 8 p.m., followed by Portland at Phoenix.
The Wizards are on the West Coast, facing Portland Friday and the Lakers Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on Comcast.
NBC shows the Rangers at Bruins Sunday afternoon. The Capitals are on the road also this weekend, visiting Carolina Thursday and Tampa Bay Saturday on Comcast.
The PGA tour is on NBC this weekend, with the Transitions Championship starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
NASCAR is back after a week off, with the Food City 500 in Bristol Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX. The Nationwide race is Saturday on ABC (2 p.m.), but Danica Patrick isn't in the field. What will they talk about?
Comcast offers ACC college baseball Saturday, with Boston College visiting Virginia at 1 p.m.
MASN shows college lacrosse Saturday afternoon, with Air Force facing Loyola.
For tennis, the BNP Paribas Open finals will be on Comcast Sunday at 3 p.m.

And the field is...

2010-03-11T08:47:00.004-05:00

There's plenty of college basketball this weekend, but everyone is looking forward to 6 p.m. Sunday - the announcement of the 65-team NCAA tournament field.
While waiting for the last one in and the last one out, the major conferences hold their tournaments. The ACC begins its 57th tournament Thursday at noon in Greensboro with Virginia facing Boston College. Virginia Tech fans have to wait until Friday at 2 p.m. to see the Hokies.
Raycom and its local broadcasters have 10 of the 11 tournament games - ESPN2 has exclusive coverage of the Thursday 7 p.m. game. The championship starts Sunday at 2 p.m. ESPN and ESPN2 also cover the tournament, but in ACC territory expect either ESPNews or other tournament action in those time slots.
CBS gears up for the tournament with four games Saturday and two more Sunday. Saturday begins at 11:30 a.m. with the Conference USA title game, then it's back-to-back coverage of the Big Ten semifinals. The night closes with the Pac-10 championship.
Sunday, it's the Atlantic 10 championship at 1 p.m. and Big Ten at 3:30 p.m. Then just a little time to fill before the tournament announcement.
The Big East tournament finds its home on ESPN. There's four games Thursday, the semifinals starting at 7 p.m. Friday and the championship game Saturday at 9 p.m.
ESPN2 begins Thursday with a game from the Big 12 tournament at 12:30 p.m., then shows a pair of contests from the Big 10 - Iowa vs. Michigan at 2:30 p.m., followed by Indiana-Northwestern. ESPN2 caps the day with another contest from the Big 12.
Friday, it's Big Ten in the afternoon and Big East at night on ESPN. ESPN2 has four ACC games, along with the Patriot League championship between Lafayette and Lehigh at 4:30 p.m. At midnight, there's a game from the WAC tournament.
Saturday's ESPN schedule has the ACC semis at 1:30 p.m. and 4, then at 6 p.m. it's the Big 12 championship. The GameDay crew will be at the Big East finale.
ESPN2 starts at noon with the America East championship between New Hampshire and Vermont. The MEAC follows at 2 p.m., then it's the Southland, Mid-American, Big West and WAC tournament finals.
MASN offers two games from the Big 12 tournament Thursday - 3 and 7 p.m. and then has both semifinal contests Friday starting at 7 p.m.
Comcast has the Pac-10 tournament Thursday - games at 3 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on the main channel, and the middle two contests on Comcast-plus. The second semi-final will also be on Comcast-plus Friday at 11:30 p.m.
Two games from the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals will be on the channel, starting at noon Friday.
Versus features the Mountain West finals Saturday, with the men's game at 7 p.m. after the women decide their champion at 4 p.m.
MASN has the semifinals from the Big South women's tournament Saturday starting at 1 p.m. The final is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. Comcast will show the CAA final Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
With college basketball taking center stage, the NBA has only a few national games on the schedule. TNT has its usual Thursday doubleheader - the Bulls visit the Magic early, then it's Portland at Golden State.
ABC shows the Celtics and Cavaliers Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Wizards have a busy weekend, hosting Atlanta Thursday, visiting Detroit Friday and taking on the Magic Saturday on Comcast.
The Capitals make another appearance on NBC, visiting Chicago Sunday at 12:30 p.m. They are home to the Lightning Friday on Comcast. Comcast also shows the Blackhawks vs. Flyers Saturday afternoon.
The PGA tour hits the TPC Blue Monster at Doral for the World Golf Championships. NBC has coverage Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
MASN brings spring training action home Friday afternoon, with the Nationals playing the Yankees at 1 p.m.
The IndyCar season starts Sunday in Brazil, and Versus has coverage starting at 11:30 a.m.

Championship week begins

2010-03-04T14:02:00.003-05:00

The first tickets for the NCAA tournament get punched this weekend. Get ready to see teams you haven't seen much on TV.
ESPN's Championship Week kicks into high gear with three title tilts Saturday afternoon. The Big South gets underway at 4 p.m., then Atlantic Sun at 6 p.m. and Ohio Valley at 8 p.m.
Sunday night, ESPN2 will show the semifinals of the West Coast Conference. The championship of that league is Monday - along with three other leagues - and several other NCAA bids will be earned throughout the week.
CBS offers the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference Sunday at 2 p.m.
There's still plenty of regular season finales to watch.
CBS has a tripleheader Saturday, starting with West Virginia at Villanova at noon. Then it's Kansas-Missouri and UCLA at Arizona State. Sunday, Florida visits Kentucky at noon, then Michigan faces Michigan State at 4 p.m.
Raycom closes the ACC regular season with three games. Virginia hosts Maryland Saturday at 1:30 p.m., followed by Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech. Sunday at 2 p.m., it's Boston College vs. N.C. State.
ESPN has a pair of games Thursday - Seton Hall-Rutgers at 7 p.m., followed by LSU-Mississippi. ESPN2 offers Penn State facing Michigan State, then Providence visiting Pittsburgh.
The MAC has a spot on ESPN2 Friday, with Kent State-Akron at 8 p.m.
Saturday ESPN offers five games, starting with Texas A&M facing Oklahoma at noon. Syracuse visits Louisville in the final game at Freedom Hall at 2 p.m., followed by Texas-Baylor and Tennessee-Mississippi State. The GameDay crew will be at Duke vs. North Carolina, with tipoff at 9 p.m.
ESPN2 has a pair of regular season contests - Florida State-Miami at noon, then South Carolina at Vanderbilt. Sunday, ESPN shows Wisconsin-Illinois at noon.
MASN has San Jose State at Idaho Thursday at 10 p.m., then the Big East game between St. John's and DePaul Friday at 8:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon features two more Big East games - Connecticut-South Florida at 2 p.m. and Rutgers visiting Pittsburgh at 4:30 p.m. The evening viewing is a pair of quarterfinal contests from the MAAC tournament, starting at 7:30 p.m.
The MAAC semifinals will be shown Sunday starting at 4 p.m., along with the second half of an American East semifinal.
Versus goes to the Mountain West Saturday at 4 p.m. with Wyoming meeting UNLV.
Comcast offers plenty of coverage of the ACC women's tournament, starting with a pair of Thursday afternoon games. Two more early games follow Friday, then the semifinals start Saturday at 1 p.m. The women's champ will be crowned Sunday, with tipoff at 1 p.m.
Comcast also shows the Big 12 women's game between Texas and Baylor Sunday at 3:30 p.m, while MASN has a Big East tournament game Saturday at noon.
ESPN2 offers the Big 10 women's championship game Sunday at 4:30 p.m. followed by a battle for the SEC crown.
The Lakers head east this week, facing Miami Thursday on TNT. The nightcap will feature the Jazz visiting the Suns. Sunday on ABC, the Lakers visit Orlando at 2:30 p.m.
ESPN's Friday doubleheader features the Pistons taking on Cleveland at 7 p.m., followed by the Hornets at Spurs. Sunday, it's Wizards-Celtics at 8 p.m., then the Trail Blazers head to Denver.
Comcast will cover the Wizards hosting Milwaukee Friday, along with the Sunday game with the Celtics.
The NHL game of the week returns to NBC Sunday at 12:30 p.m., with the Red Wings visiting Chicago. Versus stays in the swing of things with the Penguins facing the Rangers Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Capitals start a five-game homestand Thursday against Tampa Bay, then host the Rangers Saturday on Comcast. For bonus late-night hockey, on Saturday the Blue Jackets visit San Jose at 10:30 p.m.
NASCAR brings its show to Atlanta, Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
The PGA tour spends the month of March in Florida on NBC. The Honda Classic will be shown Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
MASN shows exhibition baseball Sunday, with the Red Sox facing the Orioles at 1 p.m.

See you in Sochi

2010-02-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, the Olympic flame will go out in Vancouver. Two weeks of speed and gold medals will close out.
Before the world packs up to return home, there's plenty of big events. Men's ice hockey semifinals are Friday, with the United States playing Finland at 3 p.m. and Canada and Slovakia meeting at 9:30 p.m. The losers go to the bronze medal game Saturday, then the gold medal contest is Sunday before the Closing Ceremonies.
The women's figure skating champion will be crowned Thursday, and Saturday there's the Champions Gala to give you one more chance to see the best skaters.
Then if you'd like to see more ice dancing or short-track speed skating, you'll have to wait for the torch to be lit in Sochi, Russia in four years.
For your speed on the track, NASCAR is at Las Vegas Sunday at 3 p.m. on FOX. For those who'd like to keep track of Danica Patrick, the Nationwide race will be Saturday on ESPN at 4 p.m.
CBS begins gearing up for March Madness with three games Saturday and two more Sunday. Georgetown hosting Notre Dame and Kentucky-Tennessee are the choices at noon, followed by North Carolina taking on Wake Forest at 2 p.m. and Kansas-Oklahoma State at 4 p.m.
Sunday, Louisville heads to Connecticut at 2 p.m., then it's a choice of Big Ten contests - either Michigan State-Purdue, Michigan vs. Ohio State or Minnesota at Illinois.
Raycom offers two games Saturday at 4 p.m. - Maryland at Virginia Tech or N.C. State-Miami.
ESPN starts Thursday with Iowa at Northwestern, then Arizona travels to California. On ESPN2, it's Duke hosting Tulsa at 7 p.m., followed by South Carolina visiting Kentucky and Santa Clara-Gonzaga.
Saturday, ESPN's day starts with Michigan-Ohio State at noon and Texas-Texas A&M at 2 p.m.
Mississippi State takes on South Carolina at 6 p.m. before the Big East battle between Villanova and Syracuse with the GameDay crew on site.
ESPN2 offers Mississippi-Alabama at 2 p.m. and Richmond facing Xavier Sunday at 1 p.m.
MASN's Saturday basketball lineup starts with a pair of Big East games - Pittsburgh at St. John's at noon, followed by Cincinnati visiting West Virginia. Then it's Winthrop facing Radford at 4 p.m., UNC-Charlotte at George Washington at 6 p.m. and closing out with CAA action - William & Mary at UNC-Wilmington.
Sunday features Marquette at Seton Hall at noon.
Comcast offers late-night hoops Thursday as Oregon State visits UCLA at 11 p.m. Saturday starts with the ACC battle between Boston College and Georgia Tech at noon, then it's off to the CAA for VCU-Old Dominion at 4 p.m. UMass faces Dayton at 7 p.m.
Sunday features an ACC doubleheader on Comcast-plus - Clemson vs. Florida State at 5:30 p.m., followed by Duke-Virginia. The second half of that game will be seen on Comcast after the Wizards finish playing.
TNT's Thursday NBA starts with Cleveland at Boston, followed by Denver at Golden State.
ESPN has a pair of NBA doubleheaders this weekend. Dallas visits Atlanta at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by Orlando-New Orleans. The Magic reappear on your screen Sunday at 7 - hosting Miami - then the Hornets face the Mavericks.
ABC's Sunday afternoon doubleheader starts with Phoenix-Antonio, then it's Denver at the Lakers.
The Wizards host the Knicks Friday and visit New Jersey Sunday at 6 p.m. on Comcast.
For your women's basketball action, Comcast shows UNC-Wilmington at Drexel at 1 p.m. Sunday. Then the big ACC contest between Duke and North Carolina follows at 3 p.m. ESPN2 offers Florida State-Maryland at 3 p.m. Sunday, then Kansas-Baylor.
The PGA tour is in Phoenix, shuffled off to Golf Network.

Bracket buster time

2010-02-18T14:23:00.001-05:00

Each year, teams from small and mid-major conferences hope they will be the Cinderella making a big splash in March Madness.
This weekend, those potential Cinderellas gear up on ESPN Bracket Buster weekend.
ESPN2 shows six games, starting Friday at 7 p.m. with Old Dominion traveling to Northern Iowa. Play starts Saturday at 11 a.m. with Siena at Butler, followed by Louisiana Tech at Northeastern and Nevada vs. Missouri State.
George Mason hosts College of Charleston at 8 p.m., then at midnight it's Wichita State taking on Utah State.
There's 49 games in all under the Bracket Busters banner, covering 14 conferences from coast to coast.
The Winter Olympics have reached their second weekend, with events on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC and USA. Ice Dancing highlights competition Friday and Sunday, while the men crown their ice skating champion Thursday. The ice hockey showdown between the United States and Canada takes place Sunday night. Wonder how much action we'll get to see.
In other college basketball, CBS will show North Carolina at Boston College Saturday at noon. Some areas will get Florida-Mississippi. Sunday, it's either Ohio State visiting Michigan State or Villanova-Pittsburgh.
CW29 will show Georgia Tech at Maryland Saturday at 2 p.m. ACC markets in North Carolina can catch Wake Forest-N.C. State.
ESPN tips off the weekend Thursday with Auburn-Florida at 7 p.m., followed by Wisconsin at Minnesota. On ESPN2, it's a pair of Big East games - Georgetown-Syracuse and Pittsburgh at Marquette - followed by St. Mary's vs. San Diego at 11 p.m.
ESPN has five games Saturday, starting with Seton Hall visiting West Virginia at noon. Texas travels to Texas Tech at 2 p.m., followed by Illinois-Purdue and Kentucky-Vanderbilt. UCLA's contest with Washington caps the day at 9 p.m.
ESPN2 has another game Sunday at 1 p.m., Dayton at Duquesne.
MASN offers Central Connecticut against Mt. St. Mary's on Thursday, then Saturday shows St. John's taking on South Florida at noon. At 4 p.m., it's Connecticut-Rutgers, then at 7 p.m. High Point plays Liberty in Big South action.
Sunday at 2 p.m., Marquette takes on Cincinnati.
Comcast shows a PAC-10 doubleheader Thursday - UCLA faces Washington State at 8:30 p.m., followed by California at Oregon State. Saturday, Comcast starts with an Atlantic-10 doubleheader - Temple plays Big Five rival St. Joseph's at noon, then it's Xavier-UNC Charlotte.
Virginia travels to Clemson at 4 p.m. Sunday, Virginia Tech's trip to Duke is the ACC game of the week at 7:30 p.m. The PAC-10 matchup between Arizona State and Arizona tips at 5:30 p.m.
The Boston Celtics head west this week, and you can catch three games on national TV. They face the Lakers Thursday night on TNT, Portland Friday on ESPN and Denver Sunday afternoon on ABC.
TNT's early game Thursday will be the Nuggets facing Cleveland. On Friday, ESPN has Dallas' visit to Orlando, and Sunday's first game on ABC is the Cavaliers at Magic.
The Wizards face the Nuggets Friday and visit the Raptors Saturday on Comcast.
MASN shows a Big East women's game Saturday - DePaul vs. Marquette at 2 p.m. Comcast goes west Saturday night, showing Washington at USC at 11 p.m. Sunday, Maryland women play Duke at 1 p.m., followed by the big CAA clash between James Madison and Old Dominion.
ESPN2 shows the Big Ten contest between Ohio State and Michigan State Sunday at 3 p.m.
For some speed, FOX shows the NASCAR race from California Sunday at 3 p.m.
MASN offers some tennis Sunday with the Regions Morris Keegan singles championship at 4 p.m.
CBS has the Match Play Championship Saturday and Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. each day.

Spring training on MASN

2010-02-17T16:09:00.003-05:00

MASN will broadcast four Orioles and four Nationals games during spring training.
The first contest will be the Red Sox and Orioles on March 7, and the Red Sox-Nationals game in D.C. April 3 closes spring training.
The Yankees are featured twice against the Orioles and twice against the Nationals.

Speed, from sea to shining sea

2010-02-11T13:47:00.005-05:00

This weekend in Florida, you've got NASCAR's best racing around the speedway.
And across the continent, the world's best will be racing on snow and ice.
If you like your speed in fast cars on asphalt, Daytona is for you. After Thursday afternoon's Twin 125s, the flag drops on the Super Bowl of racing, the Daytona 500 Sunday at 1 p.m. Boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racing boys.
The racing excitement includes the Nationwide Series opener Saturday. Danica Patrick joins the good ol' boys on the track.
The Winter Olympics begin Friday with the opening ceremonies on NBC. Since it's in Vancouver, there will be live medal events in the afternoon (2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday) and in prime-time.
The men's downhill highlights Saturday's action, and Sunday night you'll be seeing lots of the pairs short program.
The NHL takes off two weeks for the Olympics Games. Before the top players head west, the Capitals visit Ottawa Thursday and St. Louis Saturday.
The NBA's best gather at the Cowboys' Stadium for the All-Star game. Friday, ESPN shows the All-Star celebrity game at 7 p.m. The rest of the weekend will be on TNT - Friday's Rookie Challenge, the skills competition Saturday night, and the game Sunday. Before the all-star break, TNT has a Thursday doubleheader - the Magic at Cavaliers at 8 p.m., followed by San Antonio visiting Denver.
On the college hardcourt, CBS will show Maryland going to Duke at 1 p.m. Saturday and Ohio State-Illinois Sunday.
Virginia heads to Virginia Tech Saturday night on CW29. If you don't like watching the local teams, Georgia Tech-Wake Forest will be broadcast also.
ESPN begins its weekend Thursday with Minnesota-Michigan, then Mississippi at Mississippi State. ESPN2 goes with Louisville-St. John's, Washington at California and St. Mary's-Gonzaga.
Friday, ESPN has the hardcourt meeting of the Backyard Brawl - West Virginia at Pittsburgh.
Saturday, ESPN's day starts with Michigan State visiting Penn State at noon. Oklahoma goes to Oklahoma State at 2 p.m., then it's North Carolina-N.C. State and Xavier-Florida. The GameDay crew is at Rupp Arena for Tennessee's game with Kentucky.
ESPN2 starts its tripleheader at 5 p.m. with Texas A&M at Texas Tech, followed by Memphis-Tulsa and St. Mary's playing Portland.
Sunday afternoon, ESPN carries Louisville at Syracuse at 1 p.m.
Comcast offers four games on Saturday, starting with the ACC battle between Miami and Clemson at noon. Richmond visits St. Bonaventure at 2 p.m., followed by CAA action - George Mason at Old Dominion and VCU at James Madison. The Sunday night ACC game matches Florida State and Boston College, then UCLA visits Southern Cal at 10 p.m.
MASN shows an America East contest between UMBC and Hartford Thursday, then shows four games Saturday. The day starts with at noon with Cincinnati taking on Connecticut. Nebraska goes to Texas at 4 p.m., followed by Charleston Southern-High Point and South Florida visiting Marquette at 8:30 p.m.
There's four more games Sunday, starting at noon with DePaul at Seton Hall. Loyola visits Iona at 2 p.m., then two more Big East games - Georgetown at Rutgers, and St. Johns-Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 has a women's basketball doubleheader Sunday. At 3 p.m., it's Houston-SMU and Arkansas visiting South Carolina. The nightcap features either Mississippi at Mississippi State or the ACC battle between Miami and N.C. State.
MASN has the women's game between Cincinnati and Syracuse Saturday at 2 p.m. Comcast shows a CAA doubleheader Sunday - Georgia State visiting Delaware and Old Dominion-George Mason.
The PGA is at Pebble Beach for the AT&T National Pro-Am on CBS.

XLIV

2010-02-04T13:47:00.010-05:00

Will the Saints go marching in?
Or is the Super Bowl Peyton's place.
We'll find out starting at 6:30 p.m. (or a few minutes later) Sunday, when the Saints and Colts meet at Joe Robbie/Dolphins/Sun Life Stadium on CBS. Both teams have already visited the facility and won this season - first time that has ever happened.
Some more fun facts from our friends at http://www.the506.com/. Impress your friends.
The Saints make their first appearance in the big game, the ninth different NFC team in the last nine years.
The Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII were the last team in a dark jersey to win. They and the Panthers played at Houston's Reliant Stadium prior to meeting there in the big game.
All four Super Bowls featuring the Colts have been played in the Miami area.
Colts coach Jim Caldwell took over for Tony Dungy this season. When Dungy left Tampa Bay in 2001, the Jon Gruden-led Bucs won the Super Bowl the following season.
The Colts have already won with a first-year head coach - Super Bowl V after Don Shula left for Miami.
Get your food and snacks ready. And don't watch too much of the pregame shows.
The arrival of the Super Bowl means NASCAR's season isn't far behind. Fox has the Daytona Shootout Saturday at 8 p.m.
The NHL has its super matchup on Sunday at noon. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals on NBC.
The Capitals prepare for the matchup with a trip to the Rangers Thursday and a home game against Atlanta Friday on Comcast.
ABC will be in Boston again for NBA action Sunday, with the Celtics hosting Orlando at 2:30 p.m.
TNT's Thursday's doubleheader features the Heat at Cleveland early, then San Antonio taking on Portland. ESPN's shows Chicago at Atlanta at 8 p.m., followed by the Nuggets visiting the Lakers.
The Wizards head to Orlando Friday on Comcast, then host the Hawks Saturday.
On the college hardcourt, CBS has California at UCLA or Wisconsin-Michigan on the air Saturday at 4 p.m.
ACC has a split telecast Thursday at 9 p.m. Parts of the area will see North Carolina at Virginia Tech on NBC29, while Maryland against Florida State will be on a WVIR digital channel.
Saturday, Virginia is scheduled to host Wake Forest at noon. At 4 p.m., Clemson visits Virginia Tech while N.C. State goes to Georgia Tech.
ESPN has a pair of games Thursday - Purdue at Indiana at 7 p.m., then Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame. ESPN2 will have a tripleheader - Georgia Tech visiting Duke, Tennessee-LSU and Portland vs. Gonzaga.
Saturday's action on ESPN starts with Villanova heading to Georgetown at noon. Duke travels to Boston College at 2 p.m., then it's Texas-Oklahoma and South Carolina-Tennessee. The primetime contest matches Michigan State and Illinois.
On ESPN2, the day begins with Xavier-Dayton at noon. Kansas State-Iowa State follows at 2 p.m., then Gonzaga travels east to play Memphis and Southern Illinois goes to Northern Iowa. Wright State visits Butler next, then the day concludes with 10 p.m. with Tulsa at UTEP.
MASN's college basketball weekend begins Thursday with Winthrop at Liberty at 8 p.m. There's plenty of Big East action Saturday, starting with Marquette vs. Providence at noon. Three more conference games follow at 4 p.m. - Rutgers-Louisville, Seton Hall at Pittsburgh and DePaul visiting Connecticut - after the A-10 contest featuring UNC-Charlotte against Fordham.
Comcast has the CAA Saturday at 4 p.m. - Old Dominion taking on VCU - and heads west late for Arizona State's game with Washington. Sunday at 2 p.m., it's North Carolina's visit to Maryland.
Comcast offers women's basketball Sunday with Virginia Tech heading to N.C. State at 4 p.m.
The PGA tour will be on NBC this weekend, with the Northern Trust Open.

First slam finishes up

2010-01-28T07:46:00.011-05:00

Down under, it's summer. So tennis goes there for the first Grand Slam.
The Australian Open crowns its women's champion very late Friday night 3:30 a.m. , to be specific (Saturday evening in Australia) and holds the mens final late Saturday night.
Serena Williams goes for another Grand Slam title against Justine Henin. The men have one more semifinal Thursday night, with the winner facing Andy Murray in the final.
While waiting for the Colts and Saints to head to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV, the NFL has a change for you. The Pro Bowl will be played ahead of the big game this year, also in Miami. ESPN has the coverage, starting at 7:20 p.m. Sunday.
The college football all-star season closes with the Senior Bowl Saturday on NFL Network at 4 p.m. Florida's Tim Tebow will show the pro football world what he can do, a week before he's featured on a pro-life ad.
The NBA begins its Sunday run on ABC this weekend. Denver visits San Antonio in the opener at 1 p.m., then it's the Lakers at Celtics.
TNT's Thursday doubleheader will be Celtics at Orlando and Dallas-Phoenix. The Wizards visit New Jersey Friday on Comcast-plus, then host the Knicks Saturday.
For your college basketball, Comcast has the big matchup between Virginia and Virginia Tech Thursday at 7 p.m.
Later Thursday, Comcast goes west to show UCLA facing Oregon. Saturday, it's CAA games at noon (James Madison-George Mason) and 4 p.m. (Old Dominion-Northeastern), surrounding St. Louis at Richmond from the A-10. Sunday night there's an ACC doubleheader, with Maryland at Clemson at 5:30 p.m. followed by Virginia-North Carolina.
CBS will show Duke at Georgetown Saturrday at 1 p.m., and Sunday offer either Florida at Tennesee or Minnesota-Ohio State.
The ACC package shows Florida State against Boston College Saturday at 3 p.m., then Virginia Tech visits Miami Sunday at 1 p.m. on NBC29.
ESPN starts its basketball weekend Thursday with Wisconsin at Purdue. ESPN2 offers Seton Hall at South Florida at 7 p.m., followed by Mississippi State at Arkansas and Gonzaga-Santa Clara.
Saturday, ESPN starts with Louisville-West Virginia at noon. Then it's Indiana's visit to Illinois, Vanderbilt traveling to No. 1 (and undefeated no longer) Kentucky and Kansas at Kansas State at 7 p.m. ESPN2 goes with LaSalle-Temple at noon, then Oklahoma State at Missouri. Notre Dame takes on Rutgers at 6 p.m.
MASN has a CAA game Thursday - Georgia State at Old Dominion - and five games on Saturday. Two from the Big East start it off at noon - Marquette at UConn and Syracuse-DePaul. Then it's Siena vs. Marist, Towson at UNC-Wilmington from the CAA and High Point takes on Gardner-Webb at 8 p.m. Sunday, it's Pittsburgh visiting South Florida at 1 p.m.
ESPN2 has a women's doubleheader Sunday, Purdue at Iowa followed by Baylor-Texas.
To whet your Winter Olympics' appetite, ESPN will show the Winter X games throughout the weekend.
The Capitals host a pair of Southeast Division rivals this weekend, with the Panthers in town Friday and Lightning Sunday afternoon. NBC shows the Red Wings at Penguins Sunday afternoon.
The PGA tour returns to CBS Saturday and Sunday, with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Tiger Woods won't be there, but plenty of good golfers will.

Who's going to the Super Bowl?

2010-01-21T14:16:00.003-05:00

The NFL is down to its Final Four. Two tickets for Miami will be punched Sunday.
Actually, four tickets. The losing coaches and some of their players will be at the Pro Bowl Jan. 31, when the winners arrive in town for the big game.
CBS gets the first game - Jets at Colts. The teams met in Super Bowl III and spent 32 years in the same division. Their Week 16 meeting ended the Colts' perfect season and propelled the Jets into the playoffs.
FOX closes its NFL season with the Vikings at Saints. The Saints have never been to the Super Bowl and never hosted a conference championship game. Expect the Superdome to be super-loud.
Brett Favre won his Super Bowl at the Superdome XIII years ago. The Vikings have lost their four Super Bowl trips, the last during the waning days of the Ford administration.
The college champ may be crowned, but there's still a few all-star games left to play. The East-West Shrine Game will be on ESPN2 Saturday at 3 p.m. from Orlando. Hopefully the Citrus Bowl grass will hold up this time.
If you're gearing up for the Winter Olympics, NBC has the U.S. Figure Skating championships this weekend. There's preliminary skating in the afternoon and finals Saturday and Sunday from 9 p.m. to 11.
State ACC teams will be on the TV Saturday. Virginia Tech hosts Boston College at 1:30 p.m., then Virginia goes to Wake Forest at 4 p.m. Sunday, it's Georgia Tech vs. Florida State at noon on NBC29.
CBS has a triple-header Saturday. The noon slot offers either Michigan State at Minnesota or Mississippi State vs. Alabama. At 2 p.m., it's either Ohio State-West Virginia or Oregon State-California, then 4 p.m. features Texas visiting Connecticut.
ESPN's college basketball schedule starts Thursday with Louisville at Seton Hall at 7 p.m ., followed by Florida-Arkansas. ESPN2 has Indiana vs. Penn State at 7 p.m., then Friday it's Wofford visiting Charleston.
Saturday, ESPN has five games on the schedule. St. John's vs. Villanova starts the day at noon, followed by Kansas at Iowa State, Michigan-Purdue and South Carolina going to Florida. Duke's trip to Clemson closes the night at 9 p.m. ESPN2 shows at Middle Tennessee meeting Western Kentucky at 1 p.m., then Maryland against N.C. State at 6 p.m. and Houston at Memphis at 8 p.m.
MASN offers late night hoops Thursday - Utah State at Fresno State - then starts Saturday with two Big East games - Rutgers at Georgetown at noon followed by DePaul-Notre Dame. Then it's CAA (George Mason at Towson), Big South (Liberty at Radford) and more CAA (James Madison vs. UNC-Wilmington).
Two more Big East games kick off Sunday's coverage - Cincinnati at Louisville at noon, then Pittsburgh at Seton Hall. Rider faces Niagara at 4 p.m.
ESPN2 has women's basketball Sunday afternoon - Michigan State at Minnesota.
TNT's NBA doubleheader has L.A. teams as the visitor - Lakers at Cavaliers at 8 p.m., then the Clippers at Denver. The Lakers invade New York Friday on ESPN, followed by the Bulls at Phoenix.
The Wizards host Miami Friday and then the Clippers Sunday afternoon on Comcast.
The Capitals visit Pittsburgh Thursday, then host the Coyotes Saturday on Comcast. NBC offers a choice Sunday - Penguins at Flyers or Bruins at Hurricanes.
It's the middle of the Australian Open's two week run. Coverage on ESPN2 begins at 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, at 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.
The PGA tour heads to California for the Bob Hope Classic on Golf Network. If you're disappointed with your round, you can chat up Dr. Phil or some other celebrity.

Best football weekend of the year

2010-01-14T14:00:00.001-05:00

You know Chris Berman's happy this week. He just loves this NFL weekend.
Four games.
Best four teams of the regular season hosting.
Winners move one step closer to the Super Bowl.
The highlight game - Baltimore at the Colts (Saturday at 8 p.m.). The last time the Super Bowl was played in South Florida, these teams met in this round. The road team (the Colts) won that meeting en route to their Super Bowl XLI championship.
I think it would be nice for the road team to win Saturday and send the Ravens on their way to Super Bowl XLIV.
The NFL weekend starts on FOX Saturday at 4:30 p.m., when NFC top-seed New Orleans faces Arizona. The Cardinals were part of the highest-scoring postseason game last week, and the Saints hope to resume the offensive firepower that gave them a 13-0 record to start the season.
Sunday, FOX has the early game as Dallas takes on Minnesota. Tony Romo vs. Brett Favre. Romo finally got his playoff win last week, and Favre keeps coming back in hopes of winning one more Super Bowl.
CBS has the final game of the weekend, with the New York Jets visiting San Diego. The Chargers ended the season with 11 straight wins. If the Jets and Ravens both win, then there's one more game at the Meadowlands.
Going indoors, the ACC has a pair of college basketball contests on the air Saturday - Clemson at N.C. State at noon, and Maryland-Boston College at 4 p.m.
CBS hangs in Michigan for its college basketball coverage, showing Illinois visiting Michigan State Saturday and UConn vs. the Wolverines Sunday.
ESPN starts the weekend Thursday with two games - Seton Hall at Georgetown at 7 p.m., followed by Indiana-Michigan. ESPN2 goes with three contests - Auburn vs. Tennessee, followed by Providence-DePaul and Gonzaga-St. Mary's.
Saturday's slate starts at noon on ESPN with Syracuse visiting West Virginia, then North Carolina-Georgia Tech. ESPN2 has five games, starting at 11 a.m. with Dayton at Xavier. The day concludes at 9 p.m. with Prairie View A&M at Jackson State.
MASN's college basketball schedule starts Thursday with Gardner-Webb at Liberty at 7 p.m., followed by Fresno State vs. Louisiana Tech. Saturday, they show Louisville-Pittsburgh at noon, with Oklahoma State vs. Baylor at 4 p.m. and UNC-Asheville taking on Liberty at 7 p.m.
Sunday there's three Big East games, starting with Georgetown at Villanova at noon. DePaul meets St. John's at 2 p.m., followed by Providence at Marquette.
Comcast offers two games Thursday - James Madison at William and Mary at 7 p.m. and Stanford facing Washington at 10:30 p.m. - then Saturday has Madison hosting George Mason at 2 p.m. Then it's LaSalle-Richmond and Virginia Tech against Florida State on Comcast-plus.
Sunday night, Wake Forest takes on Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Going up against the NFL playoffs Saturday night, ESPN decides to show the big women's basketball matchup between No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 1 Connecticut.
MASN has Big East women's basketball Saturday - Louisville at Georgetown at 2 p.m. Comcast features the Maryland women at North Carolina Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
TNT's Thursday NBA doubleheader features the Bulls at Celtics at 8 p.m., followed by the Cavaliers in Utah. ESPN offers Phoenix at Atlanta early and Orlando's visit to Portland in the nightcap.
The Wizards travel to Chicago Friday, then start a four-game homestand Saturday against Sacramento on Comcast.
The Capitals host the Maple Leafs Friday and Flyers Sunday afternoon on Comcast. NBC's regular season NHL coverage begins Sunday with the Blackhawks visiting Detroit.
The PGA tour has another event on Golf Network, the Sony Open.
The Australian Open begins its two-week run Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Crown your champs

2010-01-07T11:50:00.003-05:00

College football will crown its national champion tonight. And this weekend, the NFL begins its road to the Super Bowl championship.
It's finally time for the last of 34 college bowls - No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas in the national championship game at the Rose Bowl Thursday on ABC.
The Longhorns return to the site of their 2005 national championship win. But the Southeastern Conference has won the three title games since then.
The NFL is down to its 12-team playoff field. NBC has the doubleheader Saturday with the Jets visiting Cincinnati at 4:30 p.m. and the Eagles at Cowboys at 8 p.m.
Sunday, the Patriots host the Ravens on CBS at 1 p.m., and FOX offers the Packers at Cardinals at 4:30 p.m.
The winners advance to the conference semifinals, where the Colts, Chargers, Saints and Vikings await.
College basketball begins to fill the TV schedule this weekend.
There's a pair of ACC games Saturday - N.C. State at Virginia at noon on NBC29, then Clemson visiting Boston College at 4 p.m. on the CW29 channel.
CBS features Kansas against Tennesee Sunday after NFL coverage.
ESPN offers a Saturday doubleheader starting at noon, with Connecticut taking on Georgetown, then Duke at Georgia Tech. ESPN2 gives you four games, starting with Florida at Vanderbilt at noon.
Saturday MASN features four Big East games starting at noon, with a CAA contest between George Mason and UNC-Wilmington sandwiched in the middle at 4 p.m. Sunday, South Florida heads to Syracuse at 2 p.m.
Comcast goes with the CAA Saturday, showing Towson at James Madison at 2 p.m. followed by Hofstra at Old Dominion. For your late-night hoops, there's USC at California at 10:30 p.m.
Sunday there's an ACC doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. - Florida State at Maryland, then Virginia Tech visits North Carolina. The Pac-10 gets coverage on either side of those games - Washington State at Arizona State at 3 p.m. and Oregon-Oregon State in the nightcap.
Women's basketball gets some network attention Saturday. CBS will show Ohio State visits Michigan State at 2 p.m., then North Carolina heads to Connecticut.
ESPN2 has a pair of women's games Sunday afternoon - Temple at Xavier at 3 p.m., followed by Southern Miss vs. Marshall.
ESPN's Friday NBA doubleheader features the Celtics at Hawks early and Cleveland at Denver in the nightcap. ESPN also shows Cleveland Sunday night, as the road trip continues at Portland.
The Wizards have a pair of home games this weekend - Orlando Friday and New Orleans Sunday afternoon - on Comcast.
The Capitals host Ottawa Thursday, and visit Atlanta Saturday on Comcast.
PGA starts year in Hawaii on Golf Network throughout the weekend.

Bowls or Winter Classic?

2009-12-31T09:09:00.015-05:00

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

2009-12-23T12:21:00.001-05:00

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

2009-12-17T14:20:00.012-05:00

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

2009-12-10T14:13:00.001-05:00

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

2009-12-03T14:19:00.009-05:00

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.

Turkey Day football

2009-11-25T12:32:00.004-05:00

Do you have your Thanksgiving turkey? The NFL sure does.
First, you have 2-8 Detroit hosting Green Bay.
Then, it's 3-7 Oakland visiting Dallas. (And it took fluke plays Sunday to give them such lofty records).
And NFL Network offers the Giants and Broncos in primetime. Both teams will be happy to see November end.
There's a few more turkeys on the Sunday schedule before you get to the meat of the slate in prime time - Steelers at Ravens on NBC Sunday night, and Patriots at Saints for Monday Night Football.
Locally, it looks like the Sunday afternoon slate will be Redskins at Eagles followed by Bears-Vikings on FOX. CBS goes with the late Sunday game of Jacksonville at San Francisco.
The college football regular season begins winding down this weekend. Thursday, ESPN has Texas at Texas A&M at 8 p.m.
The Black Friday football schedule opens with Rutgers at Louisville at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. The deuce adds a primetime doubleheader - Pittsburgh at West Virginia at 7 p.m. followed by Nevada at Boise State.
ABC has a doubleheader - Illinois at Cincinnati at noon and then Nebraska visiting Colorado.
CBS features Auburn-Alabama Friday afternoon, then brings you Florida-Florida State Saturday.
Saturday, ABC has three games in the late afternoon time slot - Virginia Tech at Virginia, Arizona at Arizona State and Missouri-Kansas. In primetime, the choices are Notre Dame at Stanford and Georgia-Georgia Tech.
NBC offers entertaining football and a great halftime show - the Bayou Classic featuring Grambling and Southern.
ESPN has an ACC doubleheader - Clemson vs. South Carolina at noon followed by Miami-South Florida. Then it's Arkansas taking on LSU at 7 p.m. ESPN2's game of the day is North Carolina at North Carolina State at noon.
Wake Forest-Duke is the ACC game of the week. MASN offers Utah State at Idaho Saturday at 5 p.m. Comcast brings you Oklahoma-Oklahoma State at 12:30 p.m., and closes the night with USC-UCLA.
There's time for a few college basketball games. ESPN2 has five games through the day Thanksgiving, starting at noon, and the ESPN family has the Preseason NIT Friday and Old Spice tournament throughout the weekend.
MASN shows some games from the Great Alaska Shootout Thursday and Friday, along with the final and third-place game Saturday night.
The NBA has a Thanksgiving doubleheader - Orlando takes on Atlanta at 8 p.m. and Chicago-Utah is the nightcap. Friday on ESPN, it's the Wizards at Miami early and Suns-Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m.
The Wizards are also on Comcast Saturday when the Bobcats visit Verizon Center.
The Capitals take a post-Thanksgiving road trip, visiting Montreal Saturday on Comcast-plus and Carolina Monday on regular Comcast.

NASCAR at the finish line

2009-11-19T14:31:00.002-05:00

After 36 races since February, NASCAR crowns its season champion Sunday.
And sends gearheads into withdrawal for a while - only 12 weeks or so until Darrell Waltrip screams "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" again at Daytona.
Jimmie Johnson appears on his way to his 4th straight championship, as long as if finishes no worse than 25th. I thought the "Chase for the Cup" was supposed to increase competition and interest down to the final race.
Maybe if other racers could distract Johnson. Give him some projects to do, like the commercials show.
The MLS season also comes to a close, with Real Salt Lake and the L.A. Galaxy playing for the MLS Cup Sunday night on ESPN.
There are several big rivalry games on the college football schedule Saturday.
Ohio State takes on Michigan at noon on ABC.
Versus has "The Game" - Harvard at Yale - at noon and Stanford at California (keep that band off the field) at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN begins the weekend Thursday as Colorado visits Oklahoma State. Friday it's Boise State at Utah State on ESPN2.
Other Saturday games include the SEC package on CBS featuring LSU at Mississippi.
ABC shows Virginia-Clemson and Penn State-Michigan State in the late afternoon, with Oregon at Arizona and Kansas-Texas in primetime.
At noon, ESPN has Minnesota at faltering Iowa. ESPN2 has North Carolina-Boston College at noon and Kentucky at Georgia in primetime.
Maryland visiting Florida State is the ACC game of the week.
Notre Dame closes at its home schedule - and possibly the Charlie Weis era - against Connecticut on NBC.
MASN has Louisville-South Florida at noon, followed by UAB at East Carolina. Comcast shows Oklahoma at Texas Tech at 12:30 p.m. Versus has a 3:30 p.m. game featuring San Diego State at Utah in between its rivalry games.
In the NFL, Indianapolis will try to remain undefeated when taking on Baltimore in the CBS early game. The prime late afternoon game features the Jets at Patriots, and locally FOX will show the Redskins at Cowboys.
The Eagles visit the Bears Sunday night, while the suddenly resurgent Titans visit Houston on Monday night. Keep an eye on that owner's box.
The Dolphins visit Carolina Thursday on NFL Network.
ESPN2 has a college basketball tripleheader on Thursday. Indiana visits Mississippi at 5 p.m., followed by Syracuse-California and North Carolina-Ohio State. Comcast offers Florida State-Mercer Saturday at 4:30 p.m., while Sunday, MASN shows Morgan State-Louisville at 1 p.m.
TNT's NBA doubleheader Thursday features the Suns at New Orleans, followed by Bulls-Lakers. ESPN has Orlando visiting Boston for its early Friday game, with Nuggets-Clippers as the nightcap.
The Wizards have a Southwest swing this weekend, visiting Oklahoma City Friday and San Antonio Saturday.
The Capitals have a Canadian tour after hosting Montreal Friday on Comcast. Then it's off to Toronto Saturday and Ottawa Monday.

November Super battle

2009-11-12T14:29:00.006-05:00

For several years, one of the biggest NFL regular season games has been Indianapolis-New England. It's usually gotten prime coverage in November, boosting the network that got the coverage when national ratings points are counted. This year that's NBC, which shows the game Sunday night.
You have Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Both teams have been successful throughout the decade, and the Colts remain undefeated halfway through the season.
On the other hand, look at the four games FOX has to choose from Sunday afternoon. Lions and Bucs on the road, and Rams at home against the Saints. The Falcons-Panthers may be the best of the lot, and that's not saying much. That's what we'll see in Fishersville.
At least FOX has Cowboys at Packers as the second game of their doubleheader.
The Redskins host their second AFC team of the season - Denver - so CBS from Washington will be showing that in Fishersville. No problem for Ravens' fans, since they head to Cleveland Monday night to beat the Browns on ESPN.
For those of you with NFL Network, the Thursday night package begins this week with the Bears visiting San Francisco.
The Big East kicks off your college football weekend. ESPN has South Florida at Rutgers Thursday night, then the big West Virginia-Cincinnati contest Friday night.
Saturday, ESPN has Michigan State at Purude at noon, and a primetime doubleheader - Alabama vs. Mississippi State at 7 p.m. followed by Arizona State at Oregon.
ESPN2 starts day with Georgia Tech at Duke, and offers Auburn-Georgia at 7 p.m.
In the late afternoon, ABC will bring Miami at North Carolina to ACC country. Other choices are Iowa at Ohio State and Nebraska-Kansas. In primetime, it's Notre Dame-Pittsburgh going to most of the country while Texas Tech-Oklahoma State goes to Big 12 territory.
CBS offers an SEC doubleheader - Tennessee-Mississippi at noon and Florida vs. South Carolina at 3:30 p.m.
Clemson takes on North Carolina State in the ACC game of the week. MASN shows the Big East game of the week, Syracuse at Louisville.
Versus has Missouri at Kansas State at noon, then the PAC-10 contest between Arizona and California at 6:30 p.m. Comcast starts the day with Texas at Baylor, followed by Stanford at USC.
Sunday, if you'd like a different football choice than Colts-Patriots, then ESPN has East Carolina at Tulsa.
NASCAR visits Phoenix in the 9th of 10 races in the Chase for the Cup.
The MLS conference finals are this weekend, and ESPN2 shows Friday's Western matchup between Houston and the L.A. Galaxy.
TNT's Thursday doubleheader starts with Cleveland at Miami at 8 p.m., then the Suns visit the Lakers. Friday on ESPN, it's the Hawks at Celtics followed by the Lakers at Denver.
The Wizards host Detroit on Saturday.
The Capitals play Friday and Saturday, both times pushed over to Comcast-plus. Why are they pushed there Friday? So Comcast can show Maryland basketball against Charleston Southern. It's that time of year.

Baseball's over, so now what?

2009-11-05T14:10:00.001-05:00

Baseball fans, winter is here. No more baseball until mid-February, when pitchers and catchers report.
Time to check on the other sports. The NFL is halfway through the season, NBA and NHL just starting, and college football has just a few more weekends left.
Week 9 of the NFL season finds the Redskins coming off their bye to face Atlanta on FOX. Will they have any improvement as the schedule gets harder?
CBS has the doubleheader, and Fishersville should get the Ravens at Bengals early and Chargers at Giants late.
The Cowboys visit Philadelphia on NBC's Sunday Night package, and ESPN offers the Steelers at Broncos on Monday night.
The college football schedule starts with Virginia Tech at East Carolina Thursday on ESPN, then Friday Boise State is at Louisiana Tech on ESPN2.
Saturday night, the deuce has Vanderbilt facing Florida at 7:15 p.m. ESPN kicks off coverage at noon with Northwestern at Iowa, and has Florida State at Clemson in primetime.
ABC offers three choices at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The late afternoon games include Wake Forest at Georgia Tech (headed for ACC country), Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State and Ohio State at Penn State.
The prime time offerings are USC at Arizona State, Oklahoma-Nebraska and the Big East matchup of Connecticut at Cincinnati.
LSU visits Alabama in a big SEC matchup on CBS, while NBC has Navy's visit to Notre Dame.
Virginia takes on Miami in the ACC game of the week. Versus has TCU for the fourth straight weekend, visiting San Diego State at 4 p.m. At noon, it's Kansas vs. Kansas State.
MASN offers the Big East game of the week at noon - Louisville at West Virginia - and has VMI at Liberty in Big South action at 7 p.m. Comcast offers Central Florida visiting Texas at noon, followed by Villanova facing Richmond.
NASCAR heads to Texas Sunday afternoon on ABC. For another kind of racing, ABC and ESPN offer the Breeder's Cup Friday and Saturday.
The Capitals have a home-and-home series with Florida Friday and Saturday on Comcast.
The Wizards are in Indiana Friday and host the Suns Sunday afternoon.
TNT has two games Thursday - Bulls at Cavs and Spurs-Jazz. ESPN's Friday NBA doubleheader features the Cavs at Knicks, then Spurs-Trail Blazers.
The MLS playoffs continue with Real Salt Lake at Columbus on ESPN2.

Thursday night Hokies

2009-10-29T13:26:00.000-04:00

Hokie fans get to start the weekend early the next two weeks.
Virginia Tech hosts North Carolina on ESPN Thursday Night football, and next week visits East Carolina on Thursday. Which means plenty of time to see what other teams are up to on Saturday.
ABC features USC and Texas again in prime time - Texas at Oklahoma State and USC at Oregon. In the late afternoon time slots, ACC country will see Miami at Wake Forest. Other choices are Michigan visiting Illinois, Kansas at Texas Tech and California at Arizona State.
Notre Dame goes prime time for its meeting with Washington on NBC. In the SEC, it's the big Georgia-Florida game from Jacksonsville.
ESPN offers undefeated Iowa hosting Indiana at noon, followed by Northwestern-Penn State with South Carolina-Tennessee in prime time. ESPN2 has Purdue at Wisconsin at noon, and ACC country gets Michigan-Illinois from the ABC offerings.
West Virginia teams get ESPN airtime in unusual time slots this weekend. The Mountaineers visit South Florida Friday, while Marshall takes on Central Friday Sunday night.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Comcast has Missouri visiting Colorado at 1:30 p.m. Versus features Nebraska visiting Baylor at noon, followed by UNLV visiting undefeated TCU.
MASN's afternoon kicks off with Rutgers facing Connecticut, followed by Presbyterian at Liberty. (Yes, the Blue Hose vs. the Flames). They pick up Louisiana Tech at Idaho when that contest concludes.
Trick-or-treating and the World Series go together, right? The Phillies host the Yankees in Game 3 Saturday night, with the series continuing through November 5 if necessary. Then it's only three months or so until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
The Phillies' presence in the playoffs made the day for FOX football. Their doubleheader features the Giants at Eagles early, moved from 4:15 p.m. to make room for baseball. The NFL then moved Brett Favre's return to Green Bay into the second slot to show to most of the country. (Carolina-Arizona only goes to Arizona and the Carolinas).
CBS has the undefeated Broncos at Ravens. NBC takes off Sunday night for the World Series, while ESPN has the Saints hosting the Falcons Monday night.
NASCAR's Chase for the Cup heats up with a trip to Talladega Sunday on ABC.
ESPN's Friday Night NBA doubleheader features the Bulls taking on the Celtics early, followed by the Mavericks at Lakers. TNT's Thursday doubleheader is Spurs at Bulls followed by Denver at Portland.
The Wizards are in Atlanta Friday on Comcast, then have New Jersey Saturday for their home opener.
The Capitals visit Atlanta Thursday, host the Islanders Friday and Columbus Sunday afternoon.
The MLS playoffs have begun, and ESPN2 shows Houston at Seattle Thursday at 10 p.m. In case the Hokies, the NBA or Game 2 of the World Series don't catch your interest.

NFL across the pond

2009-10-22T14:36:00.017-04:00

We're trying to excite Europe about American football. And we send the winless Buccaneers over there?
The troubles of NFL scheduling Sunday's game in London features the New England Patriots (good choice) against the Bucs (9-3 at one point last year, now 0-10 since) on CBS. Sorry, Brits, but we tried our best.
It's a rough football weekend locally. The Ravens have a bye, the Redskins play Monday night against the Eagles and the Hokies are off.
FOX has the doubleheader this weekend, and Fishersville viewers should get Vikings at Steelers early and Falcons at Cowboys late. NBC's Sunday night game matches the Cardinals and Giants.
ESPN starts the college football weekend in North Carolina, with the Tar Heels hosting Florida State. Rutgers faces Army on ESPN2 Friday.
Saturday, Notre Dame hosts Boston College on NBC. The Eagles won big at home after losing big at Virginia Tech the prior week. Which team will show up against the Fighting Irish?
Tennessee visits Alabama for CBS' game of the week. Wonder how this week's referees will do?
ABC's late afternoon contests include Clemson at Miami, Penn State-Michigan, Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas and Oregon-Washington. In primetime, the choices are Texas at Missouri and Oregon State-USC.
The day on ESPN starts with Minnesota facing Ohio State and offers Florida-Mississippi State in primetime. ESPN2 has Illinois-Purdue at noon and Auburn-LSU at 7:30 p.m.
The ACC game of the week features your league-leading Virginia Cavaliers (didn't think I'd be writing that this year) hosting Georgia Tech. Virginia has not lost a conference game. Everyone else has. Unbelievable.
Versus has a tripleheader, starting with Oklahoma State at Baylor at noon. Air Force faces Utah at 4, then TCU meets BYU.
MASN has South Florida visiting Pittsburgh at noon, followed by Coastal Carolina at Stony Brook. Comcast has James Madison at William & Mary at noon, and joins Arizona State at Stanford at the conclusion of the ice hockey and soccer games.
The countdown to the World Series continues with Game 5 of the American League series Thursday on FOX. The Phillies await the winner for the World Series, starting Wednesday on FOX.
Over on four wheels, NASCAR hits the short track at Martinsville Sunday at 1 p.m.
The NBA season starts Tuesday, with the Wizards visiting Dallas on Comcast Sportsnet. TNT has a doubleheader that night, with the Celtics at Cleveland at 7:30 p.m. followed by the Lakers vs. Clippers.
The Capitals hit the road for games vs. Atlanta Thursday and the New York Islanders Saturday. They'll be on Versus Tuesday, hosting Philadelphia.
The MLS has two games on ESPN2 as its' regular season concludes - Chivas USA at Chicago Thursday and New England at Columbus Sunday.

Baseball's Final Four

2009-10-15T14:09:00.009-04:00

At least it's not Yankees-Red Sox again.
The American League championship series starts Friday on FOX, and there's a chance the winner won't be from the AL East. But the Yankees do have home-field advantage over the Angels.
Games 1 and 2 will be Friday and Saturday in New York.
Over in the National League, the Dodgers host the Phillies Thursday and Friday on TBS. The series shifts to Philadelphia Sunday for three games.
If we're lucky, we'll have our World Series pairing by next Thursday.
Washington football fans aren't lucky this weekend. The Redskins host the winless Chiefs at 1 p.m., so CBS covers that game. FOX won't show a 1 p.m. game against that, so instead it's the Eagles at 1-4 Oakland. Double yuck. The second game on CBS is Buffalo at the Jets, unless you want to watch the winless Titans at New England.
While watching these luckless teams, remember most of the FOX world will be watching the battle of unbeaten teams - Giants at Saints (including Fishersville, thankfully). CBS gives widespread coverage to the Ravens at Brett Favre's latest team.
NBC's Sunday night game features the Bears at Falcons, while the unbeaten Broncos visit San Diego on Monday night.
It's a big rivalry weekend in college football. Southern Cal visits Notre Dame, with NBC providing coverage, while the Red River rivalry of Texas and Oklahoma goes on at noon on ABC. The late afternoon ABC choices are California at UCLA, Texas Tech at Nebraska and Minnesota visiting Penn State and Boston College-N.C. State for the ACC zone.
CBS offers Arkansas at top-ranked Florida.
ESPN starts the weekend Thursday with Cincinnati at South Florida, then has more Big East action Friday with Pittsburgh at Rutgers.
Saturday, it's Iowa at Wisconsin at noon and South Carolina taking on Alabama in prime time.
ESPN2 has the Hokies at Georgia Tech at 6 p.m., followed by Missouri at Oklahoma State. At noon, it's Northwestern at Michigan State.
Wake Forest against Clemson is the ACC game of the week Saturday at noon.
Versus has a tripleheader starting at 12:30 p.m. - Princeton at Brown, followed by Colorado State vs. TCU and Stanford at Arizona. Comcast offers a CAA contest between Richmond at Maine, then joins the Washington-Arizona State game after Capitals ice hockey.
MASN gives you more Big East, with Louisville facing Connecticut. Then it's off to C-USA, with Rice at East Carolina at 3:30 p.m., followed by Navy's visit to SMU at 8 p.m.
NASCAR races on Saturday night this weekend, with ABC covering the Charlotte race.
The Capitals have two home games this week - Thursday vs. San Jose and Saturday vs. Nashville - on Comcast SportsNet. Versus has the ice hockey coverage Monday and Tuesday, with Sharks at Rangers followed by Blues at Penguins.

A new football league

2009-10-08T14:09:00.000-04:00

Who says there's too much football on TV?
Not the founders of the United Football League, who have four teams and a contract to show games on Versus. The first contest comes Thursday with the California Redwoods facing the Las Vegas Locomotives.
The head coaches you'll recognize - Jim Fassel and Dennis Green - from NFL gigs and Coors Lite commercials. Maybe a few players, if you're intense fantasy players.
Instead, you can watch college football on ESPN. Nebraska opens its Big 12 season at Missouri Thursday. Friday, it's Louisiana Tech at Nevada.
Saturday night, you have two college games to choose from. CBS offers top-ranked Florida against No. 4 LSU (don't celebrate too much) while ABC has Michigan visiting Iowa.
The late afternoon time slots have Alabama at Mississippi on CBS, and four choices on ABC - Connecticut at Pittsburgh, Baylor at Oklahoma, Oregon at UCLA and Wisconsin at Ohio State. Ohio State will be shown in most of Virginia, but if I visit my in-laws I'll be treated to Pittsburgh.
Saturday on ESPN starts with Auburn at Arkansas, and Colorado takes on Texas in prime time. ESPN2 has Purdue at Minnesota at noon and Georgia Tech at Florida State at 8 p.m.
Virginia Tech's homecoming game vs. Boston College gets to be the ACC game of the week.
Now that baseball is done, MASN has a football doubleheader - West Virginia vs. Syracuse from the Big East at noon and East Carolina at SMU at 8 p.m. ComcastSportsnet comes close to town, televising Richmond at JMU.
On Versus, Iowa State takes on Kansas at noon.
The Redskins again face a winless team Sunday, traveling to Carolina on FOX. Locally, CBS will offer Cincinnati at Baltimore early and New England at undefeated Denver late.
Monday Night Football visits Miami again as the Jets take on the Dolphins, while NBC's Sunday game features 4-0 Indy at 0-4 Tennessee. Not what they expected when they made the schedule.
TBS has all four playoff series filling its schedule this weekend. You have two games Friday and Saturday, starting at 6 p.m., and either two, three or four games Sunday. Then the leagues alternate nights playing through Wednesday.
NASCAR continues its Chase for the Cup, this week at California Sunday on ABC.
Versus offers ice hockey Monday and Tuesday nights, and this week it's Calgary at Chicago followed by Detroit at Buffalo. The Capitals are on Comcast for home games against the Rangers Thursday and the Devils Monday, along with Saturday's visit to Detroit.
NBC shows the President's Cup - the Ryder Cup's little brother - all weekend.