This is a great time of the year to be a sports fan. There is a little something for everyone. You are treated to maybe a little bit more if you are a hockey fan, so this may be more directed to those in Canada and the upper East Coast. First we are right in the midst of the college football Bowl season. Granted with some 30 Bowls or something silly like that there are a lot of meaningless games out there but If you are just going to watch for the entertainment of the game or just want something to keep gambling on then you are in luck. All of the real important games don’t begin until New Years there is still plenty to fill the schedule.
You then have the regular season for both college basketball and the NBA. Both regular seasons are just a matter of jockeying for position for the playoffs and for the NCAA Tournament but there are still some entertainment to be had in watching either of these two distinctive versions of the same sport.
The final week of the NFL schedule is hear and teams are making the final push to make the playoffs, gain home field and to either rest star players or keep their foot on the gas. It can be a week where it is a real crap shoot of games. It depends on what teams come to play. 2 great teams facing off may become the worst games of a weekend. 2 terrible teams with players playing for jobs next year may be the most entertaining. Every year in the NFL the elite teams have nothing to play for...so they don’t. It is games like that that rob the fans of not only specific teams but the sport in general. This is the reason why an 18 game schedule is a bad idea....just more meaningless games.
Then there is hockey. Everywhere you look there is something to take in. You have the NHL regular schedule and it’s array of games, the Spengler Cup which most people in Canada don’t even realize that Canada has a team in that tournament. It is probably one of the most under the radar Major International Tournaments. It is a huge deal overseas but seems to get lost in the shuffle over here. Even with names like Alexandre Daigle and a coach like Craig McTavish. Then of course there is one of my personal favorites, the IIHF World Juniors Tournament. This is one event that I very much enjoy watching. I will be honest, it is a bonus that Canada is prolific and more often then not are one of the teams to win year in and year out (as shown by the 5 straight gold medals) but the style and tempo of play is enjoyable to watch. To see the stars of tomorrow in a competition where they are playing the most elite competition from each country is fun to watch. Sure when you beat a Latvia 16-0 that is not the greatest of games but good for the national pride. It is the games against the USA and the Swedes and the Russians that are the most fun.
And this year we get the added bonus of having the Team Canada Olympic Roster announced before New Years...
All of that equals an embarrassment of riches for the sports fan, whether your interest is sport specific or you just love them all and are a fan of the games
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