Welcome to the first of what will be a weekly column highlighting the best games for you and your kids to enjoy for the next week. Seeing as how this is the first one, here’s a little explanation as to what I am aiming for with these picks. Normally I’d talk about a couple highlights and things to remember from the previous week but that will have to wait until the next time.
At this time of year there are really only two sports in season: baseball and football. Baseball’s regular season is winding down and football is just beginning. So, for the time being, there are going to be a lot of those sports to watch but there, with some golf or tennis sprinkled in from time to time to keep things interesting. But right now, football dominates the weekends and baseball will have our attention during the week.
The start of football season is always fun because we finally get to see how off-season happenings will play out. With all of the trades, holdouts, arrests, pardons and everything else, there are plenty of story lines to follow this season. These can make for great memories because the games will always be remembered for something. It could be; “That was Brett Favre’s first big game as a Viking” or “That was when we watched Michael Vick play again” or even “Remember when Terrell Owens did *insert memory here* to the Cowboys?” Whatever it is, I will try and point out the games that I think have the most potential for memorable moments that you and your children can watch, enjoy and remember for years to come.
*Please note that all times listed are Eastern Standard Time
Monday 9-13
Tennis – US Open Finals: Roger Federer vs. Juan Martin del Potrl – 1 PM
Even if you don’t like tennis, you and your kids should watch this match just to say that they saw Roger Federer in his prime, being the best tennis player ever to set foot on the court. Federer is easily the best player in the world and even tennis legend Pete Sampras has called Federer the “greatest ever.” He will always be good but he will not always be in the best shape of his life, blowing away opponents with ease and finesse. Your kids should see this and watch his reaction when he wins, always classy yet joyful. And with a major like the U.S. Open, this will be a big accomplishment for him. I you aren’t in New York and can’t be there in person, set your cable box to record and watch it later. It is a win-win situation because if Federer wins you have witnessed greatness. But if he loses it will be one of the biggest upsets in tennis history and that will be remembered even longer.
Monday Night Football Game 1 – New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 7 PM
This will be a game of firsts that should be watched to see how different players respond to adversity.
Terrell Owens will be playing his first game as a Bill and it will be interesting to see how he will respond after an off-season that included being the target of blame for the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys last season. He was let go from the team and then because of his previous outbursts, rants and unsportsmanlike conduct, he had difficulty finding a team to play for. Watch and see if he comes out trying to make a statement with a big game or if he stumbles out of the gate and plays poorly.
It will also be Tom Brady’s first game back after being injured during the first game of last season and going through knee surgery. Brady is also married to supermodel Giselle Bundchen and recently announced that they are expecting a baby. Two seasons ago Brady was the MVP, lead the Patriots to an undefeated regular season and to the Super Bowl. During that season he connected for an NFL record 50 touchdowns as well. There were high hopes last season that he would continue but after the injury those hopes were crushed. Will he be able to come out this season and not be hampered by the knee? Will he be able to play the way he did before? My guess would be that he will come out firing and show everyone that he is no different and may just have a better team than before. Something that will most assuredly be memorable to see.
Tuesday 9-14
Baseball – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Boston Red Sox, 7:10 PM
When these two powerhouse teams meet there is always the potential for excitement but when Boston is trying to keep their place in the playoffs, the stakes are higher and every run is important. The Angels would love to play spoiler and be the ones to help cause Boston to miss the playoffs but they know that this will also be a good “tune up” game for when/if the teams meet again in the playoffs. There is also the storyline of this being Daisuke Matsuzaka’s (Dice-K) first game back after injuring his shoulder and healing it for the past 3 months. He struggled in the beginning of the season and will enter the game with a 1-5 record after not performing well in his rehab starts in the minors. Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia are veterans of the game and will often make decisions that are out of the ordinary, but both play “smart baseball” and will get production from every aspect of the game. Young stars like Dustin Pedroia can go down in history with a clutch hit or dazzling defensive play. The possibilities for greatness are there. Whichever side you decide to root for, they will play with everything they have and no lead will be safe until the game is over.
Wednesday 9-16
Baseball – Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants, 10:15 PM
The National League West title is still very much up for grabs with the Los Angeles Dodgers currently sitting on top. But the Rockies and Giants are nipping at their heels. Most likely, the NL Wild Card will be awarded to the 2nd place team from this division so these teams will be fighting for every game. With that Wild Card slot at stake and the Division Title in sight, these games could very well make the difference. These teams will treat the entire series as a playoff series; with the winner moving on and the loser going home until next season. While you may not care about either of the teams, there is a lot at stake and good, hard baseball will be played and that is always worth watching for youngsters to learn from.
Thursday 9-17
College Football – No. 14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at No. 20 Miami (FL) Hurricanes, 7:30 PM
Besides baseball games (more Angels/Red Sox) there is not much else on besides one college football game. Good thing that it is between two Top 25 teams in the same conference with each program looking to recapture national glory. Both schools have a history of winning but in recent years have faltered. Now they each have strong teams and an opportunity to make a run for some big bowl games. College football is always good for some drama because the season has a very limited number of games and one loss could be the difference between a national title and just a regular bowl game. That means the kids (because compared to the NFL they really are kids) will always need to play their hearts out and make their hard work pay off. At the end of this game, one of these teams will be a big step closer to their ultimate goal while the other is left to brood about the loss for the next week and possibly the season. Watch as these college kids give it their all and play with intensity and focus that every young athlete should strive for.
Friday 9-18
Tonight is a night where you could really watch any baseball game and get the same experience. As the season ends teams play other teams within their divisions and that means lots of rivalry games. Most local teams will be playing a long time rival but unfortunately there are not really any contention teams playing each other. While teams that are on top of the standings will want to pad their leads, their opponents love to be the ones to bring them down a peg or two and not let them skate into the playoffs. This is a good night to root for the underdogs to overcome long odds and show that in any game. The team that wants it more will win. Look at your local listings for whatever local team is playing but if you can, check out these games for some old rivalries that will never die:
- Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals, 8:15 PM- These teams have been exchanging blows for more than 100 years and the Cubs could get a major morale boost by going into St. Louis and winning.
- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 PM- This rivalry has been fought from coast to coast and was started way back in 1880. There is a bitter hatred between these teams with beatings and killings all stemming from this rivalry.
If you are not a baseball fan and are just salivating at the thought of the football weekend, then click here to check out our picks of football movies for families of all ages to satisfy your urges.
Saturday 9-19
College Football – Tennesse Volunteers at No. 1 Florida Gators, 3:30 PM
Lane Kiffin is a first year coach at Tennesse and during the offseason he made some waves accusing Gator coach Urban Meyer of violating rules and basically cheating. The accusations were debunked and Kiffin apologized but that still won’t sit well with Meyer whose team is the best in the country and has the best player in Tim Tebow. But Kiffin is crafty and could prep his team well during the week and they could come out fighting, catching the Gators by surprise and making this a game that could either be remembered as a huge loss to Kiffin’s team or a major upset with Kiffin looking like a genius. Watch this game to see if the underdog can pull it off or if the first year coach is taught a little humility about opening his mouth and talking trash.
College Football – No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies, 3:30 PM
With more than 50 games being played and only a few being shown on TV for all to see, the games that are shown nationally are the top ranked teams to draw ratings. The game that has the best chance of being truly competitive is this game between the Cornhuskers and Hokies. When ranked teams meet there is always the potential for a season changing experience that will be talked about for a long time. So if you’re going to watch any game today this should be the one because the intensity and athleticism on both sides will be good for anyone to see.
Sunday 9-20
Football – New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 PM
If Saturday is for college football then Sunday is for the NFL and there are always storylines to follow (more so if you have a favorite team). The thing to watch for this week will be the unveiling of the new Cowboys Stadium. This multi billion dollar modern stadium features more than 100,000 seats, standing room for about 130,00o and the world’s largest flatscreen TV. The screen stretches from one 20 yard line to the other! This will be a stadium opening that will be like an episode of Extreme Makeover; one new cool feature will be revealed after the next. Owner Jerry Jones will pull out all the stops to make this a Grand Opening to remember and the Cowboys will be playing their hardest to make sure they open with a victory. But they are going up against the tough Giants who will want nothing more than to tarnish the opening of the new stadium. See who goes down as having the first victory in the newest and most expensive stadium ever built in the United States.
Well that is it for this week, if I missed anything or made some huge mistake, please comment and let me know. Throughout the week if you and your kids have an experience, let me know. We’d love to get your feedback. See ya next week. Enjoy the memories.
Comments
Varuni Fernando
September 14th, 2009 - 12:36:56 PM
Greatest column EVER! Can't wait for next week! Thanks for the highlights!
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