The underdog New Orleans Saints were able to pull off a great victory in Super Bowl XLIV for not only themselves but for the city of New Orleans. It was a great game to watch that really came down to just one play. When the Saints intercepted Peyton Manning and returned it for a touchdown that changed the entire game and marked the beginning of the end for the Indianapolis Colts. I was rooting for the Saints but did consider them an underdog myself and figured Peyton Manning would show why he is the best. Unfortunately for him it turned out otherwise and he will have a long offseason to contemplate that one play.
With football season now over, the NBA, NHL and NASCAR are left to fill in the void. While these sports don’t come close to the popularity of the NFL, they each offer enough good games to keep sports relevant in the long cold winter. The NBA throws out its All Star Weekend, which is always fun to experience. NASCAR kicks off its season this week with one of the (if not the) biggest single race of the year. Drivers stew over the Daytona race during the off-season and get to put all their hardwork on display at the first race of the year. Something you shouldn’t miss even if you aren’t a NASCAR fan.
So here are my picks for our first week without football. Enjoy!
Top 3
1. NASCAR – Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway - Feb. 15 @ 1 pm
The biggest race of the year is also the one that kicks off the NASCAR season. The Daytona 500 is a place where legends are made and some of the biggest names in the sport make their biggest headlines. This year also brings about the premier of Danica Patrick racing in the Nationwide series on Saturday. This will be her first time driving competitively in the NASCAR league and it will be interesting to see how she makes the adjustment from Indy Racing. But besides that, Jimmie Johnson gets to prove if he can continue his dominance and try for a 4th consecutive championship title. That streak is unprecedented in racing history and he will further solidify his name among the best ever if he continues to win. With all the technology available, watching a NASCAR event is one of the coolest and most informative things you can watch.
2. NBA – All Star Game – Feb. 14 @ 7 pm
The biggest stars in the game will get to play each other in this fun filled not-so-competitive game that always has spectacular highlights. Not much defense gets played and it is basically a street game filled with dunks and fancy passes you would never see in an actual game. With Kobe Bryant starting for the West and Lebron James for the East, it will get competitive between those two and that may trickle down to the other players. But don’t count on it. You’ll get to see behind the back passes, outrageous dunks, a complete lake of defense and some great passing to make some great highlights. But near the end when the game is nearly over, then it will get serious. But until then, the entire weekend, from the Dunk Contest and Skills Challenge to the Rookie Game will be fun and very entertaining to see. Watch until at least the stars sit down and then switch.
3. NCAA Basketball – No. 2 Villanova Wildcats ay No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers – Feb. 9 @ 7 pm
When two ranked teams from the same conference meet this close to March Madness, anything can happen and upsets are no surprise. So much could potentially be on the line when these two Big East Conference teams meet up that this game has a playoff atmosphere surrounding it. Villanova is not only number two in the country but still just number two in their conference. That tells you just how good the Big East is this year. One win could mean the difference between first and second place and sometimes that could cost a team a trip to the big tournament in March. I don’t know much about college basketball and don’t keep up with it, but this will be a game worth watching when these kids meet on a big stage with lots of pressure. Who will rise to the occasion and who will crumble under all the weight?
Quick Picks
- NBA – Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers – Feb. 11 @ 8 pm – Lebron James faces off against the recently impressive play of the Orlando Magic in a preview of a possible playoff matchup. Will be intense and very competitive.
- Besides the actual All-Star Game, the NBA has the Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest and a Rookie Game on All Star Saturday night. The Dunk contest has gotten worth watching again in recent years and should be no exception this year.
- The NCAA Tournament is just around the corner. Keep an eye on the rankings as we get closer to see which teams will make the tournament and which will be left out in the cold.
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