W2W: Thanksgiving Edition (Oct. 7-10)
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all of us Canadians this weekend and what better way to spend the long weekend than with four days of sports. The Biggest aspect of this long weekend is the opening weekend of the NHL season as all of the favorite teams will be in action. Whether you are a fan of the Leafs or the Kings your game will be seen at some point. It is not only hockey this weekend however as the month of sports continues. The Baseball playoffs will finish the first round and enter the second round this weekend as they progress to the World Series. Meanwhile football is still around as the CFL and CIS begin to wind down their season and prepare for the playoffs. The NFL and NCAA are just getting started as they enter their 5th and 6th weeks, respectively, and start to get into the swing of things after their first month. There is also a number of other special events including UFC 136, F1 racing, and NASCAR Sprint Cup. The long weekend is full of sports so take that extra time to catch up on your sports.
NHL Hockey: Opening Weekend
The NHL has started and this weekend you can take your pick of games as there will be no stop to the action. You can take your pick of which games you want to watch including the Premiere games in Europe featuring a number of teams on Friday playing in Stockholm, Sweden. The first Saturday night with Hockey Night in Canada featuring the Battle of Ontario will also be on this weekend. There will be the first game of the new Winnipeg Jets on Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens. There are too many games to pick out this weekend so take your pick as your favorite team will probably be playing at some point this Thanksgiving Day weekend.
When: All Weekend
Time: All Weekend
Channel: TSN/Sportsnet/CBC/TSN2
NL Division Series
The ALDS is finished and the end of the NLDS will be Friday as the National League teams player their finals games of the first round. Both NL series went to the 5th and final game as the four teams have fought it out to the end. The St. Louis Cardinals surprised many by splitting the home series with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies have very little weakness in their pitching rotation but St. Louis has been able to get the upper hand on two games and tie the series up. Meanwhile the Milwaukee Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks have both won their home games to tie the series up. It has been a back and forth series where the offensive output has been the main story. On Friday both series will play their 5th games to find out who will play later this weekend for the NL Pennant.
When: Friday October 7th
Time: 5:00 pm/8:30 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
NCAA Football: #11 Texas Longhorns vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners
The Red River is the natural border between Texas and Oklahoma as both states are very close and have a very big rivalry. This rivalry comes out in the traditional southern state way through a football game that has been played 105 times. The Red River Rivalry is one of the biggest rivalries in College Football and has been bolstered by the teams’ performance in past years. This year it will be no different as the both teams are again ranked the game will mean just as much as ever. As Oklahoma looks to stop their slide from 1st to 3rd and Texas looks to make their case for a top 10 ranking both teams will be playing for something important. Most important for all involved however is the pride that winning this rivalry brings to both teams and both states.
When: Saturday October 8th
Time: 12:00 pm
Channel: ABC
NFL Football: New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
The NFL is entering the 5th week and the marquee matchup this week is between two of the biggest modern day rivals in the NFL. The New York Jets and the New England Patriots are the polar opposites of the NFL. The Jets are a brash and cocky team led by their loud and cocky coach Rex Ryan. The Patriots are a quite team that is known for their boring press conferences that are led by a coach who seems to hate the media and gives as little information as possible. These two teams have set a fire under their divisional rivalry after Rex Ryan was hired by the Jets and began predicting Super Bowls and bothering the division that was dominated by the Patriots. They will face off again in Week 5 as a rematch for the Jets playoff win last year and a chance to claim the early first place spot in the AFC East.
When: Sunday October 9th
Time: 4:15 pm
Channel: City TV
AL Championship Series
The AL Championship Series is set after a thrilling ALDS series as the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers will face off for a chance at the World Series. Texas took the Tampa Bay Rays to four games and beat the wild card team to move on to their second ALCS in as many years. Meanwhile the Detroit Tigers took on the mighty Yankees and beat them by one run in five games. Now Detroit will take their potential MVP pitcher in Justin Verlander to Texas and their solid lineup. The ALCS should be a good one as Detroit tries to make their first World Series in years while the Rangers look to avoid a repeat of last year when they lost in the ALCS after being favorites to make the Fall Classic.
When: Saturday October 8th/Sunday October 9th
Time: 8:05 pm/7:45 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
NL Championship Series
The NL Championships Series will start this weekend but the big question is who will play in the series. The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals will play their final game earlier this weekend to determine who will make it to the championship series. Meanwhile the Milwaukee Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks will play for their berth into the Championship Series. Either way the series will be good as the Phillies have the best rotation in baseball, The Cards have a solid lineup that includes Albert Pujols, the Brewers are carried by a decent rotation but an explosive offence led by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, and the D-Backs are another solid lineup that leans on Justin Upton. Whoever makes it the series promises to be good as the teams look to make the World Series.
When: Sunday October 9th/Monday October 10th
Time: 4:05 pm/8:05 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
UFC 136: Edgar Maynard III
Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar will fight for the third time this Saturday and it will be for the Light weight Belt. After their last fight for the belt ended in a draw Maynard got the immediate rematch with the champion and is looking to win the belt. In the co-main event one of the best fighters in the world will defend his Featherweight title against the fan favorite Kenny Florian. With the two belts up for grabs the fight card is stacked showcasing a number of great fights including Chael Sonnen vs. Brian Stann. The two friends will fight each other as Stann looks to move to the top of the middleweight division and Sonnen looks to remain at the top after almost beating the champion Anders Silva. The event will be free on Spike and Sportsnet and the main card will be held on Pay per View.
When: Saturday October 8th
Time: 6:40 (Facebook Prelims)/8:00 pm (Sportsnet Prelims)/9:00 pm (Main Card)
Channel: Facebook/Sportsnet/Pay Per View
Formula 1 Racing: Japanese Grand Prix
There are five races left in the Formula 1 season and the championship is all but locked up by Sebastian Vettel. Vettel needs only 1 point to clinch the championship and will most likely get it this weekend but the true race will be the second place spot. Three racers are all within a couple of points of each other and will be fighting hard for their spot. Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber are all very close in the championship’s second spot. The Japanese circuit will be an interesting one as any mistake can lead to trouble with very little run-off on the sides. The track is also one of the favorites of the drivers as the long sweeping corners make for a very fast race.
When: Sunday October 9th
Time: 2:00 am
Channel: TSN
NASCAR Sprint Cup: Hollywood Casino 400
The Chase continues but with a new leader as Tony Stewart has lost his lead in the Sprint Cup championship after last race. After a bad weekend by Stewart, who finished in 15th, the Sprint Cup standings showed a shift. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards overtook the former Sprint Cup leader as Harvick took the top spot and Edwards took the second spot. This weekend Harvick will look to continue the trend at the Hollywood Casino 400 as Edwards look to take the top spot. Meanwhile Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson are making their move after a first and second place, respectively, finish last race. The Hollywood Casino 400 will be full of stories as the drivers look to make their moves in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
When: Sunday October 9th
Time: 2:00 pm
Channel: TSN
CFL Thanksgiving Day Football
The CFL will enter this holiday weekend with a number of games but nothing goes together like Thanksgiving and football. On Thanksgiving Day the CFL will host a double-header as Canadians take their day off. First the old rivals will face off as the Montreal Alouettes take on the Toronto Argonauts. The Alouettes are looking to take over the top spot in the East as they continue their race for first place and the first round bye in the playoffs with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Argos are just looking to tread water as they still have a chance to make the playoffs. In the second game two of the coldest teams will face off in the West as the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos look to reverse their fortunes. The Roughriders had a small hot streak but are looking like they might miss the playoffs now as they continue their struggles from earlier in the season. Meanwhile the Eskimos are hoping to stop their slide from first place in the West and stay in the playoffs. The Thanksgiving Day of games have a lot of importance as the CFL gets closer to the playoffs and it should be a good way to spend your day off.
When: Monday October 10th
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: TSN
The Sport Addiction 