What 2 Watch (Oct. 14-16)
The sports month continues as October marches on with a number of different sports to watch although no UFC this week. There is still Baseball playoffs to watch as four teams finish off the Championship Series in an attempt to make it into the World Series. Of course football is still around with the CFL and CIS nearing the end of their season and looking to finalize their playoff standing. The NFL continues into the sixth week of the season with as teams look to get back on track and others look to continue their success. The NCAA is past their halfway point and with BCS ranking coming out this weekend the Bowl Series will begin to take shape as teams go into their toughest part of the schedules in the next couple of weeks. The Rugby World Cup is also winding down with both Semi-Finals this weekend as the four nations look to win the World Cup. The Racing season is almost over as well with F1 entering the last few races of their season and NASCAR continuing the Chase for the Sprint Cup this weekend. The NHL is just beginning their season with their second weekend of games jam-packed with plenty of great games including the return of a former captain to his former team. There is plenty to watch this weekend and The Sport Addiction is here to sort it all out for you so take a look at What 2 Watch.
NL Championship Series
The NLCS is a tight race as Milwaukee and St. Louis are battling it out to the end for a chance at the World Series. Both teams have split the games and both have shown some explosive offences. With both pitching squads seemingly struggling the offences have taken over the series scoring plenty of runs. The Series is tied at 2 apiece and Game 5 and Game 6 are this weekend. Milwaukee will send their ace to the mound on Friday as Zach Greinke will try to put the Brewers ahead and Shaun Marcum will try to put the series away. The Cardinals will send Jaime Garcia and Edwin Jackson as they look to squash the Brewers’ comeback. These two games could decide who will represent the National League in the World Series and they should provide a lot of scoring for all of the HR fans.
When: Friday October 14/Sunday October 16
Time: 8:05 pm/4:05 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals: Wales vs. France Les Bleus
The #5 team in the World will have their shot at playing for the Rugby World Cup this year but will need to face Wales to get there. Les Bleus are one of the top teams coming into the tournament but have been a very inconsistent team. Winning some big games in their pool they also fell to the Tongans in their last pool game. To get to the Semi-Finals they faced England and beat the English 19-12 in a squeaker. Meanwhile Wales has been a bit of a surprise as many expected them to do well in the tournament but not this well. Wales go through their good pool in second behind the defending champion South Africans. Wales then had a convincing win against Ireland where they won 22-10 to get to the Semi-Finals. The Game should be good as France is looking to prove they are a World Cup Champion team and Wales is looking to make history for their country.
When: Saturday October 15
Time: 3:30 am/2:00 pm
Channel: TSN
NCAA Football: #11 Michigan Wolverines vs. #23 Michigan State Spartans
The Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy will take place again in the biggest game of the week for the NCAA. The game may not have a lot of National Championship meaning but both teams don’t care. The annual game between the State’s two biggest football schools is always entertaining as they do not like each other. Not only will the hate be flowing but the Spartans will have to deal with “Shoelace” Denard Robinson who is quickly flying up Heisman Races for his ability to run the ball and cause issues for the defence. If Michigan can beat their rival they have a chance at creeping into the top 10 as the first BCS ranking are released. The Spartans are looking to spoil the party for the Wolverines and Robinson as they continue to battle in the Top 25.
When: Saturday October 15
Time: 12:00 pm
Channel: TSN2
University Rush: #6 McMaster Marauders vs. Laurier Golden Hawks
With few weeks left in the CIS season Laurier and McMaster will face off with the playoffs in mind. Laurier is clinging on to a playoff spot with a 3-3 record as Toronto continues to be a pest in the 2-4 record. McMaster is almost sure of getting a playoff spot but a win will help them to ensure this with anything possible and nobody clinching a spot yet. They will also be looking for a win to keep up with the undefeated Western Mustangs at the top of the OUA. With these few weeks remaining in the CIS this game is essential for both teams to ensure their playoffs spot and a chance at the Vanier Cup this year.
When: Saturday October 15
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: The Score
NHL Hockey: Los Angeles Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers made a lot of big moves in the offseason this year and the Los Angeles Kings took full advantage. The Flyers former captain Mike Richards was traded in the offseason to the Kings in exchange for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and a 2nd round pick. This game will be the first time that Richards will return to the only NHL team he had known as an L.A. King. He will also have a partner as former Flyer Simon Gagne will also return to Philadelphia after leaving in a trade last year and signing with the Kings in the offseason as a free agent. Simmonds and Schenn will also have a reunion of sorts as they will play their former team for the first time. All of these players will want the win in their action against their former team especially Richard who will like to show that the trade for him was a mistake.
When: Saturday October 15
Time: 7:00 pm
Channel: FS-W/CSN-Phi/NHL Centre Ice
NASCAR Sprint Cup: Bank of America 500
The Sprint Cup has six races left and is still up for grabs with yet another lead change after last week’s race. This week the racers will travel to Charlotte Motor Speedway and look to take the lead in the Chase. After last week the lead changed again as Carl Edwards took the lead in the Chase after a 5th place finish in the Hollywood Casino 400. Meanwhile Tony Stewart has fallen off the top five leaders giving way to Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson. With Jimmie Johnson taking the win in the last race he is beginning to mount a charge at the Sprint Cup. With Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick at the top of the standings the rest of the pack will need to catch up and the Bank of America 500 will be their chance.
When: Saturday October 15
Time: 7:30 pm
Channel: TSN2
AL Championship Series
The ALCS was almost not going to happen this weekend with the Texas Rangers looking to show that Detroit didn’t belong. The Tigers were in trouble from the start after losing their first two games to the Rangers but did not give up. The Tigers won the 3rd game to cut the Rangers’ lead in the series. It wasn’t quite enough as the Rangers then took a third game to put the Tigers on the edge of elimination. The Tigers fought back with their ace in game 5 preventing elimination but they will be on the edge for the rest of the series. The Tigers will need to win Game 6 on Saturday if they hope to play Game 7 on Sunday. They will need to go on a three game winning streak to move on against the very talented Rangers. The games this weekend will be fun as the Tigers are literally playing for their playoff lives for the rest of the series.
When: Saturday October 15/Sunday October 16 (Poss.)
Time: 8:05 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
F1 Racing: Korean Grand Prix
The Formula 1 season has been almost all decided as Sebastian Vettel took the championship last weekend in Japan. The rest of the drivers will need to compete for the second place spot that is separated by very little. Jensen Button, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber will all be fighting it out for the second place spot. As the season winds down the drivers will also be auditioning for new rides next year as almost everyone wants to get on Red Bull’s Team and win a championship. Meanwhile some teams are just looking to stay afloat in the expensive sport of Formula 1 and wins will help them to fill the void. The Korean Grand Prix may not be for the Driver Championship but there is plenty of other storylines to watch as they enter the tail end of their season.
When: Sunday October 16
Time: 2:00 am
Channel: TSN2
Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals: Australia Wallabies vs. New Zealand All-Blacks
The hosts in Rugby will be at it again against a big rival in the Australian Wallabies for their chance at winning the World Cup. New Zealand would like nothing more than to prove their #1 ranking in front of a home crowd by winning the World Cup in New Zealand. Meanwhile Australia would like nothing more than to take the All Blacks out and prove that they are the top of the heap in Rugby. They would also like to be able to take the World Cup across the Tasman Sea to Australia. The rivalry between these two is a big one as they are separated by a small sea and have played against each other in Tri-Nations Rugby. The game will be a tough one and the crowd will be pretty divided with such a short travel time between the two.
When: Sunday October 16
Time: 4:00 am/7:00 pm
Channel: TSN/TSN2
CFL Football: Montreal Alouettes vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats
The CFL is charging fast towards the playoffs and with a number of teams clinching a spot but a lot left in the air. The Montreal Alouettes clinched their playoff spot last week but are still in a fierce battle for the top spot in the East. The Als will be looking to keep up with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and a big part of this would be to win against the Ti-Cats. Meanwhile the Ti-Cats have not clinched a playoff spot yet as they will be looking behind them at the Saskatchewan Roughriders who are hoping to take the crossover spot. Hamilton needs to win one game in order to clinch their playoffs spot but it will not come easy against the new top passer Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes. The game will have a lot of playoff meaning as both teams look to solidify their spot in the 2011 playoffs.
When: Sunday October 16
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: TSN
NFL Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots
A matchup of the old and the new as the 1990s dynasty faces off against the 2000s dynasty in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys have been known as America’s Team but have struggled this year with inconsistent play by injured QB Tony Romo. Romo will look to take advantage of their bye week last week to heal along with a number of Cowboys as they try to recover from a struggling start to the season. Meanwhile the Patriots have exploded out of the gate with a very good offence led by Tom Brady. The offence has masked a big problem as the Patriots are one of the worst defences in the league that the Cowboys will try to take advantage of. The Cowboys and the Patriots will be looking to shake the perceptions of them in this game as both teams try to remain powers in the NFL.
When: Sunday October 16
Time: 4:15 pm
Channel: City TV
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