What 2 Watch (March 30-April 1)
The weekend in sports will be an exciting one as some season come to a close while others continue their start. Basketball is coming to a close as the NCAA Tournament ends this weekend while the NBA enters their last month. Lacrosse will also enter their last month as the NLL begins their playoff race with two rivals. Hockey is in the same boat as the CHL continues their playoffs while the NHL creeps closer and closer to theirs. Curling also comes to an end as the Men’s National Championship finishes off the season. Baseball is also coming to a close as Spring Training ends but will soon be opening the regular season. Meanwhile racing is still going strong with IndyCar entering their second race and NASCAR entering another weekend of their young season. The PGA Tour is coming close to their first milestone as they enter the last weekend before the first major of the year. MLS is also at the start of their season with Toronto FC looking to catch up in a young season. With all of this happening this weekend there will be plenty of very important events to watch including one special bonus event outside of the weekend. For whatever you want to watch in sports this weekend The Sport Addiction has you covered with the end of another month.
CHL Playoffs: Belleville Bulls vs. Ottawa 67s
The CHL playoffs will continue this weekend as Friday Night Hockey will take a look into the OHL playoffs. This Friday the featured game will be a great series that is already guaranteed to go 6 games as the Belleville Bulls take on the Ottawa 67’s. This series has been a close one as the 67’s got out to a great lead winning the first two games of the 7 game series. The Bulls then came back winning the last two games to even the series up as they go into Game 5 of the first round series. In four games the Bulls and 67’s have played to three overtimes making this series one of the closest in the playoffs. The Bulls finished in 7th place in the Eastern Conference and have been led by Michael Curtis in these playoffs with his three goals. They are taking on the 2nd place Ottawa 67’s who have had a great performance by L.A. Kings prospect Tyler Toffoli, 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 games. The 67’s will be looking to get back to their winning ways after dropping two straight games in a series they looked to be running away with. Meanwhile the Bulls will be looking to continue their hot streak and take control in the series by winning their first game away from home in the series. Game 5 in this series could be the turning point as one team will creep to within one game of moving on in the playoffs.
When: Friday March 30th
Time: 7:00 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
Capital One World Men’s Curling Championship
Curling will continue to roll on as the men take their turn on the world stage at the Capital One Men’s World Curling Championship. Last weekend the women finished off their year as the Canadian team took the bronze medal while the Swiss beat the Swedes for Gold. This weekend the men will hit the ice as they look to be crowned world champions. Back for another title will be Glen Howard who won at the Time Horton’s Brier and will be looking to get his fourth world championship. He will have some tough competition as the medalists from last year will all be back. The Canadians won last year under Jeff Stoughton and Howard will look to repeat that performance this year. In his way will be Tom Brewster and his rink from Scotland who took the silver medal last year and will look to give Howard a run for his money this year. Meanwhile bronze medalists from Sweden Niklas Edin will also be back and will look to get in the final game and continue to be a dominant force in curling. These returning curlers will all be tough competition for Howard as all have long resumes in the world circuit. It all kicks off this weekend as the Men’s national championship will kick off from Switzerland on TSN this Saturday when the Canadians take on France and then continues on Sunday when the Canadians take on the USA.
When: Saturday March 31st/Sunday April 1st
Time: 8:00 am/1:00 pm
Channel: TSN
MLS Soccer: Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC
The MLS season continues on this weekend as teams begin to get into a groove with many teams 3 games into the regular season. This weekend Toronto FC will continue their young season against the Columbus Crew at BMO Field. Toronto FC has had some success in the CCL where they made it further than any other Canadian team ever has. On Wednesday Toronto took on Santos Laguna in the CCL Semi-Final achieving another goal. This success has not translated to the MLS season though as FC has not gotten off to a great start to their season going 0-2 so far this year and being outscored 6-1 in their two games. Toronto will be looking to turn things around with plenty of time left as the season has just started. Meanwhile the Columbus Crew have had a much better start to their MLS season going 2-1 and drawing even on the score sheet with 2 goals for and 2 goals against. The Crew will be trying to continue this strong season and will be looking for another win as they hope to climb up the standings and set the tone for a strong season. The Crew will need to travel to one of the loudest stadiums in the MLS to win as BMO Field is a wild place. It did not seem to bother the San Jose Earthquakes though and the Crew will be looking to have the same reaction.
When: Saturday March 31st
Time: 2:00 pm
Channel: TSN
PGA Tour: Shell Houston Open
There is only one week left and only one tournament until the first major of the season as the Masters is right around the corner. With that in mind many of the stars will be taking this weekend off to prepare for the biggest tournament of them all. There will of course be some stars making an appearance in the Houston Open for one last tune up before the big one and The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club could be the best course for that. The similarities between The Tournament course and Augusta are everywhere and it has become one of the best ways to gear up for the big tournament. One of the stars who will be looking to tune up his game is Phil Mickelson who has struggled this year and will be looking to get back on track before he makes his way to Augusta. He will also be the defending champion this year after winning the Houston Open last year. There will be plenty of others looking to get a win and begin a hot streak going into the Masters as well. Keegan Bradley, Lee Westwood, and Steve Stricker will all be looking to take the win this year in hopes that they can unseat Mickelson and take a win into next weekend. Although the star power is lacking in this tournament there will be plenty to watch for as golfers continue to prepare for the first major of the year.
When: Saturday March 31st/Sunday April 1st
Time: 3:00 pm
Channel: NBC
March Madness: Final Four
March Madness is coming to a close as the crazy year in NCAA Basketball sees the finish line this weekend. It started with 64 teams when the Madness began and now has been pared down to the Final Four. The Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Kansas Jayhawks are all that is remaining of the 64 teams as they all look to become the new National Champion. These four teams have climbed through the craziness that is the March Madness tournament to be the only survivors in a tournament where anything can happen. The final four reflect the unpredictability of the tournament as there will be only one #1 team left to fight for the NCAA title. The Kentucky Wildcats are the only #1 team to survive the madness and will go into the final four as favorites. They will be taking on the lowest ranked team in the final four in the #4 Louisville Cardinals who will be trying to complete the only thing that resembles a Cinderella story this year. On the other side of the bracket sits two #2 teams as Ohio State takes on Kansas. Both teams faced off in predictable finals as the Buckeyes took out the #1 ranked Syracuse Orange in the East bracket and the Jayhawks took out #1 ranked North Carolina in the Midwest bracket. The final four is always exciting and this year will be the same as these four teams look to become the next champion and it all starts this weekend.
When: Saturday March 31st
Time: 6:09 pm/8:49 pm
Channel: TSN/CBS
NLL Lacrosse: Toronto Rock vs. Buffalo Bandits
The NLL season is coming to a close with only one month left in the regular season and all of the teams are looking to make one final push to the playoffs. The Rock are one of these teams as they look to continue their quest to another NLL championship. They have not had the best season in their defending year as they have dropped to 2nd place in the East behind the Philadelphia Wings. The Rock are led by Garrett Billings who leads the team in every major offensive category and hopes to guide the Rock back to the championship. They will take on their conference rivals the Buffalo Bandits in a conference matchup. The Bandits have done even worse this year as they are currently sitting in last place in the East. The Bandits are still in the race with only a month left though and will hope to go on a run at the end of the season to make it into the playoffs. Their first step will be to beat the defending champions and their conference rivals as they welcome the rock to Buffalo. The two games between these two teams have already been positive for the Bandits who beat the Rock 14-10 and 21-14. The Bandits are hoping to make it 3-for-3 this year against the Rock as they try to keep hope alive for a playoff berth. Both teams have their own goals in sight as they face off in Buffalo this weekend with one month left in the season.
When: Saturday March 31st
Time: 7:30 pm
Channel: TSN2
NHL Hockey: Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks
The NHL playoffs are beginning to take shape with just over a week left and the ballet for playoff spots is beginning to lose teams. In the western conference playoff spots have been taken including but only one division has been clinched. The northwest Division will go to the Vancouver Canucks again as they look towards the playoffs. Meanwhile the rest of the Northwest Division fights it out for the last playoff spot. This puts the Canucks in a spoiler from the inside situation. The Canucks will be making their last rounds across the division and every win they get will hurt their divisional opponents in the playoff hunt. They will get this opportunity on the late game of Hockey Night in Canada as they take on the Calgary Flames. The Flames are in the midst of the 8th place hunt and need every win they can get to take that last playoff spot. A loss to the Canucks will hurt their chances as they need every point they can get to win a playoff spot. Meanwhile the Canucks do not need a win or points as their only race is for the Western Conference which in the grand picture would mean home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, possibly even the Stanley Cup Finals. Still the Canucks will be looking for the win against their division rivals and throw a wrench into their playoff plans while the Flames will be looking to take points and continue fighting for the playoffs.
When: Saturday March 31st
Time: 10:00 pm
Channel: CBC
NBA Basketball: Chicago Bulls vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The NBA will march into their last month of the regular season as teams begin to position themselves for a playoff run. As April approaches the NBA will start to prepare for the playoff race as teams look to get their chance at the playoffs. Teams will be looking to start hot streaks and try to win their divisions or simply win a spot in the playoffs. Two teams in perfect position for this playoff run are the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder and these two teams will face off this weekend. The Chicago Bulls are the top team in the East and have a legitimate shot at the NBA title. Led by Derrick Rose the Bulls have risen to their former spot among the top of the teams. Even without Rose though the Bulls have continued their great play as Rose has been sidelined by a sore groin. They will put the theory that there are as good with Rose than without as they take on the OKC Thunder. The Thunder are led by Kevin Durant who has led his team in points per game and has led them to the top of the Western Conference standings. The Thunder are looking to continue their play into the playoffs and make a serious run at the NBA Championship. Both of these teams are playing at the top of their game right now and both are hoping for a long playoff run as this game could be a preview of the 2012 NBA Finals.
When: Sunday April 1st
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: ABC/CHCH TV
NASCAR Sprint Cup: Goody’s Fast Relief 500
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues on as the drivers will head to Martinsville for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Last week the Sprint Cup did not see much change at the top as Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick stayed put as 1 and 2. Neither of them finished in the top 5 at the Auto Club 400 but still they remain the drivers to beat in the series. Meanwhile last week’s winner, Tony Stewart, is beginning to show his strength as he has climbed back up into the top 5 of the Sprint Cup Series. He will try to do that at Martinsville Speedway this weekend where he raced into victory lane the last time out. Stewart is looking good and he will continue to be the man to beat as the season goes on but there will be a fair share of challengers. Kevin Harvick is one of these challengers has he looks to move into 1st place in the Sprint Cup and will be the defending champion of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Denny Hamlin is another challenger was the champion in 2010 and 2008 and will be looking to get another win under his belt. Along with Jimmie Johnson Hamlin will be getting a lot of the media attention but Stewart and Harvick may be the best bets as everyone looks to position themselves early in the season. Of course as with any race anything can happen as this weekend anyone can win and give themselves a boost in the rankings.
When: Sunday April 1st
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: TSN2
MLB Spring Training: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Spring Training is coming to a close with the last weekend of the preseason upon us. Teams have generally figured out there rosters as players have been cut and sent to the minors to make way for the major league roster. As the rosters fill out for opening day these last few days will act as pure preparation for the regular season. Pitchers will begin to pitch over 5 innings and players will play close to a complete game as they gear up for the 162 game grind. This weekend two teams will meet in one of the last games of the 2012 Grapefruit League. The Toronto Blue Jays have been on a tear in Spring Training as they lead the entire league in wins. They will be looking to finish off their preseason with more wins as they hope to get some confidence going into a season with a lot of hope. Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Pirates have seen much the opposite this year falling to the bottom of Spring Training. The Pirates will simply be looking to end their Spring Training season and get into the regular season where they will be 0-0 as opposed to 8-16. These two teams will be trying to get their last warm-ups in before they start the regular season. Both of these teams will be looking to figure out those last spots and warm up as they begin to rev up for the 2012 regular season.
When: Sunday April 1st
Time: 1:00 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
IZOD IndyCar Series: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
The IndyCar Series continues their season with the second race on the schedule at Barber Motorsports Park for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Last week the season kicked off with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg that saw Helio Castronevas drive back into the winners circle. After the race came a very emotional moment as Castronevas paid tribute to his longtime friend Dan Wheldon who passed away in an accident at the last race in the 2011 season. Castronevas stopped at a newly renamed stretch of the track called Dan Wheldon Way and did his signature climb up the fence to honour his friend. He has also decided to dedicate his season to the late driver as he hopes to get back to the top where he spent years before last season saw him struggle. He will try to continue his winning ways this weekend in Alabama as the IndyCar Series moves from the street course of St. Petersburg to the racing course in Alabama. In his way will be a host of challengers including last year’s race winner Will Power who led the race from start to finish in 2011, defending IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, and up and coming Canadian James Hinchcliffe. The race was dominated last year by Power but this year many drivers hope to prevent the dominance from happening again as everyone tries to get their first win and Helio Castronevas tries to make it 2-for-2.
When: Sunday April 1st
Time: 5:00 pm
Channel: TSN2
Bonus Event:
NCAA Basketball National Championship
The sports do not stop this weekend though as there will be another Bonus Event in What 2 Watch. The NCAA Basketball season is coming to a close with the Final Four of the tournament fighting it out this weekend. After the Final Four are finished it is time for the biggest game of the season on Monday when the final two teams face off for the NCAA Basketball National Championship. Monday will see the final game of the year as the champion of College Basketball is crowned and the net gets cut off of the rim. The opponents have not yet been decided with the Final Four to be played but the choices are now limited. It will come down to these four teams as the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Louisville Cardinals and the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Kansas Jayhawks. The favorite is of course the Wildcats who are the only #1 team left but any team can win with all four teams can have their chance at the big game. After a crazy few weeks there will only be two teams left to fight it out in New Orleans on Monday and only one will walk away a winner. The most exciting basketball tournament in the world finishes off after the weekend and the basketball world will be watching as the next champion is crowned. They will also be watching to see the new prospects for the NBA show their stuff on the big stage.
When: Monday April 2nd
Time: 8:00 pm
Channel: CBS
The Sport Addiction 
I am SO excited the Belleville Bulls got a shout out on The Sport Addiction! Yessss!!!