Coming into the College Bowl games there was minimal excitement except for the Rose Bowl (Michigan vs. USC) and the BCS Championship Game (Florida vs. The Ohio State). The first few bowls didn’t do much to dissuade us from this boredom as they were blowouts with winning margins set at an average of 17 points per game. That changed drastically Thursday night when Oklahoma State overcame 14 fourth quarter points from Alabama for a last second field goal. What followed was a seat of your pants kind of ride through what they call “Bowl Week”. If there is anyone who reads this on a regular basis I apologize for the absence but I was on an all out gambling binge for vacation up in Reno, NV to fully experience College Football. It was a quite an experience.

After the OSU win I was unable to watch my Scarlet Knights finish their amazing season with an ass whooping of Kansas State. Next day Clemson forgot to get off the bus and Kentucky was the first relatively unknown team to win as an underdog. Oregon State won in the final minutes before overtime by going for two points instead of a game tying extra point against Missouri. HUGE and so great to watch a team go for the bowl win…..reminded me of the USC win over Notre Dame. Texas Tech came back from 31 points down against Minnesota, Spurrier’s Gamecocks held off a surprisingly good (although gimmicky) Houston Offense for a big win and Boston College won with a game winning field goal from a kicker who was a walk on try out at the beginning of the year. (He was kicking on an off day and the coach asked him to try out – and last season he was watching from the stands) Unreal. All this capped off by a brilliant performance by Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl with not only a “Hook and Ladder” but they pulled out the Statue of Liberty for an overtime win. Two sandlot plays to earn major respect and allow for other non BCS conferences to have a shot at the title.


On top of my recent vacation I have decided my apartment needed an upgrade so I am revamping my home theatre setup so I can watch 3 games at once. Two just wasn’t enough so hopefully I will have my bar/movie theatre set up to enjoy some good quality football games. Well we have two big bowls to go……they could be duds or they could be amazing to watch. With what has happened so far, fasten your seat belts because we may experience some unexpected turbulence.

As always this list of HD Sports Programming is shown by day and categorized by sport but…Please check your local listings for channels and availability.
Games and Times are listed in RED.....Games and Times in BLUE are do not miss.


Wednesday 1/3/07
NBA
7:00pm EST: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards (Regional) CSN in 1080i
7:30pm EST: L.A. Clippers vs. Miami Heat (Regional) Sun Sports in 720p
7:30pm EST: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics (Regional) FSN NE in 1080i
8:00pm EST: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Regional) FSN N in 720p
8:00pm EST: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs (Regional) FSN SW in 720p
8:30pm EST: Seattle Supersonics vs. Houston Rockets (Regional) FSN SW in 720p

College Football
8:00pm EST: Allstate Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. LSU Tigers FOX in 720p
If there was anyone who backed Notre Dame more than I did at the beginning of the year please raise your hand. At the end of last year they looked poised to become a powerhouse in 06 but faded after that loss to Michigan. It wasn’t just a loss it was a demoralizing thumping. On top of this the Golden Domers get beat by USC but still manage to get into the Sugar Bowl? On paper this looks like a run away win for LSU and a game that should be over by Half Time. If anything has been proven so far it’s that nothing on paper is real and that no team is out of the game, no matter how far they are down or what quarter it is. This has lots of potential so check it out.

Other Programming
7:00am EST/1:30pm EST: Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone HDNET in 1080i
Ladainian Tomlinson - In each of his first five seasons Tomlinson has gained over 1,000 yards, he's been elected to the Pro Bowl twice and he is the 7th player in NFL history to run, catch and throw a touchdown in the same game. blah blah blah......I know stats are boring but I have heard him interviewed and he seems like a great guy and someone who had to overcome some adversity to get where he is today. Good guy to listen to and one of the few in pro sports.

10:00pm EST: Ali's 65 ESPN HD in 720p
1 Hour Birthday Special featuring 65 things ESPN believes everyone should know about Muhammed Ali including rare footage, stories and anecdotes about a man that at last check is still alive. From the details it sounds like an event you hold to remember the life of a man passed on not someone sitting in the audience. In any case....happy birthday champ.




Thursday 1/4/07
NHL
7:00pm EST: Philadelphia Flyers vs. N.Y. Rangers HDNet in 1080i
7:00pm EST: Philadelphia Flyers vs. N.Y. Rangers (Regional) MSG in 1080i
7:00pm EST: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins (Regional) NESN in 1080i
8:00pm EST: Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues (Regional) FSN MW in 720p
10:30pm EST: Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks (Regional) FSN BA in 1080i
Right now the Sharks are 8-1 to win the Stanley Cup……looks real nice. They are near the top in the league in goals scored and leading (at last check) in goals against. Tell me what other formula works in the playoffs with two solid lines?

NBA
8:00pm EST: Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Hornets TNT-HD in 1080i
10:30pm EST: L.A. Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings TNT-HD in 1080i

College Basketball
9:00pm EST: Cincinnati vs. Memphis ESPNHD in 720p

Other Programming
7:00am EST: Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone HDNET in 1080i
Hank Aaron - With 755 home runs, 2,297 RBIs, 24 All-Star appearances, three Gold Glove Awards, a World Series Ring and a National League MVP award, Henry Louis Aaron is one of the best baseball players to have ever played the game. Aaron was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982, named to the All - Century Team in 1999 and was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.




Friday 1/5/07
NBA
7:00pm EST: L.A. Clippers vs. Washington Wizards (Regional) CSN in 1080i
7:30pm EST: Chicago Bulls vs. N.J. Nets (Regional) YES in 1080i
8:00pm EST: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs ESPNHD in 720p
8:30pm EST: Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz (Regional) FSN UT in 720p
8:30pm EST: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Regional) FSN Ohio in 720p
8:30pm EST: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Regional) FSN N in 720p
10:30pm EST: N.Y. Knicks vs. Seattle SuperSonics (Regional) FSN NW in 720p
10:30pm EST: Miami Heat vs. Phoenix Suns (Regional) FSN AZ in 720p
10:30pm EST: Miami Heat vs. Phoenix Suns ESPNHD in 720p
10:30pm EST: Denver Nuggets vs. L.A. Lakers (Regional) FSN W in 720p
AI is on the loose and temporarily looking like a nice fit in Denver. All of the creamy nougat fans temper the expectations a little and wait to see how Melo receives things when he gets back.

NHL
9:00pm EST: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche (Regional) Altitude in 1080i

Other Programming
3:00am EST: 2006 Auto Zone Liberty Bowl - South Carolina vs. Houston ESPN HD in 1080i
If you missed this game then this is a perfect chance to catch a replay or to TiVO it for later viewing. Trust me this was a great game througout and had some major twists and turns thanks to a Houston team with a ton of heart.

7:00am/1:30pm EST: Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone HDNET in 1080i
John Wooden - Roy Firestone sits down with John Wooden, the most successful coach in college basketball history. He's responsible for coaching the UCLA Bruins in 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, 20 PAC 10 championships, and 10 national championships, including seven in a row. No word on whether or not he was responsible for turning Bill Walton into a dumbass.

9:30pm EST/12:30pm EST: World Extreme Cagefighting - Cage Icons HDNET in 1080i
Before they became mixed martial arts super stars, many fighters began their careers in the WEC. These were the bouts that set their careers in motion and gained these athletes notoriety in the sport. Join host Ron Kruck as he revisits the WEC bouts of Brandon Vera, Chris Leben, Brad Imes and others.

3:00am EST: Bikini Destinations HDNET in 1080i
South Beach - Take a trip with our bikini models into the Everglades as they get up close and personal with alligators. Then view Miami from a cigarette boat and party the night away at Nikki's beach.
(Is this sports....kind of. Is it going to be interesting to watch mmmmm yeah)





Saturday 1/6/07
NBA
12:00pm EST: Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls NBA/INHD in 1080i
7:30pm EST: N.J. Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Regional) FSN Ohio in 720p
8:00pm EST: Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls (Local) WGN in 1080i
10:00pm EST: Portland Trailblazers vs. Sacramento Kings (Regional) CSN in 1080i
10:30pm EST: Seattle Supersonics vs. Golden State Warriors (Regional) FSN BA in 1080i

College Football
12:00pm EST: International Bowl - Toronto - Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Western Michigan Broncos ESPN2HD in 720p
Cincinnati beat Rutgers (even if it was a let down game) and I have no idea if Western Michigan is a Junior College or not so the Bearcats seem like a winner.

NHL
1:00pm EST: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins (Regional) NESN in 1080i
7:00pm EST: Atlanta Thrashers vs. Washington Capitals HDNet in 1080i
10:30pm EST: Detroit Red Wings vs. L.A. Kings (Regional) FSN W in 720p

NFL
4:30pm EST: Wildcard Weekend -- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts NBC in 1080i
Anyone else think this looks familiar. Close your eyes and think back a few years and remember a game with zero Defense and tons of points from two potent offenses. Déjà vu all over again folks as Indy takes this in a shootout…somewhere in the neighborhood of 45-41.
8:00pm EST: Wildcard Weekend -- Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks NBC in 1080i
Dallas looks horrible and Seattle does not look like a solid playoff team. All this said…never, ever, and I mean ever trust a rookie quarter back in the playoffs. Seattle 21 – Dallas 10.

College Basketball
9:00pm EST: Connecticut vs. LSU ESPNHD in 720p

Other Programming
7:00am EST/1:30pm EST: Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone HDNET in 1080i
Dwayne Wade and Chauncey Billups Interviewed.




Sunday 1/7/07
NFL
1:00pm EST: Wildcard Weekend -- N.Y. Jets vs. New England Patriots CBS in 1080i
There isn’t a team in the National Football League that scares people more than the J E T S. They are on a mission and peaking at the right time just like the Steelers last season. I know they aren’t as strong as the Steelers last year but you can’t underestimate the will to win. Should be really close and down to the final minutes but New England 17 – NY Jets 14
4:30pm EST: Wildcard Weekend -- N.Y. Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles FOX in 720p
Who knows.....really, who the hell knows what will happen. Eagles 2 - Giants 0. Eli Manning runs out of their own end zone on 1st and 5 from the 40 with 2:00 remaining and 3 time outs left. Angry now Eli???? Good now go prove me wrong.


College Basketball
5:00pm EST: Stanford Cardinal vs. Virginia Cavaliers FSN-HD

NHL
7:30pm EST: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Regional) FSN P in 720p

College Football
8:00pm EST: GMAC Bowl - Ohio Bobcats vs. Southern Miss. Golden Eagles ESPNHD in 720p

NBA
10:30pm EST: L.A. Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks (Regional) HDNet 1080i


Other Programming
6:50am EST: HDNet Test Patterns HDNET in 1080i
Wonder how your home theatre is doing? Wish you had test patterns to help set it up? Well, HDNet is here to help. This short program will help you get the most out of your home theatre setup by providing you with the same professional test patterns HDNet uses to set their gear. This may not sound like something interesting and may look like 10 minutes of paint drying but to me this is an outstanding feature for those who want to check out their gear.......for free!




Monday 1/8/07
NBA
8:30pm EST: Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls (Regional) CSN / (National) NBA/INHD in 1080i
9:00pm EST: Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Regional) FSN N in 720p

College Basketball
8:00pm EST: Villanova vs. Georgetown ESPNHD in 720p
10:00pm EST: Texas Tech vs. Kansas State ESPNHD in 720p

College Football
8:00pm EST: Championship Game - Glendale AZ - Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes FOX in 720p
The big one. The game to decide a national champion. A game that will prove Ohio State is far and above the best team in college football. I don’t believe anything of what I just wrote there. Did it sound sarcastic?
People are sleeping on the SEC and giving way too much credit to the Big 10. USC just showed how vulnerable they can be at times. Florida has a stout defense and has played through a nightmare schedule this year only to have the “experts” say that they aren’t worthy of a #2 spot let alone a shot at a national title. For some reason a stupid fact keeps coming up in my head so stay with me here. Texas won the national championship in both Football and Baseball (held in one year) and last year Florida won a national championship in basketball which leads me to one conclusion (no matter how cracked out it is). Florida will win this game and be the first team to win a basketball and football championship in the same year. If this has been done before please let me know as I have limited time to research and minimal brain cells left after New Years. Defense will prove supremely valuable in this game and I give the edge to Florida. Florida 28 – Ohio State 24.

(Another funny thing here…..at the beginning of the year NCAA football released a demo for the Xbox 360 with only two teams available for play. The Florida Gators and Florida State. One team has already won and one left to play……Just a coincidence? )





Tuesday 1/9/07
NBA
7:00pm EST: Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Regional) CSN in 1080i
7:30pm EST: Toronto Raptors vs. N.J. Nets (Regional) YES in 1080i
10:00pm EST: Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks (Regional) HDNet in 1080i

NHL
7:00pm EST: St. Louis Blues vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Regional) FSN OH in 720p
7:30pm EST: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Regional) FSN P in 720p
7:30pm EST: Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins (Regional) NESN in 1080i
7:00pm EST: N.Y. Islanders vs. N.Y. Rangers (Regional) MSG in 1080i
7:30pm EST: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Regional) Sun Sports in 720p
7:30pm EST: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Regional) FSN P in 720p
7:30pm EST: Ottawa Senators vs. Boston Bruins (Regional) NESN in 1080i

College Basketball
7:00pm EST: West Virginia vs. Notre Dame ESPN2HD in 720p
7:00pm EST: Arkansas vs. Florida ESPNHD in 720p
9:00pm EST: LSU vs. Alabama ESPN2HD in 720p
9:00pm EST: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin ESPNHD in 720p

Other Programming
7:00am EST/ 12:30pm EST: Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone HDNET in 1080i
Herman Edwards and Trent Green - My first question to Trent Green: After Larry Johnson said he prefers to play for a black coach, who would you rather play for.....Dick Vermeil or Herm Edwards? Probably the dumbest statement of the year but something that Roy has to ask Herm and Trent about.

3:00am EST: Bikini Destinations HDNET in 1080i
The Best Of - Globe trot the world with Bikini Destinations as we tour the year in review. Your travel itinerary includes stops in the Bahamas, France, Lake Powell, Las Vegas, and the Hawaiian Islands. (Mark Cuban must realize that the majority of HD owners are men who are #1 straight and #2 up at 3:00am looking for women in bikinis in HiDef)

In a matter of 7 hours Miami has lost their Football coach and now their Basketball coach.

Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban accepted an offer to coach at the University of Alabama on Wednesday in what should be a dream job for any college coach. Most recently he took LSU to a (split) national title and completely lifted LSU from the lower level. He has the talent and knows how to recruit in the south so this is a great fit. Alabama is on the pantheon level with Notre Dame as premier college programs kids would die to play for with just minimal leadership. Alabama is going to be dangerous with a very young team of 72 freshmen and 32 sophmores. WOW - Go Bama.....Roll Tide!
Nick Saban heads for BAMA

Miami Heat coach Pat Riley is also out as head coach in what is being reported as a leave of absence. How long was my first question but from how people are talking this is at least for the rest of the season. Seems the stress is getting to ole slick after a 12-17 start but I think there has to be some health issues here. This was confirmed just a little while ago as Pat will undergo surgery on his hip and knee. Sounds very similar to Phil Jackson not too long ago. Regardless the Heat are in trouble even when Shaq gets back so maybe its just time for Riles to retire (for good this time) and cement the legacy.
Chicago Tribune/ESPN.com Reporting on Pat Riley's Leave of Absence