SNI - WEEKLY WATCH

After a SuperBowl that lived up to all the hype (the inevitable bombing by Sexy Rexy included), and finally nesting Manning atop a league he has toyed with for almost a decade, we as sports fans can recover from another weekend with what SNI likes to call; the Weekly Watch.

In this column we’ll take a look at the week ahead, and forecast any interesting games you might want to keep an extra close eye on while channel surfing on a frigid night or while you’re being diligent and attempting to plan one of those fun-filled dinner dates with the couple your girlfriend just met, who she claims have the exact same personalities as the both of you. Here we’ll keep things straight forward and honest, unlike that sly gal of yours.

Monday

7:00 PM - Even though the hang over from the party the night before still may not be fully worn off, have solace in the fact that you can drown the remnants of over-exposure to beer, chips, and Manning references with some good NBA match-ups. One interesting sub-plot you may be, or should be pleasantly following, are the heart-breaking last second losses the Nets have been able to rack up in the last few weeks. Since January 22nd they’ve been victim to not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR buzzer beating last second shots. The latest came from the smooth…er…surprising stroke of Tyronn Lue and the Atlanta Hawks. If nothing else, try and catch the last few minutes a little past 9:00pm ET and see if Iguodala has the rock with a chance to kick ‘em while they’re down….again.

7:00 PM - Only one game on the schedule for the NHL on Monday, so you can all join myself and watch the Wings handle the Rangers from MSG. Besides Shanahan’s reunion with his former club, we’ll get a chance to see how the Rangers stack up against one of the leagues elite. Jaromir Jagr will also be trying to extend his streak of 20 goal-seasons to 16 which will put him in a tie with Mats Sundin (who should extend his streak to tie the record of 17 years in a few weeks) and one short of the record holder Marcel Dionne (17).

8:00 PM – Prison Break: This is going be a great episode. We left with Michael and Lincoln searching for Sarah who still might be able to save their future, all while their (ex)FBIer is sitting contently, listening to the President direct him to bring back the fleeing convicts so things can go back to the way they used to be. This is the classic ploy to try and get something from someone after you have a fight: bribery. Make the other person think that you feel an ounce of remorse, make it seem as though everything is under the bridge between the two of you, and then say that everything will go back to how they were, and usually, you’ll get them coming back for more. Michael’s always got a plan up his sleeve though, kind of like a modern MacGyver so I’m sure he’s already thought of this scenario and will probably have a plan to separate themselves as quickly as possible, let’s see how they surprise us though.

9:00 PM - The late game to tune into will be the Suns making a trip into Denver to take on Melo, AI and the Nuggets. Although they did suffer two losses during the past week for the first time since the first week of the season, they’re still the jewel of the league and will show a Nuggets team who have been built to run, exactly how to do so.

9:00 PM - College Hoops gives us an early week treat as Texas stays in-state to play Texas A&M. There’s only one thing you need to know about this game: Kevin Durant. Watch the game and let me know what you think afterwards.

Tuesday

7:30 PM- The Celts make a trip into Auburn Hills to take on the Pistons and we will yet again be reminded why Boston so badly needs the ping-pong balls to bounce the right way this spring. Without Pierce in the line-up they are a decimated bunch of youngsters finding their groove and learning what it takes to 1) survive in the league 2) not lose every game.

7:00 PM - For the early slate of hockey games there should be a fun contest in the Dirty South, as the high flying Sabres make a trip into Atlanta to take on Kovalchuck, Hossa and the Thrashers. With the size and skill of Ilya parlayed with the speed and primal instincts of Marion, Atlanta will need to show Buffalo exactly why they’re not far behind for tops in the East.

7:00 PM – The NCAA gives us a second serving of lottery picks and matches up Michigan St. against OSU. If anyone hasn’t seen the latest teenage craze, tune in and watch Greg Oden. After you’ve seen him you’ll know exactly why he hasn’t been ID’d at the club for the past seven years.

10:30 PM - If you don’t work until noon, or just don’t need to be awake for the first half of the day, you’ll want to check out San Jose vs. Anaheim. I know; even after more than a decade, it still sounds strange to list two cities in California to reference an NHL game…we digress. Honestly though, this is going to be one of the best games you’ll see all year. The Ducks are coming off a tough loss Saturday night to the Preds (who, by the way, are now the best team in the NHL, yeah, that surprised me too) and will want to get out to a great start against the Sharks. They’ll go home tomorrow to wrap up the back end of a home-and-home, and then they’ll have the rest of the week off, preparing to go to Dallas on Saturday. I don’t think they’ll want to sit around all week thinking about the 3-game losing streak they’re on.

Wednesday

7:00 PM – The Sens are playing Buffalo and fantasy owners will be hoping that Ray Emery and Ryan Miller get the night off so that the offenses can run wild.

7:00 PM – Dirty Dozen and the Magic make a trip into the ACC to take on the Raps, so that’s where my night will be spent. If you’re not doing anything and want to watch one of the young future superstars of the NBA, make a trip downtown and marvel in everything Dwight Howard has to look forward to and then compare that with your own life outlook.

7:00 PM – Arenas has a chance to show one of the powers out West why he’s a starter in the upcoming All-Star game. If he’s able to put up a triple-double and involve everyone else around him the Wiz will have a slim chance at beating the Spurs, who are just starting to wake up from their first half slumber. With Jameson out of the line-up, the Wizards will be hard pressed to last the depth of San Antonio.

Thursday

7:00 PM – The NHL has a full line-up of games on Thursday, so try and do your best to constantly change the channel and piss off anyone else in the room with you. What you’ll want to keep your eye on will be both Ovechkin and Crosby, who are playing LA and Philly respectively. Montreal will be in Ottawa. And Toronto will get to show us why they need to deal Sundin, as they play in Nashville.

8:00 PM – We get a repeat of the 04 ‘Ship that opened everyone’s eyes in the NBA and finally proved, even after a few Spurs Championships, that teamwork and defense truly reigns supreme as the Lakers and Pistons do battle. I wonder what this years Suns team will do to change our mentality.

Friday

7:00 PM – A light night of action in the NHL as most will be out and enjoying the start of the weekend, but if you’re in, tune into the Lightening game. They’ll be playing NYR and the dynamic duo of St.Louis and Lecavalier are playing like they did when they brought a Stanley Cup to Tampa a few years back and having a lot of fun in the process. I just wonder when will Brad Richards start to live up to all the hype.

7:00 PM – Big night in the NBA. Kobe is in Toronto where we’ll wonder how the hell he put up 81 against us only a year ago. Denver visits Indy who has been surging after making the big deal with Golden State. By the way, this deal has also allowed youngster Danny Granger show us why he was a first rounder last year, as he’s getting increased minutes and showing confidence (avg 17.1ppg & 4.5rpg). Miami heads to Cleveland for another match-up with the Cavs. Let’s hope this is a repeat of last years instant classic that showed us exactly how good both these dazzling young stars can be. What LeBron needs to do is show us he really wants to be a star, even though he might not be surrounded with the most gifted supporting cast.

As for the weekend, well, you’ll have to fend for yourself. Looks like it should be a busy week so pace yourself and enjoy the action.

- JW