| by | 12/16/06 | 83 views |
It's the holiday season. A time to drink and be merry, give instead of receive and of course, no school. For some, it's the most wonderful time of the year for a different reason. The next upcoming weeks are the best time of the year for sports.
Some say nothing is better than football on Thanksgiving, but I think football during the Christmas season is better. The National Football League is coming to a close and the next three weeks will decide a number of things: who will make the playoffs, home field advantage, first-round byes, who will play who and which teams start vacation early. Not only do these final games play an important role in your favorite team's future, fans also get the luxury of Saturday games. Now football is on four days a week! I know what some of you are thinking, "My favorite team is the Oakland Raiders, and we suck this year. I don't care about the next three weeks of games." Well, luckily for you, this most wonderful time of the year doesn't just have football games. Basketball and hockey are both in full swing as well.
The National Basketball Association is three months into its nine month season. Right now, the hot topic in the league is Allen Iverson. He said he wanted to be traded from the 76ers about a week ago, and is still awaiting his fate. The NBA usually saves a really good match up for Christmas Day. This year, fans can check out defending champion Miami Heat take on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. If you're a fan of basketball, this is a game you don't want to miss since Bryant and Dwayne Wade are two of the league's top players. Thank you David Stern and the NBA for such a nice gift on Christmas Day.
Moving from the court to the ice, the National Hockey League is also underway. Running basically the same months as the NBA, the NHL is only a month away from its All-Star Game. Even thought the game showcases the best players in the league, the Super Skills competition the day before is so much cooler. The top players in the league compete in a series of skill challenges, like speed skating and shooting accuracy, to show off their abilities.
If none of these sports tickle your fancy, then you can always look abroad and check out the professional soccer leagues in countries like England, Spain, Italy and Germany. These leagues, which seem to run forever, are always a good show. In England, Manchester United are up on Chelsea by five points, with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho shouting "conspiracy" between Manchester and Arsenal. During the holiday season, the play actually picks up as teams are playing roughly every three days instead of every seven. The schedule goes back to normal once the New Year hits, but it's even more exciting before then.
So instead of crying because Santa didn't give you that $500 Playstation 3 you wanted, turn on the television and enjoy the day's schedule of sports. Just remember, there's always next year. Happy Holidays!
     
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University of Delaware
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