Lebodome’s Thanksgiving Weekend Guide to Sports
Follow Lebodome’s picks for Thanksgiving weekend games and turn off some of the TVs. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at [email protected].
Gravy, more gravy and yes, of course, stuffing. Frankly those things were the only things on my mind this weekend as I enjoyed the season’s first cold weather (I say this because I bitterly wore my winter coat).
But as that weekend ends, we move on to this week, which always tends to get lost in the shuffle in terms of work productivity and actually accomplishing tasks because most people can only think about two things: gravy and stuffing. (Sorry, but actual turkey comes and goes, stuffing is special. Did I forget pie?).
Borderstan has several fine writers to give you recipes and food recommendations in DC, so I’ll just stick to what I know — what’s goin’ on in the sports world over the holiday.
Thanksgiving weekend can be a very full slate of enjoyable contests in a variety of sports. This year, thanks to the unwavering stupidity of the NBA (everyone involved), the menu is a little smaller but no less great. Here is the weekend breakdown, so after your meal, unbutton those pants, slouch a bit and enjoy other people being active.
Thursday: Gobble Gobble Day
12:30 pm, Green Bay Packers (10-0) at Detroit Lions (7-3), Fox. The Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving Day since Tim Allen was the coolest tool-man in Detroit, but for the last decade have been the joke of the league. Not the case this year as this division match-up is easily the best game of the day. Wake up hungover from your previous night’s awkward home reunions and enjoy the smell of the kitchen while watching Aaron Rodgers discount double-check all over the field. Important not to eat too much during this game. Save your capacity for prime-time: the bird.
8:30 pm, San Francisco 49ers (9-1) at Baltimore Ravens (7-3), NFL Network. Two brothers as head coaches facing off with easily two of the best teams in the league. As my roommate often says, if Ray Lewis (Linebacker for the Ravens) started a church, people would flock to him. This is the “digestion game,” most of your relatives will be asleep and others may just be a bit tipsy. This game goes well with a second round of the dinner food, pending there are leftovers available.
Friday: Did we really eat that much? Yeah, get over it!
1 pm, Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins, NBC. Wake up slowly with this game between the defending Stanley Cup champions and the octopus throwing Red Wings. I recommend hot mulled apple cider with this one.
2:30 pm, Arkansas (10-1) vs. LSU, (11-0), College Football on CBS. Both teams are ranked in the top 3 in the AP, ESPN, BCS, etc. (I really hate this system, but I’ll save that rant for later.) Only one of these teams can advance to the National Championship, so plenty on the line.
Sunday: Yes, I am still eating leftovers. Got a problem?!
6:30 & 9 pm, College basketball tournament finals, ESPN2. November is full of mini-tournaments in fun locations that tend to get the big teams playing each other before they hibernate to easy non-conference games (then around Christmas it switches to all conference). True contenders may show themselves, while flash-in-the-pans retreat to mediocrity.
There are lots of other games over the course of the week, but these are the highlights. This is also a great time of the year for some pickup hoops, backyard football, or cut-throat scrabble. If I missed a great event, let me know, otherwise safe travels everyone and have a great Thanksgiving, Borderstan.
Thought of the Week
- Will old NBA highlight reels get me through the lockout? Doubtful. Ugh Stern, Hunter, and everyone else involved…
