Quiet Week In Canadian Sports With Football, Hockey, Hoops On Break
There’s no tougher challenge for a sports writer than Christmas. Not the holiday, the dearth of sporting events. This is especially true for those of us who cover action North of the border. The NBA is off until the traditional Christmas Day games and the Toronto Raptors don’t play until Saturday, December 26. The NHL is dormant–with even player transactions ‘frozen’ until after the holidays. There’s a full card of NHL hockey on Saturday as well as the start of one of the most exciting non-NHL hockey events, the World Juniors Championships. That tournament will begin with a ‘Boxing Day’ game between Canada and the USA that should be a can’t miss event.
The NFL football season is winding down as well with just two games remaining in the regular season. The American pro football teams of most interest to Canadians include the Buffalo Bills who are hoping to finish at .500 this season. They’ve definitely shown some improvement but they’re a longshot to make the playoffs. Their final two games are against the hapless Dallas Cowboys–which should be an easy win–and a potentially entertaining affair in their season finale against the New York Jets. The Jets are 9-5 on the season and have a very good shot at postseason play.
Another Canadian NFL favorite has always been the Detroit Lions due to the ‘Motor City’s proximity to several major metro areas in Ontario. The Lions are 5-9 and bumbling through another miserable year–that’s been a very common occurance over the past decade. The Lions have had some talent come through but they seem to be constantly in ‘rebuilding mode’. Green Bay, Wisconsin is fairly close to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and right across Lake Superior from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Green Bay Packers are in good form–they’re at 10-4 and in control of the NFC North right ahead of the Minnesota Vikings at 9-5. And for fans on the West Coast of Canada, the closest NFL team to British Columbia–the Seattle Seahawks–are heading back to the playoffs. They’ve already clinched a wildcard spot though the Arizona Cardinals are in complete control of the division at 12-2.
