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Posted 10/27/2007 at 11:00 AM
There's no doubt that the next 10 days are some of the most exciting on the sports calendar. It's the only week of the season that all four major sports are happening at once along with college football, college basketball, golf, and even horse racing.
Starting with a big weekend of football, I'm looking forward to Tennessee/South Carolina matchup on Saturday night. Things are getting worse by the day for Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer and a loss on his home turf in prime time to Spurrier won't sit well with the Vols faithful. This is his make or break game.
Two other huge games on the calendar are out west. USC/Oregon and California/Arizona St. have not only Pac-10 title implications but these games loom large on the national radar as well. Add in the Ohio St./Penn St. game and we could have another Saturday of watching top 10 teams fall.
The Rockies host the Red Sox on Saturday and Sunday already down 2-0 in the World Series. You have to like the underdog story here and I expect a comeback by Colorado to even up this series. Coors Field is a hitters park and the ball is going to be flying all over the place.
Sunday marks the first time an NFL game is played outside North America and you can't help but wonder what the purpose is. This game is going to feature a winless Miami Dolphin team that can't draw fans at home which may be the best reason for having the game in London. If the NFL wants to expand into foreign markets, they're going to need a much better long term plan on how to incorporate those cities and teams into the league. Let's not forget the NFL Europe.
The NBA tips off on Tuesday for what may become its most important season ever. With referees gambling on thie own games and the lack of any true positive media, the league is going to need to do everything possible to create rivalries, storylines, and other tidbits to keep the public watching from now until June. The emerging fan base of college basketball is quickly learning that it is a much more exciting option.
And speaking of college basketball, just nine days from now we'll kick off the 2007-2008 run to the Final Four. Much like college football, you can't pay much attention to the early polls but there are a few teams that seem head and shoulders above the rest. I'm thinking that this season could become one of the best in history as the talent level on the court continues to increase and college sports continue to grow in popularity. I attribute all of the success of college basketball to ESPN who do a tremendous job of covering the sport.
It's going to be a great 10 days which should provide plenty of opportunity for action. Don't miss out.
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