It is finally December, a month when Christmas and winter make their grand entrances. The holiday season always brings some of the most exciting events in the professional sports world. With winter break fast approaching, here are some events to look forward to in the next couple of weeks and months.
The NBA season got off to a fast start. The In-Season Tournament, an early Christmas present for basketball fans, did the same, with eight teams already advancing to the quarter finals of the tournament. In the west, the first seed Los Angeles Lakers are taking on the fourth seed Phoenix Suns. The second seed Sacramento Kings will face the third seed New Orleans Pelicans. On the east side of the bracket, the first seed Milwaukee Bucks will see the fourth seed New York Knicks in the quarter finals while the second seed Indiana Pacers will face the Boston Celtics. On Monday, the Pelicans defeated the Kings, and the Pacers beat the Celtics to both advance to the semifinals.
One of my favorite things in all of sports is getting to see snow during an NFL game. I believe that snow truly captures the magic that is in sports. Getting to see one’s team play in a winter wonderland makes the experience much more exciting.
This season, the NFL will hopefully feature a few snowy games — even better if they happen on Christmas. The NFL will host three games on Christmas, with the Las Vegas Raiders traveling to Arrowhead to take on the Kansas City Chiefs, the New York Giants visiting Philly to play the Eagles and, in the marquee matchup of Christmas, the Baltimore Ravens will face the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs versus Raiders and Eagles versus Giants games will also have a chance of snow.
Alongside the world of professional sports, college football always gives fans an exciting winter season. This year, college football playoffs will feature the Michigan Wolverines, the Washington Huskies, the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The first matchups will see fourth-ranked Alabama take on first-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and third-ranked Texas taking on second-ranked Washington in the Sugar bowl. The Rose Bowl will be played on Jan. 1 at 5 p.m., and the Sugar Bowl will be played the same day at 8:45 p.m. The winners will then travel to NRG stadium in Houston, Texas, on Jan. 8 to play the National Championship.
