Can you smell that? That’s the sweet, sweet aroma of the NFL Conference round of the playoffs mixed with a rapidly heating-up NBA season with just a hint of NHL action. Somebody’s cooking up a batch of Buzzer Eagle Top 5 Weekend Preview.
#5 Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards
This may seem like a strange pick for a game to watch. The Boston Celtics must have lent their lucky leprechaun to the Patriots, because he hasn’t done them a bit of good this season. At 4-8, the Celtics have a long, uphill battle ahead of them if they’re going to even have a shot at the playoffs. The Washington Wizards, on the other hand, are just awful. Absolutely the worst team in the NBA. Fully deserving of their atrocious 1-12 record. This sounds like a recipe for a highlight reel game to spur the Celts on toward better days.
#4 Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit Red Wings
In a little best-vs-worst action, the woeful Columbus Blue Jackets will drag their worst-by-a-lot 31 to Detroit to face the best team in the Western Conference. This should be worth watching just for the sheer brutality of the smackdown that the Wings should put on their overmatched opponents. Unless you’re a Columbus fan…
#3 Oklahoma City Thunder at New Jersey Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder has won seven in a row en route to an NBA best 13-3 record so far in this shortened NBA season. The New Jersey Nets are looking lost and hopeless at 3-11 so far and showing little prospect for improvement. Will this be a game that OKC overlooks? Will the Nets find the fire they’ve lacked all season? Put this one down as an Official Buzzer Eagle Upset Special.
#2 New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
NFL fans all across the Fruited Plain are now becoming aware of what regular readers of Buzzer Eagle have known for the last 10 weeks or so. The San Francisco 49ers are quietly among the elite of the National Football League. Now they’ll have a chance to prove their elite-ness with a trip to the Super Bowl. But, of course, the surging New York Giants may have a thing or two to say about that.
49ers tight end Vernon Davis gave the G-Men some great bulletin board material when he told reporters that he prayed the Giants would win. Even though he tactfully tried to ameliorate the comments later in the week, you can’t un-ring a bell. It will be a teed-off New York team that makes the cross country trip to face Davis (pictured) and company this weekend. The better team punches their ticket to the Super Bowl.
#1 Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
Everyone is so impressed with The Hoodie and his New England Patriots that many observers are forgetting just how good the Baltimore Ravens are. Will the Ravens‘ smothering, dominant defense be enough to stop Tom Brady and those ridiculously good tight ends? No. But will the Ravens‘ smothering, dominant defense be enough to slow down Tom Brady and those ridiculously good tight ends enough to give Delaware alum Joe Flacco (Go Fighting Blue Hens!) and the Baltimore O a chance to win? Maybe.
(U.S. Air Force photo)
