Christmas Day Season Opener

So the NBA is back! Fans were very pleased with its return on Christmas Day as evidenced by the TV ratings. The game that I was looking forward to greatly after having my roast turkey and sweet potato pie (highly recommend it; those Southerners sure have great cuisine) was the Chicago Bulls at the Staples Center taking on the Los Angeles Lakers. This was a great game that unfortunately ended in a one-point loss for my favorite team the Lakers. However, it was record-setting and went down as the third most-watched regular season game ever on ABC.

A record number of viewers tuned in to watch the New York Knicks edge the Boston Celtics 106-104 at home in Madison Square Garden. 5.9 million viewers witnessed this first game of the 2011-12 NBA season and was the most viewed for a Christmas Day game. This is a revised regular season due to the lockout which has a 66-game schedule which runs from December 25, 2011 to April 26, 2012.

2012 March Madness

My conference, the Big Ten, is still the top conference when it comes to college basketball this season. The Ohio State Buckeyes who happen to be my favorite team are ranked second in the Associated Press Poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. After the Buckeyes there are a lot of teams that can make it to the Big Dance from this power conference with the Wisconsin Badgers, Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines all ranked in the top 25 in both these polls.

Looking at the other conferences, I would say that Duke and UNC are definitely in from the ACC with Florida State and Virginia also looking like they will make it. Syracuse have had a wonderful season so far and I don’t see them missing a beat going into the NCAA tournament with Louisville, Marquette, Georgetown and UConn from the Big East.

Stanford lost to Butler on Thursday at home and could have trouble making it from the PAC-12 with their weak strength of schedule and RPI. However, Cal and Arizona should look for a good run in the Big Dance.

I will leave you with my pick and I am going with Coach Cal, Terrence Jones and Big Blue Nation to triumph again at last and John Calipari can finally have his big win which he is badly missing.