Following two jam packed weekends and a week full of shocking Detroit Tigers news, the Detroit sports powers that be decided everyone needed time to catch their breath this weekend. The Red Wings have the weekend off for the NHL All-Star game, Michigan’s hockey team is off and so is Michigan State basketball. The premiere match up comes Sunday, when the Michigan Wolverines visit the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus for an important Big Ten basketball tilt. Other than that, the slate is slow, unless you count yourself among the 1,000 people who find the 2012 Detroit Pistons riveting entertainment.
Here is the complete rundown for the final weekend in January:
Friday, January 27
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m EST (FSD): The Pistons showed signs of life this week (again, by their standards) winning against Portland and almost defeating the Miami Heat. Friday night, the Atlanta Hawks visit Auburn Hills. Atlanta is 13-6 on the season, so barring an upset of epic proportions, it’s not looking good already for the home team.
Weekend day rating: 1 Joe Louis Fist Bump (out of 5). By now, everybody knows not to cancel any plans to watch the Pistons. Go ahead and record that contest if you must, but otherwise, proceed.
Saturday, January 28
NFL Senior Bowl, 3 p.m. EST (NFL Network): Saturday’s most compelling game will be found in Mobile, Alabama as the seniors try and put on a show for NFL scouts. As usual, it’s worth tuning in to watch and see what prospects the Lions could be angling for. A few local players will be in action as well, in Kirk Cousins, Trenton Robinson, Brian Linthicum of Michigan State, and Mike Martin of Michigan.
Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. EST (FSD): After Friday’s game, the Pistons hit the road to take on the 76ers, who currently occupy first place in the Atlantic Division. Playing two Eastern Conference heavyweights back to back might mean that Saturday’s score ends up more lopsided than Friday’s.
NHL All-Star Skills Competition, 7 p.m. EST (NBC Sports Network): The NHL’s best will show their skills in such competitions as the hardest shot, fastest skater and accuracy shooting. Most interesting to Red Wings’ fans should be the breakaway challenge, which Pavel Datsyuk could star in. Everybody knows his slick moves have dotted highlight reels in the past, so catching that event could be worth it simply to see what Datsyuk does next.
Weekend day rating: 2 Joe Louis Fist Bumps (out of 5). Other than plenty of college basketball on ESPN, the Senior Bowl is the premiere contest of the day. Watch that, or definitely plan to catch up on who excelled and how your favorite local player performed. The NHL skills competition is largely fluff, but occasionally some exciting things happen, especially with Datsyuk in the fold.
Sunday, January 29
Michigan at Ohio State, 1 p.m. EST (CBS): In the match up of the weekend, the Wolverines head south to a rowdy environment to take on the Buckeyes. This tilt has definite implications in the Big Ten, with both teams occupying the top of the standings in a group at 6-2. Michigan already had a nice win at Purdue this week, and winning on the road in Ohio would be a fantastic cherry on top. The loser will sustain their third loss and slip behind the pack a tad, while the winner will surge forward with momentum. Can Trey Burke put on a show in his home state and lead Michigan to an upset? With plenty on the line and tons of emotion, this should prove to be one of the top basketball games of the weekend.
NHL All-Star Game, 4 p.m. EST (NBC Sports Network): It seems every year, the NHL all-star contest becomes a little more watered down. Despite that, two Red Wings will be in action, including the number one pick of “Team Zdeno Chara” Pavel Datsyuk. Jimmy Howard will also play goal for team Chara, so if nothing else, it will be interesting to see how two of Detroit’s stars show. Expect another 14-12 snoozer of a game, with little defense and plenty of horsing around.
Weekend day rating: 5 Joe Louis Fist bumps (out of 5). The Michigan-Ohio State game saves the day and the weekend. That contest is worth tuning in for, and the NHL all-star game could serve as a nice bit of dessert as the basketball game winds down.
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