Ah, winter break. A time for family. A time for friends. A time for making sure you’re ready to come back in January and become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Or, if you’re like me, a time to shun those you love in order to watch sports. So, without further ado, here are the best games being played over winter break.
Sunday, Dec. 21st – Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
The first important game of break! This game is chock-full of playoff implications vis-à-vis the NFC West divisional title and the eventual wild card winner. In an even larger sense, this game should be an important measuring stick for a lot of things – can the Cardinals win a meaningful game with Drew Stanton at the helm? Is the Cardinals record a result of an easy early-season schedule? Is Seattle, well, Seattle, again? Should they give Marshawn Lynch another thought for next season? Will any of these questions be answered definitively? Probably not!
Thursday, Dec. 25th – Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat
5:00p.m. on Christmas day is a time for family, or so I’m told. What it should be time for is watching Lebron James making a hotly anticipated return to Miami, where the Once and Future King will face off against Wade, Bosh and Co. in what’s sure to give Stephen A. Smith an aneurysm.
Sunday, Dec. 28th – Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
An equally important game in deciding the NFC playoff picture. It’s Year Six for Matthew Stafford and for some in Detroit, it’s time for him to start winning games like this. Aaron Rodgers has been unbeatable at home this year, and the Packers have looked spectacular over the last few weeks. However,the secondary is always a question, and if Stafford can get it going and Reggie Bush can open up the field a little bit, this could be another classic game to put into the decades-old Lions-Packers canon.
Any of the Inaugural College Football Playoff Games
Starting Jan. 1, 2015, we enter a new era of college football. The first playoff games will be played that day, in the form of an Ohio State vs. Alabama Sugar Bowl and an Oregon vs. Florida State Rose Bowl. Those are both fantastic games, and whatever the championship game ends up being, it’ll feature some of the most exciting players in the country. Tune in for that one on Jan. 12.
Thursday, Jan. 1 – Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals
Chicago is as strong as ever, and the Caps are starting to turn it around after a so-so start. The annual Winter Classic, played this year at Nationals Park in D.C., is truly a sight to behold for any sports fan. Plus, you feel very warm watching the action unfold.
There you have it, folks. Hunker down, ignore your Blackboard notifications, and enjoy some great games.
Bernstein is a member of the class of 2018.
