Sports Update Monday: NHL Lockout, BCS National Championship & More
The NHL is Back!!!
After a 113 day lockout that sacrificed 625 regular-season games, the NHL and the Players’ Association have finally come to terms on a new 10 year CBA that will give us a shortened NHL season for the remainder of 2012-2013 season. The new season, which is expected to start on January 19th, will be significantly shorter (48 or 50 games) than its normal 82 game season. This also means our very own Southeast division champion Florida Panthers will be back on the ice this month. They have already dedicated this season to the fans, sparking a new marketing campaign entitled “Get It On” and “The 7th Man”, which will offer $7 tickets to loyal Panther fans.
‘Bama vs. The Irish in the 2013 BCS National Championship
Tonight will mark the seventh BCS National Championship game and it features college football’s two best teams, number 1 ranked Notre Dame and number 2 ranked Alabama. This is the second time in BCS National Championship Game history that the event will be hosted in Miami Gardens, FL in Sun Life Stadium, which will air at 8pm on ESPN. Throngs of fans from Indiana to Alabama will be flocking to South Florida to fill up all of Sun Life’s Stadium’s 78,000+ seats. The Alabama Crimson Tide are currently 9.5 point favorites to win the game.
Miami Heat Face Crucial 6 Game Road Trip
The defending champion Miami Heat are currently the best team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23 wins and 9 losses. However they face a grueling 6 game road trip that will square the heat off with teams like the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the best record in the East, the Heat have played a majority of those games at home where they have only 3 games. The heat look to boost their current road record from 7-6 against quality NBA talent on this upcoming trip.
Other Sports News
– Here’s a look at what the Miami Dolphins should/could potentially do come draft time, according to one South Florida sports writer. (via Miami Herald)
– In NFL Playoffs news, the Bengals and Colts were eliminated from the AFC, and the Redskins and Vikings were eliminated from the NFC. Here’s a look at all the playoff match-ups for this weekend.
– Also, in case you haven’t been paying attention. Here’s a complete list of winners and losers from the 2012-2013 College Football Bowl Games.