This Weekend - There's a Little Something for Everyone

When you were looking ahead on your calendar as the year changed from 2011 to 2012, I doubt that the last weekend of February jumped out to you as an outstanding sports weekend.  Upon further review, this coming weekend may be the most complete weekend of the entire year.  This weekend there’s a little something for everybody.

NBA All Star Weekend

Regardless of your feelings about all-star games in general, about the legitimacy and competition, all of us must agree that the NBA does it right.  There will be action all weekend long starting on Friday.  Friday’s schedule will be highlighted by the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at 7pm on ESPN and then capped off by the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at 9pm on TNT.  Saturday’s schedule is even more action packed than Friday’s, beginning at 2pm with the 2012 NBA Development League All-Star Game on NBA TV.  NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm will kick off at 8:30pm and run through the four events that make All Star Weekend so great.  The first event will be the Haier Shooting Stars, then the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, followed by the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, and all capped off by the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.  The 2012 NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia Motors will tip off at 7:37 on Sunday on TNT for year-long bragging rights between the East and West All-Stars.  If NBA All-Star weekend doesn’t scream sports business, then I don’t know what does.

UFC 144

After a string of underwhelming fight cards, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is back with this mega fight card that is UFC 144.  Going back to Japan for the first time since UFC 29, the event will be headlined by the World Lightweight Championship fight where Frankie Edgar will put his title on the line against Benson Henderson.  The main card is rounded out by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Ryan Bader, Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo, Yoshiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields, and Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon.  The preliminary card will not disappoint either with some great Japanese fighters like Takanori Gomi, Hatsu Hioki, and Yuskin Okami all stepping into the octagon.  The UFC has done a fantastic job putting together a great fight card that, aside from the title fight, features either a fight of Japanese descent or a fighter beloved in Japan from fighting in the Pride Fighting Championships.  UFC 144 will air Saturday night on pay-per-view and is sure to bring some great action.

Daytona 500

We may not live in a big NASCAR area, and that leads many people to forget about the sport completely.  In reality, the Daytona 500 is one of the biggest sporting events in America each year.  Similar to NBA All-Star weekend, the Daytona 500 offers an entire weekend of action.  The Daytona 500 actually started last weekend with the Budweiser Shootout and Qualifying presented by Kroger.  This weekend the real action starts on Thursday with the Gatorade Duels and continues Friday with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.  Saturday will end with the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300.  Sunday kicks off the Daytona 500, “Great American Race”, at 1pm.  Regardless of your view of the sport here in the northern half of the country, NASCAR is vastly popular and huge in the sports business world.  Offering a deep history and also deep American roots, the Daytona 500 is sure to get its fair share of viewers on this hectic sporting weekend.

WGC - Accenture Match Play

Wednesday kicked off perhaps one of the most unique golf events of the year, the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championships.  The Accenture Match Play Championship pairs golfers one on one against each other in a bracket style tournament.  Here, rankings are thrown out the window.  The style of golf and the mentality completely changes.  Upsets are a commonplace in match play.  This annual tournament gives a unique tournament atmosphere that is not seen on the PGA Tour.  This is the best of the best.  Tune in throughout the weekend to keep tabs on your favorite golfers.

NFL Combine

Although the NFL Combine is definitely for a niche audience, the growing popularity over the past ten years cannot be ignored.  Now airing on NFL Network all weekend, fans can get the same experience from their couch that the front office executives and scouts get while they are in Indianapolis.  The Combine makes or breaks NFL dreams each and every year.  This is the moment that these guys have all been waiting for.  Proving that they belong in the NFL is an opportunity that not many get to experience.  Periodically check out the Combine this weekend on NFL Network.  The workouts are highlighted by the offensive skill position (QB, RB, and WR) workouts this Sunday.

MLB Spring Training

Ah yes, I know this beautiful weather means something.  The beautiful weather means that baseball season is back.  By the end of the weekend all pitchers and catchers in Major League Baseball will have reported to camp and begun workouts.  Although there is no formal action, this is the perfect time to get up to speed on the current state of your favorite ball club. 

Academy Awards

When you first think about the 84^th Annual Academy Awards this Sunday night, I bet you don’t think about sports.  But you definitely should.  The big budget film Moneyball based on the book about the small budget early 2000s Oakland A’s is nominated for Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role (Brad Pitt), Actor in a Supporting Role (Jonah Hill), Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Writing for an Adapted Screenplay.  Also a sports movie flying under the radar is the moving documentary Undefeated.  The documentary has a legitimate shot at winning best documentary feature with its story about Manassas High School Football team overcoming all odds.  Tune in on Sunday night to see if one of these great sports films gets an Oscar!

--Written By Kevin Rossi

@kevin_rossi