Games of the Week

The mission of The Daily Hat Trick is to keep the sporting fans of the world informed and entertained. There are some pivotal matchups approaching in the world of sports in the next few days. Here is my two cents, which, I hope, is worth at least two cents.

Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers

If I need to explain the significance of this one, then your NBA fancard is hereby revoked. LeBron James returns to Cleveland tonight for the first time since "The Decision". I simply hope that King James can arrive' play' and leave without the use of Popemobile.

SEC Championship Game - Auburn Tigers vs South Carolina Gamecocks from Atlanta, Georgia

The Gamecocks can save the college football world a lot of controversy (to the detriment of those of us that write about the sport) by beating Auburn and eliminating any controversy about the BCS Championship due to the Cam Newton situation. I would not count on it. Auburn has the best player in the country in Newton and will likely demonstrate why it should be crowned the best team in the country on Saturday night.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

"WAR! HUH! What is it good for?"

An absolute bloodbath on the gridiron.... The old Cleveland Browns may have changed their franchise name, colors, and records over to that of the Baltimore Ravens, but, make no mistake, the lack of love loss is the same as it always was. These two teams have engaged in more titanic battles for divisional supremacy, in the AFC North, over the past decade than any other rivalry in the National Football League. Who can forget the gory image of Willis McGehee lying motionless on the turf of Pittsburgh's Heinz Field as Rob Thomas and Santana's "Smooth" blared over the public address system?

Ben Roethlisberger's foot injury, suffered against the Buffalo Bills, may put the Steelers at a competitive disadvantage. In fact, the fact that the 2-9 Buffalo Bills "should have" beaten the Steelers leads me to believe that there may be some fundamental challenges for the Men of Steel ("should have" is really meaningless in contrast to a final score, but the Steelers could not have felt giddy about their narrow escape from Orchard Park, NY with the win). I think the Ravens have the advantage, especially playing at home, but the records can truly be thrown out of the window for this game.

New York Jets at New England Patriots

TV networks often overhype games. This matchup, however, truly is the game of the year. I think that the winner of this game wins the AFC East and probably claims home field advantage in the AFC Playoffs. I think the advantage goes to the Jets, in spite of playing on the road in Foxboro, but there are no certainties in this matchup which, going back to the Bill Parcells era of the mid 90s has often determined playoff positioning and championship game/Super Bowl participants.

I see Bill Belichick eating his hoodie from anguish, Tom Brady eating his words about the Jets and the HBO show, "Hard Knocks", and Rex Ryan eating "a Goddamn snack" when it is all over!