It’s the festive season, the weather is heating up, work is drawing to a close, and sport is everywhere you look – darts, cricket, football and NFL to name a few.
We start with the Boxing Day Test match, always a big drawcard. If you’re able to avoid being dragged out to the sales then you are very much set for a quality day of cricket when they play a Test on the MCG.
This year’s edition will probably feature a little less spark as the Ashes has been decided, but that won’t mean that the Aussies won’t want to make it 4-0 and continue to demoralise the Poms.
On the other side, the Poms are looking to regain some more respectability after their improved second innings in Perth. Possible we will see some changes to the line up. Don’t be surprised if Bairstow replaces Prior behind the stumps.
Added to that are the international matches between New Zealand and the West Indies in NZ, South Africa and India in RSA, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka over in the UAE.
But the big ticket item is the Big Bash League. Having kicked off with two local derbies and a grand final replay, the Scorchers of Perth then host the Melbourne Renegades on Boxing Day evening to round off a top day of cricket.
We then have the darts – one of those sports you don’t keep track of religiously but as soon as you find it, you’re hooked and can’t stop watching.
The upset of the tournament so far saw 16-time champion Phil “The Power” Taylor get dumped out of the annual end of year PDC World Championships at the Alexandria Palace in London.
This has opened up the draw for Aussies Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson to make a decent run.
This starts at 6am every morning until the New Year and when you wake up early after a warm night without sleep feeling disgruntled, be sure to flick on and enjoy some quality darts.
The NFL on have some big games on offer Monday and Tuesday as the playoff race heats up.
The 11-3 Kansas City Chiefs will travel to the 9-5 Indianapolis Colts in what may be a first-round playoff preview from 5am.
Immediately after that game the NFC West-leading 12-2 Seattle Seahawks host divisional rivals and wild card hopefuls, the 9-5 Arizona Cardinals.
Over on OneHD, those without pay TV can watch the resurgent yet unlucky 4-10 Cleveland Browns travel to face the often comical 6-8 New York Jets.
Right after that match you have a good old-fashioned NFL bash-off with the 6-8 Pittsburgh Steelers traveling to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the 7-6-1 Green Bay Packers.
Then on ESPN and OneHD, the 8-6 Chicago Bears host the 8-6 Philadelphia Eagles, the winner of this match all but securing a home playoff spot.
And on Monday night the under-performing 4-10 Atlanta Falcons will travel to the bay area for the 10-4 San Francisco 49ers’ last match at Candlestick Park.
Finally, the festive football package. If you search hard enough on television, you will find a game of football on there nearly every day of the week.
And there are some crackers over the Christmas period that really appeal to the big game lovers.
The A-League offers up a Monday night game between Western Sydney and Central Coast in a grand final rematch. Boxing Day sees the hotly contested match-up between Sydney FC and Brisbane, with the Heart and the Phoenix facing off in a celler-dweller battle.
The EPL offers up a huge London derby clash on Christmas Eve morning with Chelsea and Arsenal squaring off, the match further intensified by Chelsea wing-back Ashley Cole being caught attending Arsenal’s christmas party.
Then we have a full schedule of Boxing Day football, including Manchester City hosting Liverpool the morning of December 27 and the two teams who just sacked their managers in Spurs and West Brom facing off.
That’s also not forgetting that on Boxing Day the Sydney to Hobart starts, with Wild Oats XI looking to continue its stranglehold on line honours in the race.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy all the sport that has been presented to us over the week in which many of us are obligated to do nothing. You will not be disappointed.
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