The 5 Things That I Am Following This Weekend (Plus One)

1)  The NFL Playoffs.  Does Tebow Time continue or do the Patriots end the magical ride?  The Texans and Ravens are the same type of team.  In the NFC, do the defenses of New York and San Francisco defeat the offenses of Green Bay and New Orleans respectively?  And will an offficial's call decide victory for one team or another?

2)  NASCAR speed trials at Daytona.  The average speed for the cars is over 205 MPH and can reach over 210 MPH.  While safety technology has continued to improve, the increasing of speeds that NASCAR is reporting is starting to become very serious.  They cannot just continue to mess with the restrictor plates and hope for the best on the super speedways.  The sanctioning body is going to have to do something drastic over the next couple of years.

3)  North Dakota vs. Minnesota in WCHA hockey.  This is the last weekend that the Gophers and the team formerly known as the Fighting Sioux will meet as conference opponents.  Yes, I know that this is a homer pick, but guess what?  It is something that I am following very closely.  North Dakota is in 7th place of the WCHA and the Gophers are in 1st.  However, the Sreen and White are looking better than they did at the start of the season and they are known for playing real good hockey in the 2nd half of the season.

4)  UFC 142.  I am not a big mixed martial arts fan.  Let me revise that.  I used to be a big mixed martial arts fan back when they called UFC a renegade and outlaw sport.  Back when the sport wasn't so technical and you saw two warriors get into the octagon and they fought for everything and there weren't weight divisions.  The reason that I am interested right now is that UFC has a network deal, but it seems now more than ever, that the talent has been diluted.  Brock Lesnar used to be the big draw for a couple of years, but now he has retired with his heart not into the sport anymore.  Maybe the achieving of mainstream acceptance is going to be the beginning of the end for the UFC as a big deal.

5)  From the files of a specific thing, the evolution of Les Miles from LSU.  After reading the article on Yahoo Sports! called Les Miles: Heart and Heartbreak, I would submit that he is the ultimate college football head coach.  The story shows the compromises that he makes and also how he is comfortable in his own skin.  I give a salute to Les Miles for what he does, not just because his LSU teams are a perennial power in the SEC and the nation, but about how he conducts himself and isn't a power hungry individual like other coaches are around the nation.

6)  Here is a tale of the Clark family of Chicago.  It is sad and inspiring all at once.  R.I.P. Rocky.   God Bless Your Soul.