Vince Marriott: There's nothing in sports like a good rivalry. Ohio State-Michigan, Lakers-Celtics and even Oxford-Cambridge have provided decades and even centuries of memorable matchups that often transcend the sports themselves. Still, none of these rivalries can match the intensity of Yankees-Red Sox baseball, because you never quite know what you're going to get. Whether its an intentional hit, a thrown bat or an all-out brawl, this rivalry rarely disappoints. On Friday (conveniently scheduled by Major League Baseball to happen on a weekend), these two teams face off for the first time this season, and it's not a game you want to miss. (Friday, 3:30 p.m., YES)
Dong Zhao: How crazy has this year's Stanley Cup playoffs been so far? Let's review some facts. Fact: Seven of the first 15 games went to overtime, including two double-overtime thrillers. Fact: The eighth-seeded Kings swept the first two road games against the Presidents' Trophy winner Vancouver Canucks. Fact: After being outscored 6-1 in the opening periods of the first two games, the Flyers held a 2-0 series lead over the Penguins. Fact: Capitals third-string goalie Braden Holtby, who spent almost the entire year in the minors, has allowed two goals in the first two playoff games against the Bruins. Fact: There is nothing in sports more exciting than the Stanley Cup playoffs. (All week, NBC/NBCSN)
Jonathan Gault: Disclaimer: I'm going to talk about soccer again. If you don't care, by all means skip this blurb, but judging by the amount of you I see watching the beautiful game on the Collis TVs, I'm going to guess that at least a few people will be interested in what I have to say. This week, it's the Champions League semifinals, featuring two huge games between four massive clubs. The underlying theme of these matchups is that, if everything breaks right, Barcelona could end up facing Real Madrid in the final for the first time ever. Their opponents, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, respectively, aren't exactly slumps though, as both clubs have been to the final in the past five years. (Tuesday, 2:45 p.m., Fox Soccer and Wednesday, 2:45 p.m., FX)
