Did someone say Winter
Olympics? Yes, next month in South Korea. Today, as with many of the weekends this
month, competitions are being held throughout the world in run up to the Olympics, some each weekend
choosing the athletes who will represent the participating countries. Adelboden, Switzerland, today, hosts an event
of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. This
afternoon, the United States Figure Skating Championships are being held at San
Jose, California. The Men's Mass Start
Speed Skating competition will be held this afternoon in Milwaukee, as part of
the U.S. Olympic Trials
In the United Kingdom,
the Premiership Rugby Season continues with a big match today between the Wasps
and the Saracens. Wasps will be looking to extend their Premiership winning run
to seven when they host Saracens at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Sunday. The Saracens have won three of the last four games
the two have played. But they face a
stern test in the reigning European Champions who have lost just two of their
last 12 encounters. The black-and-golds
were dominant against Bath last Friday but will have to contend without injured
pair Kyle Eastmond and Josh Bassett. Their
task is however made easier with their opponents recent poor form, with two
wins from their last two Premiership matches coming on the back of a
seven-match winless run. The Wasps have
started to show why they are considered one of the most exciting teams in the
Premiership by scoring 112 points in their last three top-flight matches. The Saracens possess one of the meanest
defences in the game and have conceded the second least amount of points this
season.
In the United States, The
Wild Card weekend of the National Football League playoffs continues on Sunday,
with the Buffalo Bills travelling to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Carolina
Panthers travelling to the New Orleans Saints.
After a three-season
absence, the New Orleans Saints (11-5) will play in a postseason game for the
first time since 2013 when the team hosts the Carolina Panthers (also 11-5) at
the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday.
Only 10 Saints, including
quarterback Drew Brees, running back Mark Ingram, defensive end Cameron Jordan,
tackle Terron Armstead and punter Thomas Morstead, among others -- remain from
the Saints' 2013 team. Linebacker and
Notre Dame alum Manti Te'o, who signed a two-year deal in March 2017, last
appeared in the postseason as a member of the then-San Diego Chargers. Seeking stability amid an uncertain future,
the Carolina Panthers signed coach Ron Rivera to a two-year contract extension
on Saturday. On the field, the Panthers
have been fairly consistent outside of a disappointing 6-10 season a year ago. Its defense finished third in the NFL with 50
sacks during the regular season, and it is the only team in the NFL to not
allow an individual 100-yard rusher in any game this season. The Panthers set a
franchise record by going 20 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard
individual rusher, the longest active streak in the league. Carolina's offense has finished in the top 10
in the NFL in yards rushing per game in six of the past seven seasons,
including a fourth-place mark this season at 131.4 yards per game.
It’s been a generation
since the Jacksonville Jaguars last hosted a home playoff game and Sunday’s
contest with the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Field will mean much more than just
a game for the city, the franchise and the fans. The Bills’ 17-year playoff drought is a thing
of history, albeit, ugly history. Thanks to last week’s Jacksonville lodd,
coupled with Cincinnati’s stunning triumph over Baltimore, the Bills are back
in the postseason for the first time since the 1999 season. This is the 16th game counting playoffs, every
played between these teams, with the Bills holding an 8-7 lead. ... Last year,
the Bills defeated the Jaguars in Buffalo, 28-21, and the year before, Buffalo
lost to Jacksonville 34-31 in a game played at Wembley Stadium in London. Jacksonville leads the Bills in all
statistical categories, both offense and defense. In the
only playoff game between the teams, the Jaguars defeated the Bills 30-27 in
1996. That game happened to be the first meeting ever in Jacksonville’s second
season in the NFL. In today's game, the sentimental choice has got to be the
Bills. The best to all teams.
