Welcome to a new column here at HDTV Magazine. Each Thursday, HD Sports Week will try to highlight the best of HD sports programming for the next seven days. The idea isn't to list every game, match or special. We'll try to sift through it all, and single out the best HD sports programming that you really shouldn't miss. Of course, sports being what it is, many of you watch HD sports based on where you live. That's understandable. So my goal is to try and single out the national events, the contests and specials that should appeal to the widest HD audience.

NFL Playoffs

Only one thing to say about this weekend when it comes to HD sports: NFL playoffs. After all, this is why many of us went out and bought those big screen HDTVs. For football freaks, it's time for four weekends (remember the week off before the Super Bowl) of total football immersion, where every game counts. And all in glorious HD (if the networks do their jobs right).


NFL Playoffs

And this weekend, there is a special cherry on the top of our football phantasmagoria. On Monday night, we have the BCS National Championship game (8:00pm EST, Fox 720p), as those Buckeyes from Ohio State tangle with the hungry-for-a-national title Florida Gators. If the BCS title game even comes close to matching the amazing Fiesta Bowl last Monday night, when Boise State shocked Oklahoma and the college football world, strap on those recliner seat belts. Of course, you might need some coffee to find out who wins. College Bowl games just take too long (dump those halftime shows). The Fiesta Bowl ended at 12:45, hardly prime time.


On to the NFL slate, where every one of the four playoff games offers a great storyline. Of course, being a Philadelphia dweller, the NY Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game (Sunday, 4:30pm EST, Fox 720p) is the game to watch at my house. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Saturday's games pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the Indianapolis Colts (4:30pm EST, NBC 1080i), at Peyton's Place. Of course, the real soap opera is will Peyton Manning shake that playoff jinx in 2007? And will Larry Johnson pile up 300 yards against the porous Colt run defense? Over in the NFC, the nightcap has the sinking Dallas Cowboys trying to right their ship against the Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks (8:00pm EST, NBC 1080i). Then, Sunday's first game pits the surprising New York Jets against the resurgent New England Patriots (1:00pm EST, CBS 1080i). At least we don't have to worry about CBS not broadcasting in HD for this one.

Backtracking to Friday night, the NBA match-up between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs is one of those great regular-season HD match-ups (8 p.m., ESPN-HD, 720p) that hoop fans crave (they are so few and far between).

Looking past Monday, there is one interesting college hoop match-up Tuesday night when Big 10 powerhouses Wisconsin and Ohio State tangle (9 p.m. EST, ESPNHD, 720p).

Let's hope that the networks have their best HD foot forward this weekend, because if you caught last weekend's NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions, many of the sideline shots on Fox were out of focus for some odd reason (could it have been Bill Parcells dour face messed up the feed?). I checked both of my HD sets, and it was on both sets, and I don't think it was the DIRECTV feed.