Hungry to Win

By January 26, 2016College Basketball, NBA, NFL, Tennis

As Winter Storm Jonas left its mark, two NFL teams remain standing and the Big Game is set. No Super Bowl watching experience is complete without super bowls of snacks. We’re stretching our stomachs this week in preparation for eating everything in sight next Sunday, February 7th @ 6:30pm ET.

These great recipes for chicken wings and delicious avocado dishes will keep your guests begging for more. To wash it down, try some NFL team inspired cocktails. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, these Stadiums of Snacks may provide the challenge you are looking for!

Follow us on Instagram to get daily food inspiration leading up to the Big Game.

 

National Football League (NFL)

Rocky Mountain Oysters or Ribs? The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers will meet in Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara (just south of San Francisco). This will be Denver’s 8th trip to the Super Bowl (2-5) and Carolina’s 2nd (0-1).

Pick your spot now to view the game. If football is not enough to draw you in, what about a Rihanna and Stephen Colbert promo?

How did the teams get there? In the battle of star quarterbacks this past Sunday, Peyton Manning led his Denver Broncos to a 20-18 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Denver’s defense was outstanding, holding down the vaunted Patriots offense and forcing two Brady interceptions. The Patriots made it interesting in the end, scoring a touchdown with 12 seconds left, but came up short on a potential game-tying two-point conversion.

Carolina sizzled the hopes of all Arizona fans Sunday. The Panthers crushed their visitors from the desert 49-15 behind MVP frontrunner Cam Newton and a defense that smothered Arizona like a Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce, creating seven turnovers.

Carolina and Denver…see you in the Bay Area.

 

College Basketball

Hot potato…The bloodbath continues for the top ranked college basketball teams. #1 Oklahoma, #3 Kansas, #4 Villanova and #5 Xavier all lost last week. #2 North Carolina was the only top-5 team to go undefeated. Maybe the luck is in Carolina?

Hot dog! Kris Dunn is a 6’4” junior guard you’ll see in the NBA next year. Dunn is the best point guard in college and leads #10 ranked Providence averaging 17.2 points 6.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.   More impressive is the courage and perseverance he showed as a boy. His mom went to jail when he was just 9, and he was living alone with his 13 year old brother in Virginia until their father reconnected with them and brought them to Connecticut.

 

National Basketball Association (NBA)

That’s the way the cookie crumbles…Coach David Blatt was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers last week despite having the best record (30-11) in the Eastern Conference. In a Finals rematch last Monday, his squad was embarrassed losing by 34 points to the Golden State Warriors. Even last year’s Finals appearance wasn’t good enough to save his job. Good luck to Cavs’ new coach, 38-year-old former player Tyronn Lue.

Crème de la crème. In a battle of the NBA’s top two teams, the San Antonio Spurs (38-7) visited the Golden State Warriors (41-4) Monday and were dismantled 120-90. Warriors’ Stephen Curry led the way with 37 points and continues to solidify his case as the league’s best player. Rematch March 19 in Texas.

All that and a bag of chips…The NBA announced its All Star starters. Despite having an un-Kobe-like final season, Kobe Bryant was the top vote getter by fans and will play in his 18th All Star game (second only to Kareem Abdul Jabbar).

Here are the NBA All Star starters:

Western Conference

  • Stephen Curry (Guard) Golden State Warriors
  • Russell Westbrook (Guard) Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Kevin Durant (Forward) Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Kawhi Leonard (Forward) San Antonio Spurs
  • Kobe Bryant (Forward) Los Angeles Lakers

Eastern Conference

  • Kyle Lowry (Guard) Toronto Raptors
  • Dwyane Wade (Guard) Miami Heat
  • LeBron James (Forward) Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Carmelo Anthony (Forward) New York Knicks
  • Paul George (Forward) Indiana Pacers

Speaking of munchies…“Uncle Spliffy” returns. College and NBA standout Cliff Robinson, known as Uncle Cliffy, is starting a pot growing operation in Oregon. Uncle Cliffy played for the Portland Trail Blazers for eight years and will be BMOC in Portland once again.

 

Tennis

Dominance, you say? 2015 female athlete of the year Serena Williams rolled over Maria Sharapova for the 18th straight time to advance to the Australian Open Semifinals. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic will take on Roger Federer in one Semifinal. The two stars have met 44 times with each winning 22 matches, including a record 14 times in Grand Slams. More Aussie tennis next week.

 

Remember at TINK Sports we watch the games so you don’t have to.
See you next time…

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