TV Weekend 12.5-12.6

By @nevaRWilliams

Haven (Friday, SyFy, 7 PM)
WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Friday, SyFy, 8 PM)
Girl Meets World (Friday, Disney Channel, 8 PM)
How Murray Saved Christmas (Friday, NBC, 8 PM)
Last Man Standing (Friday, ABC, 8 PM)
The Amazing Race (Friday, CBS, 8 PM)
Cristela (Friday, ABC, 8:30 PM)

A Football Life: Roger Staubach (Friday, NFL Network, 9 PM)
Grimm (Friday, NBC, 9 PM)
Shark Tank (Friday, ABC, 9 PM)
A Very Grammy Christmas (Friday, CBS, 9 PM)

A Football Life: Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers (Friday, NFL Network, 10 PM)
Constantine (Friday, NBC, 10 PM)
Z Nation (Friday, SyFy, 10 PM)
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It's A Wonderful Life (Saturday, NBC, 8 PM)
Atlantis (Saturday, BBC America, 9 PM)
Black Dynamite (Cartoon Network, 10:30 PM)
Saturday Night Live, James Franco, Nicki Minaj (Saturday, NBC, 11:30 PM)

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NBA
Thunder @ 76ers (Friday, NBA TV, 7 PM)
Cavaliers @ Raptors (Friday, FOX Sports Ohio, 7:30 PM)
Pacers @ Kings (Friday, NBA TV, 10 PM)

Warriors @ Bulls (Saturday, NBA TV, 8 PM)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Texas @ Kentucky (Friday, ESPN, 7 PM)
Wyoming @ SMU (Friday, ESPNews, 7 PM)
Florida @ Kansas (Friday, ESPN, 9 PM)
Missouri @ Oklahoma (Friday, ESPNU, 9:30 PM)

La Salle @ Temple (Saturday, ESPNews, 12 PM)
Oklahoma State @ South Carolina (Saturday, ESPNU, 12 PM)
Wisconsin @ Marquette (Saturday, CBS, 12:30 PM)
Saint Joseph's @ Villanova (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 1 PM)
Virginia @ VCU (Saturday, ESPNU, 2 PM)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Michigan State (Saturday, Big Ten, 2:15 PM)
Kansas State @ Tennessee (Saturday, ESPN 2, 3:15 PM)
Colgate @ Ohio State (Saturday, Big Ten, 4:30 PM)
Northwestern @ Butler (Saturday, FOX, 4:30 PM)
Gonzaga @ Arizona (Saturday, ESPN, 5:15 PM)
St. John's @ Syracuse (Saturday, ESPN 2, 5:15 PM)
Wake Forest @ North Carolina State (Saturday, ESPNU, 7:30 PM)
Bradley @ Memphis (Saturday, ESPNU, 9:30 PM)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
MAC Championship: Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois (Friday, ESPN 2, 7 PM)
PAC-12 Championship: Arizona vs. Oregon (Friday, FOX, 9 PM)

Iowa State @ TCU (Saturday, ABC, 12 PM)
Houston @ Cincinnati (Saturday, ESPN, 12 PM)
C-USA Championship: Louisiana Tech @ Marshall (Saturday, ESPN 2, 12 PM)
SMU @ Connecticut (Saturday, CBS SportsNet, 12 PM)

Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 3:30 PM)
SEC Championship: Alabama vs. Missouri (Saturday, CBS, 4 PM)
SWAC Championship: Alcorn State vs. Southern (Saturday, ESPNU, 4 PM)

Temple @ Tulane (Saturday, ESPN 2, 7:30 PM)
Kansas State @ Baylor (Saturday, ESPN, 7:45 PM)
ACC Championship: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (Saturday, ABC, 8 PM)
Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (Saturday, FOX, 8 PM)
Mountain West Championship: Fresno State vs. Boise State (Saturday, CBS, 10 PM)

MMA
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II, Prelims (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 8 PM)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Lightning (Saturday, FOX Sports Ohio, 7 PM)
Rangers @ Red Wings (Saturday, NHL Network, 7 PM)

GOLF
Hero World Challenge, Third Round (Saturday, NBC, 2:30 PM)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Liverpool FC vs. Sunderland SFC (Saturday, NBC Sports, 10 AM)
English Premier League: Manchester City FC vs. Everton FC (Saturday, NBC, 12:30 PM)

The Raven Report 8.15.14

-The Browns have named Brian Hoyer the starter for Monday's preseason game versus Washington. Coach Mike Pettine said that both Hoyer and Manziel will get a chance without he starters in the game. Monday's will go a long way in deciding who is the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the season, which opens in Pittsburgh.

-ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter said that the appeal verdict on Browns wideout Josh Gordon's suspension may not be known until the end of next week. And so we continue on...

-Rob Manfred was named by unanimous vote the 10th commissioner of Major League Baseball Thursday. The 55 year old labor lawyer has worked with MLB since 1998, and was named MLB Chief Operating Officer in September of 2013. Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. One of Manfred's goals is to modernize the game of baseball. Current MLB commissioner Bud Selig, who turned 80 in July, will hand over the reigns in January 2015.

-The Indians open up a weekend series, hosting the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Progressive Field. Corey Kluber will take the mound against Wei-Yin Chen. Game time set for 7:05 PM.

-Due to public and media backlash from the Ray Rice suspension, the NFL is now strongly considering stricter penalties for players who commit domestic violence. While not much is known yet, it's said that a first offense could warrant 4-6 games without pay, while a second offense could potentially be a season-long banning.

-Tiger Woods has withdrawn from consideration of joining the Ryder Cup team. The 14-time major champion released a statement via his website saying his doctors and trainer informed him that his back muscles need to heal and be rehabilitated. With taking this time off from golf, hopefully the 38 year old Woods can fully recovery from his nagging health problems.

-Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart will not compete Sunday at the Pure Michigan 400. It will be Stewart's 2nd missed race after last week's tragedy on a dirt track in upstate New York, where his car killed Kevin Ward Jr.

-In USA Basketball's first practice since Paul George broke his leg, Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins went down with a knee injury. Cousins will have an MRI on Friday and its believed to only be a mild sprain. He will miss Saturday's game vs. Brazil.

-According to NBC Sports' Kurt Helin, former Pistons PG Chauncey Billups has a "real possibility" to make the Cleveland Cavaliers roster. He has been close to assistant coach Tyronn Lue for years. Billups also has options in media as well.

-The Cavaliers hired former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Larry Drew to join David Blatt's staff as an assistant coach. Drew visited with Blatt 2 years ago in Israel, with speculation that Blatt would join Drew when he was the coach of the Atlanta Hawks. Drew was fired by the Bucks a few months ago and was replaced with Jason Kidd.

-The SEC Network launched yesterday. It can be found on DirecTV (611), DIsh (408), AT&T U-Verse (1607), Time Warner (384) and Cox, Comcast, and others.

-In theaters this week, there is buddy cop comedy "Let's Be Cops", which opened on Wednesday, and the Sylvester Stallone led, mega action movie "The Expendables 3". These movies should both open pretty well for mid August, but I don't expect them to overtake "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" or "Guardians Of The Galaxy".

A Trip Through the 2014 SEC Conference with Jim March

All credit goes to Jim March. Follow him at @jmmarch2 and visit his site South Bound Traveler for more.

PLEASE check out the two part special on SEC quarterbacks with Part One here and Part Two here.

In April, I decided to spend the 2014 College Football season touring the Southeastern Conference (SEC), going to the biggest and best college football games with the biggest and best fan bases in the country with the intention of writing the biggest and best book on college football ever.

The general idea is to write a first person travel narrative exploring college football fan culture and identity by living on the road throughout the course of a football season down South. I plan on leaving Chicago for Columbia, South Carolina on August 25th.

I’ve made six drafts, trying to find the perfectly balanced schedule that takes me all through the SEC, seeing every team in person at least once, and on campus for as many of the best on-paper match-ups and rivalry games as I could fit into one season. I can’t see all the best games, that’s not possible. I can’t see a home game for every school (that would be worth writing about). But I plan on seeing enough to give me a glimpse into the lives of the most passionate College Football fans anywhere in America.

I’d love for you to follow along on this journey and share your thoughts as I post.

Here’s the schedule:

8/28 Texas A&M @ South Carolina

8/30 Clemson @ Georgia

9/6 Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt (LG Stadium in Nashville)

9/13 Kentucky @ Florida

9/20 Florida @ Alabama

9/27 Missouri @ South Carolina

10/4 LSU @ Auburn

10/11 Auburn @ Mississippi State

10/18 Tennessee @ Ole Miss

10/25 Alabama @ Tennessee

11/1 World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida/Georgia @ JAX)

11/8 Alabama @ LSU

11/15 LSU @ Arkansas

11/22 BYE

11/27 LSU @ Texas A&M

11/29 Iron Bowl (Auburn @ Alabama)

12/6 SEC Championship Game (Atlanta)