That is my debate today, which one do I watch. Usually on New Year’s Day my TV is locked on college bowl games, but this year for pretty much the first time in my lifetime (in 1974 they did not play in a bowl game and I was born in 1973) the Michigan Wolverines will not be playing in a bowl game.

And this year’s NHL Winter Classic is being played in Wrigley Field (my favorite baseball stadium) and it is being played between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks, who are two of the Original Six teams. On at the same time is the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl being played between Nebraska vs. Clemson and the Capital One Bowl being played between Georgia vs. Michigan State.

When I first heard them announce the NHL Winter Classic game I thought that they were stupid to schedule it at a time when a lot of people in Michigan would be watching a bowl game instead. However, this year Michigan did not make it to a bowl game at all (as I said earlier) so I think that this game will be more heavily watched. I hate to break it to Spartan fans, but Michigan State football is just not that popular in the state as Detroit Red Wings hockey is. I predict that the viewing numbers in the state of Michigan will be higher for the Wings game than they will be for the Spartans bowl game. I know in my house my TV will be tuned into the NHL Winter Classic as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks.