It’s the first Winter Classic to involve Original Six teams. The storied rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings in the Central Division will be renewed on an outdoor ice surface inside the same historic shrine that is home to the Chicago Cubs. A true Winter Wonderland.

Are you KIDDING me!? How exciting is this?

I had the opportunity on the air Tuesday night to chat with Mike Milbury about this game. Milbury will be part of the broadcast team for the second straight year on NBC that will bring you live coverage of the Winter Classic. Mike was so excited to get on a plane early Wednesday morning with his family en route to Chicago.

Now, Detroit blew Chicago out of the water on Tuesday night in Hockey Town, so you can bet that those Blackhawks are going to be ready to go, in front of over 41,000 (that’s just the seating capacity at Wrigley Field) crazed hockey and sports fans alike.

You don’t have to be a hockey fan to sit down and watch this game. It is guaranteed appointment TV.

Last year, I remember watching the New Year’s Day Winter Classic from the warmth of my home. I watched the snow fall at a quick rate in Buffalo to create the most beautiful snow globe effect on my TV screen. It was a typical January day in Buffalo, with below freezing temperatures, as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout.

The game, which was played at a temporary ice rink built on the football field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, set an NHL attendance record of 71,217. History was made, and I was there to watch.

For the second straight year, I will again watch the Winter Classic, with the hope that one day I might be fortunate enough to attend the game. Who knows, perhaps the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers will play inside Fenway Park on January 1, 2010. Can you imagine?  Or what if it was Bruins versus Canadiens over on Yawkey Way? 

While a destination for the 2010 Winter Classic has yet to be named, the Red Sox and city of Boston are heavily pursuing this monumental event. Perhaps I could buy a ticket to that game?

The Winter Classic is a picturesque game that counts on the NHL schedule. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings will hope to sweep this home-and-home series with the Blackhawks on New Year’s Day on national television in front of millions of fans worldwide. What better sporting event is there than that?

I will not be watching any bowl games, any ultimate fighting shows, or any parades on New Year’s Day.  I’m watching two hockey games: the Winter Classic at 1 p.m., and the Boston Bruins vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m., and you better be too.

Happy New Year to everyone! Thanks for reading my blog, and here’s to an exciting year 2009.

"Kessel, Phil Kessel, what?" 

Does anyone remember that commercial from last year on NESN? Shame on you if you don’t, because it was one of the funniest home-produced, 30-second promotional ads I’ve ever seen. 

It  ran during the Bruins season and starred  two of NESN’s finest behind-the-scenes employees, Tyler Borges and Chris Reese. A spinoff of the then-famous McDonald’s commercial for Chicken McNuggets, this "I’m into Bruins, ya’ll" promo was catchy.

I keep asking the two stars when they are going to make another commercial. They have informed me that it’s coming soon. I sure hope so, because this is the season for those two NESN stars to get their air time.

You see, the Boston Bruins couldn’t be more red-hot. They have surged to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, thanks in part to Phil Kessel, what?

That’s right. The 21-year-old Kessel, fresh off his healthy scratch efforts in last year’s first-round playoff series with Montreal, is the star of not only the Bruins, but the NHL. Kessel has a league-best 15-game points streak, was named the NHL first star of the week and has already matched his career high of 19 goals set last season.

Kessel also is second on the Bruins in scoring with 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists), and the season is just 30 games old.

Another amazing tidbit about this scoring phenom: Kessel has played in 155 straight hockey games since returning from testicular cancer during the 2005-06 season. That’s a fact many people have overlooked, or perhaps forgotten about.

Not long ago, we were listening to Kessel address the Boston media after undergoing surgery for cancer. He’s a survivor, through and through. He knows what it takes to win battles, and I’m not just talking about on the ice. Kessel has survived one of life’s biggest obstacles, and has taken on a new challenge. He’s on pace to become Boston’s first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely.

Phil Kessel probably wants to forget those days in the playoffs when Claude Julien informed the youngster he would be a healthy scratch in the lineup. Or maybe he doesn’t. It was just another hurdle the Bruins' forward had to overcome, and probably one of the many that have made him stronger. 

If Kessel continues to play the way he has through the first three months of the season, Bruins fans are in for a real treat.

And you can bet those NESN creative guys are already working on their next commercial. Because I’m not the only one "into Bruins, ya’ll.”

I don’t need any verification that this year’s Bruins team is for real. I broadcast every single Bruins game, and see firsthand the success they are enjoying. But I know this year’s team is special because of the other assignments I go on.

Sunday, I was at the Patriots-Steelers game, covering it for NESN SportsDesk. Keep in mind, this Patriots game was less than 24 hours after the Bruins beat up on the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, at home, by a final score of 4-1. More media members were coming up to me to say, “Wow, how about those Bruins?”

Yeah, how 'bout em!

Welcome to the NHL season, for everyone who’s been living under a rock the past two months, or who don’t start paying attention to hockey until after the Super Bowl. The Bruins are in first place in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Rangers with 36 points, and three games in hand.

Rene Rancourt, the Bruins go-to guy to sing the national anthem at the majority of home games, took the field at Gillette Stadium on Sunday prior to kickoff, in his usual Black and Gold routine. My media friend sitting next to me in the press box turned and said, “Gee, I guess the Patriots are looking for a little luck from the Bruins.”

Tuesday morning, I went to practice to cover the Celtics, and their upcoming game Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics' vice president of media relations, Jeff Twiss, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, was talking with me about how exciting it is that both Garden tenants are in first place. The Celtics. These are the defending NBA champs, and even they are taking note.

The bottom line is, people are starting to take it all in, and that’s a good thing. The Bruins have tolerated being an afterthought in this town for a long time. And sure, the NFL, NBA, and MLB are what America relishes, with hockey a distant fourth. But not so much in Boston. This is an Original Six hockey town, and it’s finally starting to feel like that again.

Did you know Tedy Bruschi was at the Bruins' 5-2 win over Toronto at the Garden on Nov. 6? Pretty soon, you’ll see the superstars light up the high-definition jumbotron at the Garden, the same way they do at Celtics games.

I know it’s early in the season to get overly excited. But isn’t this fun?

Can I just say that I really don't like when the Bruins games are on Versus or NBC?

I enjoy that the rest of the nation can see the Bruins in their glory, but I hate the fact that I can't talk about what's going on between periods with some of the best hockey analysts in the business. Instead, I had to watch Monday night's 3-2 win over Toronto at my house, in front of my high-definition TV. I felt lost.

There was so much I wanted to say, and so many questions I had ready to ask my make-believe analyst sitting next to me on the couch. So instead, I'll share a couple of observations with you in my weekly blog, and maybe you can post some comments to serve as my makeshift analysts.

I liked what I saw from the Bruins against the Maple Leafs. However, I'm concerned that they looked tired. After getting out to a 2-0 lead, I was just waiting for the Leafs to come storming back against an injury-depleted Bruins blue line. We saw it against the Rangers on Saturday night, and I feared a repeat performance north of the border.

The Bruins are in the midst of playing 10 games in 18 days, four games in six days this week alone. They are physically drained, but even more so, they are mentally fatigued. Now is the time when the Bruins must work together as a team, and stay strong through 60 minutes of hockey (perhaps more as we saw in New York over the weekend).

The players in the locker room have to battle, and that's what we saw Monday against Toronto. While Michael Ryder tallied the game-winner, the players earned two points in the division, and continued their successful stretch of 9-1-1 in their last 11 games.

There's no rest for the weary, so the Bruins will persevere. They've got to. Buffalo and Florida come to town this week. Then it’s back through customs for a date with the hated Montreal Canadiens.

I must say: Thank God for Tim Thomas. Sometimes I think he's superhuman in that net. If you have the chance to meet Thomas in person, and see his physical makeup, you're not blown away thinking he's a top-tier goaltender in the NHL. It's not like when you meet the Patriots' Vince Wilfork or Richard Seymour in person. You know they are NFL mega-watt giants making millions of dollars to stop the opponent's offense. You see them in the supermarket, and they make your head spin around.

Thomas could very well be purchasing deli meat right next to you, and you'd never know it. But when he's on the ice in net, every player on the Bruins team knows he's there, and they play better with that knowledge. Good for Thomas. He doesn't need the NHL accolades to perform well each and every night. In fact, he's doing just fine without them, leading the league in save percentage (.944) and goals against average (1.78).

The Bruins did get some needed rest Tuesday, after Claude Julien cancelled the team's scheduled practice. But it's back to work Wednesday for three games in four nights.

The Bruins haven't allowed more than two goals in regulation since Oct. 30, and haven't lost a game in regulation since that date either. Here's to continuing that trend, getting a good night's sleep, and relying on Thomas standing on his head.

I, for one, will be well rested.

The question is, will the Bruins?

November is upon us. What better time for a huge college football matchup in New England than right now?

This weekend, the Boston College Eagles host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Holy War. These two teams represent the only Catholic universities in the United States that compete in Division I football.

On Sep. 15, 1975, this storied rivalry began. Since that time, it has been a well-documented game.

Boston College students look forward to the contest more than any other on the schedule. Winnebago parades have been known to travel from The Heights to South Bend for the matchup. College students choose to make the long drive cross-country on limited hours of sleep, with nourishment consisting of fast-food establishments and beer, simply to watch their Eagles hand the Irish a whooping in front of Touchdown Jesus.

But this year -- they can watch the game at Alumni Stadium with their own kin.

Both teams sit 5-3 on the season, one win away from becoming bowl eligible. The Eagles have lost two straight overall and can’t afford to lose consecutive games at home. The Irish are trying to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season.

No matter what the records say, this game is important for many reasons beyond another victory. Serious bragging rights are on the line, and the Eagles want nothing more than to destroy Charlie Weis and his Notre Dame team in front of a cast of Boston College students and alumni.

Kickoff is at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, it’s a nationally televised game, and you can bet that Alumni Stadium will be rocking. I am putting my money on the Eagles. There’s no way they’re going to let those Irish walk all over them at home.

At least, that's what I hope. Go BC!

When I saw Rodney Harrison get carted off the field in the Patriots' colossal win over the  Broncos on Monday night, I thought to myself, “Not another one.” 

Earlier in the day, running back Laurence Maroney was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, ending his season. The Patriots now are without three key players -- Tom Brady, their leading passer, Maroney, their leading rusher from last season, and Harrison, their leading tackler. But when I paused to think, a more devastating thought entered my mind: This might be the end of Harrison’s storied 15-year career.

Harrison tore his right quadriceps muscle while chasing down Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. We’ve seen Rodney get carted off the field before, but we always knew he’d be back. Now, I’m not so sure.

Rodney probably is going to let this injury play out, and let his emotions settle down before making a decision on his career. You see, Harrison has never been able to walk away from the game. This injury is the fourth in four years for the 35-year-old Harrison. But he’s in the final year of his contract, which could influence his decision.

I remember something Rodney told me last year. After missing the first four games of the 2007-08 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse program, Rodney returned to the locker room to a scrum of photographers, cameras and reporters waiting by his locker, searching for answers to his actions.

When the bulk of the journalists got the story they wanted, I hung around. I remember asking Harrison what he did during that four-week span, when he was away from the game. He told me he played some golf, and spent a lot of time with his children and family. He said he reflected on what it means to be a football player, and what it means to be a dad.

Something tells me we’ve seen the end of the football Harrison, and his three children will be seeing a whole lot more of dad.

I just can’t figure this out, and maybe other people suffer the same pain right now. It’s Week 6 in the NFL, and I am in the bottom third of my football pool. Bottom third!  

Honestly, my picking has been absolutely atrocious. Every year when I enter the pool, people always say, “That’s not fair. You probably get insider information, and you’re just going to steal our money every week.” Um, no. Not exactly. My situation right now is that I look like I’m purposely losing so people don’t become suspect. The sad reality is I’m not.

Every week for the past five years, my sister has run a football pool, and it’s grown year after year. I used to like the fact that it’s getting bigger, because that means the payout each week, and the payout at the end of the season, is larger. Now I hate it, because I see my name at the end of a ridiculously long list, among the bottom feeders of the group.

So what’s the problem? All I have to do is pick which team is going to win based on the spread. Simple -- 14 games, just pick ‘em. I even do my homework. I don’t make my picks until late in the week when the injury reports are out. I make sure I know who’s in the lineup, and how an injured player’s absence might affect the spread. I should just close my eyes and hit "enter" on my keyboard, because honestly, I’d probably do better.

But how was I supposed to know in Week 1 that the Patriots wouldn’t cover the spread against Kansas City because they lost Tom Brady for the season in the first quarter? 

How was I supposed to know that despite Reggie Bush having the game of his career on the national stage of Monday Night Football at home, the New Orleans Saints would lose by a field goal to Minnesota? Are you kidding me?

I guess this is the beauty of a pool. The most unsuspecting suspects take home the cake at the end of the week, and the so-called sportscaster experts are left rummaging through their losses to search for answers. Personally, I don’t see any beauty in having e-mails and text messages flood my inbox on Tuesday morning when the official NFL week comes to a close: “Man, you did terrible this week.” 

All right, fine. Dish it out. Go ahead, I can take it. But when I start making phone calls to my league sources, you all will be in trouble.

I was prepared for the worst.

I was on standby Monday night at Fenway Park, ready for the post-game celebration interviews if the Red Sox beat the Indians. But Cleveland starter Zach Jackson came out of nowhere to pitch a gem, and the Red Sox lost.

I had to wait another day, and so did the rest of Red Sox Nation.

But Tuesday came along, and I arrived at the ballpark the same way I did on Monday -- my NESN raincoat in hand, a towel in my bag for wiping my face off, a baseball cap, waterproof mascara on my eyelashes  and an outfit that's easy to clean.

You see, I've been here before -- many times. We are spoiled in Boston with the championships that are won in this town. I'm not complaining, trust me. I've just learned my lesson, and I know that preparation is key in these moments of sports glory. If you look too nice, you're gonna get doused.

Tuesday night, the Red Sox clinched their fifth playoff spot in the past six years.

It's a great honor to be a part of the celebratory interviews. I have to make sure I conduct each individual interview differently, because every player has a unique story on the season and how they got to this point in their careers.

The challenge is fighting off beer and champagne while trying to ask the important questions, and inform the fans and viewers on what they want to hear. It's easier said than done.

There are people talking in my IFB (the earpiece we wear on TV), Tom Caron is back in studio tossing it to me, and every time I turn around, there's a new player that needs to be put on camera.

Oh, I forgot to mention that they see you as a moving target if you're still dry.

Nonetheless, I did indeed manage to stay dry for the first time (Note: I almost avoided a champagne shower in the Celtics' locker room after they won the NBA championship, but Sam Cassell had other plans). There's always one, and I remember every player who decides they're going to be first to drench me.

But no matter what happens, I'm still there to do my job. I am a sports journalist, and in this case, the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians and American League Cy Young Award favorite Cliff Lee to earn a playoff position. They accomplished their regular-season goal.

That is the story, end of discussion.

Celebration aside, the Red Sox have worked hard to achieve their goal, and it's our responsibility to capture the moment in pictures and words.

At the end of the night, if I make it home clean and dry, I have also accomplished my own goal.