A BUSY WEEK IN THE MIDST OF THE DOG DAYS OF FEBRUARY...

It's a Monday evening, the night before FAT TUESDAY and I'm at the bar, blogging away while listening to some good ol' New Orleans-style jazz and blues (thank god for Spotify).  We're in the midst of February, typically the slowest month of the year.  However, within that slow month, this is an unusually busy week.  There are a lot of things taking place, both entertainment and sports-wise.  Here's a sampling of things that are going on:

MARDI GRAS: The Mardi Gras season winds down with FAT TUESDAY and all of the revelry that comes with it.  We're kicking things off tonight with beer specials from New Orleans (Abita Purple Haze & Double Dog), Hurricane shots and the usual compliment of beads, masks and other essential swag.  Of course, there will be great music from our FAT TUESDAY playlist to get you into the mood of the night.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: We've reached the all-important knockout stage of the tournament; the Sweet Sixteen.  It's home/away and the winners move on while the losers hit the pavement.  There are some intriguing matchups within the knockout stage, with Manchester United vs Real Madrid topping the "must-see" matches on Wednesday.  Other matches this week include: Juventus vs Celtic, Valencia vs PSG (2/12) and Shaktar Donetsk vs Borussa Dortmund (2/13).

NHL: This is a pivotal week in this shortened season, with a lot of crucial games on tap.   On Tuesday, the NY Rangers face the Boston Bruins, then the crosstown rival NY Islanders on Thursday before wrapping up the week vs Washington on Sunday.  

The Islanders, meanwhile start their week tonight vs Carolina, then face the NY Rangers on Thursday, before ending their week against New Jersey on Saturday.  

The NJ Devils, meanwhile, start this week on Tuesday vs Carolina, then get a few days off before facing Philadelphia on Friday,  and the Islanders on Saturday.  

And finally, for our Habs fans, Montreal makes a trek to sunny Florida in the hopes of curing their recent losing streak.  Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Florida on Thursday, followed by a home game on Saturday vs Philadelphia.

NBA: The Brooklyn Nets started their week at home tonight vs the Indiana Pacers.  Lots of uncertainty surrounds this team as the trade deadline nears.  Will they ship a few of their stars or go for the brass ring (i.e. the playoffs)?  We should get a sense of what direction they will take in the next few days.  They have one more home game this Wednesday (vs Denver) before the All-Star Break.

The NY Knicks, on the other hand, keep plugging away, leading the division by 4 games over the Nets.  They have a light schedule this week, facing the Raptors this Wednesday before hanging out for the All Star Break.

Then there's the other stuff.

Tuesday: The return of "Hockey This Week" Radio Show.  A "Fat Tuesday" edition of the popular live broadcast begins at 6pm, before we roll into a night of great hockey action, followed by some good old fashioned FAT TUESDAY fun, filled with music and debauchery!

Wednesday: PUB TRIVIA.  This week is our annual "Valentine's Day" edition of Pub Trivia, where the questions will no doubt, challenge your knowledge of everything related to that romantic day.

Thursday: Our annual "Singles Night Soiree" looks out for those folks who are not partaking in the Valentine's Day festivities, but choose instead to escape its very existence.  Drink specials for this evening are specially crafted to help you forget that you're in fact, single and most likely sad.

PRESIDENTS' DAY WEEKEND: We're celebrating the long weekend with a unique special:  "DRINKIN' with LINCOLN":

So if you plan on sticking around for the long weekend, this special has your name written all over it!

AND FINALLY:  If you're wondering why I have a picture of Toronto Maple Leaf fans in the blog heading, it's because I lost a bet with some Leafs fans over the weekend, when their team manhandled my Montreal Canadiens, 6-0.  It was fugly.  But a bet is a bet.  It will be down tomorrow, you can count on that.


Thanks for indulging in my long post.  Enjoy the week and we hope you'll spend some time with us!


Cheers!