Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Devin Gardner celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Ohio State in last year's matchup.(Photo: Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports)
1. Get your face paint on: It's rivalry weekend
Auburn-Alabama. Michigan-Ohio State. Mississippi-Mississippi State. Florida-Florida State. Arizona-Arizona State. Oregon-Oregon State. South Carolina-Clemson. Kentucky-Louisville. Baylor-Texas Tech. Kansas-Kansas State. Notre Dame-USC. Georgia-Georgia Tech.
"The true greatness of college football has long been established, in large part due to the majesty of Thanksgiving's rivalry weekend and what it delivers year after year," says USA TODAY Sports columnist Christine Brennan.
Enjoy the majesty with updates from @usatodaysports on Twitter and Facebook.
USA TODAY Sports' George Schroeder gives the must-watch games in Week 14 of college football.
2. Embrace indie on Small Business Saturday
In just five years, Small Business Saturday, started by American Express in 2010, has become an American shopping tradition and a local counterpoint to the deals-deals-deals madness of national retailers on Black Friday.
A whopping 82% of U.S. consumers plan to shop or eat at an independently owned store or restaurant on Small Business Saturday, according to the American Express Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.
And, yes, having a coffee at your local (non-chain) coffee shop totally counts for marking the day.
Strategies: 10 reasons to fall in love with shopping local
Every season, the biggest stores in Manhattan put out brilliant displays to entice holiday shoppers. Jason Allen, Matt Colby, Shannon Rae Green
3. Connecticut and Kentucky hoop it up in Sunday doubleheader
Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie advises guard Ryan Boatright in the Huskies' season-opening win vs. Bryant.(Photo: David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)
The week of holiday tournaments has provided plenty of compelling November basketball theater, but if you'd like more to close out the weekend, ESPN2 has a Sunday doubleheader featuring the two finalists from the 2013-14 NCAA tournament.
Defending champ Connecticut starts it off at noon ET against No. 9 Texas, and No. 1 Kentucky plays at home at 2 p.m. ET against Providence.
USATODAY
USA Today | Sports | NCAAB
4. The Hollywood Christmas Parade marches down Sunset
The annual Christmas parade, co-hosted by actor Erik Estrada and travel-show host Laura McKenzie, marches through Hollywood on Sunday. Actor Dean Cain and talk-show host Montel Williams will also make appearances as guest hosts, and Stevie Wonder, Mark Ballas, Estelle, Heart, and Earth, Wind & Fire will perform.
The festivities air at a later date on the Hallmark Channel.
Hollywood Christmas Parade hosts Erik Estrada and Laura McKenzie at the 2013 Hollywood Christmas Parade.(Photo: Hollywood Christmas Parade)
5. Veg out with these shows, movies and books
This is the last weekend to watch Dirty Dancing, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Mr. Mom on Netflix. Come Monday, the streaming service removes these gems and adds new flicks.
It's never too early for Frosty and friends: Christmas shows have also begun on TV. The Story of Santa Claus, featuring the voices of Ed Asner and Betty White, airs Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
On Sunday night, you could watch the debut of the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie One Christmas Eve, starring Anne Heche, or the fall finale of AMC's The Walking Dead. Unless Heche is battling Christmas zombies, odds are that Dead wins, says TV critic Robert Bianco.
Weekend picks for book lovers include a Bob Hope biography, a new Stephen King thriller, and Anjelica Huston's memoir. Here are some other key fall releases (which might also make good holiday gifts for the people on your list, hint hint).
Then again, you could just watch the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens over and over.
And, the essentials:
The week in pictures:
Weekend weather: Weather woes subside for the rest of the holiday weekend
News from the week, in case you missed it:
The Changing Face of America: Diversity in the classroom, as sides square off in Minnesota
In his own words: Darren Wilson recounts deadly shooting
Your Take: Readers' photos from Ferguson protests
Join us, won't you? You can subscribe to get the day's top news each weekday in your inbox or find USATODAY on the Yo! app: justyo.co/usatoday.
Powered By WizardRSS.com | Rfid Credit Card Protector | Full Text RSS Feed