Friday's Big Weekend Preview

Enjoy it, everyone, because this is one of the best sports weekends we'll get until football kicks off this fall. Everything's better when football's involved, and the NFL Draft weekend is a party every fan of every team can enjoy. 

The NFL Draft represents hope. It represents the future. And never undervalue that it represents a break from watching Major League Baseball. We've got all summer for that sport. But there's a lot more than seven rounds of name reading jumping off over the next 72 hours. 

It's basketball postseason time. Same for hockey, which treated us to some awesome first-round excitement. Throw in a race and some wrestling, and you've got a weekend made for sports bars and couches. 

NFL Draft

When: Thursday (Round 1), 8 p.m. (ET)

Friday (Rounds 2-3), 7 p.m. (ET)

Saturday (Rounds 4-7), Noon (ET)

TV: ESPN and NFL Network

Why You Should Watch: Duh. 

OK, well, even if you know why, let's elaborate. The NFL Draft hasn't become such an "event" by sheer coincidence. As the league itself has become more and more of a leviathan, all facets of it (save the Pro Bowl) have grown in grandeur and scope as well. 

Every fan of every team has interest in the draft, and even the latter rounds have become "must-watch," as fans hope to see what kind of bargains GMs try to pick up.  

NHL Playoffs

When: Friday-Sunday, start time TBD

TV: NBC family of networks

Why You Should Watch: Ask any hardcore hockey fan about the excitement of the NHL playoffs, and they could talk your ear about just how much better everything is. Take this first round for example. We saw the No. 8 Kings upset Vancouver, and not to mention a slate of Game 7s. And how about the ending to that Caps-Bruins series? 

Hard to top what we've seen so far. 

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Capital City 400

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ET)

TV: Fox

Why You Should Watch: The boys are at Richmond this week, which is one of the drivers' favorite tracks. It's short enough (3/4 mile) that drivers can beat and bang and not over-worry about aerodynamics, yet long enough that speeds aren't turtle-slow (by NASCAR standards, anyway). 

Plus, it's under the lights in prime time. Hard to beat that. 

WWE Extreme Rules

When: Sunday, 8 p.m. (ET)

TV: Pay Per View

Why You Should Watch: Look, spare me all the holier-than-thou "wrestling isn't a sport drivel." So what, sports are supposed to be entertaining, and wrestling is entertaining. 

So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's break it down. When you were a kid, some of the coolest matches were always the "hardcore" matches, because let's be honest, it's more fun when somebody gets thrown through a table/hit with a steel chair, impaled by the rings, stairs, etc. And that's what this weekend is all about. 

No dumb rules, just carnage. Let your inner 12-year-old live a little. Plus, Brock Lesnar's back. 

NBA Playoffs

When: Series start Saturday-Sunday, times TBA

TV: TBA (ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA)

Why You Should Watch: NBA fans already know why, but for the casual basketball fans (this writer included), this is the time to start watching the NBA with some modicum of seriousness. The riff-raff teams are all but gone, and you're left with big stars and good teams. Bring on Durant. And Rose. And LeBron. This is their time to shine, and your best time to start watching.