With more action this weekend than a Bruce Willis movie, how is a sports fan to keep up?Sleep becomes an optional extra if youre wanting to stay on top of everything; you also need more than one screen in your house unless you plan on wearing out your remote quick-smart.Rather than write about everything taking place this weekend, weve gone through the must-watches of the NBA and NFL. Get yourself into a comfy position and settle in for the sporting smorgasboard.NBAChicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat (Live on ESPN, Friday @ 12pm AEDT)The Bulls produced their best start to a season since the 90s, when a guy named MJ was on the floor, only to follow up with three losses straight. Now theyre on the second night of a back-to-back against Miami Heat. Coming off of two days rest, the Heat should be primed and ready to go against the Bulls. With Hassan Whiteside leading the charge, the Heat are eighth for defensive rating compared with the Bulls 25th. Can the Bulls run over the Heat or will the tired legs from a heavier weekly schedule be their undoing?Odds: Miami $1.77 vs Chicago $2.05ESPN Pick: Miami to lock down the Bulls. 91-79Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards (Live on ESPN, Saturday @ 11am AEDT)The defending champions opened their season with a perfect 6-0 start, defeating two Eastern Conference rivals in the process, and now they travel to DC for a showdown with Washington. The Wizards, meanwhile, won only one of their opening five games. Can John Wall lead a Wizards resurgence or will King James continue to rule over the Eastern Conference?Odds: Wash $3.5 vs Cleveland $1.3ESPN Pick: Cavs to continue their dominance. 107-82?New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors (Live on ESPN, Sunday @ 11.30am AEDT)Both teams are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, which could make for some interesting viewing. The Knicks have played some exquisite basketball at times this season, only to follow up with a complete shambles of a performance. Raptors players and fans, meanwhile, have marvelled at the work of DeMar DeRozan, the star guard averaging 33.7 points per game through Torontos first six matches. Can the Knicks worst-ranked defence somehow slow down DeRozan, or will the Raptors roll?Odds: Toronto $1.5 vs NYK $2.55ESPN Pick: Toronto at home will feast on the Knicks. 96-87?NFLAtlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Live on ESPN, Monday, RedZone from 5am AEDT)Philadelphia started the season like a freight train, storming through their opening three opponents and making the entire City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection dream of what could happen. Then came the bye, and everything fell apart; they have since lost four of their next five games and now find themselves fighting it out for a wildcard spot. The Falcons are a different story with the elite offensive duo in Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, and theyre second in the NFC behind only the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan needs 20 more yards to tally 3000 passing yards for the season, while Jones needs only 30 yards to boast 1000 receiving yards.Can the Eagles regain their early season form or will the Falcons claim another scalp?Odds: Philadelphia $1.86 v Atlanta $1.95ESPN Pick: Falcons offence to run riot. 34-16?Kansas City Chiefs vs. Carolina Panthers (Live on ESPN, Monday RedZone from 5am (AEDT)The Chiefs are stuck in the group of hell; with a 6-2 record they sit just behind the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders (7-2) with the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos (6-3) nipping at their heels. The Panthers, the best team in the regular season last year before reaching, and losing, the Super Bowl, lost five of their opening six games before the Round 7 bye. Coach Ron Rivera sent his team away to get their heads right, and theyve responded by winning two in a row.Can the Panthers continue the momentum and push towards a Wildcard spot or will the Chiefs join the Raiders atop the AFC West?Odds: Carolina $1.55 v Kansas City $2.45ESPN Pick: Chiefs to steal one on the road. 24-20?New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks (Live on ESPN, Monday @ 12.30pm AEDT)The 2015 Super Bowl rematch, and the past three games between the two sides have all been decided by four points or under. This season has been a different story, with the Patriots steamrolling their way to a 7-1 record with Super Bowl performances while Seattle have stumbled and fumbled their way to a 4-2-1 record that sees them sit atop the NFC West. A win against the Patriots will truly shake up the standings and help the Seahawks move closer to securing a Wildcard appearance.Odds: New England $1.27 v Seattle $3.70ESPN Pick: Patriots at home to prove too strong. 27-17 Sony Michel Patriots Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. Steve Grogan Youth Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. http://www.patriotsjerseysauthentic.com/Sony-Michel-Super-Bowl-Jersey/ . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Kevin Faulk Patriots Jersey . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Julian Edelman Youth Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. WALDORF, Maryland -- The first thing Courtney Knichel typically does when she arrives in her office on a Saturday afternoon is change into a pair of Converse sneakers. Saturdays with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs involve manual labor, even for the general manager.But today, thats not the first thing Knichel does when she arrives for work at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. Before she can lace up her chucks, marketing manager Austin Gore is waddling up to her. His head is poking out of a bulbous, furry, blue mascot suit; his huge, red clown shoes are awkwardly scuffing along the hallway; and in his giant, blue hands, hes carrying papers for her to look over.Hes dressed as Pinch, the Blue Crabs mascot, for the team photo later in the afternoon -- but he also needs to make sure all the names are spelled correctly in the in-game videos. In between lacing up her shoes, Knichel corrects the spelling of McCullough to McCawley.Welcome to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, an independent league baseball team in Waldorf, Maryland. While theyre based about 30 miles from Nationals Park and 60 miles from the Baltimore Orioles Camden Yards, theyre a world away from both. In baseballs backwater, Knichel is breaking ground as the only woman general manager in the Atlantic League.***Knichel, 29, started at the bottom of the Blue Crabs organization. A native of Charles County, Maryland, Knichel became a marketing intern for the Blue Crabs in 2008, when the organization formed; she was fresh out of college when her mom signed her up for a summer internship. During a year-end sorority party, Knichel received a call from the then-nascent Blue Crabs, offering her an internship. She wrote the details down on a nearby napkin.Unsure of what her job really entailed, Knichel showed up on her first day in heels to look professional. She spent the evening picking up trash in the stadium, because in 2008, for a fledgling independent baseball team, marketing intern really meant grunt laborer.Knichel was quickly introduced to a job with long hours, but it turned out to be much more than that. When the original marketing manager was fired in May of the first season, Knichel took over. She had been with the team for just a few months. It was mayhem.I had no idea what I was doing, Knichel said. That whole first summer I taught myself everything.For the next eight years, she steadily worked her way up the ladder for the Blue Crabs -- marketing assistant, then marketing manager for four years, then assistant GM for three after that. When Patrick Day, the previous GM, left to take over the New Britain (Connecticut) Bees in December 2015, Knichel was the natural successor.Its not like it was, [Courtney] hasnt been around the game, but lets give her a shot, manager Jeremy Owens said. Shes been here. Shes seen.The Blue Crabs released a short statement about the management change in March, but there was little fanfare.***Its four hours from game time, and the issue is tables.The Blue Crabs sell tables along the stadiums concourse for local vendors during games. But folding tables, as it turns out, are worth their weight in gold: the players need them for the clubhouse, concessions needs them to set up, the front office needs them in the main office.But right now, the game-day staff needs 25-odd tables for the vendors, and corporate sales manager Jason Sproesser protests, saying they dont have enough. Knichel tells him simply: Figure it out.At first glance, Knichel appears part-stereotype: Her hair is perfectly curled and she wears a large, monogramed necklace. Her office is not only decorated with nine years worth of Blue Crabs momentos, but also with a pink base from a breast cancer awareness event and a mug scrawled with Worlds best lady boss in pink script. On the wall behind her desk, theres a framed picture of the Blue Crabs opening pitch.If that clashes with the summer boys culture of baseball, Knichel does not care -- she has a vision for what she wants, and shes quick to respond if she sees something out of place.Earlier this year, Knichel was visiting the locker room after a game to talk to Owens. As she usually does, she called out before entering to make sure all the players were at least decently dressed. As Knichel walked in, a first-year player made a crack, miming her peering through her fingers to see the supposedly naked studs in the locker room. Knichel stopped.I was like, Dude, Ive worked here nine years, she said. If I wanted to look at d--ks, Id have looked at d--ks, you know?The locker room fell silent, and the player was so subdued he later worried if he was going to get released. Knichel went on with her meeting.People say stupid stuff, said Brian Bures, a three-year veteran among the pitching staff. Shes handled it as well as she can, I think. Youre going to get a reaction, because thats just how it is.Baseball as a whole -- and most especially the major leagues -- has long had a diversity problem. The all-womens league of the WWII era is long gone, and with the advent of softball, its rare that a woman makes her way onto a professional baseball team.The path to broadening executive and front-office positions beyond men has been tortuously slow. Some major league teams employ women at senior levels, particularly in marketing. But there are only a few women in player personnel or baseball operation roles. Linda Smith of the Kansas City Royals is one of a handful of women with direct input into player personnel decisions at the major league level.Kim Ng made waves after getting hired as an assistant GM by the Yankees and Dodgers, and she has been mentioned in several GM openings. She has been rumored to be the best candidate for the first female MLB GM.Minor league teams have seen a number of women as general managers -- though they typically dont make player personnel decisions; those are handled by the teams parent organization. A few hours down the road from Knichel and the Blue Crabs, Blair Hoke is GM of the Pulaski Yankees, a Rookie League team.With the Blue Crabs, Knichel decides who gets signed, who gets promoted and who gets released. Shes in charge of the bottom line, and that means when a player has to be acquired or released, shes in on the deal.On this day, Knichel is finalizing the reelease of high-profile player Fred Lewis, a one-time MLB journeyman.dddddddddddd Lewis has been injured most of the season. The Blue Crabs say hes cleared to play. Lewis says he still cant go and is still in pain. He hasnt shown up in a while and didnt show up for the team picture.Thats it, Knichel said after Lewis was a no-show for the team picture, though shed already made the decision to release him. Lewis official release came through the wire after Saturdays game.With that decision and countless other personnel moves, Knichel has already (quietly) broken barriers. She may break more.On the weekly teleconference with other league GMs, Atlantic League president Rick?White called everyone guys or fellas. Knichel is the only person on the call whos not a man.Halfway through this season, White emailed Knichel to apologize -- hed totally forgotten there was a woman on the call.I told him I dont mind, Knichel said. I know Im playing ball with the boys.Knichel is also dead-set to have things her way, and shes single-minded in her standards. If there needs to be 25 tables on the concourse, there are going to be 25 tables on the concourse. If the sales team needs to make 50 calls a day, Knichel says she doesnt expect to hear why its not getting done.Courtney is really strong-willed, said accounting manager Samantha Slovik. Shes on a path, and she knows what shes set out to do.Knichel is one of a few women in senior management at the Blue Crabs front office -- Slovik is in her third year as accounting coordinator, and Alexandra Wohlenhaus is the box office coordinator. Both describe Knichel as approachable but unmistakably headstrong.Wohlenhaus, Slovik and Knichel make the Blue Crabs something unusual: a baseball front office with women in all of the senior management positions. All three started as interns with the Blue Crabs, and each has been promoted within the system. Knichel says it wasnt some grand scheme or vision -- just a result of the most driven and organized rising in responsibility.I didnt bring those girls in because girls are better, Knichel said. But are these girls better? Kind of, yeah.***Knichel may be on baseballs outer rim, but there are still occasional brushes with the big time.Earlier in 2016, the Blue Crabs were involved in a swirl of rumors around minor league moves. The Batavia Muckdogs, operating at a significant loss and struggling with flagging attendance, were for sale.A group of local investors wanted to bring the Batavia Muckdogs to Waldorf as a Nationals affiliate -- but the deal fell through because of a lack of agreement between the Nationals and the Orioles, both of whom had to approve the deal because Waldorf is in the territory of both organizations.What would have happened -- or what still might happen -- is totally up in the air to Knichel. She said she has no idea whether a minor league organization would incorporate some of the Blue Crabs front office or bring in their own people.But Knichel and White both said they were confident that the Blue Crabs would remain in Southern Maryland through the 2017 season and likely through the 2018 season.***During the afternoons leading up to game days, Knichel takes a lap around the stadium. She circles every inch of the place, putting up placards that have fallen down, straightening umbrellas, pulling down signs still up from yesterdays game.I like to do it every day, to make sure everything is good, Knichel said.In her first days and weeks as GM, Knichel struggled with micromanaging. Everything had to be perfect -- and nobody could do it better than she could.Ive learned to relinquish duties, Knichel said. And if something goes wrong, thats okay.Micromanagement is an understandable issue for Knichel, who has worked her way up the ladder in Waldorf. After nine years, this is home -- even at the fringes of a sport that is still struggling with the concept that women are just as qualified to run the show as men.She happily shows off the features shes most proud of: the kiddie wading pool just off the outfield that she had re-filled this year for the price of one outfield sign, the picnic tables along the concourse she had installed, the staff members spaced out along the concourse acting as de facto ushers and concierge.Knichel remembers putting seats together minutes before the gates opened for the first-ever Blue Crabs game.Now, Regency Furniture Stadium, which shares a parking lot with a metro bus stop and whose concrete is chipped and siding is starting to peel, is the place she doesnt want to leave.She knows this ballpark better than everyone, Wohlenhaus said.This, Knichel said, is a place thats very special to me.On this particular Saturday, Knichel is standing along the third-base concourse. People started lining up outside the gates well before they opened, and theres not a rain cloud in sight. Today will be a good day.The Blue Crabs averaged about 3,500 in attendance in 2014 and 2015, good for the top 10 of independent league baseball. On a good Saturday like today, the park might bring in 5,000 or more.The chucks get some good use: just before the gates open, it turns out the Blue Crabs are, as usual, one table short. So Knichel hustles down to the clubhouse and helps haul the final table into position. When another vendor requests some chairs, she ducks into a concourse closet and finds a few for them.Shes not joking when she says she knows everybody -- dozens of people come up to her to say hello and to chat with her for a few minutes during the game. Theres the owner of the local Chick-Fil-A, a big sponsor; theres the guy who runs a local haunted house; and Knichels mom scolding her for missing church two Sundays in a row.Tonight is a good night, though. The stadium is full, and Knichel is able to present a local charity with a check for more than $5,000. Whats more, the Blue Crabs win 5-3. After the game, there are fireworks and a party on the field. But its already 10 p.m. and most of the young families head home.Knichel is still on the field, and good thing she wore her chucks. Some of the fireworks from the postgame show blew onto the field, and somebody has to pick them up. ' ' '