When Mister Peabody, the genius dog, wanted to go way back with his pet boy to times gone by in “The Bullwinkle Show,” he hopped aboard a “wayback machine” and away they went.

Way, way back, then back again.

For Denver sports fans, that trip back this weekend is a short one — all the way to the corner of Speer Boulevard and Chopper Circle.

Starting tonight and continuing Saturday, some of the oldest teams in their respective leagues come to town. Tonight, the Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers (vintage 1947). Then, on Saturday, the Avs play the Boston Bruins of the NHL’s Original Six, and the Colorado Mammoth faces the Philadelphia Wings, the oldest box lacrosse team in the land.

It’s like old-timey week at the newfangled Pepsi Center (the Nuggets even hosted “80s Night” on Wednesday for a game against Oklahoma City).

All the throwback action is part of a busy checkerboard of games at The Can this week. From Wednesday through Monday, there are seven games over six nights with three home teams. Nuggets to Avs to Nuggets to Avs to Mammoth to Nuggets to Avs. Phew.

On Thursday, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was asked in Denver what it is about the Nuggets that makes it difficult to play them.

“We have a history with them,” he said. “They play us extremely tough here. They know how we play and they give us a tough game every time.”

Then some wiseacre asked, Kobe have you noticed their inbounds passing is much better?

“A couple years too late,” he said with a smile.

But who’s looking back to games past? The time is now to win for the future. The Nuggets, Avs and Mammoth can move forward for home fans this weekend.



Home cooking

A busy weekend for pro sports in Denver lasts through Monday at the Pepsi Center:

• Tonight: Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m. (ALT, ESPN)

• Saturday: Avs vs. Boston Bruins, 1 p.m. (ALT)

• Saturday: Mammoth (NLL) vs. Philadelphia Wings, 7 p.m. (ALT2)

• Sunday: Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. (ALT)

• Monday: Avs vs. St. Louis Blues, 7:30 p.m. (ALT)

AROUND TOWN

CU women back in action.

One week after upsetting No. 17 Iowa State in Boulder, the Colorado women’s basketball team hosts Missouri in a Big 12 Conference game Saturday at the Coors Events Center.

Brittany Wilson’s 19 points led the Buffs (10-7, 1-3) last week. And Brittany Spears’ 17.5 points per game is pacing CU this season. Saturday’s game will give the Buffs a chance to put some distance between themselves and Missouri (9-9, 1-3) in the Big 12 standings.

The game also will highlight CU’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a day chartered by Congress in 1986.

Festivities include a skills and fitness challenge, and meet-and- greets with women from the CU golf, volleyball, tennis, soccer and basketball teams. The fun starts at 2 p.m. and the game tips off at 4 p.m. Check cubuffs.com for information.

STAY ON THE COUCH

Conference title games are on hand.

There are four teams battling Sunday in NFL conference championship games. But the most expensive matchup will be between television networks.

The sixth-seeded Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago to face Jay Cutler and the Bears on Sunday at 1 p.m. The NFC title game airs from Soldier Field on Fox (KDVR-31).

Then at 4:30 p.m., the action switches to CBS (KCNC-4), as Rex Ryan and the New York Jets go to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in the AFC championship.

The winning teams move on to the Super Bowl on Feb. 6. But the winning network was already decided. Fox will broadcast this year’s showcase of commercials.

But NBC, ABC and ESPN are biding their time to get the game.

The Super Bowl next year goes to NBC, then to CBS in 2013. There’s a rotation among networks that pony up big cash.

ESPN just agreed to pay the NFL nearly $2 billion per year for Monday Night Football — and it hasn’t won any rights to a Super Bowl. Yet. Players might play for trophies, but the real money is in the booth.

GET OFF THE COUCH

On your mark, get set . . . bark.

Fort Collins will be the place for racers with two legs, and four, Saturday when the Bark in the Dark dog walk and run takes off from Old Town Square at 7 p.m.

The race, a benefit for Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, will take to the streets with barking allowed. Check active.com for information.

In Denver on Sunday, find the Polar Bear 5K at Washington Park. Part of the RunDenver Series, the Polar Bear kicks off at 10 a.m. Find bkbltd.com for more.

WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE

UNC is bearing down.

Northern Colorado’s impressive run through the Big Sky Conference last season fell short down the stretch after the Bears finished a game behind Weber State in the regular-season standings and missed a chance to host the league tournament.

This season, the Bears are shining even brighter. UNC (9-7, 5-0) leads the Big Sky this season with a perfect mark in league play so far, a half- game ahead of Montana and Montana State. But Weber State (9-7, 3-2) lurks.

The two teams renew a rivalry Saturday in Greeley at Butler-Hancock Pavilion. The game tips off at 7 p.m.