I couldn't name more than a few players on the team, and have no idea who the head coach is -- but the LA Kings are doing something very special so far in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.
Having barely squeaked in as a #8 seed to begin with, they've already knocked off the #1 and #2 seeds in the first two rounds. Now they're ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes, the original #3 seed, 2-zip in the Western Conference finals, both wins having came in Phoenix, where they seriously outplayed the Coyotes in both contests.
If I have this right, LA is now 10-1 in the playoffs, and are undefeated on the road. THIS -- from an 8 seed? Wow.
Yours truly has mixed emotions on this. Like many others, I'm a sucker when it comes to rooting for the underdog. But when that underdog just happens to be from LA -- yuck. Like New York and Boston (yes, I'm counting the NY Giants who actually play in New Jersey, and the Patriots who play in Foxboro) they've had their fair share of glory across the spectrum of pro sports recently, and it would be nice to see somebody new enjoy the thrill of a championship.
Now the Kings are going back to their home ice, and if they keep playing at the level they have been, they might very well sweep the Coyotes out of the conference finals.
I wonder what Wayne Gretzky thinks about all this....
Remember, Gretzky, arguably the best player in the history of the NHL, made his claim to fame with the Edmonton Oilers. They were a dynasty, but with so many world class players in a small town market, given the salary cap, a tightwad GM, and the lure of big bucks through free agency, it was only a matter of time before that team came apart.
Some say, at the urging of his wife Janet, and much to Edmonton's chagrin, Gretzky decided to "take his talents" to Los Angeles. It made sense. It was mega-bucks, and mega-exposure, which he had certainly earned. Also, given a choice between living in a frigid outpost like Edmonton during the winter, with not a whole lot going on even in the summer -- versus living in the always warm land of glitter, stuff happening everywhere, and hobnobbing with celebrities -- it doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to figure out which choice a beautiful woman married to a world class athlete would prefer. Those pesky significant others seem to have a way with such things occasionally. Imagine that.
After his playing days, Gretzky eventually bought into part ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes. Now he's watching his former team, as a player, dismantle his current one, as a boss. It would be interesting to know Wayne's innermost thoughts about this, but of course, we never will. And Janet could probably care less.
At any rate, unlike Phoenix, the Kings seem to be the ones that have risen from the ashes to dominate.
If they keep it up, they might well roll on to hoisting Lord Stanley's beloved cup.
Which means two things.
Amazing and yuck.
I still can't decide.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
The LA Lakers. A sorry mess
Magic Johnson probably isn't sleeping well tonight. The former Laker great and Hall of Famer turned broadcaster makes no bones about it. He's still a huge Laker fan, but after what happened in Game 1 against the Okla City Thunder, Magic might be tossing and turning a bit right about now.
That's because the Lakers, who still possess formidable talent, looked hopelessly inept in the first game against the Thunder. To be sure, the Okies are an extremely talented young team, and probably on the fast track to an NBA title one year soon, if not this year, but what LA came with in Game 1 was just pitiful.
Consider:
Okla City, leading by over 30 points, sent in the B team for "garbage time" -- with a full quarter of the game still remaining. They had also put almost 100 points on the board (98) after just 3 quarters of action. Yes, the Thunder made a high percentage of their shots, and perhaps that's an anomaly, but maybe not. They seemed to get whatever "looks" they wanted, WHEN they wanted. The Lakers' defense was being shredded.
When the Lakers are seriously challenged, there's two things that seem to always happen. Kobe Bryant will attempt to be a one man show. We can always count on the "black mamba" to find a way to shoot the ball. Bryant might do a pivot, a reverse pivot, fake left, fake right, pivot yet again, a double-gainer with a 2 and a half twist while triple teamed and falling away off-balance from the basket 35 feet away -- but dammit -- he's going to shoot -- while totally ignoring wide open teammates waiting on a pass for an easy shot.
And somewhere during the course of the game, Ron Artest, aka Metta World Peace, will find a way to "goon it up". It's actually a shame, because Artest is a terrific player, particularly defensively, and he doesn't need to do that stuff -- but he does.
In the first game against the Thunder, the Lakers didn't look anything like a highly successful NBA franchise with a proud, storied history. Rather, they more resembled a bunch of guys from the "hood" getting together on a public "court", complete with weeds growing up through cracked concrete, netless rims, and no rules. Magic Johnson was a part of the "showtime" Lakers. They put on quite a show as a team. The current Lakers seem to be every man for himself trying to put on a show. It won't work.
That falls on coaching, particularly head coach Mike Brown, who I always thought was a terrible hire by owner Jerry Buss and the Lakers in the first place. While Brown may indeed possess a wealth of knowledge regarding the intricacies of professional basketball, he doesn't seem to be able to get a team to play as a team. Granted, Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, was a tough act to follow, but Brown apparently doesn't have a clue about how to make a mix of highly paid, highly talented, and highly egotistic athletes come together. The inmates appear to be running the asylum.
Magic Johnson also said "on the air" that if the Lakers got eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round, he expected Mike Brown to be fired. That raised a few eyebrows. The heavily underdog Nuggets took LA to 7 games before falling just short. Now they're facing the Okla City Thunder, a huge jump in the level of competition. If Mike Brown and his LA-LA boys don't get their act together pretty quick, they might just find themselves on the wrong end of a broom, while being humiliated.
Would Ervin Johnson lose sleep over that? Hmm. Probably not. He's got millions, lives in a mansion with a gorgeous wife, is as popular as ever on the airwaves, and is now a part owner of the LA Dodgers, which will rake in even more money.
I think he'll be just fine.
Mike Brown? We'll see about that. Shortly.
That's because the Lakers, who still possess formidable talent, looked hopelessly inept in the first game against the Thunder. To be sure, the Okies are an extremely talented young team, and probably on the fast track to an NBA title one year soon, if not this year, but what LA came with in Game 1 was just pitiful.
Consider:
Okla City, leading by over 30 points, sent in the B team for "garbage time" -- with a full quarter of the game still remaining. They had also put almost 100 points on the board (98) after just 3 quarters of action. Yes, the Thunder made a high percentage of their shots, and perhaps that's an anomaly, but maybe not. They seemed to get whatever "looks" they wanted, WHEN they wanted. The Lakers' defense was being shredded.
When the Lakers are seriously challenged, there's two things that seem to always happen. Kobe Bryant will attempt to be a one man show. We can always count on the "black mamba" to find a way to shoot the ball. Bryant might do a pivot, a reverse pivot, fake left, fake right, pivot yet again, a double-gainer with a 2 and a half twist while triple teamed and falling away off-balance from the basket 35 feet away -- but dammit -- he's going to shoot -- while totally ignoring wide open teammates waiting on a pass for an easy shot.
And somewhere during the course of the game, Ron Artest, aka Metta World Peace, will find a way to "goon it up". It's actually a shame, because Artest is a terrific player, particularly defensively, and he doesn't need to do that stuff -- but he does.
In the first game against the Thunder, the Lakers didn't look anything like a highly successful NBA franchise with a proud, storied history. Rather, they more resembled a bunch of guys from the "hood" getting together on a public "court", complete with weeds growing up through cracked concrete, netless rims, and no rules. Magic Johnson was a part of the "showtime" Lakers. They put on quite a show as a team. The current Lakers seem to be every man for himself trying to put on a show. It won't work.
That falls on coaching, particularly head coach Mike Brown, who I always thought was a terrible hire by owner Jerry Buss and the Lakers in the first place. While Brown may indeed possess a wealth of knowledge regarding the intricacies of professional basketball, he doesn't seem to be able to get a team to play as a team. Granted, Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, was a tough act to follow, but Brown apparently doesn't have a clue about how to make a mix of highly paid, highly talented, and highly egotistic athletes come together. The inmates appear to be running the asylum.
Magic Johnson also said "on the air" that if the Lakers got eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round, he expected Mike Brown to be fired. That raised a few eyebrows. The heavily underdog Nuggets took LA to 7 games before falling just short. Now they're facing the Okla City Thunder, a huge jump in the level of competition. If Mike Brown and his LA-LA boys don't get their act together pretty quick, they might just find themselves on the wrong end of a broom, while being humiliated.
Would Ervin Johnson lose sleep over that? Hmm. Probably not. He's got millions, lives in a mansion with a gorgeous wife, is as popular as ever on the airwaves, and is now a part owner of the LA Dodgers, which will rake in even more money.
I think he'll be just fine.
Mike Brown? We'll see about that. Shortly.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Twilight Zone
Let me see if I have this right.
Brandon Inge, he who couldn't hit a lick for the Tigers, and was unceremoniously dumped by those same Tigers is busy hitting grand slams and racking up RBIs galore for the Oakland Athletics, while the Tigers still pay the vast majority of his $5.5 million salary.
Bernard Hopkins, in the always shady and smack-talking world of pro boxing, humbly accepted defeat at the hands of Chad Dawson, and not only personally put his light heavyweight championship belts on Dawson after the fight at a press conference, but hung out to pose for pictures with Dawson's kids, before quieting exiting the stage.
During the course of a race, a local prep long distance runner, far and away the class of the field, not only "paced" his second best competition, shouted encouragement to other runners as they were being lapped, and even slowed up at the finish line to let his closest competitor win, having driven the winner to a personal best time.
After over half a century of seeming futility, the Detroit Lions are not only competitive, but appear to have drafted well for the future. Do I dare mention Super Bowl capability in the next few years?
For the time being, there doesn't appear to be any "feuds" going on in NASCAR, where guys are intentionally wrecking each other.
Phoenix and LA are in the western conference finals in the NHL? You would have thought it? With all due respect to the "old guard", "new blood" is a healthy thing.
All the up and coming "young guns" on the pro golf circuit appear to be very polite, humble, fan friendly, gentlemen on the course respecting the game, and have no issues with caddies, swing coaches, or other personal dramas like "you know who". They just play and have a good time doing it. I hope they keep coming.
Pat Summitt, the legendary ladies' hoops coach at Tennessee, has quietly passed the reins on to her long time protege, while being honored as Coach Emeritus. No muss, no fuss, and a lot of class all the way around.
While I surely omitted a few other equally "feel good" stories about people or teams -- what, pray tell, is going on in the world of sports these days? It's as if Rod Serling has come back to life and is serving up episodes of the rosy side of athletics. The negative image of the Twilight Zone. As we all know, two negatives make a positive. Very strange.
But I'm liking it.
Brandon Inge, he who couldn't hit a lick for the Tigers, and was unceremoniously dumped by those same Tigers is busy hitting grand slams and racking up RBIs galore for the Oakland Athletics, while the Tigers still pay the vast majority of his $5.5 million salary.
Bernard Hopkins, in the always shady and smack-talking world of pro boxing, humbly accepted defeat at the hands of Chad Dawson, and not only personally put his light heavyweight championship belts on Dawson after the fight at a press conference, but hung out to pose for pictures with Dawson's kids, before quieting exiting the stage.
During the course of a race, a local prep long distance runner, far and away the class of the field, not only "paced" his second best competition, shouted encouragement to other runners as they were being lapped, and even slowed up at the finish line to let his closest competitor win, having driven the winner to a personal best time.
After over half a century of seeming futility, the Detroit Lions are not only competitive, but appear to have drafted well for the future. Do I dare mention Super Bowl capability in the next few years?
For the time being, there doesn't appear to be any "feuds" going on in NASCAR, where guys are intentionally wrecking each other.
Phoenix and LA are in the western conference finals in the NHL? You would have thought it? With all due respect to the "old guard", "new blood" is a healthy thing.
All the up and coming "young guns" on the pro golf circuit appear to be very polite, humble, fan friendly, gentlemen on the course respecting the game, and have no issues with caddies, swing coaches, or other personal dramas like "you know who". They just play and have a good time doing it. I hope they keep coming.
Pat Summitt, the legendary ladies' hoops coach at Tennessee, has quietly passed the reins on to her long time protege, while being honored as Coach Emeritus. No muss, no fuss, and a lot of class all the way around.
While I surely omitted a few other equally "feel good" stories about people or teams -- what, pray tell, is going on in the world of sports these days? It's as if Rod Serling has come back to life and is serving up episodes of the rosy side of athletics. The negative image of the Twilight Zone. As we all know, two negatives make a positive. Very strange.
But I'm liking it.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tiger Woods: End of an era
Few would question there was a time, not long ago, when Eldrick (Tiger) Woods sat alone atop the world of golf. For about a decade he dominated the game like no other had before, and likely ever will again. Sure, there's a long list of golfing greats that preceded him, but Tiger was precedent-setting in several ways.
Let's be honest about it. When Woods burst upon the world scene, he was a black man playing basically a white man's game -- and it quickly became apparent he was playing at a level only known to him. He had every shot in the book, and seemingly a miracle up his sleeve whenever it was necessary.
With all due respect to a couple former golf greats, it could be argued that Tiger not only intimidated the competition more than Jack Nicklaus ever did, but also had a fan following that dwarfed any "army" Arnold Palmer ever had following him around the course -- or on TV, for that matter. Did that have anything to do with him being a "minority", a handsome guy with a great smile that was out there breaking new ground, and inspiring the next generation to dream of following in his footsteps? Perhaps.
And oh my, did he win. Not even counting all the other tournament championships he garnered, Tiger began racking up the "majors". A scant few years ago, who amongst us doubted that it was only a matter of time before Woods would surpass Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships? Whether one liked it or not, it seemed inevitable. He became married to a gorgeous woman, had two adorable little kids, and it was almost like a fairy tale, where everybody lives happily ever after.
But of course, we know that didn't happen. Besides the meltdown in his personal life, Woods experienced a rash of injuries. All of which led to a swift decline in his golf prowess. Then he parted company with his long time caddy -- and those guys are more important than many think -- and also fired his long time "swing" coach, and has since opted to try and reinvent his game with a new coach and a new swing. The results have not been good. Yes, Tiger won a tournament not long ago, but it seems like for every week he's competitive, there's another week when he's struggling to merely "make the cut", oftentimes against a field that doesn't include all the top players. Those 4 more major championships to equal Nicklaus, that once appeared to be a given, now seem to have disappeared over the horizon.
How far has he fallen? It's not just that he got dislodged from his throne from being the #1 player in the world for so long, but much worse. Think back. A few years ago, in any given tournament, there were many that would take Tiger over the entire "field" on a wager. Not a bad bet back then, but who would make it now? These days, despite all the hopes from his faithful fans, Woods not only seems to be a long shot to win, but some are betting on whether he'll even make the "cut" to continue play on the weekend. As I write this, Woods is 8 strokes back after just one round at the Players' Championship, the biggest tournament outside the usual "majors". That's a lot for one day. If he continues plodding along in the second round, he'll get blown off the course. And let's not forget, Woods doesn't play a full schedule. He'll take a week or two off here and there to "prepare" for a big event. If after all that -- if he still can't make the cut -- that's not a good sign.
It might just be that the golf world is missing the obvious. Maybe it's not about Tiger getting weaker. It's about the "field" getting stronger. There's young guns that are barely old enough to drink coming from every corner of the planet -- and not only are they really good and will get better -- they have the cocky conscience of youth that Tiger once had. They're not intimidated in the least by what Woods has accomplished in his past, and most likely think they could take Tiger on any given day on any given course. These guys aren't going away and, what's worse, there's teenagers all over the globe that are busy honing their games, and will be on the scene soon.
Will any of them dominate like Tiger once did? Probably not. There's so many in the "field" these days that can play so well, with yet others jumping in every year, that golf is likely approaching "parity", like most other pro sports. Whoever won last year, or even last week, doesn't seem to matter. The competition is too ferocious.
Eldrick Woods deserves credit for re-energizing the game of golf. It had become somewhat stagnant until he burst on the scene. Yet, in a cruel twist of irony, all those kids he inspired years ago to start taking golf seriously, and practicing like maniacs under every condition, have come back to bite him. Because they're there now, on the same course, and are beating him.
I truly believe the era is over.
Let's be honest about it. When Woods burst upon the world scene, he was a black man playing basically a white man's game -- and it quickly became apparent he was playing at a level only known to him. He had every shot in the book, and seemingly a miracle up his sleeve whenever it was necessary.
With all due respect to a couple former golf greats, it could be argued that Tiger not only intimidated the competition more than Jack Nicklaus ever did, but also had a fan following that dwarfed any "army" Arnold Palmer ever had following him around the course -- or on TV, for that matter. Did that have anything to do with him being a "minority", a handsome guy with a great smile that was out there breaking new ground, and inspiring the next generation to dream of following in his footsteps? Perhaps.
And oh my, did he win. Not even counting all the other tournament championships he garnered, Tiger began racking up the "majors". A scant few years ago, who amongst us doubted that it was only a matter of time before Woods would surpass Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships? Whether one liked it or not, it seemed inevitable. He became married to a gorgeous woman, had two adorable little kids, and it was almost like a fairy tale, where everybody lives happily ever after.
But of course, we know that didn't happen. Besides the meltdown in his personal life, Woods experienced a rash of injuries. All of which led to a swift decline in his golf prowess. Then he parted company with his long time caddy -- and those guys are more important than many think -- and also fired his long time "swing" coach, and has since opted to try and reinvent his game with a new coach and a new swing. The results have not been good. Yes, Tiger won a tournament not long ago, but it seems like for every week he's competitive, there's another week when he's struggling to merely "make the cut", oftentimes against a field that doesn't include all the top players. Those 4 more major championships to equal Nicklaus, that once appeared to be a given, now seem to have disappeared over the horizon.
How far has he fallen? It's not just that he got dislodged from his throne from being the #1 player in the world for so long, but much worse. Think back. A few years ago, in any given tournament, there were many that would take Tiger over the entire "field" on a wager. Not a bad bet back then, but who would make it now? These days, despite all the hopes from his faithful fans, Woods not only seems to be a long shot to win, but some are betting on whether he'll even make the "cut" to continue play on the weekend. As I write this, Woods is 8 strokes back after just one round at the Players' Championship, the biggest tournament outside the usual "majors". That's a lot for one day. If he continues plodding along in the second round, he'll get blown off the course. And let's not forget, Woods doesn't play a full schedule. He'll take a week or two off here and there to "prepare" for a big event. If after all that -- if he still can't make the cut -- that's not a good sign.
It might just be that the golf world is missing the obvious. Maybe it's not about Tiger getting weaker. It's about the "field" getting stronger. There's young guns that are barely old enough to drink coming from every corner of the planet -- and not only are they really good and will get better -- they have the cocky conscience of youth that Tiger once had. They're not intimidated in the least by what Woods has accomplished in his past, and most likely think they could take Tiger on any given day on any given course. These guys aren't going away and, what's worse, there's teenagers all over the globe that are busy honing their games, and will be on the scene soon.
Will any of them dominate like Tiger once did? Probably not. There's so many in the "field" these days that can play so well, with yet others jumping in every year, that golf is likely approaching "parity", like most other pro sports. Whoever won last year, or even last week, doesn't seem to matter. The competition is too ferocious.
Eldrick Woods deserves credit for re-energizing the game of golf. It had become somewhat stagnant until he burst on the scene. Yet, in a cruel twist of irony, all those kids he inspired years ago to start taking golf seriously, and practicing like maniacs under every condition, have come back to bite him. Because they're there now, on the same course, and are beating him.
I truly believe the era is over.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Floyd Mayweather.
It's difficult to figure out just where Floyd Mayweather ranks on the list of all-time boxing greats. Several factors seem to be involved.
The numbers speak for themselves. Mayweather is undefeated in 43 professional fights, several of which were against world class competition, and has held championship belts in a few different weight classes. He's taken on all comers (except one, and I'll get back to that) and most times made it look easy.
If money matters, Floyd certainly made enough of it over the years. He just raked in over $30 million for his last fight alone. Yet Mayweather's one of those kind of guys that blows money in a big way. Floyd lives the high life in between fights, complete with an entourage reminiscent of Iron Mike Tyson. In other words, the more money he makes, the more parasites he attracts. Tyson made hundreds of millions of dollars and, in the end, it was all gone. How anyone can go through that much money is beyond my comprehension -- but it happens. It seems some of these guys never realize that the people they think are their best friends are actually ripping them off, until the well is dry, and they disappear to latch onto the next sucker. Mayweather's 35 years old, not exactly a spring chicken in the boxing world. How much longer he can keep fighting is unknown. Never known as a "heavy hitter", Floyd's always relied on speed, conditioning, and finesse -- and had great success doing so. Yet Father Time won't spare him either. If he slows down just a touch, there's always going to be "young guns" coming up that would like nothing better than to dethrone him.
Mayweather's upcoming little month or two stay in jail for a domestic crime is basically irrelevant. He's fresh off a fight, and world class guys usually have 6 months or so between bouts anyway. I suspect Floyd's legal team had something to do with the timing of his incarceration coming right after a huge purse for a fight -- but that just is what it is. If one has that much money, those sort of things have a way of going down like that.
Mayweather thinks he doesn't have anything more to prove, and considers himself in the "catbird seat" when it comes to fighting Manny Pacquiao, because his legacy is already great enough, with or without taking on the Filipino congressman. Many Americans want to believe that. Nevermind it would be the biggest money-making bout in the history of boxing -- and Floyd likes money -- Floyd continues to make excuses. First, he wanted Pacquiao to undergo olympic style drug testing. Pacquiao eventually agreed. Next, Floyd said he wasn't willing to split the purse 50-50. He wanted the lion's share. Now, it appears he's just writing the possible fight off completely.
But here's the kicker. While Mayweather may be hugely popular with many Americans, what he doesn't seem to understand is the majority of the rest of the world holds Pacquiao in much higher esteem, both as a boxer, and a man.
Consider: At 33 years old, Pacquiao is a congressman in the Phillipines, a national hero, and some predict he'll eventually become President of that country. If Mayweather keeps up his current ways, it might just be that about the time Manny is being inaugurated, Floyd will be in dire straits.
Pacquiao is not only fast, and superbly conditioned for his fights -- he hits hard -- and despite all the excuses, Mayweather appears to be afraid of getting in the ring with him.
But if Mayweather wants his resume and legacy to be complete -- and go out on top as the "greatest" -- not to mention likely pocketing $100 million dollars or so -- it's pretty obvious what he needs to do. If he doesn't, people will always wonder "what if"? It would forever be an asterisk in the minds of boxing fans the world over.
Contrary to what Floyd says, he needs this fight more than Manny. He just hasn't figured that out yet.
Or else he's just scared......
The numbers speak for themselves. Mayweather is undefeated in 43 professional fights, several of which were against world class competition, and has held championship belts in a few different weight classes. He's taken on all comers (except one, and I'll get back to that) and most times made it look easy.
If money matters, Floyd certainly made enough of it over the years. He just raked in over $30 million for his last fight alone. Yet Mayweather's one of those kind of guys that blows money in a big way. Floyd lives the high life in between fights, complete with an entourage reminiscent of Iron Mike Tyson. In other words, the more money he makes, the more parasites he attracts. Tyson made hundreds of millions of dollars and, in the end, it was all gone. How anyone can go through that much money is beyond my comprehension -- but it happens. It seems some of these guys never realize that the people they think are their best friends are actually ripping them off, until the well is dry, and they disappear to latch onto the next sucker. Mayweather's 35 years old, not exactly a spring chicken in the boxing world. How much longer he can keep fighting is unknown. Never known as a "heavy hitter", Floyd's always relied on speed, conditioning, and finesse -- and had great success doing so. Yet Father Time won't spare him either. If he slows down just a touch, there's always going to be "young guns" coming up that would like nothing better than to dethrone him.
Mayweather's upcoming little month or two stay in jail for a domestic crime is basically irrelevant. He's fresh off a fight, and world class guys usually have 6 months or so between bouts anyway. I suspect Floyd's legal team had something to do with the timing of his incarceration coming right after a huge purse for a fight -- but that just is what it is. If one has that much money, those sort of things have a way of going down like that.
Mayweather thinks he doesn't have anything more to prove, and considers himself in the "catbird seat" when it comes to fighting Manny Pacquiao, because his legacy is already great enough, with or without taking on the Filipino congressman. Many Americans want to believe that. Nevermind it would be the biggest money-making bout in the history of boxing -- and Floyd likes money -- Floyd continues to make excuses. First, he wanted Pacquiao to undergo olympic style drug testing. Pacquiao eventually agreed. Next, Floyd said he wasn't willing to split the purse 50-50. He wanted the lion's share. Now, it appears he's just writing the possible fight off completely.
But here's the kicker. While Mayweather may be hugely popular with many Americans, what he doesn't seem to understand is the majority of the rest of the world holds Pacquiao in much higher esteem, both as a boxer, and a man.
Consider: At 33 years old, Pacquiao is a congressman in the Phillipines, a national hero, and some predict he'll eventually become President of that country. If Mayweather keeps up his current ways, it might just be that about the time Manny is being inaugurated, Floyd will be in dire straits.
Pacquiao is not only fast, and superbly conditioned for his fights -- he hits hard -- and despite all the excuses, Mayweather appears to be afraid of getting in the ring with him.
But if Mayweather wants his resume and legacy to be complete -- and go out on top as the "greatest" -- not to mention likely pocketing $100 million dollars or so -- it's pretty obvious what he needs to do. If he doesn't, people will always wonder "what if"? It would forever be an asterisk in the minds of boxing fans the world over.
Contrary to what Floyd says, he needs this fight more than Manny. He just hasn't figured that out yet.
Or else he's just scared......
Monday, May 7, 2012
The NHL and something strange in Phoenix
Throw the seedings out the window because they don't seem to matter in the NHL playoffs. In all my years of watching different sports tournaments and playoffs, I can't remember one as wide open as this appears to be. It seems like anybody can win. Parity at it's finest, or worst, depending on one's point of view.
The Vancouver Canucks have won the President's Trophy for having the best regular season record -- and this year they were bounced in the first round by the LA Kings -- who barely made the playoffs as an 8 seed. The good people in British Columbia are probably scratching their heads wondering what happened. Perhaps it never occurred to them that the President's Trophy is all wrong in the first place for any Canadian team. Canada doesn't even have a President. Maybe if it was the Prime Minister's Trophy, they'd still be playing. Who knows?
Wars are going on in the near east. Philly/New Jersey, and NY Rangers/Washington Caps. They're playing at such a high level, including speed, skill, and being physical, it's almost a shame to see somebody lose. It's a pretty safe bet to say hockey fans in all those cities couldn't care less about original seedings right about now. It's about survival. Jersey hasn't bit on the Flyers' agitation tactics, are leading 3-1, and might well close them out in the next game. But ya never know. Even though the Rangers lead the Caps 3-2, that series is still a coin flip.
Yet, out in the wild west, something strange happened. The Phoenix Coyotes were hosting the Nashville Predators. Yes, those same dastardly Preds that sent the Red Wings packing in the first round.
As the home team, the Coyotes were wearing red uniforms, while the Predators wore the vistors' whites. Thing is, everybody in the crowd in Phoenix was dressed in white. Seems to me another team used to do that once -- the Quebec Nordiques -- I think. Kinda spooky looking. But you'd think if the home team was running some sort of fan promotion gimmick, they could at least get the color right.
I guess it could have been worse. If all those fans dressed in white were also wearing tall pointy white hats, that would have went beyond spooky into the realm of scary. If you think the New Orleans Saints' "bounty" affair drew a lot of attention -- imagine THAT scenario. Maybe NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would suspend all the Coyote season ticket holders for a year. He's done dumber things.
Yet, when all the dust clears, I suppose I have to pick a winner. I'm going with the NJ Devils, for two reasons. First, they're as good as anybody else and have a great playoff-tested goalie in Martin Brodeur. More important, they need to do it this year because of their Governor in that state. Chris Christie has already said good riddance to the NJ Nets of the NBA as they are about to move to Brooklyn. Perhaps the Devils will be the next to relocate. And then the Giants and the Jets of the NFL, their new stadium notwithstanding. Why? Because if Christie gets much bigger, there won't be enough room in New Jersey for anybody but him.
The Vancouver Canucks have won the President's Trophy for having the best regular season record -- and this year they were bounced in the first round by the LA Kings -- who barely made the playoffs as an 8 seed. The good people in British Columbia are probably scratching their heads wondering what happened. Perhaps it never occurred to them that the President's Trophy is all wrong in the first place for any Canadian team. Canada doesn't even have a President. Maybe if it was the Prime Minister's Trophy, they'd still be playing. Who knows?
Wars are going on in the near east. Philly/New Jersey, and NY Rangers/Washington Caps. They're playing at such a high level, including speed, skill, and being physical, it's almost a shame to see somebody lose. It's a pretty safe bet to say hockey fans in all those cities couldn't care less about original seedings right about now. It's about survival. Jersey hasn't bit on the Flyers' agitation tactics, are leading 3-1, and might well close them out in the next game. But ya never know. Even though the Rangers lead the Caps 3-2, that series is still a coin flip.
Yet, out in the wild west, something strange happened. The Phoenix Coyotes were hosting the Nashville Predators. Yes, those same dastardly Preds that sent the Red Wings packing in the first round.
As the home team, the Coyotes were wearing red uniforms, while the Predators wore the vistors' whites. Thing is, everybody in the crowd in Phoenix was dressed in white. Seems to me another team used to do that once -- the Quebec Nordiques -- I think. Kinda spooky looking. But you'd think if the home team was running some sort of fan promotion gimmick, they could at least get the color right.
I guess it could have been worse. If all those fans dressed in white were also wearing tall pointy white hats, that would have went beyond spooky into the realm of scary. If you think the New Orleans Saints' "bounty" affair drew a lot of attention -- imagine THAT scenario. Maybe NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would suspend all the Coyote season ticket holders for a year. He's done dumber things.
Yet, when all the dust clears, I suppose I have to pick a winner. I'm going with the NJ Devils, for two reasons. First, they're as good as anybody else and have a great playoff-tested goalie in Martin Brodeur. More important, they need to do it this year because of their Governor in that state. Chris Christie has already said good riddance to the NJ Nets of the NBA as they are about to move to Brooklyn. Perhaps the Devils will be the next to relocate. And then the Giants and the Jets of the NFL, their new stadium notwithstanding. Why? Because if Christie gets much bigger, there won't be enough room in New Jersey for anybody but him.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Handicapping the NBA playoffs
It's probably a bad idea for an armchair quarterback such as myself to weigh in on who's going to win what in the NBA playoffs, but a few things would seem to be obvious. Even if I get this totally wrong, it's not like I'm going to get fired from a multi-million dollar contract, so let's rock and roll.
Unlike the NHL, which I'll talk about next time, the "seedings" in the NBA matter. Barring catastrophic injuries, mass arrests, or something else unforeseen, you won't see a #1 seed getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by a #8. Further, I'm going to ignore what I consider to be teams in the playoffs that are "pretenders", and only concentrate on the those teams that had a realistic "shot", going in.
Let's look at the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls have a lot of talent, a great coach, and posted an impressive regular season record. Whether they were championship caliber is debatable, but once Derrick Rose went down, they were done. The Big 3 of the Boston Celtics might be getting old, but make no mistake, with Rajon Rondo, arguably the best point guard in the league, those guys still "got game", and can be formidable on any given day. The sleeper is the Indiana Pacers. They've been quietly flying under the radar all year, are young, really good, and will get better. They might well advance further in the playoffs than most people expected, but they're not ready to be champions yet. Look out for them in a couple years. But it all boils down to the Miami Heat. After losing in the Finals last year, Lebron has rededicated himself to improving his game, if that's even possible. They're on a mission. And who is capable on defeating them in a 7 game series, with Miami holding home court advantage? Nobody. They're going to the Finals again.
The Western Conference is trickier. Again, ignoring the pretenders, one of 3 teams will make it to the Finals. There's San Antonio, the experienced vets with probably the most knowledgable mentor in the game in Coach Popovich, the ever-present LA-LA boys from glitterland, and the up and coming Okla City Thunder. Two of them have to go down. In my opinion, new coach Mike Brown in LA, a castoff from the Cleveland Cavaliers, was a bad hire. Despite the talent he inherited, it will show come crunch time. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Mano Genobili, and the rest of the Spurs are a class act, but I don't think they can get to the finish line again. Okla City with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrooke, point guard James Hardin, and their teammates are the real deal, as witnessed by their sweep of the defending champ Dallas Mavericks. They're coming hard, and in a grueling 7 game series, give me young legs over older legs anyday.
Yet in the end, like it or not, I strongly suspect this is the year Lebron finally gets it done. He just wants it too bad, and considering D-Wade and the rest of the talent on that team -- who's going to stop it from happening?
Unlike the NHL, which I'll talk about next time, the "seedings" in the NBA matter. Barring catastrophic injuries, mass arrests, or something else unforeseen, you won't see a #1 seed getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by a #8. Further, I'm going to ignore what I consider to be teams in the playoffs that are "pretenders", and only concentrate on the those teams that had a realistic "shot", going in.
Let's look at the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls have a lot of talent, a great coach, and posted an impressive regular season record. Whether they were championship caliber is debatable, but once Derrick Rose went down, they were done. The Big 3 of the Boston Celtics might be getting old, but make no mistake, with Rajon Rondo, arguably the best point guard in the league, those guys still "got game", and can be formidable on any given day. The sleeper is the Indiana Pacers. They've been quietly flying under the radar all year, are young, really good, and will get better. They might well advance further in the playoffs than most people expected, but they're not ready to be champions yet. Look out for them in a couple years. But it all boils down to the Miami Heat. After losing in the Finals last year, Lebron has rededicated himself to improving his game, if that's even possible. They're on a mission. And who is capable on defeating them in a 7 game series, with Miami holding home court advantage? Nobody. They're going to the Finals again.
The Western Conference is trickier. Again, ignoring the pretenders, one of 3 teams will make it to the Finals. There's San Antonio, the experienced vets with probably the most knowledgable mentor in the game in Coach Popovich, the ever-present LA-LA boys from glitterland, and the up and coming Okla City Thunder. Two of them have to go down. In my opinion, new coach Mike Brown in LA, a castoff from the Cleveland Cavaliers, was a bad hire. Despite the talent he inherited, it will show come crunch time. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Mano Genobili, and the rest of the Spurs are a class act, but I don't think they can get to the finish line again. Okla City with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrooke, point guard James Hardin, and their teammates are the real deal, as witnessed by their sweep of the defending champ Dallas Mavericks. They're coming hard, and in a grueling 7 game series, give me young legs over older legs anyday.
Yet in the end, like it or not, I strongly suspect this is the year Lebron finally gets it done. He just wants it too bad, and considering D-Wade and the rest of the talent on that team -- who's going to stop it from happening?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)