The L.A. Lakers are now say, 50 to 1 favorites (they lead the “paving company” Denver Nuggets (2-0), to raise their semi-final record as the L.A. Lakers, to an incredible (26-5).
One of their top players along with and as with Anthony Davis, one they annexed, is of course, LeBron James.
In all likelihood, while the Lakers will be winning an 8th straight semi, a James team (4-0 with both previous jumped to teams, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers) will be winning his 9th straight and be (10-1) in career semi-final round series.
Anthony Davis getting rich.
There is a scene in the 2014 movie, “Obvious Child,” in which the fact that essentially “old men in robes” can decide what a woman can do with her body, is reviled.
I have no love of the legal system and certainly not the concept of an all powerful Supreme Court, which has become so dangerously political.
However, there have been exceptional people who rose to that all powerful position, one being Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week at age 87.
She overcame obstacles, fought hard and used her brilliance to gain tremendous favor and popularity.
That is well deserved, but all of us, who hoped/prayed she could keep breathing, if for no other reason than allowing the (not) right “stacking,” feel or ought to feel the fear, and rage.
It is not just “that,” but an erosion of standards, that makes this a mournful sobbing and complaining, instead of a well deserved tribute to Ruth, who got up, exercised, read, learned, loved and most of all, lived an extraordinary life.
People like me, fairly or in unfair fashion, dream one, she lived one and maybe can help us from above. G-d/the gods likely, will at least listen.
Ruth in 1977.
Tonight in neutral Edmonton, Alberta Canada–the heavily favored (a bit too heavy, in my opinion) Tampa Bay Lightning meet the Dallas Stars to commence Emrick’s 15th NBC/its subsidiary channels’ Stanley Cup Final.
Each franchise has one title, but neither has ever won both a Stanley Cup final opening game and the title in that season. In fact, the teams are a combined (1-5), to be (2-6), after tonight, in final round opening games.
The one win was by the amazing, under .500, 1991 Minnesota North Stars, who won game 1 and lost game 2 in all four of their playoff series and were 6’d by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the first of their 5 titles that season, in doing so.
Dallas nee the Minnesota North Stars are (1-3) in final round play, losing to the Islanders in ’81 and as cited Pittsburgh 10 years later. As the Dallas Stars, they are (1-1), winning an overtime, Saturday night 6th game clincher at Buffalo in ’99 and losing such a tilt, at home, vs the New Jersey Devils in 2000.
Tampa Bay split their 2 previous NHL final round series, beating Calgary (Flames) in 7 games in ’04 and losing in 6 games, to a Chicago Blackhawks team, that was the last team to clinch the NHL title at home, (that of course will be the case in 2020) in 2015.
The Dallas area teams are (4-0) vs Tampa teams in post-season series, all earlier, if not early ones. The Rangers won division series vs the Rays in both 2010 and 2011, en route to eventual final round/World Series losses.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys won a strike induced wild card round game vs the Buccaneers in ’82, after a slot 1/division round win in 1981. The Cowboys lost NFC Title games/”semis” both seasons.
Both teams and the cities of Dallas and Tampa have .500 records in final round play. The Cowboys are (5-3), the Stars and Mavericks each (1-1) and the Rangers are (0-2), hence Dallas is (7-7).
Meanwhile the Buccaneers won in their lone Supe/final round while the Rays lost. Add the Lightning at (1-1) and Tampa has a (2-2) final round record.
In recalling Bill Masterton, who scored the first goal in Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars’ history and tragically died in January 1968, one can gain perspective.
Click below for John Rosengren’s excellent piece about Masterton’s death and the gaining of knowledge about concussions and their adverse effect on sports.
NHL — Real reasons for the death of Bill Masterton highlight …
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In answer to the title question, the NHL Final, which begins Saturday night in neutral Edmonton, Alberta and has a schedule that includes “tail wagging the dog,” back to back games 4 and 5, is set, as it will be the Tampa Bay Lightning vs the Dallas Stars.
Anthony Cirelli’s goal 13 minutes plus into overtime lifted the Lightning (2-1) in game 6, over a gallant New York Islanders’ team.
Meanwhile in the NBA, the Lakers, whose road has been “paved,” are close to 6 to 1 favorites vs the Denver Nuggets, while the Miami Heat, an incredible (10-1) both “straight up” and vs the spread in these ‘offs, have a (2-0) series lead vs the Celtics, who dissipated nice leads in each game.
Thus a Lakers/Heat (Leb James vs his first “jumped to” and second “jumped away” team) is very likely.
Anthony Cirelli of the Lightning, pictured above.
Today, another fine episode of the iconic television show, “What’s My Line?,” featuring two outstanding comedians.
They are Buddy Hackett, who was the mystery guest and Alan King, who joined the regular panelists, that August night in 1960, now of course, over 60 years ago.
Those panelists were Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen.
John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy watching.
The Denver Nuggets advanced to their 4th NBA semi-final round series, easily defeating the heavily favored/still sans even a “semis” appearance, Los Angeles Clippers (0-8 in “quarters”) in game 7, of their quarterfinal series.
Jamal Murray led the way with 40 points, as the Nuggets (4-6) in quarters, handed the Clippers, nee Buffalo Braves franchise, an eighth loss in both as many “quarters” and in games, in which, they could have advanced to the semis.
It also “paves the way” (at least in terms of odds) for the Lakers, now 5 to 1 faves to win the NBA West (is Jerry (West) part of the Clippers organization?) and actual, over 2 to 1 favorites to win the crown.
Jamal Murray, pictured above.
The Dallas Stars, down (2-0) in the third period, when I went to sleep, rode rookie, Denis Gurianov’s overtime goal to (3-2) Las Vegas (Golden Knights) taking their “semi” in 5, to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years.
Veteran Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta (he had the game 7/”quarters” overtime hat trick winner vs Colorado (Avalanche)-speaking of Colorado sports and game 7, tomorrow, a post after tonight’s game 7/NBA “qtrs” Denver Nuggets vs the Los Angeles Clippers) scored goals to tie the tilt, before Gurianov (he had 4 goals in the Stars’ “round of 16” clincher vs Calgary (Flames), a game in which Dallas trailed 3-0), won it.
Once again Anton Khudobin was outstanding for the Stars in goal.
While Las Vegas, with final round and first round losses, before this “semis” loss in their first 3 seasons, clearly is a success story to this point–it is noted they lost games (2-5) in the final vs the Washington Capitals in ’18, the last 3 to dissipate a (3-1) series lead to San Jose (Sharks), coached by their current coach Peter DeBoer last season and now lose games 1 and (3-5) to the Stars.
The Stars, “out” of the West, will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning/New York Islanders “semi” which the Lightning lead 3 games to 1.
Why in addition to his greatness as a player and coach is Jacques Lemaire pictured above?
One week after Lemaire turned 75, Denis Gurianov became the 4th NHL rookie to score a semi-final round clinching overtime goal. Mr. Lemaire in 1968, in a Saturday afternoon, nationally televised “virtual Cup clincher,” as the Canadiens’ opponent was to be an expansion team, was the first to do so.
Though it was not that easy, those ’68 Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues (the Blues had beaten the then Mnnesota North Stars, now the Dallas Stars, in the semis) to win the Stanley Cup.
The other two rookies to score a semi-final round clinching overtime goal were Darren Helm for the ’09 Detroit Red Wings and Adam Henrique for the 2012 New Jersey Devils. Both their teams lost in the subsequent NHL final series.
The Dallas Stars, in their 11th NHL “semi” have a seemingly commanding 3 games to 1 lead over the Las Vegas Golden Knights after a (2-1) win last night in game 4.
Around the same time, the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to their first NBA semi-final round in 10 years, completing a 5 game quarterfinal series win vs the Houston Rockets.
Dallas (Stars) and the Lakers, each once located in Minneapolis (ever wonder about Lakers, in “no lakes” L.A.) have been in the semis together in 8 of the 11 appearances by the Stars nee Minnesota North Stars franchise. (For the record together in ’68, ’71, ’80,’84, ’91, ’00,’08 and 2020 and not in ’81, ’98 and ’99).
The late Kobe Bryant, tragically killed in a helicopter crash, earlier in fateful 2020, was on the Lakers’ title team in 2000, a year the Stars lost in the NHL final vs the New Jersey Devils.
In their 33rd decisive, 7th game of an ‘offs series (Larry Bird, a true Celtics’ great, wore #33), the Boston Celtics won such a game for the 24th time, beating the game, defending champion Toronto Raptors by 5 points as 3 point favorites.
Now the Celtics bidding for their 22nd NBA final round appearance, (they are (17-4 in those series), are slight favorites vs the Miami Heat, a team with 3 titles and quarterfinal series winners vs the Milwaukee Bucks, who for the second straight season failed to make the NBA final series despite the league’s best record. (Of course Milwaukee had no home court advantage and the horrible death of George Floyd hit close to home. In really not important basketball the Bucks still go down as a disappointment. I have already stated the playoffs should have stopped, they went on and in a basketball sense, the Bucks failed.)
The Celtics 7 game series win vs the Raptors occurred in the first non hockey (the Boston Bruins have won 6 straight series from the Toronto Maple Leafs which squared the all-time series at 8 to 8) ‘offs clash between the cities. The last 4 Boston/Toronto ‘offs series went 7, as did the last Toronto win, that in 1959.
The great Larry Bird, pictured above led the Celtics to 3 of their 17 titles.
Next with 16 titles are the Lakers and you know ABC/NBA wants and I do NOT want a Lakers/Celtics final.
I will “do what I can” to prevent it but alas there is an election coming up and I have already NOT made the same mistake! Sadly, there is not much to “go around” and even the election pales in comparison to my micro life.
Today another fine episode of the television show, “What’s My Line?”
Tony Curtis, then married to Janet Leigh, who along with Dorothy Kilgallen, Fred Allen (did you get that rhyme?) and Bennett Cerf, comprised the panel, but word leaked and tennis star Bill Talbert “pinch hit.”
However, Mr. Curtis did appear. John Charles Daly is the show’s host.
Enjoy watching.
Andy B Sports 