The Golden State Warriors won easily in game 1 and routed the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 2 of the NBA finals but all they did was “hold serve” so to speak, as each win was at home.
Game 3 is tonight in Cleveland.
The game is considered even.
Draymond Green led the Warriors’ great effort in game 2.
Last year the Warriors won 2 of 3 games in Cleveland en route to a six game triumph vs the Cavaliers in the finals.
The Cavaliers are the only team among the 32 NBA or NHL playoff teams that has not lost at home in the 2016 playoffs.
There are still two more opportunities to view an extraordinary Dick Cavett Show on Decades with guest Joan Rivers.
The most logical time is 8 p.m. Eastern time but another possibility is 2 a.m. into Thursday.
Rivers and Cavett performed separately and together in the years each was struggling mightily to achieve success.
At the end of the show, Joan’s husband Edgar Rosenberg makes a truly rare on air appearance. This provides a great ending to a show, I strongly suggest watching.
Joan Rivers, pictured above.
The Pirates, as stated here yesterday rewarded or at least did the “non greedy” thing yesterday, by not having separate admissions for their doubleheader vs the New York Mets.
Yesterday I “talked” of the good sports karma in Pittsburgh right now and then the ( 32-26) Pirates went out and won both games against the (31-26 ) Mets.
Tomorrow night, the NHL Penguins are 3 to 2 favorites to clinch a home sports title in Pittsburgh for the first time since the Pirates did so by winning game 7 of the 1960 World Series, also played on a Thursday.
Mike Emrick, again one of the few announcers working today worthy of real praise, did note the 11 titles by Pittsburgh, none clinched at home since 1960.
However, only I note or likely will note, that tomorrow is the first opportunity for a Pittsburgh team to do so since game 7 in 1960 (the Pirates failed to clinch that World Series at home in game 6).
Certainly nobody will note that as with the potential clincher tomorrow night, the game is on a Thursday. Also for the record that night in 1960, the World Series game ended in the glorious day time, then Senator John F. Kennedy and U.S. Vice President, Richard Nixon engaged in their third and final presidential debate.
I was going to write if you do not know the two men pictured above then as Casey Stengel or my mother would have said, “look it up.”
However, perhaps symbolically John F. Kennedy is on the left, Richard M. Nixon is on the right. The opposing candidates both started their careers in the United States Senate in 1946 and were for the most part, friends.
Somehow the conversation/interview of the great writer, Frank Deford, conducted by Bob Costas at 92Y was even better than expected and as written here a few days back, I had truly high expectations.
Unfortunately, part of what made the conversation even better than expected were the well stated recollections both Mr. Deford and Mr. Costas had regarding Muhammad Ali.
Talk included and featured Frank Deford’s new book “I Would Know That Voice Anywhere,” a collection of his commentaries the last 25 plus years on NPR.
Costas, a brilliant interviewer, asked some great questions and both men gave evocative, progressive and humorous comments throughout the evening.
Deford talked on many subjects and his wit came through on all of them, whether negative on soccer, mostly negative about editors and his great appreciation of favorite subject, Al McGuire, the late, former college basketball coach and commentator.
I had a chance to say hello to Bob Costas and later was privileged to ask Mr. Deford a few questions at the end of his long work day.
He proved not only accommodating, but gave great insight on his favorite sporting event ever, the 1958 NFL Title game won by his hometown Baltimore Colts vs the New York Giants in the first overtime football game.
Deford gave me information I never knew and I am pretty familiar with that title tilt, known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
Just as I could not wait for last night’s great event at the 92Y, I can not wait to read Frank Deford’s latest book, “I’d Know That Voice Anywhere.”
92Y once again was the scene of a great event.
Click below for information regarding Frank Deford’s new book, “I’d Know That Voice Anywhere.”
There is good sports karma going on in Pittsburgh at the moment and it is not just that the NHL Penguins are on the precipice of winning their 4th Stanley Cup.
The Pirates organization made a good fan friendly decision in not scheduling a two admission doubleheader vs the New York Mets after last night’s game was postponed.
I know Pittsburgh native, my friend the late Beano Cook would have applauded the decision as one of the few sans greed in the current major sports’ landscape.
Pittsburgh
It is as if Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins’ other tremendous player along with Sidney Crosby, and the fact a Pittsburgh team has not clinched a title at home in many “moons” had to be “inserted” here.
So as the song goes, “baby here goes,” (Bread’s “I Wanna Make It with You” ), Mr. Malkin scored a goal and assisted as Ian Cole “opened” which ” set the tone” in a series in which San Jose has never led in regulation in any game, as the Pens won (3-1) at San Jose vs the Sharks, to lead the Cup Finals three games to one.
Thus the Penguins have a chance to clinch a Pittsburgh major North American sports league crown at home for the first time since 1960, with a win Thursday night in game 5.
As the fine NBC hockey announcer Mike Emrick noted, there have been 11 titles by Pittsburgh teams (I note 6 by the Steelers at the “neutral ground” Super Bowl, 2 by the Pirates both at Baltimore, (the home city of esteemed writer Frank Deford (more on him in a post later today), vs the Orioles, and 3 by the Penguins, all clinched on the road.
Thursday night’s game, no matter the result, will be the first time a Pittsburgh team has an opportunity to clinch a title at home since doing so in 1960.
The Penguins and Pirates clinched their 5 combined titles since 1960, on the road.
Another point is that the last home title clinching win by a Pittsburgh team occurred in one of baseball’s greatest games, (one can make a case for it being the greatest), a (10-9) Pirates win, (that took just 2 hours and 36 minutes, a 10-9 game today is 4 hours) vs a great New York Yankees team in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series.
Bill Mazeroski, leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, hit the second pitch of the frame for a home run that broke a (9-9) tie, giving Pittsburgh its first sports’ title in 35 years.
Often forgotten, is Hal Smith’s 2 out, 3 run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning that transformed a one run Pirates’ deficit into a (9-7) lead.
Evgeni Malkin, pictured above.
Some more notes on road title clinchers will follow.
The city of Chicago, with two teams the White Sox and Cubs, has won but 5 baseball titles and only when the two teams clashed in the 1906 World Series, when it had to happen, did a “Chi” team clinch a World Series in Chicago.
Both Cubs’ World Series victories, recorded in 1907 and 1908 were clinched with road victories.
Chicago White Sox’ titles in 1917 and 2005 were clinched with road victories but I must say in the all Chicago World Series of 1906, the White Sox were the home team in their park, I believe, for the World Series clinching game.
My research and knowledge shows that no team in any of the 4 major North American sports leagues has won as many as 3 league titles without ever winning one on the road which is the case to this point in time, regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Only one other team, among the 122 currently in the 4 major North American sports leagues, won its first three titles on the road and that team is the NHL, New York Rangers.
The Rangers, who face no such problem now or for at least close to 50 years, once had to abandon their home arena, one of the incarnations if you will, of Madison Square Garden, to make room for the annual circus held there.
That was the case involving their first three Stanley Cup titles won in 1928, 1933 and 1940, making it certain that if they “titled” it would be clinched on the road.
The team’s much publicized 1994 title not only ended a 54 year title drought, but is the only one of the four Rangers’ Stanley Cup victories clinched at home.
Tonight with the venue again San Jose, California, is game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Pittsburgh Penguins currently lead the San Jose Sharks 2 games to 1.
An overtime goal by Joonas Donskoi and an “all” important goal by Joel Ward plus stellar work in goal by Martin Jones (he stopped 40 shots), lifted the Sharks to a (3-2) win in game 3.
All 3 Stanley Cup victories by the Penguins were clinched on the road certainly the most in NHL history without ever winning one at home.
Joonas Donskoi, pictured above.
What a difference a year makes concerning The Belmont Stakes.
Last year, for the second straight year, a horse was bidding for the Triple Crown and unlike California Chrome the year before, American Pharoah ended what had become a 37 year span between Triple Crown winners.
In the race six days hence, not only is no horse bidding for the Triple Crown but only one of the big race winners will be in the race.
A fine horse, Exaggerator, the Preakness Stakes winner will be a big favorite especially since Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner, will not be in the race.
Andy B Sports 