Tonight the process that will eventually crown the 70th pro basketball champion begins in Oakland, as the Golden State Warriors host the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 1 of the best of 7 series.
It certainly is not unusual that a Cleveland team will open a series for its sports’ league title on the road.
In fact, this is the 8th time a Cleveland team has been involved in a series for which the prize is the league title and all 8 times the Cleveland entry has opened the series on the road.
The Cavaliers (0-2) in previous NBA finals, opened on the road in 2007 at San Antonio vs the Spurs and last year also at the Warriors, losing both series opening games.
In baseball, the Indians (2-3) in World Series/league finals series, opened all 5 on the road, winning just one series opener, that in 1920, behind pitcher Stan Coveleski, a 3 game winner in that best of 9 W.S. vs the Brooklyn Dodgers/Robins which resulted in one of the two Indians’ World Series victories.
The Indians lost World Series openers vs the Braves in Boston in 1948 and in Atlanta in 1995. They split in those two series, winning in 1948 and losing in 1995 both in six games.
A World Series opener, highlighted by Willie Mays’ great catch and more remarkable throw, won by Dusty Rhodes short home run at New York was won by the Giants. This was also the case in the 1997 World Series opener which was won by the Marlins in Florida.
The Cleveland Browns were (4-5) in NFL finals, all NFL title games, nary a Super Bowl as they lost in all 5 tilts with a Supe bid on the line, and 5 were on the road. Cleveland was (1-4) in those 5 games.
Forty years ago the “exact” opposite results manifested in both NBA semi-finals involving this year’s finalists.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were underdogs vs the eventual world champion Boston Celtics. The Celtics won the “semi” in six games.
This year as top heavy favorites, the Cavs dispatched the Toronto Raptors in six games. in fact, the Cavs of 2016 and the Celtics of 1976 won games 1, 2, 5 and 6.
In the Western Conference forty years apart, defending champion Golden State Warriors’ teams, first lost and this year won 7 game semi-final series ending on their home floor.
The Phoenix Suns shocked the Warriors in 1976, but this year again as defending champions, they prevailed, despite a three games to one series deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Apparently Bibles are not as readily accessible as other reading material but surely/hopefully “you” know the picture above also evokes thoughts of a 40 year time span.
Yesterday, I alluded to the similar history involving the Monday night home wins by the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins and defending NBA champion, Golden State Warriors.
The Penguins scored late in regulation, Nick Bonino tallying the goal, to win game 1 of a Stanley Cup Final as they did at home, in 1992 en route to a 4 game sweep. Then Mario Lemieux scored with just 12 seconds remaining to win the game. Monday night the game was against the San Jose Sharks while Chicago (Blackhawks) was the 1992 opponent.
Golden State trailed by double figures, as many as 13 points in overcoming Oklahoma City (Thunder) in game 7 to complete a comeback from a (3-1) semi-finals series deficit.
In 1975, the Warriors also trailed in game 7 of their semi-final series in double digits, before rallying to win. That year they also needed a road game 6 win in that series (at Chicago vs the Bulls), to force game 7 at home.
The great Mario Lemieux pictured above.
Gregor Gracie, competing out of the Renzo Gracie NY Gym is the third generation of the famous Gracie family. He is a two time World Champion and will be going after his third World Title (in the medium heavy weight class) at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Tournament in Long Beach, California this week.
Rick’s Cabaret New York, the famous three-story gentlemen’s club in midtown Manhattan, will televise the Gracie fights on its numerous Hi-Def Flat Screen TVs and in the club’s luxurious VIP Sky Boxes and Crystal Room.
“We show most major sporting events at the club,” said Rick’s Cabaret Regional Manager Shaun Kevlin. “And Gracie related Jiu-Jitsu has rightly become a big attraction and will be enjoyed by many of our VIP guests.”
Before leaving for the tournament, Gracie stopped by Rick’s Cabaret and accepted the well wishes of several of the girls. He also stopped to pose with “Flat Ronnie” from the Howard Stern Show who greets visitors in the lobby.
Rick’s Cabaret NYC is the club of choice for an upscale clientele including Wall Street bankers and brokers, numerous celebrities, and pro athletes from all the major sports. It is located across the street from the Empire State Building and just one block from Madison Square Garden.
As was the case 41 years ago, when they eventually swept to victory in the NBA finals (I actually would pay a thousand dollars for that to happen this year and I am far from rich) and unlike the case 40 years ago as defending champions, the Golden State Warriors won a home game 7 of the semis, this vs an over achieving but eventually underachieving Oklahoma City Thunder team.
Golden State led by Steph Curry’s 31 points completed a great comeback from a (3-1) series deficit.
Now they are not such big favorites vs a Cleveland Cavaliers team that cruised to the finals via the pathetic NBA East.
I truly do not like that situation, but do not underestimate them. They are a very good team.
Sorry for the skimpy details and lack of objectivity. Stay “tuned” tomorrow for objective notes you will not find any place else on the Penguins and Warriors historically “similar” wins.
Also those are 4 pretty good players pictured in the NBA Finals promo above. From left to right, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.
Nick Bonino, who scored the quarterfinal series clinching goal in overtime at home vs the top ranked Washington Capitals in game 6 of that series, scored in the last 3 minutes to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins (9-3, in home finals games) to a (3-2) win vs the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Finals opener last night in Pittsburgh.
Bonino took a centering pass from Kris Letang and not only scored, but did so with the clock approaching 11pm Eastern Time and enabled NBC to get to its local news around the country, something, which as with horse racing, they prefer to the NHL.
This denied “draw” bettors and of course Sharks bettors, in this the franchise’s first finals game. Alas, it may even have denied (a) certain Sharks and draw bettor, whose “draws”/underwear is the brand, Shark.
Brands are sports these days, but despite that harsh reality, there is good in the two finals teams, each of whom struggled early in the season.
For now, the Penguins are the story grabbing a (1-0) series lead as again Bryan Rust “opened” (he insured the must game 6 “semis” win At Tampa Bay vs the Lightning, had the 2 Pens’ goals in their 7th game win in that series and “opened” last night so maybe it is the Bryan Rust show) while Conor Sheary made it (2-0) just a minute and thirty eight seconds later.
However the Sharks down (2-0) headed into the second period tied the game on goals by Tomas Hertl and 18 year veteran, Patrick Marleau.
Matt Murray won vs Martin Jones in goal. The team winning the opening game of the Cup finals has won 8 of the last 10 series. Pittsburgh is (2-1) in home Cup finals openers, rallying to win vs the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992 after losing such a game vs the Minnesota North Stars in 1991.
In that 1992 game, they trailed (4-1) at one point, but rallied to win the game on a goal by great player and current team executive/owner? Mario Lemieux with 12 seconds to play in “reg.”
That loss proved to be disheartening to “Chi” as Pitt won the series in 4 straight. The Penguins also were clearly a better team. In this series the gap between the teams is minimal, the Sharks did not lead last night, but did waste a comeback that tied the game after trailing (2-0).
Nick Bonino pictured above with his lovely wife Lauren is obviously “lucky in love” and has been say opportunistic, scoring big goals for the Penguins in these ‘offs.
Oh “WOE” not well, as usual, I did not predict here that much maligned Mets’ pitcher Matt Harvey would win yesterday, which he did, pitching 7 shutout innings vs a slumping Chicago White Sox team that did the Mets a favor by pitching Chris Sele the day before, in what turned into another blown lead loss at Kansas City, vs the World Champion Royals.
Speaking of the Royals and also back to Harvey, it was vs them in game 5 of the World Series last year in which he pitched a fine game, taking a shutout into the 9th inning. Of course the fact the Royals won that game and “titled” that night is significant, but that was Harvey’s last important start.
The sickening media especially the talk shows, which were a precursor to the horrible and far more dangerous 24 hour news cycle, were talking of Harvey’s slump as though it affected world peace. It does not even affect baseball.
Now they will laud him disproportionately for his effort yesterday. He is a fine pitcher. Nobody knows how he will perform and baseball sans real pennant races, already slow, is beyond boring.
Que lastima (what a shame!) especially for me, as I really will not watch it!
If you love it, as I still do on some level do, even if you must watch or listen to it, please ignore the hype both ways. Trust me it is late, likely too late to curb this horrible madness.
The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame has its annual dinner and ceremony this Thursday and with apologies to one of the best, Paul Simon—Hello windmills, my old and perpetual non friends, I come to fight you again.
The actions of the media are preposterous and dangerous yet for one to fight its overwhelming power is on a self level even more dangerous and preposterous.
The less said and the less research the better, concerning game 7 of the NBA Western Conference finals between Oklahoma City (Thunder) and Golden State (Warriors) tonight in Oakland.
As with the NHL, the NBA got 13 of a possible 14 semi-final games and as someone who does not root for mega giants, that is not pleasing.
That said this is a good series, Marv Albert is on the broadcast so I will try to watch game 7 tonight.
Oh, I will offer a prediction, 7 point underdog Oklahoma City will play well, perhaps win and should at least cover the spread.
Marv Albert, pictured above.
The city of Pittsburgh has enjoyed great success in major North American sports league finals since the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 4 game loss to the great 1927 New York Yankees.
Pittsburgh teams, the NFL Steelers, baseball Pirates and NHL Penguins have gone (12-3) in finals since 1927. That is quite impressive!
Sans even a real post season appearance for nearly 40 years, the Steelers (6-2) in Super Bowls have more such wins that any other NFL team.
While having many bad seasons, some in the 1950’s yielding a self-depracating remark from former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, who downplayed his baseball acumen though being in the Pirates’ organization because it was the 1950’s Pirates, they (the Pirates) won the last 3 World Series in which they appeared, all as underdogs, beating a great New York Yankees’ team in 1960 and a great Baltimore Orioles’ squad in 1971. Their 1979 triumph was also vs the Orioles, a team not quite as good as the other two, but a truly fine team.
Meanwhile the Penguins are (3-1) in Stanley Cup finals play. They are about 7 to 5 faves in the upcoming series (starts tonight at Pittsburgh) vs the San Jose Sharks. I do not know who the favorite was in the 1903 World Series but I do know that other than that possibility, no Pittsburgh team has ever lost a final in which they were favored.
The Steelers won all six of the “Supes” in which they were favored, losing the two in which they were the underdog. The Pirates (3-0) in World Series after 1927 are (5-2) in World Series play and surely were underdogs in the 1927 World Series.
Meanwhile the Penguins, who won both Stanley Cup finals as favorites in 1991 and 1992, while splitting the two most recent ones as underdogs vs the Detroit Red Wings.
The team from the “Motor City” won in 2008 while the Pittsburgh/”Steel City” team won in 2009.
As the story goes, the Pittsburgh Pirates watched the awesome New York Yankees of 1927 take batting practice before the World Series and the sight of such greats as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hitting home run after home run intimidated them.
What the Pirates did not know is that the pitched balls were being grooved for the Yankees’ batters to hit out of sight. Whether that helped or not as the Yankees won the 1927 World Series in 4 straight games, we do not know.
However, with the upcoming Stanley Cup Final being the first in San Jose major North American sports league history, our history in finals turns to Pittsburgh in my next post.
Readers will see the 1927 Pittsburgh World Series loss to some say baseball’s greatest team, as a line in Pittsburgh finals history.
The great Lou Gehrig pictured above.
Andy B Sports 