Imagine a total of 321 points being obliterated as the NBA all stars amassed 369 points in a (196-173) win by the far superior Western Conference.
The All-Star win is not why they are far superior.
I will cite the performances of two fine players, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the winning West (as in Jerry, who recently and shamefully was ranked less than 25th in a sham ESPN poll of the NBA’s greatest players) and Paul George of the Eastern Conference, Indiana Pacers.
Westbrook joins the great St. Louis Hawks’ forward Bob Pettit as the only players to win consecutive MVP awards in the All-Star game as Pettit won the award in 1958, the year he led the Hawks franchise, now in Atlanta to its only NBA crown and shared the award with another great forward, Elgin Baylor of the then Minneapolis Lakers, playing their penultimate season in “Minne,” in 1959.
George scored 41 points in yesterday’s tilt, as in a pinball game going TILT with scoring.
Speaking of tilt, the word rhymes with Wilt (as in Chamberlain) and George just missed breaking Wilt’s All-Star game record of 42 points set in 1962, the year his amazing scoring average in real games, was over 50 points per game.
The great Wilt Chamberlain, shamefully ranked behind LeBron James in that horrible ESPN poll, pictured above.
The Super Bowl victory by the Denver Broncos was their third and the tenth by an original AFL team since the AFC/NFC configuration began in 1970.
Other original AFL team, 1970 or later Supe titles are New England Patriots (4) while the Oakland Raiders have notched three titles
There were Supe victories by original AFL franchises, the New York Jets in 1968 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969.
Add two by an AFL expansion team, the Miami Dolphins and there have been 14 victories by AFL teams.
Thus NFL/NFC teams have a resounding (36-14) lead in Super Bowl victories as the other 4 teams to play in the old AFL, the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals have all failed to win the “big game.” Their combined record in those tilts is (0-8).
Yet the AFC/AFL has a far more respectable (24-26) record in Super Bowls as the three NFL franchises asked to move into the American Football Conference (the AFC), the Pittsburgh Steelers (6), Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens (two each) have enjoyed Super Bowl success.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, with six, have won the most Super Bowl crowns.
Today I will be in Brooklyn to watch a President’s Day NHL afternoon tilt between the host New York Islanders and original six team, Detroit Red Wings.
Each team is currently in position to make the NHL playoffs which this season is more wide open than usual.
Later when I look around the new Islanders’ home, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, I will see the 4 Stanley Cup banners hanging from the ceiling.
Similarly I recall 4 different Red Wings’ Stanley Cup winning teams, in my time.
The Islanders won 4 straight Stanley Cups from (1980-1983) with such stars as Mike Bossy and goaltender Billy Smith.
The Red Wings a glory team in the 1950’s with hockey immortal Gordie Howe, won titles in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008.
The first three of those were under Scotty Bowman a mentor of Al Arbour, the man, who guided the Islanders to their 4 straight titles.
While watching some of the featured “Love American Style,” in what is called the “Decades Binge” on the Decades channel, I noticed a striking similarity between an episode and the great play/movie “Barefoot in the Park.”
The “Love American Style” episode was called “Love and the Deal” and the couple seeking a better bed were the Bradders, certainly Paul and I think I heard “Corrie” as in the movie.
There is a free living neighbor upstairs in the movie, Charles Boyer and in the episode, Hans Conried.
My favorite were the two phone company men who visit the Bradders, specifically “Mrs.” In the movie, the part was played by Herb Edelman. The role was played by Frank Campanella, the older brother of Joseph Campanella, in the episode.
In conclusion nice similarities and an homage to Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda which was another autobiographical work by Simon, recalling his great love and first apartment with first wife Joan.
The great playwright, Neil Simon pictured above.
Twice in his career in home games in which the Yankees trailed by two runs facing post season elimination, Jorge Posada made the last out.
In the 2003 World Series in game six, Josh Beckett completed his masterful (2-0) World Series clinching win for the Florida Marlins, by fielding Posada’s little grounder and tagging the Yankees’ catcher between home plate and first base.
Then in the 2007 division series, Joe Torre’s last game as Yankees’ manager, Indians’ relief pitcher Joe Borowski got Posada to strike out swinging and give the Indians a (3-1) series victory with the (6-4) win in game four.
Twice the Indians defeated the Yankees in division series, both series being clinched on a Monday night.
The other was in the decisive 5th game of the 1997 division series. Those two seasons 1997 and 2007 were the only seasons in the 12 Joe Torre managed with the Yankees that they did not win a one eighth division title
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Three times with his Texas Rangers’ team winning but 1 of 10 games, the superb catcher Ivan Rodriguez tasted post-season defeat in the division series vs the New York Yankees. Each time the Yankees went on to win the title winning 12 straight World Series games after dropping the first two games at home in the 1996 World Series.
Things changed for Rodriguez vs the Yankees when the Marlins and he capped an incredible post-season run and 6’d the Yankees in the 2003 World Series.
There are so many negative aspects regarding the NBA.
In my opinion, it is greedy of them to schedule what amounts as an exhibition game, their All Star Game at 8 o’clock Eastern time.
Even the Super Bowl started an hour and a half earlier.
The total for this joke of a game is 319, so not much, if any, defensive play is expected.
Worse is that in some circles, the retiring once great player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is even money to win the MVP award.
I thought he was a good choice for those who bet such things in moderation, as surely they will try to make him look good.
However, that line indicates there is a distinct possibility they will do more than try to make him look good.
I once loved the NBA and did so for a long time. My great appreciation peaked with Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird putting the pass back into the game.
Once I liked its All-Star Game especially so in 1968 when Hal Greer, pictured above, won the MVP of the game which was played that year in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Certainly it was a two quarterback effort, contributions by both Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler in the Denver title season.
This evokes memories of John Unitas and Earl Morrall, winning it all with the 1970 Baltimore Colts.
More evident in two quarterback title history were Morrall again and Bob Griese with the undefeated Miami Dolphins 1972 champions.
Griese started the first four games, Morrall won the next 11 including a playoff win vs the Cleveland Browns.
In the AFC title tilt at Pittsburgh, coach Don Shula replaced Morrall with Griese who won that game and the Super Bowl vs the Washington Redskins.
Amidst all the talk of the Denver Broncos defense (richly deserved) and Peyton Manning, including whether his brother was happy he won (not deserved), let’s not for get the major contribution Brock Osweiler made to this Broncos’ title season.
Denver, both good and lucky, but that truly is what is needed in sports, if not life, was certainly fortunate that their AFC West rival, Kansas City Chiefs, got off to a (1-5) start, before winning 10 regular season games in succession.
Brock Osweiller was (5-2) as a Denver starting quarterback and made many big plays in their victory vs the Cincinnati Bengals in the last Monday night game, played in the penultimate week of the NFL season.
While Denver kicker, Brandon McManus, no relation to CBS sports head and legendary broadcaster, Jim McKay’s son, Sean McManus, was excellent in the playoffs, he missed a field goal late in regulation, vs the Bengals that essentially forced overtime.
The Broncos had not even clinched a playoff berth and certainly would not have been the AFC one seed and I believe not even the “2,” without that win vs Cincy.
By the way, in turn, with that loss, the Bengals were denied the top two seeds and a first round bye, eventually losing a heartbreaking wild card round game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The quarterback, who led the must win vs Cincy and did so passing the ball, not relying on the run nor the defense, was not Peyton Manning, but Brock Osweiler.
Two thoughts, if Manning has not been cast in every commercial maybe Osweiler can get some kind of credit card company/”who am I” ad.
Also if Denver is smart, Osweiler and not Manning will be their quarterback next season.
Either way they will not have intangibles, but at least with Osweiler they have some tangibles.
Paul Newman was a truly great actor and humanitarian.
In the latter category, charitable work in his name continues to this day, seven plus years after he passed away.
His marriage to the superb actress Joanne Woodward was a great model for what could happen between two people on so many levels.
Some Paul Newman movie notes involving the drink, gin.
In “The Young Philadelphians,” Mr. Newman’s character, a defense attorney, uses gin drinking as a key in his defense argument.
“The Sting,” an all-time favorite of mine and a truly great film with Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw teaming with incredible character actors, has Newman’s “Henry Gondorff” telling Redford’s “Johnny Hooker,” “Always use gin with a mark, kid they can’t tell if it is watered down.”
Last week the NFL honored the few people who have been at all 50 Super Bowls.
I am not one of them, however am one of the few people with a distinct, not looked up memory of all 50.
One nice memory is from the 6th Super Bowl in which the Dallas Cowboys won their first title after so many near misses beating a Miami Dolphins team that would win the next two Super Bowls.
Late in the first half, a great quarterback beginning his ascent to that description found an all-time great receiver just inside the flag/in bounds for a touchdown.
The quarterback was Roger Staubach. The receiver was Lance Alworth.
Andy B Sports 