For the first time in history, it will be the Chicago Blackhawks vs the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. The series begins tonight in Chicago, as the top ranked Blackhawks have home ice advantage.
The Blackhawks ousted the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in five games. Patrick Kane had the three goal “hat trick,” including the series clinching goal, in the second overtime, of game five.
Meanwhile the Boston Bruins completely dominated the East top seed, Pittsburgh Penguins, sweeping their semi-final series in four games. The Bruins held the Penguins to only two goals in the four games. Incredible!
Though Chicago is about an eight to five favorite, I think this series is too close to call.
I truly hope two great “Bobbys” of the past are shown during the series. The Blackhawks had Bobby Hull while the Bruins had Bobby Orr. Oh what great memories watching each of those greats!
Bobby Orr
Bobby Hull
The NBA finals between the defending champion Miami Heat, and the San Antonio Spurs are tied at one game apiece.
The Spurs paced by Tony Parker won game one while the Heat eased to a win in game two.
This is the 32nd consecutive year in which the entire NBA finals are being televised live to the national audience. 32 is my favorite number as it was worn by Sandy Koufax and Jim Brown, two who have never “sold out.” It was also worn by two former favorites “O.J.” and “Dr. J,” Simpson and Erving respectively, two who did.
Speaking of selling, a (1-1) series is better for the networks than one that is (2-0). This is the 16th, half of the 32, to be (1-1) after two games.
All three of the major networks, (once they were virtually the only choices for television viewing, now there is another major over the air network, Fox, and a plethora of cable channels) CBS, NBC, and ABC have televised the NBA finals in those 32 seasons.
From (1982-1990), CBS had five (1-1) finals and four that were (2-2). NBC “played under .500,” getting only five of twelve (1-1) finals from 1991-2002. However, NBC had Mr. (Michael) Jordan in six of those finals. I doubt their ratings suffered. ABC in its 11th season of televising the NBA finals has six (1-1) and five (2-0) starts.
It very likely will be the Boston Bruins vs the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals. If it manifests, Boston/Chicago will be the first all “original six” Cup Finals since the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers in 1979.
Recently, I watched a tape of a weekly NHL show that was reviewing the 1990 playoffs, around the midway point. There was a trivia question asking when the last all original six finals matchup took place?
I could have answered but needed more time. However, I ascertained there had not been one since 1979 and sensed there would be one this year. As usual, I did little about it.
The Bruins hope to wrap up their semi-final series vs the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Recall, three years ago, a year the Blackhawks won the Cup, that the Bruins dissipated a three to nothing series lead vs the Philadelphia Flyers in the quarterfinal round. The 7th game loss, in which Boston blew a (3-0) lead, took place on a Friday night in Boston.
Two years ago, the Bruins completed a 4 game sweep of the Flyers, also in the quarterfinals, clinching the series with a Friday night home win. The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup. Today is Friday.
The Blackhawks handed the defending champion, Los Angeles Kings their first home loss of the playoffs. Chicago took a seemingly, commanding three games to one series lead with a (3-2) win in L.A. last night. The Kings were (8-0) at home in these playoffs before their loss last night.
It will be the defending NBA champion and top ranked Miami Heat vs the San Antonio Spurs in what shapes up as a compelling NBA final.
The Heat are slightly over two-to-one favorites, but are facing a franchise that is (4-0) in NBA finals. The Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and their forward Tim Duncan were there for all four titles, each in odd years (’99, ’03, ’05 and ’07: the last one a four game sweep vs LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.) 2013, is of course, an “odd” year.
Additionally, both Tony Parker, no longer married to Eva Longoria but an even better player (basketball) than he was then, and Manu Ginobili have contributed mightily to three Spurs’ title teams. They are still there. I wish the great Spurs player George Gervin, known as “The Ice Man,” had even one title, but it was not destined to happen.
The Heat beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the semi final round. Indiana is (5-20) in road semi-final games, (0-4) in game seven, all on the road. The Spurs swept the Memphis Grizzlies and have gone nine days sans a game, before game one of the finals.
Speaking of game one, it is tonight in Miami. The Spurs as mentioned (4-0) in NBA finals are also (4-0) in game one of the finals.
It is different concerning the Heat and game one of the finals. Miami (2-1) in previous finals is (1-2) in finals openers. In fact, the team winning the opener in a “Finals” involving the Heat, lost the series all three times. Other than finals involving the Heat, the team winning the finals opener has gone on to win the series 16 of the last 18 times starting in 1992.
No prediction: too close to call, but I really think the Heat need to win game one. Likely the series will be (1-1) and go at least six games. That is not saying much so after my Heat in six pick vs Indiana (they won in seven, no real credit for that either) I will GUESS the Heat in seven.
Miami has never played a seven game final but just played in their third seven game, semi-final series.
The Spurs played in one seven game final (vs the Detroit Pistons, who were defending champions,in 2005) and lost their only seven game, NBA “semi” to the defending champion Washington Bullets, despite 40 plus points by George Gervin in 1979. That was their first NBA semi-final series. Since that one, “S.A.” has been in eleven semis, not one going seven games.
Click for a look back at George Gervin
David “Deacon” Jones died yesterday. So few are truly great in even one category, but Mr. Jones certainly was a true great when rushing the passer.
You will read about sacks and no stats for such, when Jones, part of the Los Angeles Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome,” played in the NFL, peaking in the late 1960’s.
One does not need stats to attest to Jones’ greatness, one only needed to see him play.
Though the Rams never even made a Super Bowl appearance, they had some tremendous teams including the 1967 team that won the Coastal Division (remember the Coastal Division?!!). That team had just one loss, beating an undefeated Baltimore Colts’ team in the final game to claim the crown.
In those days, home field was not based on record, and the (11 wins, 1 loss, 2 ties) Rams had to go to Green Bay where they lost to the (9 wins, 4 losses, 1 tie) Packers.
Sadly, with “Deacon’s” death, only Rosey Grier remains from the original “Fearsome Foursome.” The great player, Roger Brown, who replaced Grier after the latter’s retirement, is alive.
Both Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy, the other members of the original “Fearsome Foursome,” are deceased. We cite on this 45th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic death, the fact Mr. Grier, a friend of Senator Kennedy, was there when the shooting occurred.
Deacon Jones gained commercial success and did some acting. He was not in “Brian’s Song” but in a great dinner scene, James Caan playing the tragic hero Brian Piccolo, talks of a busted play vs the Rams. He runs right into that great line and laments saying “Hello Deacon, hello Merlin (Olsen) how’s the family?
Now David can join Merlin and “Pic” and look after the family that should be the human race. Maybe it will help.
click to see Deacon Jones on pop culture TV Show
While watching some movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel (TCM), I found a couple of interesting tidbits and will make some observations.
First of all, James Cagney and Jean Harlow, framed in a beautiful manner, by director William Wellman in “The Public Enemy,” a 1931 film, generate as much, if not more “heat” (speaking of heat–was it ever hot!– the Miami Heat face a 7th game tonight vs the Indiana Pacers and Cagney was equally great in a film called “White Heat”) than anything shown today.
In 1966, the Braves having moved from Milwaukee played their first season in Atlanta. That year in the film, “Any Wednesday” Jason Robards’ character asks Jane Fonda’s character if she wants to go to Atlanta.
Years later in real life, not “reel life,” (forgive that one but admit it I rarely write such things) Jane moved to Atlanta and married Braves’ owner R.E. “Ted” Turner. She still lives at least part of the year in Atlanta.
Click to watch the original trailer for “The Public Enemy”
2013 has the same calendar as 1968 after the Leap Year day of February 29th. This manifests in some memorable and tragic events having exact 45th year anniversaries this year.
Those events include the assassinations of Martin Luther King on Thursday April 4th and Robert F. Kennedy on Tuesday June 4th, the latter three days away.
Senator Kennedy was killed in Los Angeles and surely spent time there campaigning in the California Primary in his presidential bid.
During that time Dodgers’ pitcher Don Drysdale pitched in three games, all in Los Angeles, as he broke Walter Johnson’s consecutive innings scoreless streak.
Forty five years ago today, I listened to Win Elliott on Sports Central USA give an account of Drysdale, with help from a call by umpire Harry Wendelstedt, get out of a bases loaded, none out jam in the top of the ninth inning to get a record tying fifth straight shutout. The game was played on Friday night May 31, exactly 45 years ago yesterday.
Robert F. Kennedy included congratulations to Drysdale, for his record breaking sixth consecutive shutout in his “victory” speech after he “won” the California primary on June 4th. Soon after Senator Kennedy was shot and eventually died. With his death, so much hope also died. This was an event that haunts for all of time.
On Saturday June 8th, funeral services were held for Robert Kennedy. His lone living brother Edward “Ted” Kennedy eulogized him and in the course of doing so, quoted George Bernard Shaw. “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream of things that never were and say why not.”
That night in Los Angeles, Drysdale set the record for consecutive scoreless innings before a sacrifice fly by an obscure outfielder named Howie Bedell ended the streak.
On Sunday June 8, 1986, “Big D” as Drysdale was known, wrote “remembering Howie Bedell” on a piece of paper for me.
Soon it will be 20 years since I heard the news that Drysdale had died of a heart attack in his hotel room in Montreal.
I truly wish we could go back and rectify the mistakes, get another chance. Thus I dream of things that not only do not happen but from all indications can not happen.
Six of the eight coaches in the NHL quarterfinals had won a Stanley Cup title. One of those coaches, John Tortorella of the New York Rangers, was fired after the Boston Bruins eliminated the Rangers in five games.
Tortorella, who coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup title, also guided the Rangers to the top record in the last NHL full season in 2011-2012.
The Rangers made it to the semi-finals before losing to the New Jersey Devils in six games.
There have been worse cases, especially in the NHL, where coaches won the Cup and were let go within a few years. However, Tortorella deserved better and is not the Rangers’ problem.
In fact, what is the problem? Only one team can win it all and the Rangers have done pretty well, especially under Tortorella.
Tortorella will have no problem getting an NHL job though he can be testy with the media. If I were asked the same inane questions night after night, I might not get testy as I would realize how lucky I am not to “dig ditches,” but I would ask silently can’t they do better than this?
Speaking of “better than this,” it is hard to predict sports, especially the NHL. Add to that, the fact this season was only 48 games.
I have no real “feel” on the Rangers going forward, but cite the “Tortorella years” as good ones, something not all that abundant in New York Rangers’ history.
The Chicago Blackhawks got a goal from Brent Seabrook in overtime to beat the Detroit Red Wings in seven games. Thus Chicago a three to one series favorite, avoided an upset.
However, ESPN’s Steve Levy was horribly wrong in comparing the hockey Detroit Red Wings’ 3 games to one lead vs Chicago to a hypothetical three games to one lead for the basketball Miami Heat vs the Milwaukee Bucks. He said the two “were equivalent.”
First of all the Heat did play the Bucks and were fifty to one favorites. That is the best measure of how outrageous Levy’s “This is the equivalent of ” comparison sounded.
Also, look at history and how often big upsets occur in hockey as compared to basketball. There is also the nature of the sport which leaves hockey favorites so much more susceptible to upsets than basketball teams.
The sad thing is no one called Levy on this outrage just as no one did when he called a seventh game, which of course is decisive, “pivotal.”
Levy also sat there when Barry Melrose said the Kings did not lose at home in last year’s playoffs. He, nor any of the production team, made the correction.
Does it matter if statements are accurate or will the ridiculous opinions, shoddy research and overall lack of standards continue?! I am afraid we know that answer.
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the San Jose Sharks four games to three, with each team winning all their home games. The defending champion, Kings will face the winner of tonight’s Detroit Red Wings/Chicago Blackhawks game in the semi- final round.
ESPN analyst Barry Melrose was incorrect when he said the Kings did not lose at home last season when they won the Stanley Cup.
The New Jersey Devils down three games to none temporarily prevented a celebration for the Kings and their fans, by winning game four of last year’s finals. After also losing game five at New Jersey, the Kings clinched their first title by winning game six at home. This year they are (7-0) at home in the playoffs.
The Kings are the only team in either the NHL or NBA still playing that has not lost at home in the playoffs. The playoffs have 32 teams, 16 in the NHL and the same number in the NBA.
The San Jose Sharks, who were (5-0) at home in these playoffs are the first team in a long time to go at least two rounds without losing a home playoff game.
The last team to win the Stanley Cup without losing at home were the 1988 Edmonton Oilers. In the 41 completed NHL seasons from (1971-2012) which were post expansion and also with no all expansion team division, only four times has the Stanley Cup winner not lost at home.
Those teams were the Edmonton Oilers in both 1985 and 1988, the Montreal Canadiens in 1976 and the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976.
The New York Islanders won four straight Stanley Cup titles from 1980-1983 but did not accomplish the feat and the Canadiens, who won four straight Cups (1976-1979) did it only once.
Video: Wayne Gretzky’s 1988 Stanley Cup Ring
Andy B Sports 