In their first NHL season (2017-2018), the Las Vegas Golden Knights shocked the hockey world and nearly “bankrupted” ( more accurately: would have cost the books “mucho” but as they say, we will be there tomorrow, no matter the result)some major home city “industry,” when they made the final round before losing the last 4 games of a 5 game series to the lone Washington Capitals’ title team.
It was also the first time ever that the Caps won a final round series game. They were in their 43rd completed season and the L.V. win in game 1 meant the first year team won its first final round game before the team in its 43rd season.
“Wash” did right the ship and go on to title, now their lone crown in 48 completed season. They were swept by a repeat champion Detroit Red Wings’ team under the great Scotty Bowman in the ’98 final.
Currently Las Vegas, up (3-0) vs the Dallas Stars, is one win from a final round vs the Florida Panthers, the latter sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the semis. The Hurricanes have been swept in all 3 semis since winning in 7 vs the Buffalo Sabres, on their way to a 7 game triumph vs Edmonton for the ’06 crown.
Meanwhile second year, expansion team Seattle (Kraken) were ahead in their “quarters” before losing (2-1) in game 7 at Dallas.
Florida is (11-1) since falling down 3 games to 1, vs the record breaking Bruins in the first round.
While the Denver Nuggets, now (1-4) in semis and (1-3) vs the Lakers in such, did sweep into the NBA final round, the Heat failed to do so and though up (3-1) now go to Boston for #5 and would have to return there for #7 if the Celtics (4-5) at home in these ‘offs win #’s 5 and 6.
Meanwhile in the NHL, both Las Vegas and Florida have commanding (3-0) semis leads.
If, as is extremely likely a Las Vegas vs Florida NHL final manifests, it will mean a first time NHL champion will be crowned.
Each team lost 4 straight games at one point of their one previous final appearance to date, the Avalanche (their first of 3 crowns) winning (4-0) vs Florida in ’96 and Washington getting its lone title, winning the last 4 games to “5” first year L.V. in 2018.
Back to the Nuggets, and how right their fine coach Mike Malone is about the lack of respect afforded Denver star Nikola Jokic (how does Mark Jackson get to sit there, having left Jokic off his MVP ballot?!).
Jokic and Jamal Murray led Denver in 4 vs the Lakers now (32-10) in semis, swept in a series for the 11th–ninth in a best of 7. Denver won for the first time in 8 post-season series vs L.A. and swept an opponent for the first time, in this their 47th NBA season.
Regarding that so publicized, great player, LeBron James (Please retire and stay retired. You matched Kareem’s 20 years and passed his points total, but you “ain’t” even close to being as great!!) his team was swept out for a third time, semis or later.
In a 5 game final round loss to Golden State in ’18 after he and the Cavs were swept in ’17, his team lost the first three games. Then the privileged, do what he wants, James jumped to L.A.
Similarly in his last year with the Heat, to whom he jumped in 2011, the team lost the last 3 of the final, albeit all at San Antonio and were 5’d by the Spurs. Then he jumped back to Cleveland.
Certainly the (3-0) series leads of the Western Conference top seed, Denver Nuggets and mind blowing Eastern Conference, “8,” the Miami Heat, are unprecedented.
True, in 1957 both “semis,” ended in 3 game sweeps as the Celtics in route to their first crown, swept the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) and the then St. Louis Hawks swept the then Mnneapolis Lakers.
Coincidentally the trailing (3-0) NBA semis teams this year are the Celtics and Lakers, since 1961, the L.A. Lakers.
Meanwhile both NHL semi-final series stand at (2-0), all 4 games decided in overtime with another South Florida technically an “8,” the Panthers and sixth years Las Vegas Golden Knights, the former at Carolina (the Hurricanes have lost 10 straight “semis” games, dating back to ’09, 6 of the losses at home) and the latter at home vs the Dallas Stars.
Someone do the research and we shall see how these semis end but for now I found only one instance (1977) when all 4 semis stood at (2-0).
Then in the NBA, eventual champion, Portland (Trail Blazers) swept the Lakers, who by the way entered this semi (32-9) all-time in such entities, while the Sixers up (2-0) and (3-1) vs Houston (Rockets) won in 6, before losing in that number to Portland’s only title in their 53 NBA seasons.
In the ’77 NHL semis, Boston involved then but not with the Celtics swept the Philadelphia Flyers, having won the first two games in overtime at Philly.
The great, great Montreal Canadiens (60 wins, 8 losses and 12 old fashioned ties) built a (3-1) series lead but needed 6 games to advance vs an eventually great, 4 straight crowns, Islanders’ team.
“Remembering,” usually precedes above, however, as I commence the difficult task of noting Jim Brown, an activist, athlete and actor (an Andy hero, whose Hollywood Hills home I was invited to on two occasions), who died days back at age 87, I start with his name, as called in myriad instances.
Certainly there is the “pitch to” as the superb broadcaster Ken Coleman “started” a run, by the greatest to ever do so in pro football.
In Richard Pryor’s brilliant, poignant and ultimately sad comedy, regarding his addiction to cocaine, specifically crack cocaine, JIM BROWN is heard as he did try to help Richard, regarding that so powerful “pipe.”
It was so often his name and the high praise for it, even by those, the vast — if not total populace, that unlike me, rooted for the local Giants. I was for Jim Brown, originally Paul Brown and the Cleveland Browns.
Over the years, I was fortunate to have spoken with Jim many times and as I got some insight into his advanced thinking, his football exploits were almost never, if ever, a topic.
Thus Jim, I never told you what December 27, 1964 and your/”my” Cleveland Browns’ title win vs the great John Unitas and the Baltimore Colts, meant to me. I am telling you now, it is still and hopefully always will be a great memory
It was Frank to Gary thrice (Ryan threw 3 TD passes to Collins), my grandmother, dad, mom and me in an upholstered chair watching the only time “my” Browns ever won it. (Of course led by the immortal, “Automatic Otto,” Mr. Otto Graham, they won 3 NFL crowns and all 4 All American Football Conference title tilts that were played but that was before my time. I no longer root for them. I will say with Jim being honored somewhere on their football parapharnalia, I hope and believe they will play well in 2023)
1966 and I thought, not knowing better, it was still a good world, despite the fact ‘they’ blew the back of President Kennedy’s head off, as my great sports heroes, #32’s (an aside-the first time I met Jim was in the summer of ’89 and I recall his nice words to Sandy as he walked past Jim and me as we were doing an interview), Jim and Sandy Koufax were playing and in their great prime.
Soon that changed, the rest of the guys cheering loud in the movie theater, when Jim’s “Jefferson” ran to his death in “The Dirty Dozen.” Maybe they were so happy Jim was no longer playing vs their team.
Then November came, Dad came home from work, it was a Friday as it would be when news came another hero Muhammad Ali died and 2 days back when Jim left (he had died on Thursday May 18th, an eery 60 years to the date that fellow Syracuse star, Ernie Davis died at the tragically young age of 22–more on that later), I probably asked for the newspaper (remember them) before saying hello and then I saw that Sandy, now my lone still alive original sports hero, had retired from baseball, doing so a la Jim, at his individual peak or near it.
Life got tougher as it does for most, especially those of us who were “big fishes in little ponds,” soaking wet behind the ears but in fairness, “of the ideal,” and that as the kids “botch,” SO included loving Jim Brown.
One way I began to cope with Jim’s death was playing Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights,” as it helped recall my natural high driving both up and down, the song referenced Hollywood hills, before and especially after a former gang member turned activist, named “Rock,” held the camera and I interviewed Jim, sitting on his couch, the view at the window so great!
So often, always with respect it was “hey brother how are you doing and a short conversation” when I called Jim. However, he had been on my cable show via phone at least once, that in 1991. (I better find this stuff as a tangible memory to be referenced and enjoyed on occasion).
That December 1992, a “good” Friday, if you will, hearing I was in Los Angeles (I spell it out in honor of Jim) he, incredibly and kindly, invited me to his home for the interview.
Rather than go on and on, (also words in “Hollywood Nights” and there will be other remembrances and some past posts with Jim referenced will display), I cite my second visit to his home, a scant month after I lost the last and most important person (my dad had died 7 years earlier) in my life, my mother.
There was Jim playing chess (as one Orenthal James Simpson, in a very nice tribute to Jim on something called Twitter, said “Jim was the most competitive person” he knew) intensely with Rock, who remembered me.
We were seated on Jim’s deck, overlooking the city. This time many former, (maybe still) gang members, Jim and Rock worked with hoping to steer them toward better, completed the table’s populace.
I was so down, Jim noted I lost weight, but in just being there, in having this great man speak and encourage me, somehow life went on.
Now Jim’s incredible life on earth, his accomplishments and flaws documented elsewhere and barely touched here, has ended. It rips at me, this and so much else gone wrong!
However, in changing the same letters, save the “S,” into Rest In Peace and address it to Jim, I think of how fortunate I was to have admired, understood and interacted (we went really long the night of #2/’97 World Series, when it was a pitching matchup of Brown (Kevin) vs (Chad) Ogea, (pronounced O Jay) and then and at other times discussed the horrors of slavery, The Holocaust and economic hardship) with the indomitable Jim Brown!!
P.S. if you will, I must figure tags, find a picture or two and previous posts referencing Jim. To Monique, you know he loved you very much. Before my mother died there was Jim in Manhattan. I was with a guy whose name, as he told Jim, was similar to your Ari.
Jim was headed back to the hotel and we invited him to meet us later. We intended, in our futile efforts to meet women. When told of our plans and given a reminder of the fact he was married, Jim remarked “I can look can’t I”
Now he will look down upon you and his whole family, having done so much for so many while here on earth.
The Miami Heat continued their/South Florida’s ‘offs and NCAA teams incredible post-season, (not and seemingly NEVER me) “gold mine,” by winning (plus 9) at Boston (Celtics are (4-5) at home) to take a (2-0) semis lead.
For the record, long shots, Miami U. and Florida Atlantic “backed up Brinks trucks,” reaching the national semis, before losing, the latter covering the spread in the loss.
The NHL Panthers rode NHL Hart Trophy Finalist (McDavid will win the award, but he and his Oilers are home, per Bettman’s “no Canada edict,” or maybe stellar play by Bettman (Bet is operative) backed Las Vegas, which got an overtime goal from Brett Howden (his in the first 3 minutes of overtime) to “open” Dallas at home), Matthew Tkachuk’s goal 12 seconds from a 5th overtime to lead (1-0) vs Carolina.
Florida, which won the 6th longest NHL game around 2 A.M. did so on the road, where they have won 7 in a row, including the last 3 vs the top ranked , record breaking Bruins in the first round. Maybe slightly off, but I have the odds of the Panthers and Heat winning all 5 of those “at Boston” tilts at a mind boggling, 400 to 1!!
Elsewhere, the Denver Nuggets led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (he is from Canada and the NBA actually allowed the Raptors of Toronto to win the 2019 crown but of course Kawhi showed his “loyalty,” “Leonarding” to the L.A. Clippers) won the first two of a semi for the first time in their 47 year/season NBA history, doing so at home vs L.A.
Who, in addition to the great Jimmy Butler “did it” (Caleb Martin off the bench with 25 points while starter Bam Adebayo added 22) as Miami, in winning #2, leads the Celtics (2-0).
Picking up a pair of road wins, Miami is now (-175), juxtaposed with having been at least a 5 to 1 “person to person” series opening underdog.
I guess Gary Bettman has finished singing “No Canada” (30 years since a team from Canada won the crown) and tonight the NHL semis will commence.
The Carolina Hurricanes are about 7 to 5 favorites vs the Florida Panthers in both tonight’s series opening game and the “semi.”
Both teams have had extended rest, as the ‘Canes wrapped the Devils with a homeovertime win a week ago while Florida rode Nick Cousins’ OT goal at Toronto in a #5 series clincher as well.
Out West, the Dallas Stars held off second year team Seattle (Kraken) (2-1) in #7 on Monday 5/15 (Neil Freigenberg would have been 67 and not one bit interested in the games) and will face 6th year, Las Vegas (Golden Knights) starting tomorrow.
L.V. (once leagues frowned on anything to do with Vegas or gambling, now they promote it. Unbelievable greed and hypocrisy!!) is about a 7 to 5 series fave.
They won #6 to take out Canada’s last hope, Edmonton (Oilers) at “Edm,” on Sunday so it is/was 4 days off for L.V. and 3 for Dallas, whose coach Peter DeBoer is now (7-0) in #7’s but as with the team’s great veteran player, Joe Pavelski is seeking his first title.
Maybe both Don Denkinger, an excellent umpire, best remembered for a big play in game 6 of the ’85 World Series, who died at age 86 days back and I both had something to do with that series result.
I will go back to it just as I wish I could be running on the field to gather John Tudor and Tito Landrum for post-game, ABC Network interviews with the great clutch player, Reggie Jackson.
In 1974, on a key play at home plate the same Reggie Jackson in a same calendar year, slid home and was correctly and efficiently called safe by home plate umpire Denkinger.
NBC analyst, a rare one over the years, who gives us good, rather than bad, deciphered the replay and praised Jackson’s slide and Denkinger’s call.
He worked so many games in those days before replay could change calls and was one of the best at doing so.
Tudor, at one point, cited my quick rush to him, after his brilliant shutout in game 4 that gave the Cards a (3-1) lead in the I-80 World Series vs the Kansas City Royals.
Subsequently he told me not to feel bad and it was just one of many things that happened to help such Royals as their great player, George Brett, (he turned 70 yesterday), win his lone title.
One such thing was Denkinger, clearly incorrectly calling Jorge Orta safe to start the 2 run K,C, bottom 9, that transformed a 1 run deficit facing elimination, to a 7th game forcing win. Much more negative happened some St. LOuis’ fault and let’s hail Dane Iorg, who helped the Cards end a 15 year title drought in ’82, delivering a 1 out, 2 run hit that forced #7.
In September 1992, Beano Cook and I after a day of ripping the hypocrisy of Notre Dame on NBC, walked into a NYC restaurant and Beano recognized Denkinger. Now I recall his home state Iowa team was facing eventual title runner up and previous 4 titles in 9 seasons, Miami that Saturday night.
Don was truly nice to me and when I answered the phone 2 days later, early that Monday, it truly moved me that Mr. Denkinger, unlike so many over the years, proved he was raised right, calling as he said he would.
That “call” and your overall class means you will get the right call to the right place. Go easy, Mr. Denkinger.
Oh I sensed it, and now the odds against a Celts/Lakers final round clash have dropped considerably.
Each of these great franchises, one the Lakers that I once loved, the other the Celtics, who I never truly disliked raised their already stellar quarterfinal series records, with respective 6 games triumphs vs Golden State and a 6th #7 triumph vs the Sixers nee Syracuse Nationals franchise.
Many more notes will follow.
Neither of the semis opponents are pushovers, in fact the Western Conference top ranked, Nikola Jokic led Denver Nuggets are (-135) series faves (alas both Memphis and Golden State were in that range, favorites, but in each entity, L.A. prevailed in 6 games), while the Jimmy Butler led Miami Heat are a viable threat as well.
However, somewhat surprisingly Boston is roughly a 5 to 1 series fave and I think they will win,
A big reason is that I feel they will benefit from the fact that Miami (5-0) as is the case with the Nuggets and Lakers, (each 6-0), are unbeaten at home. (Almost every NBA or NHL ‘offs team loses at least one ‘offs game at home and while certainly possible, especially with as great a player as Butler on their team, I doubt Miami will win twice at Boston, as I feel that need will manifest).
As for Denver (0-4) in semis, thrice losing to the Lakers, I predict splits in the 2 at home games to start the “semi,” with both teams finally losing at home.
So Boston/Denver to clash is even, and it is 8 to 5 on what would be “Chai” for one of them (Celts and Lakers each have 17 crowns, 18 or chai if one wins this time), and a “no matter what win” for Disney/ABC if it is Celts/Lakers.
Last night, perhaps for the first time in history (you look it up and write in, thank you), NBA and NHL teams from the same city/area advanced to the semi-finals on the same night.
First the NBA Heat (-6) won by 4, to “6” the Knicks, and will meet tomorrow’s CeltsSixers winner in the semis. (Celts are (-7) in another Sunday afternoon at Boston #7 vs Philly, this one tomorrow at 3:30)
Last season Boston 7’d the Heat in the semis before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA final. (Last night the Lakers ripped G.S. to win their “qtr” in 6, a 7th straight series win for the Lakers vs the Warriors and handing the classy, good man, excellent coach, Seve Kerr his first Western Conference ‘offs series defeat).
Meanwhile Nick Cousins (I still have cousins in Florida, one being 100 plus years old, Harold Lovins) scored in overtime, lifting the Panthers (3-2) at Toronto in #5, to “5” the Leafs and now will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL “semis.”
While both NHL Western Conference “semis”/NHL quarterfinal series are tied (2-2), with the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars returning to home ice for #5 and #7 if necessary, vs the Edmonton Oilers and second year, Seattle Kraken respectively, both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers have (3-1) series leads in their Eastern Conference “semis”/NHL “qtrs.”
Carolina “titled” in ’06, ten years after the Panthers were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the ’96 final and 4 years after Detroit won 4 straight after dropping the series opener to “5” “Car” and give coach Scotty Bowman, his record breaking 9th title, breaking a record he shared with his mentor, the legendary Hector “Toe” Blake.
The Panthers have won 5 straight road games after losing in their first ‘offs game at Boston and won 3 at Boston to eliminate the top ranked record breaking Bruins (I warned of it here) and then the first two at Toronto (Maple Leafs). “Fla” is (2-3) in home tilts so far in these ‘offs.
On Paul Stastny’s “sharp angle” overtime, road, goal in #6, Carolina 6’d the Islanders, having won #’s 1 and 2 at home and #’s 4 and 6 on the road.
Through 4 games it is the same “Car. in #’s 1 and 2 at home, 4 on the road,” vs the New Jersey Devils, who had raised their game 7 vs the Rangers record to (1-2) (all home team wins), in the first round.
Current ‘Canes coach, Rod Brind’Amour, pictured above was the captain on the ’06 title team.
His son Skyler an Edmonton draft pick was on this season’s NCAA champion Quinniapac team.
Carolina won its title vs Edmonton in ’06.
Andy B Sports 