“L”ikely, the “L”os Angeles “L”akers will advance to the franchise’s 42nd semi-final round, (they have a superb (32-9) record in such, (6-4) while in Minneapolis thus an even better, incredible (26-5) as L.A.) this still not certain, but again likely (they are 4 plus to 1 “faves” to do so) after “L”onnie Walker (who?) scored 15 4th quarter points leading L.A. more or less on the #, though late GS $ meant L.A. (-2) thus they covered, (104-101) vs defending champion Golden State to take a (3-1) “Qtrs” series lead.
The Lakers who have won 6 straight ‘offs series vs the Warriors and also a “play in” nonsense are (6-1) vs them all as L.A. with the lone Warriors’ triumph coming in a best of 5, three game sweep in ’67.
L.A. is an also great (36-12) in previous “quarters,” going (9-1) in 10 best of 3 such entities while located in “Minne.”
If L.A. faces Denver, they will have won 7 straight and 7 of 8 all-time vs the Warriors and would go in (3-0) in “previous” vs the Nuggets in semis.
Now if it is L.A./Boston for Silver and Disney, not me, but why fight it?–it is the Celts with at least the history, (9-3) vs the Lakers all in final round play.
Now if it was Larry and Earvin, pictured above, it might be worth the hype.
The cold, hard reality of (even my) habitual looks, with ubiquitous phones and the seemingly inevitable harsh news, often death, struck again, as that was how I learned/saw that the great pitcher and truly cool guy, Vida Blue (maybe I can still decipher his writing “Remember the Firebird,”– I had a ’72 version, bought not by me in ’76) had died, far too young at age 73.
Oh “73” as in 1973, when Vida and the Oakland Athletics made it two straight World Series wins, eventually three, topping previous long, essentially forgotten, great Philadelphia Athletics’ accomplishments (3 straight pennants beating out Ruth/Gehrig Yankees’ teams ’29-’31 and winning it all in ’29 and ’30 and 4 pennants in 5 seasons, titles in 1910, 1911 and 1913 from 1910-1914, the “Miracle” Boston Braves swept them in 1914).
Blue, who had many great post-season moments for Oakland (some bad ones also) pitched a brilliant 2 hit shutout in game 3/1974 ALCS at Baltimore, giving the A’s a (2-1) ALCS lead in what was a best of 5 series.
I go back to September 21, 1970 when Blue, still months away from what would be a superb 1971 season, hurled a no hit game vs the soon to clinch the “div,” Minnesota Twins.
Vida had so many great moments in helping the great A’s (only the Yankees and Canadiens twice each and Celtics ever topped their feat of 3 straight crowns) and later pitched well for the contending 1978 S.F. Giants.
A highlight, probably “The,” for Blue was when he relieved another “Blue,” (John “Blue Moon” Odom) and hurled 4 scoreless innings as Oakland held a (2-1) lead and won by that score in #5 ’72 ALCS, giving the Athletics their first pennant in 41 years.
It was when Vida was with the ’85 or ’86 Giants that I saw him working for ABC, at Shea Stadium.
At the time, I mentioned we had talked via phone in 1976 when I told him about the Firebird.
He signed a baseball “Remember the firebird.”
I will remember you Vida Blue as a pitching great and a cool, nice man.
Wish it was years down the road, but good luck pitching in heaven in the near future. On class and people skills, alone, you made it but far too soon.
Click below for a 2021 post regarding a great LCS won by the A’s in the maximum 5 games vs the Detroit Tigers.
- The 1972 ALCS Was A Classic on August 4, 2021
Vida Blue, pictured above.
After Philly’s game 1 win, (not cashed, 2nd and 3rd in the Derby, on this the exact 51st anniversary of “my” Lakers’ ’72 crown-d not mind Charles but that royalty “ain’t” for me–phone yields no longer my L.A. ripped GS, ko’d my schmeaze and under on national over air TV, so much for “Hello Klay Thompson” and the Currys) Harlan, likely from his producer, noted it was the first Sixers’ ‘opening game/at Boston ‘offs win since 1981.
He did not cite the fact that the Celtics won that dramatic “semi/virtual final” in 7 games.
It is one of only 4 times in the NBA record 21 ‘offs series clashes between the Celts and Sixers nee Syracuse Nationals that the game 1 losing team won the series.
The Sixers returned the favor the next season, 1982 and had done so in 1977.
The franchise as Syracuse also won the series after losing game 1, doing so in 1956 in a best of 3 series. At that point the Nationals had won 3 of 4 ‘offs series vs the Celtics.
They also won a round robin event that gave them home court advantage vs Boston in 1954, before beating the Celtics in a subsequent series.
Boston leads the ‘offs series having won two thirds (14) of the 21 clashes.
Philly won in ’67, ’77,’80 and ’82.
Syracuse won from (’54-’56), winning its lone title as the Nationals in ’55.
Philly went on to win the ’67 crown.
Boston won vs Syracuse in ’53, ’57, ’59,’61, thus were (4-3) in series (4-4) counting the round robin and went on to titles in ’57,’59 and ’61.
The Celtics are (10-3) in series vs Philly, winning in eventual title seasons (’65,’66,’68,’69 and ’81) as well as in ’85, 2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020.
Boston and Denver with home advantage vs Philly and Phoenix respectively, and above cited L.A. and the Heat, the b.s. “bubble” 2020 final round opponents, sans it vs G.State and the Knicks respectively, lead their “quarters” (2-1).
I am way too old for this!!
Five Years and 13 (Wilt, pictured above wore it) days apart in same calendar as this years 1967 and 1972, Wilt Chamberlain led two of the greatest teams ever, in any sport to title clinching win.
His team, the (68-13) Philly 76ers titled vs the great Rick Barry and the then and now S.F. based Warriors on April 24th and the Lakers won it vs a Knicks’ team, that made 6 straight semis (’69-’74), winning titles in ’70 and ’73, exactly 51 years ago tonight on Sunday May 7, 1972.
NEW YORK — Hoops Cabaret in New York City (48 West 33rd Street), featuring dozens of sexy Hoops exotic dancers, and hailed as “the world’s sexiest sports bar,” will show the Boxing Lightweight Championship “Checkmate” pay-per-view event live on Saturday, May 20.
Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) will be defending his undisputed lightweight championship in arguably the toughest test of his career against more accomplished two-time Olympic gold medalist and former three-division world champion Vasiy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs).
The 35-year-old Lomachenko admits that this is his “last chance” to try and become the undisputed champ. If he loses to Haney, he won’t be given a second shot, as Devin will likely face Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis next and, if not him, Shakur Stevenson.
“I made history by becoming the youngest undisputed champion. The real champ,” said Devin Haney. “I think Loma never fought nobody like me. I’m going to run over him.”
At Hoops Cabaret, fans can view the exciting matches on the club’s giant Mega-Tron Video Wall and numerous HD TVs and flat screens, giving every seat a clear view of all the action.
Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club. Be sure to check out the beautiful Hoops Girls on stage and visit the club’s VIP Man Cave. There are also food and drink specials.
HOOPS CABARET and Sports Bar, next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Certainly the more intense NHL playoffs frustration “resides” in Toronto, as the home team Maple Leafs have not “titled” or made the final round since winning a 4th crown in 6 seasons in same calendar 19677.
Last Saturday night, by virtue of their third OT win at Tampa, they 6’d the classy Lightning, who had made 3 straight final rounds and five since ’04, winning it all in ’04,’20 and ’21, to win their first ‘offs series since ’04, ending an 11 series loss skein. Additionally they ended an 11 game losing streak in potential series clinching games.
Surely they preferred the Florida Panthers as a quarterfinal round opponent, but at least through 2 games, each a home Tor loss, the bromide “be careful what you wish for has manifested.”
The Panthers a franchise not only in a questionable business situation are also seeped in ‘offs failure.
“Fla” had won just their second ‘offs series since winning 3, before being swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the ’96 final (the same night Fla 7’d top ranked Boston, Seattle now (1-1) vs Joe Pavelski and Dallas did the same to the defending champion ‘Lanche, who also won the 2001 title) when they beat the record breaking, top ranked Bruins.
The opening game of the “quarter” was in Toronto, on Tuesday May 2nd, the exact 56 year “ann” of the Leafs’ (3-1) home game 6 win vs the two time champion Montreal Canadiens, that gave them their last title.
Florida won that game (4-2), won again, this time (3-2) in #2 to lead (2-0) with #3 in Florida on Sunday.
The Panthers, who may face a team from an area that has a same name NFL team, (the Carolina–their NFL team is the Panthers— Hurricanes “opened” the Devils. The former had won a home #7 and their round of 16 series vs the Rangers after losing the first two games at home), in the “semis,” have won 5 straight games, 4 on the road. They are (5-1), with 5 straight such wins, on the road in these ‘offs and (1-2) at home.
I referenced a great, veteran player, Joe Pavelski above. He had 4 goals for his Dallas Stars in a game 1 loss to second year team Seattle (Kraken) in their “quarter” opener and a goal in the Stars’ series squaring win last night.
Incredibly, the night after Pavelski tallied 4 times in a loss for his team, Edmonton (Oilers) star player Leon Draisaitl did the same as Las Vegas (Golden Knights) won at home (6-4) in their opener.
Speaking of series opening games, truly sad news is that Petr Klima, pictured above, who scored to end the longest NHL final game, the Oilers’ 1990 game 1 win at Boston, died far too young at the age of 57.
There are ends, there are games, there are notes, there are people whose dreams wither “like a raisin in the sun,” yet we must try. (Ode to Superman talking to his split version.)
The (43-39) Los Angeles Lakers, who “play in’d, in a no cover of eventual 8 seed Minne to become the Western Conference “7” seed, surely loom in a bid for a record breaking 18th title. (That is if you count the 5 they won in the above referenced “Minne”apolis.
After “6’ing” the second seed Memphis Grizzlies, whose player “poked the bear” daring to criticize the so great but I will say it at least once more, not near the greatest, now Lakers’ (third time he jumped teams) player LeBron James, L.A. went to defending champion only (44-38) themselves, Golden State (Warriors) and won the quarterfinal opening game.
Anthony Davis, at least as important to L.A. as James (of course it will be an unbearable but in many ways deserving barrage of accolades for Leb if he , as he sensed, pulls this off. Of course there is a long way to go, but from the start just as I did not see the NHL ‘Lanche, I did not see Golden State, which won #’s 5 and 7 at Sacramento to advance to the quarters repeating. The hope likely is Denver (Nuggets) a team that has never made the NBA final, losing 4 times in the semis, thrice/3 times, to the Lakers. Yet the networks and Silver, who contributed mightily to a LeBron Cleveland crown in ’16, would not want Denver–ergo L.A. and alas in the East, other issues abound!), had 30 points and 22 rebounds and guilty of “LeBron this/LeBron that,” I note James’ teams are now (8-15) in ‘offs games vs Golden State and last night was the first time in 5 series opening games, they emerged victorious.
Quickly-the above referenced Nuggets (1-3) in previous ‘offs series vs Phoenix, lead them (2-0) but they are (5-0) in these ‘offs at home. In Eastern Conference play, both the Philly Sixers, who lead the still, pretty big plurality favorites to title (if they do, they also would get #18 (Bailey Howell/Dave Cowens) to go by 17 (John Havlicek) Boston Celtics (1-0) and the Miami Heat, who won then lost in the first two of their “quarter” at New York’s Madison Square Garden vs the Knicks,
Neither the Heat or 76ers, each just (2-0) (thus room?) have lost at home and seemingly every team does/will.
Oh the Lakers, impressive in 3 home wins vs Memphis, #6 the series clincher a 40 point rout also have not lost at home giving the Warriors (19-0) in Western Conference ‘offs series under Steve Kerr, much or just some hope.
That is Ray Allen, (you figure out why), pictured above.
I must take care of things more important than this stuff.
Also a search for Allen yielded (wanted the sign, but do not know how) a business, which is what all of this is, with never a better example of what I consider so negative, being LeBron James, his “brand” and all that goes with it.
Already, in a far bigger upset, (one is basketball, the other hockey), Miami had say 9 to 1’d top ranked Milwaukee, and ode to “The Spinners” “Games People Play,” memories did NOT get in the way, all year as the Bruins, I say foolishly, kept winning.
I posted here and will have “mucho” in the way of notes in the days ahead, but for now, the sad Bruins’ song is that Florida overcame a (3-1) series deficit, twice fought back to tie from 3rd period, one goal deficits in #6 and then dramatically got the tying goal from Brandon Montour with a minute left in “reg,” and then advanced on Carter Verhaeghe’s overtime goal.
Montour had “opened,” the Panthers led (2-0) before Boston, which had 65 wins and 135 points, each the most in a season, rallied to lead (3-2).
However, after “Fla” coach, Paul Maurice (he guided Winnipeg over top ranked/President’s Trophy winning Nashville in the 2018 “quarters”) pulled netminder Sergei Borbovsky–he was on the Columbus Blue Jackets team that swept and eased vs a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had almost as great a regular season as the 2022-2023 Bruins.
Again what for?
Perspective in one case is that the Lightning came back to win 2 straight crowns and make 3 consecutive final round appearances.
A better example is the loss by the Bruins, which evokes one they suffered in #7 of a “quarter,” on a Sunday afternoon at home vs Montreal and Ken Dryden in their first series, after greats like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and others, shattered individual records in ’71, took place on the exact 51 year anniversary of their (6-5) game 1 final round triumph vs the New York Rangers.
Those Bruins who won that Sunday afternoon and a first Cup in 29 years on one 2 years earlier, went on to title.
In that opening game, Boston dissipated a (5-1) lead before Garnet “Ace” Bailey took a pass from Mike “Shaky” Walton (Michael Waldman, a hockey fan then had died in the past few years), and scored the winning goal.
More or less, the same 29 years passed and on September 11, 2001–Bailey was killed, having been a passenger on one of the planes forced into a building.
Seemingly, only I recall all of that, but even aware of it, I lack the perspective– maybe not as much as most, that this sports stuff, even when both winter sports’ top ranked teams are out in the round of 16 (had it ever happened, you do the research and let me know and I will cite you here), with one a record breaking team, it really means so little.
Garnet “Ace” Bailey scored the winning goal for the eventual champion Boston Bruins in game 1 of the 1972 NHL final.
Five NHL round of 16 series have ended.
Four did so in six games, one in 5 games while 2 #7’s are on tap today with the final game of the first round/round of 16, tomorrow night.
Las Vegas (Golden Knights) dispatched the Winnipeg Jets and their very annoyed coach, Rick Bowness in 5 games, however, a rarity as two teams from Canada, the Maple Leafs of Toronto and the Edmonton Oilers clinched their in 6 games, last night.
It was Toronto’s first series win since 2004 and the series clinching goal credited to John Taveras (“it only took” one shot, ode to the Tavaras hit song “It Only Takes A Minute To Fall In Love”) was the third, “at classy Tampa Lightning,” overtime win for the Leafs in the series.
Toronto will meet the winner of tonight’s decisive game between visiting Florida (Panthers) and the top ranked Boston Bruins.
Elsewhere, Carolina (Hurricanes), the East “2” seed 6’d the Islanders and will meet the winner of tomorrow night’s #7 Rangers at Devils game.
Paul Stastny, the son of the great player, Peter Statsny and nephew of two other top players Marion and Anton Stastny, had the series winning, overtime, road goal.
Peter Statsny had the O.T. decisive 7th game “quarter” winner for the Quebec Nordiques, now the Colorado Avalanche, at Montreal (Canadiens) in 1985.
Las Vegas will have home ice advantage vs Edmonton but my prediction is “Edm” in 6.
Meanwhile the Dallas Stars, once the Minnesota North Stars, who 6’d the Minnesota Wild, will either open at defending champion Colorado (Avalanche) or host the second year Seattle Kraken, when their “quarter” begins either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on tonight’s “Sea” at Colorado 7th game result.
Once, the long having disappeared “Schtunk,” who knew his “stuff” commented on players, who more than once were on teams that defeated the vaunted Yankees in post-season play.
Dick Groat, a tremendous player and the 1960 N.L. batting champion and MVP, playing on that year’s Pirates’ title winner was one such player.
In a fabulous World Series, the Pirates though handily outscored, defeated the Yankees in 7 games, as Hal Smith, Rocky Nelson and the best known of the blasts, Bill Mazeroski hit big home runs.
Groat had one hit, one run and one rbi, all in the big 5 run Pirates’ 8th inning that yielded a (9-7) lead when Smith’s 3RHR sailed over the left field wall (the same score they won #7 in 1925, the last time before ’60 that the Pirates “titled”) only to have the Yankees tie the game T9 before “Maz” hit the W.S. winning home run.
In 1963, Groat, in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals finished second to a great pitcher, Sandy Koufax in the MVP race.
The next season Groat was the shortstop/infield anchor on a world championship team, a second one in 5 seasons/4 years that 7’d the Yankees in the World Series with a home decisive game win.
Dick loved basketball and was an All American player at Duke University. He set a season points scoring mark in the 1951-1952 season.
Later, he played briefly in the NBA for the then Fort Wayne Pistons before committing to baseball and what manifested in an excellent career.
He played the games the right way, another from a better time now gone, but whose achievements and memories thereof live on.
Dick Groat, pictured above.
In what was roughly a 25 to 1 pay out (Beano again from above, screaming “you have to be willing to lose!!!) both the 9;5 series underdog New York Knicks and 8 to 1 “u/dog” Heat won their round of 16ers, in 5 games, each winning twice on the road and in fact, both teams winning games 1 and (3-5) vs the Cleveland Cavaliers (the Knicks are (4-0) in series vs the Cavs and (12-2) in such games) and top ranked Milwaukee Bucks respectively.
Last night on what was the exact 51st anniversary of the Knicks’ incredible shooting (surely Bill Bradley and Jerry Lucas) in a game 1 rout win at L.A. vs the (69-13) Lakers, another solid performance by Jalen Brunson led an easy Knicks win (plus 5 plus) to “5” the Cavs.
Remember the then “my” Lakers won the next 4 to finally gain an L.A. based crown and complete an incredible season, in which they set a still standing major North American sports record with 33 consecutive victories.
Oh did I take “heat” after the Knicks win in game 1 and being different (a again, then not now Lakers’ fan in N.Y.) got relief not exultation from my team’s win, a constant as my dad often cited, in my existence. (By the way, on the exact “ann” of that #1 loss to the Knicks 51 years earlier, the Lakers were again routed, this time by the Memphis Grizzlies, this time in #5 of a prelim/”round of 16er,” in which L.A. is (-5) to go home and advance.
Speaking of heat, the Miami Heat led by the incredible play of Jimmy Butler dispatched the top ranked Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games, riding Mr. Butler’s 42 to a (128-126) overtime win in #5.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson, pictured above, predicted a Knicks’ series win vs the Cavs and that they in turn would give Milwaukee a tough “quarters” series.
It turns out they face Miami (the Knicks are (-4) game 1 and (-130) series “faves”) whose Jimmy Butler, evoked Magic’s 42 point game in #6 vs Philly in the ’80 final.
Butler also had 56 points as the Heat rallied to win #4. They were as high as 13 point underdogs in game 5. Magic, Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes (he had 37 points in that 1980 title clincher) and the Lakers were about 8 point “dogs” playing without Kareem in that ’80 game.
What goes around …..
Andy B Sports 