It is hard to find diehard NBA fans these days, and it is even harder to find religious followers of the NHL.
Both of these leagues have long seasons, and each league has its own set of problems. The general public feels like the NBA is a league plagued by a bunch of “Randy Mosses.” In other words, the NBA consists of a bunch of guys that are paid a whole lot of money to take plays off, take halves off, and even take games off.
They whine and cry to the officials relentlessly, often throwing tantrums as if they are five-year-old children whose babysitter has been tricked into letting them drink two cans of Mountain Dew each. It is not a pretty sight.
As for the NHL, no one has accused these guys of taking time off. After all, players get cut, bruised, knocked out and hit with slap shots, they return about five minutes later with one fewer tooth and a few more stitches, and they act none the worse for the wear. Still, the league drags on with only a little more interest than the MLS.
The reality is that this isn’t Canada, no matter how much the executives at ESPN wish it was.
The NBA and NHL are truly what someone might refer to as SportsCenter leagues, because for six months most people rely on Rich Eisen and Trey Wingo to show them the best two dunks in the game. After that, all the average fan needs to know is which team won the game by 15 points, who is wearing three headbands and which player has gotten off the cornrow bandwagon and gone back to the old-school afro.
Don’t believe me?
Well, if you’ve watched Lakers highlights lately I’m sure you have heard the anchors talking about newly shaved skulls. Watched a Bucks game lately? Tim Thomas, because of his incredibly bad season, is now only mentioned in reference to his multiple headbands.
Fortunately, the talk of headbands and haircuts (mullets if we’re talking NHL) is finally over for this year. All of that talk will be put aside until next season starts.
It is finally playoff time, a time that I personally love, a time that provides enough entertainment to distract me from my final exams.
While the leagues do not have a lot going for them during their regular seasons, the level of competition brought on by the beginning of the real quest for a world championship or a Stanley Cup is a bit of an instant fix.
The NHL, a league criticized for playing a style of hockey that is too violent and full of fighting and penalties, suddenly begins to clean up its act. The cheap shots diminish and the puck starts to move. The intensity and skills of the players finally are showcased, and the sport certainly becomes worth watching.
In addition to better hockey, upsets abound in the NHL.
Historically, no teams are safe, and that is sure to be the case this year, as the league is as balanced as it has ever been.
Watching the NBA during the playoffs is like watching an entirely different sport. It looks nothing like the mediocrity and partial efforts that have been displayed since the opening tip took place in late November.
Suddenly NBA teams discover something called defense; it is like an epiphany for them. Miraculously, George Karl now only needs to tell the Bucks to play defense four times a game instead of the usual 10. Arenas are filled (except for Charlotte), and the play becomes energized. The game is energized and transformed into what the NBA should be: The highest level of basketball in the world.
With the increased effort come close games and incredible finishes. Backs are against the wall, and the truly great players are finally revealed. Players put their teams in their hands, hitting game-winning shots and proving that they are the best. Jordan would not be Jordan without his tremendous playoff performances. The good players, only pretending to be great players, are revealed. Players like Karl Malone and the big man I grew up loving, Patrick Ewing, are sent home year after year to finish their careers, having been eluded by the championship.
For the NHL and the NBA, the playoffs are the only truly entertaining part of the season. In the NFL, from week one to week 16, all the games are important and, thus,interesting. The playoffs, no matter how great they are in the NFL, are only marginally better than the already excellent regular season.
This isn’t the case for the NHL or the NBA.
Game seven defines the entire season for teams, and it is the time that players’ lifelong legacies are born. We will find out if anyone in either of these leagues can control a series and become a new sports legend. This is when it happens.
