Winter Sports Champions

 Well, the two major winter sports, NBA and NHL completed their championships over the weekend. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1 in the NBA championship and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights for Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Knicks last won the NBA Championship in 1973. This was around the time I got interested in basketball and the Knicks were the team I liked. They had an all-star lineup in Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Clyde Frazier, and Earl Monroe. Today's teams can't afford to carry that many stars. They usually have two or three and then some quality pieces that specialize in defense, scoring or rebounding. 

In the NHL the Carolina Hurricanes last won the Stanley Cup 20 years ago in 2006. I got interested in hockey as a kid when I got a rod hockey game for Christmas. Usually those came with only Montreal and Toronto but I also got a set of players for all the NHL teams. Carolina wasn't a team back then they first came into the NHL when the WHA merged with the NHL in 1979 and at that time they were the Hartford Whalers. In 1997 they moved to the Carolinas and got renamed the Carolina Hurricanes.

 

Congratulations to both the New York Knicks and The Carolina Hurricanes on winning their respective championships. Also, congratulations to Jalen Brunson and Jordan Staal for being named MVPs of the finals.

I'd like to hear from you on who you have winning the NBA next year and what team will hoist the Cup in the NHL next year. Leave a comment.

That's Frustrating

 About 11 months ago I wrote on this blog with the intent of blogging more about my APBA games and sports in general. That didn't go so well, but I promise to those who read this, I will post more APBA game recaps and other sports musings.

Currently the Stanley Cup is going on between Carolina and Vegas, I'm not a big fan of either, so for me I not to invested in it.

The NBA finals are going on between the Knicks and the Spurs. I'm pulling for the Knicks. How about those ticket prices. You cannot take your family to a playoff game without mortgaging the house.

Of course, my favorite sport, baseball, is in full swing, and we have seen a few surprises as Tampa has been exceeding expectations and others like Boston and Detroit aren't living up to expectations.

Let me hear who you are pulling for?

The Lockout

Hockey preseason should have started by now. Minnesotans like myself would have anxiously been watching the play of the newest Wild players, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. It was going to be an exciting season. That is right I said WAS. September 15th came and their was no Collective Bargaining agreement between the players and the owners so the owners locked the players out. No practice and so far no preseason.

It is very disappointing to hear two groups of people making millions of dollars complain that they don't have enough. If they can't figure it out maybe than can give me some of the money. Maybe they can get President Obama involved since President Obama wants to tax the rich maybe he can just tell both sides to share their wealth with the less fortunate. Oh wait! President Obama won't do that because he doesn't even share his wealth. He is too busy taxing every one to coffer his own agenda to really care about any one else.

The way I see the lockout is that the owners have every right to make as much money as they can. It is America and Canada where capitalism is king (or should be). Plus it isn't like the players are hurting for money. In fact here is a quote from Minnesota's recent millionaire Zach Parise.

"They are boasting how well the league is doing and how they've grown millions of dollars," says Wild Forward Zach Parise. "Then last time they come and say we need 24 percent off your salary and now they are going to do it again. After a while how much do you want us to cover for their mistakes?"

He just signed a 98 million dollar contract. That doesn't sound like a pay cut to me. I love sports and enjoy watching them but I am tired of the cry baby players whining that they don't have enough money and even the minimum amount in most sports are well over the amount I make, and I have my MBA. Most of the players can barely give a competent interview.

Then there are the owners making millions of dollars in other ventures and then whine and complain to the state or community that they need a new facility built or they may have to leave.

Why don't the player and the owners just SHUT UP play the game and let the fans enjoy watching without all of this politics.