NBA Finals vs. U.S. Open

Sports fans: What have you been watching?

Did you find yourself captivated by the NBA's championship series between the most storied franchises in the sport? Were you awed by the opportunity to watch a reconnection with the old glory days of the NBA's yesteryear? Did you soak up the glamorous highlights of Magic v. Bird? Abdul-Jabbar v. Parrish? Worthy v. Mchale? Or even the earlier matchups between these rivals?

Or did you find it hard to pull away from Tiger prowling (as if that term hasn't overused for Eldrick Woods) the fairways and greens of Torrey Pines at the U.S. Open? Were you interested in seeing if he could return from knee surgery and win his first event back, a major event at that? Did you smile in amazement as he hit remarkable putt after remarkable putt to close in and ultimately take lead after the 3rd round setting up an epic battle Sunday and Monday?

While I consider myself a basketball fan I question the validity of that statement as my casual interest in golf took, not only a front seat to the NBA Finals, but destroyed any interest in it at all!

Granted, the Cavs loss to the Celtics in the second round knowing full well they could have won and would have won against the Pistons in the following series killed my NBA buzz. Throw in Donaghy's claims that my worst fears may be true and the NBA officials are "yes" men to the NBA administration tayloring the outcomes to best fit the NBA's greater interests (See Lakers v. Celtics this year through trades of Gasol and Garnett that were questionable in fairness at best) and I have even more reasons to switch my attention to Tiger and Rocco.

I will be the first to admit my fandom to pro basketball weighs heavily on the success of my hometown Cavaliers (childhood hometown). As a whole I prefer NCAA basketball over the NBA even when my alma mater Buckeyes aren't successful thanks in large part to the tournament. But never has it taken a back seat to golf; an old man's sport in my mind.

Thanks to Tiger Woods that kind of thinking is old fashioned and neanderthal. Over the past few years my interest in golf has increased from Sunday afternoons of majors to common tournaments to all four rounds of majors. I love to root for Tiger which contradicts my usual preference of the underdog. Why is that? Could it be, as my friend has stated, that it is cool to see him beat up on old, rich white guys who have literally owned this sport for so many decades "at their own game"? Another topic for another post, but Tiger has singlehandledly pulled me and many other fellow sports fans of my generation into golf. I may have still gained interest in the sport as I entered the age where a round of golf is commonplace as recreation. And I may have discovered it in an effort to fill boring summer weekends with something other than reality tv or trashy crap. But Tiger makes it fun.

Sunday I rooted for Tiger to tie Rocco despite my usual practice of rooting hard for the underdog...I am from Cleveland after all. Well, the "Cleveland" area anyway. I loved each and every pressure packed shot he made. I was thrilled by the emotion he showed and amazing shots he made. But Monday I quickly returned to my normal state and pulled for Rocco, a guy who is hard not to like as you watch him play and interview. I really wanted him to beat the mighty Goliath dressed in red. He almost did just that making 19, or hell, all 91 holes of golf as entertaining as any of the games between Boston and L.A. For the record, I have not watched more than 5 minutes total of the NBA Finals and don't plan to watch any more.

And I can't play basketball with my Dad like I can play a round of golf.

Stop Complaining!

Once again the AM sportstalk radio airwaves are filled with talk of how the 65 team basketball tournament isn't right. This happens every year with numerous suggestions of how to fix it. I have heard ideas ranging from letting more teams in to eliminating the conference tournaments.

Mike and Mike In the Morning on ESPN Radio discussed whether teams should be selected based upon who is the best 65 teams versus rewarding those teams who had the best seasons.

All of this is fine. I enjoy the debate and let's face it, this is what 24 hour sportstalk radio is all about. This is fun banter. Where my frustration lies is when we have people jump up on their soapboxes in December and trash the BCS as college football's system for determing a championship. They then refer to the hallowed system of a playoff where the championship is decided on the field or in this case court as the proper way to annoint a champion. Now we are at the doorstep of just such a system and they claim that this system is flawed because there is too much subjectivity in determing the participant. Well......if it is flawed then maybe it isn't so great after all! I thought the tournament was the ultimate way of solving the great mystery of who is #1! So which is it? BCS or Playoff?

In all fairness I may be taking opinions from different people and attaching them to others forming a contradiction that isn't there. Obvsiously making generalizations is a bad idea.

But seriously, you know what I am talking about. The inundation of anti-BCS/pro-playoff talk during the Bowl season followed in the spring by the problems with the tourney talk. If this playoff system is so much better then we should quiting complaining about it when we actually get it.

I like both. I think we should have both the way they are. I am not complaining. If my Buckeyes are left out I'll be upset but I won't feel the system is flawed. They didn't do enough in the regular season to get in. Point blank...bottom line.

Who am I to complain after watching my team in the BCS championship two years in a row get blasted, obviously not deserving to be there (at least this year with the loss to Illinois and weak schedule)?

March Madness

Oh yeah, I am happy to write that my beloved Buckeyes won two very big games against ranked opponents this week. And thus begins one of my favorite times of year even as I look out to walls of snow outlining my driveway.

The end of this week will mean the start of the Big Ten tourney an my Buckeyes in an opening round rematch with today's opponent, the Michigan St. Spartans. This time the game will be on a neutral court and mean more to the Buckeyes' chances of making the big dance. I am not sipping the Kool-Aid enough to think the Bucks will make it quite yet. Nor do I think they will last too long in the NCAAs. But that doesn't mean I don't want them to play in the tournament anyway. I am thinking a win against the Spartans is required. After that, I would feel much better with one more win to follow it up. Obviously, I'd prefer winning the whole Big Ten Tournament, but two good wins should get them in.

Here is my argument as to why OSU only needs 2 more wins: They played a legitimate schedule unlike their football counterparts. They played every one of those good teams tough. They beat two ranked teams (Purdue and Michigan St.) and two "bubble" teams (Syracuse and Florida). If they get the two wins I am looking for next weekend, they will add at least one more ranked victory and 20 wins. Also, they have a winning conference record. I really would have like to see one or two of those close games to have ended in the left hand column (W column) whether it was Texas A&M, UNC, Indiana or Wisconsin.

Either way, this time of year is fun because we can discuss who deserves to go to March Madness and who doesn't. We can make our projections and argue why. We get to watch the action of the conference tourneys and the teams that need wins to make a run at the dance with the inevitable desperation and excitement that follows. It is always magical. It is nice that OSU is in the hunt enough to have a vested interest beyond the pure enjoyment of watching. We got a team that is part of the equation...for now. This is most likely just another example of the Huey Karma getting my hopes up high just to crush them into pain and agony this Friday evening.

Then, Sunday night will bring the Selection Show with the immediate bracket drafts and revisions and pools and more debate about who was left out and who should not be there. Even the marginal fans get in on the action. The following weeks of games during work and weekends satiated with basketball from noon to midnight are a dream come true for basketball fans like myself.

Ah yes, by the end of the tournament Spring will be here with the improved weather and weekly softball games and cookouts all around the corner. Life is good this time of year my friends, life is goooooooooood.