2012 NBA Champions

I’m not going to do what ESPN has and will be doing for the next 3 months and start to carve out LeBron James’ legacy now and for the future. If there’s one thing I don’t like about the 24/7 news cycle, it would be that ESPN has ruined it.

The Miami Heat have won their second title in franchise history. The one thing that they have in common is that Dwayne Wade was apart of both of them. Kind of funny to think that the Heat went after championships through free agency and trades. Not necessarily through the draft and scouting. But that doesn’t take away from what they’ve done.

This was perhaps the most hyped, most covered and most criticized team in sports history. They brought a lot of it on themselves, but to their credit they did deliver a title. It’s the first for LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Their big reason for joining forces with Dwayne Wade was to win championships. The key word is ‘championships’. Not just one.

Does this mean they will be able to keep this going? Probably not. The NBA is heading for some difficult times for teams with high salary cap numbers. Miami is apart of that crowd. The speculation was that if the Heat didn’t win this year that the team would be dismantled. Now that they’ve actually won, do they stay together another year?

Either way they will most likely remain the favorites going into next year. Health will remain a big question as will their depth. But what they did to one of the best teams of the 2011-12 season in Oklahoma City will go down as one of the best performances in NBA Finals history.

LeBron James has found that killer instinct that everyone figured he had when he entered the NBA. It’s just amazing to think that everyone has finally come to their senses and realized that it does take most, if not all the great players a while before they win a championship.

Now lets all take a moment to congratulate the Miami Heat on winning the NBA championship. I too was part of the crowd who would’ve rather seen them lose than win. But I can at least acknowledge they played a great series and were the better team. I can’t say the same for Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.

The Last All-Purpose Back

When you think of NFL running backs nowadays. There’s usually a two man or in some cases a trio of backs that teams will deploy. Gone are the days when teams will have one guy rush the ball over 30 times in a single game. LaDainian Tomlinson is perhaps the last of the great all-purpose running backs.

He finished third in total touchdowns behind only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. Fifth in career rushing yards. And second in rushing touchdowns. Oh, he also was the MVP in 2006 and holds the single season record for rushing touchdowns.

The accolades are quite impressive. His retirement means the end of the single back system. But to be honest the single back system hasn’t always been the norm. Remember the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They had three running backs in their rotation. So it’s not out of the question that another running back similar to Tomlinson will return.

However, the way the game is being played today is pass first, second and third. Running the ball is becoming an after thought almost. I say almost because you still need to control the ball at crucial points in the game.

To say that LaDainian Tomlinson isn’t a first ballot Hall of Famer is down right stupid. Those people who keep people out of the Hall of Fame for some pretty idiotic reasons should have no trouble voting Tomlinson in. There’s only two things that will blemish his legacy.

One is that he has no title. But then again many guys already in the Hall of Fame don’t. And two was the way he acted in that playoff game against the New England Patriots in which his quarterback Philip Rivers was playing with a torn ACL. Tomlinson being hurt as well was on the sidelines with his helmet on not interested in the game.

Even those two things shouldn’t keep him from getting in immediately. His overall record was simply great. He handled himself with class and dignity. He was a one of a kind talent. And he made many fantasy football owners very happy.

2012 Stanley Cup Champions

The unthinkable has happened for a team that has been around for 44 years. The Los Angeles Kings have won a Stanley Cup title. Not since 1993 has the ‘City of Angels’ been this close to winning the greatest trophy in all of sports. That year they were expected to win. They acquired ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky just 4 years earlier from the Edmonton Oilers.

Their luck ran out that year as they were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games. This year was quite different. The Kings were expected to be contenders, but it was a rough start to the season. Their offense was stagnant. It looked as if their Vezina candidate Jonathan Quick would run out of steam towards the end of the season. Yet, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi made two bold moves that would change their fortune.

Terry Murray, who was the Kings previous head coach the last 3 seasons was let go after a 13-12-4 start to the year. His replacement John Stevens was named on an interim basis and was 2-2-0. Lombardi hired Darryl Sutter who has been around the NHL for many years. He led Chicago, San Jose and Calgary to the playoffs in 10 out of the 12 seasons he’s coached. One of those years was a Stanley Cup appearance with Calgary in 2004.

However, the last time he coached was in 2006. Would he be the right guy to jump start the Kings into contenders? Lombardi wasn’t done making moves. He then traded away one of the teams best defensemen in Jack Johnson to the Columbus Blue Jackets before the trade deadline for Jeff Carter. In the offseason the Kings acquired Carter’s former teammate from Philadelphia in Mike Richards. Carter was subsequently dealt to Columbus.

The move was shrewd at the time, but it made a lot of sense. Carter and Richards immediately made each other better and Dustin Penner began to awaken towards the beginning of the playoffs as well. That trio was perhaps their best line of the entire playoffs. They combined for 39 points, including 15 goals.

Sutter knew which buttons to push and it resulted in the Kings finishing the season with a 25-13-11 record in the 49 games Sutter was behind the bench. They defeated the No. 1 seeded Vancouver Canucks, who were also the defending Western Conference champions. Next they swept the No. 2 seeded St. Louis Blues. And had no problems defeating their division rivals, the Phoenix Coyotes in 5 games.

The New Jersey Devils weren’t an easy foe in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings nearly swept them, but New Jersey caught fire thanks to Martin Brodeur’s stellar play in net for Games 4 and 5. New Jersey’s hill though was too far to climb as they fell in Game 6 on Los Angeles’ home ice. The Kings fans had never experienced a Stanley Cup victory before and it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings and their fans. You could see the makings of a championship team many years ago. The moves made in the last 3-4 years by Dean Lombardi though are a sign that the Kings should remain contenders for many more years to come.

2012 NBA Finals Preview

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

It honestly wouldn’t have surprised me if the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs were here instead of Miami and Oklahoma City. The way Boston and San Antonio were playing in the conference finals, it looked as if it would be that way. However, Miami won the last two games (6 & 7) and Oklahoma City won 4 in a row.

Miami is in a tough spot though. They were able to out run the Celtics. That isn’t going to work against the Thunder. Their bench will have to step up big time in this series. LeBron James can have 40 point nights. Dwayne Wade can be a defensive stalwart. And Chris Bosh can knock down a couple 3-pointers. None of that will matter if guys like Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem have tremendous performances. Also Dwayne Wade hasn’t been the same since the start of the conference finals. Everyone looks beat up at this point in the lockout shortened season, but it’s really obvious watching Wade play.

The Thunder are on a roll, literally. They swept the defending champions, the Dallas Mavericks. They took care of the Los Angeles Lakers. And after losing the first two games against San Antonio, they went on a tear winning the next four. When it was all said and done, Kevin Durant was as cold blooded as any superstar the NBA has ever seen. All the talk will be about seeing him go against LeBron James. But I still believe that the Thunder’s chances rely on that feisty point guard in Russell Westbrook. He has been playing great basketball throughout this entire playoff run. He keeps it up he might be hoisting a MVP trophy with the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Key Players: G Dwayne Wade and G Russell Westbrook

Results: Thunder in 6 games

MLB Recap – May

Best Hitter – OF Josh Hamilton (.368 AVG 21 HR 57 RBI) Texas Rangers

Best Pitcher – P Gio Gonzalez (7-1, 2.04 ERA) Washington Nationals

Best Team – Los Angeles Dodgers 32-19 (21-9 home record)

Division Leaders

American League

Baltimore Orioles 29-22

Best Player – OF Adam Jones (.314 AVG 16 HR 34 RBI)

Tampa Bay Rays 29-22

Best Player – P David Price (6-3, 2.71 ERA)

Chicago White Sox 29-22

Best Player – 1B Paul Konerko (.381 AVG 11 HR 33 RBI)

Texas Rangers 31-20

Best Player – OF Josh Hamilton (.368 AVG 21 HR 57 RBI)

National League

Washington Nationals 29-21

Best Player – P Gio Gonzalez (7-1, 2.04 ERA)

Cincinnati Reds 28-22

Best Player – 1B Joey Votto (.325 AVG 8 HR 29 RBI)

Los Angeles Dodgers 32-19

Best Player – OF Andre Ethier (.324 AVG 9 HR 44 RBI)

Wild Card Teams

American League

New York Yankees 27-23

Best Player – SS Derek Jeter (.336 AVG 5 HR 18 RBI)

Toronto Blue Jays 27-24

Best Player – P Brandon Morrow (6-3, 3.28 ERA)

Boston Red Sox 26-25

Best Player – 3B Will Middlebrooks (.316 AVG 6 HR 21 RBI)

Cleveland Indians 27-23

Best Player – SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.298 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI)

Los Angeles Angels 26-26

Best Player – OF Mark Trumbo (.348 AVG 10 HR 26 RBI)

National League

Miami Marlins 29-22

Best Player – OF Giancarlo Stanton (.304 AVG 13 HR 39 RBI)

New York Mets 28-23

Best Player – 3B David Wright (.365 AVG 5 HR 30 RBI)

Atlanta Braves 28-24

Best Player – P Brandon Beachy (5-3, 1.77 ERA)

Philadelphia Phillies 27-25

Best Player – P Cole Hamels (8-1, 2.43 ERA)

St. Louis Cardinals 27-24

Best Player – P Lance Lynn (8-1, 2.54 ERA)

Pittsburgh Pirates 25-25

Best Player – OF Andrew McCutchen (.331 AVG 8 HR 25 RBI)

San Francisco Giants 27-24

Best Player – OF Melky Cabrera (.373 AVG 4 HR 25 RBI)

Outside Looking In

American League

Detroit Tigers 24-27

Best Player – 3B Miguel Cabrera (.317 AVG 9 HR 42 RBI)

Kansas City Royals 21-28

Best Player – DH Billy Butler (.289 AVG 11 HR 35 RBI)

Minnesota Twins 18-32

Best Player – OF Josh Willingham (.276 AVG 10 HR 35 RBI)

Seattle Mariners 23-30

Best Player – 3B Kyle Seager (.278 AVG 5 HR 28 RBI)

Oakland Athletics 22-29

Best Player – OF Josh Reddick (.266 AVG 14 HR 27 RBI)

National League

Milwaukee Brewers 23-28

Best Player – P Zack Greinke (6-2, 3.46 ERA)

Houston Astros 22-29

Best Player – 2B Jose Altuve (.317 AVG 3 HR 18 RBI)

Chicago Cubs 18-32

Best Player – 1B Bryan LaHair (.308 AVG 10 HR 22 RBI)

Arizona Diamondbacks 23-28

Best Player – OF Jason Kubel (.297 AVG 4 HR 23 RBI)

Colorado Rockies 21-29

Best Player – OF Carlos Gonzalez (.332 AVG 14 HR 44 RBI)

San Diego Padres 17-35

Best Player – 3B Chase Headley (.256 AVG 7 HR 25 RBI)