Miami Heat: A Championship Decision

Miami Heat (Photo credit: Keith Allison)

When LeBron James made his nationally-televised decision to take his talents to South Beach, the city of Cleveland erupted in anger because he abandoned not only the Cavaliers, but his native state of Ohio so he could win a championship in sunny Florida.  He joined the Miami Heat along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a potential superteam that would dominate the NBA for years to come.  It hasn't worked out that way.  Until now.

The Heat won their second NBA championship in franchise history Thursday night with a 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning the Finals in five games.  James, who was unanimously chosen as the Bill Russell Finals MVP, scored 26 points, and had 11 rebounds with 13 assists.

LeBron, to be sure, had plenty of help from Wade, Bosh, and the other members of his supporting cast:  Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller and Shane Battier.  But it was James who worked the hardest to give the Heat its title.  In the tradition of Willis Reed playing hurt while leading the New York Knicks to the 1970 NBA title, and Michael Jordan leading his Chicago Bulls past the Utah Jazz even though he was sicker than the dog, James tried his best to play late in Game 4 with leg cramps before being taken out.

The Thunder, who used to be the Seattle Supersonics, blew through the Western conference with its lineup of twenty-something players such as Kevin Durant and Russell Westerbrook.  In Game 5, Durant was the leading scorer for the Thunder with 32 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.  This team is seen by everyone outside Miami as the antidote to the Heat, not to mention as future champions.

These Finals had the distinction of (A) having color-coordianted crowds, with a sea of white t-shirts inside Miami's arena and blue and white t-shirts inside Oklahoma City's arena.  Individualists need not apply.  (B) Both teams not only have nicknames depicting weather phenomena, but they also happen to have the letter 's' missing at the end.  (C) Pat Riley, now in the Heat front office, winning another title.

Basketball fans will never forgive, nor forget, the way LeBron James handled his departure from the one city in America that has nothing but its sports teams to hang its hat on, to a city that has everything going for it, including sunshine and a definite lack of smokestacks.  But for today, don't call him a villian.  Call him a champion.

Birdman of the U.S. Open

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 17: Webb Simpson of the United States (R) poses with the trophy as Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland looks on after Simpson's one-stroke victory at the 112th U.S. Open at The Olympic Club on June 16, 2012 in San Francisco, California. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The outcome of the U.S. Open golf championship in San Francisco was as foggy as the weather itself.  Nobody broke par over the four days on the Olympic Hills course.  Leaders were many, but no one player seemed to take command without using questionable judgment on their shots.

The winner was Webb Simpson, who finished at one over par.  More to the point, he was the only one on the course who didn't lose the tournament.  Graeme McDowell and Ernie Els (among others) had their chances, but Jim Furyk--who had been tied for the lead going into the final round--was just painful to watch as he finished at three over.

We need to talk about Tiger Woods.  Ever since his life (and his game) fell apart on that fateful Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, the world has been waiting for him to reclaim his spot as the dominant golfer of the 21st century.  So far, that's not happening.  Oh sure, every time he wins (or comes close to winning) a PGA Tour event, people get excited talking about whether Tiger's back or not.  But majors are what Woods lives for, because in his mind, that separates a great golfer from being merely a good one.  The last major Woods won was the 2008 U.S. Open.  In the state of California.  Playing on what turned out to be a broken leg.

Woods was tied for the lead going into the third round Saturday before his play  caused a slow fade down the leader board.  On Sunday it cratered when he finished seven over par.  At this point, all the talk about how Tiger was going to obliterate Jack Nicklaus' record of winning the most majors is simply that.  Tiger Woods is no longer the greatest golfer on the planet.  He can still be a very good one when he puts his mind to it.

Which leads us back to Simpson.  Nothing personal, but he's become the umpteenth no-name golfer who happened to be in the right place at the right time to win a major in the past few years.

How insignificant Simpson's victory turned out to be was underscored during his post-match interview with NBC's Bob Costas.  While they were talking, some idiot in a bird costume stepped in front of the camera and started cawing before security removed him.  At least he wasn't naked.

Now imagine what would have happened if Woods instead of Simpson were talking to Costas, and Birdman tried to do the same thing.  NBC could not have used the delay button fast enough.

This is the state of golf in 2012, folks.

Kings of the Stanley Cup

The Kings' primary logo from 2002–2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another championship banner is headed up the rafters of Staples Center in Los Angeles this fall, and this time it's not the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Kings, who began in 1967 as one of six teams the National Hockey League added when they expanded west, won its first Stanley Cup Monday night.  They defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 to take the best-of-seven series in six games.

The Kings were nobody's choice (outside of diehard fans and brave hockey pundits) to win the Cup at the end of the regular season, having just barely made the playoffs as the Number Eight seed in the Western Conference.  Then the waves parted.  Favorites fell left and right.  The Kings won all but one road game as they made short work of Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix on their way to a 16-4 playoff record.

If you want to make a successful playoff run, sometimes all you need is a hot goaltender.  The Kings had one in Jonathan Quick, whose stellar performances between the pipes earned him the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.  Other than that, name one player on the Kings besides team captain Dustin Brown and coach Darryl Sutter.  These guys did what Wayne Gretzky could not do when he played in L.A.:  Bring a championship to the Southland.

The Devils were also not considered Cup material with their Number Six seed in the Eastern Conference.  But behind goalie Martin Brodeur (who's hoisted a few Cups in the past) and Zach Parise (who just priced himself off the Minnesota Wild as he becomes a free agent), they swept past Florida, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers in hard-fought series to get to the finals.  But falling behind to the Kings 3-0 before threatening to become only the second team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to make the ultimate comeback was simply too much to ask.

It has already been a successful year in terms of the NHL spreading the gospel of hockey to places where ice is what you put in your drink.  In addition to the Kings, San Jose, Phoenix, Nashville and Florida all made the playoffs--which more than made up for half-empty arenas during the regular season.  But if your team is in Tampa Bay, Anaheim or Dallas and they didn't make the playoffs, then you have a problem.

The Phoenix Coyotes used to have that problem, being a bankrupt, league-owned team on the verge of leaving town.  But one long playoff run later, it looks like they're going to get new owners who'll keep them in the desert.

Winning a Stanley Cup will also do wonders for the Kings off the ice.  Its current owners are reportedly putting the franchise up for sale, which means they can now charge a heftier price than they would have if they hadn't won the Cup.  They also signed a new TV deal with Fox Sports West that takes them to 2024.

There are storm clouds on the horizon for the NHL.  The collective bargaining agreement, which has been in place since a lockout canceled the 2004-05 season, expires in September.  The league and the players association, now headed by Donald Fehr (who helped take Major League Baseball into the abyss in 1994), have yet to negotiate on a new deal.  They have a lot to negotiate, from salaries to concussions to realignment to participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia.  Let's all see if the NHL's owners dare to cancel another season.

For now, the Stanley Cup takes its spot on the beach next to surfer dudes and those California girls Katy Perry keeps talking about.  In Southern California, it's good to be the Kings.

For what it's worth, this is our 100th post.  Thanks for your support.

Dark Star at the Finish Line

Dark Star was the name of a horse that won the 1953 Kentucky Derby.  It was also the pseudonym of George Chapple, who initially used it as his handle for a Los Angeles newspaper as a track handicapper while working in the financial business by day.

After Chapple moved to the Twin Cities to work in the auto leasing business, he made his radio debut in 1985 calling into "Monday Night Sportstalk" on KSTP-AM.  Identifying himself as "Dark Star", he told hosts Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse that he had information that Bud Grant would resign as Vikings coach--for the second time.  Which eventually turned out to be correct. 

For the next quarter-century, Dark Star parlayed that phone call into a media career that included handicapping columns, TV shows, and a long-running late night talk show on WCCO-AM.  And he still found time to play the ponies at Canterbury Park in Shakopee.

Off the air, Dark was reputed to be a world-class schmoozer, chatting up sports, business and political leaders at his favorite hangouts.  So much, in fact, that he was accused of kissing up to the powers that be in forming the opinions that he did.

After CBS (the owners of WCCO) bought out Dark Star's contract in 2010, he moved to KFAN on a part-time basis, mostly being a frequent guest on Dan "Common Man" Cole's show.

On June 1, Dark Star was scheduled to go on the air with Cole, but never showed up.  He was found dead in his Minnetonka home at the age of 66.  The cause is under investigation.

Dark Star was unlike anyone you ever heard on the radio in the Twin Cities, which is what made his passing so shocking.  He wasn't a professional broadcaster, a former athlete, a sports columnist, or had anything to do with politics.  Instead, he acted and sounded like a regular guy who got the break of his life and was making the most of it.  Now it's time to cash in the chips.

For more on Dark Star's life and career, we invite you to read a profile the Star Tribune did on him back in 1993, written by John Carman.  Find it at http://www.startribune.com/.