First off I would like to congratulate Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitski, Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks organization on their first ever NBA championship. A hard fought season led to this day and you gentlemen most definitely deserved to raise that fancy trophy.
As we all know this will be the top head line tomorrow for sports networks such as ESPN, and it will be the top headline the following day, and then the day after. When day 3 rolls around it feels like i'm watching these media giants play the same thing over and over again just because I have nothing else to watch on TV (I don't have satellite or dish :/). And sometimes that's the case. Just for the record, the NHL is in the Stanley Cup Final, with what many people would agree to as probably the best series of this year's postseason. With that in mind, how much coverage outside of the NHL network does this really get? Let's just say Barry Melrose, Hockey analyst for ESPN makes alot of money for about 2 minutes of airtime each time Sportscenter plays through the hour. That is if they don't want to talk about the L.A. Lakers season ruining 3 game losing streak in Mid-January. So they lost 3 games in a row...Kobe is off his game, does this really need to be something that's talked about for 30 minutes? I find it hard to believe that it does. I take nothing away from basketball and how it clearly is one of the most watched sports in this country, I myself am not a basketball player at a whopping 5 feet 9 inches I'm far from being a center, and even a point guard for that matter.
Look at it this way, about a week ago, sportsnation was doing their weekly highlight bracket. Clip numero uno was Dirk being Dirk and using his massive frame against whoever the Miami Heat defender was (Chris Bosh?) to score a layup with 3 seconds left in Game 1 of the Finals. Great skill in getting to the basket and definitley clutch play I would have to say. Clip numero dos was Lionel Messi (Argentinian Soccer Superstar) scoring a goal with his left foot, through 3 defenders, bending away from the goalkeeper all while at a near sprinting pace. Truly a piece of work, also adding that Messi is no older than a recent college graduate. I could be sounding a little biased here but as far as skill required to complete these clips, I feel as though the soccer goal blew the layup out of the water (or the pitch). But in the end, Dirk Nowitzki's "incredible" layup that he does 15 times a single game beats out a remarkable shot from Messi.
Baseball...America's pastime, everyone can play it no matter the age, gender, color, you name it. 15 games into the season and can someone please tell me why they are talking about October already?! Many people misunderstand me when I say baseball is boring or overexposed. I say this in regard to spring training and postseason predictions 6 months ahead of time. There is no reason to look that far into the future and there are too many variables that can affect a teams course throughout the season. But these guys who are paid an incredible amount of money to play a game perplexes me. Yes I know the New York Yankees have the most coveted history in sports and yes I'm aware that one of the hardest things to do in all of sports is to hit a 97 mph fastball. Trust me I wouldn't even want to have someone throw a beach ball at me at that speed. I enjoy going to the occasional Red Wings game down at Frontier Field (AAA League) and hoping the taco guy strikes out so I can get a free taco at Taco Bell. But it's mid April and "Insert baseball player name here" has a strained groin. While down in The Nation's Capital, defensemen for the Washington Capitals, just took 6 ounces of vulcanized rubber to the lower jaw and somehow managed to comeback and finish out the thrid period. Does it seem strange that the guy who strained his groin from "sprinting to 3rd base" gets more attention than something that could end a man's career and possibly his life in an instant?
As far as these media giants and all the stories they play over and over, there is a lot that is undermined in the heart of several other sports. I just watched the college rugby championships the other week...I still think you have to be mentally i'll to play that sport but it really was incredible what these young men were doing and I have taken a new interest in it. I'm sure sportscenter and ESPN don't because so-and-so is now on a 3 game losing streak and they only have 85 games left to make that deficit up.
I'll leave on this note, all sports and games have great moment and one of a kind accomplishments.I said all sports for a reason but in the eye's of the media, right now it only seems like it has to be a Lebron moment, or another steroid doping allegation.
Comments? Questions? Opinions? I'm more than willing to listen...Hell I didn't come up with this just cause I was that bored. I kinda was though :)
I completely agree, well written!
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