Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #282 - A Big Day for Sports
Hi Mom, Yesterday was a big day in the sports world.
As the last day of the regular NBA season, the Golden State Warriors were going for the best season record, beating the previous record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls.
Legendary Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant was playing his last game before retirement against the Utah Jazz in front of his home crowd at the Staples Center.
The Detroit Red Wings were starting their first game of the NHL playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And then there's Baseball. The Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 with a masterful pitching performance by Shane Greene once he settled down. The Tigers have scored more runs than any other teams in Baseball through the first 8-9 games of the season. The Chicago Cubs (my other favorite team) also won, beating The Cincinnati Reds 9-2 with another good outing by new (new to the Cubs) pitcher John Lackey.
My Detroit Pistons rested all the starters and battled the Cleveland Cavaliers who also rested all its starters, and the Pistons won the battle of the benches in OT.
The Red Wings lost the first playoff game to the Lightning.
AND the Warriors WON, setting a new single season record at 73-9.
I have taken a lot of grief for liking Kobe Bryant. Much like I have taken grief for liking Alex Rodriguez or Tiger Woods. More than actually liking Kobe's image or what little I know of Kobe as a person, I like the way these people (and let's include LeBron James in this group) talk to the media. They all, OBVIOUSLY, have PR coaches that prep them for interviews and interactions with the press. From a communications point of view, I find this process fascinating. I would love to know what these people ACTUALLY say in private, away from the press.
And I like under dogs. Coming in to this season, the LA Lakers were not expected to do much. The team is a shambles. They're awful. In a sense, Kobe retiring may free enough Lakers' payroll to do some things (like sign Kevin Durant). I respect Kobe Bryant's basketball IQ and his hard work. He won five championships and two finals MVPs. He is a Hall of Famer. He deserves respect and accolades.
As for the Golden State Warriors, I am not quite a band wagon guy here. Golden State first hit my radar when the Orlando Magic traded him to the Warriors immediately after drafting him in 1993. Then in 2006-2007, I joined the "We Believe" season and decided that the Golden State Warriors were my favorite team in the West as I showed off here in my T-shirts blog: T-SHIRT #33. This blog was meant to cheer on the Warriors in the 2013 playoffs, which they lost to the LA Clippers in seven games.
I spotted the talents of Stephen Curry early and drafted him to my fantasy Basketball keeper team. I am proud of this foresight as I have locked him in at a young age before people were paying attention to him, much like Warriors did themselves. And I was SO HAPPY last year when the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA championship.
And now, the Pistons are in the playoffs playing the Cavaliers with the first game on Sunday.
Backed by the best record in the history of the NBA, the Warriors enter as playoff favorites and start round one versus the Houston Rockets on Friday.
All around, despite the Red Wings loss, I am enjoying the sports entertainment at the moment.
I wish you were here to share it with, Mom, because though you did not overly like sports, you tolerated Dad and I watching it.
Here's some reading.
KOBE BRYANT'S LAST GAME IN THE NBA
THE WARRIORS' RECORD SETTING SEASON
PISTONS PLAYOFF BERTH VALIDATION OF STAN VAN GUNDY'S PLAN
PISTONS TALK PLAYOFFS - VIDEO
And a hype video
Reflect and connect.
Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.
Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.
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- Days ago = 284 days ago
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1604.14 - 10:10
NOTE on time: When I post late, I had been posting at 7:10 a.m. because Google is on Pacific Time, and so this is really 10:10 EDT. However, it still shows up on the blog in Pacific time. So, I am going to start posting at 10:10 a.m. Pacific time, intending this to be 10:10 Eastern time. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. But I am not going back and changing all the 7:10 a.m. times. But I will run this note for a while. Mom, you know that I am posting at 10:10 a.m. often because this is the time of your death.
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