Sutter is King in Stanley's Game of Thrones

(photo courtesy of tsn.ca)

It was always the Kings. It had to be. Beyond their size, offensive prowess, and goaltending, there was an element of mental fortitude with this team that was ever-present. It's what made them the trendy pick after dismantling Vancouver so convincingly in round one. 

(photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com)

It isn't just a product of the right combination of personalities, which LA evidently is, but something is to be said for Darryl Sutter's ability to not just light a fire under his team, but keep that fire raging. LA never lost consecutive games until the finals, nearly tying the record for fewest games played in a championship run (I smell smoke). The parity in hockey means that nearly every team has the talent to be great, so the voice leading the way is increasingly becoming the biggest strategic difference between champs and chumps.

Philadelphia 76ers: Rise of the Underdogs

(photo courtesy of sportslogos.net)

(photo courtesy of therx.com)

With the Conference Finals underway, the Heat, Celtics, Spurs & Thunder will do all they can for a chance at competing in the NBA Finals. One team that won’t be is the Philadelphia 76ers, whose playoff hopes were crushed by the Celtics Saturday Night.

(photo courtesy of thestartingfive.net)

(photo courtesy of depressedfan.com)

The Sixers just barely made the playoffs and were considered underdogs from the jump. They silenced their critics by knocking out the top-seeded Bulls in the first round, and brought fourth place Boston to 7 games in round 2. Although officially done for the season, the 76ers proved that the future is theirs. With an average age of 25, Philly should be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. With their showing in these playoffs, fans can now see that it’s time for the rise of the underdogs.


-Raindrops

Kentucky's Depth Just Too Much For Kansas

(photo courtesy of tsn.ca)

Kentucky - Kansas had the makings of a clash of the titans; 1 seed vs 2 seed, #1 pick vs #2 pick, Goliath vs Goliath. What fans got however was a reality check. Kentucky is one of the deepest teams in NCAA history, and it showed from the opening tip. Top pick to-be, and amateur horror movie monster, Anthony Davis laid a goose egg in the first half, but Kentucky still took a commanding 16 point lead into the break. They controlled the pace, the boards, and most importantly Thomas Robinson's beastly performance wasn't the difference maker. When he is removed from the equation, the Wildcats simply out-talent Kansas at almost every other position on the floor. It got interesting towards the end, but Kentucky's 8th title was never really in jeopardy, and they earned it as a team.

 

Chris Bosh Can Suck It

(photo courtesy of buzzfeed.com)

Chris Bosh went from being king Raptor, to being a regular ass twiggy dinosaur. For the most part Raptor fans have moved on, we've been divorced several times, and by better players than Ru Paul. It was the fact he handled the media like a 13 year old girl getting ready for the prom that enraged Raptor Nation, pushing his public approval rating in T-dot to near-Vince status. 

(Photo courtesy playersbasketball.blog65.fc2.com)

Apparently he hasn't learned his lesson. In an interview today on Toronto radio, Bosh made statements such as "It's never fun watching your friends struggle", affirmed his devotion to Miami fans, and was non-committal when asked if the Raptors should have traded him. Suck it, bud. Don't comment on your former team struggling when you could have stayed. Just stop twisting the dagger and go back to playing third fiddle.