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Welcome to my first Friday edition of my blog. As we have reached May’s conclusion, a lot has happened in the sports world. From the NBA to the PLL, come along as I yap a lot about what’s going on right now.
Don’t Go New York, Don’t Go New York, Don’t Go:
The New York Knicks won game five at the Garden last night and I couldn’t be less happier about it. The Knicks, a team I have hated all my life, are trying to comeback in their series vs the Pacers. No matter where I go on the internet, I see people rooting for the Knicks which is fine, but man as a Nets fan it’s annoying.
I’ve recently had the displeasure of experiencing teams that I firmly dislike perform well in the past few seasons. This list includes Michigan Football winning the National Championship in 2024 and St. John’s Men’s Basketball, who had an incredible season this year. The fact that the Knicks could come back and go to the NBA Finals is something I’m terrified of.
So for the past week, I’ve become a short-term Pacers fan. I will say this, it’s fun rooting for a team with an incredible fanbase like the Pacers and to experience this 90’s rivalry in the current day playoffs is awesome. But as the series shifts back to Indy for game six on Saturday, the Pacers need to finish it.
Obviously, the home crowd in Indianapolis will be a great challenge for the Knicks, even if they managed through it in game three. However, with the opportunity to advance to the NBA Finals on the line, the Pacers want to finish it in front of their fans.
On the court, Tyrese Haliburton should not have just seven total shots. I love watching him play and I expect him to find his rhythm again with shooting the ball.
Defensively, Jalen Brunson needs to be contained, KAT needs to be stopped and Mitchell Robinson needs to go to the free throw line. The last one might be a selfish response but man as a Brooklyn fan, I liked watching him play. That may be more so because I used him in a MyLeague sim in 2K once.
Now, of course I want the Pacers to win. I mean that’s been established already. But that means that will end the historic run of the NBA on TNT.
Growing up and watching the best games on Thursday nights was a pleasure and way better than Thursday Night Football. While the Inside the NBA crew will be on ESPN/ABC technically next season and moving forward, it’s going to feel weird.
As an NBA fan, it’s devastating. But as a Nets fan, I don’t want anymore of this “Go New York” stuff.
The Thunder are probably going to win the NBA Finals regardless of who wins the East though.
Oilers vs Panthers Part 2: Will McDavid Finally win Lord Stanley’s Cup?:
I wrote an article last June about Luka Doncic and Connor McDavid and how they would both win championships in 2024. I was 0-2. Now Luka plays with the Lakers and… oh hey McDavid and the Oilers are back.
McDavid is no doubt the best player in the sport and arguably in all sports. Watching him play is magical and he has been rewarded for his spectacular play. Numerous Hart Trophies, Art Ross Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy last season and so much more.
But there’s still one thing “McJesus” is missing and it’s one of the greatest trophies in all of sports, the Stanley Cup. We all saw the clip of McDavid yelling at his teammates last year in the Cup Finals, he wants it bad.
Of course, you’re not handed a championship, you have to earn it. However, McDavid has accomplished so much in his career that seeing him win the Cup would be glorious. Team wise and from a national perspective, Canada is hoping for their first Cup since 1993.
If a team like the Oilers were to win it for the first time in decades, it would be an incredible experience for their fans. However, they have to take on a familiar foe to achieve their goal.
In what some believe is becoming the NHL’s version of the Warriors vs Cavs, the Panthers return to the grandest stage in hockey. The narrative has completely changed around this team since they won their first Cup last June. The state of Florida has also seen great success in the sport with either them or the Lightning being in the Finals since 2020.
What’s funny about this rematch is that it’s the first one since the Red Wings and Penguins battled for the Cup in 2008 and 2009. However, I fully expect the Oilers to win this round.
For McDavid, achieving hockey’s greatest prize would be life-changing for the 28 year old. I believe most non-hockey viewers have finally bought into the notion that McDavid is the best athlete in the world because of his national exposure. He is finally getting the respect that Gretzky, Crosby, and Ovechkin have all received.
I get it, Florida winning back-to-back Cups would be impressive, but McDavid winning the cup would be a generational experience. Like Patrick Mahomes winning his first Super Bowl or Shohei Ohtani winning his first World Series, this would mean more honestly as a fan.
From Europe to Home, Let’s Talk Soccer:
Saturday, PSG and Inter Milan will play in the UEFA Champions League Final in Germany. The Champions League has always been something that has intrigued me as a fan of the sport. Somehow, I’ve remembered pretty much every Final since Tottenham took on Liverpool in 2019.
I remember watching the 2020 COVID Final in my bedroom wearing a Sporting CP jersey. I remember hearing Chelsea beat Man City during my high school graduation in 2021. I remember coming home from my friend’s baseball game to watch Man City lift the trophy in 2023.
It was always cool and interesting to see Europe’s best teams go at it during a random weekday at 3 PM. Even as someone who doesn’t follow the French or Italian leagues intensely, I will still tune in because I love the sport. Which pains me to see the MLS in the light that it’s in.
While I want to talk about a club like PSG, who could win their first Champions League, I need to express how I feel about my favorite soccer league. Yes, I like MLS more than a league like the MLB, but I can’t just praise it all the time.
I’ve covered MLS matches, I’ve watched matches constantly, I’ve played as teams in FIFA. For so long, I hated that it was the butt of every joke. But, they put themselves in that position by making questionable decisions.
Exhibit A, the Apple TV+ contract. This has ruined the visibility and growth the league should be experiencing right now. I could understand if it were on Prime or Peacock, but Apple TV?
The money is great, but no one has Apple TV, let's be honest.
As a Red Bulls fan, the only way I can watch them is if I cover them, listen to them on the radio or see them play on FS1. Yet, the 30 or so regular season games on television is just not enough.
To be able to watch the Champions League Final for free on CBS is beautiful and I can’t wait. But for MLS, a lot needs to change. I’m still a fan for life but the league needs to do better, especially if they want to be taken seriously and become popular among the masses.
A Lucky Seventh Season for the PLL:
I never imagined the sport of lacrosse would become this popularized heading into the middle of the decade. Back in 2019, I remember watching the Prep (Seton Hall Prep) play Delbarton in lacrosse and I just looked around and saw the confusion in everyone’s eyes. Years later, I’ve become so fascinated by it that when Memorial Day weekend comes, I’m watching the Men’s LAX Final Four.
The sport has grown tremendously where people have started to know certain athletes in the sport. Whether it’s Paul Rabil, CJ Kirst or Pat Kavanagh, people are starting to know who they are. Hence why I wanted to talk about opening weekend in the PLL.
Now disclaimer, I don’t have ESPN+ which I should probably invest in, but I’m still excited to watch one game this weekend. That game, the Maryland Whipsnakes vs the reigning back-to-back champions, the Utah Archers in a rematch of last season’s championship game (funny).
Taking place in Albany Saturday afternoon at 1 PM on ABC, the Whipsnakes’ attack has options galore. You have last season’s Rookie of the Year in TJ Malone, Rob Pannell comes over from the Redwoods, and Matt Rambo of course. For any young offensive-minded lacrosse players, this is incredible even if Pannell is in his mid-thirties.
But man, Utah talent wise is awesome. They have the former MVP and arguably the best midfielder in the world in Tom Schreiber. Connor Fields, Mac O’Keefe, Grant Ament, Brett Dobson, I mean are you kidding me? To have a game like this on free TV is amazing and people really need to tune in.
Seriously, for a person who never played a single game of lacrosse in their life, this is a sport that deserves more praise. I would love for people in North Jersey to watch the New York Atlas like they do with the other summer time teams. Unfortunately I have my alliance with the California Redwoods, but this was pre teams with city identities.
I’m excited for another PLL season and can't wait to see Waterdogs rookie CJ Kirst ball out like he did at Cornell. This is understandably a full-circle moment given that I saw him play in that high school game in 2019.
Now why did Jules Heningburg have to be cut by the Carolina Chaos?
Final Thoughts:
I was watching the Indy 500 this past Sunday and I realized that this was the first time I watched it in its entirety. I’m not from Indiana, but watching this grand event is always a joy. It’s one of the few times during the year I embrace motorsports other than the Daytona 500 in February.
To see Indy Car and NASCAR get massive boosts during this weekend is a great thing to see. Also, from what I saw about Prime’s coverage of the Coca-Cola 600, it was a tremendous success. Hopefully the good word of mouth will get people interested in the sport again like in the 2000s and before.