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Good morning or good afternoon, depending on when this gets posted. Lots to discuss today as the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals have both started with a bang and Aaron Rodgers has signed with the Steelers. Let's get started.
Tyrese “He Can’t Keeping Getting Away With It” Haliburton and the Pacers Steal Game One From The Thunder:
Game one of the NBA Finals was an instant classic Thursday. For the diehard NBA fans like myself, it was absolute cinema. For the media people and casuals saying that this matchup would be a dud, they must be regretting their takes now.
Look, it is no secret that the Thunder are the better team in this series. However, I want to talk about the winning team, the Pacers. For a majority of this game, they were dominated by OKC.
The Thunder’s incredible defense was getting to the Pacers’ heads, especially in the first half. Just looking at the box score, Indiana had a ridiculous 24 total turnovers for the game, which would have resulted in a loss in other outings. But the Pacers always kept it close, even when they were down double digits.
At no point did this Indiana team have a lead in this game. Except at one point, a point that will be immortalized in NBA lore forever.
Tyrese Haliburton, who has been a clutch machine in these playoffs, stunned the OKC home crowd with his made basket in the final seconds. How many seconds to be exact? How about 0.3 seconds on the clock.
Social media was going crazy after the game with people saying he is this generation’s Robert Horry because of his big-time shots. But what really needs to be considered here is whoever called Haliburton overrated needs to reevaluate their love for the sport. If someone really thinks that he isn’t a star or a player capable of leading his team to a championship, they might just be wrong.
Coming back down to reality for a second, it’s only one game. League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was amazing with 38 points and I expect the Thunder to rebound on Sunday night.
I don’t really have a rooting interest in this series. As an NBA fan however, this was beautiful and I would love to see this series go to at least six games. Overall, a great night for basketball.
Did You See That the Oilers and Panthers Are Set For Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals?:
Wednesday night was a great night for some hockey. The Stanley Cup rematch commenced between the Oilers and the Panthers and game one was terrific.
From Sam Bennett netting two goals for Florida to Edmonton’s home crowd cheering loud for their team, it was a fun watch. However, the moment of the night came in overtime when superstar Connor McDavid found his dynamic partner Leon Draisaitl for the game-winning goal. The Oilers took game one of this year’s series after getting shutout in last year’s game one of the Cup Finals.
However, unlike Haliburton’s incredible shot Thursday, this one didn't receive the reception I thought it would. Now, obviously it was posted online and fans watched it live so people did know it happened. But unlike the NBA Finals airing on ABC, the Stanley Cup Finals are airing on TNT.
When I was younger, I never understood why NBC would air the Stanley Cup Final’s first two games on NBCSN. When the new media deal came into effect for the 2021-22 season, I was excited to watch all the Cup Final games on broadcast TV. But having the Cup Finals on cable in odd years on TNT made no sense to me then and it still doesn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the NHL on TNT crew. Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh, Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and the rest of the crew are great.
But the ratings were disastrous for game one of the series as it only averaged 2.42 million viewers. Besides the COVID-affected 2020 and 2021 Cup Finals, it was the lowest viewed game one since 2008. Everyone talked about the NBA’s ratings being down for so long that they didn’t realize the NHL was in an even worse shape.
Now do I blame the fans who don’t have MAX or cable to watch TNT, no considering it can be expensive to have either. But, it is obvious that having an entire Finals series on cable for a major sports league like the NHL is dumb. Let’s hope this changes for the rest of the series from a viewership perspective.
Aaron Rodgers is a Steeler I Guess:
I was working a high school lacrosse game yesterday and I saw Aaron Rodgers sign with the Steelers. Of course with the NBA Finals and Trump and Elon Musk beefing, I just threw this to the side. Also, to the dismay of known Steelers fan and YouTuber UrinatingTree, Rodgers is now on his team.
Look, I didn’t want to talk about this, mainly because it’s going to be the same old story. Rodgers is an all-time great like you can’t argue that. But man, the past few seasons have honestly ruined his legacy.
His time in New York playing for the Jets was lame and he’s not the same MVP caliber player he was in the 2010s. He’s the best quarterback in the AFC North from a historical and resume standpoint. But for the upcoming 2025 season, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are currently the best QBs in that division while Rodgers is maybe the third best.
Rodgers will be in the Hall of Fame, but I don’t understand why he hasn’t called it a career. QBs like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and others have retired so why hasn’t Rodgers.
I don’t hate the guy, he was truly fun to watch while growing up. However, instead of playing for a projected mediocre Pittsburgh squad, he should save his body and retire. Would have been funny if he completed the Brett Favre arc and signed with the Vikings instead.
Soccer Match Congestion Discussion Has Returned:
With the Champions League and the European domestic leagues’ seasons wrapped up, the players can now take a much needed break… what? What do you mean the Club World Cup is coming up? The Gold Cup is as well but the Club World Cup?
Yes the Club World Cup takes place next week, which was struggling to find a media rights deal for the longest time. I love soccer and it’s awesome to see the Seattle Sounders play PSG in a tournament like this. I once, no joke, made my own club tournament and played as the New York Red Bulls and beat Real Madrid in FIFA.
But the match congestion issue is still alive and well because FIFA keeps doing these types of things. Players just endured a grueling season and their bodies need to rest. Yet, it’s non-stop action for many players and having this tournament is honestly dumb.
PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or one of the other European teams are probably going to win it all. MLS is going to get dunked on because insert joke about making fun of the league. Also, will some of the star players even want to play?
From ticket issues, to player compensation, to Inter Miami’s inclusion, this tournament will be a mess. This will not end well for FIFA. Or maybe it will, who knows.
I’ll be watching the Gold Cup instead. I’ll have my thoughts on that tournament next week.
Finals Thoughts:
I love media and I love sports. Growing up, I was excited to see what the new TV schedules for ABC or NBC would look like for the upcoming fall season. Upfront season in May was always a great time for me.
As I got older, I was excited to see what the early college football season would look like on TV. What games were airing where and which ones would I watch on that particular Saturday. I had that same enthusiasm last week when the early college football TV slate was released.
No matter what changes in the sport I love the most, I will always get excited to find out what time a week one game will air. It’s also another sign that the season is fast approaching.
Might be time to buy another preview magazine.