It seems as though we blinked and found ourselves right back in the same seat, watching the same movie. For the record, I had to be convinced that we hadn’t already seen this show…several decades ago at that. Yet, the showdowns of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics for the league’s title…while epic…did not reach back to back to back proportions. Duly noted. Defending championships must be just what the doctor ordered because there certainly seems to be an epidemic:
My Lady Sooners are in OKC defending their NCAA Softball Championship title. Watching their “can’t stop, won’t stop” mentality show up in their approach to the game is awesome! Whether playing from behind or building a lead, they are calm yet aggressive all at once.
Congrats to the Maryland Terrapins for their dual championships in NCAA Lacrosse. It hadn’t happened in 20 plus seasons after Princeton’s Women’s and Men’s teams both won the championships in the same season. The University of North Carolina guys & gals put an end to that storyline last year. Then in a unique back to back…..the “Fear The Turtle” teams followed up with an encore performance. Could this trend be on the upswing? Only time will tell…..
Don’t let the mascot fool ya. Penguins apparently aren’t as mild mannered as their tuxedo like exterior would lead one to believe. Sid the Kid & Company have stormed their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals. As well poised as they are to kiss the trophy again….the Nashville Predators are showing there is something to be said for the hunger a first time appearance brings!
Back to the THE show that has captivated fandom since a year ago this time when events unfolded like they were written for an award winning summer blockbuster! One team had a historic run through the regular season…stumbled considerably in conference finals…found a way to right the ship….went on an roll…only to have victory snatched by a King & his court determined to bring good news to a city that had been waiting decades for a royal messenger!
The winning team had barely made the last turn in its victory parade before news came that the team still holding the short end of the stick…had run off and found what they firmly believed was the key to future success….a superstar to add to their all-star lineup! The.Stage.Was.Set! Let there be “get backs” for everyone: one for redemption the other to show their win was well earned!
First and foremost, both would have to “get back” to center stage. While I wasn’t immediately sold on the foregone conclusion….it soon became crystal clear the other 28 teams were role players in a feature film where the best they could hope for was a speaking part.
So here we are, yet another early June…glued to game after game. Which are way too far apart….by the way. Thing is though folks, it feels nothing like last year. Since the get-go, I’ve had a nagging feeling…the kind you get when you pass a familiar face in the grocery store but can not remember where in the world you know them from…then snap, it hits you like a ton of bricks. We go to the same gym….the one I haven’t been to in far too long.
Only in this case, the familiarity is with seeing a show whereby the greatest player in the world is surrounded by a supporting cast that for whatever the plethora of reasons might be….aren’t pulling their fair share of the weight. Oh yea, it was Miami, circa 2014!
At this point, the series either has a long way to go or is halfway over. The outcome may be in question…but whether we’ll be glued to our seat until the final seconds tick off the clock—nah, there’s no question…we are staying tuned throughout this historic rematch!
