This week promises to be a special one in sports. The NBA is drawing the a thunderous ending between the Lakers and the Celtics, the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches will continue to draw a worldly audience and cause controversy and a major league phenom will see if he can continue his early domination of baseball. All of that is happening this week so gather the family around and inhale all the memories as the best athletes in the world try to be the best in their sports.
Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup. The hockey season is long and hard and to win the Cup takes a lot of grit and determination. But perhaps my favorite part of watching the Game 6 was seeing broadcaster and former Blackhawks player, Jeremy Roenick get emotional seeing his old team win. Seeing people get truely emotional is a moment not usually seen. Good for him to leave it all out there.
So yeah, that way hyped match between England and the United States happened last week. It ended in a 1-1 tie, how anticlimactic is that? This is why Americans can’t get behind soccer, too little scoring and games can end in ties frequently. Soccer/football fans will argue that NFL games can end in ties but that happens very rarely so that argument doesn’t hold water. Why can it end in a tie especially when it means so much? How about during the World Cup there MUST be a winner? A tie is a waste of a game/match because nothing gets decided, there is nothing to talk about because no team played better than the other. But I will continue to watch the World Cup matches because I am a sucker big events and this is the biggest world event that goes on.
So enjoy this week in sports. This will be the last week of the NBA so get it while you can and get it because the gettin’ is good. Enjoy everyone.
Top 3
1. NBA Finals – Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers – June 15 & 17 (if necessary) @ 9 pm
The Lakers are down to the wire. Their reign as NBA Champs may be over as the Celtics have a 3-2 series lead over them in the best of seven series. They will head back to Los Angeles for the final games and decide there who will be the champions. The Celtics are just one win away from taking the trophy back to Boston and away from their hated rivals. It doesn’t get much better than this. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won’t just roll over easily though and being at home will give them a major boost. They will have to fight with everything they have otherwise they will fail and the biggest rivalry in all of sports will be won again by the Celtics. If the series should go to a final seventh game, drop whatever you are doing, cancel any plans you may have, and plop yourself and your family on the couch for the 17th because it will be a game to remember. Fans dream about Game 7’s between the Lakers and Celtics. Legends are made in those kind of games.
2. FIFA World Cup – United States vs. Slovenia – June 18 @ 10 am
Slovenia was the only team out of Group C that was able to notch a win during the first week so they are at the top of the standings while everyone else looks up. The US is coming off a so-so match against England where star goal keeper Tim Howard sustained a kick to the ribs and may be injured. He will be evaluated during the week and hopefully will be able to play otherwise the US could be in serious trouble with an inferior keeper in the box. Regardless of who is behind them, the US team will need to come out and win if they hope to be able to advance further in the tournament. This should be a great match to watch to see which team can respond under the pressure of needing to win. This is the world stage and the US is trying to make a statement, moving to the top of the standings would help make that. Watch to see if they can compete.
3. MLB – Chicago White Sox at Washington Nationals – June 19 @ 4:10 pm
Normally I wouldn’t say that one particular regular season baseball game could be all that memorable ahead of time but this one features Stephen Strasburg on the mound. He has only thrown in two major league games but he has already wowed critics and fans alike with his high strikeout counts and masterful pitching. I’m still on the fence about the kid. No doubt he has been spectacular so far but once these major league players start watching tape and get his habits down, he may not be as formidable. Until then, he is undefeated and all the rage. He is a remarkable player though and you should take every opportunity you have to watch him because if he can continue to dominate the way he has his whole life, he will be a once in a lifetime type of athlete. So you will either see him continue his winning ways or you will see him suffer his first major league defeat. Either way there’s a memorable game waiting to happen. Soak him in while you can.
Quick Picks
- Stay current with all the standings for baseball and see where your favorite team is in the race for the World Series. You should also vote for your favorite players to make the 2010 MLB All-Star Game. Click here to vote online.
- Keep up with the fast moving world of NASCAR by visiting their website and seeing what your favorite drivers are up to. We’ll feature more NASCAR as the season gets closer to an end.
