The NHL playoffs are one of the best times of the year for sporting fans. Although hockey hasn't infiltrated American society like the other big four sports, the action and drama in the NHL playoffs is unrivaled.
One of my most vivid memories of last year was the epic playoff game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game that went into five overtime periods. I remember being absolutely exhausted but utterly unable to turn the television off. The action gripped me, and even though I had more important things to do at the time (like study for finals), I could not go to bed until the game finally ended. This game was the longest of the playoffs last year, but many others featured the same high level of play, emotion and sense of urgency on the part of the players. The ESPN marketing campaign that "every game has a story" rings true in the postseason, and this year is no different.
The pursuit of a title by Ray Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche is one of the best stories of the postseason. Again, my fervor for Boston sports comes out, but I believe that if any player truly deserves a Stanley Cup, it is Bourque. As a Bruin he was one of the greatest defensemen to ever play the game, and even at his age, he is a pillar of strength on the Colorado blue line. Bourque still logs as much ice time as any player in the league, and his dedication to the game is second to none. A Stanley Cup is the only thing missing from Bourque's credentials, and the Avalanche are one of the favorites to take the title.
Among the other favorites for the title, I give the New Jersey Devils the best chance of winning it. The Devils, who took the cup last year, finished the season red hot, and they have continued their dominance so far in the playoffs. No one in the Eastern Conference could compete with the Devils in the final 21 games of the season-the Devils won 19 of them-and don't expect anyone to stop them in the conference playoffs.
If the top seeds hold throughout the playoffs, it will be another wild year. A final between the Avalanche and Devils would pit two great teams against each other in a tight, competitive seven game series. The Avalanche should be able to pull out the title, but the Devils would be worthy champions as well.
Rivalries prominent with new schedule
As you may have heard, Major League Baseball has implemented some changes in its scheduling this season. The new unbalanced schedule pits division rivals against each other 19 times in the season, which will change the way division races play out and also enhance the enjoyment of the game for fans.
The schedule changes greatly affect how the season results for many teams. Because some of the divisions in baseball are better top-to-bottom than others, having to play more games in the division hurts the chances of teams in strong divisions to reach the postseason. If the team is unable to win their division title, the rigorous division schedule will likely do them in. This is a possibility in a few divisions this year, particularly the West in both leagues.
Conversely, the weaker divisions will have a better chance of being represented in the playoffs. For example, it appears that the American League Central will be a fairly weak division, with the exception of the White Sox and Indians. It is quite possible that these two teams will beat up on the weaker teams in the division, and both of them could make the playoffs over other teams that may be more deserving.
Another drawback to the unbalanced schedule is obvious. The "unbalanced" nature of it means that some teams have already finished their season series with other opponents. The Yankees and Royals met six times in their first nine games, their entire season series. The Yankees won all six games, due largely to the anemic Royals offense. While the Yankees are clearly the better team, it is unlikely that they are that much better than the Royals. Any team can go cold for a short stretch of games, and a schedule lacking balance provides an opportunity for uncharacteristic results to occur (like the Twins starting the season 9-2).
From a fans' perspective, having more games against division rivals cannot be viewed as anything but an improvement. As a Red Sox fan, I love the times when the Yankees come to Fenway, or when the Sox visit the Bronx. While having 19 games against the Yankees this year might tax my heart a little excessively-not to mention strain some relationships-the unrivaled drama can only make the season better. The same can be said for the Braves-Mets, Mariners-Rangers, Giants-Dodgers and White Sox-Indians rivalries.
Overall, the new scheduling strategy is a good thing for baseball. As I said before, games against division rivals enhance enjoyment of the game for fans. I also think that division titles should be determined largely based on a teams' record within the division, and this would help toward that end. The new schedule has its flaws, but overall it is a change that should help Major League Baseball.
Vick highlights draft class
The NFL Draft is this weekend, a culmination to months of maniacal preparation on the part of players and organizations.
One of the most peculiar aspects of the NFL draft is the grueling months of preparation that go into actually making a pick. Elite players regularly drop out of school after their team plays in a bowl game and then go to a conditioning camp run by one of many well-regarded strength and conditioning coaches around the country. Even players who decide to utilize their university's strength and conditioning coach usually drop out of school so that they can concentrate solely on their conditioning.
After months of preparation with these coaches, the players are ready to attend the NFL Combine, an event in which nearly 350 players are invited by the NFL teams. At the Combine, the players go through a series of tests-including the 40-yard dash, bench press for repititions and shuttle run-but the players are not required to perform any of the exercises if they do not want to. In fact, most of the top prospects decide to skip some or all of the workouts.
After the Combine, the players will usually return either to their campus or their training camp, where they will later perform for NFL teams in individual workouts.
While the physical tests are the cornerstone of the workouts, there are other aspects as well. This long process also includes many rounds of psychological tests and one-on-one interviews. More recently, background checks have become common for players. Inevitably, some of the players will have run into trouble in their past, and their future employers want to know what they might be in for.
As this year's draft approaches, there is an obvious pick for the top choice. Quarterback Michael Vick of Virginia Tech is the consensus number-one pick, and unless the San Diego Chargers-who won the dubious distinction of getting the first pick by finishing last in the league last year-decide that they will be unable to sign him, they will take him to lead off the draft. Vick is a good choice, but he will not be ready to step in and dominate in the professional ranks right away. He has unmatched physical skills-he has a cannon for an arm and has shown a remarkable ability to elude tacklers in the open field-but it is very difficult for a quarterback to step into the NFL and dominate right off the bat.
Among the other top prospects are wide receivers David Terrell and Koren Robinson, lineman Leonard Davis, Kenyatta Walker and Steve Hutchinson, running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Deuce McAllister, and defensive linemen Gerard Warren, Justin Smith and Andre Carter. These players will likely have a bigger impact in their rookie seasons than Vick will, but Vick should be a better player in the long run.