Close but no Cigar

The NBA finals begin Tuesday night and it pits the two most exciting teams and best teams the NBA has to offer. Miami's big three, the Heat, led by MVP LeBron James versus an up-and-coming, very exciting Oklahoma City Thunder team that features another superstar, three time scoring champion Kevin Durant. Will this 2012 Finals give James yet another chance to escape the shadow of can he do it in the fourth quarter, in crunch time, against a good player, against a good team, when it matters most? And what about Durant? Should his team come out on top, would he be the true heir to Kobe Bryant as the NBA’s best player? If the Thunder hoist the trophy, would Lebron James, even after nine years in the league, start being categorized as one of the best players of all time never to win it all? It also gets me wondering across all sports, who are some of the best players never to win a championship? Before we get into the list, here are some honorable mentions:

Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Patrick Ewing, Dan Fouts, Reggie Miller, Warren Moon, Randy Moss

Without further ado, the top 12 athletes never to win a championship:

12. John Stockton – In NBA history, he is first all time in assists and steals. Stockton also hit many big shots in his Hall of Fame career, including a series clinching three pointers that propelled the Jazz to the first NBA Finals appearance in 1997.

11. Tony Gwynn – He could have taken more money, gone elsewhere and could have won a championship in another city. However, Tony Gwynn stayed loyal to San Diego. His National League record eight batting titles helped the Padres get to two World Series.

10. Charles Barkley – He still claims he isn’t a role model and is definitely not graceful on the links. Sir Charles played on the first two “Dream Teams” and was among the best in scoring and rebounding. His 1993 MVP led the Phoenix Suns to the Finals, losing in six games.

9. LaDainian Tomlinson – When you trail only Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice in touchdowns, you’ve had a great career. Tomlinson was a pillar of consistency for years who could do it all. He still holds the record for touchdowns in a season, 31 total TDs in 2006.

8. Elgin Baylor – He was called the Michael Jordan of his time. He had flair and grace and could fly through the air on his way to the hoop. It was unfortunate timing when Baylor retired just before the 1971-72 season, the season the Lakers won their first title in Los Angeles.

7. O.J. Simpson – The Juice was dominant in college and even better in the NFL. He was the first running back to rush for 2000 yards, back when the season was just fourteen games. That was in 1973 when he AVERAGED 143 rushing yards per game, a mark that may never be touched.

6. Karl Malone – The Mailman is 2^nd all time in points in the NBA, trailing only the great Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. He won two MVPs, the first coming in 1997 which was the first of two straight Finals appearances. He and Stockon lost both in six games to Jordan’s Bulls. He also came up short when joining Lakers in 2004, earning the league’s minimum.

5. Barry Bonds – Focusing on his career pre-steroids, Bonds won three MVPs and was the 2^nd player in history to reach the 40-40 mark. Ironically enough, it was Bonds’ poor performance in post season play that played a large part in him never winning a World Series.

4. Ken Griffey Jr. – It was always the discussion, who was better? Griffey gets the slight nod over Bonds because his career was not linked to steroids. There may not have been a more gifted player in MLB history. Over 600 homeruns, two MVPs, some of the best defensive play in centerfield and the prettiest swing in baseball couldn’t add up to even one Series appearance.

3. Barry Sanders – Those kids who never saw Barry Sanders run truly missed out on electricity. Sanders never wanted the spotlight and even retired just a season shy of passing Walter Payton for most rushing yards in NFL history. The stats don’t even paint a picture of how great and how exciting Barry Sanders was.

2. Ted Williams – The last man to hit over .400 in a season is still highly regarded as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Teddy Ballgame never won a World Series, but he fought for our country in two different wars, losing five years of his prime. In my opinion, Ted Williams is among the biggest legends in sports.

1. Dan Marino – “Yeah he was great, but he never won the big one.” Dan Marino was the man. He was everything you wanted from a quarterback. He had the arm strength, the quick release, and the swagger. Every passing record Brett Favre broke once belonged to Marino. He is without question the greatest athlete never to win a championship.

Dear Andrew - The Los Angeles Times

Dear Andrew,

I am very disappointed in the way you are playing this first-round series. When the Buss family decided to make you their first-round lottery pick in 2005, you should have taken it as the ultimate compliment, as the piece that was going to lead the Lakers into the next generation. You need to find a way to get back to being an All-Star caliber player and pick up the slack offensively, and especially defensively.

- Jerry West

Andrew,

I don’t know what the hell you’re doing out there on the court. The way you are playing in this series is a complete disgrace. I’ll tell you one thing, if you came up against Bob McAdoo, Kurt Rambis, or myself, we would mop up the floor with you and kick your ass. Get it together!

– Jamaal Wilkes

Andrew,

I was so pleased to see you play at such a high level this past season. You certainly deserved starting the All-Star game as the center of the Western conference. It made me think back to our time in the summers, before the games, and in the weight room where you and I worked together on your post play and the way you would handle double teams. You seemed to apply it all this year. However, if you truly want to be great, if you want to be considered elite amongst your peers, you need to bring it. You need to bring 100% of yourself every night, and especially in the postseason. That is where greatness lives. Please Andrew, do yourself a favor and find a way to get back to All-Star form.

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Dear Mr. Bynum,

Why do you continue to play so inconsistently, talk to the media, act like a crying teenager and not back it up 100% of the time? You're a disgrace to the organization right now. You're a disgrace to your team.  You’re a disgrace to yourself. If you're going to talk to the media, you better back it up every single night with a vengeance. You have to understand that this is the Los Angeles Lakers, and for you to be the center of the Los Angeles Lakers, you need to realize that this is truly something special, not just in basketball, but the world of sports. Andrew, I’m rooting for you, but if they ship your ass out I won't complain.

-  Michael Cooper

Andrew,

I'm not exactly sure what's going on inside your mind right now. I don't know if I can try to figure it out. When I rejoined the Lakers as head coach in 2005, I saw you as the future, specifically on the defensive end of the floor. I felt with your length, your size and your athleticism, you could truly control the paint and dominate defensively. Remember the book I gave you, “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” Andrew, pick up the pace defensively and you can always control your opportunity. You can always control your destiny.

- Phil Jackson

Big man,

This is the MDE, Most Dominant Ever, Shaquille O'Neal. Let me tell you something about playing center for the Los Angeles Lakers. You are grouped into two categories: the legends, as in George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, myself. The other category, the also-rans: Kwame Brown, Eldon Campbell and others. You're in one group or the other. You have the talent to be a legend. You have the talent to have your jersey hang up in the rafters with mine and the others. Do not squander the opportunity big man. You're walking on thin ice right now. Give Kobe the help he needs and lead your team to a couple more championships.

 -  Shaquille O'Neal

To the current center of the Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum,

 I'm sure when you were drafted as a 17-year-old kid out of high school, you didn't quite understand the  situation you were about to get into. So let me fill you in on where you are and where you've come from since your debut as the youngest player in NBA history. You were drafted by perhaps the greatest professional organization in American team sports, the Los Angeles Lakers. As the center, you are automatically grouped into a long line of legends: George Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq.  You were supposed to be next in line. Playing center for the Los Angeles Lakers is like playing centerfield for the New York Yankees or playing linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You are expected to be great. You are expected to win and you are expected to conduct yourself with dignity and respect and be the class of your sport. You see, you are in a perfect situation. You got teamed up with one of the greatest players in NBA history in Kobe Bryant. You and Kobe were supposed to lead the Lakers into the next era of dominance, the next dynasty. And yes, you played fairly well and you've won a couple of championships. But anybody who's worth their soul knows that winning one or two just isn't enough. It wasn't enough for me and it shouldn’t be enough for you. Are you paying attention to how Kobe Bryant is playing in this series? He is laying it all on the line. It doesn’t matter that he was sick all night. It doesn’t matter that he is hurting or that you are playing way above sea level. He never offers up an excuse because him being on the floor means he is healthy enough to play. That’s what it takes to be a winner. When are you going to step up to the plate, Andrew? When are you going to realize that playing for the Los Angeles Lakers is different than playing for any other organization in sports? You like Los Angeles? Great, it has its perks.  But with those perks come great sacrifices to survive in this town. You want the glory? Let's see the guts. Bring it on Saturday, Andrew, or forever be remembered as just another guy who could have been great but didn’t do enough to earn that label.

- Earvin Johnson

Professional Sports Most Impressive Records

                Have you noticed the start of Derek Jeter’s 2012 baseball season? Once a week I go to baseball reference.com just to do some research on stuff for these blogs or other things. I saw that by the end of this season, barring some injury, Jeter is going to past the likes of Robin Yount, Eddie Murray, Tony Gwynn, George Brett and others on the career hit list. I also heard last week on the radio that Jeter is on pace to pass baseball's most prolific record, 4256 hits set by Pete Rose. It got me thinking not only about baseball's most impressive records, but also professional sports most impressive records. Records today cannot be viewed the same as they once were. For example, it's obvious that pitchers are not used today the same way as they were say 100 years ago when the likes of Cy Young, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson were basically expected to pitch every other day and to go nine innings or more. So clearly baseball’s record for most wins by pitcher, 511 by Cy Young, is probably not going to be approached in anyone's lifetime. So for this list we are going to focus on records, individual or team, that may or may not be obtainable. These records need to stand the test of time nonetheless and contend with the other major sports.

Before we get into the 12 most impressive records, we do have one dishonorable mention:

The Pittsburgh Pirates – Last year, they set a record for the most consecutive losing seasons with 19. They haven’t been over .500 since 1992. Hats off to the Buccos. Here’s to making it 20.

 Without further ado, the top 12 most impressive records in professional sports:

12. 336 single game receiving yards, Flipper Anderson, Los Angeles Rams, 1989: Not Terrell Owens or Cris Carter nor Randy Moss, not even Jerry Rice could approach what Willie “Flipper” Anderson did one night versus the New Orleans Saints in 1989. 336 receiving yards, where was that in fantasy football?

11. Seven career no-hitters - Nolan Ryan: Even some of baseball's most mediocre pitchers can have the light shine on them for one day and for an entire game not give up a hit. That is pure dominance. But to do that seven different times over a Major League career? It is still unfathomable to think that anybody can top Nolan Ryan’s seven career no-hitters.

10. 208 touchdowns, career - Jerry Rice: Perhaps the most impressive thing about this record is that Jerry Rice, as a receiver, almost always had to depend on the quarterback getting him the ball in the right spot at the right time. To compare, the Dallas Cowboys gave the ball to Emmitt Smith almost all the time and especially around the goal line. Still, he stands 33 touchdowns behind the greatest wide receiver of all-time.

9. 59 consecutive scoreless innings - Orel Hershiser, 1988: In 1968, Don Drysdale set the record with 58 2/3 scoreless innings. At the time it was considered an unbreakable mark until another Dodger right-handed pitcher 20 years later came along and “Bulldog”ed his way to one better. What makes this record remarkable is that it came in Hershiser's 59 last regular-season innings in 1988, and in the middle of a pennant race where the Dodgers had to win every game. 

8. 56 game hitting streak - Joe DiMaggio, 1941: We all know the song, “Joe, Joe DiMaggio, we want you on our side.” It seemed for that summer, the entire country was rooting for Mr. DiMaggio as he piled on the hits day after day. The closest anyone has come: Pete Rose way back in the late 70s with 44.

7. 15-1 NBA playoff record - Los Angeles Lakers, 2001: Clearly the only way to break this record is to go a perfect 16-0 in the playoffs. This team, led by superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, peaked at just the right time on their run to the second of three consecutive NBA championships. 

6. 35 points in a quarter of a Super Bowl - Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII: Some teams don't score 35 points total in a Super Bowl. In fact, the year after, Super Bowl XXIII, the 49ers and Bengals combined for just 36 points. The Washington Redskins however, achieved virtual perfection for a 15 minute span versus John Elway’s Denver Broncos on that historic Sunday. 

5. 72 win season, Chicago Bulls - 1995-96: When looking at this team you have arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, arguably the perfect second option, arguably the greatest defensive power forward in NBA history, and without a doubt, the greatest head coach in NBA history. Put that all together and you have a 72 - 10 record, a mark that may go untouched.

4. 4256 career hits - Pete Rose: As we mentioned at the top, Jeter is on his way. However, he will have to play well into his mid-40s and stay healthy for the rest of his career. Just think about that number 4256, someone would have to AVERAGE 200 HITS FOR 21 SEASONS. And he would still be 56 hits short. Yet he is still not in the Hall of Fame. That’s still an impressive record for Pete Rose.

3.  2857 career points -Wayne Gretzky: Plain and simple, there has never been anyone to dominate a sport like Wayne Gretzky did in the 1980s and 1990s. Look at it this way, had Gretzky not scored a single goal in his career, his assists alone, 1963, would still put him number one all-time in points ahead of Mark Messier and Gordie Howe.

2. 100 points, single-game - Wilt Chamberlain 1963: We spoke about this on the 50th anniversary of this historic night. It is still mind boggling to think about 100 points in a single NBA game by one player. I find it highly doubtful that anyone in NBA history will break that mark.

1. 33 consecutive wins - Los Angeles Lakers 1971-72: Let's face it, were talking about the four major sports and when winning is all that matters, the Los Angeles Lakers tallied 33 consecutive wins. Not only a record in the NBA, a record amongst the four major sports. Without a doubt a record that will never be touched, and without a doubt the most impressive record in all the four major sports. 

Right and Wrong

We love to be right and hate to be wrong. Sounds like an understatement, but so, so true. Especially when it comes to sports. Nothing is better than making a prediction and having it come true. You pump your fist. You stick your chest out a little more. You let people know about it. But when you’re wrong, it feels like a punch in the stomach, even if it doesn’t cost you money in Vegas. I’ve been doing these blogs for a little over a year now and I thought it might be time to bask on the moments I was right and admit when I was wrong. Please feel free to say “I told you so” or, “Hey Via, nice job.” I may have been wrong more times than listed below and I may have been right more than listed below. So please feel free to point that out as well. But below is what I felt are the moments I tripped up or stood tall:

Where Via was wrong: April 11, 2011 – Kings get Royal Treatment Courtesy of L.A.: Ironically, in a blog where I felt I made plenty of valid points and statistics, I was mistaken in saying that the Kings had probably played their last game in Sacramento. Not only are they finishing the 2012 season up north, but it looks like Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has struck a deal with the city to get a new stadium built. As someone who spent some time in this little city, I have to say congratulations to the people of Sacramento. You are great fans, but just remember, more seats mean more Lakers fans at the games.

Where Via was right: June 13, 2011 - Knocked off his Throne: The title says it all. The so-called King LeBron James had an NBA Finals to forget in 2011. However, no one has let him forget it. What you may not know, and you can ask my editor to verify, is that I wrote that blog after game 5. Had the Heat come back to win games six and seven at home, I would have looked bad. However, I had confidence to write, “Dare I say that LeBron James is the 4^th most effective player on the court, especially in crunch time?”

Where Via bit it big: August 1, 2011 – I’m going to Disneyworld: The Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to be “the” team in 2011. By trade or free agency, the Eagles acquired Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They also gave Michael Vick a franchise deal, making him “their” quarterback. A team like that is not guaranteed to win the Super Bowl, but when you miss the playoffs entirely, it stings. It also stings when you write about the Super Bowl post game press conference. To make matter worse for me, I wrote that they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in that Super Bowl. Ouch and flat out wrong.

Where Via knew what he was talking about: June 27, 2011 – Chicks dig the Pitchers too: Homeruns will always be a part of baseball. They will always be very exciting to see and will continue to change games and seasons. But look at the past two World Series champions. The 2010 Giants and 2011 Cardinals won with timely hitting and dominant pitching. And if that weren’t enough, I think it’s safe to state that the two most dominant players last season were Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw. Let me say again, “Long live the first pitch fastball, the 3-2 back door curve, the Trevor Hoffman change up, the Mariano Rivera cutter, no hitters, brush back pitches and in the name of Sandy Koufax, long live the complete game.”

Where Via didn’t know what he was talking about: December 11, 2011 – Keeping up with Lamar: My biggest blunder by far, “Lamar Odom has been a great player for the Lakers. He should fit in very well with his new team.” While he was a great player for the Lakers, clearly Odom has been a nightmare this season for the Dallas Mavericks and is now out of a job right before the playoffs. That is by far the worst statement of the year. Guh!

Where Via spoke the truth: December 6, 2011 – A long December: At the time I wrote this blog, Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys had just blown a game against the Arizona Cardinals, dropping his career December/January record to 8-11. They went on to lose three of their next four, a 9-14 record if you’re keeping score. 7-4 last season going into December. 8-8 final record, missing out on the playoffs. “Lucky for him, Romo and his Cowboys control their own destiny this season. Win enough games and the NFC East is his for the taking. But if we look at the past, Romo and the Cowboys are far from a lock to make the playoffs.” Tony Romo is a great golfer. You wonder if he spends too much time in the off season working on that game.

So there you have it, Via's list of rights and wrongs. As Frank Sinatra would say, "The record shows I took the blows." But in the end, I've done pretty well against the odds, and I was right more than I was wrong.

A Matter of Tiger

In sports, you have certain numbers that mean something specific. Whether it’s a score, a statistic, a line, or otherwise, we as sports fans cannot live without numbers. In golf, the number 72 is a measuring stick between above and below average. Scoring par on each hole on a course is considered a good score for us amateurs. The pros, more often than not, need to score under par. 5 under par, 7 under par, 11 under par. Whatever it may be, those pros need to be in “red numbers.” Eldrick “Tiger” Woods has never shot for anything over par. However the number 72 means something now to Mr. Woods.

                Tiger Woods outlasted Graeme McDowell and others to win the 2012 Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational last week. His career wins on the PGA tour is now just one behind a man named Jack Nicklaus. Sunday’s win not only gave Tiger his 72^nd career win, but it was his first win since the BMW Championship in September 2009. In case you are counting at home, that’s 924 days between wins for Tiger. Also in that time, there have been 72 different winners on the PGA tour. There’s that number again, 72. Numbers have meant everything to Woods. Since day one, he has had his eyes on Nicklaus’ eighteen majors. Tiger has fourteen. Just a few years ago, it seemed just a matter of time that Tiger would reach and eclipse Jack’s eighteen. However, life happened along the way. That is, a different life than what the public expected from the Superman of the links. We all expect the greatest athletes of our time to be good people. We expect them to follow our family values. We can’t understand why things go wrong for these athletes. But things went way wrong for Tiger, and he had no one to blame but himself. Let’s just say the affairs with the number of women tallied higher than 72. His wife, Elin, divorced him in 2010 after his attempts at reconciliation and his therapy sessions for sex addiction. Tiger had not only hit rock bottom at home, but his game was also nowhere to be found. He lost his #1 world ranking for the 1^st time in 281 weeks. Plenty of people, reporters, peers and fans felt that Tiger would never be the same. He may be a competitive golfer, but never the Tiger we grew to love. And it is true; he won’t ever be the same. He won’t ever win the career slam, holding each grand slam trophy at the same time. And that just may be what makes Tiger bigger in the future than ever before.

                We as the general public are shocked and disappointed when our sports heroes fall from grace. After holding the world heavyweight championship belt, Muhammad Ali spent three years in jail after refusing to enter the Vietnam War draft. When he got out, he became a bigger icon, winning the belt two more times. Michael Jordan had won three straight NBA titles when he decided to spend a year and a half playing minor league baseball. He came back and won three more titles ascending further and further above his peers. Look at music. Frank Sinatra was a big star in the 1930’s and 40’s, but he was broke by 1950 and even tried to commit suicide. He battled back and became a bigger star behind the mic and on the silver screen. Tiger has this same opportunity. Can you imagine Tiger winning a couple of majors in 2012 and capping the year by leading his team to a victory in the Ryder Cup on American soil? Don’t put it past him. He is not only very capable of this, but is also considered the favorite going into next week’s Masters. Not only would a couple more wins pass Jack in career victories, it could inch him closer to Jack in career majors.

                What I said earlier about us not wanting our stars to fall from grace is absolutely true. However, there is a small part within us that gets a kick out of the best in sports battling adversity, and then rising above and beyond that adversity. I have said it before, people need winners. And regardless of what the critics say, Tiger is a winner. Maybe he is not a winner in his family life, but he is in the world of sports, especially when he met and exceeded everyone’s expectations. Maybe even his own. How often have we seen athletes rise to the occasion time after time after time? That is one of the reason we still root for Tiger. That is the reason TV ratings skyrocket when Tiger is in contention on Sunday. We push him. We are with him on every putt.  We follow him on every fairway.  If Tiger becomes the greatest winner of them all on the tour, he will not only go down as the greatest golfer of all-time, but he will put his name at or near the top of best sports athletes of all-time, joining the likes of Jordan and Ali as transcending figures in sports. Regardless if you root for or against Tiger, one thing is for certain. He does makes golf watchable on TV. And Tiger will win the Masters again. Whether it’s this year or next year or down the line. Don’t worry, it’s just a matter of Tiger.