A week ago, Pirates fans were feeling kind of bummed after closer Jason Grilli gave up a tying home run to Jay Bruce in the bottom of the ninth inning in a game Pittsburgh would go on to lose, 2-1, to the Reds in 13 innings.
For a team that has suffered two consecutive monumental collapses to end the last two seasons, any kind of heartbreaking loss has to shake the confidence of the fan base, even just a little.
Fortunately, the players shook off the loss and came back the following afternoon and won, 5-3, before heading to Anaheim where they proceeded to sweep the Angels in a three game weekend series.
The Pirates closed out their nine game trip by winning two games in Seattle against the struggling Mariners.
Like any good team, the Pirates went right to work, Tuesday night, clubbing five home runs in a 9-4 thrashing to improve to 17 games above .500 for the first time since 1992.
If ever there was a day for a let-down, it was a Wednesday matinee against Mariners' ace, Felix Hernandez.
Hernandez was his usual dominant self against Pittsburgh, giving up two earned runs and striking out 11 in seven innings. However, Jeanmar Gomez, making his first start since returning from the disabled last, went five innings, only giving up a run. And after the Mariners tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning reliever Justin Wilson, the rest of the Pirates impressive bullpen shut things down from there.
In the top of the ninth inning, shortstop Jordy Mercer hit a two out single to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead. Pittsburgh would add an insurance run later in the inning on a wild pitch to make the final score, 4-2.
Pittsburgh went 7-2 on the nine game road-swing, winning the last six in a row, and is now 3.5 games up on the Reds in the NL Central, thanks to Cincinnati's second straight loss to the A's, Wednesday afternoon, and to within a half game of St. Louis.
The win also moves the Pirates nine games up in the National League Wild Card standings, heading into Wednesday night's action.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Aaron Hernandez arrested and charged with murder, released by the Patriots
At approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, Aaron Hernandez was arrested by North Attleborough police and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, whose body was found on June 17th, a half a mile from Hernandez' home.
Hernandez was one of the last people believed to be seen with Lloyd on the evening of his death. Among the evidence leading to Hernandez' arrest is a shell-casing found in a car rented by Hernandez, a smashed cell phone belonging to Hernandez, along with missing footage from the surveillance cameras at Hernandez' home the evening of the murder.
Hernandez, a tight end for the New England Patriots the past three years, was released by the team shortly following his arrest.
The Patriots drafted Hernandez, 23, in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to catch 175 passes for 1956 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three years with New England.
Hernandez appeared in Super Bowl XLVI,where he caught eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots, 21-17, loss to the New York Giants.
Hernandez is being held without bail.
Hernandez was one of the last people believed to be seen with Lloyd on the evening of his death. Among the evidence leading to Hernandez' arrest is a shell-casing found in a car rented by Hernandez, a smashed cell phone belonging to Hernandez, along with missing footage from the surveillance cameras at Hernandez' home the evening of the murder.
Hernandez, a tight end for the New England Patriots the past three years, was released by the team shortly following his arrest.
The Patriots drafted Hernandez, 23, in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to catch 175 passes for 1956 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three years with New England.
Hernandez appeared in Super Bowl XLVI,where he caught eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots, 21-17, loss to the New York Giants.
Hernandez is being held without bail.
Pirates 8.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings is nothing to sneeze at
With their 9-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates improved to 47-30. It marks the first time since 1992 that the club is 17 games over .500 during the regular season. It's certainly a nice milestone, but more importantly, Tuesday night's win, combined with the loss of the Giants in Los Angeles, gave the Pirates an 8.5 game lead in the National League Wild Card standings.
I realize Pittsburgh is still in second place in the National League Central division, but that's a HUGE lead, even this early in the season.
In my opinion, if the Pirates had this kind of lead in the Central division, we would be going nuts and wondering if the club could maintain the lead the rest of the way.
I know, unlike in a division fight, Pittsburgh has many more teams to deal with in order to secure at least one of the wild card berths--the Padres, Rockies, Giants and Nationals are all no more than 6.5 games back of the Reds for the second wild card spot, and Cincinnati is 2.5 games behind the Pirates for the top spot--but an 8.5 game lead is still pretty decent, even for June 26th.
If it wasn't for the 20 consecutive years of losing, I believe we'd be making more out of, not only the Pirates' current record, but of their lead in the Wild Card standings.
I don't know about you, but I'd sign my name in blood, right now, for a spot in the Wild Card play-in game.
I know, unlike in a division fight, Pittsburgh has many more teams to deal with in order to secure at least one of the wild card berths--the Padres, Rockies, Giants and Nationals are all no more than 6.5 games back of the Reds for the second wild card spot, and Cincinnati is 2.5 games behind the Pirates for the top spot--but an 8.5 game lead is still pretty decent, even for June 26th.
If it wasn't for the 20 consecutive years of losing, I believe we'd be making more out of, not only the Pirates' current record, but of their lead in the Wild Card standings.
I don't know about you, but I'd sign my name in blood, right now, for a spot in the Wild Card play-in game.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Pirates come from behind in Anaheim, defeat Angels in 10 innings for first ever interleague road sweep
The Pirates have a day off on Monday, and as a fan, I'm kind of glad because Sunday afternoon's triumph in California is something I'd like to savor for at least a day. Pittsburgh, trying to sweep the Angels in a weekend series in Anaheim, fell behind, 5-1, and then ,6-3, before rallying in the top of the ninth inning to score three runs--including Starling Marte's two-out single to left-center field that drove in Russell Martin with the tying run.
In the top of the 10th inning, Travis Snider came up with the bases loaded and one out and hit a single to left field that was misplayed by the left-fielder, allowing all three runners to score. The Pirates added another run to take a 10-6 lead.
Closer Jason Grilli was brought in to finish off the Angels in the bottom of the 10th in a no-close situation and struggled, giving up five hits and three runs and had the tying and winning runs on second and third base with two outs. Fortunately, Grilli struck out Mike Trout to end it.
It was one of the most exciting Pirates games I've seen in years, and quite honestly, it was the kind of victory the Buccos used to pull off on a fairly regular basis back in the early 90's, when they were perennial World Series contenders.
It's probably hard to wrap your head around just how good Pittsburgh is right now, but simply taking things at face-value, this is a very talented baseball team, and I don't see many real weaknesses from top to bottom.
If you can just forget about the many years of losing and the fan psychology that goes along with that (easier said than done, I know), there is no question the Pirates are one of the most talented baseball teams in the Major Leagues--I believe their 46-30 record (the second best in the game) speaks to that.
While driving to my bowling match last night, I turned the game on just in time to hear the top of the ninth inning unfold. As I made my commute, I thought to myself, "Oh well, even if Pittsburgh loses, you gotta love the fight in this team, and hey, taking two of three against the Angels isn't the norm."
For the Pirates to come all the way back to win was gravy, and as it turns out, it was their first ever sweep of an interleague road series.
The Pirates now have a 7.5 game lead for a wild card spot. I know it's early, but if Pittsburgh was a first place team with that kind of lead, the fans would be going nuts. Speaking of first place, the Cardinals were swept over the weekend and now only have a one-game advantage over the Battlin' Buccos.
Dare I say, these Pirates have come of age.
In the top of the 10th inning, Travis Snider came up with the bases loaded and one out and hit a single to left field that was misplayed by the left-fielder, allowing all three runners to score. The Pirates added another run to take a 10-6 lead.
Closer Jason Grilli was brought in to finish off the Angels in the bottom of the 10th in a no-close situation and struggled, giving up five hits and three runs and had the tying and winning runs on second and third base with two outs. Fortunately, Grilli struck out Mike Trout to end it.
It was one of the most exciting Pirates games I've seen in years, and quite honestly, it was the kind of victory the Buccos used to pull off on a fairly regular basis back in the early 90's, when they were perennial World Series contenders.
It's probably hard to wrap your head around just how good Pittsburgh is right now, but simply taking things at face-value, this is a very talented baseball team, and I don't see many real weaknesses from top to bottom.
If you can just forget about the many years of losing and the fan psychology that goes along with that (easier said than done, I know), there is no question the Pirates are one of the most talented baseball teams in the Major Leagues--I believe their 46-30 record (the second best in the game) speaks to that.
While driving to my bowling match last night, I turned the game on just in time to hear the top of the ninth inning unfold. As I made my commute, I thought to myself, "Oh well, even if Pittsburgh loses, you gotta love the fight in this team, and hey, taking two of three against the Angels isn't the norm."
For the Pirates to come all the way back to win was gravy, and as it turns out, it was their first ever sweep of an interleague road series.
The Pirates now have a 7.5 game lead for a wild card spot. I know it's early, but if Pittsburgh was a first place team with that kind of lead, the fans would be going nuts. Speaking of first place, the Cardinals were swept over the weekend and now only have a one-game advantage over the Battlin' Buccos.
Dare I say, these Pirates have come of age.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Pirates are 45-30 and even winning against American League teams
Pirates fans are currently wondering if their team is for real this season--after two straight late-season collapses, it's hard to blame even the most die-hard fan for being a little leery. While I can't say with any real certainty that this will be the year Pittsburgh finally clears the Clint Hurdle and has at least a winning season, there is some tangible evidence the Buccos are indeed for real in 2013.
For starters, the Pirates are 15 games over .500, and it's only June 23rd. A season ago, Pittsburgh didn't reach its high mark of 16 games above .500 until early August--shortly before its historic collapse.
Another reason these Buccos may actually do it this year is their depth, especially at pitching. Staff ace A.J. Burnett has been on the disabled list with a calf injury, and the number two starter, the very efficient Wandy Rodriguez, has also missed a few starts due to injury. The past two seasons, when the club was dealing with similar injury issues, this would have probably sent things into an irreversible tailspin. However, Jeff Locke, one of the pieces in the controversial Nate McLouth trade from a few years ago, has been as solid a starting pitcher as any in baseball and leads the National League with a 2.01 ERA.
The other pitching prospect to come from Atlanta in the McLouth trade, Charlie Morton, has made two starts since coming back from Tommy John surgery and has been more than respectable, going 1-1--including a huge effort last Tuesday in Cincinnati, where he not only pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Reds, he plunked Shin Soo Choo with the first pitch of the game after Cincinnati pitchers had taken liberties with Pirates hitters the night before.
And what about Francisco Liriano? Since making his season debut in May after recovering from a broken hand, he's 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 61 strikeouts in nine starts. Liriano would probably be this year's Burnett if he had the same presence. However, if he can just continue to pitch at his same efficient level, I"m sure the folks in Pittsburgh's clubhouse would be satisfied with that.
And what more can you say about the young phenom, Gerrit Cole? Cole made his third start in Anaheim Friday night since making his MLB debut two weeks ago and won his third game, going 6 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Angels.
There's talk that Cole will be sent down to avoid "Super two" arbitration status, and I'm sure that would outrage a lot of fans, but really, what other choice is there? Once Burnett and Rodriguez come back, what's Cole supposed to do? Sit in the bullpen? The Pirates aren't going to take Locke out of the lineup, same with Liriano. I suppose there is a possibility that Cole can stay in the rotation if Morton doesn't pan out, but even if Cole is sent down, I don't think the front office should suffer much in the way of poor publicity. Would it be financially motivated? Almost surely, but with the arms that gm Neal Huntington has cultivated over the years--don't forget Jeanmar Gomez and James Mcdonald, who have also been down with injuries--the team now has pitching options and the luxury to do whatever it desires with Cole.
In terms of offensive depth, the Pirates certainly seem to have that this year. Take the catcher spot, for instance, where they're light-years ahead of where they were a season ago, when Rod Barajas was the starter and Michael Mckenry was his back-up. While both certainly had their moments in 2012, neither was great offensively, particular Barajas, and both struggled mightily at throwing out baserunners. This year, with the signing of Russell Martin, Pittsburgh has something it hasn't had since the days of Jason Kendall--a true number one catcher. As for Mckenry, he's settled into his role as the back-up catcher a lot better now that he's not expected to carry more of the bulk of the load and has even contributed a couple of key hits--including two home runs in a comeback victory over the Reds in April.
At shortstop, Jordy Mercer has finally surpassed Clint Barmes. If Mercer's defense continues to be consistent, the obvious offensive upgrade could pay huge dividends moving forward.
At first base, Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez have quietly combined for 11 home runs and 52 RBI in a platoon situation.
At third base, Pedro Alvarez is slowly becoming one of the top power bats in the game and has paced the offensive attack with 18 home runs and 50 RBI despite his .234 batting average and habit for striking out.
At second base, Neil Walker continues to provide solid play, and if he can stay injury free this season, he has the look of someone who could come through in clutch situations down the stretch.
In the outfield, Andrew McCutchen might not be having the MVP-like year he had in 2012, but his numbers are still more than solid, and if he heats up like he did around last year's All-Star break, well, that would be just another reason this might be the year Pittsburgh finally reaches the Promised Land--even if that ground is just a winning record.
And if Starling Marte ever truly harnesses his raw talent (he's only 24), he could be every bit as good as McCutchen and would give the Pirates one of the more talented outfields in baseball.
And let's not forget the bullpen. The Shark Tank has been one of the best pens in baseball, behind closer Jason Grilli and set-up man Mark Melancon.
The bullpen has been so good, when I see that Pittsburgh is up by a run or two after six innings, I almost put the "W" in the win column.
I believe the talent is there for these Pirates. If they can stay healthy and continue to get key contributions from key players, they should, I say SHOULD have a very successful final three months to the 2013 season.
Heck, the Pirates have taken two in Anaheim so far in a weekend series against the Angels, an American League team. The Pirates are winning on the West Coast AND against an American League team? If that's not a watershed scenario, I don't know what is.
For starters, the Pirates are 15 games over .500, and it's only June 23rd. A season ago, Pittsburgh didn't reach its high mark of 16 games above .500 until early August--shortly before its historic collapse.
Another reason these Buccos may actually do it this year is their depth, especially at pitching. Staff ace A.J. Burnett has been on the disabled list with a calf injury, and the number two starter, the very efficient Wandy Rodriguez, has also missed a few starts due to injury. The past two seasons, when the club was dealing with similar injury issues, this would have probably sent things into an irreversible tailspin. However, Jeff Locke, one of the pieces in the controversial Nate McLouth trade from a few years ago, has been as solid a starting pitcher as any in baseball and leads the National League with a 2.01 ERA.
The other pitching prospect to come from Atlanta in the McLouth trade, Charlie Morton, has made two starts since coming back from Tommy John surgery and has been more than respectable, going 1-1--including a huge effort last Tuesday in Cincinnati, where he not only pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Reds, he plunked Shin Soo Choo with the first pitch of the game after Cincinnati pitchers had taken liberties with Pirates hitters the night before.
And what about Francisco Liriano? Since making his season debut in May after recovering from a broken hand, he's 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 61 strikeouts in nine starts. Liriano would probably be this year's Burnett if he had the same presence. However, if he can just continue to pitch at his same efficient level, I"m sure the folks in Pittsburgh's clubhouse would be satisfied with that.
And what more can you say about the young phenom, Gerrit Cole? Cole made his third start in Anaheim Friday night since making his MLB debut two weeks ago and won his third game, going 6 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Angels.
There's talk that Cole will be sent down to avoid "Super two" arbitration status, and I'm sure that would outrage a lot of fans, but really, what other choice is there? Once Burnett and Rodriguez come back, what's Cole supposed to do? Sit in the bullpen? The Pirates aren't going to take Locke out of the lineup, same with Liriano. I suppose there is a possibility that Cole can stay in the rotation if Morton doesn't pan out, but even if Cole is sent down, I don't think the front office should suffer much in the way of poor publicity. Would it be financially motivated? Almost surely, but with the arms that gm Neal Huntington has cultivated over the years--don't forget Jeanmar Gomez and James Mcdonald, who have also been down with injuries--the team now has pitching options and the luxury to do whatever it desires with Cole.
In terms of offensive depth, the Pirates certainly seem to have that this year. Take the catcher spot, for instance, where they're light-years ahead of where they were a season ago, when Rod Barajas was the starter and Michael Mckenry was his back-up. While both certainly had their moments in 2012, neither was great offensively, particular Barajas, and both struggled mightily at throwing out baserunners. This year, with the signing of Russell Martin, Pittsburgh has something it hasn't had since the days of Jason Kendall--a true number one catcher. As for Mckenry, he's settled into his role as the back-up catcher a lot better now that he's not expected to carry more of the bulk of the load and has even contributed a couple of key hits--including two home runs in a comeback victory over the Reds in April.
At shortstop, Jordy Mercer has finally surpassed Clint Barmes. If Mercer's defense continues to be consistent, the obvious offensive upgrade could pay huge dividends moving forward.
At first base, Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez have quietly combined for 11 home runs and 52 RBI in a platoon situation.
At third base, Pedro Alvarez is slowly becoming one of the top power bats in the game and has paced the offensive attack with 18 home runs and 50 RBI despite his .234 batting average and habit for striking out.
At second base, Neil Walker continues to provide solid play, and if he can stay injury free this season, he has the look of someone who could come through in clutch situations down the stretch.
In the outfield, Andrew McCutchen might not be having the MVP-like year he had in 2012, but his numbers are still more than solid, and if he heats up like he did around last year's All-Star break, well, that would be just another reason this might be the year Pittsburgh finally reaches the Promised Land--even if that ground is just a winning record.
And if Starling Marte ever truly harnesses his raw talent (he's only 24), he could be every bit as good as McCutchen and would give the Pirates one of the more talented outfields in baseball.
And let's not forget the bullpen. The Shark Tank has been one of the best pens in baseball, behind closer Jason Grilli and set-up man Mark Melancon.
The bullpen has been so good, when I see that Pittsburgh is up by a run or two after six innings, I almost put the "W" in the win column.
I believe the talent is there for these Pirates. If they can stay healthy and continue to get key contributions from key players, they should, I say SHOULD have a very successful final three months to the 2013 season.
Heck, the Pirates have taken two in Anaheim so far in a weekend series against the Angels, an American League team. The Pirates are winning on the West Coast AND against an American League team? If that's not a watershed scenario, I don't know what is.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Glad to see the Pirates take care of "business" against the Reds, Tuesday night
It looks like the Reds have become the new "Brewers." What I mean by that is, there are several players on Cincinnati's roster that Pirates fans cannot stand. The first one that comes to mind is Brandon Phillips. Despite this rather cool and endearing story of Phillips' showing up to a kids baseball game a couple years after he was invited to on Twitter, apparently, the Reds' second baseman is a phony and a jerk.
A second player that comes to mind is Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is probably the most hated of the Reds players in Pittsburgh because of his habit of buzzing Pirates batters around the head.
Last season, in a crucial August showdown in Cincinnati, Chapman nailed Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen with a 90plus mph fastball in the ninth inning of a 3-0 Reds' victory. McCutchen was reportedly very upset, as were most of the Pirates players, but not much was done in the next game because the Reds came out throwing at Pittsburgh batters early-on, and both benches were warned, thus nullifying any chance of retaliation.
Fast-forward to this past Monday night in Great American Ballbark. Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake hit McCutchen with a pitch in the fourth inning. In the ninth inning, with Cincinnati ahead, 4-1, Chapman buzzed Neil Walker with another 90 plus mph fastball.
As you might expect, there was talk of whether or not the Pirates would/should return the favor in Game 2 of a very important four-game series between the two teams. The overriding sentiment by Pirates fans and the Pittsburgh media was that something definitely should be done to show Cincinnati that the Pirates simply were not going to be pushed around. With Pittsburgh ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first inning, Charlie Morton, of all mild-mannered people, nailed Shin-Soo Choo in the leg with his first pitch. This angered the Reds players, namely starting pitcher Mat Latos, but there was no payback on Cincinnati's part.
The Pirates went on to win, 4-0, and perhaps earn a little respect from the Reds' clubhouse. I guess that all remains to be seen, of course. The way these two teams have been throwing at one another over the past two seasons, I smell a benches clearing brawl in the very near future.
Either way, it's great to be talking about rivalries and bean-ball wars this time of year rather than what is going on in the Pirates minor league system.
Pittsburgh has spent the past five seasons re-stocking its farm system, and now it appears to be paying dividends in the form of a 5.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings and a competition-fueled feud with the Big Red Machine.
A second player that comes to mind is Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is probably the most hated of the Reds players in Pittsburgh because of his habit of buzzing Pirates batters around the head.
Last season, in a crucial August showdown in Cincinnati, Chapman nailed Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen with a 90plus mph fastball in the ninth inning of a 3-0 Reds' victory. McCutchen was reportedly very upset, as were most of the Pirates players, but not much was done in the next game because the Reds came out throwing at Pittsburgh batters early-on, and both benches were warned, thus nullifying any chance of retaliation.
Fast-forward to this past Monday night in Great American Ballbark. Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake hit McCutchen with a pitch in the fourth inning. In the ninth inning, with Cincinnati ahead, 4-1, Chapman buzzed Neil Walker with another 90 plus mph fastball.
As you might expect, there was talk of whether or not the Pirates would/should return the favor in Game 2 of a very important four-game series between the two teams. The overriding sentiment by Pirates fans and the Pittsburgh media was that something definitely should be done to show Cincinnati that the Pirates simply were not going to be pushed around. With Pittsburgh ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first inning, Charlie Morton, of all mild-mannered people, nailed Shin-Soo Choo in the leg with his first pitch. This angered the Reds players, namely starting pitcher Mat Latos, but there was no payback on Cincinnati's part.
The Pirates went on to win, 4-0, and perhaps earn a little respect from the Reds' clubhouse. I guess that all remains to be seen, of course. The way these two teams have been throwing at one another over the past two seasons, I smell a benches clearing brawl in the very near future.
Either way, it's great to be talking about rivalries and bean-ball wars this time of year rather than what is going on in the Pirates minor league system.
Pittsburgh has spent the past five seasons re-stocking its farm system, and now it appears to be paying dividends in the form of a 5.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings and a competition-fueled feud with the Big Red Machine.
Monday, June 17, 2013
The Spurs are the only sports show in San Antonio, but since 1999, that's been a good thing
As a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., I can't imagine only having one team to follow. I do understand there are some cities like Pittsburgh, where a particular franchise and sport is bigger than the others. The Steelers have been the biggest deal in town since about the mid-70's. And unless there is some severe damage done to the NFL's popularity in the coming years, the Black and Gold will probably continue to be the biggest deal, regardless of the growing popularity of the Penguins and any future success of the Pirates.
In Boston, no matter how successful the Patriots, Bruins or Celtics are, the Red Sox will always be the biggest deal in that area.
But at least fans in those cities have options. In fact, not only are there options in a town like Pittsburgh, there are actually rivalries between the fans of the three major sports teams. For example, I know a lot of Steelers fans who hate the Penguins. I know a lot of Penguins fans who are jealous of the Steelers success and wish nothing but failure on them whenever possible. I also know a lot of Steelers AND Penguins fans who mock the Pirates (and their two decade-long battle with ineptitude) any chance they have.
The only problem with that kind of stuff is what happens when your favorite team lays an egg right out of the gate? How do you compensate? What do you do with your team/civic pride energy?
I wonder what it's like in places like Salt Lake City, Jacksonville and San Antonio, where there isn't the option of sports team rivalries because they only have one sport and one team to carry the beacon of civic pride?
Speaking of San Antonio (population: 1.36 million as of 2011), Spurs basketball has been the only sports show in town since 1973. If you were a City of San Antonio AND sports fan living in that area in the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's, life probably bit it a little, as the Spurs never won a World Championship or even a conference crown.
However, that all changed in the late 90's, when Tim Duncan arrived on the scene. Since 1999, the Spurs have won four championships and are in line for a fifth after their victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Sunday night. The win gives San Antonio a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Spurs can clinch a fifth championship as early as Tuesday night in Miami.
I've always rooted for the Spurs because, as I already alluded to, I can't imagine life in Pittsburgh with just one team to root for. Regardless of what happens in the remainder of these NBA Finals, I hope the run can continue for at least a few more years. San Antonio is a pretty old team--Duncan is 37, Manu Ginobil is 35 and Tony Parker is 31--and like most teams who are successful over a period of time, once age takes its toll on the Spurs stars, the championship success will probably turn into a period of mediocrity.
When that happens, Spurs AND San Antonio sports fans will only have memories to cling to while the front office tries to rebuild and recreate the magic of the last 14 seasons (and counting).
Regardless, though, one-sport cities normally can't boast of four (and maybe five) championships over a 15 year period.
Kudos to Spurs AND City of San Antonio fans.
You deserve the success.
In Boston, no matter how successful the Patriots, Bruins or Celtics are, the Red Sox will always be the biggest deal in that area.
But at least fans in those cities have options. In fact, not only are there options in a town like Pittsburgh, there are actually rivalries between the fans of the three major sports teams. For example, I know a lot of Steelers fans who hate the Penguins. I know a lot of Penguins fans who are jealous of the Steelers success and wish nothing but failure on them whenever possible. I also know a lot of Steelers AND Penguins fans who mock the Pirates (and their two decade-long battle with ineptitude) any chance they have.
The only problem with that kind of stuff is what happens when your favorite team lays an egg right out of the gate? How do you compensate? What do you do with your team/civic pride energy?
I wonder what it's like in places like Salt Lake City, Jacksonville and San Antonio, where there isn't the option of sports team rivalries because they only have one sport and one team to carry the beacon of civic pride?
Speaking of San Antonio (population: 1.36 million as of 2011), Spurs basketball has been the only sports show in town since 1973. If you were a City of San Antonio AND sports fan living in that area in the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's, life probably bit it a little, as the Spurs never won a World Championship or even a conference crown.
However, that all changed in the late 90's, when Tim Duncan arrived on the scene. Since 1999, the Spurs have won four championships and are in line for a fifth after their victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Sunday night. The win gives San Antonio a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Spurs can clinch a fifth championship as early as Tuesday night in Miami.
I've always rooted for the Spurs because, as I already alluded to, I can't imagine life in Pittsburgh with just one team to root for. Regardless of what happens in the remainder of these NBA Finals, I hope the run can continue for at least a few more years. San Antonio is a pretty old team--Duncan is 37, Manu Ginobil is 35 and Tony Parker is 31--and like most teams who are successful over a period of time, once age takes its toll on the Spurs stars, the championship success will probably turn into a period of mediocrity.
When that happens, Spurs AND San Antonio sports fans will only have memories to cling to while the front office tries to rebuild and recreate the magic of the last 14 seasons (and counting).
Regardless, though, one-sport cities normally can't boast of four (and maybe five) championships over a 15 year period.
Kudos to Spurs AND City of San Antonio fans.
You deserve the success.
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