Let The Dog Days Begin

Tonight was officially the first day of summer in the 623.  When I turn on the television and my only sporting options are baseball and more baseball, the dog days have officially arrived.  I've always said that the worst part of the sports year is from the end of the NBA playoffs in June until NFL training camps open at the end of July, beginning of August.  Factor in the current lockout situation and football fans will be lucky to see games by October.  The players and owners met again today and word is that they are looking to get a deal done as soon as possible.  If I had a penny for every time that has been a headline the past 3 months, though in reality, as long as games are not missed this coming season, fans will forgive and forget everything that has happened this summer with regards to the work stoppage.  If we get to the point where training camp is threatened, and pre-season games are missed, fans may begin to turn away.  Nevermind the fact that their is a potential lockout looming in the NBA as well which could make for a very interesting couple of months across the sporting landscape.  Suns forward Jared Dudley hit the nail on the head this evening on his Twitter account:

@JaredDudley619 Jared Dudley

End of June til about August is by far The worst time to watch Sportscenter, No more NBA, NFL is lockout, just baseball tonight!! Lol

2 hours ago via Echofon

 Thankfully the Arizona Diamondbacks are only 1 and a half games behind the Giants for 1st place in the NL West, and it is the middle of June.  Factor in the Mid-summer Classic coming to Chase Field in July, which is nearly sold-out.  Baseball in July in Phoenix, Arizona.  It might not be the most genius of ideas but apparently fans are still buying what the MLB is selling.  Bud Selig finally moved past his grudge with Jerry Colangelo over our World Series title we bought in 2001, and awarded the Valley the All-Star game.  How kind of Bud, who is a Valley resident by the way.  Long overdue, but the weekend should be exciting nonetheless.  As exciting as standball can actually be I suppose.  Actually, get back to me in August on that one.  Lord willing, I should be in Flagstaff attending training camp with the Cardinals.

NBA Finals aftermath

Mark Cuban via Twitter @mcuban

In the end, the best team always wins, and loyalty prevails.  No matter what seemed to actually be taking place on the court, all of the talk surrounding the 2011 NBA Finals seemed to gravitate back to LeBron James, the Miami Heat, the Big 3, etc.  What was Miami doing to lose instead of what did Dallas do to win.  Over the course of a 7 game series, the best team usually wins.  And during these playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks proved they were the better team.  ESPN is as much to blame as anybody for all of the overwhelming coverage and talk surrounding the Heat dating back to The Decision last July.  Hate them or love them, the Heat are interesting and relevant, and people watch.  The proof is in the ratings.  Granted not many people outside of the 305 area code wanted to see Miami win anything this season, and judging by the scene inside Club LIV last night, those same fickle fans were celebrating along with Dirk and the Mavs as they brought the Larry O'Brien trophy down to Club LIV @ Fontainebleau Hotel & Resort on South Beach.  Mark Cuban reportedly dropped anywhere between $200-$500k at LIV, including a bottle of Ace of Spades champagne for Nowitzki that cost $80k and had to be delivered in a gold wheelbarrow.  Apparently chants of LeBron Sucks even resonated throughout the club which sits relatively close to American Airlines Arena and is frequented by many Heat players quite often.  Oh the irony of the situation.  Mark Cuban will also foot the bill for the victory parade in Dallas saying that the city shouldn't have to pay for something of that nature.  The only question left to answer is which fanbase was more excited Sunday night......Dallas or Cleveland?

Nightmare on Jefferson St.

Throughout the course of the 2011 NBA Finals, I found myself pulling for the Miami Heat.  Like any other basketball fan, I found myself drawn to the compelling story of LeBron James, The Decision, the Heatles, and everything surrounding their traveling soap opera.  Couple that with the fact that I am extremely loyal to the Phoenix Suns, and the thought of the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Mark Cuban winning an NBA championship does more than just rub me the wrong way.  Couple that with the fact that Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion both played key roles in the Mavs title run, and you can understand my anguish.  It wasn't until the last two minutes of the fourth quarter in Game 6 that I realized my disdain for the Mavericks had temporarily subsided.  I actually found myself to be a bit more jealous than anything.  Jealous of the fact that the Mavericks were hoisting the gold trophy before my beloved Suns.  Jealous of the fact that Casper the Matrix Marion finally decided to show up for a playoff series, albeit with the wrong team.  But most of all, jealous of the fact that the fans of the Mavericks have an owner that actually cares.  Mark Cuban has made it clear from the first day he purchased the team from Donald Carter that his goal was to bring a title to the fans of Dallas.  Cuban isn't a fledgling banker trying to run his basketball team like a Wells Fargo.  Just be relevant enough to put fans in the seats.  Just making the playoffs and barely being above 500 isn't acceptable.  His focus is on winning, at any cost.  He too could have let his best player walk in free agency last summer and saved his money for a rainy day.  He could have chosen to hide behind past injuries.  However, he decided that Dirk was worth the money, and Nowitzki repayed him with the Larry O'Brien trophy less than a year later.  Fans of the Phoenix Suns can only dream of what it would be like to have an owner that cared more about winning than the bottom line.  An owner that cares more about the product out on the court, than just cutting a profit.  An owner that isn't satisfied with just making the playoffs for the couple extra million in revenue that those coveted playoff home games generate, but actually having a legitimate shot to compete for the title.  From Joe Johnson to Steve Kerr, Amar'e Stoudemire to Dave Griffin, prized employees are continually shown the door, only to flourish someplace else.  Bill Simmons' portrayal of the Seven Seconds or Less era and when that brand of basketball officially died in Phoenix will open up old wounds but if you can handle the painful recollection, it's worth the read.  Surprisingly, the end wasn't when you may have thought.  The Big Cactus makes for a large scapegoat but there is plenty of blame to go around.  Meanwhile the organization will be quick to remind you of their overall winning percentage, of which the Suns are 4th best in league history.  You will also be reminded of the 3 trips to the conference finals since 2004, when a local banker purchased the organization for $401 million from Jerry Colangelo.  Unfortunately in professional sports, jewelry and banners do all of the talking.  And last time I checked, the only hardware residing in US Airways Center belong to the Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers.  All the while leaving nothing but a disgruntled fanbase left to constantly ponder what might have been.  The sad truth for Suns fans is that this is no dream.  The nightmare that is Robert Sarver will be tormenting Suns loyalists for years to come.  How is that for a rude awakening?