Enough With the Negatives Already

Why the Losers and Under Achievers Catch the Media's Interest


by Missy Zielinski

After talking with some of my friends about recent championship games something very similar came up in each conversation...why are we-the fans, media and even sports analysts constantly focusing on a team's miscues or how a player under performed from the losing side rather than what went right on the winning side? It's not only frustrating from a fans perspective, but as a sports journalist who's job is to find the real story I have to beg the question, are we focusing on the right story?

The Unexpected Heroes 

My most recent example of this theory can be drawn on from the NBA Finals in which according to the media, the under dog crept in and stole the trophy in what was an incredible finish to their season. They were far from perfect, but had the perfect ending.

Yet, Were they really the "under dogs" or were they just the better team?

A constant cloud seemed to loom over the very idea that Dallas had made it as far as they had in each and every series, but in the end they proved to be the better team. This culminated in Game 5 and Game 6 when the Mavericks relied heavily on their team's depth. When a team has only one "big name" in Dirk compared with three in the Heat (need I repeat?), a team must rely heavily on their bench and that Dallas did, something Nowitzki must have preached after the first four games against Miami.

By the Numbers

In the final two games of the series his supporting cast combined for an average of 75 points and a field-goal percentage of 52.1. This was up from 54.5 and 35.7, respectively. Also, Jason Terry entered Game 5 shooting less than 40 percent from 15 or more feet in the finals, but managed to shoot more baskets from 15+ in that game than in the previous four combined. As for the rest of the bench, they scored 43 points in Game 6 as the Mavs were also 36-9 when the bench scored 40 or more points.

On the other hand, as far as the "Big Three's" concerned, LeBron James averaged 26.7 points per game during the regular season, but only 17.8 during the 2011 NBA Finals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the discrepancy between regular season scoring average and finals scoring average is the largest in NBA history. Also during the finals LeBron James and Dwanye Wade combined for 62 points in the fourth quarter, while Nowitzki was more than capable of accomplishing the feat alone. Lastly, when we talk about Bosh everyone thought when he was traded to Miami that he'd be on the same caliber as LeBron and Wade, but during the regular season he was very up and down. During the whole playoff run I feel the only memorable performance was in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals when he had a 30-point, nine rebound night, but even that was overshadowed by Miami's loss.

So does it really matter if your team has one headliner, three headliners or a bunch of no-names on their roster that are so common that they are referred to as table talk at your next family's dinner? In my opinion no, but the media seemed to eat up the Big Three this season.

What Another Coach Had to Say

Now this may seem a little off topic, but the message is there...I've also just taken on a position with the Washingtion Capitals this summer and as I was scrummaging through some articles I found one about the Caps coach Bruce Boudreau that really caught my attention. For his team the history has been very up and down. Washington started at the bottom of the bucket and I mean the bottom, having the worst season on record during their first season in franchise history in the NHL (no need to dish out the laughable record), but then steadily progressing year after year and even making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1997-98 season. Still with all the talent they have (Ovy, Backstrom, Green, etc.) they have yet to make it past the second round in the playoffs.

Boudreau said that everyone needs patience and that the media's expectations are too high of a team who's core has not had one person to reach the age of 26 yet. Hockey is all about development there are far less super stars that come at the age of 18 and 19 like the NBA because in hockey it's all about progression.

He drew this into the current series in the Stanley Cup Finals where everyone was expecting Vancouver to win even though their netminder Robert Luongo had a few faulty performances. A few? He let the Bruins score on seven of 21 shots in the final two games of the series...I'm not going to even find out the percentages on that one, but the fact still remains and Boudreau called it- maybe instead of focusing on what went wrong they should be focusing on what went right.

The Bruins' goaltender Tim Thomas, who more than deserved the MVP trophy, had a stellar performance during the finals and the rest of the team didn't do too bad themselves. But as Luongo dropped goal after goal during his games in Boston, the media, the fans and everyone I could think of had the same thing on their minds...it was just a bad performance by Luongo and he'd bounce back at home. Still Boudreau stood strong, saying no maybe Boston is just that good.

This seems like another case of the negatives.

So Stop Already

So the next time you're watching a championship, a playoff series or even a meaningless game (when in my opinion no game is meaningless) remember in some cases the unexpected hero may not always be the under dog. While there are obvious examples of such, sometimes it's just the better team winning and it is hard for anyone and everyone to say it.

It seems that the media will always look toward Hollywood when making their headlines and as I told my friend before, they're trying to attract the most people possible and the way to do it is by making the headline something everybody knows. Instead why don't we teach those out there something they don't know...like in the Mavericks case, that they were the better team.

MLB American League East Preview: Stacked Sox Ahead of the Bunch

The snow is starting to melt and as we wait for the "official" start to spring, the first talk of Albert Pujols and his failed contract extension agreement means..."play ball."

A lot of teams have already got their pitchers, catchers and position players stretched and warmed up, so I'm ready to move on to the postseason.

Wait....playoffs? Seriously though, it's obvious that there are already some standout teams that will be frontrunners in the playoff hunt come next October.

So, let's start with the American League East:

The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees again will be the teams to beat in the American League East. I promise you, I am not even giving a bias account, since the team I like is on the opposite coast of these two. (I won't reveal who they are until I break down their division at a later time...) But anyways, these two teams are again stacked.

I have to pick the Bo-Sox as the ultimate king of this division from the huge pick-ups they've made over the off-season. While David Ortiz will be celebrating his 36th birthday come November, he will ultimately be asked the question time and time again, "will this be your last season in a Red Sox uniform?" I can say this with confidence because after the team was thinking about exercising a $12.5 million option on his contract, his so-so numbers last season eventually ended the discussion with the team flexing their muscles in a different direction....no extension at all.

So as the Big Papi era is coming to a close, the Red Sox still reign supreme.

Boston played smart by thinking about who could possibly replace their go-to hitter. Ortiz ended the season with .270 batting average, 32 homers, and 109 RBIs, so he will still be a key factor this year and a nice complinent to their newly aquired Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres. While he's recovering from shoulder surgery in the off-season, it may just mean a slow start to a first baseman who ended the season with a batting average just below .300 and nearly the same numbers as Papi in homers and RBIs. He has also reported he's ahead of schedule in his recovery...even better news for the Sox.

Still with a mediocre Ortiz and a recovering Gonzalez a few other men should be able to contribute for the Sox. Including righties Dustin Pedrioa and Kevin Youkillis who's last season averages are nearly .300 as well. This bunch will compliment eachother nicely.

But, there's still more to come....

The pick-up of Carl Crawford from the Rays was excellent. He posted career bests last season in homers, runs and RBIs. He was also a 2010 American League Gold Glove winner and American League Silver Slugger recipient.

The best offseason pick-ups goes to the Boston Red Sox and that's why they will be the team to beat come April 2011.

The "pinstripes" aren't far behind though. Not only because of their salary (always a factor), but because they enter the game with a lot of familiar faces that have become a staple in New York. Of course, Jeter and A-Rod will be there, but don't forget Robinson Cano, who was the standout and most improved player in the 2009-2010 season. He put up some of the most incredible numbers of his career. As a player who I believe was always overlooked, he won't be forgotten this year. The second baseman won the 2010 American League Gold Glove at second base and the American Silver slugger award and was one of the most reliable players in the game. His season average...a commanding .319 with 29 homers and 109 RBIs. Now that's what I call impressive.

And while Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher are staples in the outfield, watch out for left fielder, Brett Gardner. He's not only passionate about the game, but his quick steps around the bases got him 47 stolen bases last season, 26 infield hits and 7 bunts. He didn't finish the season too well last year, but there's room for improvement, especially with the mentors he's surrounded by.

I do wonder how the pitching rotation will go this year though, as they post over 20 men on their pitching roster as of now. Rafael Soriano was added to the roster and C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes will be there, but how about Joba Chamberlain and A.J. Burnett...will they make the cut?

As for the Tampa Bay Rays, will they again be able to cope with a owner who wanted to downsize their current payroll? We knew Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford wouldn't return, but they also said goodbye to Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. Will Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez get it done?

I have little to say about the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays except who will end up on the bottom? The poor Jays lost their staple and beloved pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phillies. That and the fact that the O's did aquire a few new players, veterans Vladamir Guererro and Derrek Lee. I seem to think the Toronto will have the worst time in this division.

So here is how I call the division come October...

1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays

I have to agree with the Canadians on this one.

After recently getting in touch with one of my biggest all-time passions...hockey, I couldn't help but ask the question, why don't more people have as big a love as I do for the sport?


It could have been my recent trip to a skating rink (I haven't been since before my knee surgery)...


Or even watching the outdoor three-on-three hockey tournament along the Erie Canal,


but it could have actually been just because I love the sport so much and the fact that there's so much to love about it.


First off, you get in touch with your roots again....going out into nature and skating on that frozen pond behind your house or in the park. Or even going to an indoor skating rink. You see people at all skill levels, toddlers scrambling past you, even adults who don't seem to get the whole idea of the blades gliding along ice. With the few things you can actually do in the cold, this is one of them and quite possibly the best.


Second...you have the American Hockey League (AHL) where you get to see the young guys skating hard and progressing with hopes of making it to the big leagues. This is a true show to watch since they're not getting paid much and it's a brutal schedule, going town after town in a Coach bus...not quite the amenities you think would be given to a professional team....


and don't forget, the AHL is small town USA, with teams coming from Rochester, Syracuse, Hershey, and all over the rest of the country...you don't only get "family fun time," or time with your buddies, but gimmicky songs and video clips pumping you up when your team is on the brink of a win, or a loss.


Last, but not least comes....the National Hockey League.


It's sad to say most restaurants don't even buy the NHL Ticket on Demand, but splurge on the NFL and NBA almost always.


The NHL is full of MEN, who hit, fight and somehow still manage to skate along the ice, while juggling a puck with a stick.


TV doesn't do hockey any justice, I know this because any time I eagerly sit watching the tube, everyone around me seems to disperse. On that I can agree, it takes a really TRUE fan to sit and watch a game on TV sometimes, but it's not hard to be a true fan...


It seems hockey players are among a different class of gentlemen. They aren't often on TV-unless it's ESPN (or married to Carrie Underwood). And when it comes to their all-star competitions they are not afraid of injuries and always play hard and who doesn't love a player who can shoot a puck over 105 miles an hour? That's pure talent.


You can even appreciate it more after watching the NHL All-Star Game, where all rules were broken this year...Nicklas Lindstrom of the Detroit Redwings and Marc Staal of the New York Rangers took it to the playground and became honorary team captains, picking their own teams.


So, next time you see a hockey game on...take a second to truly appreciate it, maybe even WATCH it. Because I guranntee, you'll remember one of the things I've just wrote and develop a tiny bit of appreciation for the stick and the puck.