Winning an NBA Title Not “Superhuman”
As we are well aware, according to NBA Superstars it takes a “Superhuman” effort to win a championship. These players leave no stone unturned in alerting everyone they have to reach extraordinary heights in order to be on top of the mountain.
Miami and San Antonio are tied at one game apiece in the NBA Championship series heading to Texas for Tuesday night’s game three. Yet a little known series is ready to begin Wednesday that is getting little to no fanfare in the media or around the water coolers.
The Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks, two of the “Original Six” franchises in the league, will begin their Stanley Cup finals in the windy city. The Black Hawks began this strike shortened season playing the best hockey of anyone in the world. However the Bruins ended the season playing the best. So its fitting these two teams will play for the Cup.
What’s fascinating is you don’t hear either team touting what it takes to win the Cup. That they train for months on end and have to spend time from their 
families and work their bodies to the edge in order to compete.
Quite frankly, when you compare the two sports, there are obvious differences, but many similarities. One is on ice, another on planks. One is played with skates and pads, basketball with sneakers. One is on an open court, hockey players in an area enclosed by boards. Each league plays 82 games in the regular season. However the NHL compacts their games into less days, and they travel more miles. This year, according to the four letter network, the Detroit Red Wings traveled over 75,000 in a strike shortened season. Miami logged the most miles in the NBA, over 50,000. The equivalent of ten times back and forth across the country.
Let’s take the puck for example. A hockey puck is made of natural rubber and a type of coal dust, called carbon black, which serves as a filler in the puck. It’s normal weight is 5.5-6 ounces, or one third of a pound. It is dense and hard so it can stand up to the pounding a stick can make and still be able to glide on the ice.
Ask this question, would you be interested in standing in front of a slap shot and catch a puck, or a chest pass? The pain and bruises one can endure being hit by a puck are more than that of a basketball smacking one in the side of the head. The long lasting effects of a puck to the side of your cranium are more severe than a basketball.
Hockey players are faster, averaging around 27 mph. The fastest player in the NBA is Lebron James and he goes around 20 mph at top speed. Now crash into a board at the end of the curt at that speed.
Without going into great detail, a hockey player being ridden and smashed into the boards can cause more injury than a player running into the stanchion holding the basket. Ice skates are more dangerous than sneakers. This statement being made in observance of the players who had their throats slashed by ice skates on the ice during a game.
The NBA playoff schedule is confusing. During the playoffs teams staying in one city get a day off, yet when they travel only one. For example. Three days passed between Games one and two of the finals. In the NHL, they are playing every other day, travel or not.
The point is NBA players are grandiose when it comes to their accomplishments. They play to the crowd, act like a star and exaggerate their talent. They say winning a championship is “surreal.” A hockey player does his job, plays his game and when they win the Cup it’s a personal/team accomplishment. Not a “me” thing.
Hockey is just as, if not more so, demanding than NBA Basketball. It’s time the NBA shut up and play the game instead of over-blowing it.
NBA players are not superhuman. What’s superhuman is someone who works 12-16 hours per day, then does it again the next. Superhuman is a single mother working 2 or 3 jobs to put food on the table for her kids.
Millionaires are not Superhuman.
Dave Mitchell and Mark Donahue co-host the “Ohio Baseball Weekly” show every Monday night at 9pm. Dave will also host the new Thursday night show “Ultimate Sports Talk” every Thursday night at 7pm beginning June 20th.
