The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was in 1993: the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, hockey’s Holy Grail has had 18 years of living south of the border, far away from it’s historical home. It has taken residence in New York, Detroit, and Chicago, all relatively acceptable as they were in the “Original Six”. But it has also made an appearance in Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Anaheim, locales that are probably more worthy of football than hockey.
Speaking of the Original Six, I will be the first to admit: when I was a kid, I used to be a fan of the Boston Bruins. That was back in an era when they won their last Stanley Cup – 1972. Those were the days of the Phil Esposito, Derek Sanderson, Wayne Cashman, Bobby Orr, and Gerry Cheevers.
Fast forward to 2011. The Bruins were in the Stanley Cup Final, looking for their first win since 1972. Their opponent this year was the Vancouver Canucks, owners of the league’s best record in the regular season. It was an epic series, going to a Game 7 finale. But if you are a Canadian waiting for the Cup to head north once again, the wait will last at least one more year.
I will admit, I had my doubts. Sure, the Dallas Mavericks were in the NBA Finals. But could they actually win it? There had been plenty of years of “one and done”, and this team was much older than the one that went to the 2006 Finals.
You knew that something had to be a little different this year when Mavericks owner Mark Cuban fell silent throughout the playoffs. Either things were about to change, or the end of the world was upon us.
We now know that it was the former. The Dallas Mavericks are the 2011 NBA Champions. They can also now say that they have won their first NBA title.
Prior to last night, there was not one NBA ring to be found on this team. Veterans? Thirty-eight year-old Jason Kidd was in season 17 – but he kept coming back like the “last” season of “Lost”.
But this team was not lost at all. They reminded us that it in an era of huge contracts and little team (or fan base) loyalty, playing as a team is still the most important aspect of a team sport. And the reminder came in the most obvious way as they were up against perhaps the best team of solo players around – the Miami Heat.
Who turned on the heat in Austin these days? We’ve already gone past the 100 degree mark, and we’re barely into the first week of June. I know that there is much debate about global climate change, but in my limited experience on the planet, I would say that something is awry.
This episode of the Ruminations deals with heat, and plenty of it.
1. The US Grand Prix has a new home in Austin, and now it has a tentative date on the F1 calendar – June 17, 2012. June in Austin can be pretty hot (see above), but it should be business as usual for the teams. They go to plenty of hot climates already – Bahrain and Abu Dhabi being two examples.
Historically, the US and Canadian events have been a week apart for some degree of travel convenience for the teams. Many years ago, they were in September and October. That sounds like a great time frame for a race in Austin, though it might be a little tenuous weather-wise in Montreal.
The FIA has a lot of scheduling issues to contend with as far as the US GP is concerned. Perhaps one of the biggest scheduling concerns is not the heat but, yes, you guessed it, the University of Texas.
There are days when you really have to wonder about what government, in any shape or form, truly accomplishes anymore. Today - the last day of the 82nd Texas legislative session, otherwise known as Sine Die – is one of those days.
As it stands, legislators in Texas will be called back for a special session because they have yet to finalize a budget. They have come to a standstill regarding the $27 billion budget deficit. Of course, they all knew what the economic situation was like long before they arrived in Austin for this session. But after their obligatory 140 days of work (every 2 years), they still have no solutions.
I you had a bill or piece of legislation that died in committee, or was left pending ... guess what? You get to wait 590 days or so ... before you get to start the process all over again. More money, more time, and less accomplished – again. And more often than not, it has absolutely nothing to do with what is right for the constituents.
Republicans and Tea Partiers nationwide proclaim the need for “less government”. Republicans have a majority in the Texas House and Senate. My question is, can anything less be accomplished by government than already occurs? Were the founding fathers aiming for representation by population? Or representation by campaign contribution?
But wait – there were some things accomplished this session. It’s a rather interesting list indeed.
The world did not end on Saturday May 21. I repeat, the world did not end.
I am sure there were plenty who gave up most of their worldly possessions with the end of the world rapidly approaching. That would have made this past Monday a really rough start to the week. Time to get back to work and make a buck or two, I suppose. Everyone needs a little cash to get by until the “next” end of the world, currently scheduled for December 21 or something like that. Does that mean I won’t have to do any Christmas shopping this year?
In the meantime, the sporting world kept right on rolling, No-pocalyspe or otherwise. And as always, there has been more rhubarb than you could shake a syringe at. A syringe, you ask? Let’s get started on the next episode …
1. Was Sunday May 22nd the beginning of the end for Lance Armstrong?
I could be completely wrong. Maybe this time is for real.
May 21 is predicted to be the end of the world. Christians tell us that Judgment Day is upon us.
Wow. Is that a buzz kill for a Saturday or what? Exactly what time should I put on my Outlook calendar? I do not want to be late. And I guess that means that I should cancel all upcoming appointments?
Let’s not forget that Judgment Day has come and gone a number of times before. Wasn’t there something written about a boy that cried wolf? Or am I just being a tad cynical?
It is all this focus on the negative that disturbs me. Over and over, we’ve been presented with countless potential “endings”. But somehow, through all of them, the world just keeps on spinning and people keep on waking up and drinking their Starbucks and heading off to work and coming home from work and dying of natural (and not-so-natural) causes. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Or - it could all end on May 21. Either way, let’s make a deal. I have a proposal.
I have always maintained that more often than not, a real-life story can indeed be more mind-twisting than any piece of fiction. Just when you thought you’d heard the craziest or most incredible tale, something else pops up to put everything else to shame. Who needs fiction when we have reality? I think that Rhubarb Ruminations should have that as it’s byline - “where truth is stranger than fiction”!
Here are a few more stories that bring true meaning to that phrase.
1. Consider this – there is a possibility (albeit a slim one) that both Sarah Palin and Donald Trump could run for the nomination as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate. If I ever thought that “Alaska 2008” sounded downright bizarre, add “Atlantic City 2012” to the mix. Palin and Perry, or Trump and the Celebrity Apprentice? No, the Presidency is not turning into just another reality TV show, or at least let us hope that is not the case. It could be an interesting battle of hair care products as we head towards the 2012 election. Pantene, Suave, and Rogaine could all become corporate sponsors.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
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