Nba Finals Tv Schedule

Score one for basketball

In the interest of being open-minded, I found a positive aspect to this year's NHL playoffs: They've managed to go on for more than a month now without an on-ice felony being committed. Way to go, guys.

Other than that, there are few positives. If one thing has been made clear in the past 10 years of major sports, it's this: Hockey is boring. Thus, playoff hockey is boredom broken into seven-game series. Just try to stay awake.

In the NBA, the best teams with the brightest stars have advanced. As for the NHL's stars ... well, uh, who is Gretzky playing for these days?

The NHL playoffs drag as much as the NBA's, but hockey's schedule is pushed around by every concert and tractor pull in town (someone has to pay the arena bills, after all). The NBA's TV ratings are not great, but the NHL would give its front teeth (if it had any) for the NBA's ratings. The NBA worries when it is below 5.0. On May 1, the NHL drew a 1.6 rating, just ahead of the 1.3 rating for NCAA gymnastics, which was shown on tape delay. A two-week tape delay.

And scoring? Egad. If the NBA slows down in the playoffs, then the NHL goes backward. In the first two rounds, 26 of 69 games featured three or fewer goals. Where's that No-Doz vendor?--Sean Deveney

'Stanley Cup' says it all

Three words: Sudden-death overtime.

It takes only one mistake for an NHL team to lose in overtime. The scored-upon don't get the puck and a chance to skate up ice to even things up. Overtime can last 10 seconds or all night.

Teams play full periods with no TV timeouts--the ultimate test of conditioning. It requires a whole team of skaters, so there's no designated towel-waver on an NHL bench, especially in OT.

Even before overtime, the action and excitement whip fans into a frenzy in a close game. The losing team takes a risk and pulls its goalie. The tension mounts uninterrupted as the final seconds tick away. Each team has only one timeout, not what seems like 15 strategic timeouts that sap the energy from the game.

In the NHL, the lower seeds have a chance. There's always at least one big-time team toppled by a less talented, less experienced team full of fight. The road team can win. The underdog can win. Also, it's nice that once the conference champions get to the Stanley Cup finals, a team from the East actually has a chance to win.

And then there's the big prize. Win the NHL playoffs and you get your name etched in history on the Stanley Cup, the most recognized trophy in the world.--Kara Yorio

COPYRIGHT 2004 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

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