NBA Finals 2011

So what some experts are calling potentially the most watched NBA Finals, starts tomorrow. Dallas Mavericks against the Miami Heat-again. This is a rematch of the NBA Finals of 2006 when the Miami Heat won in six games. Despite this, the question remains, who needs to win this more? The Miami Heat, with "the trio" that have been criticized at every turn or the Dallas Mavericks, who are seeking a first championship for Dirk, Jason Kidd, and owner Mark Cuban.

Miami Heat went into this season, being one of the most closest watched teams in the NBA in years. They acquired stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh, but also acquired role players such as Juwan Howard, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Mike Bibby. Because of this, they gained many new fans to the NBA, but also became one of the more hated teams, as LeBron became a villain to many.

The last time they won a championship, the Heat also had a newer star player on the roster. Shaquille O'Neal's second year on the roster brought them a championship, but he too was surrounded with new role players like James Posey and Jason Williams. When Shaq arrived, he too predicted that his new team would win a championship with him. It took an extra season, but he was right. Can LeBron do it in his first season with the Heat?

The Mavs are still chasing that illusive first championship. Mark Cuban bought the Mavs and revamped the franchise. He turned a losing franchise, with sub par facilities and lackluster players into a franchise that consistently makes the playoffs, with the best facilities in the NBA, and future hall of fame players-Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd.

Yet with all the success the team has had, they've only went to the Finals once with Cuban as the owner and that was against the Miami Heat. This is their chance at revenge-well, sort of. Despite being not that long ago, only two players remain from that Dallas Mavericks team. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Still, this team is looking to take out the Heat for their first rings.

This team acquired many former star veterans who are hanging on for that last chance at a ring. Jason Kidd rejoined the cast after unsuccessful bids at getting his rings with the Nets and Suns. Peja Stojakovic joins after a long success with the Kings. Although the Kings were never able to win a ring with now Heat player Bibby and now Mavericks player Peja leading the team. Shawn Marion also joins the team, joining former Suns teammate Kidd, in search of that elusive ring. Also they added twenty-eight year old, nine season veteran, Tyson Chandler to their team to get his first ring.

If the Mavs don't win this first championship, will they stay together? I believe the Heat will for the most part. The Mavs have veterans at the end of their rope though and if they don't pull it off this year, does that mean Mark Cuban will gut key parts of the team in favor of younger players? I believe the Mavs want it more and need it more, but the Heat would like to shed the negativity off after LeBron's "Decision." The Mavericks have been sitting for a week after a hot streak the week before where they looked extremely hungry. The Heat just finished their games off against the Bulls more recently, so not much a chance of rust, but they didn't show that hunger until the last game.

So who needs this more? The Mavs. Who wins this? In my prediction, it goes in six games again, but this time in the Mavs favor.

Win Like A Champion

Watching the Lakers play the Mavericks tonight in game four of the playoffs, it's clear that the Lakers are not the champions they claim to be. Part of being a champion is playing like a champion. Up until the moment another team wins the Championship, if you won the championship last year, you're still the champions. The Lakers are the reigning champions right now, despite being eliminated tonight.

Getting back to point, even though you have the title of champions, you need to play like one. There's a difference between playing tough such as the "Bad Boys" of the Detroit Pistons did with players like Bill Lambier and Dennis Rodman, but cheap shots don't mean you're playing tough.

What Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom did tonight, was flat out embarrassing. Especially Bynum's elbow into the chest of a defenseless JJ Barea. Barea was up in the air attempting a lay up, when a frustrated Bynum decided to stop him with an elbow, nearly ending Barea's season when Barea hit the floor hard.

What's worse is that Bynum has no remorse. In a post game interview he said, "No, I'm not disappointed in myself. It is what it is."

Even worse, is the attitude of Bynum walking off the court after being ejected. He ripped off his jersey and strutted off like a street thug. I'm not a Kobe Bryant fan at all and I don't care for some of the temper tantrums Kobe has thrown in the past, but Kobe would have never have done what Bynum did. If Kobe were to be kicked out of a game, he would just walk quietly off the court, the way a champion should.

Yes, the Lakers were defeated tonight. Yes, they will not be this year's champions, but play like one, win or lose. If you lose, don't play like little kids who are sore losers. You're still the champion for about another month. What Bynum and Odom did, were an embarrassment not only to the Lakers and the Buss family, but to all people who are Lakers fans. Lakers fans deserve more from their players. Even Magic Johnson, after the game berated his beloved organization.

You know who played like champions today? The Mavericks. Despite all the classless play by the Lakers, not a single Maverick threw a punch back. That takes a lot of restraint.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas deserves their own pro sports team. Yes, they have lower level teams such as a Triple A minor league baseball team, but I think it's time that the city gets to take on a top level team. The city has hosted the NBA All-Star game before to test the waters and all went well. The MLB has thrown Las Vegas into the hat of nominees for expansion cities during the nineties. Unfortunately, nothing has quite caught on.

Las Vegas has two million people in the metro area, which is the twenty-eighth largest metro area in the United States. That's not counting the tourist that come there. It's the largest tourist spot in the United States and I'm sure that a few of these people are sports fans. The MLB classified the city as a mid-sized market city at best, but I disagree. With the right marketing to tourists, they could bring in the same amount of fans that a large market team does.

One of the requirements of a city gaining a pro team, is an owner local to the area with a large amount of money to run a franchise. Las Vegas has plenty of people that fit this category. The Maloof family is based out of Las Vegas and currently own the Sacramento Kings. They are looking to move the team out of Sacramento, but have considered Anaheim to be the most likely option. The Kings then would become the Monarchs (the Maloof brothers reportedly copyrighted the name Anaheim Monarchs). Why not move the team to Vegas?

Also Steve Wynn lives in Las Vegas and owns a lot of successful projects out there including many hotels. Why not a pro sports team? Other notables in the Las Vegas area are Benny Binion, Andre Agassi, Larry Ruvo, and even Penn & Teller have mentioned during interviews about possibly investing in a sports teams as partial owners.

I doubt the NFL would be an option unless a team commits to moving to Las Vegas. I also don't believe the NHL would likely move there because of the lack hockey already there, except for a minor league hockey team. This is why I think the NBA or the MLB are the more likely options.

The NBA because of the successful All-Star game already there and the current resident/NBA team owners, the Maloofs already residing there. Another reason is that the NBA seems to be more open to their teams moving with the Sacramento Kings rumors, the Seattle Sonics becoming the Oklahoma Thunder, and the Charlotte Hornets becoming the New Orleans Hornets, all in recent years.

The MLB would be another option with the American League West being short a team compared to the other divisions. Nearby in Phoenix, the Diamondbacks play in a great stadium built for nearly the same weather that Las Vegas has. With a retractable roof, it's great for sunny, nice weather games, but also air conditioned for hotter weather.

I say bring on another expansion. Let me introduce my proposed team, the Las Vegas Outlaws. With red, black, and white colors and a cool logo, I can see their apparel selling to tourists and locals alike. With the right marketing and the right investors, I believe this franchise can be very successful.