Changing of the Guard

There are plenty of Laker-haters out there; plenty of people who think Phil flaunts his rings,  Kobe fakes his grit, Pau is a softie, and Ron Artest is -- okay Ron Artest is insane, I think we can all agree on that.  So, naturally, there were plenty of people dancing in the streets Tuesday night when the Lakers got pummeled by the Dallas Mavericks and were swept out of the playoffs.



And there are more than a few people who root against the Celtics simply for the sheer merriment of rooting against the Celtics. There's not much to hate on in terms of players and coaches. Ray Allen is a 3-point phenom, K.G has the heart of a lion, Paul Pierce has been in the league for what seems like centuries and can still hang with the young guns, and Rondo is one of the premier young point guards in the Association. Plus, there's not a whole lot of bad you can say about Doc Rivers; one of the classiest coaches I've seen in any sport. But regardless, people hate the Boston Celtics, simply because they're from Boston, and those people were elated to see them fall to the Heat on Wednesday. 

But are these reasons really why people hate these teams? Or is it that they've been on top for so long that sports fans are dying for a change? I argue the latter.

I, however, am one of those sports fans who believe that the inevitable changing of the guard this year in the NBA is a terrible thing.

Besides Miami's somewhat random NBA championship with Shaq, Pat Riley and company in '06, the last time one of the remaining playoff teams won a title was in 1998 when Michael Jordan's Bulls won it all. And, not to mention, the other playoff teams still in the hunt besides the Heat and Bulls -- Dallas, Atlanta, Oklahoma City and Memphis -- have not won a title in their franchises' histories.

Who wants to see a Grizzlies vs. Hawks NBA final? Not me.

The same can be said for the other major sports. Who is going to remember last season's Giants vs. Rangers World Series match up besides fans from San Fran and Texas? And can you tell me who won, or even played in the 2003 Super Bowl? (Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Oakland Raiders, for those of you who didn't bother looking it up).

The Lakers and Celtics are not the only teams that matter in the NBA, obviously. And that's not the reason why I was hoping to see them in the finals again this year, or at least put up a fight in their respective series. And don't get it twisted--I don't wish upon a star every night that they will meet up every year for the finals. I just don't think I'm quite ready to push them out into the cold so quickly, only to invite in a Grizzly and a Hawk.