What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
It’s safe to say Mike Brown never had a chance.
We say that not only because he lasted only five games into his second season as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
We say it because the NBA is a superstars’ league, not a hardworking coaches’ league. Brown is a defense-first coach. That might sell come playoff time when the rings are at stake, but not during the regular season.
We say it because Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash aren’t getting any younger. Firing Brown five games into the season might seem harsh, but we can understand the impatience of the Laker fans and the Laker players.
Getting rid of Brown now instantly makes the Lakers more entertaining — if only to see if who next will be given the job of steering the Laker mobile back into the NBA fast lane.
2
In case you missed it — and we’re sure most of you have — the Major League Soccer playoffs are down to the final four.
And the best teams during the regular season are nowhere to be found.
The San Jose Earthquakes — the best team during the regular season — were ousted by fourth-seeded Los Angeles. Eastern Conference top seed Sporting Kansas City was dumped by fifth-seeded Houston. In the two-game conference finals series, we have No. 3 Seattle against the Galaxy in the West, and No. 2 D.C. United against Houston in the East.
Think all this spoils the integrity of the MLS product? Consider other American sports. The New York Giants squeaked into the NFL playoffs last season and won the Super Bowl. In 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series as a wild-card team. In the NHL, the regular-season champion is routinely ousted from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Major League Soccer honors its regular-season champion with the Supporters’ Shield trophy. Its postseason is branded as something separate — the MLS Cup Playoffs.
That doesn’t hurt the entertainment value. As Thursday’s dramatic winning goals for Seattle and D.C. United showed, the MLS Cup Playoffs are a show that can stand on their own.
3
Hey sports fans, get out there! Saturday is one of those special days when you don’t need to leave Clark County to get in on the action.
We know that many of you will be enthusiastically supporting your favorite teams in Clark County today. But even if you don’t have ties to a team, this is a good chance to get out there and be entertained.
The list of options includes three high school football state playoff games, a girls soccer state playoff game, and a Clark College men’s soccer playoff game (which is free!). There is even a Vancouver Vipers junior hockey game tonight at Mountain View Ice Arena.
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