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PAST ISSUES

by Jason Gilbert
Exchange Staff

     The battle of the century is upon us!!! Did I catch your attention yet? Well that's all I had to headline the lineup of April and May sports with the NBA and NHL playoffs beginning. While maybe the die-hard hockey and basketball fans will enjoy the playoffs, I will be looking for re-runs of Dawson's Creek, Laguna Beach and One Tree Hill. Yes, I'd rather have fictional teenage drama on my television screen than watch some of these games. But, to give some respect to the athletes playing in these games, well the ones not playing just for the money, I will set up a weigh-in on these two postseasons.

     Round 1: Top Stars

     For the NBA we have Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and LeBron James. For the NHL we have Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton, Vinny Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, and Chris Drury.
     Based on names the NBA wins by a landslide. Unless you are a die-hard NHL fan there is no way anybody reading this column can name one player from the Detroit Red Wings, but they do know who Shaq and D-Wade are. Although both leagues have great talent in this years playoffs, the NBA take this one because of so many elite players participating this month.
    
     Edge: NBA

     Round 2: The Matchups

     This may be a closer battle than the previous one with match-ups such as the Devils and Lightning and the Senators and Penguins. In the NBA there are no set series for the first round but as it looks like right now there won't be any in the first round that could cause much of a stir except maybe the Nuggets playing the Spurs.
    
     Edge: NHL

     Round 3: Intensity and Meaning

     As for the NBA in this category, I need a little bit of convincing that players actually care about winning a title other than a few: Nash, Wade and Dirk. With that said, I know after watching some of the first round games in the NHL that every game means something to these guys. I watched the first game between the Nashville Predators and the New York Rangers and I saw at least four scuffles. I'd love to call them fights but since the league is "protecting" their players, there is no way it fits into the legit fight category. To be honest, I've had better "fights" when I played knee hockey with my neighbors in 6th grade. On that note I think the NBA had more good fights (1) than the NHL (0). What am I talking about. . . my roommate has shown me at least five quality fights in the NHL season, while Carmelo Anthony slapping a Knicks player then running 60 feet in a retreat is not a fight. Anyway, my point is that the NHL players want that Stanley Cup and you can see it in their eyes while the NBA players just want an MVP award.
    
     Edge: NHL

     Round 4: The Trophy

     The greatest trophy in sports against a gold statue with a basketball? This has to be the knockout round. . . "and down goes Frazier". . .

     Winner by knockout: National Hockey League