And the Heat makes 2

I saw it, but I still can't believe it; the Miami Heat, in the NBA Finals for the first time in history. I guess it's even a little more unbelievable, because I've never had two of my favorite sports teams make it to their championship game/series in the same year. The early 1990s is probably the closest I came, when the Cowboys dynasty was just starting and the Oilers run was ending. It will be a busy next few weeks, rooting for the Oilers and the Heat.

I've always been a Shaq fan, and to see him blossoming with Dwayne Wade is pretty cool to see. What's really sweet about the Heat, and Oilers, is that both runs are both so improbable. At the beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs, outside of Miami and Edmonton, you could not find ONE person in the media who picked either team to even reach the championship round, much less win it all. Terry Jones, a columnist for The Edmonton Sun, didn't even pick the Oilers to get past Detroit, predicting Detroit in 6. I'm very proud of both teams, regardless of whether they win titles or not.

It's also sweet to see Pat Riley reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years. He's probably my favorite NBA coach ever (there's just something about Phil Jackson that I dislike, even though he's won many more titles than Riles). There's just something about Riley I've always admired. And, since I have an innate tendency to root for the underdog, of course it's also super sweet that Riley returned to the bench after Stan Van Gundy stepped down early this season. He was lambasted in the media; just crucified. The heat the Riley came under was hotter than South Beach asphalt after Van Gundy stepped down. He had to endure rumors that SVG was "fired," "pushed aside," and a host of other unsavory phrases. And, as I've mentioned, Miami was given no chance this year with all the changes that Riley the GM made - bringing in Jason Williams, Gary Payton, bringing back 'Zo, the list goes on and on. Looks like Shaq has a little gas left in the tank after all.

It's pretty damn sweet that Miami went through Detroit to get to the Finals, too. It's tough to overstate how favored Detroit was in this series - they won 64 games this past season. And Miami came so damn close vs. Detroit last year - taking the Pistons to game 7. As Wade said last night following the game, it wouldn't have felt right if they would have made it all the way to the Finals without going through Detroit. And how can you not root for Alonzo Morning? His career has been nothing short of remarkable, having recovered from a potentially life-threatening kidney disease. He's a man's man and one helluva warrior.

It will be no small feat beating whoever Miami faces in the Finals - Dallas or Phoenix will make a very tough opponent indeed. But, as I've written, I'm so happy that the Oilers and Heat are in the finals; if they win, they win, and if they don't, they don't. Both teams are brimming with winners as far as I'm concerned.

One other quick thought - what a shitty year for Detroit! The Pistons? Mowed down by the Heat. The Red Wings? Slapped silly by the Oilers. Hell, even GM, Ford and Chrysler are going broke. (I'm not making fun of the Big 3 - I really hope they can turn it around; GM still may go bankrupt.) The Tigers had better look out for my baseball team, the Red Sox, the way my luck is going. I don't think the Cowboys have to worry about the Lions, though.

But, since my luck with sports teams is so high this year, I wonder... is this the year of the Cowboy? More on that in a minute.