WELCOME / MAVS LOSE?

In light that this will be my inaugural blog posting, it seems almost ironic that it comes on the day following one of the biggest upsets in sports history and without a doubt, the biggest upset in the history of the playoffs in the National Basketball Association. Of course, I am speaking of the number eight seeded Golden State Warriors, led by Don Nelson and Baron "THE BEAST" Davis, defeating the NBA Number one seed, the Dallas Mavericks. By the way, the reason I say that this is ironic is that I could not be more of a Mavs hater. This most likely being becasue I grew up in San Antonio and am a huge Spurs fan, which we all are being the Spurs is all we have, and currently live in this wonderful pollution engine of the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex. Now, just because this incredible event makes me extremely happy (I just want to admit it, so you know where I'm coming from) does not mean I can not be objective when I look at this situation because this embarassment is worth talking about.

I understand the argument against this upset as not being the biggest in sports history because of events such as USA Soocer defeating England in the 1950 World Cup and the USA Hockey defeating the jugernauts of USSR Hockey. However, I believe that there is no argument agaisnt the fact the this was the biggest upset in NBA playoff history. The Mavs won 67 games during the regular season. There is only five, yes five, teams that have ever had a better regular season record than this (and guess what?) all of them went on to the NBA finals, the majority of which won titles. In addition, the Mavs had the best road record, last year's coach of the year, a top 6th man of the year canidate in Stackhouse (who I respect greatly, especially for wearing #42, to represent Jackie Robinson), as well as the soon to be MVP Dirk Nowitzki. So why did they lose the way that they did, in embarrassing fassion?
Is the answer simply Don Nelson? A man who basically created the present Dallas Mavericks and knows each players every faults and how to exploit them. Maybe it was the team of incredible atheletes on the Warriors who just matched up brillantly with Mavs? Well, it was both, the 'perfect storm' some might say? A massive, fast, attacking the basket, shoot the lights out strom which is going to create the longest off season ever for the down and depleted Mavs who need plenty of rebuilding, both literal and mental. Although this was a complete and utter breakdown of emmence proportions for one of the best teams in regular season history, we must not take credit away from the Warriors.

By the way, what a trade during the regular season when Golden state acquired Al Harrington (not that effective in this series) and Stephen Jackson (incredibly effective during this series) from the Indiana Pacers for... oh wait I don't remember and I don't think anyone else does either (Dunleavy and some other scrubs). I still have fond memories of the big Stevey J from the 2003 San Antonio Spurs championship run who was extremely instrumental. Sorry Mavs.

There will be much more on this and more soon. T hanks for reading.