Hooch: It’s quite possible the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Della-Cleve-dova Cavaliers could go seven games. Same goes for the Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago Blackhawks and their longtime rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. OK, Groke, you can have a ticket to only one of these games. I know it’s tough, like choosing between tickets to see Huey Lewis or Hall and Oates, but which one would you attend?
Groke: Hoch-a-Shot, you’re gonna make me choose between clean-cut power pop and blue-eyed soul? Tough call. Oh, you mean NBA or NHL? Yeah, that’s even tougher. My quick reaction is to go with Blackhawks vs. Lightning, because the flow of a Stanley Cup Game 7 is so intense and nerve-wracking. Every hit, every pass, everything matters. But that Game 7 is at Tampa Bay. This time, I have to go with the NBA. Golden State’s arena in Oakland is one of the loudest courts in sports. And Oaktown would love it like no others. (Sorry, Cleveland.)
Hooch: What do you have against Tampa Bay? Do you dislike the artwork of sculptor C. Paul Jennewein, on display at the Tampa Museum of Art? Are you offended by the musical genius of former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter? Tampa is awesome (and even the home of professional wrestler ), and you know what? Those fans can’t help the fact that their team didn’t exist until the 1990s. Yes, they don’t have tradition. But they have devotion.
Groke: Don’t sic the Tampa Chamber of Commerce on me, Benson. I have no qualms with Tampans. (Tampites? Tampa-baynanaramas?) But Oakland has a connection to basketball that Tampa probably doesn’t with hockey. Here’s a question, Hoochie Poochie: Which team in the Stanley Cup Final is hockey-mad Canada rooting for? Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is a Canadian hero, with goals in two gold medal games the past two Olympics. And who is America rooting for in the NBA Finals? Feels like Golden State is the golden child.
Hooch: I’ll text you a pic of my ribeye from Bern’s Steak House in Tampa while you’re sitting courtside in Oakland with MC Hammer and Too $hort. The hockey Game 7 itself will be a better experience, but the history of this basketball Game 7 is bigger — a long-suffering fan base will get a championship regardless. And if LeBron wins in his hometown, and without two injured all-stars? He’s an icon.
Groke: I’ll tell you this, Frodo Hochggins: a Stanley Cup do-or-die game, followed by the best tradition in sports — the post-series handshake line — is a must-see event. But LeBron playing through a who-knows-what long list of injuries has already added to his iconic legacy. And if Golden State’s Splash Brothers can get past the King for a ring? Seventh heaven.
