NHL Playoffs > NBA Playoffs

[Triple B]

Right now, you have a choice most nights of watching either the NHL playoffs or the NBA playoffs. To us, it's no contest. The NHL playoffs are way better than the NBA playoffs. Here are 10 reasons why.

Overtime

1) Basketball overtimes last five minutes. Throw in a bunch of timeouts and free throws and it can take a half-hour, and you usually know who is going to win most of that time. Hockey? It might last 30 seconds or it might last until 4 in the morning and you can't take your eyes off the screen. The beauty of NHL overtime is no TV timeouts. (So, if you're watching, easy on the drinks and use the bathroom only during the intermission.) Knowing that every shot - no matter how harmless it looks - can end the game and possibly someone's season makes hockey's overtime the best in all of sports.

Toughness

2) Bulls star Scottie Pippen once missed most of an NBA playoff game because of a headache. Kwame Brown of the Wizards sat out a postseason game because of a stomach virus. Compare that to the Lightning's Ruslan Fedotenko, above, who has no recollection of playing in Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final because of a concussion suffered earlier in the series. Oh yeah, Fedotenko scored both goals in Tampa Bay's 2-1 victory.

Unpredictable

3) Until last week when Golden State knocked off Dallas, a No. 8 seed had never beaten a No. 1 in a best-of-seven NBA playoff series. That has happened seven times in the NHL since 1994. Here's more: Since 1994, the No. 7 seed has won more series (14) than the No. 2 seed (12). Edmonton was a No. 8 seed in 2006 and advanced all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final before losing to Carolina. (By the way, neither team even made the playoffs this season.) The team with the best record in the regular season hasn't won a Cup since Detroit in 2002. In fact, the team with the best record has won the Cup only six times in the past 20 years.

Playing at home means nothing

4) No such thing as home-ice advantage in the NHL playoffs. Since 1999, NHL road teams have won 47 percent of the time. That number just proves that every game really is a tossup.

Playoff beards

5) It's simple. NHL players - not all, but most - refuse to shave until they either win the Stanley Cup or are eliminated. Some people simply are not meant to grow beards. (Remember Marty St. Louis?) And that's the point. These players often look like Tom Hanks midway through Castaway. Their beards become mangled, tangled and you wouldn't be surprised if a couple of rodents had nested deep inside them. The players don't get haircuts either. Two months into a playoff run and you have 40 Charles Mansons skating around the ice with sticks in their hands.

The schedule

6) Every other day. That's how the NHL works. A series is played every other day. Occasionally, you get back-to-back games with an extra day off some other time. But once a first-round series starts, it ends in 11 days. In the NBA, most first-round series were scheduled to take place over 15 days. Several series took a full week to play three games. Who can get into a series when you can't even remember the last time the teams played?

Don Cherry

7) The NBA has Charles Barkley. He's good. The NHL has Don Cherry. And he's great. Barkley might poke fun at someone. Occasionally, he'll mildly insult someone. But while Barkley is firing BBs, Cherry is whipping out a grenade launcher. The former coach whose commentary has made his national segment on Hockey Night in Canada must-see TV isn't always politically correct, but he's always entertaining. He once called Jaromir Jagr "Mario Lemieux's daughter." He once suggested someone should break the arm of Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk. And the good news is he will be on NBC's Stanley Cup final telecasts.

The trophy

8) Quick, name the trophy awarded the NBA champ. Okay, try this: sketch the NBA trophy on a piece of paper. Can't do it, can you? The Stanley Cup, however, is the best trophy in sports. And there's only one. You don't keep it forever. They don't make a replica for every champion. The Stanley Cup that will be lifted next month is the same one that Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe and, heck, the 1907 Montreal Wanderers lifted. Every player gets his name on the trophy. They kiss it. They get to take it home with them. They sleep with it. But then they have to give it back.

The passion

9) Throw a punch in the NBA playoffs and you'll likely be suspended for a few games. Throw one in an NHL playoff game and you might get a penalty. Sorry, but yes, we're saying it's okay to fight, claw, scratch and bleed when it comes to winning a professional championship. Come NHL playoff time, fighting isn't just for goons. Remember in 2004 when the two best players on the ice - the Lightning's Vinny Lecavalier and the Flames' Jarome Iginla - dropped their gloves and started whaling away? That moment proved NHL players aren't playing for shoe contracts and bonus money. They were fighting for pride.

The format

10) Unlike the NBA, the NHL reseeds the teams after each round. The purpose is to benefit teams that perform well in the regular season. But the after-effect is it sets up the best meetings in the conference finals. On the other hand, in this season's NBA playoffs, either Utah or Golden State is going to be in the conference finals and likely will get wiped out by the winner of San Antonio-Phoenix. The NHL's conference finals are earned. In the NBA, it's often the luck of the draw.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/09/Sports/At_playoff_time___NHL.shtml

[HarveyGlass]

Awesome article.  Thanks.

[Herman_Momart]

HAHAAHAHA, i almost pissed my pants after reading this crap.

Trip, i know you hate the nba and love the nhl but you are in the VAST minority.  

there is a reason sportscenter shows nba highlights at the beginning of the program, while they show hockey about 30 minutes into t he program.  

There is a reason the nba playoffs are on ABC, tnt and espn and the nhl playoffs are rarely on nbc and mostly on some other chanel (forgot the name or # of the station)

wanna know why???  because NO ONE CARES ABOUT HOCKEY.  

overtime:  i'll give you this one, hockey OT is better, but you cant tell who is going to win an nba game most of the time, thats a flat out dumb statement.

toughness : nba players dont WEAR PADS.  NBA players are the most athletically gifted athletes of ALL the sports.  So minor injuries and illnesses would show much more of an effect and result in the player losing a noticeable step.  dumb statement.

unpredictable:  talk about another idiot statement.  no #8 seed ever beat a #1 seed in a 7 games series in the NBA because up until about 2 years about the first round was a 5 game series, so i dont even know why the writer would even report that.  DUMB!  for your info.  the Nuggest #8 beat the Supersonics #1 about 10 years ago.  And the Knicks were an 8 seed and made it to the NBA championship game the year they lost to the spurs, about year 2001 or 02.  

Playing at home means nothing:  then why play hard in the regular season is home ice means nothing.  if you are a good team just play well enough to make the playoffs i guess, huh?

playoff beards:  ummmmmmm who cares??!?!!?

The schedule:  the schedule for the nba is the same as the nhl in the first rounds.  one game on , one game off.  the difference in the latter rounds, people actually watch and anticipate an nba game so they lengthen the series.  

Don Cherry :  WHO???????/  I know and i bet everyone else on this board knows Charles Barkely.  BTW is so popular he can run for governor of his home state, and probabaly win.  

Trophy:  that trophy sounds like a who*e.  they kiss it, sleep with it and give it back.  ill.  by the way who cares?

passion:  do you think it would be a good idea to have 6'9 220 lbs men fight eachother???  Maybe some little 5'7 180 lbs candiens can do it without getting seriously hurt, but in the nba people would kill eachother if they were allowed to fight.  thats a dumb statement.  

format:  i disagree with how the nba sets theirs up.  they are the only sports to do it this way, but david stern was asked about it and said they never had a problem.  i would much rather have the Suns playing Golden state over san antonio right now.  but how can the nba championship be luck of a draw when most eras there are about 3-4 teams that compete every year for the championships and thats it.  spurs, pistons, heat suns for about the last 4 years  .

herm - totally forgot the NHL wasnt on strike anymore.   ;D

[VeryBullish]

Yea, who in the hell is don cherry? Im originally from Detroit (hockeytown) and can say hockey takes a backseat to the nfl, nba, mlb, table tennis and darts.

The only good thing about hockey are the fights. Next to the spineless and nutless Bud Selig, Bettman is the worst commish in sports.

[Velcro]

I like hockey, but hockey is barely in the big 4 pro sports in this country... barely.

Actually, it probably isn't even in the top 4 anymore...

NFL

MLB

Nascar

NBA

Heck, more people watch Golf than Hockey.  A golf major probably gets more viewers than a hockey playoff game.

[HarveyGlass]

I didn't say I agreed with the article, I just thought it was good stuff.

One reason nobody cares about hockey is because nobody knows anything about hockey.  This article might educate the few people who don't get bent out of shape by it.

For the record, I've always liked basketball much more than hockey.  But *gasp* I enjoy both sports.

[Triple B]

HAHAAHAHA, i almost pissed my pants after reading this crap.

Trip, i know you hate the nba and love the nhl but you are in the VAST minority.  

there is a reason sportscenter shows nba highlights at the beginning of the program, while they show hockey about 30 minutes into t he program.  

There is a reason the nba playoffs are on ABC, tnt and espn and the nhl playoffs are rarely on nbc and mostly on some other chanel (forgot the name or # of the station)

wanna know why???  because NO ONE CARES ABOUT HOCKEY.

I'll admit that hockey plays to a smaller, more refined sports fan and due to that, it doesn't draw enough attention here to get ratings .... and the reason that espn shows what it does is based on what sports it carries.  Ever see much Arena ball highlights before it went on espn?

NASCAR draws more viewers than the NBA. Do ypu consider NASCAR better than the NBA?

overtime:  i'll give you this one, hockey OT is better, but you cant tell who is going to win an nba game most of the time, thats a flat out dumb statement.

I didn't understand that either but the hockey ot is tons better.

[highlight]toughness : nba players dont WEAR PADS.  NBA players are the most athletically gifted athletes of ALL the sports.  So minor injuries and illnesses would show much more of an effect and result in the player losing a noticeable step. [/highlight] dumb statement.

Dumb statement. Overall toughness is not even close. You ever see an NBA fight?? Looks like a couple of girls swing at each other.

unpredictable:  talk about another idiot statement.  no #8 seed ever beat a #1 seed in a 7 games series in the NBA because up until about 2 years about the first round was a 5 game series, so i dont even know why the writer would even report that.  DUMB!  for your info.  the Nuggest #8 beat the Supersonics #1 about 10 years ago.  And the Knicks were an 8 seed and made it to the NBA championship game the year they lost to the spurs, about year 2001 or 02.  

A push.

Playing at home means nothing:  then why play hard in the regular season is home ice means nothing.  if you are a good team just play well enough to make the playoffs i guess, huh?

Home ice is coveted for the 7th game...

playoff beards:  ummmmmmm who cares??!?!!?

Ambiance ... wouldn't expect you to get it.

The schedule:  [highlight]the schedule for the nba is the same as the nhl in the first rounds.  one game on , one game off. [/highlight] the difference in the latter rounds, people actually watch and anticipate an nba game so they lengthen the series

.  

Bull****, Herm...

Don Cherry :  WHO???????/  I know and i bet everyone else on this board knows Charles Barkely.  BTW is so popular he can run for governor of his home state, and probabaly win.

A push. Barkley is great but anyone who calls Jagr Lemeiux's daughter get's a push.

Trophy:  that trophy sounds like a who*e.  they kiss it, sleep with it and give it back.  ill.  by the way who cares?

Steeped in tradition ..... NBA players couldn't give a crap about their league history.

passion:  do you think it would be a good idea to have 6'9 220 lbs men fight eachother???  Maybe some little 5'7 180 lbs candiens can do it without getting seriously hurt, [highlight]but in the nba people would kill eachother if they were allowed to fight.[/highlight]  thats a dumb statement.

 

LOL .. Go to my response about toughness. NBA players don't fight, they ***** slap.

You were actually close on a few points...  

Trip, a promoter of REAL sports.   8-)

[Bull Dozer]

Ever hear of a thing called "The Punch"? Kermit Washington almost killed Rudy T in a fight with a single punch.  When has a hockey player almost killed someone by punching them?  Yes overall hockey players are tougher (ice is as hard as concrete and they can skate up to around 30 or so mph) but to act like all NBA players  are ******* is laughable.  Psychos like stephen jackson or ron artest could more than hold their own in a fight with a hockey player.  

[Velcro]

but they would probably look foolish on skates

(see Manute Bol)

even more insane.. manute bol as a jockey???

[Bull Dozer]

but they would probably look foolish on skates

(see Manute Bol)

Thought we were looking for who could fight better not who can skate the best?

Stupid arguement anyways if you want athletes that can fight MMA athletes would merc all comers.