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Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
Game Two: Living by the Three
Proving that the third time really is the charm, the Phoenix Suns entered Game Two of the NBA Finals with a 1-0 lead in the championship series for the first time in franchise history. The Suns were looking to double their lead in Milwaukee, but much like Game One, the first quarter saw a slow start for from Phoenix. After 12 minutes, the Milwaukee Bucks led 29-26, but also like Game One, the Suns had a strong 2nd quarter--outscoring the Bucks 30-16. The Suns never looked back afterwards, and once the dust was settled, they emerged victorious--winning 118-108.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Five: Lightning Strikes in the Same Place Twice
Those who say lightning never strikes in the same place twice...they haven't watched the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning only needed Ross Colton's 2nd period goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy being a brick wall yet again to capture their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, and their second straight. Vasilevskiy captured the Conn Smythe Trophy, and it was definitely earned. His numbers in this year's playoffs: 16-7, five shutouts (three of them in the Stanley Cup Semifinals and Final), a .930 save percentage, and a GAA of 1.90. WOW! That's supernatural goaltending!
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game One: Chris Paul, Welcome to the Finals
This year's NBA Finals had to be, without question, the most anticipated in a long time. The reason: it's a completely different Finals this year. For a decade, NBA fans were accustomed to seeing LeBron James and/or Stephen Curry in the Finals. The two megastars actually faced each other four straight times between 2015 and 2018, leaving many NBA fans (myself included) immensely jaded. The NBA's lack of parity even led some fans to believe that the Finals was predetermined, but this year, it's totally different.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Four: Brooms Broken
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered this game knowing that a win would give them their second straight Stanley Cup. Their game plan was to dominate and take this game so they can hoist the Cup once again. While the Stanley Cup was at the Bell Center, however, the hometown Montréal Canadiens had other plans. The game did not start well for the Habs, as it was all Lightning when it came to shots on goal. Despite this, it remained scoreless until Josh Anderson's wrister beat Andrei Vasilevskiy 15:39 into the first period, and for the first time in the entire series, the Canadiens had the lead.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Three: One Win Away
June 9, 1993. The Montréal Canadiens defeat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1 in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final, earning them their NHL-record 24th Stanley Cup. Not only did that day mark the last time a Canadian franchise won the Stanley Cup, but it was also the last time a Stanley Cup Final game was played in Montréal, until Game Three of this year's affair. For the first time in this year's playoffs, the Canadiens' backs were up against the wall. With no answer for Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Canadiens find themselves in a 2-0 hole for the first time in this year's playoffs, and they were looking to bounce back in front of their home crowd.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Two: Vasilevskiy Takes Over
Game Two of this year's Stanley Cup Final was a milestone: it was the final NHL game for the NBC Sports Network, known to us puckheads as NBCSN. This year's Stanley Cup Final will mark the end of NBC's relationship with the NHL, which began in the 2005-06 season--the first season back from a season crippling lockout. The coverage included games on what was then known as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which later changed its name to Versus until converting to the NBC Sports Network on January 2, 2012. The cable channel aired games on Mondays and Tuesdays, and later added Wednesdays and Sundays as part of their schedule beginning in 2012. NBCSN also aired Stanley Cup Playoff games along with NBC's other networks, and always shared coverage of the Stanley Cup Final with NBC, who will air the rest of the Final from this point on.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Melina's Recent Heel Turn in NWA
I've been watching NWA Powerrr, the National Wrestling Alliance's regular series, since its debut, and the main reason, of course, is Melina. Best known for her six years in WWE, Melina debuted as a villainess on a November 2019 episode of NWA Powerrr, emerging as the heel manager for Thunder Rosa and Marti Belle, with the former going on to capture the NWA Women's World Championship in January 2020. Tensions began to be teased between Melina and Rosa due to the latter's budding face turn, but we wouldn't see any developments due to the incoming and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting NWA (among many other wrestling promotions).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game One: Defending Champs Win Big
I absolutely love the Stanley Cup Final, no matter who is in it. My reasons are many, but among them is the prestige of the event. While I always know that the Stanley Cup Final means the end of another hockey season, it is a spectacular end. It is the end result of a long and grueling season played out by 31 teams (32 starting next season), with only two left standing facing each other in a best-of-seven series to determine who will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. After all was said and done, the two teams left standing were the Tampa Bay Lightning (the defending Stanley Cup Champions) and the Montréal Canadiens, who are actually in the same division.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: One Game
The Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders played a very thrilling and very captivating seven game Stanley Cup Semifinal series. It was close, nail-biting, and productive in many, many ways, but when the dust finally settled, it was the Lightning who emerged victorious. For the Islanders, this marked the second straight year that they were ousted by the Lightning in Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it took everything the Bolts had to defeat the Islanders.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Two Perspectives of What Went Wrong: What Golden Knights Fans Will Say vs The Truth
The Vegas Golden Knights, for the second straight year, were eliminated in the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This time, it was the Montréal Canadiens who ousted them, a six game elimination that was sealed with a 3-2 overtime loss. This also marks the third straight season where the Golden Knights were eliminated in an overtime game, and the second straight year that they were ousted by a team with Corey Perry on it (Perry was with the Dallas Stars last season).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Why I Absolutely Enjoy the Canadian Football League. Top Story - June 2021.
I had known about the Canadian Football League for about 10-15 years at least; the first time I learned about that particular league was during Doug Flutie's time with the Buffalo Bills, as his past with the CFL had been told many times. I remember peeping in at a CFL game back in 2012, and afterwards, I promised myself that beginning with the following year, I would start watching those games, because the way Canada plays football is just amazing.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing Eva Marie's Return and Piper Niven's Raw Debut
It was on May 3, 2021 that a vignette aired on that night's Raw promoting Eva Marie's return to WWE, with the claim that she was starting an #EvaLution. In the weeks that followed since, more and more segments were featured, and the rumored plans for Eva Marie would see her as a manager, and also as a babyface. Recently, it was also rumored that Eva Marie would have a "bodyguard" of sorts in the form of either Mercedes Martinez (who has been in NXT for the last several months) or Piper Niven of NXT UK fame. Sure enough, all of our questions were answered.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
