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Is the NBA Finals the least fabled of Championships?

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Apps, Feb 24, 2012.

  1. Apps

    Apps Member

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    I'm talking about the Big Four here, Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey.

    Obviously there's the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, and... the NBA Finals.

    Those first three have very storied histories and are fabled parts of sports that are much older than basketball, but it seems like basketball generally falls short of epic-ness when it comes to the Larry O'Brien trophy.

    Is it because the event just doesn't have a fancy/catchy name? What is it about the NBA Finals that seems to carry less weight than the other sports' championships? Maybe you disagree altogether. If so, what about the Finals do you think makes it so great in comparison to the other sports?
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. Pieman2005

    Pieman2005 Member

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    I never hear anyone talking about the Stanley Cup.. The World Series are dead and striving for ratings lately. Super bowl is pretty much Americas prime event. NBA finals and NBA in general is a big topic of conversation where I seem to be around.

    As for the glory.. Maybe it's less exciting because in NBA the same teams have won most? (Lakers and Celtics have half.. then Spurs and Bulls.. Detroit.. A few teams with two..)
     
  3. TdashDUB

    TdashDUB Contributing Member

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    Which may also be why the Dallas/Miami was the highest watched finals (..it was, wasn't it? I'm not checking any 'facts' here)

    You had the drama of Lebron, of course, and the first-time champs in the Mavs


    The history and prestige may not have as much depth as the others, but it's 2nd to the superbowl as of now in attention
     
  4. houseofglass21

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    The Superbowl is more about the stupid commercials and half-time show spectacle. I don't feel that the NFL playoffs are accurate with only one game played against the opposing team.

    Baseball is boring as hell.

    Hockey...who cares this isn't Canada.

    The NBA finals is by far the best championship series to watch.
     
  5. Aleron

    Aleron Contributing Member

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    The world series last year averaged more people than the nba finals (which were the highest nba finals ever)

    18.9m vs 17.3m

    The superbowl is off in a world of its own pulling well over 100m, and the stanley cup never gets close (averages down around 6m or so)
     
  6. kingjosh

    kingjosh Member

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    17.3 x 6 games = 100+viewers ;)

    That and the advantage of world audience/market makes the nba look quite good dosen't it?
     
  7. Aleron

    Aleron Contributing Member

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    Basketball tends to have better international appeal, as the sport is more global, but what i've heard is that their pricing has pushed them out of a few international markets (ergo tv stations just don't think it's worth what Stern seems to think it is)
     
  8. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    In the States... I think Superbowl has the edge. I don't watch baseball (save for that one year we made the WS) so I don't know if it's as big as the NBA Championship.

    Internationally (off topic), the Champions League has the biggest finals IMO.
     
  9. pmac

    pmac Contributing Member

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    In all honesty, people don't like the NBA Finals and the NBA Playoffs because it is predictable, for the most part. In a 7 game series the best team will almost always win. People prefer the Super Bowl and second would probably be March Madness/Final Four and other college championships. People just want to see the underdogs winning. That doesn't happen in the NBA enough.

    Personally, I prefer to see the better guys win, I don't care much for flukes.
     
  10. VanityHalfBlack

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    In order of importance to me goes like this...
    1. World Cup
    2. NBA Finals
    3. Super Bowl
    4. World Series
    5. ????
     
  11. VanityHalfBlack

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    Pacquiao vs Mayweather could be #5...
     
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  12. da_juice

    da_juice Member

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    Stern is a moron, he'd probably make more money by spreading the product, even if it meant less tv revenue. Besides, he'd be getting more than what he has now. 50% of what you want is better than none.
     
  13. Ricksmith

    Ricksmith Contributing Member

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    The World Series ****s all over the NBA Finals. I like basketball more than baseball, but the numbers don't lie. Our personal opinion may be the Finals are better than the World Series, but the rest of the nation disagrees.
     
  14. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    You, being a basketball fan, probably don't associate as much with hockey fans. They tend to be regionally / demographically different audiences.

    I'm gonna lay a smack down on anybody who disses Lord Stanley in here. The reverence the players and hardcore fans have for that trophy is rivaled only by the superbowl and world series, as the OP points out. This isn't necessarily about TV ratings, it's about the honor and awe of winning it, if I understand the OP correctly.
     
  15. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    For the record, the Super Bowl is not older than the NBA Finals. :p
     
  16. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    Wow. Easily dismissing the Stanley Cup, The World Series, AND the Superbowl. Do you just have no interest in sports tradition?

    I'm going to be following my Phoenix Coyotes to the bitter end of the playoff chase in the NHL, just like every year. It's a heck of a competition. But basketball fans who have never given the sport a fair shake will continue to hate.

    I don't even like baseball as a sport, but I respect the world series and its huge history.

    The past 10 years of NBA finals just don't compare to those three. They just don't evoke the same nostalgia in me. I'm merely tossing in my two cents here. I'm going to sign out of this thread because defending other sports against a basketball message board will be like beating my head against a wall.
     
  17. CCorn

    CCorn Member

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    Uh... Wimbledon > NBA Finals ;)

    Oh and that Supergame thing.
     
  18. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    Here's a poll to put things in perspective per poster (with appropriate timing): if you had to choose one of two things to watch what would it be (for each match-up):

    7th game of MLB vs the Oscars
    7th game of Stanley Cup vs the Oscars
    Super Bowl vs the Oscars very close (Oscar parties wins though, if my gf says so. They are indeed both fun.)
    7th game of NBA Finals vs the Oscars (but NBA Finals if I didn't have an Oscar party to go to)

    Assume your favorite team is not playing. And as an added question: What if your S.O. wanted to watch the Oscars, but said it would be "OK if you don't go to the Oscar party with me." (yeah, right).
     
    #18 heypartner, Feb 24, 2012
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2012
  19. da_juice

    da_juice Member

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    Where's the love for the Grey Cup?
     
  20. Rox11

    Rox11 Member

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    All those come in to factor but it really comes down to the fans and what they like to see.
    Now according to Chicago, everyone's a Blackhawks fan for obvious reasons. Same issue before Rose came. Dang bandwagons.
     

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