Fandom*

I have discovered that there is more going on in sports than ever before or even could have dreamed of. I don’t know if that excites me.

Take the NBA Finals. The Warriors were a depleted bunch, having lost Klay Thompson to a hamstring strain in Game 2. As much as Steph Curry tried to will his team to victory with his 47 points, his splendiferous play couldn’t overcome the ineffectiveness of his teammates in this pressurized situation, nor could they override the superior offensive and defensive efforts of the well-coached Toronto Raptors.

What took place during the game created controversy and detracted from the play and the players. It involved a seemingly incident where Toronto guard Kyle Lowery launched himself into the crowd in a lost attempt to save the ball from going out of bounds. Lowery tumbled over the high-priced seats and their patrons. Yet it was s person who was a couple of seats away from the activity who pushed Lowery and spoke some indicative words to him. This incensed Lowery on the court and resulted in the fan being removed from the arena.

This uncouth fan happened to be an investor for the Warriors. He lost control of his emotions and became engaged with the player in a manner which was totally unacceptable. Despite the apologies of the Warriors’ organization and this individual, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was left with no alternative but to fine the person $500,000 and bar him form any games for a year.

In my mind, the punishment was moderate. The guilty party needed to be banned form the NBA permanently. I remarked about Drake’s impact in the NBA playoffs thus far. Evidently the only person who could change Drake’s antics—at least for one game—was Barack Obama, who spoke to the entertainer en route to his seat in Scotiabank Arena for Game 2. Obama’s message was simple—behave. 

Fans, or at least those tied to an organization like the investor or Drake, need to be above this kind of behavior. The fact that they need to be admonished after the fact, whether by the Commissioner or the former President of the United States, signals the bigger problem. Those with money and power believe that they aren’t subject to the rules of behavior that we should expect from patrons. 

Cheer all you want, but be respectful. Most times the players ignore the taunting anyway. When it goes beyond being good-natured, the line of decency and respect has been blurred if not overrun. 

There was a woman sitting in the second row at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night who caught my eye. Dressed in what appeared to be a fancy yellow tweed suit, she looked elegant and wealthy (to afford those seats, one would assume such anyway). What was she doing? Spewing her un-lady like sentiments towards the Raptors while snapping away on her cell phone pictures of her victims. The contortions of the woman’s face radiated joy and viciousness as one combined emotion. She apparently toed the line, but barely. At least she didn’t interfere with the game, although from what I saw, she sure would have welcomed a response.

I have sat in the upper decks of stadiums, in club areas, end arena and in the first couple of rows of arenas. I have been to post-season baseball, football and hockey. The fervor of the crowd is always enhanced at these events. In baseball and and football there is a certain amount of vitriol. In hockey, the raging fans bang on the protective glass, yell obscenities and, like in Thursday night’s Stanley Cup Finals game, the Boston fans showered the ice with debris on a clearly blown call which allows St. Louis to score a goal.

Apparently, it is no different in basketball. The woman in the second row and the investor epitomize the worst of fandom. I find the Toronto season ticket holder wearing the turban, who mocks the free throw shooters of the Warriors, to be more appropriate, as he never enters the fray despite his front row location. 

With Wednesday night’s antics combined with Drake’s histrionics, we have reached a new low. This is why Adam Silver’s penalty missed the mark, and why the league’s discussions with Drake failed miserably. To quell this rising banality and impropriety, make the punishment severe. Send a message to those sitting close to the floor that their actions are being monitored and that misbehavior will be dealt with swiftly and firmly. Only then can the game be played without disruption and sideshows. Like it should be.

There are a bevy of sporting events to watch. The NCAA Division I Baseball Championships are in the Super Regionals (catchy name for the phase). The NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships are being held in Austin, Texas. Earlier in the week, UCLA won the Division I Softball title. Chapman College downed Birmingham-Southern to win the Division III Baseball crown. 

The French Open is winding down, inching towards a conclusion as rain has plagued the second week of action. In the Men’s semi-finals, Rafael Nadal went to 6-0 at Roland Garros against Roger Federer. Nadal believes Federer is the greatest men’s tennis player of all-time. However, Nadal only trails Federer in major wins, 20-17. Nadal has won 11 French Open titles and this would be his 12th, most of any male player at one venue. Federer did win one French Open title, while Nadal has two Wimbledon crowns. Novak Djokovic is hanging close, with 15 Grand Slam titles and he is the top ranked player in the world. However, Djokovic cannot add to his Grand Slam titles this spring, as he lost in the semi-finals to Dominic Thiem.

While the debate is an open subject as to who is the greatest male tennis player, the fact is that there are three players who have garnered 15 to 20 titles. That is breathtaking to know that we are perhaps in the greatest era of tennis.

On the women’s side, it is a battle of two relatively unknowns facing off in the championship. Unseeded Marketa Vondrousova meets #8 seed Ashleigh Barty. Barty defeated Freehold-born Amanda Anisimova, the 17 year old phenom who is the first player born in the 2000’s to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. The 23 year old Australian woman actually took time off when she was burnt out to play cricket before returning to the courts full time. That alone makes Barty quite an interesting story—I wonder how tennis writer extraordinaire Bud Collins would have described her?

The Yankees have arrived in Cleveland, facing the AL Central’s second place team, as the Indians are distantly trailing the Minnesota Twins. Joining New York is shortstop Didi Gregorius, a team leader and a potent bat in the Yankees lineup. Also of interest is the final game that C.C. Sabathia will pitch in Cleveland, where he began his storied career. That contest is set for Saturday. And after they conclude the Cleveland trip, the Yankees are home for two games against the Mets in the first installment of the Subway Series. Stanton, Severino, Betances and, gasp, Aaron Judge, are involved in on the field activity as they rehab from their injuries. Could we be expecting a full squad sometime sooner than later?

I was watching the Friday night game and the thought struck me—shouldn’t Cleveland be agog over another appearance by LeBron James and the Cavaliers against the Warriors in the NBA Finals? As Game 4 loomed, I knew the stark, cold reality that the Warriors were not facing the Cavs. Instead, LeBron is mired in Los Angeles by choice, part of a Lakers franchise which is in utter chaos. While Kawhi Leonard is a forceful and skilled player who just may lead his Toronto Raptors team to the title, I would have like to have seen one more try by the Cavs to unseat Golden State. I can’t believe that I am nostalgic over the Cleveland Cavaliers of yore. Plus it would have been fitting to reward Cavs owner Dan Gilbert with one more Finals appearance, as he recently suffered a stroke.

A second nostalgia wave followed while watching the Indians and Yankees. The Chief Wahoo logo on the Tribe’s caps is no more, replaced by a large red C. It is certainly appropriate and looks fine. I am sure that I will get used to the politically correct cap. I miss the Chief. He epitomized Cleveland baseball for me.

Free agents Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are no longer unemployed. With no draft choices or remuneration required for their signings, the Braves and Cubs bolstered themselves with the respective pickups. Within a few weeks they will be pitching and be fresh for the remainder of the season.

This weekend is the conclusion of the Triple Crown with the Belmont Stakes. While the professional bettor and the partying hordes will frequent the Long Island track, my greater interest at the track would have been to see how the new home of the New York Islanders is progressing.

Sunday night is Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Finals. The trophy will be present in St. Louis, ready for some heavy lifting and celebration if the Blues win their first ever Stanley Cup. In Game 4, huge Bruins captain and stellar defenseman Zedeno Chara suffered a gruesome injury when unintentionally struck in his face by a puck, breaking his jaw. Chara played in Game 5, but he wasn’t himself and the Bruins suffered greatly. 

The Blues have played this series like a microcosm of their season—first half playing like chumps with no business being on the ice and then the second half being virtually unbeatable. Coach Craig Berube has pushed the right buttons and motivated his players. His goalie, Jordan Binnington, a career minor leaguer, came to the team in December and that coincided with the Blues rise in the standings. 

St. Louis has played like a team of destiny. They continually weather the onslaught from Boston and somehow manage to win. I am glad for them—after all, they are raising Barclay, a golden lab, as a service dog and the team loves him. How can you not root for a team who has a puppy with a purpose as a mascot?

It was almost comical to watch the reactions of Boson top executive Cam Neely, a Hockey Hall of Fame member, as he was perched high above the rink in Game 5. When the Bruins surrendered a goal, Neely forcefully threw a water bottle with his left hand. Of course, he was all cheers and high fives after Boston scored. I think he would have been happier being on the ice and delivering ferocious checks than being sequestered.

The Jets have wrested Joe Douglas from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was the Director of Player Personnel. Douglas, a friend of Head Coach Adam Gase from one year together in Chicago, succumbed to a six year deal to be the Jets GM. The cupboard isn’t exactly bare; nonetheless, Douglas will find himself immediately on the hot seat to supply talented players to Gase who won’t strain the budge or face scrutiny—like Le ’Veon Bell, the defining free agent signee of the Maccagnan era. Jets faithful are not a genteel, patient bunch, and the New York media is no better. Expect a short leash with a lot of attention directed towards both Gase and Douglas. 

I have left the NBA Finals for last. What has happened is this—an upstart team, built for success, has destroyed he defending champions in every aspect. Offense. Defense. Passing. Hustle. The Toronto Raptors have played like champions, ready to dethrone the Warriors on Monday night.

When Klay Thompson tweaked his hamstring and had to sit out Game 3 in Oakland, along with Kevon Looney, who had a non-displaced rib injury, the odds of Golden State winning the game and getting back in the series was daunting. Despite a heroic effort from Steph Curry with 47 points, Golden State had no answer for the relentlessness of the Raptors.

With Thompson back in the lineup and Looney making a surprise return after getting second and third opinions about his injury, the Warriors faithful expected that the team would respond and even the series heading back to Toronto for Game 5. Except that this Raptors team was resilient and determined.

Toronto came out cold to begin the game and Thompson and company took sizable leads. Not surprisingly, Toronto started to find their shots and whittled down the Warriors lead to a mere four points at the half. 

To start the the third quarter, the Raptors came out blazing. Blitzing the Warriors, Toronto hit its shots, played superb and fierce defense and dominated Golden State in almost every aspect. Behind Kawhi Leonard, who undoubtedly will be named M.V.P., there was little Golden State could do to stop the Raptors. Every mini-run by Golden State was more than answered by Toronto. 

Curry, who scored 27 points, did not look good, missing shots and making uncharacteristic defensive errors. He looked tired and drained, with no answer for the Raptors defense. Symbolically of how bad he played, the dazed look he displayed and the constant head shaking were the result of Toronto’s fierce play. 

There is no doubt that the Warriors miss Kevin Durant. He was always there to fuel a spurt in the third or fourth quarter as well as offer defensive help. His absence has loomed large in this series, which places the Warriors survival chances in the critical range. 

It has been nearly 6 weeks since Durant went down with his calf injury. He has yet to be cleared to scrimmage, which makes the likelihood of his return improbable and best and even if he does somehow play on Monday night, he will be rusty and not likely have enough to save the Warriors. It won’t be like a very hobbled Willis Reed coming out to the Madison Square Garden hardwood, hitting his first two shots in the 1970 NBA Finals and leaving Walt Frazier and his teammates to overwhelm the Lakers. 

This has clearly been a great run by the Warriors, playing in five consecutive Finals. Golden State has been the team of the 2000’s, as enjoyable a team to watch as there has been in a long time. Injuries and the toll that the extra playoff games have taken is apparent. They are meeting a well-coached, highly-motivated team which has more than enough fire power to dethrone the Warriors, led by a superstar whose future after this series is a big unknown.

I have been thinking all along that this is the last run for this group. Shawn Livingston and Andre Iguodala are getting older. De Marcus Cousins does not look good, coming back too soon from his quad injury. As talented as he is, Draymond Green is part pariah, part enigma and his life span with the team is uncertain. Klay Thompson would like to stay in the Bay Area, but even that is up in the air. Curry has been defended like he has never been before—the box and one defense Toronto Coach Nick Nurse has employed with Nick Van Vleet has been incredibly effective and has tired Curry, altering his rhythm and upsetting his defense. 

And Durant is probably gone when free agency begins, leaving Golden State for richer pastures. The Warriors will vacate Oracle Arena, the oldest building in the NBA, for a palatial new site across the bay in San Francisco. With the move the magic will be gone—a memory left in the East Bay forever.

I will be back in my den chair on Monday evening, clad in my weathered, stained Golden State t shirt, hoping for the unthinkable, while watching a frenzied Toronto crowd anticipate the first NBA crown for the franchise. I pray the Toronto fans can act civil in their enthusiasm. Given the way things have happened, who knows?

From the seats in Scotiabank Arena and Oracle, to TD Bank Garden and the Enterprise Center, from Yankee Stadium to Roland Garros and the infield and stands of Belmont Park, the actions of the patrons is what I call Fandom—this year, albeit with an asterisk.