One of my pet peeves I have in is when people discuss how a team that wins a championship the previous season heading into next season are defending champions. How is that? I have never seen any team from the four major sports win a championship then defend it the next year. Can they repeat as champions? Yes. Defend? No.
Take for example the 2008 NFL season. Media and fans discussed how the New York "Football" Giants were the team to beat heading into the season because they won Super Bowl XLII. ESPN analyst, Tom Jackson said whoever won Super Bowl 43 had to beat the Giants to get there. Well Philly defeated the G-men but they weren’t playing in Tampa for the Lombardi trophy.
My point is winning an NBA Finals is not like winning a boxing or wrestling championship. In boxing or wrestling if you defend your title and lose, you are now the former champ. Not the case in football or any other major sport that have yearly champions. Because look at the Super Bowl XLIII champions Pittsburgh Steelers, if they go 0-16 and do not reach the playoffs or lose in the conference finals they will still be Super Bowl 43 Champions and no one can take that away from them. If they win Super Bowl 44 they will still be Super Bowl 43 champions.
In conclusion, it’s a nice topic for debate at a bar or for sports talk radio. But there is no such thing as “defending” champions in at least the four major sports.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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