Shanoff's Wake-Up Call: Where 1987 Happens

Today's Calls: NBA 2008 vs. NBA 1987, Manny Ramirez vs. Ken Griffey, Jay Bruce vs. History, Brandon Webb vs. Scott Kazmir, Usain Bolt vs. 9.72, Jason Taylor vs. Bill Parcells, Notre Dame vs. Duke and More!

The Opening Pitch: Is a Lakers-Celtics Finals really the best-case scenario for the NBA?

On its face: Yes. The two most storied franchises. The MVP vs. The Big Three. Huge media markets. The Rivalry. But there are risks.

Risk No. 1: The series fundamentally relies on nostalgia for a rivalry that ended 20 years ago. No fan under 30 has any deep memory of it. And what does it say about your product in 2008 that you need to reach back to 1987 to get people excited? I'm not saying I don't appreciate the throwback story line; then again, I'm old.

Risk No. 2: What if the series isn't competitive? Sure, a seven-gamer would be classic. But a Lakers win in Boston in either Game 1 or 2 -- entirely possible, despite the Celtics' sweep of the Lakers in the regular season -- could quickly turn off the casual viewer. (And with the Finals' unique 2-3-2 format, a Lakers win in Boston early could yield a five-game series win.)

Risk No. 3: What if The Finals' audience don't improve that much? Consider last year's Finals matched up the NBA's most marketable personality versus its epitome of "purist" basketball success? The result: No one watched.

What will it say about the fate of the NBA -- even in this so-called "renaissance" season -- if its dream Finals can't deliver?

Meanwhile, I don't want to let the weekend obscure something: What an impressive closeout win in the East finals by the Celtics. Regular readers know that I have been hard on them throughout the playoffs, but to beat the Pistons in Detroit in a win-or-stay-home game for the former champs? Awesome.

(Now, that doesn't diminish a reality that has been in place since the Big Three were brought together: The goal NEVER has been merely to "win the East;" it is to win the NBA title, period. Anything less than that still represents a failed season for this team. I think no less a Celtics authority than Kevin Garnett would agree with me.)

MLB Instant History: Manny Ramirez is arguably the best hitter of this generation, and now he has 500 HR -- whoops: 501 -- to back it up. ... Meanwhile, Ken Griffey is stuck at 599 (if 599 can be considered "stuck"). ... Another Milestone: Johan Santana picks up his 100th career win. ...

Jay Bruce Gets His Own Entry (Again): 2 HR over the weekend, and it is hard to name a player who has had a better first week of his MLB career. Bruce isn't just living up to the hype; he is quickly asserting himself as the most must-see player in baseball. ...

Star Watch: Brandon Webb got off the schneid in a big way Saturday with that shutout, then Dan Haren kept the Nats' scorelessness going Sunday. ... Wow, league HR leaders Josh Hamilton and Chase Utley both just keep going and going and going. ...

Weekend's Biggest Series: In a battle of AL leaders, the Rays take three of four from the White Sox -- including that walkoff win Sunday with yet another new hero, Gabe Gross. ... (More Rays: Five straight Ws later, Scott Kazmir is pitching better than anyone in the AL right now). ... While the White Sox were being shut down, the Cubs won their 7th straight. ...

MLB Awards, Two Months Into the Season (a.k.a. If the Season Ended June 1): Josh Hamilton (AL MVP); Scott Kazmir (AL Cy); Evan Longoria (AL Rookie); Joe Maddon (AL Manager); Chase Utley (NL MVP); Brandon Webb (NL Cy); Jay Bruce (NL Rookie); Lou Piniella (NL Manager).

One Thing to Know about the Stanley Cup Finals: The Penguins are in trouble after losing serve at home to fall behind 3-1. It is going to be brutal to rally from that.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch is unstoppable, after notching his fourth win of the season. It is amazing for the sport that it's biggest "villain" continues to rack up the victories.

NFL: OK, Jason Taylor is SO gone from the Dolphins. "I would love to be a Dolphin and win games and have it work out for everybody. But that may not be the case."

College Sports: Notre Dame AD Kevin White leaving for Duke. Hmm: Did White see another sorry season coming for Charlie Weis and wanted to get out while he could? It stands to reason that White wouldn't leave if he thought Weis had the program headed for BCS glory.

Say this for the Duke AD job: You have no expectations or pressures about the football team -- bowl-eligibility would be a miracle result -- and the basketball program is self-sustaining.

Usain Bolt has the best name in sports, and now he has the best title in sports to go along with it: "World's Fastest Man." (9.72? Wow: Bring on Beijing.)

Spelling Bee Postscript: Sameer Mishra became one of the most endearing contestants -- and eventual champs -- of all time when he was given a word that sounded to everyone like "numbnut." It turned out to be "numnah," Mishra nailed it, and went on to win the whole thing.

The Last Word: Saturday night was no breakthrough for MMA. The event was mostly listless -- quick KOs and a "main event" that saw the sport's poster guy, Kimbo Slice, taken nearly the distance by an unknown.

I'm guessing most new fans who tuned in walked away anywhere from minimally impressed to unimpressed. You might as well run MMA fights during commercial breaks, not intermittently between them. Saturday's show creates an opportunity for the other leagues to continue to separate themselves from Elite XC as the better experience in the sport, but it just as likely set the effort back.

Dan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.

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