Professional sports have always provided the sports community with something to watch during the stretch of the calendar year. January through February, the NFL broadcast their post-season match-ups. The Super Bowl acts a the punctuation mark to the long NFL season. After the Super Bowl, the sports world is entertained by the NBA All-Star weekend. The hype continues to be matched with NBA playoff basketball as fans are blessed with the opportunity to watch their favorite players battle in heated series from March until June. After the NBA finals end in June, baseball then swoops sports lovers attention during the summer as the season of sports continues.
Most fans can agree that both the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals have not been what fans are used to seeing. While baseball is still able to produce competitive championships, what has happened to our first semester sports?
Super bowl upsets back to back
Since January 15th, 1967 the National Football League has given sports fans the opportunity to watch the NFC conference take on the AFC conference. Dubbed the "Super Bowl," it is now one of the most watched Sporting Events in America. The Super Bowl has been the stage for many NFL greats and has helped NFL players improve their legacy in the sport they have made their craft. Hall of Fame players such as Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Terry Bradshaw and others have all competed on footballs' greatest show.
With legends having a part of the games' richest history, it is no surprise that the Super Bowls that have been broadcast in the last 4 years have all sold short of the games' expectation. In 2014 the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks met in Super bowl XLVIII. The game experienced a power outage, and the Broncos were left in the dark.
The Seahawks easily grabbed the victory, winning 43-8. In the following year the New England Patriots were able to snatch Super Bowl XLIX from Seattle on an interception that would have never occurred if the Seahawks would have run the ball with their "beast mode" running back Marshawn Lynch on the goal line. Although these are examples that can be countered with argumentative opinions, the most recent super bowl has left most fans in disbelief.
In Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots were able to come back from a 28-9 Atlanta Falcon lead in order to capture the Vince Lombardi trophy. There has, however, been a trend of poor super bowl performances, and fans are starting to question the importance of watching.
NBA becoming predictable
The NBA finals have been a piece of work as well. Since 2012, there have only been 5 teams that have competed for an NBA championship. The Cleveland Cavaliers , Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors , San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been the only teams to compete in the NBA Finals. The last two NBA finals matchups have only consisted of the Cavaliers and the Warriors, and it is likely that NBA fans will see another repeat in 2017.
At least the NBA provides their teams with a seven game series which provides more excitement than a one game match-up. Regardless, when analysts and commentators can predict the NBA finals at the beginning of the season, the sport of basketball is in trouble. Some will blame the decrease in appeal on the talent-stuffed roster some teams are fortunate to have. When you are able to put all of the leagues best talent on one team they will continue to have success. One thing is for sure, the super bowl and the finals are starting to become less entertaining and fans will continue to be unhappy until a change is made.
