Excellence or Parity?

With the NBA Finals coming to a close, I was going to write either a Heat-bashing post or one on how ridiculous the comparison of Lebron James to Michael Jordan is.  But instead I was reading a 5 on 5 round table article on the Finals where Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com writes, "Excellence, not parity, should be the goal of any sports league."  I think this is an interesting point to make.  But shouldn't parity be a goal of any sports league as well?

This is not to say that you do not want to put on the best brand of sport that you can in your league.  Of course that is the goal of every sports league.  But his quote seemed to imply that it is good to have the superstar teams at the top, and everyone else struggling to keep up.  He goes on to say that the NBA is heading in that direction.  Every league will always have the bottom feeders or monumental upsets, but I think it's good when the feeders are low and the upsets are high.  This post will analyze excellence and parity for each league (Big 4 sports:  NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) this past or current season, and moving forward.

NBA
I would agree with Arnovitz's assessment that the NBA is moving away from parity and towards a top heavy league.  There was one instance, however, that made it seem like the NBA, particularly commissioner David Stern, wanted more parity.  Earlier in the season the Hornets had a deal in place to trade Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.  While it would have meant getting rid of Pau Gasol, it would have established a Lakers' own "big three" with Paul, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.  Say what you will about Bynum, (inconsistent, injuries) but he is a presence and would improve with Paul on the team.  The Lakers would have had a top five point guard (Paul), a top ten overall player and superstar (Bryant), and a top three center (Bynum) when he plays up to his potential.  While there are no guarantees that this combination would have worked, it would have made a heck of a squad.  Instead, Stern blocked the trade which still landed Paul in LA...with the Clippers.  This wound up creating more parity as the Clippers became Lob City and advanced to the conference semifinals where they were swept by the Spurs.  That scenario aside, the NBA is still moving towards a top heavy league.

Ask yourself honestly if you had anyone besides the top two teams in each conference winning the NBA title or even getting to the championship series.  If you did, then you either do not know anything about basketball or are a die hard fan of one of the other teams in the playoffs.  Boston fans will probably be livid and make the argument that they got to the conference finals and forced the Heat to seven games.  True.  But let me also remind those people that they were one Derrick Rose injury away from possibly not getting that far.  Lakers fans will probably also be hot, but when they struggle to beat the Nuggets in seven and get pounded by the Thunder, no matter how talented they are, then your team does not deserve consideration.  When the playoff bracket was finalized it was the Heat, Bulls, Thunder, or Spurs that were going to take it all.  Every other team could have come up with scenarios where their team wins.  But those would be far fetched fantasies (try saying that five times fast) and need an injury or miracle to happen.

Because the Big Three just won in Miami, I look for more superstars to create super teams.  The Heat have proved that the assembling of superstars on one team formula works, and we are starting to see that develop.  The Heat and Thunder are set in that regard.  The Bulls have Rose and the pieces to trade for big names or develop the likes of Luol Deng and Joakim Noah.   The Clippers have Paul and Blake Griffin.  The Knicks have Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and I suppose you could throw Jeremy Lin in there as well.  The Memphis Grizzlies have OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay.  Boston could still be a threat with Rajon Rondo depending on what their big three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce do.  The Nets have Deron Williams, a new stadium, and a boatload of cash.  And Dwight Howard still has to decide where he wants to be which will attract superstar attention.  Whew.  That seems like a lot, but it's only eight teams plus Dwight Howard who will probably wind up on one of these teams.  You could toss in a team like the Sixers or Pacers, but I still think they are building.  Give them a couple more years.  But eight out of 30!  Also, the teams that are not listed here would not just be a middle of the road team.  They would be awful.  All it takes is one good draft or free agent, but the NBA is rapidly moving away from parity and to a more predictable proletariat and bourgeoisie like make up.

MLB
In theory, baseball should have the least amount of parity simply because there is no salary cap.  This means that if you have the money, you can get the player.  This is the formula the Yankees have used for years.  Get the best players and win World Series titles.  The problem for the Yankees is that other teams have now caught up.  They are not even the best team in baseball record wise, or skill wise in my opinion.  I think that this year so far has shown how much parity there is in baseball.  Consider that the Washington Nationals are in first in their division, the Pittsburgh Pirates are one game out of first in theirs, the Indians and White Sox are ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and the Yankees are trying to hold off the Orioles.  To show how incredible this turn around is, take a look at how many games out of first these teams finished last year:  Nationals - 21 1/2 games, Pirates - 24, Indians - 15, White Sox - 16, Orioles - 28.  It is only June, but that just shows how good scouting, drafting, and management can help you compete in baseball against anyone.

It's harder to tell where baseball is going because it is not even halfway through the season.  Any of the previously mentioned teams could easily wind up losing their division to the "favorites" and perhaps not even make the playoffs.  But I think the days of anyone feeling safe in baseball is over.  The Philadelphia Phillies finished with the best record in the majors last year at 102-60.  As of this writing, they are 33-38 and in last place in their division.  Do they have the talent to still make a run?  Absolutely.  The problem is that I do not think the Washington Nationals are a fluke.  It is going to take some hard work and a bit of luck if the Phillies still want to win their division.  It is still too early to tell for this league, but it appears that parity is starting to take over.  Check back in October for a full assessment after the season.

NHL
This is the league that I think has the most parity when it comes to playoff teams.  Not necessarily top to bottom because the NFL holds that distinction which I will get to in a bit.  But I'd say the top eight or nine teams in each conference could have made a reasonable case for them to win the Stanley Cup this past year.  Turns out, parity came through again.  In the first round, half of the lower seeds won including an eight over a one (LA Kings over Vancouver Canucks) and a seven over a two (Washington Capitals over Boston Bruins).  The finals went a step further featuring the Kings against the sixth seeded New Jersey Devils.  The Kings won in six games, becoming the first eight seed to ever win the Stanley Cup.  The NHL playoffs are actually set up, unintentionally, to prevent these lower seeds from making it.  Unlike other sports, the NHL reseeds after each round so that the lowest seed always plays the highest.  That means the eight seed could potentially have to beat the one, two, and three seed in their own conference as well as the one seed in the other conference.  The Kings accomplished the one, two, three gauntlet, losing only two games combined through the three series.

This parity, however, does not imply a lack of excellence.  The Kings are actually a loaded team.  Anyone who watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs got to learn how good Jonathan Quick is, as he looked nearly invincible in the first three rounds, outplayed future hall of famer Martin Brodeur in the finals and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy for MVP of the playoffs.  Drew Doughty anchors a young, but active group of defensemen.  Dustin Brown, their captain, came up huge in the playoffs tallying 20 points (goals and assists combined) in as many games.  Add to that four standout centers in Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, and Jarret Stoll and you have a team that looks like a number one seed.  But that's the great thing.  They weren't.  And the rosters for the top teams look similar to this.  The NHL awards ceremony this past Wednesday displayed the parity.  Evgeni Malkin, the MVP, was on a fourth seeded team (Pittsburgh Penguins) that lost in the first round.  The Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender went to Henrik Lundqvist who finished with a 1.97 goals against average in the regular season for the top seeded Rangers only to be shown the door by the Devils in the conference finals.  Erik Karlsson, the Norris Trophy winner for the best defenseman,  was on the eighth seeded Ottawa Senators in the east who pushed the Lundqvist's Rangers to seven games before losing in the first round.  Parity and talent are running rampant through the NHL right now.


This is an exciting time for the league.  Try to get into it next season, even before the playoffs.  A lot of teams will have a shot at the cup.  The draft day trade of Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes to unite with his brother Eric Staal instantly makes them a playoff team.  Jordan finished the regular season with an even 25 goals and 25 assists, then put the team on his back and scored six goals and three assists in the six game slug fest with the Flyers in the postseason.  Eric, meanwhile, is a four time All-Star, Gold Medal winner, and finished this season with 24 goals and 46 assists but failed to make the playoffs as they came in 12th in their conference.  The Edmonton Oilers, who have been cellar dwellers for some time now, have stocked up on young talent and could see a Washington Nationals type explosion this season.  Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, all 50 point scorers last year, lead a young and hungry group of players.  Finally, Sidney Crosby.  Coming off of an injury plagued season, the most recognizable face and name in the NHL today will be looking to capture another Cup and expand his already vast highlight reel.  Look for the 2012-2013 NHL season to be a dandy.


NFL
This is the league that is top to bottom the most evenly matched.  Excluding only Minnesota, Cleveland, Miami, and Indianapolis, I think you could make a case for every other team to win their division.  The only reason those four teams are eliminated in the first place is because of the uncertainty surrounding their teams.  But even they have positive "if" scenarios.  For instance, if Christian Ponder progresses from last year, and if Adrian Peterson recovers well from his ACL injury, and if Percy Harvin stops having migraines, and if either Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, or Jay Cutler get injured then they might make the playoffs.  But that's a lot of ifs.  So those four teams are out.  But for the top teams, is anything guaranteed anymore?

Remember earlier this past season when the Packers were unstoppable.  I do.  They were steamrolling through teams as NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was posting astronomical numbers.  A slight hiccup against the Chiefs aside, they looked a shoe in to at least get to the Super Bowl, if not win it.  Then along came those New York football Giants.  The Packers had already beaten the Giants in a 38-35 nail-biter that came down to a last second field goal.  Just another win.  The Giants were 6-6 and still had a home and home against the Dallas Cowboys, home against the Washington Redskins, then a Christmas Eve game against the Jets.  The Packers wouldn't be seeing the Giants until next year.  Surprisingly the least daunting game on the Giants' schedule (Redskins) was the only one they lost in that four game stretch allowing them to win the NFC East.  After dispatching the Falcons in a 24-2 beat down, they traveled to Lambeau Field and stifled the high powered Packer offense beating them 37-20.  Just like that, a 15-1 season down the drain as a 9-7 team led by the "lesser" of the Mannings had beaten a team destined for back to back titles.  The parity doesn't show up just in the playoffs.  Here's an example for all my Illinois readers (which is most of you) of parity as I make an argument for why the Bears can win, yes win, their division.

The Bears had a great off season picking up Bradon Marshall from Miami and getting rid of Mike Martz.  Martz is a great coach as evidenced by his contribution to the "Greatest Show On Turf" era with the St. Louis Rams, but this is Chicago.  Mike Tice will look to bring a more Chicago look to the offense.  Marshall was a significant addition due to his and Jay Cutler's time in Denver together.  Stats-wise they were at their best, but now both have matured and progressed and the possibilities are exciting.  Couple that with the drafting of Alshon Jeffery, who I think will be better than Justin Blackmon this year, and signing Michael Bush, the Bears' offense looks like one of the more potent in the NFL barring the Matt Forte contract talks.  Despite questions in the secondary, the core defensive players remain and they even drafted Shea McClellin in the first round to line up at defensive end opposite Julius Peppers.  Who needs a secondary if McClellin can develop into a first round talent?

Their schedule seems to favor them as well.  They get to play the NFC West, which was strengthened by San Francisco's success last year, but is still weak relative to the other divisions.  They play the Packers the second week of the season, but the Packers play the 49ers the first week while the Bears play the Colts.  An 0-1 start for the Packers and a 1-0 start for the Bears could change the mindset and outcome of that game.  They also get their home game against the Packers late in the season in case they are in the division hunt.  The Lions have to go to Soldier Field a week after playing in Philadelphia.  This should help the Bears as well as facing the Lions on the last day of the season for divisional title purposes.

While the Packers and Lions have star players, mainly quarterbacks and wide receivers, they still have their share of questions as well.  The Packers were last in the league in passing yards allowed with the Lions coming in at 22nd.  Unlike the Bears, neither the Lions or Packers have an established running back as they clocked in at 29th and 27th in the league in rushing last year respectively.  The Bears have better special teams with Devin Hester and Robbie "Good As" Gould, although the Packers are catching up with speedster Randall Cobb.  If the Bears have the more balanced offense, why can't they beat both teams if not twice, at least once?  Such is the NFL.  Nearly every team has stars and a chance to dream every year.  It is the most unpredictable league in terms of who will make the playoffs and has excellence everywhere you look.

So is excellence or parity the best?  It is a dangerous balance.  Too far one way and it becomes a four or five team league battling for the title while the rest are fodder.  Too far the other way and everyone has a chance but the teams and talent are watered down or too spread out.  Whatever your opinion, Heat fan or Bobcat fan, Oilers fan or Bruins fan, Yankees fan or Mariners fan, Patriots fan or Browns fan, keep the faith.  Excellence on your team or parity in your league could be right around the corner.