Welcome back to the tournament on this beautiful Memorial Day!
Let's get started on the All American Bracket's First Round:
(2) Clippers v (9) Lakers:
Clippers-
Why they should win: The former Buffalo Braves have never won a title in their franchise history. Once they moved to San Diego and became the Clippers, they had a 43-39 season, which was a great year but not great enough to make the playoffs. It would end up being their last winning season for 13 years. It was all downhill after that. While the '05/'06 season presented some hope, they have been a laughing stock in Los Angeles as long as memory serves...according to Laker fans.
Why they shouldn't win: 2005/2006 wasn't that long ago. I'm sure Brandon remembers it well. After ripping the Nuggs in the opening round, the Clippers took the Phoenix Suns all the way to a game 7 in the Conference Semifinals. It was the fourth playoff appearance for the Clippers since I was born, and that's not completely awful. Also, they quite often snatch up high draft picks. If they pan out or not is a different matter.
Lakers-
Why they should win: Well, the period of time from 1989-1999 is well known as the "Post-Showtime Dry Spell" as the Lakers failed to make anything positive happen. That's about all I've got for these guys and their suffering.
Why they shouldn't win: They're matching up with my Celtics in the NBA finals starting later this week. They seem to have been in like 7 of the last 10 title series. They have 16 NBA titles, 31 Conference Titles, and 32 Division Titles. The Lakers have a regular season win percentage of .617 and a playoff winning percentage of .615. They have been in the playoffs every season since 2005, and have only missed the playoffs twice since 1976. There isn't much suffering on this side of Staples Center.
And the winner is... I know they're the trendy pick, but you've got to hand it to the Clip Show.
(3) Canucks v (8) Celtics
Canucks-
Why they should win: This is a matchup near and dear to my heart. Not a single Stanley Cup title since their inception in 1970. The team formerly known as the Vancouver Millionaires had a lean spell from 1994 (post Cup) to 2001, before becoming the resurgent team you all know now (since about 2001). The Canucks have given their fan base tons of bonus suffering as of late, by making the playoffs with huge expectations, only to have the same elimination result year in and year out. In '08/'09 and '09/'10 the Canucks were dropped by the Blackhawks in the semifinals. No playoffs in '07/'08, and a loss to the Ducks in the semifinals (of which I attended the knockout game) in '06/'07. From 2000-2004, the Canucks qualified for four straight playoffs, and got bounced out early in each. Making the playoffs seems to be their strong suit; winning once they are there is not.
Why they shouldn't win: Well, at least they've been making the playoffs all these years. It is kind of hard to argue that this team suffers too much based on their impressive regular season success. We're talking about winning the Northwest Division in 4 out of the last 6 seasons, including 3 out of the last 4. Plus, they keep the fans excited by continuously changing their logos.
Celtics-
Why they should win: Remember before the "Big 3," when my boys sucked? I really liked those days. Pierce, Walker, West...man that was fun. I guess from 1993-2007, the Celts were really a fairly poor team. They tried to rebuild in the early 2000's, but Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers just couldn't figure things out. Then, you get Allen and KG and all of the sudden Doc Rivers is the coach of the year? I've always hated that.
Why they shouldn't win: See argument for why the Lakers shouldn't win.
And the winner is... The Canucks. Way to go boys.
(4) Sabres v (7) Angels:
Sabres-
Why they should win: The cousins of the Canucks also have gone since their inception in 1970 without a championship. Their last Conference Championship came in 1999. Prior to this season, the Sabres hadn't made the playoffs in a couple of years, and prior to that dry spell, it was a hardcore suffering of losing back to back Conference Finals (to the Sens in 2007 and the Canes in 2006). Not many of us will forget the summer of 1999 when Buffalo lost to the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. That series, and another 2-4 loss (to the Flyers in 1975 Cup Finals) mark the only times the Sabres have made it the distance.
Why they shouldn't win: Talk about a rabid fan base. These fans love this team, and well they should. While they may have missed the 2008 and 2009 playoffs, they haven't been bad for a long time. 45-27-10 this year, 41-32-9 and 39-31-12 in the years the missed the postseason, and 53-22-7 the season before that. The last time Buffalo had a sub-.500 season was 2002/2003 when they went 27-37-10-8. That was in the midst of finishing 5th in the Northwest for three straight years. Outside of that, it is hard to remember a streak when they were consistently bad.
Angels-
Why they should win: Talk about a suffering franchise. This was my sports franchise that made me know what suffering for your team was all about as a young child. From my birth until my 20th birthday, the Angels made the postseason just twice. From 1986-2004, they were without a division title. We're talking about 70-92, 75-87, 80-82, 72-90, 81-91, 47-68, 70-91, 70-92, 75-87. We're talking a long, bad streak. We're talking about Mo Vaughn, Jose Canseco, Steve Finley, Kevin Appier, Dallas McPherson, Hector Carrasco, Esteban Yan, Shea Hillenbrand, JC Romero, Jeff Weaver; the list goes on and on. Now we have Brandon Wood ready to join the likes of the aforementioned. Pathetic stuff.
Why they shouldn't win: Well, let's be honest, they sure have been good lately. Since that 2002 World Series victory, when they changed their uniforms and the team mindset, the Angels have been to the playoffs 6 times in 8 years. They have won the AL West 5 out of the last 6 years. Things have come together. We may be sub-.500 right now, but we're getting back on track, and most bandwagon Angel fans have no idea how these fan base used to suffer back in the day.
And the winner is... the Angels. This was a tough one. Sorry Brandon, but when you look at the franchise as a whole, I'm not sure how you could go against the Angels, even though we have one championship to none in Buffalo. If I'm wrong, you can blast me for it. Just don't call me a homer.
(5) Dodgers v (6) Blue Jays:
Dodgers-
Why they should win: Here is that 5/6 matchup again! The darlings of the LA Sports Media, the Doyers have not won a World Series since 1988. We were 6! Let it go! That was also the last NL pennant won by LA. From 1997-2004, the Dodgers failed to reach the post season, and they only made the playoffs 5 times from my birth to my 22nd birthday. I thought this was the dynasty of the '80s? Hm. While they may have had solid players and nice numbers, the outcomes certainly aren't there. We're talking about a team that used to be called such things as the Brooklyn Robins, the Brooklyn Superbas, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and "The Bums." While they have somehow tricked the locals into believing that they are the "real LA" team, they have to try and live with the fact that they are nothing more than a New York transplant trying to pretend that they are California made. What a joke.
Why they shouldn't win: Well, for starters, they have been pretty good as of late. NL West division titles in 2009, 2008, and 2004 shows some pretty good play, not to mention their Wild Card win in 2006. They have some pretty amazing young players, helping to bolster the team for some time to come, and despite what some would have you believe, they play in a crappy division (which helps them to be on top more often than not). 6 World Championships, 21 NL Pennants, and 11 Division Titles, doesn't qualify you to be a team of suffering. Sorry, pals.
Blue Jays-
Why they should win: Anyone not names New York, Boston, and recently Tampa Bay that plays in the AL East (so the Jays and the O's) are a hugely suffering squad. The only Canadian team in the MLB, not to mention the "All American Bracket" has gone without a World Series win since 1993, and only has two in their history (the other being in 1992...the glory years). 1993 was also the last AL Pennant and last East division Title for the Jays, a team who continues to be a perennial golf nine-some in October these days. Not only have they continued to change their logo for the worse as time moves forward, but they just haven't been good lately. Their highest winning percentage since 1993 was .543 (their lowest being .389), and their best shot at winning a World Series would be moving the team to Vancouver and joining the AL West.
Why they shouldn't win: Since their World Series win, they have had 4 Cy Young winners, a rookie of the year winner, and even last year's comeback player of the year. While they aren't winning titles, they are giving their fans something to cheer about.
And the winner is... Toronto. They just have no chance in that division, let's be honest.
So, the matchups for the upcoming second round in the All American Bracket are:
(1) Blackhawks v (7) Angels
(3) Canucks v (6) Blue Jays
(2) Clippers (bye)
Join us as we continue to march toward a supreme champion of suffering. The second round of the Football Bracket highlights the next post. Don't forget to help me pick the winners by leaving a comment or a post to let me know what you think.
Adios amigos.
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