Game 4 (pivotal!) of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight. So is Game 1 (crucial!) of the NBA Finals. Which one is more important to you and/or your bookie?
Despite its many issues, I think the NHL has made a lot of strides this year in the public's mind and has certainly come a long way from the dead and buried league of the lockout year. Meanwhile, the NBA seems to be having a crisis of confidence thanks to their officials, their money issues, their age limit, their draft lottery, their logo ... It's a running joke that the league only has one fan and he just wrote a 700-page book that will only be read on the toilet. But someone has to be sitting on that can. It won't soothe any minds to know that LeBron isn't around this week, but we'll always have Vitamin Water.
Both leagues need something big to happen in their championship series—so who are the ad wizards that decided to put both games on at the same time, leaving us nothing to watch on Wednesday or Friday? Super job, guys. Doesn't anyone in the league offices know how to work the E-mail?
Anyway, since we're all in a bind here, I'm genuinely curious what you would choose. And you can't say "Tivo" or "the clicker" or "I don't get Versus," because that's completely beside the point. If you could only watch one game tonight, what would it be? I know that both leagues have fans, but where are they and how many? This hastily thrown together, non-scientific web poll should settle the matter quite nicely.
Datsyuk hopes happy feet mean he's playing tonight [Toronto Star]
Magic, Lakers kick off NBA Finals at Staples Center [Seattle PI]