Larry Bird Is Not Walking Through That Door

It's official. I'm sick of watching the 2008 NBA Finals.

And they start on Thursday.

Listen, I get it- it's Celtics vs. Lakers. There's something about seeing those two teams duke it our for the title that stirs up nostalgia in people, even today. And part of me really likes that it does; I'm all for knowing and remembering the history of your team. But seriously, the reflective montages have gone too far. I can understand showing one during the start of the series, that makes sense. Not three times a day for a week before the first game tips off. You want to preview the series? Great, just do so talking about the people who are actually going to play the games.

I bring this up because I'm starting to get worried about the upcoming Reds vs. Red Sox series next week. I'm pretty sure this is the first time Boston's come to Cincinnati since the 1975 World Series (considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest World Series ever), and I'm certain the city will be bombarded with highlights and stories from that series. In fact, it'll probably all anyone talks about that weekend (well, that, and the cure for cancer that I'm sure Jay Bruce will have discovered by then), and I think that's going to suck (the reminiscing, not the cure for cancer). The Saturday game will no doubt be the regional game on FOX, so you know they'll be milking 1975 for all its worth. The national coverage from FOX (and I'm sure ESPN will get in a few mentions) plus the local coverage sure to inundate the city; boy, I can't wait.

Now, I'm not saying that no one here cares about the 1975 World Series. That's the Big Red Machine, one of the few "sacred cows" in Cincinnati sports history (along with Joe Nuxhull, Oscar Robertson, the Ickey Shuffle..... okay, not the Icky Shuffle). But I would be willing to bet that the average Reds fan (of which I am included) would care less about hearing how great the '75 Series was and more about the fact that the Red Sox are coming to town with Dice-K and Big Papi on the DL. The schedule in June is brutal, and catching the defending World Champs without two major players would be a huge plus for the Reds (for my fantasy team, however, not so much).

Sports nostalgia is great. You can talk about the '75 World Series when Tony Perez, Carlton Fisk, and Sparky Anderson all go into the Hall of Fame together (in 2000, along with Marty Brenneman) because they were all there in 1975. Let's talk about the players that are here now. I'd rather hear another "Junior's career vs. Man-Ram's career" debate over another rehashing of whether Ed Armbrister interfered with Carlton Fisk in Game 3 (he totally didn't). As for the NBA finals, forget Bird, Parrish, and McHale, Magic, Kareem, and Worthy. Focus on KG and Kobe, Paul and Pau. Show highlights of what they've done this past year, not what the franchises did twenty years ago.

Oh well, I'm probably not going to watch the Finals anyway. It's Reds vs. Red Sox next week.