Looking Forward: "Things Are About to Change"

I was surprised to look back and see that this here blog is nearly eight-and-a-half years old now. There have been numerous instances over By My Count's lifetime in which I've openly wondered what the hell I was doing here. For the most part, it has largely been about putting my predictions for various events in writing.

On October 14 of last year, the wife and I found out that we were about to become parents. I have mentioned this only briefly in some recent posts, but there's no getting around it now. The wife's water broke just as we were preparing to go to bed this past Tuesday night and our beautiful baby daughter arrived early Wednesday evening. The moment I heard the first cries of our child brought tears to my eyes as well as my wife's, and it immediately becomes the new favorite moment of my young marriage.

So is BMC now destined to become something entirely new? Tales about dirty diapers and baby burping? No, probably not. But I can say that I am anticipating that all of the posts that had become "annual" types (quarterly and final thoughts on the Four Bs, full predictions for each of the four major sports, etc.) will probably be abandoned. In all honesty, By My Count is probably the least successful of any social media endeavors of mine (I started a little Twitter account last month that already has more pageviews than this blogs had in its entire lifetime), but I never intended to make money off this account or break any new ground. For the most part, it became mostly just an excuse for recording my thoughts about my favorite sports teams (and the Oscars). If anybody else wanted to read them for some reason, that was cool.

If anything here is likely to survive, I would assume it would be the playoff predictions I've always enjoyed making. But I can't say for sure seeing as this is my first go-round with child-raising, and the baby's taking a bit of a priority over blogging. This is not so much a farewell as it is just a simple explanation why it could be a while before you hear from me again.

Final Thoughts on 2013-14 Chicago Blackhawks: Hold That Dynasty Talk

Blackhawks fans have been spoiled these past few years. The team had enjoyed considerable success in Games 5-7 of most any series they played in over the past four year, and it was the winning record in those games that probably led many of us (including yours truly) to assume that Chicago was on its way to a second straight Stanley Cup after the Hawks came back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a seventh game. But then reality happened.

Everything seemed to start well enough, and even when the Kings fought back to tie Game 7, the Blackhawks would retake the lead. As the series that had been so good even casual fans were raving about its quality saw the winner-take-all game go into overtime, we all wondered which Hawk would emerge as this year's hero. Toews had the game-winner on the breakaway in Game 5 in St. Louis and Kane had the series-clincher in Minnesota. This time though, the lucky bounce of the puck instead went in the other team's favor and fans all over Chicago were left speechless.

While it was certainly a heartbreaking conclusion to a hard-fought series, the end result is not cause for panic. There are questions that deserve to be asked, for sure. However, the Blackhawks were attempting to repeat after last season concluded later than usual, this season began earlier than usual, and the team was tied for the most skaters sent overseas for the Olympics. The fact that they made it as far as they did is a testament to how very good they are, and that they lost to a club that was arguably the best team in the league is nothing to be ashamed of. 

NHL Stanley Cup Final Prediction: Ending Wait of Two Years or Two Decades?

Consider it a lesser of two evils. The final two teams remaining are from America's two largest cities, one from a television ratings wasteland on the West Coast and the other being largely absent from social media mentions for most of the year until recent weeks. With a baby on the way, I'll just say I won't be too torn up about missing any moments of this year's Final.

I say that now, but because it is the last hockey series of the year, I know I'll be tuning in when I can. As a Blackhawks fan, I'm still clearly reeling from being one period away from a possible repeat to now instead seeing the Kings about to claim their second Cup in three years—and earning discussion of their own dynasty. Make no mistake, Los Angeles is the heavy favorite here, coming off of a Western Conference Final victory that was considered by many to be "the real Stanley Cup."

There will be no shortage of attractive underdog narratives for various media outlets to play up with this New York team, a franchise that last hoisted Lord Stanley 20 years ago. Sure, maybe having the best goaltender in the playoffs could indeed steal a game or two. But a series? Um, I've got my doubts.

NBA Finals Prediction: The Rematch We All Wanted (well, some of us)

This NBA season will conclude with the exact same two teams competing for a title that took seven games last year. For me, it's what promises to be a riveting conclusion to a third meeting between two all-time great players, LeBron James and Tim Duncan. It's also what I predicted last round and anticipated pretty much all throughout the playoffs (although I admittedly had the Clippers getting here at the beginning of the year).

In the Spurs, we have a franchise that's been a model of consistency, four titles in five Finals appearances over the last decade and half. The Heat, meanwhile, are looking to threepeat and secure what would be that team's fourth overall title. One club is going to tremendously solidify its dynasty credentials.

Of course, the matchup is also bound turn off a few people who either find San Antonio "boring" or simply hate Miami (or in my wife's case, both). I can partially understand those who might have preferred to see one of the younger West teams like the Thunder or Clippers to get to the Finals, but there really wasn't much question as to whether the Heat is the best team in the Eastern Conference this year. The only question remaining is whether the Spurs are the one team that can beat them.