When a team wins a championship in a sport they usually have some superstars on their team. Many championship teams need role players, unsung heroes. Guys that step up and play beyond their own career stat line. Every championship team fights through the injury bug. However you always see some young guy or even a wily veteran on these teams play out of their minds to help the team .  It’s like they feed off the way the team is playing as they know something special is going on and they want to be part of it.

In the strike shortened season of the NHL in 2013, I remember one guy that stood out the most that played out of his mind. Since the strike shortened the regular season, I remembered the NHL scheduled all the games in bunches. When you’re playing ice hockey every night it gets very exhausting as one position especially the man between the pipes the goaltender. Blackhawks already had a number one goalie in Corey Crawford. However the number two that year was Ray Emery. A wily veteran who came in had the season to remember as he went 17-1. I almost watched every game that season and he started off 10-0 behind the net before he got tagged with a loss. That was the year the Black Hawks came out the gate and won a whole bunch of games in a row to set a NHL record without losing a contest from the start of the season.

Like Billy Joel’s song only the good die young as Ray Emery was found dead last Sunday at the young age of 35 years old. Ray was a Hamilton native and was visiting friends. The group decided to take an early swim. They decided to head to the Royal Hamilton yacht club in the very wee hours of the morning perhaps to watch the sun rise. Ray plunged into the waters of the harbor and did not resurface. His body was found at some point in the afternoon. When you hear of people passing that young, it makes you think about how life is so precious.

Ray Emery was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2001. Before he came to the Black Hawks, he had a great career between the pipes. In 2007, he led the Senators to the Stanley Cup only to be ousted by the Ducks that year. He played in 287 games in 11 seasons total. He played for the Senators, Ducks, Black Hawks and then went to the Flyers. In 2007, he had a bout with goaltender Marty Biron of the Buffalo Sabres. Both players scrapped as they drop the gloves in one of the most memorable goaltender fights of all-time. Then during that melee he also took on the Sabres forward, Andrew Peter. During the whole bout, Emery was smiling and chuckling to himself having a good ole time. Emery actually was a two time Bill Masterton Memorial trophy finalist which is dedicated to hockey sportsmanship.

In 2010 Emery was diagnosed with avascular necrosis.He fought through a few hip injuries. He had that great work ethic… first one to practice and last to leave. When he did help the Black Hawks that year win the cup, he posted 1.94 goals against average which earned him the Vezina trophy which many back goalies do not even sniff this trophy. His hard work and efforts landed him a better payday with the Flyers. The Black Hawks had their hands tied with the salary cap and no way could be able to afford Emery. After the Flyers, Ray Emery headed to the AHL and played between the pipes for the Toronto Marlies. Hip injuries got worse and he eventually had to hang up the skates.

Forever Ray Emery will be remembered for his play in my world as a Black Hawk.  He goes down on that list of all those Black Hawks that were let go during their dynasty run because of the salary cap. Those great Bull runs had Steve Kerr and John Paxton coming off the bench and being sharp shooters. The White Sox playoff march in 2005.  The longest inning of all-time in the playoffs, it seemed to me. Orlando Hernandez aka “EL DUQUE” got out of a bases loaded jam against the Red Sox. Ray Emery is one of those unsung heroes of Chicago sports.  In 2013, watching both goalies night after night rotate and just become a wall for the opponents while Kane and Toews piled up goals and wins for the team was something very special. Ray Emery will always be in the hearts of all the Black Hawk fans.

It was Red Sox nation that called their hated rival, the Damn Yankees, the EVIL EMPIRE. They would throw money at the high level free agents like they printed their own. Then Boston saw their own football team, the Patriots, pick up big names every year to help Tom Brady collect Super bowl trophies. It goes on in every sport where the rich get richer. In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors look like they are in no rush to stop winning championships. You would wonder when they got Kevin Durant, how they could fit another superstar on this dream team. Lebron picks the Lakers. The Warriors respond with a CHECK MATE  and sign DeMarcus Cousins. Looks like the Warriors trumped the King once more.

DeMarcus Cousins has been a star player for years with the Sacramento Kings. Yes’ Sacramento still has a team. Those Chris Weber days where the Kings should of taken down the Lakers in the playoffs. Had them on the ropes but Kobe and the big man prevailed to eliminate the Kings. Only time I believe watching NBA basketball that I saw the Kings a few seasons that they actually were a good team. Now they are crappy like they have been most of their existence. They had DeMarcus Cousins, however he was a giant headache and they traded him to the Pelicans. Last year DeMarcus Cousins was still playing great basketball however he suffered an injury. This injury was a set back in his free agent year as he might of had more offers if he was totally healthy.

However it might of been a blessing when the Warriors came calling. The Warriors have won three titles in four tries. They still have a talented team with or without Demarcus Cousins. They have brought back Kevin Durant who was a huge addition they added a few seasons ago. They extended Steve Kerr as their head coach. What else do you need? A center. Only position they had over the four finals that has been a rotating position with someone new, someone old or plain someone else. Now you add Demarcus Cousins and it’s like the fabulous five. This starting five the Warriors will have, could be the best of all time.

The biggest question is, will DeMarcus Cousins become a giant headache for the Warriors? Could DeMarcus bring down the Golden Machine from voicing his displeasure from not getting the ball enough? Will his slow play fit in the fast paced game of the Warriors? Steve Kerr has played for Phil Jackson. When the Bulls added Denis Rodman, Phil Jackson was able to handle his type of personality and Steve Kerr witnessed how Jackson handled things.  I see the same things translating through Steve Kerr from one of greatest coaches of all-time.  Plus veterans like Curry and Durant should be able to handle Cousins if he gets out of line. Cousins could adjust his game to adapt to the Warriors’ speed of their play.

Overall, bringing in Cousins is a huge move and it should win another title for the Warriors. Cousins only took a one year deal. Which is a win win for the Warriors. If Cousins does not work out, they could cut him or bench him. However for DeMarcus Cousins, this is a big opportunity to expand his bank account. This one year deal is only a five million dollar deal. If DeMarcus plays like the all star that he is, it can earn him riches next season when more teams will have cap space and more teams will be out looking to spend big money at Menards. In DeMarcus Couisns’ world, he could help the Warriors win a championship, then next year he can earn the big bucks and try to knock out the Warriors. Perhaps join Lebron James and the Lakers. Oh that NBA drama you gotta love. If only they can improve the play on the floor and actually make a traveling call.

King James is heading to California.

CALIFORNIA ACCORDING TO ARCHIE BUNKER

“California is full of nuts and fruits. Every fruit is a little nutty and every nut is a little fruity.”

“God is going to dump California. He’s just waiting for the last of the crazies to get there.”

It’s another new chapter in Lebron James’ world. It involves leaving Cleveland for the second time. Lebron opted out of his contract, became a free agent and now is heading to the LA. Lakers, not the other team in town. The Lakers will be his third team. This will be another cast of characters. More players will be wheeled and dealt as the King will take his throne in pursuit of another championship while practically printing money in a major market. He will be looking to create another power house in LA like he did in Miami. He made up with the Cleveland fans by getting a team that actually beat the Warriors down three games to one in a best out of seven series.

The second time he left Cleveland he obviously did some growing up. Last time he held an hour long show to make the decision on national television to tell the world he was going to south beach. Him and his friends got together, hatched out a plan and before you knew it, his toes were swishing through sand at the beach. Is this second time leaving Cleveland a stab in the back to Cavalier fans? Is the one championship enough to quiet them as he walks out of their lives for good?  Do you think the Cavaliers had unfinished business as they have been to the finals and lost to Warriors more times than they won? Who do you blame? Lebron not sticking around? Management for not setting him up with enough weapons?

Why the Lakers? The present Lakers team does not have enough talent to beat the Warriors or Rockets and that’s with Lebron.. Plus now you have moved to the Western Conference which is much harder to get to the finals in. Lebron and the Cavaliers had it easy in the Eastern Conference with all the watered down teams, half of them can’t even float to save their own lives. Does Magic Johnson have a plan? Will Lebron be GM as in Cleveland and recruit players? He texted Kevin Durant to come to the Lakers when he opted out of his contract. However Kevin gladly resigned with the Warriors as he knows where his bread is buttered.

Imagine the Lakers and Lebron James have a plan. Like when the Cylons came back with their plan in Battlestar Galactica. The Lakers signed Lebron for a 4 year deal. Lebron has 153.3 reasons why he will stick to the LA plan which comes out to 153.3 million dollars over those 4 years. Plus the Lakers are a huge market unlike Cleveland. Space Jam 2 is in the works because another thing LA has is Hollywood. Plus being in a top market, a well known team like the Lakers will have him like Scrooge McDuck swimming in pools of money. I think the Lakers will surround Lebron with young talent. It might not be year one, but at some point over this 4 year deal, LA Lakers will give the Warriors a run for their money.

Cleveland fans are probably walking around the streets like zombies. They are probably angry. However they are happy looking at the 2016 championship the Cavaliers brought home mainly because of Lebron James. They continue to pace around the arena with mixed feelings inside. Do you feel betrayed by the man who ripped your heart out of you once? Are they comfortably numb feelings as fans of Cleveland got to see a 52 year sports drought in their own city end because King James came back and saved the town? The Clevlanders still have the Indians. Hey, the Browns I predict will win six games this season. That would end their perfect football season of winning nothing last year except a delightful parade to celebrate a perfect record.

If I was living in Cleveland I would be pissed off. I don’t think I would have welcomed him back the first time, with that terrible way of making a choice of what team you wanted to play for. Many moons ago I liked the Lakers. From Magic Johnson and James Worthy and the pilot in Airplane that had that great hook shot over. I think he went by Roger Over. Then the Lakers had the rapist and the big man that could not hit a free throw and they went on and won multiple championships. I did not care for Kobe and Shaq and the former Bulls’ coach Phil Jackson. This will be another Lakers team I will hate with Lebron always leaving when the going gets tough. He’s like the kid that takes the ball and goes home because it’s his ball and he’s mad because it’s not going his way. Lebron would abandon ship with the women and children. While Michael Jordon would find a way to still beat you by patching up the ship while it sank. I will say Archie Bunker is correct that California has just landed the KING NUT.