Last night kicked off a great sports weekend.  My beloved Cleveland Indians are in St. Louis to play the Cardinals, and the Boston Celtics will try to upset the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals tonight.  Those, along with the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Pocono on Sunday will have my full attention.

It’s great to be able to watch both the Tribe and the Redbirds on the same field.  Analyzing what’s technically happening in the games is much easier this way.  The rest of the season, I have one game on TV and one on the computer.  That can lead to sometimes missing key components of the games.

Each time the Indians and Cardinals meet, an interesting dynamic is created for me.  My emotions and rooting interests battle each other.  I grew up loving the Tribe despite the years of horrific baseball along with two heart-breaking World Series losses thrown in the mix.  

Since 1993, I have been immersed in Cardinal Nation.  My first trip to the old Busch Stadium 19 years ago brought back a flood of childhood memories.  The Cardinals were often the nationally broadcast Saturday game during my youth, and that first time I was inside old Busch was spectatcular.

It’s true, there is nothing better than baseball in St. Louis.  However, the joy I feel at games in Cleveland is very unique. Nevertheless, having both teams playing in St. Louis is an amazing experience for me, and the best of both worlds.

While I consider myself a legitimate fan of the Redbirds, nothing compares to my loyalty to the Tribe and my desire for them to be successful.  So, that leads me to hoping the Indians beat the Cardinals each time they play.  I know that, overall, the Redbirds will eventually win a World Series, as the did last year, and the Cardinals will be more successful year in and year out.

The Indians are on a lower level and than the Cardinals, so the Tribe’s windows of opportunities are few and far between.  I’m not convinced the 2012 Indians are legitimate contenders, but victories against the Cardinals, even this depleted 2012 team, will provide me with confidence that the Tribe may be on the path to magical season.

Other Big Weekend Sports Events

  • The French Open concludes.  Maria Sharapova won today and collected her career Grand Slam.  The men’s final is Sunday with Rafael Nadal trying to keep Novak Djokovic from winning four consecutive majors.
  • Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley , Jr. face each other tonight at the MGM Grand for the Welterweight Belt.
  • Friday around 10:00 AM brought the hype of the Belmont Stakes to a halt, as I’ll Have Another was scratched from the race then retired due to an injury.  Me and millions of others will not be making it a point to turn to NBC this afternoon, and that is bad news for the network and its sponsors.
  • Tonight, the LA Kings attempt to close out their series with the New Jersey Devils and earn the first Stanley Cup in team history.