A SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS editorial states the Warriors in winning the NBA Championship "did it all with class." The team is a "special group of men" that "epitomize teamwork and team spirit." G Stephen Curry, in addition to being the league's MVP, is "an MVP as a role model and family man." Perhaps "most gratifying of all" is that fans in Oakland "celebrated the victory Tuesday night with joy -- and largely without violence" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 6/18). The Mercury News' Mark Purdy said co-Owner Joe Lacob "knew what he was doing." CSNBayArea.com's Monte Poole said it was a "huge, huge sign of where this franchise was heading" when Lacob brought in Basketball HOFer Jerry West as Advisor ("Yahoo Sports Talk Live," CSN Bay Area, 6/17).
SEEING RED: In Chicago, Philip Hersh wrote the chemistry that has transformed hockey from "irrelevant to irreplaceable" in Chicago's sporting life "comes from having all the right elements in place." The Blackhawks' recent growth is "not just about fans, TV ratings, merchandise sales." Statewide, "participation in hockey increased" 13-15% percent after the Blackhawks won in '10 and '13. Nielsen Scarborough data shows that the percentage of African-American Blackhawks fans "had grown by more than one-third" from '11 (7.1%) to '14 (9.7%). Continuing that growth in diversity is a "big reason" Blackhawks Chair Rocky Wirtz "wants the city's cooperation to build a large hockey facility" near United Center (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 5/17).
ROYAL RUMBLE: MLB President of Business & Media Bob Bowman said of the Royals dominating AL All-Star voting, "I think what is happening is great. But are some people overzealous? That comes with the territory. ... It's just getting a lot more press because the Royals are more involved now." But ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha asked, "So if there isn't a ballot-stuffing campaign happening in Kansas City, then what exactly is driving all this love for the Royals?" Royals VP/Marketing & Business Development Mike Bucek said, "People just think about Kansas City (doing all this voting), but it changes when you take into account places like Wichita, Des Moines or Topeka. People in this area are highly motivated. These players have bonded with this fan base." Bowman said that it is "way too early to jump to conclusions about what baseball should do if Royals dominate the starting lineup" (ESPN.com, 6/16).
LOCAL FLAVOR: Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones yesterday said that the Rams' ties to the L.A. market "make them an attractive practice partner" for training camp in Oxnard, Calif. (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 6/17). Jones: "One of the reasons why it was attractive to us to work against them was they have that good flavor. It is certainly not a reach at all to say that fans remember the Los Angeles Rams, and that is not a reach. So that makes them a good partner to practice within the Los Angeles area" (ESPN.com, 6/17).
