Mike O'Connell

I usually rely on my child or VHS tapes to help relive my youth, but these days that duty has fallen upon a couple of athletic teams competing for championships in their respective sports.

When I was a kid the best team in the NBA was the Boston Celtics, and the best team in the NHL was the Edmonton Oilers.

Here we are 40 years later and history is repeating itself, once again letting me relive my aforementioned childhood.

Celtics did their job last night, moving up two games to none in their series against the Mavs.

The Oilers have their work cut out for them, but that work can become much easier with a win tonight in Miami.

Come on, Edmonton, we can’t let an ice hockey team based in Florida win the Stanley Cup.

(Fifth year in a row, by the way, that a team from Florida has appeared in the Finals while a team from Canada hasn’t one since 1993.)

The Oilers? Ils sont dus.

Any guesses on the twin anniversaries Friday?

Hint: Like young Bartholemew on an ancient episode of The Simpsons, I spend much of the month of June cashing in as many birthday coupons for free stuff as I possibly can.

Many things in this world we don’t really need…

until you get a coupon for a free one.

Today’s episode of Math and Musings begins with serious discussions about colonial history and ends with discussions about Pop-Tarts and amusement parks.

Yes, I had my son with me but actually I was the one picking the topics.

I’m young at heart.

M-A-V-S, Mavs, Mavs, Mavs!

Following a little late-game magic last night my new favorite NBA team (that would be the Dallas Mavericks) are on the cusp of holding up their end of the Dallas Double.

Will Stars shine bright in Edmonton tonight for their buildingmates?

It’s probably a crime to celebrate Memorial Day watching hockey from Canada, but hey, they’re allies too, eh?

Okay, so the O’Connell childhood hockey double is still a possibility, but on a national scale I’m now looking at the very real possibility of a Dallas double, Stars and Mavs having entered conference finals in basketball and hockey. Those teams share an arena, the American Airlines Center, which is now the center of North American athletics.

The AAC has been home to its NBA and NHL tenants since 2001. Back the Mavs were owned by a guy named Ross Perot, and nobody knew who Mark Cuban was. They’ve sold out over 800 games in a row, and now have the eyes of the basketball world upon them.

Stars have claimed exactly one Stanley Cup, 25 years ago as a matter of fact.

Sounds like time to make it a double.