Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: 50 Reasons Why It's Better Than the NBA Playoffs

Almost 10 years have past since Jim Armstrong wrote a piece for ESPN's Page 2 column giving his 10 reasons on why the Stanley Cup playoffs were more exciting than the NBA playoffs.

When I first read it, I was a 12-year-old Southern California kid, who just happened to be the only hockey fan in my sixth-grade class dominated with Laker fans who were in the middle of their three-peat. Because of that, I would constantly try to convince my teenage friends to give the NHL a chance. I would recite reasons from Armstrong's article much to no avail, because let's face it, hockey "wasn't cool" in LA, and I was dealing with 12-year-olds.

Don't get me wrong. I love the NBA. I'm one of the rare hockey fans who actually doesn't hate the NBA, and I follow both sports passionately.

That being said, the Stanley Cup playoffs are just something else. Growing up a Pittsburgh Penguins fan in LA, I remember watching Mario Lemieux's comeback and how much it meant for me to see him skate one more time.

The Stanley Cup playoffs, for me, were about begging my mother to let me stay up and watch the epic five-overtime battle between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, which ended in heartbreak when Keith Primeau beat Ron Tugnutt.

They were about the exultation and jubilance that ensued when Darius Kasparaitis scored a game-winning overtime goal in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres, sending the Pens to the conference finals in 2001.

And most importantly, they were about seeing Sidney Crosby hoist the Cup for the first time and me embracing my brother with tears of joy in my eyes.

Everyone has their own unique Stanley Cup story. Those were mine.

And because of the great medium that is Bleacher Report, I have decided to build on Armstrong's piece 10 years ago.

Here are 50 reasons why the Stanley Cup playoffs blow the NBA's version of the postseason out of the water. 

1. Overtime in the Playoffs

There's nothing like an epic overtime game in the Stanley Cup playoffs. These are the games we remember most, staying up until the wee hours of the morning. 

We'll tell our kids and grandkids about these games. 

About how you ran out of food in the first overtime and were forced to order more in the second overtime.

About how you were late for work or school the following morning because you were up until midnight watching a hockey game for five hours.

These are the games that separate the average fans from the diehards. 

Your heart stops with every shot on goal, acrobatic save and puck that hits the post. There are no commercials in overtime, so your heart rate increases rapidly as you impatiently wait for either your team to score or for the next intermission to begin so you can have a breather.

That's what it's all about.

From the 1000-plus hockey games I've watched in my life, the ones I'll remember most are the long, playoff overtime games.

And God bless my mother for letting me stay up and watch them when I was a child. I know I'll do the same for my kids one day. 

2. Greatest Trophy in Sports

Everyone knows what the Stanley Cup is. Most people don't even know the name of the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy. The Cup is an extravagant and awesome trophy that easily beats out every other trophy.

Hey, you can even drink champagne from it!

Most importantly, the winners are etched into history. No other sport in the United States has that tradition except for the NHL. The notion of having your name engraved with the legends of the game gives me goosebumps. 

3. The Green Men

The NBA has nothing close to these guys.

They can have Jack Nicholson, I'll take Vancouver's Green Men any day of the week.

Can't wait to see what they have in store this playoff season near the Rogers Arena penalty box.

4. Canada vs. USA Dynamic

The Stanley Cup has been won by American-based franchises every year since 1993. 

Canada came one game away last season when the Vancouver Canucks lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins. The Ottawa Senators will join the Canucks this season to try to bring the Cup back where it belongs.

It's always great to battle with our neighbors to the north, and it gives fans a reason to cheer for a team if their favorite team is not in the Stanley Cup Final. 

The NBA could have something like that, too. But that would mean the Toronto Raptors would actually have to make the playoffs for once. 

5. Playoff Beards

The NBA can swoon all over James Harden's beard.

Every single hockey player (except Sidney Crosby) has one of those by the time May rolls around. 

6. Carrie Underwood Sightings

Possibly the best thing to have come from Gary Bettman's southern expansion was the emergence of Nashville as a hockey market.

They've had winning teams throughout the last decade, but now with Mike Fisher, husband of American country music superstar Carrie Underwood, playing for the local team, it gives the residents of Nashville a greater reason to follow the Preds.

And it makes us fans watching the playoffs say to ourselves, "Mike, you are one lucky man."

7. Evgeni Malkin's Parents

Once again, the NBA can have all the celebrity fans they want.

The NHL does it differently. They turn regular Joes into celebrities. Here's another example.

Aww...now aren't they the cutest couple?

Just one question, why does it seem like they're always seated in the last row of arenas? The Penguins couldn't do any better with tickets? 

8. Parity

The San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers have won nine of the last 13 NBA titles. In the next decade, expect the Miami Heat to rack up their own share of titles because of LeBron James.

In comparison, eight different teams have won the Stanley Cup in the last eight years. 

Every team has a shot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. There are no filler teams. The No. 8 and No. 7 seeds frequently upset their favorites, and the league recently had a No. 7 seed and a No. 8 seed duke it out in the Eastern Conference back in 2010 when the Philadelphia Flyers ousted the Montreal Canadiens.

Every team has a chance in the NHL, which makes it a lot more interesting for a wider range of fans. 

9. Intensity and Physicality

Every hit, shot, save and goal is amplified in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Animosity grows between combatants throughout a best-of-seven series, and it often leads to intense physical action. 

When everything is on the line, these guys let it all go. 

10. Goalie Serenading and "We Want the Cup" Chants

The hair on my arms stands every time when the home crowd starts chanting, "We want the Cup!" during games.

Fans are far more involved with these chants in the NHL than in the NBA, giving playoff hockey games a European soccer style atmosphere. 

11. Ilya Bryzgalov Postgame Interviews

The NBA has Ron Artest's eccentricities, but that's getting a tad old, isn't it?

Ever since Ilya Bryzgalov explained the mysteries of the universe to us, listening to his postgame interviews has become a hobby of mine.

Seeing a half-drunk Bryzgalov giving a celebratory interview after winning the Cup would be absolutely priceless. 

12. The Game-Winning Goal

This is a close one. 

Would you rather see Kobe Bryant hit a game-winning shot or Sidney Crosby score a game-winning goal in overtime?

Considering that game-winning shots happen more often because of the fact that the shootout decides most games in the regular season, the edge goes to the game-winning goal.

The relief and despair for the winning and losing teams, respectively, after a long overtime game are genuine emotions that one can feel when watching the game.

Plus, we all know who's taking the final shot in basketball. In hockey, anyone can be the hero, from an enforcer to the superstar scorer.

13. Lyndon Slewidge National Anthems

Just watch. 

14. The Energy in Certain Arenas

No your television didn't get louder. 

It's just the crowd that did. 

The crowd gets loud and active during these games, and it can rattle a visiting team easily. It's a lot better than the executives, CEOs and celebrities that infiltrate Staples Center during Lakers playoff games and sit there quietly throughout the game. 

15. "Chelsea Dagger"

This song starts blasting loudly from the Madhouse on Madison in Chicago every time the Blackhawks score.

It's possibly one of the best goal songs in the NHL, and you're definitely not going to hear it in any NBA arena!

16. The Final 2 Minutes

Let's face it. 

The last two minutes of an NBA game take forever. They pretty much turn into free-throw contests.

Meanwhile, the last two minutes of a playoff hockey game are frantic and heart-wrenching. There's nothing better than seeing a team down by one goal trying to tie it up in the last two minutes. They're firing everything, including the kitchen sink, at the opposing goaltender to just even up the game. 

The goalie leaves the net for the extra attacker, and the onslaught continues. And unless the game gets tied up, the tumult ends in two minutes, and your heart is allowed to rest easy.

17. No Egos

NBA players can be accused of being egotistical, alpha males. Just look at the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. How can one look at that and not call it selfish?

The NHL is team-oriented. Players have each other's backs at all times, and there's rarely any mutiny between teammates and coaches in the same locker room.

They're too busy bashing other teams' heads. Why would they turn against each other?

18. Finger Biting

Not sure if an episode like this will happen this year, but it can.

When Alex Burrows bit Patrice Bergeron's finger in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, it started a whole theme of players taunting each other by sticking their finger in front of an opponent's mouth asking them to bite it.

The Bruins did plenty of that taunting when the series shifted to Boston, and it was one of the more memorable moments from last year's playoffs. 

19. Hard Hits (Clean Ones of Course)

The slam dunk might be the most aggressive play in basketball. It's definitely exciting, but there's nothing more bone-jarring than seeing a player getting blasted with a clean, legal hit.

Generally, a big hit like that, even if it is clean, will stir the pot between both teams, and the action will get more physical in the game.

Here was Brooks Orpik back in 2008, who ignited his team by getting four bone-crushing hits in a matter of 15 seconds.

20. Doc Emrick

He has the most recognizable voice in all of hockey. 

There's nothing like hearing Doc Emrick call a fast-paced and furious offensive attack. His unique voice makes the presentation of the game more exciting. 

His play-by-play is as descriptive as it gets, as if he's calling a game on the radio. 

And nothing beats him exclaiming, "Oh!!!" after an amazing play. 

21. New York Factor

New York is the largest media market in the United States. Love their teams or hate them, it's important for the growth of any league to have teams from New York succeed.

This season, the New York Rangers finished first in the Eastern Conference and have a legitimate shot to win the Cup. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks in the NBA are barely hanging on to the eighth seed in the NBA and don't have a fighting chance to get anywhere.

The more captivated New York is in any sport, the better it is for the league. 

22. Comebacks

The NBA has never seen a team come back down from an 0-3 series deficit and win.

The NHL has seen it happen three times, most recently in 2010 when the Philadelphia Flyers shocked the Boston Bruins.

Because of the parity, comebacks are more prevalent in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which gives fans a reason to stay tuned even if it seems like their team is down and out. 

23. Players Put Everything on the Line

One thing is for sure. You'll never see an NHL owner bash his player for quitting on his team in a series.

That work doesn't exist in hockey. 

24. Star Power but Limited by Team Spirit

Star power in the NHL has increased throughout the past few years because of the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk, among others.

However, these faces of the NHL don't dictate how far a team will go in the playoffs. They need to be part of a good group of players who understand team chemistry and work well together. 

This is why Steven Stamkos, despite scoring 60 goals, is not going to be in the playoffs this year. 

Star power is limited in the NHL despite its growth. It's merely a tool for marketing the league. However, in the NBA, the league is star-driven, and sometimes, that takes away the concept of team.

25. Fiery Coaches

From John Tortorella's angry postgame rants to Peter Laviolette yelling at the Pittsburgh Penguins, hockey have consistently shown that they are fiery personalities. 

They are larger than life characters as shown in HBO's 24/7: Road to the Winter Classic documentaries, and they're sure as hell fun to watch. 

26. The Handshake Line

After killing each other for seven games, it's amazing to see two foes on the ice shake each other's hands after every playoff series. It's one of the most grandiose traditions in sports.

It shows respect to your opponent despite all the blood (literal and figurative) that was shed throughout the two weeks of grueling and intense hockey. 

27. Winter Classic Trend

One of the participants of the Winter Classic has gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the following season. If this trend continues, that's great news for the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins this season, who played in last year's Classic at Heinz Field. 

The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will have to wait one more year after playing in this year's Classic.

Will the trend continue?

28. Unpredictability

Because of the parity in the league, there's a high level of unpredictability in the Stanley Cup playoffs. You pretty much have to expect the unexpected.

Prepare to be shocked. From 0-3 series comebacks to No. 8 seeds upsetting No. 1 seeds, anything is possible once you're in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That's why it's just important to get in. The 2006 Edmonton Oilers were a No. 8 seed, and they went to the Stanley Cup Final. The 2010 Montreal Canadiens advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference final as a No. 8 seed, too.

29. Keeper of the Cup

Bet you don't know the caretakers of the trophies in other pro sports. This guy is famous for taking good care of the greatest trophy in sports. Plus, he has nice hair. 

30. Ladies Love Hockey

Maybe it's just me, but I've recently seen more and more females at hockey games. And it's not like they're there with their boyfriends with a cocktail in their hands. They're decked out in their favorite team's sweater and cheering louder than the rest of us. 

Generally, when we see younger women at NBA games, they are dressed up as if they're going to a restaurant or a night club. They just sit there like a boring log and watch the game holding their boyfriend's hand.

Sporting events shouldn't be romantic dates, ladies! Get up and cheer! 

31. CNBC: Your Source for Finance...err Hockey!

That's right, folks!

The Stanley Cup playoffs will be broadcast on CNBC this season. Expect a large increase in ticket sales purchased by financial investors next season. 

Generally speaking, financial investors are high IQ people, and it's always good to have your fans be educated.

Helps prevent arena brawls, ya know?

32. The Penalty Shot

It's rare, but if it happens, it's easily one of the most exciting plays in sports. There's nothing in basketball that even comes close to the excitement of the penalty shot. 

33. Goaltending Is Legal

In the NBA, goaltending results in two points and a change of possession. It's illegal.

In the NHL, goaltending helps win Stanley Cups. 

34. No Kardashians

With Lamar Odom having disappeared from the face of the earth this season and Kris Humphries not going to the playoffs, Kardashian sightings will be limited in this year's version of the NBA playoffs.

That being said, there's still a chance of a reference or two during broadcasts, which is enough to make the Stanley Cup playoffs trump the NBA playoffs. 

In fact, now that I think of it, the other 49 reasons are pointless. This itself would've convinced half of you. 

35. Obama Has More Options

If our President is going to attend a sporting event, chances are he's going to go to one in Chicago or Washington. 

In the NBA, the Washington Wizards are irrelevant and will not make the playoffs. This means President Obama only has a chance to see the Chicago Bulls in action. However, in the NHL, he can see the Blackhawks and the Capitals.

More entertainment options for our President!

36. Nobody Named Metta World Peace

OK, it was funny the first 20 times when announcers would say, "Metta World Peace," on air. But it's tired now. 

Hockey players don't crave attention. Therefore, they don't find the urge to change their names to Ochocinco or World Peace. 

37. Fights and Brawls

Who said there was no fighting in playoff hockey? 

Last year's Stanley Cup Final was filled with them, and everyone remembers how Max Talbot's fight against the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2009 turned the Pittsburgh Penguins' fortunes around and helped them win the series.

The best part is that fighting is a part of hockey. If a fight breaks out in an NBA game, players get suspended for weeks and maybe months. Fights are ugly marks in NBA history. In hockey games, they amplify the excitement of the game. 

Hooray, shoulder pads!

38. Fans Can Throw Things on the Ice

Throwing an object on the floor during an NBA game will result in an immediate ejection.

In an NHL playoff game, a hat trick allows fans to throw their hats onto the ice legally. It's a cool tradition, and it makes fans feel part of the game, rather than just a spectator. 

And with the Florida Panthers back into the playoffs, can we bring this back, please?

39. Seeing Bettman Get Booed

It's sad, but it's also funny.

Gary Bettman gets booed louder than any commissioner. Fans have their gripe against him, and it's just hilarious to see him get showered with boos every year when he presents the Stanley Cup. 

40. It's a Global Sport

Basketball is growing, but it's nowhere near the global status that the NHL is at.

Fans from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Russia will all be watching their hometown players shine in the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

41. Don Cherry's Suits

Hide the women and children, it's Don Cherry and his flamboyant suits!

Love 'em or hate 'em, it's always a thrill to see what fashion code Cherry is breaking on any given night during the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

No word if he and Craig Sager have the same stylists. 

42. Kissing Couple

It's kind of cool to see that the most iconic photograph of 2011 resulted from a hockey game, not an NBA game. 

43. Greg Wyshynski Eulogies on Yahoo! Sports

Greg Wyshynski is the NHL's lead blogger on Yahoo! Sports, and he's an extremely talented writer. He's informative, insightful and humorous.

Every year when a team gets eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, he publishes a eulogy on the team's exit.

They're fun reads, and they never get old. 

44. Richer History

The NHL's been around since 1917, but the Stanley Cup has been awarded for over 100 years. After baseball, hockey has the richest history in this country for sports. 

The richer the history, the more coveted the trophy. 

45. Revitalizes Detroit's Economy

Detroit was hit pretty hard by the recession. That's been well-documented.

It's been nice to see the Detroit Red Wings as a viable competitor for the Stanley Cup year after year, bringing joy to the people of Detroit. 

In the NBA, the Pistons are nowhere to be found again in the playoff picture. Hell, they don't even play in Detroit. They play in Auburn Hills. The Pistons just make everything more depressing in the Motor City.

The Red Wings give them hope and life. They won 23 consecutive home games this season for their fans and will look to bring home yet another Cup. 

46. Broken Bone? I'll Play Through It

There's no way any player on any team is 100 percent physically at this point of the season. They've been bruised and battered for 82 regular-season games and are about to go through the most grueling two months of hockey imaginable. 

Defenders stand in front of 100 mph slap shots, take pucks to the face, get checked into the boards, get involved in skirmishes and fights, yet they still continue to play. They are true ironmen. 

Meanwhile, the NBA is complaining about a 66-game schedule just because it's a little condensed?

Pshaw!

47. No Free Throws

Free throws are the most boring part of basketball. They slow down the game, and they happen frequently. Fortunately, hockey fans don't have to deal with it. 

48. The Advantage of Having Lower Ratings

Here's a strange reason why the Stanley Cup playoffs are better than the NBA playoffs.

The NHL isn't going to have stronger ratings than the NBA, but that means there are fewer bandwagon fans watching games. Nobody likes that bandwagon fan who never watches until the big games.

There are plenty of those in the NBA. 

And worst of all, there is no Aunt Betsy asking why the shot clock keeps resetting to 24 seconds after every possession. 

The NHL might not have as many viewers, but the few that watch, understand the game perfectly. 

49. Next Awesome NHL Playoffs Ad

This ad, "Cup Raise," was aired three seasons ago, and I've seen it about 500 times.

Each and every time, I get chills.

The NHL's marketing department has done an excellent job with ads and commercials in recent years, and it's definitely helped grow the game.

Just waiting for the next awesome NHL ad!

50. It's the Good Old Hockey Game

At the end of the day, the NHL playoffs trump the NBA playoffs because of the game being played. 

While watching an NHL playoff game, the viewer is watching a game of hockey. On the other hand, a person watching an NBA playoffs game is viewing a basketball game.

Sounds like a John Madden comment, but it easily explains why there's nothing like the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Let the puck drop!