Series considered to be "the real championship"

[SabresRule]

Sometimes, a playoff series prior to a championship game is considered to be the real championship game/series and not the actual final round/game.

Examples:

When Detroit played Colorado in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, many were calling that series "The Real Stanley Cup Finals."

Also, that same year, the Lakers/Kings conference finals was considered by some as the real NBA Finals.

When the Cowboys and 49ers had their three straight NFC title games, they were considered by many to be "The Real Super Bowl."

In fact, even S.I. caught ahold of that:

These parts from the article sum up what I mean:

Why did we have to mess around so long with all this extraneous stuff?

Of course, there had to be a Regular Season and Surprising Teams and Resurgent Teams and Disappointing Teams and Experts Calculating Which Team Has A Chance To Sneak In As A Wild-Card Playoff Longshot, and the myriad Pregame Shows and Postgame Wrap-ups and Hope Springing Eternal In Rust-Belt Cities Where Football Is So Much Like Life, and Franchises Looking To The Future and Where Will Georgia Take Her Boys and Blah Blah Blah.

But it was all Nonsense. Had been all season. Only two Real Teams existed: the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers . All others were mobiles hanging in The Classroom Where Football Is Taught.

The 49ers and the Cowboys played each other once this year, on Nov. 13 in San Francisco , and it was a Big Game. None of this Maybe The Little Team From Green Bay Or The Clever Team From Chicago Can Pull Off An Upset. No, these were Men Duking It Out.

And now they are, and thank god the swill has finally run off into the gutters where it belongs. The 49ers and the Cowboys are so far above all other NFL teams that it's a pity we can't turn their NFC championship matchup this Sunday into Super Bowl XXIX. Then that anticlimactic thing occurring in Miami on Jan. 29 could be some kind of postseason weenie roast.

Anyone care to bring up more examples?

 

[HD MM]

'06: Last CFB game of regular season- #1 Ohio St. vs. #2 Michigan (OSU wins 42-39)
'07: ALCS- Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox (Sox win series 4-3)
'07: Eastern Conference Finals- Cleveland Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons (Cavs win series 4-2)

Each of these games preceded the Championship game of their respective sport. In each instance, these games proved to be much more intense, intriguing and competitive in all aspects. On the contrary, the next round Championship game turned out to be a big letdown from the previous round.

 

[Mets82]

How about the 03 and 04 ALCS? Those were two classic League Championship Series and the World Series, despite the Red Sox finally winning, was kind of an after thought.

 

[jwfgeol]

1983 Final Four Semifinal

#1 vs #2 - Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma vs. Louisville's Doctors of Dunk.

Of course, NC State ended up making the championship game one of the most memorable in college basketball history, but at the time, Houston vs. Louisville was all anyone was talking about.

 

[stevenl]

I think the SEC championship game has many times been the "College Title Game"

 

[mccoyrj]

'06: Last CFB game of regular season- #1 Ohio St. vs. #2 Michigan (OSU wins 42-39)... the next round Championship game turned out to be a big letdown from the previous round.

I think you missed the point of the OP's post. One of the previous teams actually has to later win the championship against the team that didn't belong. Didn't both of these teams get the sh*t beat out of them in their bowl games that year, proving that both were inferior to even their latter bowl opponents? How could their earlier meeting between each other be considered the real championship game?

 

[mccoyrj]

I think the SEC championship game has many times been the "College Title Game"

Until they come up with some fair playoff system in college football, you can't call any game played a true championship.

 

[Jimbo]

'06: Last CFB game of regular season- #1 Ohio St. vs. #2 Michigan (OSU wins 42-39)
'07: ALCS- Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox (Sox win series 4-3)
'07: Eastern Conference Finals- Cleveland Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons (Cavs win series 4-2)

Each of these games preceded the Championship game of their respective sport. In each instance, these games proved to be much more intense, intriguing and competitive in all aspects. On the contrary, the next round Championship game turned out to be a big letdown from the previous round.

That happens often in the NFL and Hockey ...

 

[Jimbo]

'06: Last CFB game of regular season- #1 Ohio St. vs. #2 Michigan (OSU wins 42-39)
'07: ALCS- Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox (Sox win series 4-3)
'07: Eastern Conference Finals- Cleveland Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons (Cavs win series 4-2)

Each of these games preceded the Championship game of their respective sport. In each instance, these games proved to be much more intense, intriguing and competitive in all aspects. On the contrary, the next round Championship game turned out to be a big letdown from the previous round.

I think you missed the point of the OP's post. One of the previous teams actually has to later win the championship against the team that didn't belong. Didn't both of these teams get the sh*t beat out of them in their bowl games that year, proving that both were inferior to even their latter bowl opponents? How could their earlier meeting between each other be considered the true championship game?

I think he was pointing out that the previous game was a much better game than the final game.

Jimbo

 

[mccoyrj]

I think he was pointing out that the previous game was a much better game than the final game.

Jimbo

Got it, my bad. :up

Just noticed your signature line Jimbo - made me laugh.

 

[Jimbo]

Got it, my bad. :up

Just noticed your signature line Jimbo - made me laugh.

Ya, I put that up at the start of Spring Training as I wanted to make sure people didn't think I started pulling for the LSU Tigers, seeing it was only a few short week after the MNC game

Jimbo

 

[SabresRule]

Jimbo,

you're a Wings fan.

Do you agree with my statement about the Detroit/Colorado series in 2002?

 

[Ramy]

The A's vs Red Sox in the 1990 ALCS..........Oh wait that playoffs didn't turn out how everyone predicted did it?

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo,

you're a Wings fan.

Do you agree with my statement about the Detroit/Colorado series in 2002?

When the Wings and Av's meet in the playoffs it's always a great series (till this year), I expected alot more from the Av's this year in the playoffs, it was actually disappointing.

Back in the day, it didn't get any better than that

Jimbo

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Celtic's / Pistons this past season. Pistons would have whipped LA also, no doubt what-so-ever.

 

[Ramy]

Celtic's / Pistons this past season. Pistons would have whipped LA also, no doubt what-so-ever.

Whatever.