Changing of the Guard

In sporting events when the local teams aren't playing, I usually root for the team with the older players. The reasons aren't hard to fathom:

1) Being closer to their age, I identify with the geezers;
2) I like to think that guile and experience can sometimes overcome youth's superior physical attributes;
3) For younger players, there's always next year. For older players, current playoff rounds could be their last shot at a championship.

The past three days have not been kind to the fans of the fossilized. The favored San Antonio Spurs lost to the younger, quicker Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference Finals. A similar story played out in the East, where LeBron James' Miami Heat ran rings around a tired Celtics team in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Both the Spurs and the Celtics had led in their respective series, and both had won multiple NBA championships with their current roster. But neither could close the deal in 2012 against younger, quicker teams.

[Related: International superstar welterweight Manny Pacquaio, 33, lost a controversial split decision to 28-year-old Timothy Bradley on Saturday night.]