This idea came to me not too long ago, so we’ll see how it pans out. If you’re a sports fan like me, chances are you’ll hit a couple different sports websites on a regular basis, each of which will probably have some sort of power ranking system. The problem: rarely do any of us have time to read power rankings for each sport individually. Below is my solution to that problem. Please share some feedback if you give it a read, because otherwise I’ll just assume it’s great.

The Ultimate Power Rankings: Week of May 24th

1. The miami heat

Whether or not LeBron travelled on his game winning shot Wednesday night, and whether or not Roy Hibbert should’ve been in the game when it went down is completely irrelevant. Their logo couldn’t be more appropriate. These guys are on FIRE these days. It all starts with the league’s MVP up front. Since LeBron entered the NBA, nobody else has made more than 5 game-tying/go-ahead shots with the shot clock off. He’s 7 for 16. Oh, and not to mention, the Heat have won 46 of their last 49 games. Who’s going to beat them in a Best of 7? Nobody. It’s one thing to have a good team, but a good basketball team that can call upon clutch shooting? Look out.

2. the san antonio spurs

Those who know me know I’m not a basketball guy. I’ll kick it to the back burner most of the time in favour of nearly anything else. But every once in a while, there’s a captivating story or two that’s just impossible to ignore. Cue the renaissance of the San Antonio Spurs. Right now, they’re a bunch of old dudes playing like they did in the mid-2000’s when they won 3 out of 5 NBA Championships. Tim Duncan just became the 3rd oldest player to be named an NBA First-Team All-Star and on Tuesday, Tony Parker rattled off a 15-point, 18-assist performance to put the Spurs up 2-0 over the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals. The win brought the Spurs’ record to 10-2 in these playoffs, the 2 blemishes being games against Golden State where Steph Curry just took over. Anything less than a Heat-Spurs final would be a huge shock at this point.

3. the cincinnati reds

The Cincinnati Reds are the hottest team in the Majors right now. After going 8-2 over their last games, they trail the St. Louis Cardinals by a game and a half for the best record in all of baseball. Canadian Joey Votto has picked up right where he left off last season, and the 3-time all-star is continuing to stake his claim as one of the league’s premier first basemen. Last week, Votto took home NL Player of the Week honours, going 14-24 at the plate (.583), with 2 home runs, 5 RBIs and drawing 5 walks. This is what his heat chart looks like so far this season. Note to pitchers: Don’t throw strikes.

Easy on the ball Joey. Sheesh.

4. the pittsburgh penguins

Hey, hockey! Finally!

The Penguins haven’t been as dominant as most expected they’d be this post-season. After battling goaltending woes in their series with the Islanders (the polite way of saying Marc-Andre Fleury was hot garbage), the Pens have settled into some degree of normalcy on the back of 36-year old back-up goalie Tomas Vokoun. The former Nashville Predator & Florida Panther has amassed a .943 SV% so far this series, staking Pittsburgh to a 3-1 series lead over the Ottawa Senators. Despite the additions of Jarome Iginla, Douglas Murray and Brenden Morrow, the Vokoun free agent signing is looking more and more like GM Ray Shero’s best move of the season. They’re a double overtime, hardnosed, Colin Greening goal away from already having a spot in the Conference finals. It’s looking like it’s only a matter of time until they book their ticket.

5. the detroit red wings

For starters, I’m a big time Detroit fan, but I promise this ranking is completely justified. The Red Wings have gone 11-4 over their past 15 games, 11 of which have been played against teams seeded either 1st or 2nd in the Western Conference. Couple this with the 4 straight wins they strung together just to get into the playoffs and it’s plain to see that Coach Mike Babcock has his team heading in the right direction. Detroit has gotten contributions from everywhere, including a couple surprises. Not the least of which is Jakub Kindl, the former Kitchener Ranger who drew into the lineup after Danny DeKeyser broke his hand as was declared out for the remainder of the playoffs. Kindl scored the game-winning goal in last night’s 2-0 victory, and led the team with 5 shots. They’ve has also been spoiled with stellar goaltending from the underrated Jimmy Howard, who has stopped 86 of the last 88 shots he’s faced, and who has excelled to the tune of a .977 SV% over the past 3 games, all Detroit victories. Closing out the top-seeded Blackhawks will be a tough task though, as the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patty Sharp can take over a game at a moment’s notice.

honourable mention: the toronto blue jays

The Blue Jays are winning? Holy crap. It’s no secret that the team hasn’t lived up to the hype that surrounded their off-season moves, but if the past few games have been any indication, the team may be headed in the right direction. The Blue Jays are 7-3 over their last 10 games, making them the hottest team in the American League over that stretch. Not to mention that in those 7 wins, the Jays put up double-digit runs in 4 of them. Despite some pitching issues (Ricky Romero, R.A. Dickey’s back, Sergio Santos’ arm, Josh Johnson’s everything), the bullpen has been decent, and Casey Janssen has continued to flourish in the closer role. If the big bats of Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia can stay hot, maybe this team can find it’s way back to .500 and beyond.