Dallas Sports Keg

Miami Heat: Validity of Original Concerns

2011-06-08T11:20:00.004-05:00

Coming into this series, most commentary surrounded the juxtaposition of the veteran-laden Mavericks team facing a young and explosive Miami Heat. However, as the series has progressed, 26-year-old LeBron is the player that continues to disappear down the stretch.

Some have opined that LeBron is simply deferring to Wade while others have cited the Dallas defense as a reason for the LeBron Houdini act. Both assertions are probably correct in some respects, but one issue doesn't seem to garner the same level of attention as the aforementioned explanations: LeBron is tired.

"LeBron is 26," Dwyane Wade said. "He’s not going to wear down."

Are we sure about that?

Upon LeBron's arrival, most basketball analysts asserted that Miami's lack of depth would detrimentally affect the team's long-term potential. Commentators referenced the grind of an 82 game regular season and the physical toll dished out during a run through the Eastern Conference postseason. To its credit, the Heat shrugged off the critiques and rolled through the Eastern conference, leaving a trail of bloody teams in their wake. Depth has not been an issue for the team as a whole and the cyborg known as LeBron James has shown no ill-effects of the increased workload.

Until now.

After Game 4, James is now a combined 3-of-12 in the 4th quarter throughout the Finals. Why? Fatigue seems like a logical explanation.

LeBron has been asked to play substantially more minutes per game during this postseason than any other player still standing. Through 19 postseason games, James is averaging 44 minutes/game. Dirk has averaged the most playing time for the Mavericks, coming in at 39 minutes/game.

While that may not seem like a significant difference, consider the fact that each of the players mentioned have played in 19 postseason games this season.

Total Postseason Minutes
LeBron: 836
Dirk: 741

LeBron has played an additional 95 minutes this posteason...essentially equating to playing two more postseason games than Dirk has, in terms of minutes played. And these have not been low-pressure minutes. LeBron's minutes involve being one of the two primary offensive options on every possession of the game while also being asked to lock down one of the opposing team's best scorers. For 44 minutes. Every game. All season long.

Another issue: LeBron's heavy workload didn't begin in the playoffs. During the regular season, James had the sixth-highest per-game average in terms of minutes played at 39 minutes/game. Dirk averaged 34.

Regular Season Minutes
LeBron: 3063
Dirk: 2503

LeBron played 560 more minutes than Dirk during the regular season. In other words, he essentially played almost 12 additional regular season games in terms of minutes played. If you combine the minutes in the regular season with the postseason minutes, James has played approximately 14 more games than Nowitzki throughout this season.

Despite LeBron's gifted athleticism and physical build, playing almost every minute of every game during the regular season and throughout a grueling postseason has to eventually affect one's production.

While we like to believe that James was built with metal and steel, it appears that he may be made of flesh and blood after all.

The Paul Molitor Myth

2011-02-14T10:17:00.006-06:00

The Paul Molitor Myth

It remains unlikely that Michael Young is traded before the season starts (as discussed in detail by Jamey Newberg here).

In summation, in order to avoid weakening the 2011 club, Texas would need to trade Young for a player that could help the Rangers win this year. Unfortunately, teams that would be interested in a 34-year-old DH/second-baseman are also looking to contend in 2011 – meaning that they are unlikely to trade away players who can contribute this year.

During the last week (and more generally, over the last couple of years), many pundits have suggested that Michael Young will end his career as a Paul Molitor-type DH. Like Young, Molitor came up as a second-baseman and then moved around the diamond, eventually settling at DH for the last portion of his career. Molitor began getting the majority of his starts at DH when he turned 34 (the current age of Young). Realistically, that’s where the similarities stop.

Beginning at age 34, Molitor posted these numbers as a primary DH:

Age 34: .325/.399/.489 (.888)
Age 35: .320/.389/.461 (.851)
Age 36: .332/.402/.509 (.911)
Age 37: .341/.410/.518 (.927)
Average: .330/.400/.494 (.894)

Here are Young’s last four seasons (age 30-33):

Age 30: .315/.366/.418 (.783)
Age 31: .284/.339/.402 (.741)
Age 32: .322/.374/.518 (.892)
Age 33: .284/.330/.444 (.774)
Average: .301/.352/.445 (.798)

During the last four years for Young, years that are typically considered near the “prime” for most players, he has managed to produce an average yearly OPS slightly below .800.

During the four years in which Molitor was age 34 – 37, years in which players typically decline, he produced an average yearly OPS slightly below .900.

How about home/away splits?

Molitor During Age 34-37 Seasons:
Home OPS: .910
Away OPS: .876

Young During Age 30- 33 Seasons:
Home OPS: .855 (very similar to his career Home OPS of .859)
Away OPS: .742 (very similar to his career Away OPS of .733)

Though Molitor was a better hitter at home, he was still a very above-average hitter on the road.

Young, on the other hand, has been an above-average hitter at home and a below-average hitter on the road. If Young’s ability to consistently produce really is a strength of his, one must take into account the fact that he is consistently a below-average hitter away from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The goal is not to suggest that Young is a bad hitter or a useless player. In fact, he could be a very valuable part of this team moving forward. But this is just a reality check. For whatever reason, Young is considered by many Rangers fans as a great player (Evan Grant recently suggested placing a statue of Young in RBiA). But putting aside the intangibles that he possesses (assuming you consider them relevant), Young’s on-field production is solid but unspectacular. Put Young on the Washington Nationals and people in the DFW area wouldn't even consider labeling him as a "great" player. On the flip side, Paul Molitor was one of the best hitters in baseball for a significant period of time (before the PED era).

Michael Young is the Rangers’ best option at full-time DH for 2011 and who knows, maybe he will have a late-career boom as a DH. But, based on his recent numbers and his career production, it seems unrealistic to suggest that Michael Young will become a Molitor-clone at DH. We should be satisfied if Young can muster average ML production from this point forward and we should refrain from creating expectations for Young that he will never fulfill.

Neighbors of a Serial Killer: Part Two

2011-02-07T19:47:00.005-06:00

On January 12, 2009...I wrote this regarding Michael Young's trade request:

Neighbors of a Serial Killer
January 12, 2009

The Texas Rangers have asked Michael Young to change positions and he is not having any of it. After speaking with General Manager Jon Daniels about moving to third base, Young said,

I'm not playing third base. I'm pretty adamant about my stance. I told them I wanted to be traded.

Have you ever seen a news story on a serial killer? You know, the ones where their neighbors are interviewed and always say something to the effect of, "He was always such a nice man. He was friendly, he helped me trim my tree, and seemed like a great guy. I just can't believe that he did this!"

Well, that's kind of how many Ranger fans feel about Michael Young right now. Is comparing Young to a serial killer a little extreme? Probably...but being a lifelong Ranger fan will have that effect on you!

For years, Ranger fans have considered Michael Young a leader. They considered him the "face" of the Ranger organization. He has the reputation of a guy that will do anything to win. He is Mr. Team.

They may now be questioning whether they mislabeled their beloved shortstop. Let's examine:

1. After the 2003 season, when Alex Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees, Michael Young volunteered to move from 2nd base to shortstop. Fans and reporters considered this the ultimate "team-first" move.

But was it really?

Let's see, Young moved from 2nd base to the most important defensive position on the field. Teams value shortstops more than they do 2nd basemen. As a result, shortstops get paid more, on average, than 2nd basemen.

Three years after moving to shortstop, Young received a 5 year, $80 million dollar contract. Coincidence?

2. During the past few seasons, Young was often quoted as saying that "I am not interested in rebuilding...I am interested in getting better now."

The Rangers attempted to improve "now" by trading away prospects for veteran pitchers Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and Brandon McCarthy. The Rangers also lost Armando Galarraga when they signed veteran starter Jason Jennings.

The "win now" moves rewarded Young and the Rangers with one of the worst rotations in baseball. But hey, at least they weren't "rebuilding."

3. In 2007, Texas acquired highly-rated shortstop prospect, Elvis Andrus, in the Mark Teixeira trade. Last week, the Rangers asked Michael Young to slide to 3rd to create an opening for the sweet-fielding Andrus. Young refused and instead, asked to be traded.

He went on to say,

The biggest misconception is that I was asked to move to third base. I was never asked. I was flat-out told. I was told I was playing third base. I felt that I had absolutely no say. I don't feel like there was any discussion or dialogue about the matter.

If that doesn't say "team," I don't know what does!

Guess what, Mike? Thousands of people have lost their jobs within the last few months. You are a baseball player. You "play" for a living. Sorry that you do not get to make out the lineup and pick your position. Despite earning $80 million over the next five years to play a game, you feel “disrespected” because your boss did not "ask" you to change positions? Really?

Wow.

Look, Young is probably a good guy. He works hard, he plays hard and he has carved out a nice career for himself. He is the self-appointed leader of the Texas Rangers. He has a clean-cut look, is well-spoken and has been extremely productive while in Texas.

Unfortunately for Mike, fans do not ignore "me-first" comments because you are a "good guy." Despite being the "face" of the organization, and after nine productive years with the Texas Rangers, Young will soon be traded.

And like the neighbors of a serial killer, hundreds of fans, who have seen Young as a team-first leader, will be amazed to learn that he is not the guy that they had come to know.

____________

This week, Young demanded a trade for the second time.

This scenario obviously differs from the situation in 2009 (mainly that the Rangers are coming off of a World Series appearance and look poised to continue getting better...something that might be important to a guy that is "all about" winning), but the theme remains the same: Michael Young is not some super-do-anything-to-help-the-team-win-leader that many thought he was. He is just a guy.

In 2009, the organization was concerned about the ripple effect that trading Young might have had, both in the clubhouse and with the fans. Having an ALCS banner and players like Andrus, Hamilton, Cruz, Murphy, and Feliz makes losing the "ultimate team-guy" much, much easier.

I hope that Jon Daniels honors Young's request and trades him to Baltimore so he can be a great "team-guy" on a 65-win club.

Dallas Cowboys: I want Fun Bobby back!

2009-12-14T12:13:00.001-06:00

Dallas Cowboys: Where is Fun Bobby?

Do you remember the episode of Friends in which the show introduced “Fun Bobby?” Bobby made people laugh, he created a uniquely energetic atmosphere and, quite simply, things were more exciting when Bobby was around. The problem: Bobby’s “fun” personality was a result of a drinking problem.

The seven generic white “friends” decided that they needed to do something. The group banded together and eventually helped Bobby quit drinking. The problem: Bobby was no longer “fun.” Without alcohol, Bobby was just another guy with very little to offer (and please ignore the indirect “why you should drink” message).

Cowboys’ fans – say hello to “No Fun Tony.”

That’s right; you got what you asked for. Since taking over as the starter, Romo has been one of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL. But instead of recognizing Romo’s unique ability to make plays that no other quarterback could make, the fans just wanted to talk about turnovers.

Every time the Cowboys lost, Dallas sports-talk was littered with “Jeds from Garland” telling the world that, “This team just cain’t win with a guy like Romo who dun goes and throws them interceptions!”

Well Jed, you got what you wanted. Romo is no longer fun to watch. He no longer consistently makes amazing plays. The constant and seemingly never-ending chirping about turnovers finally got to Tony (or Garrett) – and a below-average offense is the result.

How did San Diego score their first touchdown? Philip Rivers took a shot down the field – Dallas interfered on the play – and San Diego was given the ball at the 2-yard-line. Sounds pretty simple.

Romo no longer takes shots down the field. He doesn’t look for the big play (at least not in big games). If Romo avoids trouble in the pocket, he isn’t looking downfield; he is looking for his check-down receiver. In other words, you have turned one of the NFL’s most unique weapons into Kyle Orton.

Congratulations.

The fans that united to collectively whine and complain about Romo’s “carelessness” with the ball now have the opportunity to watch this Dallas team scratch and crawl to score 17 points. When Romo was clicking on all cylinders, 17 points was a decent total for one quarter. Romo hasn’t turned the ball over in December and Dallas is 0-2. He currently has the lowest turnover ratio of his career – and yet the offense has become less productive. But hey, that’s what everyone wanted, right?

Romo is a natural-born playmaker. Did his creativity and willingness to take chances occasionally lead to mistakes? Of course it did. But when Romo was playing free and loose, his positive impact on the offense far outweighed his occasional mishap.

Do you remember the youthful exuberance that used to surround Tony? Can you recall how electric Texas Stadium became when Romo stepped onto the field? Now, none of that happens. The fans aren’t excited, the players look disinterested and Romo himself doesn’t look confident. Two years ago, if you had told me that Romo would not exude confidence when he stepped on the field, I would have called you Sarah Palin crazy!

Early on in his career, Romo’s ability to make big plays defined him as a quarterback – and I can’t help but think that this coaching staff (with help from constant criticism by the fans/media) has simply taken that risk-taking mentality away from him. Though Romo has connected on 14 big plays (40+ yards) this season, only three of them have come during meaningful times in meaningful games (2 against Philadelphia; 1 against Green Bay). A more detailed breakdown follows:

• Week 2: Loss to the Giants 33-31 (0 big plays)
• Week 4: Loss at the Broncos 17-10 (1 big play less than 2:00 remaining)
• Week 10: Loss at the Packers 17-7 (1 big play)
• Week 13: Loss at the Giants 31-24 (0 big plays)
• Week 14: Loss to the Chargers 20-17 (0 big plays)

This team doesn’t make big plays against quality teams. Against Oakland and Seattle, Dallas receivers will break a tackle and create a big play. But in close games against decent teams, Dallas simply doesn’t take many (if any) shots down the field.

And no, T.O. isn’t the difference. T.O. played in Dallas last year and, outside of the San Francisco game, the team didn’t connect on many explosive plays. This isn’t a personnel issue – this is a mentality issue. Romo no longer appears to have the playmaker mentality. He doesn’t strike fear into opposing defense and he isn’t walking with the same swagger that he used to own. He simply looks like just another guy.

I don’t know about you, but I want “Fun Bobby” back!

Things You Should Never Do!

2009-08-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

After attending at least 30 Ranger games this year, Blair and I were discussing yesterday that we should make a list of things you should never do at a Ranger game.

Never do the wave..........no matter how hot, how boring, or how ignorant you are
Never wear a glove if you're over 9 years old
If you fail and wear a glove, please never cower behind the glove while your girlfriend takes a foul ball off the side of the face
Never "deke" the guy behind you by pretending that you're going to catch the hotshot headed your way.........only to move at the last second
Never bring Eddie in a game that matters
Never say "how could anyone be worse than Chris Davis" ie see Hank Blalock
Never expect Wash to play the game by the "book"
Never wear a tank top if you weigh in over 300lbs
Never expect Wash to have an actual plan or role for his bullpen
Never think you're gonna see Blalock walk
Never look for Kinsler to hit to the opposite field..........unless of course he's just late
Never think that MY is not the best player on the field.........period! (Unless we play the Cardinals)
Never regret bringing Elvis up to plas SS and moving MY over
Never order cotton candy if you're over 9 (see glove admonition above)
Never lose a home series to Minnesota, San Diego, or Oakland (oops 0-3 there)

OK, I know there are plenty more, but those come to mind right now. Enjoy the pennant race...........and put that glove and tank top back in the closet

What would Jones have to do?

2009-07-20T12:45:00.006-05:00

After watching another pathetic offensive performance by the Rangers, I thought to myself: "What would Andruw Jones have to do to be moved out of the cleanup spot?"

Since April, Jones is hitting .204:
In May, he hit .245...
In June, he hit .170...
In July, he is hitting .195...

During that time, he has produced a .285 OBP. Chris Davis' .202 average and .256 OBP not only resulted in him getting moved down in the order, it led to his demotion to AAA. For Andruw Jones, similar numbers have resulted in solidifying his role ast the starting DH and cleanup hitter!

Seriously, what would Jones have to do to lose playing time or to be dropped in the order? Hit .100? .075?

Similarly, Kinsler has been really bad since April (despite his 2-HR game last night). This year against RH pitchers, Kinsler has produced the very gross line of .216/.298/.400 (.698 OPS). Since right-handed pitchers start about two-thirds of all Major League games, Washington continues to handcuff the team by inserting a leadoff hitter who simply can't hit righties.

Could Kinsler turn it around? Sure. But for almost three months, he has been really bad against righties. When a right-handed pitcher is on the mound, Murphy needs to move into the leadoff spot. He has been very good against righties all season (plus, this sets up a L-R-L lineup combo).

Obviously, Jones and Kinsler are not the only problems within this offense, but when the lineup consistently underachieves, why keep doing the same thing?

Against a right-handed starter:

1. Murphy (consistently producing against righties...including .380 OBP since April)
2. Young (ideal #2 hitter)
3. Hamilton
4. Cruz (.948 OPS vs RH pitchers)
5. Blalock (.908 OPS vs RH pitchers)
6. Kinsler (horrible against RH pitchers: .698 OPS)
7. Byrd/Jones
8. Salty
9. Andrus

Against a left-handed starter:

1. Andrus (.398 OBP vs. LH pitchers)
2. Young
3. Hamilton
4. Kinsler (1.114 OPS vs. LH pitchers can't be wasted on the leadoff spot)
5. Cruz
6. Byrd
7. Salty
8. Blalock/Murphy (both are hitting below .200 vs. LH pitchers)
9. Jones

Makes a lot of sense, but I'm sure that Jones will continue to hit cleanup because, "Hey, he is Andruw Jones and he was good four years ago."

Smoke and Mirrors

2009-07-10T07:45:00.002-05:00

Over the last month, the Texas offense has been really bad. Too many strikeouts, not enough walks and a collective group simply not getting the job done. Luckily for the Rangers, their pitching staff has bailed them out.

That may change moving forward.

Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman have been unusually lucky throughout the first half of 2009. BABIP has been established as an extremely useful statistic. The acronym stands for: Batting-Average-on-Balls-In-Play. In other words, it tracks how often a pitcher gives up a hit when the hitter puts a pitch in play.

Typically, the league average hovers around the .300 mark meaning that, on average, 30% of balls put in play result in a base hit. Let’s take a look at the two Texas starters in question:

Millwood
Since coming to Texas, Millwood has allowed a BABIP of around .335. Last year, when he posted an ERA of 5.07 – his BABIP was .357. This year, while posting an ERA of 3.34 – his BABIP is .267 (90 points lower than 2008), which is below league-average and well below his recent career trend. You might just think that he is making better pitches this year, but upon further review:

Millwood is striking out less this year than he did in 2008...
Millwood is walking more than he did in 2008...

When walk rates go up and k-rates go down, ERA almost always inflates. Instead, Millwood has seen his ERA drop almost two full points.

Feldman
Last year, when Scott Feldman posted a 5.29 ERA, he allowed a BABIP of .285. This year, while posting an ERA of 3.91 – his BABIP is .236 (almost 50 points lower than last year). Is he making better pitches? Possibly, but again:

Felman's walk rates haven’t changed much this year...
Feldman's strikeout rate is almost identical to last year’s...

The difference: he is allowing two less hits for every 9 innings that he pitches.

The Rangers have improved their team defense and that can play a significant role within hits-allowed numbers; however, the defense by itself cannot explain both pitchers’ sudden improvement. If the defensive changes were solely responsible, you would expect the entire staff to see massive improvement within their BABIP numbers. That hasn’t happened. Matt Harrison has seen a dramatic increase in his BABIP this year. Padilla has seen his BABIP remain fairly constant. Brandon McCarthy has a much higher BABIP than it was in 2008.

I hope that I am wrong and am pulling for Millwood and Feldman to continue pitching well, but the numbers generally don’t lie. They aren’t striking more batters out – they aren’t walking fewer batters – they are simply allowing fewer hits. That doesn’t typically happen very often, but we can hope, right?

How could you miss the signs?

2009-07-09T07:32:00.003-05:00

My computer has been returned, apparently the victim of an alien abduction. How else do you explain the gibberish coming out of it last week? Granted the Rangers had just finished the worst hitting month in over 15 years, had just dropped 2 of 3 to the lowly Padres at home, and had lost the first game of a 3 game set with the Angels dropping them out of first for the first time in 2 months, but only some unintelligent life from another world would jump to the conclusion that the Rangers were done. Yes there were 2 games left with the Angels and the Rays were coming to town followed by 7 on the road with the Angels and Mariners, but who in their right mind would predict that the Rangers would finish 4-8 in those remaining games. I for one knew that couldn’t be the case as evidenced by the Rangers winning the 2 remaining games with the Angels, sweeping the Rays, and then winning the series in Anaheim.

I mean, come on, it was there for all to see. Hank Blalock was primed to hit game winning home runs, Tommy Hunter was obviously a solid starter on the rise, and I think it was clear that Andruw Jones was about to return to 2005 form. And of course I had no doubt that once the Rangers got to Anaheim they would take care of business and spank the Angels in the first 2 games of that series, but apparently alien civilizations don’t have access to the information or insight that I do.

Since that loss to Anaheim a week ago, the Rangers have won 7 of 9 (including 4 of 5 against LAA) , returned to 1st place, sent Chris Davis to AAA, and the duo of Blalock and Jones has carried the Rangers offensively. I’m not surprised, the evidence was there. Only someone that has not watched these Rangers all year would be expecting a fall. I apologize for the mess coming from this computer last week; it was evidently at the hands of someone who doesn’t understand this Ranger team. Hey move over!! Man this bandwagon is getting crowded.

Why Are We Voting for Ian Kinsler?

2009-07-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

Last week, Major League Baseball announced the All Star selections for this year’s mid-season classic. Despite leading the fan vote throughout the entire first-half of the season, Ian Kinsler was edged out by Boston 2nd baseman, Dustin Pedroia. Kinsler has been named as one of five players added to the “Final Vote” group. The “Final Vote” selection provides fans with the ability to vote-in one additional player in each league that did not originally earn a roster spot.

If you are a Ranger fan or have watched any recent Ranger games, you have undoubtedly seen numerous marketing messages imploring you to vote for Ian Kinsler. I can understand why the Texas Ranger organization would want another representative at the All Star game. I can understand why Ranger fans would hope to see another Ranger make the trip to St. Louis.

I don’t understand why any non-Ranger fan/employee would vote for Ian Kinsler. Kinsler has some impressive numbers: 20 homeruns; more than 50 RBI; 16 stolen bases. That all looks impressive – but he hasn’t been nearly as good as his numbers would suggest.

In April, Kinsler produced a ridiculous .322/.384/.656 line. He was one of the best players in baseball and it appeared that he had carried momentum from his great 2008 season into 2009. Then the calendar turned to May.

Since May 3rd, Kinsler has seen his average drop from .337 to .253; he has seen his OPS drop from 1.092 to .831 and his offensive presence has all but disappeared. In fact, since his hot April start, Kinsler has produced the very ugly line of .231/.320/.462 with an OPS of .782.

If you dig deeper, you will find a more disturbing statistic: while producing a .955 OPS at offensive-inclined Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, he has wilted on the road, posting a measly .679 OPS.

Kinsler has played well during one month of 2009, he has been a non-factor on the road and he just ended an 0-23 slump. Sorry Ranger fans, I just don’t think that resume shouts “All Star selection.”

Blessing in Disguise

2009-06-30T07:06:00.005-05:00

The Rangers just lost 2 of 3 at home to the lowly Padres and last night began a 3 game series with the Division leading Angels with a loss. The Rangers have 12 games left before the All Star break including 5 against the Angels (2 at home and 3 on the road) 3 against the hottest team (and maybe most talented) team in the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays, and 4 on the road against the resurrected Mariners. There is a better than good chance that the Rangers come out of this stretch with a 4-8 record. This could, and probably will, end most thoughts that the Rangers will contend for a Division title this year. The Rangers were at least a year ahead of schedule anyway but it's unfortunate because you simply never know when you might be back in a position to contend.

The good news: this should force the Rangers to become sellers at the deadline. Padilla might have damaged his value by giving up 5 straight hits in the 6^th last night (all of them shots including 2 homers) but he might have some value in the marketplace...assuming that Texas would pick up a significant piece of his salary. Texas also has an array of average major-leaguers on the bench that can be had for a bus ticket. Hopefully someone sees value in the left-handed bat of Blalock. Regrettably, that last statement includes his strongest attribute. The fact that he hits (in Ranger vocabulary meaning swings) from the left side of the plate is his biggest attribute. I think even Ranger management finally had seen enough of the all or nothing (most often nothing) swing of Blalock as Triple A call-up Julio Borbon took over DH duties last night.

The Rangers are also rich at the catcher position and there is always value there. Maybe a little overexposure this year has tarnished Teagarden's star somewhat, but just take a look around the league; there aren’t that many serviceable catchers that have the upside that he does. I’m not sure that they can get today what they could have last year, but he should have some worth out there.

I know the knee-jerk Ranger fans are always looking to move CJ (inexplicably after a 315 ft home run…CJ how could you) but this is one player that management should say hands off. He has wicked stuff and has shown he can close games, a rare commodity. He has the makeup and the stuff to be a top line closer anywhere in the league and he is just 29. This is fairly young by bullpen standards.

All things considered, the lack of offense and the swoon in June has been disappointing, but in the end it may serve the Rangers and Ranger fans well. The temptation to sacrifice a prospect or two for another bat or a starting pitcher has to be diminished by the play on the field of late. In reality, this team is more than one and probably two above average major leaguers from catching the Angels. Let’s stand pat and let the kids grow. Just wait till next year...oh yeah I think I’ve said that before.

Texas Rangers Offense: The Ugly Truth

2009-06-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

Over the last month, Rangers fans have been subjected to something not familiar to these parts: bad offense. Yes – that’s right – the Texas Rangers are having major offensive issues.

For the month of June, Texas owns the 2nd lowest batting average (.218), the worst on-base percentage (.277) and has scored the 2nd fewest runs in all of baseball. I never thought that I would say this but, the Texas Rangers have no offense.

Many continue to wonder why this is happening. Is this a result of Milton Bradley leaving? Partly. Is this happening because Josh Hamilton is hurt? That’s definitely part of it. But there might be larger factors at play that Texas fans do not want to recognize: maybe this offense just isn’t very good.

Think about it: on any given day, the Rangers’ lineup includes Chris Davis, Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz. None of those guys have even two full years of major-league experience.

Texas consistently relies on young and inexperienced players to complete more than half of their lineup. What did you expect? Most young players initially struggle upon making it to the big-leagues – Texas just happens to have more young guys than most teams. Remember, 2009 was meant to be a developmental year for the organization. Andrus, Davis, Salty, Teagarden and Cruz were slotted to get extended playing time to help Rangers’ General Manager, Jon Daniels, determine what players will be here for the long-haul.

Before the season, most expected Texas to struggle. Luckily for the metroplex, Texas got off to a hot start and has provided the area with some really exciting baseball through June. Yes, the offense has really struggled recently, but you have to keep things in perspective. It’s not all about this year – it’s about building a core of players that will be here for the next decade. Most young guys don’t step into a major-league lineup and immediately light it up. It generally takes time and we are witnessing that development take place at the major-league level.

Don’t give up on these guys and don’t call for changes. This is a young, promising team that has limitless potential. Like with any young team, there will be bumps along the road – but that doesn’t mean that you decide to go a different direction.

What has happened to Taylor Teagarden?

2009-06-19T09:21:00.007-05:00

From my dad last night:

Well last night I saw something I have never seen before...well at least not in baseball. Padilla scored by going 5-hole against Taylor Teagarden. Unfortunately they're on the same team and they weren't playing hockey. Yes, that's right, Taylor missed a fastball right between his legs. At least it wasn't in a crucial situation...that is unless you think that having the bases-loaded constitutes a crucial situation.

Later that inning, on a play at the plate, Teagarden is inexplicably two feet in front of the baseline instead of near homeplate. As usual, Cruz's throw comes in like a heat-seeking missile, but Teagarden is so far in front of the plate that he can't apply the tag. If he just sets up the way any average catcher would, the ball still reaches him in the air and he's in position to make the tag. Once again, at least it wasn't in a crucial situation...that is unless you think keeping the other team from scoring is somehow important to the final outcome.

This kid has gone from being a top-rated prospect to barely being a usable backup. He has been totally over matched all year at the plate (see Chris Davis) and now his defense is so unreliable that I can't remember a time when the Rangers have had such a poor backup behind the plate. I actually felt sorry for Padilla last night - and it takes a lot for that to happen.

Aside from the Teagarden issue, last night Texas implemented another brilliant 9th inning strategy. Marlon Byrd was on first-base and, while the team trailed by 2, he decided to steal second. Though the replay showed that he was thrown out, the umpire called him safe. Despite successfully stealing the bag, this is just another example verifying that this team simply doesn’t understand baseball fundamentals. When you are trailing by 2 in the 9th – and you aren’t even the tying run – you do not risk getting thrown out trying to steal. That’s baseball 101.

At some point, these mental errors are going to cost this team. It’s one thing to play “stupid” baseball when you aren’t a very good team. But when you are in first place and in the middle of a pennant race, a couple stupid mistakes could be the difference between winning the pennant and watching the playoffs from your couch. Hopefully Texas realizes that sooner rather than later.

Washington Hates "The Book"

2009-06-18T07:34:00.005-05:00

The Rangers pulled out a thrilling victory last night in 10 innings. The win helped Texas maintain a 2-game lead in the AL West and helped Ron Washington avoid having to answer questions about his insane management strategy in the 9th.

Situation:
In the bottom of the 9th, the Astros brought in their stud closer, Jose Valverde. The right-hander promptly allowed a leadoff double to Marlon Byrd bringing up Chris Davis.

The situation called for a bunt; however, throughout his ML career, Davis had never bunted. He did not bunt in this situation either. Instead, he flew out in a rather hapless at-bat. After a Jarrod Saltalamacchia strikeout, Omar Vizquel walked towards the plate.

Vizquel was hitting .323 on the season and had been 3-8 against Valverde, including being 2 for his last 2. Vizquel had gone 1-3 during the game and had looked pretty locked-in at the plate. It seemed like a good situation for the Rangers but...

Enter Ron Washington.

Instead of letting the scrappy Vizquel face Valverde, Washington summoned for a pinch-hitter. Andruw Jones exited the dugout, took a few practice swings and stepped to the plate.

Wait a minute! Andruw Jones? Really? Washington not only went against "the book," he burned it (and I'm not sure that Washington's "book" isn't just a picture-book to begin with...). Let's take a look at just how stupid the decision was:

Washington removed a hitter that:

created a lefty-righty matchup...
was hitting .323 on the season...
had played the entire game and looked good at the plate (1-3)...

and he replaced him with a hitter that:

created a righty-righty matchup...
was hitting .143 in June...
had not played all night and was coming into the game "cold."

Jones struck out on 3 pitches. Well done Wash, well done.

Here is a quote from my dad after Washington received his extension last week:

Look - sometimes good moves don't work, sometimes dumb moves do, but playing it by “the book" works more times than not...that's how it became "the book!” This team needs Wash to just get out of the way...try not to trip over the bats and balls as we roll them out there.

Washington just looks like he is guessing out there. If you are going to pinch-hit in the 9th, you pinch-hit Andrus for Davis (who is hitting .200) and move the runner over.

Runner at 3rd, one out and numerous ways in which you can score.

Washington is simply an over-manager. He apparently believes that going "by the book" is simply too easy. Too many times in his tenure in Texas, he has made decisions based on a "gut" feeling. Like my dad said, sometimes it works - but most of the time it doesn't. They call it "the book" for a reason: it usually works.

If Texas wants to contend throughout all of 2009, Washington better get his ego in-check. Stop trying to be the genius that constantly goes against the grain. Just play it by the numbers: try to create lefty-righty matchups; stop using Guardado during close games; don't create something that isn't there.

Use the book Ron, use the book.

Where do they go from here?

2009-06-17T09:38:00.003-05:00

The Texas Rangers just completed murderer’s row within their schedule. During the last 25 games, Texas played six against the Yankees, three against the Red Sox, four against the Blue Jays, three against the Tigers and three against the Dodgers, the team who currently sports the best record in all of baseball.

Despite 19 of the 25 being against teams with winnings records, Texas managed to hang tough by going 12-13 during that stretch. Though Texas’ division lead has been trimmed to two games, there is good news on the horizon: 8 of their next 11 games will be against teams with sub-.500 records.

The schedule for the next two weeks features three against the Astros, three against the Giants, three versus the Diamondbacks and another three-game set against the Padres. Their combined records are 118-133.

Texas needs to take advantage of the next two weeks because, after their series with San Diego, Texas will face another tough scheduling challenge including three against the Angels, four against the Mariners, three against the Twins and three against the Red Sox.

With Josh Hamilton out for an extended period of time and Frankie Francisco unavailable until Saturday (at the earliest), the Rangers will have to overcome some adversity. But over the next month, Texas will have the opportunity to establish themselves as legitimate contenders or, if things do not go well, they could once again prove that this isn’t their year.

It’s going to be fun to watch and whether they play well or not, it's fun to talk about possible contention in June rather than “wait ‘til next year” discussions.

Lewinisms...

2009-06-14T17:15:00.010-05:00

I have decided to begin tracking the "Lewinisms" uttered by Texas Rangers' play-by-play guy, Josh Lewin. First, we need to define a Lewinism:

Lewinism: any statement made during a baseball game that indicates a complete lack of baseball knowledge, leaving the audience temporarily motionless as they attempt to comprehend what was just said.

The "Lewinism" updates will detail numerous items verifying that Josh Lewin actually knows nothing about baseball.

Number One:
Today against the Dodgers, Lewin stated,

"TAG (Tom Grieve), despite all the power that Loney brings to the table - he is a guy that walks almost as much as he strikes out."

You may be asking yourself, "What James Loney is Lewin talking about? The only James Loney that I'm aware of is not a power-hitter and has actually been criticized because of his lack of power."

Confusion is the correct response. Yes, the "powerful" Loney has managed to tally an impressive two homeruns this year in 63 games. Yep, he's on pace for anywhere from 5-6 homeruns this year. He is a very, very "powerful" 1st baseman.

Grieve just responded with, "Well, Loney is more of a Lyle Overbay or Mark Grace-type hitter."

And then came the funniest part of the exchange: Lewin responded with, "Yep."

He doesn't even recognize when someone is attempting to call him out! If Grieve wasn't such a nice guy, he would respond more along these lines: "Actually Josh, you are completely wrong. Loney is not a "power" guy - he is a "contact" guy...a fact that renders your previous comment absolutely meaningless."

Grieve has to call him out at some point. It has to happen...someone tell me that it has to happen.

Number Two:
In the top of the 7th inning of today's game, Brad Ausmus walked to the plate. Lewin casually mentioned that

"...Ausmus is already in the top 10 in terms of games-caught by major-league catchers."

Already?! Ausmas was drafted in 1987! He has played in the MLs for 17 seasons. 17! But he has "already" moved into the top 10 in games-played. That's like going back to the 1500's and saying, "Did you year about that Michelangelo guy? He already finished the Sistine Chapel!"

"Cal Ripken already became the record-holder for consecutive games played." This is fun...you should try it.

Number Three:
This is an email from my dad on Saturday:

In the 3rd inning, Josh wanted TAG to explain exactly what a cutter is: "So it’s like a slider but without the spin?"
Really? Are you kidding me? Without the spin? I would love to see Lewin explain the physics behind that one.

...like a slider without the spin?!" Seriously, I can't make this stuff up! What' next?...

"So the curve is like the fastball except that your arm curls around your head before you throw it, right?

Seriously, which of those two questions is more insane? I have thought about it for a few minutes now and I'm still not sure. I can't believe it...really, I can't. Absolute unintentional greatness!

The Rangers have a day off tomorrow but will take the field again on Tuesday. Needless to say, there will be a "Lewinism" update on Wednesday.

Why Don't You Like Magic?

2009-06-11T09:29:00.003-05:00

Why don't you like Magic?

No, I’m not talking about the creepy type of magic that you see a pizza-delivery-guy/magician/clown do at a 4-year-old’s birthday party; I’m talking about the Orlando Magic. There is zero hype around this year’s NBA Finals. Seriously, it has drawn slightly more attention than a Petty Theft concert.

I just don’t know why. The Lakers obviously own a huge following – Lakers’ “fans” come out of the woodwork this time of year. Suddenly your coworker is wearing a Kobe jersey and has “always been a Lakers fan.” Los Angeles has a storied history and Kobe is one of the best players in the league – so I get why they would attract otherwise neutral fans.

But why don’t people like this Orlando team? Dwight Howard is one of the most talented and charismatic players in the game. He entertains during the dunk-contest, he plays hard, he doesn’t get into off-the-court trouble…he is the type of superstar that you want on your team. But for some reason, people don't connect with him and I’m not sure why.

When the Spurs were putting everyone to sleep during their championship runs, I could fully understand and appreciate why no one outside of San Antonio cared. They were simply boring all the way around. Their coach was boring; their superstar was boring; their style of play was boring. Like hockey and soccer – I get why people aren’t interested (ie…it’s really boring).

Orlando is the complete opposite. Porn-Stache - I mean Stan Van Gundy - is a pretty funny coach, whether it’s intentional or not. Dwight Howard has 15-minute conversations with Jack Nicholson before games in LA. Orlando runs up and down the court and shoots a ton of 3’s. They should be the team that neutral fans gravitate to, but I honestly can’t remember a Finals series that has had less appeal for the average sports fan.

Even the Spurs and Ben-Stein-Duncan had more appeal – even if it was people tuning in simply to root against them. Why aren’t the Lakers looked at as villains – and in turn – Orlando as the saviors? Why aren’t people taking an interest in rooting against Kobe? He is an easy guy to dislike.

After thinking about this for a while, I developed an explanation that I call the “Ruined Dream Theory.” Basically, it states that all neutral fans want to see the two best and most interesting teams match up in the championship game. Celtics-Lakers. Cowboys-Steelers. Yankees-Cubs. This year, all fans - in addition to the NBA Commissioner – wanted a Lebron-Kobe finale. During the Orlando-Cleveland series, everyone not living in Orlando was pulling for the fighting Lebrons to pull out a series win leading to the dream match-up in the Finals. Orlando needed to lose for this to happen...so people began to root against them.

In a way, I believe that fans have turned on Orlando because the Magic inadvertently ruined this NBA season. All year, everyone has talked about how great it would be to see King James face off against Kobe - but the dream has been ruined and Orlando is to blame.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I am beginning to hate Orlando. Kobe vs. James? It doesn’t get better than that…and it was all flushed down the drain by the stupid Orlando Magic.

Based on this newly found theory – please join me in boycotting the remaining Finals’ games. If the viewer-ship remains low, Commissioner David Stern will be forced to, once again, resort to “fixing” the NBA Playoffs…and we will all be better off for it.

Ron Washington Option

2009-06-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

After the Texas Rangers picked up Ron Washington’s contract option for 2010, I emailed my dad to see what he thought:

Blair @ 8:23am
Dad – what do you think about Washington coming back next year?

Dad @ 8:34am
OK, let me get this straight...through one-third of the season, Texas is 9 games over .500 after playing one of the weakest schedules in the American League and we feel the need to jump out there and give Ron Washington an extension? Was there some reason to knee jerk this move now? Was there this uncertainty in the clubhouse? Were we afraid we were gonna lose Washington to another team? I venture to say that this young club is 9 games over in spite of Ron Washington, not because of him.

Blair @ 8:43am
So…you liked the move?

Dad @ 8:54am
Look - sometimes good moves don't work, sometimes dumb moves do, but playing it by “the book" works more times than not...that's how it became "the book!” This team needs Wash to just get out of the way...try not to trip over the bats and balls as we roll them out there. Wash has made a litany of bad moves so far this year, but just for brevity sake, let's look at Monday’s game:

6th inning, runners on 1st and 3rd with one out and we've just been given 3 gift runs to draw within 4-3. With Elvis Andrus at the plate, Wash is not content to sit idly by and let the game take care of itself. Instead, the genius of Wash once again raises its ugly head: a SQUEEZE PLAY? Are you kidding me? Elvis Andrus at the plate...22 strike-outs in 163 at-bats...too fast to be doubled-up...and Wash goes with the all-or-nothing squeeze play just to tie?

There are ten ways to score a runner from 3rd with less than 2 outs. Ground out, error, sac fly, etc…Heaven forbid Andrus get the opportunity to get a base-hit where we're in position to go ahead in the game. Not to mention – if he somehow doesn't get the runner home - our leading RBI guy (Kinsler) is on deck. I take my chances 100 times out of 100 on Andrus making contact and/or Kinsler coming through.

Mike Basik (the Ticket) justified the move based on the fact that National League teams “have pitchers do it all the time.” Do you know why pitchers do it all the time? Because they hit .127 and strike-out more times than they don’t. If a batter is hitting .275 - and makes consistent contact – calling for a squeeze play is idiotic. The failed squeeze left Texas down a run and they eventually lost 6-3.

It was a ridiculous decision, but what is even more ridiculous is the fact we just gave this guy an extension. Idiocy!

Blair @ 8:58am
So…you liked the move?

Old School v GenX: Round 1

2009-06-02T09:41:00.001-05:00

My dad was at the Rangers’ game on Saturday and sent me a text message regarding Michael Young that spiraled into an in-depth text-message battle:

Dad @ 1:31
Michael Young is the best pure “hitter” in baseball. He hits the ball where it’s pitched, always has good at bats and does what it takes to win the game. He is just awesome to watch.

Blair @ 1:37
He has been good so far this year...but OPS below .785 in 2007 and 2008.

Dad @ 1:45
Very comparable stats to Jeter each year and Young has more productive years to come. Not fair to compare a SS to sluggers by using OPS. Compare them to the role they play.

Blair at 2:11
Jeter has had a significantly better average and much better OBP throughout his career:

Derek Jeter: .316/.386/.458 (.844)
Hanley Ramirez: .309/.381/.528 (.909)
Miguel Tejada: .288/.342/.472 (.814)
Michael Young: .347/.445/.301 (.792)

Dad @ 2:19
OK…so Young is right there with some of the best short-stops in the game. Are you trying to make my case for me?

Blair @ 2:31
Ok old man – let me break it down for you:

Young had a total of 3 years in which he had an OPS above .785…

Jeter has 10 out of 14…
Tejada has 8 out of 12…
Hanley Ramirez has 3 out of 3 (while stealing 50 bases every year)…

He has had 3 above-average offensive years in 9 seasons. A career .300 hitter with a career OBP of .345 means that he simply doesn’t do a very good job of getting on base. I understand that every player isn’t going to hit for a ton of power – but a .345 OBP isn’t very good if you aren’t providing the team with other production (steals, power, etc…)

It’s a lot easier to get 200 hits every year when you aren’t willing to take a walk.

Dad @ 2:53
Wrong. As usual – you aren’t old or wise enough to recognize the flaws in your logic.

Disturbing Rangers' Trend

2009-05-28T09:35:00.002-05:00

After losing two of three to the Yankees, the Rangers continued a disturbing trend: they can't beat good teams.

During the first two months of 2009, Texas has played 31 of 46 games against teams with a losing record. In other words, the Rangers have benefited by playing 2/3 of their games against poor competition. To their credit, Texas has taken care of business and beaten the teams that they should beat.

In 31 games against teams with a losing record, the Rangers have produced:
* Record: 22-9 (.710 winning%)
* Team ERA: 4.22
* Runs/Game: 5.44
* Run Differential: 1.22

In 15 games against teams with a winning record, they have produced:
* Record: 5-10 (.333 winning%)
* Team ERA: 5.38
* Runs/Game: 3.80
* Run Differential: - 1.58

The splits are somewhat understandable: most teams will have better numbers against weaker competition than they do against upper-echelon teams. Having said that, the next month looms large for the Rangers' 2009 campaign: Texas faces winning teams in 13 of their next 17 games (Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers).

If this trend continues, Texas may find itself in a familiar place: hovering near the .500 mark. But if the Rangers can find a way to raise their game to the next level and post some wins against the big boys, they will solidify their spot as a legitimate contender.

The next month should be fun!

Random Ranger Thoughts

2009-05-26T07:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, after Texas was destroyed by the Yanks, my dad sent me an email that pretty well summed up the afternoon. It wasn't a fun game to watch:

On a day when 7 of the major league teams scored in double digits (23% of the teams) and 4 of the games were decided by at least 10 runs (26% of the games) the Rangers were not quite as noticeable by their ineptness as they normally might have been. The game against the Yankees did reveal a concerning trend and no, it's not that Matt Harrison has been exposed as having only average major league stuff or that he might not be the real deal after all, it's the Ranger batting order showing an inconsistency that has almost reached the alarming point.

In a lineup full of bashers but very few "professional" hitters, once again the inability to make good contact and to know the strike zone was evident. A four hitter? Are you serious?? Against Phil Hughes? The ability to compete at the plate on a consistent basis requires hitters who know the strike zone, are able to hit the ball where it's pitched (see Michael Young) and hitters that can make good contact on a regular basis. This lineup is filled with too many 230 hitters at this point. Even Kinsler, who we can all agree is a star, is in a big slump mainly because of his insistence on pulling every pitch. There are not many major-leaguers that can swing at the pitches the Ranger swing at and get any better results than the Rangers do. Even Josh Hamilton is going to be prone to droughts of low power production and hitless nights if he doesn't become more selective at the plate.

I know we're going to stay with Davis even during his struggles but do we need to really stay with the Blalocks of the world? Is his flailing worth his once a week dinger? I know they've come at opportune times, but that won't always be the case. Let's start filling some of these holes in our batting order and work on the approach of our young stars. Staying in a slump for months (Davis) can irreparably harm a young players psyche forever. We have the best hitting coach in baseball so maybe it's time to lay down the law: learn the strike zone or grab a seat. Look in the farm system for a DH that has the potential to hit 300...we don't need more power we need more base runners. Just some random thoughts

That pretty much sums it up.

What's That Sound?

2009-05-19T10:29:00.007-05:00

As I sat in the stands, watching the Texas Ranger move nine games over .500, I turned to my dad and said, "Do you hear that sound?"

He asked, "What sound?"

"That's the sound of the metroplex jumping on the bandwagon!"

35,000 fans at the ballpark in May means one of two things: it's $1 hot-dog day or...DFW is hopping on the front-running train...at least until Texas loses three in a row.

(Side Note - does it bother anyone else that the Rangers see their attendance double on $1 hot-dog night? Idiocracy Warning: the only things that people will show up for in drones: release of the new i-phone, Jonas Brother concert and $1 hot-dog night. Very, very troubling)

We all know what bandwagon fans are - but you may not have realized that there are many different types of bandwagon fans. This two-part series will help identify and describe the ten different types of bandwagon fans:

1) Old-Timer
The old-timer is a “guy-that-used-to-follow-the-team…then-disappeared…but-has-returned-now-that-the-team-is-winning” guy. He watched Texas suck in the 70’s and 80’s, gave up on the team, came back in the late 90’s, and then disappeared along with Rick Helling.
This guy is usually rather crusty and almost seems unhappy to be back at the ballpark

2) Newcomer
The newcomer is a young guy that has never really been into baseball, but now that there isn’t anything else to do around town, has joined the crowd at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. This is the guy that usually shows up in the 3rd inning, spends two innings going to and from the bathroom, concessions, etc…and leaves in the 7th of a 2-2 game citing “traffic” as the cause. He will only attend games if it fits perfectly within his schedule.
This is the guy that will walk .5 mile/hour through the grandstand looking at all of the "colors and decorations" as if he were touring the Guggenheim. Wow.

3) Chris-Chris
The Chris-Chris is “that guy.” You have known him for years and have never heard him discuss the Rangers (or baseball at all for that matter), but he now eats, drinks and sleeps Ranger baseball. He will constantly throw comments around like, “Man – HOW could you miss last night’s game?! Dude – The Milly was throwing some cheese and the Hambino totally destroyed hanger! It was totally insane, man! Can’t believe you missed it!”
This guy will only be seen when the team gets on a streak. As soon as the Rangers hit a bump in the road, he is out like Taylor Teagarden.

4) Owner-Hater
The Owner-Hater begrudgingly attends games to “support the players” despite hating the owner. You will see him cheering on his favorite team when they win, but will consistently throw-in comments suggesting that, “This team could really be something if we didn’t have a small-market payroll!” or “Sure would be nice to have Teixeira hitting cleanup (ignoring the fact that Salty, Andrus and Harrison have propelled this team into 1st place)!”
This guy wants Texas to finish last just to reiterate that Hicks’ “small-market payroll” has doomed the franchise.

5) Cougar
This term is self-explanatory…especially in Dallas. Anytime there is a new, trendy place to be seen (especially one that allows you to wear skimpy clothing), the cougars will come out. At the ballpark, most Cougars will be found in the Cuervo Club – but occasionally, they will sneak down to the lower level seats. With the Mavericks’ run now over – and the Ghost Bar slowing down on weekdays – Ranger games offer these women with a new hunting ground.
Most guys will mention how "trashy" she looks in an effort to provide himself with an excuse to keep looking. Well played, sir, well played.

Podcast #3 - Mavs Win

2009-05-13T09:13:00.008-05:00

Podcast #3 - Mavericks Playoff Win

I discuss the Mavericks playoff win, Mark Cuban and Dirk's bad wrap with my good buddy Mike Tennison.

Hope is a Strategy

2009-05-12T06:57:00.002-05:00

You can call them old. You can call them unathletic. You can call them pretenders.

But you cannot call the Mavericks quitters. After the gut-wrenching loss on Saturday, this team had every reason to tank Game 4 last night. The team faced the impossible task of attempting to overcome a 3-0 series deficit while facing a team that had beaten them seven straight times during the season.

After the meltdown on Saturday, I half-expected Dallas to not show up last night. But Dirk and Co. did show up. Despite trailing throughout the majority of the game, the Mavericks continued to fight. Every time they rallied to get within a couple of points, Denver would hit an off-balance three or get to the foul-line. But Dallas was relentless.

Dirk dominated (as he has all series long, despite his comments regarding Denver's defense). Barea added a spark off the bench. Overall - given the situation - it was a fun game to watch. Does Dallas have a chance of winning this series? Um...no. But in a sport where teams constantly fold when facing insurmountable odds, it was refreshing to see guys playing hard until the final seconds.

Dallas will now travel to Denver to face the Nuggets in Game 5. It's a long shot, but what if the Mavericks find a way to scratch out a Game 5 win in Denver? They haven't been blown out during any game in this series and they have been within striking distance during the 4th quarter of each road game.

Yes, it's unlikely that Dallas pulls another one out...but what if they do? What if Chauncy Billups rolls an ankle? What if Carmelo tweaks his back? Crazier things have happened.

And if Dallas could somehow squeak out a game on the road, this will suddenly be a series again. If nothing else, last night gave Mavericks fan hope - and that is all that we could ask for.

The Worst 30 Seconds of the Year

2009-05-10T22:28:00.011-05:00

Hopefully you Mavericks' fans have had time to wipe away the tears. The missed foul call will continue to garner the most attention around the Dallas area (the league has announced that the game officials did "miss" the foul call), but that isn't the story - at least not to me. I hate to twist the knife, but let's look at the last 31 seconds of Saturday's game:

* Terry 3pt Shot - [DAL 105-101] - 00:31.1
* Denver Timout - 00:31.1
* Anthony Driving Dunk Shot - [DEN 103-105] - 00:28.5
* Dallas Timeout - 00:21.1
* Nowitzki Jump Shot - Billups Rebound - 00:06.5
* Anthony 3pt Shot - [DEN 106-105] - 00:01.0
* Dallas Timeout - 00:01.0
* Nowitzki 3pt Shot - [DEN 106-105] - Final

Take a look:

Dallas took a 4-point lead with 31.1 seconds remaining in the game. Denver proceeded to take a timeout. Dallas simply needed to play good, solid defense and, if nothing else, force the Nuggets to use some clock. That didn't happen.

Denver inbounded the ball and Carmelo Anthony scored in 2.6 seconds. Seriously? 2.6 seconds of defense? In the biggest game of the season - coming out of a timeout - that's all the Mavs had to offer? If they would have played - I don't know - seven seconds of defense, that would have probably been enough. If the Mavericks could have held Denver scoreless for seven freaking seconds, even if they scored, the Nuggets would have then faced the uphill battle of fouling Dallas in an attempt to get the ball back.

Allowing Denver to score in 2.6 seconds left 28.5 seconds on the game-clock, resulting in a 4.5-second difference between the game-clock and the shot-clock. instead of having to foul, Denver just needed a defensive stand. This leads us to the next Dallas miscue...

As mentioned above, there was a 4.5-second difference between the game-clock and shot-clock (28.5 to 24). If Dallas could have simply run clock and gotten a shot off with 1-2 seconds left on the shot-clock, Denver - at best - would have gotten the ball back with 2-3 seconds remaining. That didn't happen.

With 10 seconds remaining on the shot-clock, Dirk began his offensive approach. After spinning and adding a pump-fake, Dirk implausibly took a shot with 5 seconds remaining on the shot-clock. Denver rebounded the miss with 6.5 seconds left in the game.

I love Dirk, but that is simply unacceptable. Think about it: Dirk shot with 5 seconds remaining on the shot-clock and Denver rebounded with 6.5 seconds. Had Dirk used the remaining 5 seconds before shooting, Denver maybe gets the ball back with 2 seconds left. Two seconds on the clock limits the offensive team to a catch-and-shoot situation. Six seconds provides an offense with all kinds of options...as we had the pleasure of seeing.

All that matters now is that Dallas trails 3-0. Was a foul-call missed? Sure...it sucks, but let's not pretend that the missed-call cost the Mavericks the game. When you have a 4-point lead...at home...with 31 seconds remaining...you don't lose without making significant mistakes. The Mavericks need only look in the mirror should they want to see the Game 3 culprits.

Brett Shipp is a Sad, Little Man

2009-05-07T14:00:00.003-05:00

Dirk Nowitzki comments, from the Dallas Morning News:

"It's pretty obvious that I'm going through a tough time in my personal life right now," Dirk said. "Like I always have, I want to kind of keep my private life private...I'm more than happy to answer basketball questions, but I think at this point, I just can't talk about it."

Dirk's session with the media horde ended abruptly when WFAA Ch. 8's Brett Shipp attempted to ask about claims by Cristal Taylor, the 37-year-old woman arrested, that she is engaged to Dirk and pregnant with his child.

"I'm not commenting on that," Dirk said repeatedly.

Why does Brett Shipp suck so bad?

DSK Podcast #2 - Dirk Talk

2009-05-06T13:48:00.011-05:00

The insanity of the TNT analysts - described here:

Podcast #2 - Dirk Talk

Getting a Raw Deal

2009-05-06T10:09:00.009-05:00

Take a look at these playoff numbers:

25.1 points/game
11.0 rebounds/game
45% shooting
87.6% free-throw shooter
37% three-point shooter

Pretty impressive, right? You would think that someone who produces these type of post-season numbers would deserve the most utmost respect from players and former players around the league. He doesn't.

Dirk Nowitzki has become one of the best playoff producers in the history of the NBA. Every year, he takes his game to another level when the playoffs begin. He scores more. He drives more. He rebounds more. And yes, he is criticized more.

After the first game of the Denver series, Dirk was asked about the three different defenders that the Nuggets threw at him and what they each do to make his life difficult. He responded by saying:

I think Birdman does a good job because he’s so long. He contests my shot. Martin and Nene are stronger and they try to body me more and Birdman’s just long and when I shoot he can still jump up there and contest the shot. So, yeah, they’ve got three very good defenders.

TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber took this opportunity to blast Nowitzki. Webber suggested that Dirk was "soft" because,

I’ve never heard a scorer, I’ve never heard a true warrior, a dog, say 'this guy can check me.'

[Dirk didn't say that]

Barkley dogpiled by adding,

One of the keys to being a great player is having so much confidence in yourself…for Dirk to say that guys can stop him, that’s just not cool.

[He didn't say that, either]

Kenny then claimed,

It feeds the stereotype that this guy is playing a little soft.

[No it doesn't..it just feeds the stereotype that Dirk can understand and speak English]

I love Kenny and Charles, but what the hell are they talking about? Seriously. Dirk was asked about each defender and what each does differently. He answered the question. He said that Birdman was long and challenged shots while Kenyon Martin and Nene were more physical.

He didn't say that they 'could stop him.'
He didn't say that he hated playing them.
He didn't say that he couldn't score against them.
He simply described their defensive styles.

I just don't get it. If Dirk had scored 10 points in each game and then said that Denver's defense was just 'too good to overcome,' I could understand the criticism. But Dirk isn't struggling. In actuality, he is dominating.

For the series, Dirk is shooting 54% (23 of 42), has averaged 31.5 points/game and has pulled down 19 rebounds. Last night, the day after "giving props" to Denver's defense, Dirk put a 35 spot on the Nuggets. If Dirk hadn't said anything, would he have scored 50?

Dirk is just a guy that can't win. Despite having better numbers in the playoffs than he does in the regular season, Dirk still deals with accusations that he can't produce in the clutch (I guess haters missed Game 7 in San Antonio during the Finals' run). Despite refining his game and driving to the rim (something that he was accused of being afraid to do early in his career), Dirk still doesn't get the calls that Wade, Kobe, Lebron and company get.

And despite constantly saying/doing the right things, he can't avoid criticism. It's just idiotic. Dirk gets less respect than any other NBA Superstar that I can remember. The guy has transformed into one of the greatest post-season scorers of all time, and instead of hearing, I don't know - about the fact that he is torching Denver in this series, we only hear that Dirk is "soft" and said something that Kobe would "never" say.

It's really sickening. Maybe on Saturday, when Dirk lights up the scoreboard for another 35 points, he will cheap-shot Kenyon Martin in the back of the head...you know, to gain some street-cred. Apparently, that's what it's all about.

DSK Podcast - Number One!

2009-05-01T15:14:00.015-05:00

Guys,

My apologies once again for the slowdown in recent activity; however, I have completed the first DSK Podcast. We took some emails from a few readers and answered questions regarding Ron Washington, the Rangers and Alex Rodriguez.

Podcast #1

Dallas Sports Page

2009-05-01T10:17:00.002-05:00

Guys,

My last article was featured in Sports Page Weekly. If you get a chance - check it out.

NFL Draft Ramblings

2009-04-28T12:19:00.000-05:00

Has technology ruined the NFL Draft?

Do you remember watching the NFL Draft with anticipation? If you were like me, you would be parked on the couch, with beer in hand, and watch as though you were related to the players involved. When the Cowboys’ pick drew near, and as the commissioner walked toward the podium, a thousand thoughts crossed your mind:

Would they take the running back or go with the dominant outside linebacker?
Should they take advantage of the highly-rated cornerback falling into their lap or did his off-the-field problems scare them away?
Could they trade down and acquire additional picks for next year?

You were on the edge of your seat as the commissioner proclaimed, “With the 13th pick in the 200_ draft, the Dallas Cowboys select…” A wave of emotions accompanied the announcement – usually leading to the three W’s:

“What?...Who?...Why?”

For me, this entire process has changed – and I blame technology. ESPN has surrounded every player with cameras and microphones to provide fans with an “inside look” into the goings on at the draft. I don’t like it.

I don’t like seeing Mark Sanchez celebrating with his family and throwing a Jets cap on before the pick is announced. It is simply anticlimactic. There is no more anticipation. There is no more “shhhhing” your buddies as the commissioner begins to speak. Instead, fans see guys like Sanchez put a Jets hat on minutes before the pick is announced. It’s not good television. It’s not exciting. It’s a buzzkill.

ESPN has been so focused on finding new ways to provide a behind-the-scenes perspective that they have forgotten that fans enjoy the mystery of the draft. The former mystique of each team’s thought process created an energetic anticipation surrounding each pick. Fans enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next.

Showing the result of the pick before the announcement is like seeing the secrets of a magic trick before the magician performs. It is like announcing the winner of American Idol before the contestants sing (did I just drop an American Idol reference into an NFL Draft piece? That’s either very cool…or very sad).

OK, my soapbox just crumbled – but you get my point. Behind-the-scenes at the draft sucks.

Draft Quickies
#1: Who attends the NFL Draft? Seriously…I need to know. Unless you are: 1) a player; 2) a family member of a player; 3) an agent…what are you doing at the draft? I mean, from what I can tell, there is nothing to do. You just sit in your seat, drink a beer or twelve and await the one moment that is actually relevant to your team.

I’m not saying that it’s boring – it’s just that if I had a choice between attending 8 hours of an NFL Draft and watching women’s bowling with my grandmother – it would be a tough decision. Spending eight hours of boredom awaiting a 10-second payoff is too reminiscent of college dating for my blood.

#2: After the Jets ingeniously moved up to take Mark Sanchez, the camera panned to a section of Jets’ fans shaking their head while yelling, “NO! STUPID PICK!”

Seriously? I understand: they were Jets’ fans, so that has to be taken into account. They had probably been drinking since 7 that morning, but protesting…vehemently protesting that pick? Really? I would think that, even a sloshed New Yorker would have trouble disagreeing with that move.

I Take It All Back...

2009-04-19T20:20:00.003-05:00

Well, not really - but today, Michael Young did what most thought that he should do: come through in the clutch.

For today, I revoke my thoughts expressed here.

Brandon McCarthy is Alive!

2009-04-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

I was at the game yesterday and had an opportunity to watch BMac up close. He was obviously a little inconsistent, but don't we have to be pretty excited about what we saw?

Here are my observations from the game and things that might have slipped through the cracks:

* McCarthy's fastball started around the 88-89 mark...and progressively jumped up into the 92-93 range. It was opening day, so I would think that his velocity will continue to improve as the season continues.

* McCarthy struck out 7 in just 5 innings - when was the last time that a Ranger pitcher had the stuff to rack up Ks like that...especially without a dominating fastball?

* McCarthy's slurve was absolutely dominating at times. I can't remember any Indian that was able to do much with his offspeed stuff...and guys like Mark DeRosa looked absolutely helpless against it.

Yes, the walks were problematic and his fastball location was off at times, but I was ecstatic to see some of the "potential" that we have heard about actually put into action. If he stays healthy and his fastball velocity improves to the 93-95 mark, he could have a big year, IMO.

I don't know, I just thought that there would be more excitement around his start and the fact that he appears to have regained some of his dominating stuff. To me, it was a very encouraging start.

Mavs Remain Resiliant

2009-04-02T07:32:00.004-05:00

Dallas beat the Miami Heat yesterday, 98-96. Dirk stepped up, Kidd hit a key shot and Josh Howard - yes that Josh Howard - made a huge impact in the 4th quarter.

Howard was the story - playing only his second game in the last month - scored 18 and made several big plays down the stretch (including taking the game-winning charge with two seconds remaining).

But to me, the more important take away from last night lies within one number: 5.

By winning last night, the Mavericks improved to 17-4 in games decided by five points or less. That has to be significant, right?

Think about playoff basketball: aren't post-season series often decided in the last few minutes of each game? Isn't that what playoff basketball is all about?

I am not completely drunk on Maverick kool-aid, but I am excited to see that this team continues to play resilient basketball. Do they have giant letdowns about once each month? Sure. But for the most part - in big, meaningful games - this team plays hard:

And despite the negative connotation surrounding the prospect of fielding an "old" team, there is something to be said for experience. Jason Kidd appears to have no problem taking - and making - big shots in clutch-time. Dirk is a stud. Terry consistently hits big shots. This team simply presents some very difficult end-game matchup scenarios for their opponents.

The team isn't great - but they have piqued my interest. If they can avoid having a giant letdown in the playoffs, an opening-series showdown with Los Angeles could be interesting.

Great Injustice

2009-03-29T20:58:00.005-05:00

This week on 105.3 The FAN, Ben and Skin will be discussing the "Top 5 Injustices" that have occurred within our lifetime. Well, it may not be that extensive, but the week will revolve around injustices that have taken place within the world of sports, pop culture, the media, etc...

In preparation, my "Fab 5" are as follows:

5. Paul Blart - Mall Cop
• Ranked as the #1, box-office movie for more than 2 weeks in a row
• Seriously – I don’t care if it was January in a “slow” movie time or not, Paul F’n Blart making $147+ million has convinced me that the apocalypse is near!

4. Nebraska playing in the BCS Championship in 2001…Nebraska:
• didn’t win its conference…
• was ranked 4th in the nation
• somehow jumped Colorado - a team that they were beaten by during the season – only to get destroyed by Miami

3. Paris Hilton
• Nothing specific – just the fact that we all know who she is
• Paris is famous…because she is famous? She has now joined forces with Paul Blart in nearly forcing me to take my own life

2. Arrested Development getting canceled while:
• My Name is Earl and Survivor continue to dull America with mundane ideas

1. Puck being kicked off Real World San Francisco
• Puck was probably the best reality character in the history of reality tv. The guy was funny, entertaining and simply had no filter. The peanut-butter scene will live in infamy. Yes, he was stupid, but this was before it was “cool” to be stupid. He was original.

1a. Larry the Cable Guy making $30+ million in 2008
• Seriously – the “Cable Guy” is a character – but his audience is too ignorant to realize it
• He tried legit stand-up as himself (Dan Whitney) – and it failed. Instead, he created a stupid, unoriginal simpleton character to appeal to idiocy...and it freakin worked!
• Larry the Cable Guy is making millions and guys like Bill Hicks were forced to be “cult icons,” because the “majority” can’t handle anything that actually has substance.
• "Get-R-Done" is Latin for "The End is Near."

Just Hear Me Out

2009-03-26T18:30:00.006-05:00

For the Texas Rangers, the Josh Hamilton contract-extension talks commenced this week. According to the Texas Rangers website, Hamilton was not on-board:

"My agent and I were disappointed with their offer," Hamilton said.

The Ranger blogging world has seen increased action regarding the quote. At Lonestar Ball, Newberg Report, Inside Corner and BBTIA, Rangers fans continue to voice their displeasure.

From what I can tell, most Ranger fans fall into three categories: 1) they think that a deal will get done before the season; 2)they think that a deal will get done during the season; 3)they believe that Hicks is simply too cheap to meet Hamilton's demands.

I have seen no one suggest what initially went through my head:

Is extending Hamilton necessarily a good idea?

Yes - I realize that premise sounds ridiculous. Hamilton is a natural, one-of-a-kind talent that appears to enjoy being a Ranger. He has provided Texas with some amazingly positive media coverage and was probably the story of the 2008 baseball season.

But before setting me on fire, think about it: because of Hamilton's off-the-field problems, his career got a late start. He made a splash during his rookie season at the age of 26, as opposed to 22 or 23.

Hamilton is about to turn 28. He is locked up this year for $550,000 and is under Ranger control for three additional arbitration years (2010-2012). By the time he can declare for free-agency, Hamilton will be 32 years old. To spell it out:

He has played more than 100 games in a season once in his career (2008).
He has obviously had some serious off-the-field problems.
He will be approaching his mid-30's before he can become a free-agent.

This is difficult to write - because Hamilton is such an amazing talent - but re-signing Hamilton just seems like a risk that Texas doesn't need to take. What if concerns about Hamilton's durability are realized over the next two seasons? What if...off-the-field situations crop back up? What if, at age 32, Hamilton just can't move like he can now?

Also think about the Mark Teixeira situation. Teixeira produced 4.5 high-quality seasons for the Rangers during his tenure in Texas and was not re-signed.

In 2007 - when it became obvious that Teixeira was going to test the free-agent market - Jon Daniels traded him for an amazing haul of high-end prospects. The Rangers' current future largely depends on four prospects acquired in the Tex deal: Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Neftali Feliz. Could JD do the same thing with Hamilton?

I know that it's a reach - the Atlanta trade was probably a once-in-a-lifetime type deal. And I know that it could be a poor PR move. I just cannot overlook the importance of having a strong farm-system. In today's game, prospects are currency. The Angels' farm-system has provided them with the ability to consistently contend throughout this decade. The Dodgers farm-system will allow them to consistently contend throughout the next decade. The Rays will be a contender for the foreseeable future - because of their farm-system.

The Texas system is great right now - but will it be three years from now?

Something else to consider: Texas has never had any problems drafting/developing/signing high-end offensive producers. Since moving into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the Ranger offense has never been a problem. Look at the players that have been drafted/acquired just within the last three years: Hamilton, Davis, Smoak, Ramirez, Saltalamacchia, Cruz, Murphy...the list goes on and on. Finding high-caliber offensive players simply is not a problem for this franchise.

And what if Hamilton - after four really good years in Texas - can be flipped for a Teixeira-like haul? And if Hamilton continues to produce as he did in 2008 - there is a chance that he has more value than Teixeira.

Hamilton is great - but I think that it's at least worth a discussion.

Absolutely Disgusting

2009-03-26T10:15:00.011-05:00

Ryan Moats, a Houston Texans' running back and former Bishop Lynch student, was involved in a police altercation last week. The Dallas Morning News reports that Moats, while taking his family to see a dying relative in a Plano hospital, rolled through a red light and was besieged by a police officer. Here is an excerpt from the story (full story here):

Moats turned on his hazard lights. He stopped at a red light, where, he said, the only nearby motorist signaled for him to go ahead. He went through.

[Officer] Powell, watching traffic from a hidden spot, flipped on his lights and sirens. In less than a minute, he caught up to the SUV and followed for about 20 more seconds as Moats found a parking spot outside the emergency room.

Moats' wife, 27-year-old Tamishia, was the first out. Powell yelled at her to get back in.

"Get in there!" he yelled. "Let me see your hands!"

"My mom is dying," she explained.

Powell was undeterred.

Tamishia Moats and her great-aunt ignored the officer and headed into the hospital. Ryan Moats stayed behind with the father of the dying woman.

It gets even worse:

Powell demanded his license and proof of insurance. Moats produced his license but said he didn't know where the insurance paperwork was.

"Just give me a ticket or whatever," he said, beginning to sound exasperated and a little argumentative.

"Shut your mouth," Powell told him. "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."

"All I'm asking you is just to hurry up." ...

"Understand what I can do," Powell concluded. "I can tow your truck. I can charge you with fleeing. I can make your night very difficult."

Even another officer's plea would not stop Powell:

"Hey, that's the nurse," the Plano officer told Powell. "She said that the mom's dying right now, and she's wanting to know if they can get him up there before she dies."

"All right," Powell replied. "I'm almost done."

As Moats signed the ticket, Powell continued his lecture.

"Attitude's everything," he said. "All you had to do is stop, tell me what was going on. More than likely, I would have let you go."

It had been about 13 minutes.

And the most tragic finale:

Moats and Collinsworth's father went into the hospital, where they found Collinsworth had died, with her daughter at her side.

Absolutely disgusting. What else can be said?

Is Jim Reeves a Unicorn?

2009-03-25T10:25:00.011-05:00

Jim Reeves wrote a column yesterday suggesting that Tom Hicks would slash the Ranger payroll after the 2009 season (you can read it here).

I'm sorry - but Reeves is bordering on insanity. Like Galloway, Reeves has transformed into nothing more than a shock-value mouthpiece.

Here is a specific excerpt from the story:

"If we have a chance to get a great Ben Sheets type player at the right price, we’d do it," Hicks said..."

The message Hicks is sending here is twofold.

One, it’s obvious that the Rangers won’t be adding any salary, or likely be in a position to even eat the $6 million they’d owe outfielder-DH Frank Catalanotto if they decided they wanted to cut him to make room for outfielder Andruw Jones on the roster.

Two is that Hicks, like the rest of us, has obviously been hit hard by the bottoming-out economy in many of his businesses and he’s looking to stabilize future expenses wherever he can.

Here are several other Hicks' quotes that litter the story:

"I like the energy of the young guys," Hicks said. "I like [Justin] Smoak. I like Max Ramirez. Next year, I think you’ll see Feliz and Holland in the rotation. It would be nice to see [Brandon] McCarthy step up this year."

"We’re in the mind-set that we’re going to be in the race this year and not in the mind-set of dumping salaries, because we feel like if we’re successful on the field, what we haven’t been able to accomplish this off-season in renewals we can make up with walk-up attendance if we’re in a pennant race," Ryan said.

So, based on those quotes, Reeves ascertained that Hicks is committed to slashing payroll? Really? Some have suggested that Reeves is grasping at straws, but that might be giving Reeves too much credit. This is more like grasping at...unicorns or leprechauns...because they don't exist!

Nothing that Reeves quotes indicates that Hicks is intent on slashing payroll. On the other hand, several comments were made suggesting that Texas would not do so, like:

"There’s no direction for [Ryan and Daniels] to cut payroll," Hicks insisted Monday.

I know that newspapers are crumbling, but how does a piece like this get through the editing process? I have to imagine the editorial meeting sounded something like:

Reeves: I've got a story about the Rangers slashing payroll.
Editor: Really? What support can you provide?
Reeves: Uh...well, Hicks did say that "there’s no direction to cut payroll," does that work?
Editor: Revo, you normally need two sources for a story.
Reeves: Nolan said that they "are not in the mindset of dumping salaries," will that do?
Editor: Hell yeah it will! I was just testing you - the story was printed an hour ago. You know that we don't "edit" around here!

It may not be word for word, but it can't be far off. Grandpa urine - welcome Unicorn Revo to the asylum!

Andruw Jones - Please Go Away

2009-03-24T08:53:00.003-05:00

As noted by Evan Grant on his D-Magazine blog, the Texas Rangers recently pulled a 180 and have now indicated that they may keep Andruw Jones on the 25-man roster as a right-handed designated-hitter.

The ramifications of this move:

Jones will DH against left-handed pitchers...
Byrd will get at-bats only as a 4th OFer against LH starters...
Blalock will log more time at 1st base against left-handed starters...
Chris Davis will sit on the bench against certain LH starters...
Catalanotto will either be traded or cut.

(The loss of Catalanotto obviously means very little)

In other words, this move will mean less at-bats for Byrd, a guy that has simply posted an .828 OPS since arriving in Texas. This move will mean less at-bats for Chris Davis, a guy that only produced an .880 OPS during his first 80 ML games...as a 22-year-old last year.

Texas is willing to make these changes for a guy (Jones) that has posted an OPS of .724 and .505 over the last two years?

I just don't get it. Every time I believe that the Rangers' front-office has finally figured it out, they do something like this. In their defense, the domino effect has not officially began - so I should probably give it time to develop - but right now, I don't see much value in keeping Jones around.

College Basketball: Rambling Thoughts

2009-03-23T10:07:00.007-05:00

I have spent the last four days absorbing as much college basketball as possible. Just a few random thoughts on the tourney so far:

Rick Barnes is still a really poor in-game coach.

Evidence: Late in their second-round game, Texas trailed Duke 69-72. With 11 seconds left to play, the Longhorns fouled Duke's Elliot Williams, a 46% free-throw shooter. He missed the first - meaning that one more miss would give Texas an opportunity to tie.

Texas had two timeouts left. Rick Barnes could have easily subbed-in his best rebounding squad to ensure that Texas would collect a missed free-throw. As soon as the ball was in Longhorn possession, Barnes could call timeout and litter his lineup with three-point bombers.

Williams did his part - Barnes did not.

Williams bricked the second free-throw off the back of the rim, but to my dismay, Barnes had inexplicably left Dexter Pittman - the 6-10, 300lb center - on the bench. Needless to say, Duke came down with the offensive-rebound, made a couple of free-throws and ended the game.

Genius. Absolutely genius.

(Sidebar: Rick Barnes is looking more and more like Burns from the Simpsons. It's getting a little creepy!)

Over-Officiating

Over the weekend, I watched a really good Pittsburgh-Oklahoma State matchup. The downside? Both teams were in the bonus at the 10-minute mark of the first half. This situation continued a trend that has been apparent to me throughout the tournament.

Duke-Texas: Dexter Pittman was in foul trouble throughout the game. He had averaged 29 minutes/game over the last four - but foul trouble limited him to 22 against the Blue Devils. Texas lost by five.

Arizona State-Syracuse: The Sun Devils' big man, Jeff Pendergraph, fouled out with 10-minutes remaining. Pendergraph logged 24 minutes during the game - 9 minutes below his season average. ASU lost by 11 points.

Villanova-UCLA: both teams were in the bonus with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Maybe I am just trying to justify why my bracket has failed so miserably - but I don't want to watch every team's backups for 20 minutes/game. I want to see the best against the best. I am with Dick Vitale - the college game needs to join the NBA and allow six fouls per contest. It's just too difficult for big men in the college game to avoid getting in foul trouble. Fans want to see the big guys on the floor - not cheerleading from the bench.

Solid Goldy Gold

Jim Nance is a solid announcer. He does a good job on everything that he covers. He makes it interesting, entertaining...he is well-researched, he isn't cheesy. He is just solid.

Dirk is a Stud.

2009-03-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

Enough Said.

Newman Strikes Back

2009-03-18T09:39:00.003-05:00

Terrance Newman is mad. Newman did not appreciate the criticism that he received for his recent comments made here, and on Tuesday, he called Ben and Skin on 105.3 The FAN to voice his displeasure.

To summarize, Newman basically said that the media "twisted his words" and continue to make "something out of nothing."

During the conversation, bloggers were labeled as "haters," and not that I disagree, but I did take offense. I consider myself a "non-lover," rather than a "hater!" I just try to call things like I see them.

For instance, Newman indicated that bloggers were simply "taking his comments out of context." Here is a quote from Newman's original conversation:

"Being a first-year starter, then you have the limelight with his girlfriend and situations of that nature. It's going to take away from him being a quarterback, being a successful quarterback."

I am not that bright, I admit that, but I cannot understand how that could be taken out of context. Newman specifically said that having a public relationship with Jessica Simpson "took away from him being a successful quarterback."

Is that what he meant? I don't know...but that is what he said. I don't think that Newman intentionally called out Romo. I do not believe that he had any malicious intent.

But to me - that's not the issue. The issue remains how Newman - and the entire Cowboys team - handles criticism. Newman made a few questionable statements during his original interview. Apparently, many misinterpreted his comments because he did not clearly convey his message.

But as usual - he refuses to take responsibility.

"It's not a lack of judgment and it's nothing that I can apologize about...People took it out of context and don't understand what I was talking about."

Yes it is! You can easily apologize for it. It's really simple...you just do it.

Not to pile on the often-used quote, but: "Adversity doesn't build character - it reveals character."

Every time a Cowboy faces adversity, he immediately puts on the "it's not my fault" mask. Rarely, if ever, does one of the guys come out and say, "You know what? I messed up. I should have done this or done that." It's always, "That wasn't my fault. You don't know the coverages we were in, you don't know the routes we were supposed to run, you don't know the scheme that we were working with, etc..."

It just becomes a beating after a while. Realistically, most "haters" in the media would simply like to see the Cowboys to adopt the Keith Brooking philosophy:

"Take the blame and give all the credit. That's the key."

Like I said here, I'm not sure that he is going to fit in well around here.

Terrance Newman...Please Shut Up!

2009-03-16T09:48:00.008-05:00

Terrance Newman, a suddenly prominent voice in the Cowboys' locker room, is at it again. This time, he talked with Joe Trahan at WFAA about Jessica Simpson's impact on Tony Romo:

"I think that with the situation Tony was in, I think that kind of maybe hurt him a little bit - being a first-year starter, then you have the limelight with his girlfriend and situations of that nature. It's going to take away from him being a quarterback, being a successful quarterback.

I think that once he inherited the starting quarterback job and his relationship got into the national media attention, I think that that was something that definitely hurt and took away from Tony Romo being a great quarterback."

I'm glad to see that someone is here to pick up the slack after T.O.'s departure. But seriously, shouldn't Newman follow the whole "don't throw stones in a glass house" rule? Doesn't he understand that stupid comments like these prop him up as a target moving forward?

If I had been conducting this interview - I would have enjoyed following his statements with these questions:

Terrance, do you believe that you should be the team spokesperson, given that you have essentially missed 11 games during the last two years?

Terrance, can you justify being one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL despite only making one Pro-Bowl during your career?

Terrance, can you justify being one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL despite never amassing more than 4 interceptions in a year?

Terrance, how would you address the accusation that, since receiving your new contract, you no longer are willing to play through pain?

To me, it appears that Newman has been affected by a little "Josh Howard-itis." For clarification - Josh Howard-itis occurs when a decent player is selected for their first All-Star (Pro-Bowl) game. At that point, said player begins to believe that he is much better than he really is.

Look, Newman is a good cornerback...but he is paid like a great cornerback. Terrance Newman is not great. He is also a player that has been unable to stay on the field over the last two seasons.

This team has a very difficult time with personal accountability. If Newman wants to discuss the team, I wish that he would begin with: "I need to get better. I was drafted as a playmaking cornerback - I need to actually start making plays. I need to focus on how I can improve to help the team."

Instead, during a 10-minute interview, Newman talked about:

Romo needing to focus on being the quarterback
Clicks in the locker room
Players bickering at one another
Coaches being accountable
Other guys not complaining in public
Coaches not holding players accountable
Romo needing to be a more vocal leader

Never, during the entire discussion, did Newman suggest that he needed to improve. Really - that's all that needed to be said.

Van Gundy is a Genius

2009-03-15T18:38:00.004-05:00

The Mavericks lost another tough road game, this time against the Lakers. Despite a valiant Maverick' comeback, Kobe led the Lakers to a 107-100 victory, sending the Mavericks home after going 2-2 on their 4-game road trip.

Luckily for us, we had the opportunity to listen to the best NBA commentators in the business. Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen could make a Kings-Clippers game interesting. During this broadcast, after being asked about the Mavericks' "inconsistency," Jeff Van Gundy had a very interesting and accurate take:

"Everyone always wants to label a team as 'inconsistent.' Guess what? There are very few teams that are consistent: the Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Magic, Grizzlies and Wizards. Those teams are all consistent: either consistently good - or consistently bad. Everyone else is in the middle."

Man that makes sense. Think about it: The Jazz have a losing record on the road...are they "consistent?" Portland has lost to the Clippers, Bobcats and the Thunder...are they "consistent?" The Spurs have lost to Milwaukee twice and the Knicks...are they "consistent?"

In the NBA, you are one of three things: 1) an elite team (Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Magic); 2) a hideous team (Wizards, Clippers, Grizzlies, Kings, Thunder, Raptors)...or: 3) in the middle. The Mavericks are clearly "in the middle."

Van Gundy went on to say [paraphrased]:

"Of course Dallas has experienced more bad losses this year than in years past. They aren't nearly as talented today as they have been in recent years. Just look at the floor right now - look who is playing: Bass, Singleton, Barea, Wright and Terry. The Mavericks just don't have the talent that they used to have. It's easy to say that 'this team underperformed' or 'that team underperformed,' but it generally comes down to talent. I think that it's a gross misstatement to claim that this Dallas team has underperformed."

Again - right on the money. Mavericks' fans have been spoiled by having the opportunity to watch the second most winning franchise this decade (behind San Antonio). Fans now expect Dallas to win 55 games and earn a top spot in the playoffs. It's just not that easy.

As Van Gundy stated, the NBA is about talent. Right now, Dallas just doesn't matchup with the elite teams in the league. We all need to understand that every non-elite team in the league has inconsistent stretches during the season. Every team has a few really bad losses, a few surprising wins and a lot of games decided in the last five minutes. We all need to lower the expectations. Dallas is in the same boat as Utah, Portland, Houston, Denver and New Orleans. Or as Van Gundy said:

"The Mavericks are right where they should be."

Mavericks: Better Off Without Howard?

2009-03-14T13:12:00.005-05:00

I will complete a more detailed writeup on this subject - but for now - just peruse the "Josh Howard Effect" on the Mavericks:

Record

Dallas’ Record with Howard (45 games):
• 27-18 = .600 winning %

Dallas without Howard (20 games):
• 13-7 = .650 winning %

Points

Points scored with Howard:
• 4516 points/45 games = 100.36
• 100.36 points/game

Points scored without Howard:
• 2069 points/20 games = 103.45
• 103.45 points/game

Point allowed with Howard:
• 4470 points allowed/45 = 99.33
• 99.33 points allowed/game

Points allowed without Howard:
• 2006 points allowed/20 = 100.30
• 100.30 points allowed/game

Point Differential with Howard:
• +1.03

Point Differential without Howard:
• +3.15

Summary

• Dallas has a better winning % without Josh Howard (.650 vs .600).
• Factored out Record (for an entire season):
.650 winning %: 53-29
.600 winning %: 49-33
• Josh Howard has a -2.12 points/game effect on the Mavericks.
• Dallas allows about 1 more point/game without Howard.
• Dallas scored about 3 more points/game without Howard.

Michael Young vs ARod - Who is the Real "Choke-Artist?"

2009-03-12T09:34:00.009-05:00

Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. David Ortiz. John Elway.

What do those guys have in common? They are all considered “clutch” performers. When the shot-clock is running down, on the 18th green, in the bottom of the ninth, at the two-minute warning…these guys come through. They have ice running through their veins. They are instinctual killers. In crunch-time, these guys get it done.

Michael Young is that guy for the Texas Rangers. In other words, if Texas finds itself in a tight game – Ranger fans want Michael Young at the plate. He works hard, he is committed, he has a smart approach and he finds a way to get the job done, or at least so fans think.

On the flipside - former Ranger Alex Rodriquez has been widely labeled as a "choke-artist" and a guy that produces "hollow" numbers. Sure – he hits 50 homeruns every year – but most of those happen during blowouts and lost-causes, right?

Over at Newberg, we decided to delve further into the discussion on "clutch" hitting. First, we needed to define the parameters surrounding a "clutch" situation. For logistical purposes, we decided to consult baseball-reference and use their "late and close" statistics.

"Late and Close" situations include: "plate-appearances in the 7th or later with the batting team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck."

In other words - we have defined "clutch" as a time when the game is on the line - after the 6th inning. While any at-bat with runners-in-scoring-position could qualify as "clutch," I just don't believe that a situation in the 1st inning compares to the same situation in the 9th.

I have listed career statistics and "clutch" statistic to determine whether said player actually "rises to the challenge" or "crumbles" during late-game, pressure situations.

Let’s compare the American Hero, Michael Young, to the Dark Villain, Alex Rodriguez:

Clutch: plate-appearances during the 7th inning or later with the batting team tied, ahead by one, or the tying run at least on deck.

Alex Rodriguez
Career: .306/.389/.578/.967
Clutch: .279/.375/.530/.905
Change in OPS: -.062

Michael Young
Career: .300/.346/.442/.788
Clutch: .262/.301/.358/.659
Change in OPS: -.129

While ARod does see his production drop during the late-stages of a close game, his slip in production is nowhere near that of Young.

Young’s production drops by 16%.
ARod’s production drops by 6%.

That’s a pretty significant difference, and aside from that, ARod still produces an OPS north of .900 in “clutch” situations while Michael Young produces a very Brad Ausmus-like .659, nearly .250 points below ARod.

People want Young to be a clutch performer because he is a "good guy" and has been the face of the franchise for a long time. People remember Young's triple in the All-Star game and they quickly forget his rally-killing double-plays. People will believe what they want to believe, and people want to believe that Young is clutch.

On the flip side, people want ARod to "choke" in big situations because he is an easy guy to root against. People always root against the best. People want to create a chink in ARod's armor by labeling him as a "choke-artist." Unfortunately, the numbers just do not support these beliefs.

For comparison purposes, I have also added statistics for several of Young's teammates and former teammates including: Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock, David Murphy, Marlon Byrd, Nelson Cruz, Milton Bradley and Mark Teixeira..

Josh Hamilton
Career: .300/.370/.538/.908
Clutch: .252/.355/.457/.812
Change in OPS: - .096

Hank Blalock
Career: .274/.337/.465/.802
Clutch: .278/.336/.452/.788
Change in OPS: -.014

Ian Kinsler
Career: .290/.360/.473/.832
Clutch: .254/.350/.354/.704
Change in OPS: -.128

Milton Bradley
Career: .280/.370/.457/.827
Clutch: .278/.376/.474/.850
Change in OPS: +.023

David Murphy
Career: .286/.334/.480/.814
Clutch: .293/.340/.457/.797
Change in OPS: -.017

Marlon Byrd
Career: .278/.343/.407/.750
Clutch: .232/.318/.368/.686 (though he has about an .880 OPS since joining Texas)
Change in OPS: -.064

Mark Teixeira
Career: .290/.378/.541/.919
Clutch: .282/.379/.555/.933
Change in OPS: +.014

Michael Young
Career: .300/.346/.442/.788
Clutch: .262/.301/.358/.659
Change in OPS: -.129

Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Career: .261/.328/.400/.728
Clutch: .256/.350/.356/.705
Change in OPS: -.023

Nelson Cruz
Career: .251/.312/.431/.743
Clutch: .231/.302/.359/.661
Change in OPS: -.082

Alex Rodriguez
Career: .306/.389/.578/.967
Clutch: .279/.375/.530/.905
Change in OPS: -.062

Breakdown - Change in OPS during "clutch" situations:

Current Rangers
Blalock: -.014
Murphy: -.017
Salty: -.023
Byrd: -.064
Cruz: -.082
Hamilton: -.096
Kinsler: -.128
Young: - .129

Former Teammates
Bradley: +.023
Teixeira: +.014
ARod: -.062

As you can see, most players experience a drop in production during the later innings. This probably happens because - late in games - teams make pitching decisions based on matchups (ie...left-handed pitcher vs. left-handed batter, etc...). That would help explain why the three switch-hitters (Bradley, Teixeira and Salty) do not experience a large variance in production. If the opponent brings in a lefty, the switch-hitters just flip around to the right-side. Advantage mitigated.

Though most hitters do see a slight dip in production, Young has the biggest Ranger discrepancy between his career statistics and his production during "late and close" situations. Again - no one stat can tell you everything. But after reviewing these numbers, it's difficult to argue that Michael Young "rises to the challenge" in "clutch" situations. If anything, the numbers indicate that he folds during "late and close" situations. In fact – in “late and close situations” – Young is less productive than anyone projected to be in the Rangers’ opening-day lineup.

Sometimes the truth hurts.

Is T.O. David Copperfield?

2009-03-10T09:31:00.016-05:00

Have you ever watched a magician like David Copperfield perform? The first time you see the act - it's pretty cool. He stands in an empty auditorium - when suddenly, with a flash of light, an elephant appears! After seeing if for the first time, you couldn't fully understand how he pulled it off, but you knew that he wasn't being completely truthful.

The next time you saw the same trick, you knew where to look and you saw the elephant standing behind the fake paneling. The decoy flash happened on the left side of the stage - the paneling was removed on the right side - revealing the elephant. Mystery solved.

That brings us to T.O.

"I was the fall guy for some of the things that happened during that season but those guys in that locker room, they know that whatever is being reported out there right now is very, very inaccurate."
- Mr. Accountability

Like a magician, Owens is up to his same old tricks:

He was treated unfairly while in Dallas.
He wasn't the problem - he did his job (and he will tell you all about it).
He is being wrongly labeled as a "cancer" within the locker room.
He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Amazingly, since he was cut, I have heard numerous fans actually support Owens:

"T.O. worked harder than anyone on the team. He is just so competitive that sometimes he gets frustrated. I'm glad - I want my players to get frustrated when things aren't going well."

(Side Note: This guy has to be David Copperfield in disguise, right? I mean - he has to be. How else could he convince thousands of fans to ignore what they have seen? How else could he force fans to focus on his contributions while completely ignoring the sideshow? Who else could get others to agree that he has been the victim three different times with three different organizations?)

Do you understand the problem with the “he is just highly competitive” theory? T.O. complains after wins. After Dallas beat Washington in Week 11, Owens had this to say:

“When I get my hands on the ball, things happen. I can’t throw it and catch it. It’s not that I can’t play. It’s the system of which I’m in.”

Yes – Owens is competitive – but that competitiveness remains focused on himself and his numbers. Competitors focus on winning. T.O. focuses on T.O. – and then winning.

I don't deny that T.O. wears his emotions on his sleeve. I agree that he expresses his frustration when things go bad. My issue lies within Owens' definition of "bad." T.O. considers individual numbers as priority number one - and winning as number two. That's why he has no problem complaining after victories...because in his mind - if he didn't get his numbers - it wasn't a victory. Owens is not the only athlete that focuses exclusively on his numbers, but he is one of the few athletes that isn't smart enough to realize when to complain about individual statistics.

(Note to Terrell: after a win isn't a good time.)

Here is another popular argument for the beleaguered wide-receiver:

"Owens on-field talent outweighs any type of distraction that he may or may not create."

Well - I guess 30 other teams didn't agree.

Why didn't some of the contenders snatch Owens up? Did the Giants make a run at him? Did Carolina have any interest? What about Indianapolis? New England? Jacksonville? Pittsburgh? The Jets?

This amazingly talented receiver was "wrongly" blamed by the Cowboys' organization and Dallas media but Buffalo was the only team willing to take a flier on the guy? A "number one" receiver that "hasn't lost a step" who constantly "commands double-teams" couldn't even muster a multi-year deal? His only option was to play for a non-contender in a non-media market for a team that gets absolutely no national exposure on a one-year deal?

Just like with David Copperfield: if you can't see the elephant in the room - you aren't looking hard enough.

Senility Will Have to Wait...

2009-03-09T13:39:00.003-05:00

Jerry Jones did the unthinkable. Yep - he cut Terrell Owens. For most teams and General Managers, cutting T.O. seems like a logical step in the right direction. Jerry Jones is not like "most" General Managers.

He might as well have created the "any publicity is good publicity" belief system. Publicity is like a bug-zapper...and Jerry is like a bug. He sees the light - and despite the fact that his buddies are all laying lifeless near the zapper's base - Jerry just can't help himself. Throughout his career, Jerry has refused to give in...until recently.

That's right, folks. Put up your Al Davis jumpsuits because senility will have to wait another day. Jerry surprisingly went against his risk-taker intuition and sacrificed the spotlight in an effort to improve on-the-field performance. Crazy idea.

Was T.O. the only Dallas problem? Of course not. But isn't one broken leg better than two (unless...oh never mind, let's just keep this simple).

Jerry listened to the smart people that he has surrounded himself with and made the right call. It couldn't have been easy - but Jerry - I'm proud of you.

BASADSKMVDAA Awards - Part Two

2009-03-03T10:38:00.006-06:00

My buddies Ben and Skin recently asked, "who is the most valuable athlete in the DFW Metroplex?" They didn't ask "who is the best player/athlete," they asked about the "most valuable player."

Webster's Definition of Value:
n: a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged

In other words, value directly relates to price. Dirk is a great player - but he is paid like a great player. As a result, he is not the most valuable player in the metroplex - at least not for this exercise.

Dallas Sports Keg will be taking on a 3-part series over the next few days titled: Ben-and-Skin's-and-Dallas-Sports-Keg's-Most-Valuable-DFW-Athlete-Award...also known as BASADSKMVDAA. Not the catchiest moniker - but we're not a freakin' advertising agency! We will examine the Mavericks, Cowboys and Rangers (since Bob Sturm is the only guy in town that watches hockey - we chose not to include the Stars in this exercise).

Part Two: Texas Rangers (yes...we still have a baseball team)
I know it comes as a surprise to most Ranger fans, but no pitchers qualified for this year's award.

Challenger #1: Chris Davis - $390k (2009)
80 Games
17 HRs
55 RBI
OPS - .880

162 game pace:
34 HRs
111 RBI
OPS - .880
$4,875/game (in 2008 and 2009)

Josh Hamilton - $397k (2008 and 2009)
156 Games
32 HRs
130 RBI
.901 OPS
$2,545/game (in 2008 – potentially in 2009 depending on whether he gets a new contract)

-Comparison-

Michael Young - $16 mm (in 2009)
155 Games
12 HRs
82 RBI
OPS - .741
$102,000/game (in 2009)

* During the coming season, Young will make more in a 4-game series than Davis or Hamilton made in all of 2008. Despite being the 2nd highest-paid shortstop in all of baseball, MY had the 11th highest OPS for all ML shortstops in 2008.

Davis exploded onto the scene in June of 2008. As a 22-year-old, he launched 10 homeruns during his first 25 games and cemented his spot in the Rangers’ everyday lineup. His OPS never dropped below .800 during any point in the season. He won the American League Rookie of the Month Award during July by hitting .303 with eight homeruns and 16 RBIs.

The Rangers acquired Josh Hamilton from the Cincinnati Reds for Edinson Volquez prior to the 2008 season. Hamilton won the American League Player of the Month Award in both April and May, becoming the first player in American League history to be awarded Player of the Month for the first two months of the season. Hamilton’s most impressive moment of the season happened after he was elected to the All-Star Team. In Yankee Stadium – during the Homerun Derby – Hamilton wowed the packed house by blasting monstrous homerun after monstrous homerun. Though he finished second overall, his performance led to the now infamous statement produced by Sports Illustrated write, Joe Sheehan:

“The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down.”

Chris Davis has been a good, solid prospect since signing. As far as we know, he has been a straight-arrow kid throughout his career.
Hamilton, on the other hand, was a 1st-round pick who was derailed by extensive drug-abuse and has returned to form.

Like the rest of society, we enjoy rooting for a guy that made wrong decisions - ie...smoking crack - and then overcame that addiction, rather than a guy who has made sound decisions throughout his life. Sorry Chris - your story just is not interesting enough.

Congratulations Josh Hamilton. By winning the Rangers' most valuable player award, you have been entered into the BASADSKMVDAA Finals where you will face off against the most valuable players selected from the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks.

Stay tuned for Part Three featuring the Dallas Cowboys.

Keith Brooking Needs to Learn the Rules

2009-03-02T10:11:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend - in addition to Jon Kitna - the Dallas Cowboys signed Linebacker Keith Brooking. Brooking is - by all accounts - a really good guy and a great teammate. During a recent interview, Brooking encapsulated his playing philosophy by stating:

"Take the blame and give all the credit. That's the key...That's the great thing about football. If it's not for the other 10 guys you're not going to have success."

My first thought: this guy simply will not fit in with the Cowboys organization. Think I'm wrong? Compare Brooking's comments to those made by Dallas players over the last twelve months:

Terrell Owens

"Everybody recognized that I wasn't really getting the ball in the first half," Owens said. "I'm pretty sure everybody watching the game recognized it, people in the stands recognized it. I think my team recognized it."

“There were opportunities throughout the whole game. You just can’t pinpoint that last drive. I ran my routes according to what was called and just came up short.”

"I'm doing what's asked of me - I'm running my routes - it's not like I'm not open."

"If Garrett is smart enough to know what types of plays made me successful in the past, he will go back to those plays and those types of formations."

"For me to have had the numbers that I have had - and not getting the ball - it is discouraging."

"I can't throw it and catch it."

"When you look at the film there were plays when the receivers were open and these were things that needed to be addressed amongst us on the offense."

“There needs to be some changes in regard to getting some guys involved, putting guys in position to win. It all starts with the guys calling the plays.”

Roy Williams (the Safety):

"I'm not playing the position I played in my first three years when Mike Zimmer was here and we ran a 4-3. OK?"

Roy Williams (Wide Receiver):

"If the coordinator wanted to get the ball to me, he could. And the same thing with the quarterback."

"As Ray Lewis said after he got done playing us, we had the easiest offense to figure out."

"But, like I said, I'm a coachable wide receiver. I'll run what I'm supposed to run. And I'll continue to have the cornerbacks ask me, 'Why do they got you running this same thing over and over again?'"

Tony Romo:

“They exposed something we do fundamentally offensively.”

“Scheme is a major part of it that the normal fan or writer doesn't understand...That's why I think some games, it's easy to say, ‘Well, he didn't play good.' A lot of it is scheme.”

Terrance Newman:

"When coaches make mistakes around here, there's nothing said about it. They just go and try to diffuse it, and try to put that blame on somebody else, rather than owning up to it."

Sorry Keith, but there are more "monogamous" Playboy girls than there are "accountable" Dallas Cowboys.

If you want to be part of the Cowboys organization, you need to learn the ground rules:

1. Nothing is ever your fault. Ever.
2. Blame the scheme - no one can prove you wrong (see both Roy Williams, T.O., Romo).
3. Try to "recruit" others to join you in your complaining.
4. "Team guys" don't create winning teams - winning teams create "team guys."
5. Do not EVER handle an issue in-house. Use the media.
6. If you aren't playing well, know that the coaches must be using you improperly.
7. Understand that talent, and talent alone, wins championships.
8. Any publicity is good publicity.
9. Make sure that everyone knows that you did "your job."
10. Take all the credit - give all the blame.

WFAA: Is Michael Moore Reporting?

2009-02-25T09:05:00.004-06:00

Twenty years ago, Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys. WFAA, the Dallas ABC affiliate, has created a week-long segment depicting the current state of "America's Team."

All reporters are taught to properly gather evidence, assess the collected information and then let the research lead you to a conclusion.

For this specific Cowboys’ series, Brett Shipp, a WFAA reporter, decided to go the Michael Moore route instead. In other words, rather than letting the evidence speak for itself, he created an opinionated conclusion and worked backwards from there.

Shipp's conclusion: Cowboy fans are turning on the franchise, and specifically, Jerry Jones.

He started the project by formulating his conclusion...and then spent time trying to create an argument that supported that belief. Not exactly reporting 101.

Shipp attempted to "summarize" his findings when he spoke with The Ticket this morning. During that conversation, Shipp stated:

“Dallas Cowboy fans no longer believe that this is 'America's Team.' People who supported Jerry Jones in the past are now turning on him.”

Those are pretty strong statements. Shipp must have some very telling data supporting that belief, right? Below are the published WFAA findings:

Overall, do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Dallas Cowboys?

72% Favorable
24% Unfavorable

So...Shipp's comments were based on the 24% of polled individuals? Really? I'm not a statistical genius, but I think that a 72% approval-rating seems quite good. Maybe it could be higher, but if I were paid to "report the findings," I wouldn't feel comfortable reporting that "Cowboy fans are turning on their team," at least not based on these poll results. Hell, Obama’s approval rating recently dipped below 60%.

Interested in another contradictory nugget? In 2008, the Dallas Cowboys sold more merchandise than any other NFL team...again.

The sky is falling on Jerry Jones – but luckily – people are buying Dallas Cowboy umbrellas to protect themselves!

Just wait - it gets funnier.

Shipp continued this morning by proclaiming that:

"Most loyal Cowboy fans think that 'Jerry crossed the line' with his new stadium. Most fans that have been lifelong followers are not renewing their season tickets."

Again - very strong statement. Apparently, "most" loyal Cowboy fans are so turned off by the new stadium that they are just walking away from the organization. Surely Shipp has some strong evidence to support that claim. From the WFAA website:

Will the Stadium be good or bad for the fans?

65% Good
29% Bad

C’mon, Shipp…help a brotha out! Honestly, I'm expecting Ashton Kutcher to rip off his Brett-Shipp-mask screaming, "you just got PUNKED!"

Ok, ok...I need to take a deep breath. I'll be right back.

(...walking around...breathing...listening to Enya to calm down)

Ok, I'm back. Where were we? Oh, that's right - Brett Shipp is insane! Seriously, he's lost it! Just to summarize/paraphrase:

Brett Shipp: "Cowboy fans are turning on the Cowboy franchise."
Poll Results: 72% polled still feel favorable towards the team.
Miscellaneous: Cowboys sold more merchandise in 2008 than any other NFL franchise.

(head spinning)

Brett Shipp: "Most loyal fans are refusing to get 'on-board' with the new stadium."
Poll Results: 65% polled feel that the stadium will be good for fans.
Miscellaneous: Please see WFAA poll results.

(my head just exploded)

Here are the complete WFAA results:

Pretty amazing stuff. Another interesting note: they only polled 400 people in the metroplex. 400! DFW has a population near the $6 million mark. I'm not sure how any logical person could arrive at any solid conclusions after polling just .001% of the targeted population.

I don’t believe that logic is Shipp's strong-point...and I actually have evidence to support it!

BASADSKMVDAA Awards - Part One

2009-02-24T08:56:00.004-06:00

My buddies Ben and Skin recently asked, "who is the most valuable athlete in the DFW Metroplex?" They didn't ask "who is the best player/athlete," they asked about the "most valuable."

Webster's Definition of Value:
a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged
In other words, value directly relates to price. Dirk is a great player - but he is paid like a great player. As a result, he is not the most valuable player in the metroplex - at least not for this exercise.

Dallas Sports Keg will be taking on a 3-part series over the next few days titled: Ben-and-Skin's-and-Dallas-Sports-Keg's-Most-Valuable-DFW-Athlete-Award...also known as BASADSKMVDAA. Not the catchiest moniker - but we're not a freakin' advertising agency! We will examine the Mavericks, Cowboys and Rangers (since Bob Sturm is the only guy in town that watches hockey - we chose not to include the Stars in this exercise).

Part One: Mavericks

Brandon Bass - $826k
19 minutes/game
8.6 points
4.4 rebounds

To compare
Erick Dampier - $9.55 mm
23.6 minutes/game
5.5 points/game
7.2 rebounds/game

Other than the Dampier household, Maverick fans believe that Bass is the better option. If you take salaries into account - it's absolutely no contest.

- Side Note -
When Erick had his first child, do you think that he was only allowed to hold him while standing in a jump-house? Seriously, there is no way the family entrusted stonehands with a baby on any non-bouncy flooring, right? Or maybe they created the "Erick-baby-holding-room" IN the house - installed bouncy floors and walls - that way, when Erick inevitably dropped the infant, he would simply bounce around the room until he finally came to rest.

You know - maybe they could design the room similar to a basketball-return system - the one where when you shoot and the ball travels down a tunnel of netting only to return to the original shooting location. They could build the room angled in a way that would allow the baby to be dropped - bounce harmlessly off the floor, walls and ceiling - before rolling back to Damp's feet. At that point, Erick could again pick up the baby - and seconds later - when he dropped him again, the process would repeat! I am almost positive that the Dampier house has a room like this. If not, he should. Seriously - we are saving lives here!

- Back to original programming -

Dampier makes about 11.5 times more than Bass despite producing similar results. Bass wins this contest - stonehands down.

Mavericks #2
JJ Barea - $1.5 mm
19 minutes/game
7.4 points
3.3 assists
1.40 turnovers

Jason Kidd - $21.3 mm
35 minutes/game
9 points
8.4 assists
2.33 turnovers

Barea's numbers factored out assuming that he also averaged 35 minutes/game, as Kidd does:

Barea (projected totals given 35 minutes/game)
13.6 points (.389 points/minute x 35 minutes)
6.1 assists (.174 assists/minute x 35 minutes)
2.58 turnovers (.074 turnovers/game x 35 minutes)

Obviously, we have to make several assumptions to build these types of comparisons. Could Kidd still hold the "lunch-pale" title if he was only asked to play 20 minutes/game? Would Barea's tiny Puerto-Rican heart hold up for 35 minutes each night? We could go on and on...

But regardless of the assumptions made, Barea appears to be a bargain. He makes about 14-times less than Kidd - yet he scores at a higher rate. Though Kidd still maintains an advantage in the assist department, their overall numbers remain fairly comparable.

Barea scores more points.
Kidd dishes out more assists.
Both turn the ball over at a similar rate.
One makes $21.3 million; one makes $1.5 million.

Bass and Barea are obviously the two most valuable players on the current Mavericks' roster. Deciding between the two was difficult - but please enter our thought process:

Brandon Bass is a 6'8, 240-pound black guy. He is supposed to be a bad-ass athlete. It would actually be an embarrassment to him (and his family) if he wasn't a professional athlete. Barea is a 5'10 Puerto-Rican. He should be pimpin' someone's ride - not playing in the NBA.

When Bass walks into the gym, everyone looks and says, "Man...that dude must play football or basketball. He's a beast!" When Barea enters a gym, you want to hand him your dirty towel and let him know that "shower #3 has some kind of weird fungus and you should probably do some scrubbing."

Congratulations, JJ Barea. By winning the Mavericks' most valuable player award, you have been entered into the BASADSKMVDAA Finals where you will face off against the most valuable players selected from the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.

Is It March Yet?

2009-02-17T15:19:00.005-06:00

During the college football season, what conversation dominated the sports world? Was it whether the SEC was stronger than the Big 12? Did most people spend the majority of their time dissecting just how bad the Big 10 had become? Was water-cooler talk relegated to Tim Tebow-related topics?

Nope. The entire season revolved around one item: the BCS.

Everyone discussed it - and isn't that just what the NCAA wanted? They wanted college football to be a topic of conversation. They wanted people calling into talk-shows demanding a playoff. They want people to get up on Monday morning and check the BCS standing to determine who "deserves" to play in the BCS Championship this week.

And it works. The BCS creates conversation. Personally, I would love to see a college-football playoff system. Just the thought of it creates a Pavlov's-dog-like reaction. I get excited.

Having said that, if I wanted to argue against a college-football playoff, I could do so rather easily. It would be a very short and concise four-word argument: regular-season college-basketball.

Seriously - there is no stronger argument for the BCS system than presenting regular-season college-basketball. It's simply unwatchable. BCS-supporters believe that a football playoff system would render the regular-season somewhat meaningless...ala college basketball.

To provide proof, here are 10 things that I would do in my house before watching a regular-season NCAA basketball game:

1. sleep
2. organize my garage
3. watch an "Housewives of Orange County" marathon
4. shop online with my wife
5. read (...a book...with actual chapters - not Sports Illustrated)
6. time how long it takes for water to boil (I swear - it takes longer if you watch it)
7. turn my house alarm on...and then slowly creep around the furniture towards the kitchen to see how far I can get before being spotted by the motion-detector (I have made it to the dining-table twice - but I will have to improve my barrel roll in order to advance any farther)
8. watch any Jeneane Garofalo movie
9 .clean (anything)
10. watch hockey

In other words, watching regular-season college-basketball sucks. I wish it didn't - but it really does. There is simply no reason to watch any college basketball before the NCAA Tournament. None.

Some of my buddies have tried to provide me with a rational explanation behind watching some bball before the Big Dance:

"Blair, man, you HAVE to watch some basketball before the tournament or your bracket will suck."

Easy response: my bracket will suck anyway.
Painful response: do you know who is going to win your office pool this year? That's right, it's Megan - the receptionist. You know, the one that thought we were filling out a survey on which school mascots were the prettiest. Yep, she is going to win. And she has never watched a college basketball game in her life. Ever.

So - no, you do not need to watch regular-season basketball to build a winning bracket.

"But what about seeing the unique college environments like seeing Duke fans jumping up and down from start to finish? Doesn't that get you excited?"

Response: No, but it does remind that attending Duke must really suck. Seriously - the football program goes 4-8...and that's considered a "good" year! Duke students camp out before regular-season basketball games for a team that hasn't won anything in eight years. It's actually quite depressing.

Side note: (Tournament upset pick - Duke loses in the second round. I know, the tournament seeding isn't done yet, but it doesn't matter. Give me the field vs. Duke in the second round...it's gonna happen)

Look - the NCAA Tournament is one of my favorite events of year. I love watching the little, unknown school go all Josh Howard on us (ie...going from relatively unknown - to convincing everyone that he is "for real" - only to remember why he was relatively unknown to begin with). March is an amazing time. But November, December, January and February are not.

Now if I haven't gotten you pumped to see the Saturday matchup between DePaul and Pittsburgh or Memphis at Utah, I don't know what else to say. If you need me, I'll be in the other room - mastering my barrel roll.

Do or Die (Literally)

2009-02-11T08:23:00.004-06:00

Do or Die (Literally)

As the Mavericks continued their domination over subpar teams last night, I decided to watch one of the coolest shows on tv: Live Wire on the NFL Network. If you haven't checked it out, you should.

The NFL Network "wires" players before the game to record their verbal exchanges before, during and after each contest. Last night's show highlighted guys like Leon Washington and Jay Cutler talking in the huddle, before the play, etc...

As I watched the hour-long presentation, something really resonated with me:every single team had loud, emotional pre-game speeches. It was generally in the mold of:

"This is our house! This is what he have been working for all year! We are not going to let these guys take this away from us!"

Whatever the specific message, it was clear: every team did it. Every team got together, jumped around and got pumped before the game. During the game, every team had guys that were encouraging their teammates while on the sideline. Every team had a few guys yelling up and down the roster at critical points of the game.

And in every game, one of the teams lost.

I know, I couldn't believe it either. How did it happen?

How, after hearing the amazingly original and inspiring, "This is OUR house" speeches, did 50% of the teams lose?

How, after seeing a teammate proclaim that it is "our time" did the guys not pull together to secure a victory? Were they not listening? After all, it was "their" time!

At first, I could not figure it out. I mean, if I learned that someone was coming into my house and was going to steal my dream, I would be pissed. To quote A Night at the Roxbury, "You can't take away our dreams...because we're like sleeping when we have them!"

And secondly, how dare he come into my house to steal my dreams. No way I would let that happen.

But as I continued to watch, I began to understand just how half of the teams in question had lost. You see, the Tennessee Titans had proclaimed their playoff game as "their time" in "their house." There was just one problem: Ray Lewis stood on the opposing sideline.

Lewis is like the Anthony Robbins of NFL pre-game speeches. On this day, not only did Ray-Ray produce his infamous "crazy eyes" during his speech, he also directly refuted the previous Titans' claim by telling his teammates that "this is our time."

I don't know who awards teams with the "our time" label, but there appeared to be a mix-up. Tennessee thought that it was "their time" and also proclaimed the field to be "their house." Lewis simply shouted that it was "our time." The Titans appeared to have the advantage, two to one:

Breakdown
"Our House" + "Our Time" > "Our Time"

But in the end, Baltimore won the game. After re-watching the episode, I found the loophole that Baltimore's Lewis had exposed.

Yes, the Titans did state that it was "their time" and "their house;" however, Lewis used his wild-card. You see, Ray Lewis was accused of murder in 2000. As a result, his speech carried much more significance: if you did not follow Ray's lead, there was a chance that you could be shot. Based on the new information:

New Breakdown
"Our Time" + "Our House" < "Our Time" + stated-by-a-guy-formerly-accused-of-murder

Taking this specific case-study into consideration, I have created a few rules for the relationship between motivational talks and winning:

1) You must give a motivational talk before and during each game (every team did so)
2) If you motivate your team throughout the game, you have a 50% chance of winning
3) The number of pre-game claims that you make directly translates into wins
* Unless the opposing claim is made by a former murder-suspect...in which case, the opposing claim cannot be defeated (fear of being murdered > wanting to win)

To sum up (back to reality), every single team in the NFL has a guy or two that gives pre-game speeches. Every single team in the NFL has a guy or two that walks up and down the sideline "motivating" his teammates. Despite all of the efforts to motivate and energize their teammates, 50% of the "motivators" lose each week.

The game is about execution, not motivation. Teams that execute at a high level win games. Teams that don't, lose.

Chicken or the Egg

2009-02-09T09:40:00.003-06:00

Dallas Sports Keg

Tony Romo spoke with Babe Laufenberg on Sunday evening. He discussed a multitude of items including T.O. and Jessica Simpson. The meat of the interview though, focused on leadership. Romo is now getting grilled for a few of his answers.

Romo said:

"You wanna know why Michael Jordan was a great leader? He won six NBA championships. Then, all of a sudden, when he gets in people's faces, he's a great leader...A great leader is someone who wins, and you figure out how to win. Some people, it's getting in people's faces. Some people, it's being positive. Other people, it's walking the line and doing it the right way."

People want Romo to be fiery. They want to see him yelling at his teammates on the sideline. Fans want him to grab T.O. by the facemask when he runs the wrong route. In other words, they want him to be the stereotypical, Brian Dawkins I’m-all-up-in-your-grill type of leader.

Would I like to see Romo become that fiery on-field general? Sure. Unfortuantely, that's just not how the world works. People lead in different ways and there are many ways for one to achieve successful leadership.

Many people seem to think that a fiery-player = good-leader.

Let me ask you this: would you rather have Jake Delhomme as your quarterback?

If you want fiery, he is your man. Delhomme is known for his on-field tantrums, his willingness to call guys out in the middle of the game and for wearing his heart on his sleeve. He must be what a team needs if they want to win big games.

How did that work out during the playoffs this year? Let's see - he was really fiery, but more in the sense of going-down-in-flames. He threw five interceptions in Carolina's first playoff game this year, resulting in a 33-13 loss. Was he not "fiery" enough? Did he not hold others accountable? Or did he simply play poorly?

Was Romo a poor leader when he led the team to a 13-3 record in 2007?
Was he a poor leader when played through an injured back to beat the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in December of this year?
Was Romo not "fiery" enough to motivate the Cowboys' defense as they allowed Baltimore to rush for 180+ yards within the last five minutes of the Ravens' game?

Leadership comes from on-the-field results. It doesn't come from a guy getting in someone's face after a dropped pass. It doesn't come from throwing your helmet when you walk to the sideline.

It comes from winning, plain and simple. Romo has not won in the playoffs, and hence, is not considered a good leader. He has been labeled as a guy that "can't win the big game."

Do you know who else supposedly "could not win the big game?” Steve Young, Roger Staubach, John Elway and Peyton Manning. They were all considered good players that couldn't win the games that counted most - until they did. Suddenly, they transformed into some of the game’s greatest leaders.

Romo will be considered a leader when, and only when, he wins in the playoffs. He will suddenly go from a good quarterback to a great leader. When Romo says that leadership "comes from winning," he is absolutely right. In 2009, if Romo becomes a boisterous player seen yelling at guys on the sideline…but the Cowboys don’t make the playoffs, no one will then consider Tony a great leader.

You don't hear about Jake Delhomme's leadership abilities when he is throwing 5 interceptions in a playoff game, you hear about it when the Panthers win. You didn't hear about Peyton Manning's fiery leadership abilities when he was losing his first three playoff games - you heard about his propensity to lose his composure while cracking under pressure. Zach Thomas was a great leader in Miami – when they were good. In Dallas, when the team missed the playoffs, suddenly Thomas’ leadership qualities were a no-show. Did he forget how to lead?

Even as recently as last year, Eli Manning was thought to be incapable to leading a team. In midseason, most New York media questioned why the Giants drafted Eli over Ben Roethlisberger or Philip Rivers. Inexplicably, the Giants won the Super Bowl and Eli was then considered a great leader. So what did he do? He must have yelled at his offensive linemen while on the sideline, right? Surely he grabbed Plaxico by the facemask and laid down the law.

Nope: his persona remained the same. His "dumb-face" and droop-shoulders still made consistent appearances throughout the playoffs. What did he change? His on-field performance. He made smart decisions. He didn't turn the ball over. He won.

When Romo and the Cowboys win in the playoffs, there will be no more talk of Romo's inability to lead. His "impartial" attitude will transition to "cool under pressure." His on-field presence will transform from a guy that “doesn’t care” to a quarterback who simply "leads by example.”

Even Al “a few fries short of a happy meal” Davis knows how Romo can become a good leader:

“Just win, baby!”

Eight is Less Than Nine

2009-02-06T08:37:00.005-06:00

The number eight has some significance. There are eight planets in the solar system (now that Pluto is no longer considered a planet). Spiders have eight legs. Octopus...es have eight tentacles. There are Seven Wonders of the World...and that's just one less than eight!

Ok, maybe eight is not the most significant number out there. It's definitely no 7 or 4, but for Cowboys' fans, the number eight should carry extensive significance. Since Dallas lost to Philadelphia, knocking them out of the playoffs, a grass-root movement has begun within the fan-base. The message: Tony Romo sucks!

When I see some random blog suggesting that Dallas will "never win with Romo" or hear a radio personality proclaim that "Romo will never win the big game," I usually just ignore it. But over the last few weeks, it appears that the movement is picking up steam.

Nick Eatman, of the Dallas Cowboys official website, had this recent snippet:

"The Cowboys are not in the playoffs because their quarterback isn't the savior we thought he was."

Cedric Golden of the Austin-American Statesman wrote this:

"Romo's actions the last two seasons suggest he isn't the type capable of putting a team on his back and carrying it to a Super Bowl...Romo's not Aikman. Not even close. "

The mention of Aikman brings us back to the eight. We aren't talking about Aikman's uniform number. Do you know the "eight" that we are referencing? Don't worry, it does not appear that many others do either.

Since Aikman retired ten years ago, and before Romo, the Cowboys started eight different quarterbacks. Eight. And of those eight, how many made the pro-bowl? Zero? How many led the team to the playoffs? One (Quincy Carter...during one flukish year). Here are the eight guys that started in between Aikman and Romo:

Randall Cunningham
Quincy Carter
Clint Stoerner
Ryan Leaf
Chad Hutchinson
Vinny Testaverde
Drew Henson
Drew Bledsoe

Look at that list again. Look at it hard. After seeing that pathetic group of guys no longer in the league, are we still on-board with bashing Romo? Have we all forgotten just how bad it feels to enter a game knowing that the quarterback has absolutely no chance of winning a game?

Seriously, we used to play the "Q-Car" drinking game: every time he missed a wide-open receiver, we had to take a shot. If you ever watched Quincy Carter play, you know that we rarely made it to the second-half before passing out!

With Vinny, the game was a little different: we had to guess which defensive lineman would sack him before each play. If I got it right, my buddies had to drink. Again, with Sloth Testaverde out there, just about any defensive lineman was a safe call.

Romo is the best quarterback that the Cowboys have had in a decade, but many are ready to move on to the next guy? What the hell is wrong with you people? Did you forget about this?

Cowboys' Record before Romo (since Aikman): 40-55 (.421 win%)
Cowboys' Record with Romo as the starter: 27-14 (.658 win%)

Has Romo won the "big playoff game" during his first 2.5 years as a starter? No, he hasn't. But guess what? Peyton Manning played in 112 games before winning his first playoff game. 112! But you are ready to write Romo off after 41?

Manning lost his first three playoff games. During those games, he averaged a QB-Rating of 58. Romo, in his first two playoff games, averaged QB-Rating was 77.

Manning compiled a 26-24 record (.520 win%) during his first three years (including playoffs).
Romo has compiled a 27-14 record (.658 win%) during his first three years (including playoffs).

But let's turn the page on Romo...or better yet, let's just close the book. Obviously, if you don't have immediate success in the playoffs, you will never succeed in the playoffs.

In two-and-a-half years as the Cowboys' starting quarterback, Romo has been selected for two Pro-Bowls. The eight guys before him? Zero.
Romo has led the Cowboys to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than a decade.
Romo has produced a Top-7 QB Rating in each of his three seasons. The previous eight quarterbacks? They ranked 26th in the NFL.

If you want to write off a guy that has been, unequivocally, the best Cowboys' quarterback since Aikman, knock yourself out. If you want to run a guy off after he has taken a losing franchise to three winning seasons in a row, go for it. But I actually enjoy watching a quarterback who can complete passes to open receivers. I like entering a game knowing that our quarterback is easily one of the best ten QBs in the league. I enjoy actually seeing the team in big games, something that was rarely the case before he arrived.

Just remember, without Romo, eight might have been nine.

Super Bowl 43: Two Life-Changing Minutes

2009-02-02T09:28:00.010-06:00

Two Life-Changing Minutes

2:30 left in the game...
Cardinals lead 23-20...
Pittsburgh faces 1st-and-20 on their own 12-yard-line...

...we all know what happened next. The Steelers marched down the field, scored the winning touchdown and the rest is history. Literally.

But more than anytime in my recent Super Bowl memory did this two minutes affect the legacy of so many different players, groups and organizations. You can never single out one specific play or one series that "won" or "lost" a game, but what if the last two minutes of Super Bowl 43 had gone a little differently?

Travel back to the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh had just been penalized for holding, backing them up to their own 12-yard-line. At this time, there were more game storylines than halftime analysts, and that is saying quite a bit:

1. "He can't win the big one!"
Roethlisberger was two minutes away from being labeled a Super Bowl choke-artist. I know that sounds odd, considering the fact that Big Ben has won more games at this point in his career than any other quarterback, but think back to Super Bowl 40: Roethlisberger was 9-21 for 123 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Luckily for him, his defense and running game sealed the Steelers' victory and made Ben's struggles a back-story.

At the 2:30 mark in the 4th quarter against the Cardinals, Roethlisberger was 16-23 for 172 yards. He had thrown no touchdowns and one interception. Had Pittsburgh not converted the 1st-and-20 from their own 12, Roethlisberger would have faced Tony Romo-esque questioning after the game:

"Ben, why can't you play well in the Super Bowl?"

Sports-talk would have followed with, "Is Roethlisberger truly a 'big-game' quarterback? He has thrown three interceptions and no touchdown during his two Super Bowl appearances. Without a great defense, is he that good?"

Yep, Ben was two minutes away from being labeled as the "guy who can't show up when it matters."

2. By Steel Curtain, do you mean Satin?
The lauded Pittsburgh Steelers defense, the #1-ranked unit in the NFL, failed when it counted most. Outside of James Harrison's amazing interception return for a touchdown, the Cardinals abused the Pittsburgh defense.

At this point in the game, the "Steel Curtain" had allowed Warner to complete 70% of his passes while throwing for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Steelers allowed 407 yards of offense and had tallied just one sack. They blew a 13-point, 4th-quarter lead by giving up 233 yards and 14 points...in the 4th quarter alone! They were two minutes away from dropping the "Steel Curtain" label and adding the "defense-that-allowed-the-largest-comeback-in-Super-Bowl-history" moniker.

3. Riding off into the sunset
Kurt Warner's story remains amazing. Going from grocery sacker to NFL MVP to Super Bowl Champion...that's stuff that legends are made of. Leading the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl victory against the Steelers - that might have made him immortal.

Conversations swirled around the sportsworld this week assessing whether Warner should be considered a Hall of Fame player. As odd as it sounds, many agreed that he was "in-with-a-win" but "out-with-a-loss."

At the 2:00 mark, Warner had completed 29 of 41 passes for 344 yards. He had thrown three touchdowns and only one interception. In other words, Warner had treated the league's best defense like Joe and Doug treated "Squeeks" in Baseketball. He slapped them around. With just under three minutes left, Warner connected on a 64-yard-touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald to complete the comeback.

If the Cardinals had pulled it out, Warner probably wins his second Super Bowl MVP along with his second Championship. He now holds three of the top-five passing yard totals in Super Bowl history. Warner's postseason record would have jumped to 9-2, meaning that his playoff winning percentage (.818) would have superceded that of Aikman, Bradshaw and Montana. Kurt Warner was two minutes away from riding off into the sunset as the most clutch quarterback in NFL history.

4. Can't Take It Away
The Arizona Cardinals franchise has been a punch-line for years. Other than the Detroit Lions, the Cardinals have been the easiest layup on most NFL team schedules. Until this year.

While the Cardinals still earned signficant respect by putting together an impropable playoff run, nothing builds credibility like a Super Bowl Trophy. The Cardinals overcame a 100-yard-interception for a touchdown. They overcame facing the #1 NFL defense. They battled for most of the game without getting any production from their star wide-receiver, Larry Fitzgerald. Arizona has been a franchise that folds before the game starts, but on this evening, they refused to quit.

The Cardinals were two minutes away from earning a label that cannot be taken away: 2008 NFL Champions.

Finale
There are limitless angles and infinate storylines describing this game. It may be months, years or even decades before we fully understand the rammifications of the last two minutes in Super Bowl 43.

The Devin Harris Mirage

2009-01-30T10:28:00.010-06:00

I was happy when I heard that Devin Harris was recently added to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. And by happy, I mean discouraged/depressed/miserable. So let’s try this again:

I was discouragingly and depressingly miserable when I heard that Devin Harris was recently added to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. I don't feel any better after saying it, but like Deion says, "I'm about the truth.”

Obvious-Statement Warning: Trading Harris for Jason Kidd was a very poor move for the Mavericks.

And while it seems like a relatively obvious assessment, I continue to see comments like this, from Eddie Sefco of the Dallas Morning News:

“According to reports leaking out across the country, former Maverick Devin Harris has been named as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team. And by the way, there's virtually no way Harris would have reached that height had he stayed in Dallas.”

Why not? Why would there be “no way” for Harris to reach those heights in Dallas?

Take a look at Devin's 2007-2008 Mavericks statistics:

30.4 minutes/game
14.4 points/game
5.3 assists/game
2.22 assists/turnover
.483 - FG%
.357 - 3-point FG%

Now compare to his 2008-2009 Nets' statistics:

35.7 minutes/game
21.6 points/game
6.5 assists/game
2.34 assists/turnover
.439 - FG%
.303 - 3-point FG%

Very solid and his numbers this year are better…but Harris is basically the same player in New Jersey that he was in Dallas - except that he plays five more minutes each game with the Nets than he did with the Mavericks. If Harris had averaged 35.7 minutes per game with Dallas last year, as he does with the Nets this year, look at his factored-out statistics:

35.7 minutes/game
17 points/game
6.2 assists/game
2.22 assists/turnover
.483 - FG%
.357 - 3-point FG%

In other words, if Harris had simply played more minutes while in Dallas, his numbers would be very comparable to his New Jersey All-Star numbers. In reality, there is a very good chance that Harris could have reached “these heights” as a Maverick…he simply needed to play more.

As a Net, Harris does score at a higher rate...but that is a result of taking more shots, not taking better shots. His field-goal percentages this year are much worse than they were in Dallas. If you want to argue that Harris would have never taken as many shots in Dallas as he does in New Jersey, meaning that he would have never averaged 20 points/game, that might hold some water; however, with Howard hurt for much of the season and Stackhouse no longer an option, I would suggest that Harris would be an integral part of the Rick Carlisle’ offense.

Another Interesting Note:

Last year, most Maverick fans and Dallas columnists believed that Avery Johnson needed to go. His offense was nonexistent. He looked overmatched. The players enjoyed his personality about as much as anyone with ears enjoys listening to Kevin Kiley on ESPN. In other words, the players hated him.

In Avery’s “slower-than-a-Jim-Garrett-jog” offense, Harris' production favorably compared to his All-Star statistics. Harris scores more in New Jersey, but his assist-rate is almost identical and his field-goal percentages were much higher when he was a Maverick. Again, his stats are better this year because he plays more minutes than in the past.

Just face it - the trade was horrible. Stop trying to justify it by throwing out qualifications like, "Sure, he is good now...but he never would have been that good as a Maverick." No qualifications are needed. It was a poor trade then, it is a poor trade now.

Simply join me in being happy for Devin.

Greg Ellis - Poor Man's TO

2009-01-29T10:09:00.007-06:00

Greg Ellis is at it again. In an exclusive interview with Ben and Skin on 105.3 The FAN, Ellis provided a verbal expose on contradiction.

His Role:
Ellis wants to play every down, not solely in passing situations. He indicated that he was unhappy about the fact that Anthony Spencer generally played on 1st and 2nd down...allowing Ellis to enter the game only on 3rd down plays. He also mentioned that when in the game, he was often asked to drop in coverage rather than rush the passer.

So he did not play on every down, and when in the game, he was not put in the position to make an impact on the game.

Contradiction:
From the age of 23 to 32, Greg Ellis started 133 games. He was the primary pass-rushing option for the Cowboy defense. During those 133 starts, Ellis totaled 56.5 sacks.

During his prime years, in which Ellis was used "properly" as a full-time player focused on rushing the quarterback, he averaged .45 sacks each game. His season high was nine sacks, in 2004.

During the Wade Phillips era, the 32-33 year-old Ellis has been used as a 3rd-down specialist in 29 games. In those 29 games, Ellis has totaled 20.5 sacks.

During his later years, in which Ellis was used "improperly" as a part-time player in passing situations, he averaged .71 sacks each game. His season high was 12.5 sacks, in 2007.

Breakdown:
Prime Years (age 23-31) as a full-time player
124 Games
56.5 Sacks
.45 Sacks/Game

Veteran Years (age 32-33) as a part-time player
29 Games
20.5 Sacks
.71 Sacks/Game

NFL players typically slow down as they approach their mid-30's. Ellis, on the other hand, has increased his productivity during that time. But yet, he feels that he has been used "improperly?" He set his career mark last year by registering 12.5 sacks, 3.5 more than his previous high, but he wasn't positioned to be successful. Really?

In 2008, while being asked to "drop into coverage" on many of his plays, Ellis registered his third highest sack total of his career. But Ellis isn't happy about his role? I don't get it.

Team chemistry:

Ellis indicated that the 2008 Cowboys did not feature good team chemistry. He said that the team consisted of a collection of talent but that each person was not pulling in the same direction. He said that distractions prevented the team from gelling together.

Contradiction:
Greg, when you say that guys were "pulling in different directions," do you mean like when an aging player complains about the way that he is being used, despite the fact that he is coming off of the two most productive seasons of his career? Would that be an example of guys not pulling in the same direction?

Pot, meet kettle. On one hand, Ellis proclaims that the team needs to focus on working towards a common goal, but on the other, he continues to complain about his role on the team.

Guys like Ellis and Owens just don't get it. They are all for team...as long as the team does things their way. Sure, anyone can be a team player when things are going your way, but how do they respond when something goes against them? Ellis and Owens respond by complaining. They don't say that they will have to find a way to be more productive on each opportunity, they just project the blame on others.

And sorry, but for Ellis and Owens, it is not team-first, personal-second...it's personal-first, second, third...team-fourth. Ellis complained immediately after the 2007 season, the season in which Dallas went 13-3, about his lack of playing time.

Owens complained after the second Redskin game in 2008, a game in which Dallas won, about his lack of touches.

Seriously, Ellis is not a bad guy, by all accounts, but Dallas needs someone that can simply call it like it is. They need someone on the staff that can sit a player down and explain the facts to them:

"Greg, you set your career high with 12.5 sacks in 2007...in this system. You made your only Pro Bowl appearance...in this system. You totaled your third-highest sack total of your career in 2008...in this system. We are getting more out of your ability than anyone has up to this point in your career. Period."

Ellis is right about one thing, this team lacks chemistry. Hopefully someone will help him understand that he is part of the problem, not the solution.

Mavericks' Playoff Run Starts Sooner Than You Think

2009-01-27T09:12:00.005-06:00

After a 2-2 road trip in which Dallas defeated two teams with winning records:

Mavericks' record: 25-19 (.568 winning percentage)
vs. losing teams: 18-6 (.750 winning-percentage)
vs. winning teams: 7-13 (.350 winning-percentage)
* 1-7 (.125 winning %) against the top-4 Western Conference teams (LA, SA, DEN, NO)
* 1-3 (.250 winning %) against the top-4 Eastern Conference teams (CLE, BOS, ORL, ATL)

In their 13 losses against winning teams, the Mavericks have lost by an average of 10 points. In other words, Dallas isn't losing at the buzzer, they are getting manhandled.

...

38 Games Remaining
22 games remaining against teams with winning records
16 games remaining against teams with losing records

Ugly Projections
22 games against winning teams x .350 winning % = ~8 wins
16 games against losing teams x .750 winning % = 12 wins

Summary:
Mavs project to go 8-14 in games remaining against winning teams.
Mavs project to go 12-4 in games remaining against losing teams.
Mavs project to finish with a final record of 45-38

Good news: their projections this week are slightly better than last week (43-39)
Bad news: their projections still suggest that Dallas will miss the playoffs

But I have turned a new leaf and have adopted a newly-created philosophy for this year's Mavericks. I am not going to worry about watching the Lakers destroy Dallas in the playoffs. I am not going to worry about Josh Howard's fascination with a hideous outside jump shot. I am not going to remind myself that this team is going nowhere.

Instead, I will simply adjust the NBA time-line a bit. I will consider March and April as the Mavericks' playoff run. During the last month of the season, Dallas will be playing in their postseason. Every game will be meaningful. The AAC should have an electric atmosphere.

Think about it: even if the Mavs make the playoffs this year, they might win one or two games, giving them a total of five or six postseason matches.

If you adopt my view, Dallas will have no less than 15-20 playoff-quality games down the stretch.

Here is my Maverick Playoff Breakdown:

1st-Round: March 15 - 27
During those 12 days, the opponent highlights include the Lakers, Pistons, Hawks and Nuggets. If things go poorly, just like in the real playoffs, Dallas may be out of it before the semifinals begin. But assuming that Dallas wins a few of those contests...the Mavericks will advance to the next stage in their 'playoff' run:

Conference Semifinals: March 29 - April 5
In the 2nd-round, Mavericks' opponents include Cleveland, Miami and Phoenix. Again, they will be challenged, but what else would you expect from the NBA postseason? It will not be easy, but the Mavs will control their own destiny. If they succeed, they will reach their toughest task:

Conference Finals: April 8 - 15
During this brutal stretch, Dallas will face off against Utah, New Orleans (twice) and Houston. The Mavs will play five games in an 8-day stretch, including four games against winning teams. If Dallas can navigate their way through the brutal season finale, they will have advanced to their championship:

Championship Series
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers

This will be something to look forward to. The underrated Mavericks, led by Dirk and Jason Kidd, against the super-team, led by Kobe Bryant. David vs. Goliath. Dallas Academy vs. Covenant School. Keanu Reevs vs. any other actor. An underdog story for the ages.

If you adopt my view, Dallas qualifying for the playoffs will be like reaching the championship. Playing the Lakers in the 1st-round will BE their championship series.

Does this idea take a little bit of outside-the-box thinking? Sure. Is it slightly pathetic? I think so. But Dallas fans have not had many reasons to celebrate lately. So join me, support the Mavs, and you can witness playoff basketball in March!

Inside the Numbers: The T.O. Myth

2009-01-23T09:19:00.006-06:00

When reports surfaced earlier this week suggesting that the Cowboys may cut ties with polarizing receiver, Terrell Owens, Dallas sports conversations heated up. Just like the locker-room, fans are split: those for T.O. and those against T.O.

While both arguments hold some water, they both generally focus on the divisiveness of Owens along the lines of:

Against…."He has a history of destroying organizations..."
For………"T.O. has changed...don't judge him on his past."

Just for a second, let's ignore the fact that Owens has more baggage than Del Griffin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Let's simply focus our attention on T.O.'s on-field production.

Fans like KB the Cowboy Homer, a frequent caller on the Ben and Skin show, continue to promote that Owens remains an elite receiver. KB has actually perpetuated several T.O. "myths" that need to be debunked:

Myth #1: Owens' year-end stats prove that he is a top-flight receiver.

Let's take a look:

69 catches (22nd in the NFL)
1052 yards (12th...)
65 yards/game (14th...)
15 yards/catch (15th...)
4.2 yards after catch (48th...)
10 Touchdowns (6th...)

Pretty solid numbers and the stats suggest that he might be the 15th-20th best receiver in football. Unfortunately for ‘sit-ups-in-my-driveway,’ simply looking at year-end numbers doesn't tell the whole story.

Owens had zero 100-yard games through the first 10 games of the season. The "elite" receiver did not even broach the 90-yard mark during that period. Throughout the season, T.O. struggled as each Cowboy opponent pressed him at the line of scrimmage. When did that change? In week 11, when the San Francisco 49ers decided that they were going to play a soft cover-2. Their conservative game-plan allowed Dallas receivers to gain a free release off of the line of scrimmage and provided Owens with space to work.

In that game, Owens caught 7 passes for 213 yards. This was one of two 100-yard receiving games for T.O. during 2008. One of two. In other words, this game was a fluke. The 49ers were the ONLY team that chose not to press Owens at the line of scrimmage. T.O. took advantage. While it was fun to watch, that was not the T.O. that we saw all year. It was the exception...the deviation from the norm...the oddity.

Let's look at Owens' numbers if you remove the 49er-anomaly. For statistical balance, I also excluded his worst statistical performance (2 catches, 17 yards at Green Bay). In other words, throw out his best, throw out his worst and let’s see what we get:

14 games
60 catches
822 yards
59 yards/game (27th in the NFL)
13.7 yards/catch (31st...)
9 Touchdowns

So, in 14 of the 16 games, T.O. amassed a very average 57 yards/game. He averaged 13.7 yards/catch. Mediocrity at its best. Which statistics do you believe reflect the "real" Owens? The one game in which the defense backed off? Or the other 15 games in which Owens looked extremely ordinary?

Myth #1...debunked.

Myth #2: As a big-play guy, T.O. consistently threatens opponents with his ability to "break out."

The explosive big-play threat, Owens, totaled six 100-yard games in 2007. In 2008, he produced two. In other words, in 14 games this year, T.O. did not eclipse the century mark in receiving yards. Here is brief list of guys that posted more 100-yard games than Owens:

Andre Johnson (8), Steve Smith (8), Larry Fitzgerald (7), Roddy White (7), Calvin Johnson (5), Greg Jennings (5), Randy Moss (4), Reggie Wayne (4)

I know what you are thinking: 'those are all top-level receivers. There aren't many people that can replicate what guys like Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson bring to the table.' While you are correct, some continue to claim that Owens is an elite receiver...so I thought it might be interesting to compare him to actual top-flight guys.

But then I decided to lower my standards a bit - Owens is 35 - so I created this list of players that also had more 100-yard games during 2008:

Wes Welker (4), Lance Moore (3), Anquan Boldin (3), Brandon Marshall (3), Steve Breaston (3), Eddie Royal (3), Marques Colston (3)

Again, I know what you are thinking: 'OK but those guys all play in pass-happy systems. Of course guys like Welker and Marshall will amass extensive yardage.'

- So I created this list of guys that play with unproven quarterbacks and/or in a normal offensive-system, and included their number of 100-yard games:

Antonio Bryant (6), Lee Evans (4), Bernard Berrian (4), Hines Ward (4), Vincent Jackson (3), Santana Moss (3), Braylon Edwards (3), Dwayne Bowe (2), Desmond Mason (2), Isaac Bruce (2), Donald Driver (2), Justin Gage (2), Matt Jones (2), Desean Jackson (2), TJ Houshmandzadeh (2), Mark Clayton (2) and Dennis Northcutt (2)

This seriously made me laugh out loud. T.O. complains about Romo, the 8th-highest rated quarterback in the NFL, and the guys listed above are matching Owens' production with quarterbacks like: Jeff Garcia, Gus Frerotte, Trent Edwards, Jason Campbell, Tyler Thigpen, Joe Flacco, Kerry Collins, Ryan Fitzpatrick and David Garrard.

If only T.O. could play with Ryan Fitzpatrick, he would be great again! Sorry T.O., it's just not that hard to find guys that can produce a couple 100-yard games each season. They are all over the place.

Myth #2...debunked.

It all boils down to this: T.O. had one great game in 2008, a game in which the defense decided to play a soft cover-2. In the other 15 games, Owens was extremely ordinary. Sorry, but “elite” receivers don’t produce two 100-yard games. “Elite” receivers don’t lead the league in drops. At this point in his career, T.O. is much closer to Isaac Bruce and Derrick Mason than Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson…but don’t expect KB the Cowboy Homer to agree.

Time for a Change

2009-01-22T08:58:00.004-06:00

Mavericks 99
Bucks 133

This Mavericks season is like a David Lynch movie: there are several good parts...but in the end, it leads nowhere.

Skin, from the Ben and Skin show on 105.3 The FAN, continues to suggest that it is much more enjoyable to watch a pretty good Mavs team, even if they are not contender, rather than watch a team like the Sacramento Kings, who currently hold the 13th spot in the West. The argument revolves around the fact that the Mavs and Kings were both contending at the same time...and while the Mavs are still decent, the Kings will barely scratch out 20 wins in 2009.

I completely understand that point of view...I just completely disagree with it. Sacramento wasn't competing at the same time as the Mavs, they were about four years ahead of Dallas. Sacramento peaked in 2002 when they reached the Western Conference Finals. Dallas climaxed during the 2006 NBA Finals. Four year difference.

During the four years following the Kings' loss to the Lakers, Sacramento made the playoffs each year but never advanced beyond the semifinals. After their loss to the Lakers in 2002, the organization went straight downhill. No more Conference Championship appearances. No more "contending." They were just a group of veteran players getting worse each year...leading nowhere.

In 2006, four years after the Kings' collapse, Dallas had a breakdown of their own. The Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. In the two years since, Dallas has qualified for the playoffs but has failed to advance beyond the 1st-round. Since the finals' meltdown, the Mavs have gone straight downhill. No more Conference Championship appearances. No more "contending." They are just a group of veteran players getting worse each year...leading nowhere.

See the familiarities?

Dallas IS the Sacramento Kings, it's just that the Mavs are four years behind in their development process. Want more proof that this team is about as average as you can get? Below are the NBA ranks in most meaningful categories for the Mavericks:

18th - FG %
7th - Defensive FG%
11th - Pts/Game
15th - Defensive Pts/Game
7th - Turnovers
11th - Forced Turnovers
15th - Point Differential

Wow. This isn't a fluke. This isn't simply a bad stretch. This is your Dallas Mavericks. They don't do anything exceptionally well. They don't do anything exceptionally bad. They have become a fan's worst nightmare: a veteran-laden team with no hope.

So, you ask, what can Dallas do to avoid becoming the Kings two years from now? Answer: trade players before they lose value. The Kings fooled themselves into believing that their veteran core was just "a piece" away following the 2002 season (sound familiar) and they waited too long to break that core up:

* The Kings traded Chris Webber in 2005, as a 32-year-old, three years after the team's high-point. Instead of trading him for a significant package, they allowed his value to drop and simply needed to unload his salary...which they did.
* In 2006, they traded Peja Stoyakavic to the Pacers, four years after the team had peaked.
* Last year, Sacramento trade Mike Bibby to the Hawks. The entire NBA understood that the Kings were attempting to unload Bibby, and as a result, the Hawks did not have to trade away any core players to land him.

Now, the Kings are 10-33.

How does this relate to the Mavs? Well, what would Sacramento look like today if they had recognized in 2004 that the core group wasn't getting better? What if they traded Webber when he was 30 instead of 32? What if they traded Peja when he was 26 instead of 28? Bibby 26 instead of 29? Can you understand how much better the Kings would be now if they had done that then?

But they didn't. And why? So that they could make the playoffs for a couple more years only to be slaughtered by the "true" contenders.

How do Maverick fans benefit from watching Dirk, Terry, Kidd and Howard get destroyed by the Lakers in the 1st-round of the playoffs? How will an average veteran team suddenly improve? Easy answer: it won't.

Dirk is 30 right now...and still has tremendous value. At 32-33, not so sure.
Terry is 31 right now...and still has significant value. At 33-34, doubtful.
Kidd is 35 right now...and has value around the league. At 36-37, highly doubtful.

Mark...buddy...do the right thing. Sacrifice a little revenue and success right now for a quicker turnaround in the near future. If not, fans will need to prepare themselves for a 5+ year stretch of really bad, hopeless basketball. Obama's inauguration was appropriately scheduled because it's time for a change.

Cowboys' Coaching Conundrum

2009-01-19T08:42:00.002-06:00

After ending the season on a down note, Jerry Jones emphatically defended his head coach, Wade Phillips. Jones preached stability and consistency. He said that Wade "deserved" another chance, considering that 2008 was marred with injuries to Romo, Felix Jones, Terrance Newman, Anthony Spencer, Jason Witten and a slew of others.

All of this happened in 2008. Since then, these coaches have officially become available:

Mike Holmgren - 13 playoff wins; 1 Super Bowl appearance; .542 playoff winning pct.
Mike Shanahan - 8 playoff wins; 2 Super Bowls; .615 playoff winning pct.
Tony Dungy - 7 playoff wins; 1 Super Bowl; .538 playoff winning pct.
Jon Gruden - 5 playoff wins; 1 Super Bowl; .556 playoff winning pct.
Bill Cowher - 12 playoff wins; 1 Super Bowl (2 appearances); .571 playoff winning pct.

At age 61, Wade Phillips has zero playoff wins. ZERO. His winning percentage sits at a crisp .000

On December 28th, when I heard Jerry indicate that Wade was coming back, like most Cowboys fans...I threw up in my mouth a little bit. But being the optimist that I am, I tried to justify the move. The best argument that I could muster was that there really weren't very many good options out there.

I wasn't sold on Garrett after the season he had produced. Haslett? Mangini? Picking between those guys was like deciding whether to attend a Jonas Brothers concert or committing suicide. Neither was a great option...but at least suicide would end quickly!

So, at the time, Jerry really didn't have many good options to choose from. That has changed; Holmgren, Shanahan, Dungy, Gruden and Cowher?! Has there ever been an offseason featuring five Super-Bowl-winning coaches? Not that I can remember.

And while some may suggest that these guys won't work for Jerry Jones, I would disagree. If there is one thing that you can say about Jerry, it's this: he gets what he wants. Like Richard from Tommy Boy said, "he could sell a ketchup popsicle to a lady in white gloves." If Jerry wants one of those guys, chances are, he gets him.

The question remains, what does Jerry want? Is he willing to release some of his power as GM and allow a proven coach to have input on player personnel decisions? Does he want to add some additional excitement to the franchise as they head into Jerry World? Or, does he feel that he inadvertently sabotaged Wade by bringing guys like Pacman on-board? Does Wade deserve a third and deciding season?

I have no idea what Jerry is thinking right now, but I do know one thing: Jerry's decision today is much more difficult than it was on December 28th.

TO, Roommates and Other Ramblings

2009-01-16T09:46:00.003-06:00

As was reported by Ed Werder, the Dallas Cowboys will soon consider the option of cutting ties with enigmatic wide-receiver, Terrell Owens. I have to give TO his props though: he has taken his divisive abilities to a whole new level. It appears that the presence of TO has divided not only the locker room, but also has affected the front-office (Stephen Jones - against TO; Jerry Jones - for TO) and the media.

Hell, I despise TO...and even I'm a little torn on the issue. When the Cowboys first signed Owens, it reminded me of a situation I was faced with in college.

I had a college buddy named Chuck. Chuck was the type of guy that could make anything interesting: he was always the life of the party and people were attracted to him. There was never a dull moment around Chuck.

But there was a downside: Chuck was never considered the most responsible friend. In other words, you didn't want to rely on him to pick you up from the airport. He wasn't the guy that you wanted to put in charge of walking your dogs when you were out of town. He was what he was: a fun guy to hang out with.

When moving to new apartments, we decided to allow Chuck to become a new roommate. We justified it by telling ourselves that, with the extra person, we could afford a nicer place, we would have more spending cash and Chuck would really bring a level of excitement to the dwelling. We made it make sense.

At first it worked out great; we had a few parties, it was fun to be around the guy and the extra cash came in handy. But then a few problems crept up. Chuck wasn't great at doing dishes. Chuck's room was littered with week-old chimichangas stuck to plates and cups who's remnants had created their own ecosystem. He was loud at night, he didn't pay his portion of the bills on time and he never recognized that Tuesday night wasn't really the time for a party.

Having a nicer place was cool and so was having a little extra spending dough. But at some point, I wanted to be able to have a normal dinner with my girlfriend without being interrupted by an half-naked Chuck armed with a sombrero and a bong asking me if I had seen his lighter!

Plus, he never went to class so he was always there. Always. I became incresingly annoyed when driving home because I knew that Chuck would be lounging on the couch watching my tv. I knew that the kitchen would be a disaster. I knew the trash would be overflowing. And I knew that, no matter what I said to him, he wasn't going to change. He was Chuck.

It just was no longer worth it.

My girlfriend and I moved out. We got a smaller place, it wasn't as nice, it wasn't as big, the pool wasn't as appealing. But it was just ours. No trashed kitchens. No fights about what show to watch. No sitting in bed debating whether or not to go kick his ass for playing guitar at three in the morning. It was nice.

And while I wouldn't trade that experience, because it gave me some really great stories, it was simply time for us to mature. We probably missed out on some crazy parties, but avoiding those distractions allowed us to focus on school.

And while the Cowboys new 'house' will not be as big or shiny without TO, what good is a nice, big house if you can't enjoy it? Without TO, the Cowboys will be able to focus...and that's a good thing.

Ugly Reality For Mavericks

2009-01-15T09:26:00.006-06:00

As noted yesterday, the Mavericks have struggled against teams with winning records. After losing to New Orleans last night, Dallas continued that trend.

Scary Numbers:
Mavericks' record: 22-17 (.564 winning percentage)
vs. winning teams: 5-13 (.280 winning-percentage)
vs. losing teams: 17-4 (.809 winning-percentage)

Up to this point in the season, Dallas has played 21 games against teams with a losing record and only 18 against teams with a winning record. Unfortunately for Dallas, that is about to change.

43 games remaining:
26 games remaining against teams with a winning record
17 games remaining against teams with a losing record

Scary Projections:
26 games against winning teams x .280 winning-percentage (vs winning teams) = 7 wins
17 games against losing teams x .809 winning-percentage (vs losing teams) = 14 wins

Summary:
Mavs project to go 7-19 in games remaining against winning teams.
Mavs project to go 14-3 in games remaining against losing teams.
Mavs project to finish with a final record of 43-39

Last year, Golden State finished at 48-34...and missed the playoffs. Wow.

Mavericks: Turn the Page

2009-01-14T09:11:00.004-06:00

The Mavericks are 22-16, have lost three in a row and currently hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference.

Record Breakdown:

* The Mavericks are 5-12 against teams with a winning record.
* 17 of the Mavericks' 22 victories have come against teams with a losing record.

In other words, Dallas beats bad teams and does not beat good teams...a pretty bad trend if you are thinking playoffs.

Like Brett Favre, the Mavericks simply need to recognize that they just aren't very good anymore. Their window of opportunity closed as soon as Dwayne Wade crushed the Mavericks' soul during the 2006 NBA Finals.

It's time to say goodbye to Dirk. It's time to say goodbye to Kidd. It's time to say goodbye to Terry. It's time to start over. Fresh.

Dirk showed last night (44 points) that he is still playing at the top of his game. He has tremendous value around the league. Kidd currently ranks 5th in the NBA in assists/game and is 2nd in steals/game. He has lost a step, but still can offer a contending team experienced point-guard play. Jason Terry has basically wrapped up the 6th-man of the Year Award already. He absolutely has trade value.

If Cuban analyzes this team with his mind instead of his heart, he will realize that they just aren't anywhere close to being a contender. The Dallas' payroll will not allow for any impact players to be added, they do not have any useful draft picks (the Devin Harris trade just keeps on giving) and this whole thing is stale.

I've read this book; I know how it ends. The sooner we close this chapter of Mavericks' basketball, the sooner we can begin the next one.

Neighbors of a Serial Killer

2009-01-12T09:33:00.013-06:00

The Texas Rangers have asked Michael Young to change positions and he is not having any of it. After speaking with General Manager Jon Daniels about moving to third base, Young said,

"I'm not playing third base. I'm pretty adamant about my stance. I told them I wanted to be traded."

Have you ever watched a documentary on serial killers? You know, the ones where their neighbors are interviewed and always say something to the effect of, "He was always such a nice man. He was friendly, he helped me trim my tree, etc...I just can't believe that he did this!"

Well, that's kind of how many Ranger fans feel about Michael Young right now. Is comparing Young to a serial killer a little extreme? Probably...but being a lifelong Ranger fan will have that effect on you!

For years, Ranger fans have considered Michael Young a leader. They considered him the "face" of the Ranger organization. He has the reputation of a guy that will do anything to win. He is Mr. Team.

They may now be questioning whether they mislabeled their beloved shortstop. Let's examine:

1. After the 2003 season, when Alex Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees, Michael Young volunteered to move from 2nd base to shortstop. Fans and reporters considered this the ultimate "team-first" move.

But was it really?

Let's see, Young moved from 2nd base to the most important defensive position on the field. Teams value shortstops more than they do 2nd basemen. As a result, shortstops get paid more, on average, than 2nd basemen.

Three years after moving to shortstop, Young received a 5 year, $80 million dollar contract. Coincidence? I think not.

2. During the past few seasons, Young was often quoted as saying that "I am not interested in rebuilding...I am interested in getting better now."

The Rangers attempted to improve "now" by trading away prospects for veteran pitchers Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and Brandon McCarthy. The Rangers also lost Armando Galarraga when they signed veteran starter Jason Jennings.

The "win now" moves rewarded Young and the Rangers with one of the worst rotations in baseball. But hey, at least they weren't "rebuilding."

3. In 2007, Texas acquired highly-rated shortstop prospect, Elvis Andrus, in the Mark Teixeira trade. Last week, the Rangers asked Michael Young to slide to 3rd to create an opening for the sweet-fielding Andrus. Young refused and instead, asked to be traded.

He went on to say ,

"The biggest misconception is that I was asked to move to third base. I was never asked. I was flat-out told. I was told I was playing third base. I felt that I had absolutely no say. I don't feel like there was any discussion or dialogue about the matter."

Top 5 Reasons Why Dallas Cut Pacman

2009-01-08T09:53:00.010-06:00

#5: Fans were actually looking forward to Patrick Crayton punt-returns...

#4: Instead of the protecting Pacman from others, the security-detail focused on protecting themselves from Pacman...

#3: The Cowboys could handle one arranged shooting, but two...well that crossed the line.

#2: Even Jerry Jones thought that Pacman rambled when speaking...

...and the #1 reason why Dallas cut Pacman:

Jerry realized that Pacman's "hitman" nickname was not a reflection of his tackling ability...

A Little Perspective

2009-01-07T08:15:00.002-06:00

Fans tend to see the world as it pertains to their team, their players, their expectations. Many Cowboy fans feel that championship-caliber teams don't lose to teams like the Rams. People continue to suggest that "championship" teams don't lose games that they should win.

Just to add some perspective, I have compiled a list depicting many hideous losses experienced by current playoff teams:

New York Giants
Lost to Cleveland 14-35
Went to OT with Cincinnati

Philadelphia Eagles
Tied with Cincinnati 13-13
Lost to Washington (who had nothing to play for) 3-10

Arizona
Lost to New York Jets 35-56
Lost to Philadelphia 20-48
Lost to New England 13-44

Carolina Panthers
Lost to Tampa Bay 3-27

Minnesota Vikings
Lost to Chicago 41-48

Baltimore Ravens
Lost to Indianapolis 3-31
Lost to New York Giants 10-30

Indianapolis Colts
Lost to Chicago 13-29
Lost to Green Bay 14-34

Miami Dolphins
Lost to Arizona 10-31
Lost to New England 28-48

Pittsburgh Steelers
Lost to Philadelphia 6-15

San Diego Chargers
Lost to Buffalo 14-23
Lost to New Orleans 32-37

Tennessee Titans
Lost to New York Jets 13-34

Yes, the Cowboys have problems. And yes, they need to improve in many areas, but there is a reason why the Giants were destroyed by a horrible Browns team. There is a reason why the Eagles tied the Bengals. There is a reason why only one of the current NFC playoff teams made the tournament last year (Giants).

The reason: parity.

Now that talent level is somewhat equal (sorry Lions), football has become all about execution. The Cowboys do not need an infusion of talent, they need improved execution. How does that happen? Coaching change? Coordinator change? Continuity?

Only time will tell, but Dallas fans need to face the fact that the Cowboys are now just "one of the teams" in the NFL. Having an owner committed to winning no longer allows Dallas to overpay for free-agents. Jerry can no longer have a better backup unit than other team's starters.

America's Team is now just one team in America.

Longhorns: Sweet Validation

2009-01-05T21:50:00.012-06:00

Sweet Validation

Not being in the BCS Championship...
Not getting credit for playing defense...
Not winning the Heisman Trophy...

Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns had plenty to be upset about. By completing 71 percent of his passes and throwing for three touchdowns, McCoy took his frustration out on the Ohio State defense. This game, however, was a better battle than most had expected it to be.

Unlike previous years, the Buckeyes did not crumble in the BCS spotlight. The Buckeye offense rushed for more than 200 yards against the Horns' 2nd ranked rushing defense. Daniel Herron capped the Buckeye rushing attack by scoring on a 15-yard touchdown dash late in the 4th quarter. The score gave the Buckeyes a 21-17 lead with 2:05 remaining. There was only one thing standing between Ohio State and their national redemption: Colt McCoy.

The Heisman runner-up took over at the Longhorns' 19-yard-line with 1:55 remaining. He proceeded to complete 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards including converting on a 4th-down play on the Buckeyes' 40-yard-line. Two plays later, from the 26-yard-line, McCoy completed the biggest pass of his Texas career. Quan Cosby caught a short slant across the middle, broke a tackle and streaked towards the end-zone for the winning score.

Texas 24, Ohio State 21 - Classic.

Colt not only proved that he was one of the best quarterbacks in college football, he also validated the Horns' spot in the rankings and helped disprove accusations that Big 12 offenses racked up yards/points due to laxidasical conference defenses. Even Tim Tebow suggested as much.

Bowl results don't appear to validate such claims. So far, four of the five Big-12's top-ranked offensive units have posted impressive results. Texas Tech scored 34 against an SEC opponent, Oklahoma State scored 31 on a PAC-10 team and Missouri scored 30 against Big 10 opposition.

On Monday night, Colt McCoy did what he has done all year: whatever he wanted. Ohio State's "legit" defense had no answers for the Texas star in the second half. Overall, McCoy completed 41 of 58 passes for 413 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception. Wow.

The Buckeye defense had allowed 164 passing yards/game this season. McCoy exceeded that...in the first half. Overall, Texas totaled 488 yards against the Top 5 defense.

Including the Texas victory, the four top-scoring Big 12 bowl teams have averaged 30 points/game against teams from the Big-10, PAC-10 and the SEC.

I don't know if the Big 12 earned national respect.
I don't know if Texas deserves to receive any AP first-place votes.
I don't know if McCoy deserved the Heisman.

I do know one thing: Colt and the Horns have six months to enjoy sweet validation...and they deserve it.

Valley Ranch Exclusive: Cowboys Year in Review

2009-01-04T17:53:00.008-06:00

Valley Ranch Exclusive: Cowboys Year in Review

After allowing the season finale to digest, Jerry Jones decided that he needed to meet with Wade Phillips for his annual performance review. The Dallas Sports Keg was able to obtain an exclusive transcript of that conversation:

Jerry: Wade, I appreciate you meeting with me here in Valley Ranch. I apologize for interrupting your off-season slow-walk training, but I felt that we needed to discuss what went wrong this year.

Wade: Well, you said that something went wrong, I never said that. That's what you said.

Jerry: I consider getting beaten by 38 in the final game of the season as an indication that "something went wrong."

Wade: Sure the Eagles beat us on the scoreboard, but we won the 4th quarter 3-0 and we had more passing yards than they did. So if you really think about it, we won two out of three!

Jerry: What about Roy Williams? I traded for another 1st round player to provide this offense with an explosive option opposite TO and you didn't do anything with him. What the hell, Wade?

Wade: Well Jerry, that's kind of a funny story. You see, we already had one Roy Williams on the team...but he is a safety, not a wide-receiver. We didn't realize it until we reviewed the tapes last week, but apparently Jason [Garrett] and I had accidentally added the defensive Roy Williams to our offensive packages instead of the really tall one.

Jerry: That's just unacceptable. And let's discuss these "changes" that you have vowed to make. What types of changes will you be implementing?

Wade: I have heard several people say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I ain't a dog so I have never understood that phrase. Plus, in dog years, I think that I'm only like four years-old, so I still have plenty of time to change.

Jerry: Enough, Wade, our fans want to know what changes you are going to make.

Wade: In 2009, I'm going to be a different man. I'm switching from a box of powdered donuts for my morning breakfast to a box of glazed donuts. You see Jerry, I would get powdered-sugar all over my play-sheets and that led to several in-game mistakes. Remember when we ran the option against the Ravens at the most critical point of our season?

Jerry: Unfortunately, I do.

Wade: That was actually supposed to be "option #2" which would have been a quarterback sneak. But the powdered-sugar covered the "#2" part of the play-sheet...so I figured that the genius, that's what I call Jason, must have designed a new option play. It didn't work, but it sure was fun to watch...wasn't it Jerry?

Jerry: No, it wasn't. Actually, I can't think of many things that were fun to watch this year. I can't do this anymore right now. Mike Shannahan is in town and we are meeting for lunch. We can resume this next week.

Fiesta Bowl: Changing Expectations

2009-01-03T18:42:00.001-06:00

Changing Expectations

When the 2008 college football preseason rankings were published, Ohio State generally sat at the top. The Longhorns, on the other hand, were not even picked to finish second...in their own conference. Five months later, the roles are reversed. Texas sits near the top of the rankings and the Buckeyes have just managed to stay within the Top 10. At the beginning of the year, Buckeyes were thinking BCS Championship or bust. Now, a Fiesta Bowl victory would do just fine.

At the beginning of the year, Texas would have been thrilled to know that it would receive a bid to a BCS Bowl. After going 11-1 and beating Oklahoma, Longhorns will arrive in Arizona with a twinkle of disappointment in their eyes. Despite changing expectations, this year's Fiesta Bowl pits two storied franchises against one another and features one of the most anticipated bowl games of the year.

The 2008 Texas Longhorns own an impressive resume. Mac Brown leads a group that excels in every aspect of the game: offensively, defensively and within special teams. There may not be a more well-rounded team in college football.

Texas Offense
Colt McCoy, the Heisman Trophy Runner-Up, leads the 5th-ranked scoring offense in both passing and rushing. He is the heart and soul of this team. McCoy completed 77% of his passes, threw for 32 touchdowns, ran for 576 yards and scored an additional 10 rushing touchdowns.

The offense as a whole littered the national rankings in a multitude of categories. They ranked 5th in scoring, 9th in yards/game, 11th in passing and 2nd in 3rd-down conversion percentage. Texas spreads the field and Colt gets the ball out of his hands quickly. His top two targets, Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby, each have good hands and have combined to catchr 55% of Colt's completions. If Shipley and Cosby are not open, McCoy has shown a propensity to tuck the ball and run for positive yardage.

Texas Defense
The Longhorn's young defense improved as the season progressed. With a squad littered with underclassman, Texas has one of the youngest defensive units in college football. Despite the lack of experience, and despite playing in the score-happy Big 12, Texas ranks 20th in scoring defense, 2nd in rush defense and held their last two opponents to single-digits.

Texas will face an elusive run-pass threat in Terrelle Pryor. The Longhorns have experience facing similarly-styled quarterbacks. Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson, Missouri's Chase Daniel and Baylor's Robert Griffin each present a similar dynamic. Texas played well against each quarterback and should be prepared for the elusive Pryor.

On the line: The Longhorns are not happy about how the BCS played out this year. They feel that they deserve to play in the BCS Championship Game. Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all tied for the Big 12 South title. Due to tiebreaker rules, Oklahoma was handed the division, despite losing to Texas on a neutral field. Florida, the other national contender, lost at home to an unranked team earlier this season. Texas' only loss came on the road against a Top 10 team on a last-second pass. Texas feels that their body of work stands up against anyone in the nation.

The season is not over. If Texas dominates Ohio State and the BCS Champion does not win convincingly, the Longhorns still have the opportunity to finish 1st in the final AP poll. That should provide Texas with plenty of motivation.

Key Matchup: Texas Defensive Line vs. Terrelle Pryor
In order to contain the Ohio State offense, the Longhorns defensive line must keep Pryor in the pocket. Not only can Pryor hurt you running the ball once he breaks contain, he can also throw well while on the run.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing in their 4th BCS Bowl Game in a row. The last two have been rather unkind to the Buckeyes. Not only was Ohio State embarrassed in the last two BCS Championship Games, but the Big Ten conference as a whole lost significant credibility around the country. In addition, Texas and Ohio State played a two-game series in 2005 and 2006. Each team won on the road and this game will provide one team's fans with bragging rights for the foreseeable future.

Ohio State Offense
The Buckeyes play a physical brand of football. Terrelle Pryor leads an offense focused on running the football, playing conservatively and winning the field-position battle. The Buckeyes have the 29th ranked rushing attack and 45th in passing offense. Their 28 points/game ranks 43rd in the country.

Terrelle Pryor, the heralded freshman quarterback, continues to learn on the fly. Despite only passing for less than 125 yards/game, Pryor has posted an 8-1 record as the starter. He extends plays with his feet, he helps move the chains and he doesn't turn the ball over. Chris "Beanie" Wells takes much of the pressure off of his rookie quarterback. Beanie averages 121 yards/game and should be fully healthy for the January 5th contest.

Ohio State Defense
As usual, the Buckeyes are built around a physically-gifted defense. Nationally, they rank 7th in scoring defense, 9th in yards/game, 6th in passing defense and 19th in rushing defense. They have allowed 13 or fewer points in five of their last six games.

The Buckeyes are led by All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jennings, considered to be one of the best defensive-backs in college football. Penn State, who scored 40 points/game, only manage 16 against the stingy Ohio State defense. USC scoring 35 three months ago remains the only blemish for this defensive unit.

On the Line: After being embarrassed in each of the last two BCS Championship Games, the Buckeyes will look to restore credibility to their program and the Big Ten Conference as a whole. If they can knock of a legitimate contending team like Texas, Ohio State can reclaim their place as a year-in, year-out championship-caliber team.

Matchup to Watch: Terrelle Pryor vs. Texas Secondary
Pryor has attempted more than 20 passes in a game only one time, the loss against Penn State. Texas will stack the line of scrimmage and force the Buckeyes to make plays through the passing game.If Ohio State expects to keep this game close going into the 4th quarter, Pryor will be forced to take advantage of a run-focused defense by connecting on big plays through the air.

Romo Needs Some Flag-Football

2008-12-30T09:58:00.012-06:00

"I'm embarrassed. I really am. I am really embarrassed."
- Jerry Jones

"I wake up tomorrow and I keep living. If losing a game in a sporting event is the worst thing that happens to me, I've lived a pretty good life."
- Tony Romo

Does anyone else see anything wrong with those comments? So the quarterback of "America's Team" is so distraught by a season-ending loss...that he says that "much worse" has happened to him? That he is going to "keep on living?" That's it? No "I'm pissed! I apologize because I let a lot of fans down. I let my teammates down. I let me city down. I let myself down." None of that?

Instead, Jerry Jones has to be the person that comes out and says that he is "embarrassed" by the performance. Jerry wasn't playing. He wasn't calling plays. And yet, Jerry appears to be the only Cowboy pissed off and utterly embarrassed about the 44-6 loss in Philadelphia. That's a problem.

Look, my friends and I almost break into tears after losing a regular-season flag-football game. It doesn't even have to be the playoffs!! We will then spend the next 3-4 hours dissecting exactly what went wrong. Seriously, we can barely sleep that night...and we are talking about freaking FLAG-FOOTBALL!!!!! What is on the line for us? Nothing significant. But we still can't handle a loss because...well, because we hate losing...at ANYTHING.

Why do I get the feeling that, if Romo were there, after losing he would have been the first in line at the "handshake" line, would have joked with a few of the opponents and then asked us "who is down for a slurpy?!"

I'm sorry, but I don't want my quarterback feeling as though football is merely a game. My buddies and I lose sleep over flag-football contests and Romo, after losing a play-in game to his arch-rivals in the NFL, can only muster "I've had worse things happen to me."

I am not denying that there is something wrong with my friends and I, but there is also something not quite right about Romo. Great NFL quarterbacks don't suffer that kind of defeat and simply shrug it off. Great NFL quarterbacks don't turn the ball over three times in the most critical game of the season and say that they will simply "keep on living." They just don't.

If Peyton Manning throws three interceptions in a loss to San Diego, do you think he will be quoted as saying, "Well, I am going to just keep living and need to get ready to complete a few more hilarious commercials"...? Of course not.

I defend Romo in almost every possible scenario, but it's difficult to defend a guy that appears to take losses much better than the majority of fans do. And while I am holding on to hope that he spends the next six months on football, I have no doubt that we will soon see Tony and Jessica as judges on an upcoming version of MTV's "Skanks vs Sluts" or the new show "America's Got Talent...But We Can't Find It."

Thank You, Wade.

2008-12-28T22:41:00.008-06:00

Philadelphia...44
Dallas.........6

That score will not soon be forgotten. Most Cowboy fans spent Sunday by cursing and drinking themselves into oblivion. But as the Cowboy season crashed and burned faster than Lindsay Lohan's career, I could only focus on two words: "Thank you."

No, I am not an Eagles' fan.
No, I am not insane.

I simply recognize the impact that this game will/should have on the Dallas franchise. America's Team needed a jolt, and it came in the way of an Ike Turner-like beatdown! A few days after Christmas, the Cowboys inadvertently left their fans a few additional presents under the tree.

Present One: Wade Phillips will not be the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

With a playoff birth on the line Sunday, Phillips' "Cream Puff" Cowboys managed to:

* lose four fumbles (two returned for touchdowns)
* commit five penalties
* throw one interception
* look completely disinterested and unprepared

As has often been the case, Dallas looked outmatched against Philadelphia, both physically and mentally. The Cowboys ended the season leading the league in penalties, finished near the bottom of the league in turnover differential and crumbled during the majority of critical situations throughout the season. Each item relates directly to coaching, or a lack thereof. Adios, Wade!

Present Two: Jason Garrett no longer holds "Golden Boy" status.

Garrett no longer remains a shoe-in for the 2009 head coaching role. Armed with a Pro Bowl quarterback, wide-receiver, running back and multiple stud linemen, Garret produced the 18th-ranked offense in the league. Despite having the reputation of an offensive juggernaut, the 2008 Cowboys scored the same amount of points as the offensive-challenged Buccaneers. Dallas scored less than the Bears, Ravens, Vikings and Falcons. If that doesn't say "average," I don't know what does.

Present Three: Cowboy fans will not be tortured by experiencing another failed playoff venture.

In 2006, fans watched Romo drop a game-winning field-goal snap during their Wild Card game against Seattle. Last year, they watched in horror as Dallas crumbled at home against the Giants.

This year, Cowboy fans will not have to endure their self-created misery. They won't torture themselves by making those "maybe Dallas is getting hot at the right time" comments. There won't be any "if we can just protect Romo..." conversations taking place. We won't have to hear Wade pointing to making the "Final 8" as proof that 2008 was successful.

Nope...we will not hear any of that. Instead, Dallas proved to everyone that they are not a playoff-caliber team. They proved that Wade needs to go. They proved that their team chemistry remains nonexistent.

More importantly, Wade and company spared Cowboy fans. They spared fans from, once again, getting their hopes up. They spared fans from, once again, making excuses for the Rams/Redskins/Ravens games. They spared fans from having to watch the Cowboys lose to the Vikings next week, due to lack of preparation, constant mental mistakes and poor in-game coaching.

And for that Wade, I thank you.

Really?

2008-12-22T17:49:00.003-06:00

The number two.

If we are talking about how many million you have in the bank...or how many supermodels that you have dated...or how many terms that you have served as President, "two" stands to be a rather large number. In college football, if we are talking about the number of ranked opponents you have beaten, not so much.

The University of Florida currently sits atop the AP poll, after receiving 50 of 65 first-place votes. Vegas opened the betting lines by positioning the Gators as seven-point favorites. Just about everyone involved in college football believes that Florida outclasses the rest of the field. I'm just not sure why.

Is Florida a really good football team? Absolutely.
Is Tim Tebow one of the best quarterbacks in college football? Yep.
Has Florida proven that they are the best team in the nation by consistently beating quality teams? No, at least not in my opinion.

In recent years, suffering only one loss while running through the SEC gauntlet would be very impressive. In 2008, it simply is not. Right now, three SEC teams sport a top-20 ranking. Florida (#1), Alabama (#4) and Georgia (#16). The Gators beat Georgia in early November and Alabama in early December. In other words, Florida had plenty of time to prepare for each big game because the "filler" teams in between did not require much additional attention.

LSU, Arkansas and Tennessee are usually high-end programs. This year, they just haven't been good. It's much easier to play well against tough teams when you have the ability to circle them on the calendar and sleepwalk through the rest of your schedule. But if Florida had just been able to do that, you really could justify their ranking and the national perception that they are undoubtedly the best team in the country. Unfortunately for Gator fans, they did not do that.

Florida lost at home to an unranked (at the time) Mississippi. Despite playing poor competition throughout the year, Florida still found a way to stumble during conference play. Again, I am not suggesting that Florida is not one of the top teams in the nation. I am suggesting that Florida continues to benefit from the perception that the SEC is a really strong conference, when in fact, it's not. Again, Florida is the unanimous #1 team in the nation despite a very weak schedule and a loss to an average Mississippi team.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, presents one of the most impressive resumes in the country. They have beaten four teams currently ranked in the Top 25 and their only loss came at the hands of the #3 ranked Texas Longhorns, on a neutral field. Florida beat two teams currently ranked in the Top 25, and lost at home to #25 Mississippi.

In actuality, the Gators got a significant boost by beating Alabama, another team benefitting from playing in the weak SEC. Alabama didn't beat a Top 10 team all season. They needed overtime to beat a 5-loss LSU team. Still, a Florida victory over the Crimson Tide impressed voters enough to propel the Gators into the BCS Championship. Crazy stuff.

Look, Tim Tebow and company are really good. They are absolutely a top 5 team. But they haven't faced the type of competition that Oklahoma has faced week in, week out. Florida had weeks to focus on Alabama, maybe even months. Oklahoma had to play ranked teams in each of their last three games. During those games, the Sooners avoided emotional letdowns to dominate each ranked team by a combined 105 points.

Consistently playing high-level competition provides Oklahoma with more big-game experience than their counterpart. Florida's puff cake schedule, something that helped them get into the BCS Championship, might be the thing that prevents them from winning it.

Credibility Injection

2008-12-19T10:30:00.003-06:00

Tom Hicks and Chuck Morgan continue adding credibility to the Texas Ranger franchise. Despite the troubling economic situation, Hicks approved $4 million of improvements to Ranger Ballpark in Arlington. The additions will include four new scoreboards providing every person in the stadium with the ability to see the dot race and game replays. While the precipitous drop in attendance probably propelled this movement, it is nice to see Hicks focus on the Ranger fan. Pretty cool stuff.

While Hicks has not always been a great front-man for the Ranger organization, within the last year, he deserves credit for building legitimacy within his Texas team.

In February, Hicks hired Texas legend Nolan Ryan as Team President. Not only does Ryan bring a powerful and recognized presence to the organization, he also brings with him baseball credibility, something the Ranger organization had lacked.

In November, the Rangers named Mike Maddux as their new pitching coach. Maddux is widely thought of as one of the best pitching minds in baseball. In 2008, His Milwaukee pitching staff finished second in the National League in team ERA. Texas finished last in all of baseball, and by a wide margin. Again, Maddux brings real "baseball" credibility to the organization and Hicks deserves credit for opening the checkbook to get him.

Lastly, with the stadium updates, Hicks and company continue to give Ranger fans reasons to support the team. And while each noted decision will add legitimacy to the club, the real change needs to happen on the field. As Jon Daniels continues trading team depth to fill organizational holes, and with Ben Sheets becoming a free-agent priority, the next few months could provide Ranger fans with legitimate reasons to get excited.

Worse Than The Madden Cover Jinx?

2008-12-15T16:13:00.009-06:00

On Saturday evening, Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy. On Sunday, he should have given it back! Throughout the last twenty years, nothing has damned a college quarterback like the Heisman Trophy.

Each of these signal-callers won the illustrious college award within the last two decades:

Andre Ware
Ty Detmer
Gino Torretta
Charlie Ward
Danny Wuerfel
Chris Weinke
Eric Crouch
Carson Palmer
Jason White
Matt Leinart
Troy Smith

Ugh! Seriously, that's a gross list.

Within that group, only Carson Palmer has overcome the Heisman curse to become a good NFL quarterback, and you could argue that even Palmer could not escape the trophy's grasp...seeing that he has been forced to "play" in Cincinnati! His teammates include Odell Thurman, Chris Henry and AJ Nicholson...so in a way, being drafted was more of a prison sentence than a reward!

Matt Leinart went from future NFL star to hanging out with Paris Hilton...and actually thinking she was cool! He tried to throw the award away, but he missed the trash can.

Jason White won the award just five years ago. His NFL career was over...five years ago.

It looked like Troy Smith had beaten the curse: in August of this year, he held the starting role for the Baltimore Ravens. Within two weeks, "the wrath" infected him with a mysterious tonsil infection...sidelining him indefinitely. C'mon, you can downplay it all you want, but guys don't just come down with a tonsil infection. That just doesn't happen!

Outside of Palmer, Ty Detmer has probably achieved more than any other name on that list. And if Ty Detmer is at the top of the list, you know that you are in trouble!

Sam, you need to give it up...it's for your own good. Give it to Colt, he needs a little pick-me-up after being screwed out of the National Championship Game! Or give it to Tebow, we all know that a QB who threw for more than 300 yards once all season deserves it!

If you decide to keep it, that's understandable. At least I will know who to get car insurance from four years from now!

Cowboys Utilize Their "Playmaker"

2008-12-15T08:37:00.017-06:00

For the last several years, people have continued to doubt the San Antonio Spurs. They have been told that they, "are old, aren't athletic enough, can't score, etc..." And for the last several years, the Spurs continue to prove their doubters wrong. The reason: Tim Duncan. Regardless of what happens around him, if Duncan is on the court, the Spurs will be in the game.

When I watch Tony Romo, I can't help but feel the same way.

Throughout last week, the Dallas Cowboys appeared to focus on anything other than the New York Giants. The wide-receiving core, led by Terrell Owens, highlighted the distraction-filled week by suggesting out-loud that Tony Romo favored Jason Witten and, as a result, targeted him more during games than wide-receivers.

TO even went as far as accusing Romo and Witten of drawing up "secret" plays meant to be used in critical game situations, depriving Owens of the opportunity to make an impact.

The situation climaxed Friday in the Cowboy locker room, when Witten and Owens had to be separated by teammates after tempers flared following a discussion on pass-routes. As Sunday evening approached, rampant speculation surrounded the Cowboy gameplan: Would Dallas make an effort to appease Owens and get him involved early in the game? Should the Cowboys continue as usual while risking the further exile of their polarizing receiver?

Even the media appeared to be split. On every local sports station, an explosion of 'Owens vs Witten' debates arose. "Owens is the big-play threat...but Witten is the security blanket. Witten has more catches...but Owens has more yards." The conversations then transitioned to Sunday's gameplan: "Should Dallas make an attempt to get TO involved early...or should they continue as planned, risking further exile of their polarizing receiver?"

On Sunday evening, against the defending Super Bowl champions, Dallas chose to get the ball in the hands of its best player...on every single play: Tony Romo. Amidst all of the controversy throughout the week, people seemed to almost forget that Romo drives this bus, not TO or Witten or anyone else. Maybe we don't talk about Tony because he doesn't provide us with great sound-bytes or talking points. He didn't talk to the offensive-coordinator and complain that the receivers weren't getting open. He didn't go toe-to-toe with any of his teammates in the locker room. Hell, Romo wasn't even interested in clearing the air by speaking with the media. As has been the case throughout his career, he simply led by example.

On Sunday, Romo's actions spoke louder than words. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. And he produced the majority of those numbers after injuring his back in the first quarter.

While TO keeps us entertained, we would be wise to recognize that Romo is, and has been, the best playmaker on the Cowboys' offense. It doesn't matter whether Witten is out with a broken rib, Owens isn't creating separation as he has in the past, Barber is running at 60%, the offensive-line isn't protecting well...Romo will find a way to get his team in position to win.

As a Mavericks' fan, it pains me to write this, but watching Dallas play with Romo is akin to watching the Spurs play with Tim Duncan. As long as that guy is there, you know that his team will be in the game.

A few interesting Romo nuggets:

Individual NFL Ranks

QB Rating: #2 in the NFL
Touchdowns: #4 in the NFL
Yards/Game: #4 in the NFL

Team Statistics

Since 2006, Romo is 27-13 (.675 winning %) as a starter...
Since 2006, Dallas is 4-6 (.400 winning %) without Romo.
In 2008, Romo is 8-3...
In 2008, Dallas is 1-2 without Romo.
Romo has been sacked 15 times in 11 games this season...
Dallas has allowed 10 sacks in 3 non-Romo games.

Could you play for the Michelin man? Part II

2008-12-10T16:20:00.005-06:00

...coaching miscues during the Cowboys-Steelers game continued...

Defensive Gaffes:

Truth be told, the Dallas defense played well enough to win on Sunday. They dominated the Pittsburgh offense for the majority of the afternoon so much so that, up until the 3-minute mark in the 3rd quarter, the "mighty" Steelers had produced a total of 105 offensive yards.

Pittsburgh produced:

238 offensive yards
3/16 on 3rd-down
70 yards rushing
2 lost fumbles

Pittsburgh's scoring drives:

6 plays - 16 yards: Field Goal
4 plays - 2 yards: Field Goal
8 plays - 67 yards: Touchdown

As much as I would like to pile on Wade and Company for going "prevent" in the 4th quarter, I just can't. Despite getting blasted for "folding" at the end of the game, the Dallas defense only gave up 71 yards in the final quarter. If your defense holds the opponent to under 80 rushing yards, less than 250 total yards, forces two turnovers AND comes up with a giant goal-line stand, they did their job.

The offense, on the other hand...part III coming soon.

Could you play for the Michelin man?

2008-12-09T08:56:00.021-06:00

Steelers 20...Cowboys 13.

If we had told you before the game that Dallas would lose by seven points in a hard-fought game on Pittsburgh's home turf, I think that most Cowboy fans would have understood. Hell, some of them might have been happy to see that Dallas hung with the class of the AFC, despite playing without either of their top two running backs, Marion Barber and Felix Jones, who both missed due to injuries.

If you watched the game however, you know that Dallas shouldn't be proud of "hanging tough" with the Steelers. The Cowboys dominated this game for 52 minutes. But as we have come to expect, the Dallas coaching staff made several critical errors during critical times of a big game.

And while we all understand that "players play" and "coaches coach," when a team consistently fails to execute, that falls at the coach's doorstep. There were so many coaching blunders made on Sunday that we will break it into a three-part series: offense, defense and special teams/attire.

Today's edition includes "Attire" and "Special Teams."

Attire
Team attire isn't something that gets a lot of coverage by most media outlets, but it should. I have a current poll running: Who did Wade Phillips look more like:

George Costanza?
The Michelin Man?

Seriously, how are players expected to go into battle when they can look to the sideline and see a big ball of gore-tex celebrating a missed field goal?! That's just not fair.

Secondly, why wasn't Romo wearing sleeves with game-time temperatures dropping below freezing? Dude, you date Jessica Simpson and you love singing karaoke...no one thinks that you are tough! And if you are going to go the "tough" route, you cannot be seen running to the heaters during every timeout. That's like ordering fried chicken and mashed potatoes, but then demanding diet coke because, "I'm watching my weight." I love the guy, but that was a big mistake.

Special Teams
Wade Phillips and Company achieved the Special Teams’ Tri-fecta: poor roster management, poor positioning and poor execution. Amazing!

1) Poor Roster-Management: Pacman was inserted as the punt AND kick-returner after his reinstatement: Apparently, Phillips felt that the kickoff return could use a boost and that Jones, who averages an amazing 4.6 yards per punt-return, could provide a “spark.” Promoting Pacman to kickoff return duty is like Plaxico being named the "Gun-Control Representative" for the Giants: "Hey, we know that you have had issues in the past, but we think that giving you MORE responsibility is the answer!"

Surely Jones “sparked” the kickoff return unit, right? Well, only if 16 yards/return constitutes a "spark." Okay, okay…but as a punt-returner, he must have given the team that little “boost” that they were looking for. He absolutely did, but he did it for the wrong team. Pacman muffed one punt return, after attempting to catch the ball on the 5 yard-line, nearly resulting in a turnover. His second gaffe led to number 2:

2) Poor Positioning: In the 2nd quarter, while facing a stiff 30mph wind, Pittsburgh was forced to punt from inside their 10-yard-line. My wife, a noted football novice, asked, "If the wind is blowing that hard, are they going to be able to punt it very far?" While I didn't really register that comment as an exceptionally astute point, it was something that the Cowboys apparently hadn't thought of.

Pacman Jones stood at the Cowboys 45, fifty yards away from the line of scrimmage. Berger, who averaged 33 yards/punt on Sunday, "boomed" a 28-yard punt landing near the Steeler 35. Pacman, strategically positioned beyond the 50-yard-line, had no opportunity to make the catch. Instead, the punt struck a Dallas blocker...leading to a Pittsburgh recovery. Had the Cowboy coaching staff realized what 60,000 fans knew (including my wife), Pacman would have been standing on the Pittsburgh 45 and should have been able to make a fair-catch inside the Steeler 40. But hey, field position doesn't matter in a cold, December defensive battle, right?

3) Poor Execution: Finally, the special teams play that signaled the beginning of the end: in the 4th quarter, Dallas calls "punt left " from their own 18, but the 42-yard punt travels up the middle, then bounced right...leading to a 35 yard return by Santonio Holmes, setting up a key 4th-quarter field-goal, bringing the Steelers to within seven.

Stay tuned, offensive and defensive blunders will be dissected when parts II and III of "I wish we had hired Mike Singletary" continues!

Chinese Democracy = Dallas Mavericks?

2008-12-05T08:59:00.018-06:00

While watching the Mavericks roll last night on TNT, I couldn't help but make a few observations:

Dirk looks like he is having fun out there. Over the last two seasons, I'm not sure that was the case.

At one point in the 2nd quarter, I was reminded of the new Guns 'N Roses album, Chinese Democracy: "I recognize Axl...but who in the hell are the rest of those guys?!"

Seriously, the five Mavs on the floor consisted of: Jason Terry, JJ Barea, Brandon Bass, Shawne Williams and DeSagana Diop. JJ Barea?! Shawne Williams?! For a second, I thought that I had flipped over to the D-League! Strangely enough, it worked: The Mavericks outscored the Suns 31-22 in the 2nd quarter on the way to their 8th win in the last 9 games.

The G-N-R similarities don't end there: Rick Carlisle appears to be very "democratic" with playing time, and just like Axl, he continues to move forward with new faces playing different roles. So far, Carlisle has used 10 different starting lineups, in 18 games, and during their recent hot streak, the 1st-year coach has given many unknown/unproven players extended minutes.

While this team doesn't look like a legitimate contender in the West, it's still exciting to see that they have crawled their way to a couple of games above .500 after sleepwalking to a 2-7 start. And while Shawne Williams and JJ Barea may not have the talent or pedigree of most NBA players, they have one thing that the Mavericks desperately needed: hunger.

Prior to 2008, JJ Barea and Shawne Williams had combined to average about 21 minutes/game.

Stretching over their last seven contests, the two unheralded players have averaged 37 minutes/game. They have both responded by playing hard, fighting for loose balls, crashing the boards and simply out-hustling their opponents. In other words, these guys are hungry...not just to win, but to earn playing time. Thinking back about recent seasons, would you have described any of the Mavericks as "hungry" for playing time? I know that I wouldn't.

Over the last two years, the Dallas' window of opportunity was closing faster than the Stars' organization threw Sean Avery under the bus. During that time, the Mavericks' primary bench players included:

Jerry Stackhouse: NBA Veteran
Eddie Jones: NBA Veteran
Juwan Howard: NBA Veteran
Greg Buckner: NBA Veteran
Anthony Johnson: NBA Veteran

Guys like Stackhouse, Jones and Howard aren't going to get excited about "earning" playing time. Those are guys that had been stars throughout their life, had started in the NBA and were on the downside of their careers. And while some did provide quality minutes off the bench (especially Stackhouse), they weren't bringing heightened enthusiasm to the court. There was a lot of walking to the scorer's table, slowly removing the warm-ups and strolling onto the court. When summoned off the bench, Barea and Williams jump out of their seat and sprint towards the court! They appear to legitimately be excited about the game whereas many veterans view the season as a "grind."

Every good team needs a few "high-energy" players like Eduardo Najera, Luke Walton, Rajon Rondo: guys that weren't highly touted coming out of school and enter the league with a chip on their shoulder, determined to make a difference in each game by outworking their opponents.

The Mavericks either haven't had young, hungry guys recently or certain coaches (rhymes with Stavery Bonson), refused to hand the reigns to inexperienced players (see the Devin Harris trade). Whatever the reason, Rick Carlisle appears willing to give the young guys a chance, and so far, it's paying dividends.

It has been fun to watch the Mavericks add the much-needed infusion of youth an energy to the mix; however, anytime you play inexperienced players, there will be growing pains. Up to this point, Carlisle appears to have a necessary ingredient needed to deal with young players, as stated by Axl Rose:

"Patience."

Pittsburgh: Paper Curtain??

2008-12-03T11:23:00.017-06:00

When the Cowboys travel to Pittsburgh this Sunday, they will face one of the best teams in the NFL...or so it appears.

Pittsburgh is 9-3 and currently sits in 1st place within AFC North. They have the #1 ranked defense in points allowed, yards allowed and a slew of other statistical categories. They are a great team...or so it appears.

Upon taking a deeper look at the Steeler' situation, you will find these numbers:

40-55-1 = Records for teams that Pittsburgh has beaten
25-10-1 = Records for teams that Pittsburgh has lost to

Broken down in percentage form:

The teams that have lost to Pittsburgh have a winning percentage of.........42%
The teams that have beaten Pittsburgh have a winning percentage of.........71%
The Dallas Cowboys, as it sits right now, have a winning percentage of..........67%

Pittsburgh is 3-3 against teams with winning records and 6-0 against the Bengals of the world. It's something to think about.

In addition, many pundits have recently highlighted how difficult it will be for Dallas to win in Pittsburgh. Think about it: the "field" is more of a marsh than a football surface, inclement weather will be a factor and the Steelers are used to playing in those types of conditions.

Unfortunately for Mike Tomlin, the stats don't bare that out: two of Pittsburgh's three losses happened at Heinz Field and they needed a 10-point comeback AND overtime to defeat Baltimore at home. Interestingly, Baltimore is the only team with a winning record to have lost at Pittsburgh this year, and they did so in Joe Flacco's third professional game. The two winning teams to recently visit Heinz Field, the Giants and Colts, both left victorious.

While many have detailed the Cowboys' struggles in December and questioned their mental toughness, the Steelers face a question of their own: are they really the "beasts of the AFC" or are they simply paper tigers.

Mack Brown should start playing Madden!

2008-12-02T12:54:00.009-06:00

I am not a huge video game aficionado; however, I have played Madden consistently over the last decade. With the progression of Playstation and the internet, I began to play online. After replacing several controls that "slipped" out of my hand, I quickly learned two things:

I am not nearly as good as I thought I was
Clock management can decide a game

If only Mack Brown had learned those lessons before the Longhorns traveled to Lubbock. While I feel like I have seen that Crabtree catch more times than the Subway "Five dollar foot-long" commercials (that song really makes me want to shoot myself...or someone else). As great as it was, it should have never happened. Not just the catch...but the entire play.

You can actually argue that Texas Tech's entire final drive shouldn't have happened. The final four Texas offensive plays are listed below:

Down and Distance.........Play-Clock..........Result

1st & 10 at Texas Tech 20 3:04......:29......Pass to Shipley

2nd & 2 at Texas Tech 12 2:34.......:17......McCoy runs

1st & Goal at Texas Tech 6 2:08......:07......Whittaker runs

Texas Tech player (Dixon) injured at 1:53 on the clock

2nd & Goal at Texas Tech 5 1:34.....:21......McGee runs: TD

1:29 remaining in game

A total of 74 seconds were left on the play clock...just during the last four plays!! Texas left 1:14 on the play clock for no apparent reason. Seriously, what the hell, Mack??!!

If Colt and Company had played it right, and ran the play clock under five before each snap, only 10-15 seconds would have remained on the clock after the touchdown. Harrell probably throws a couple desperation tosses, the game ends, Colt wins the Heisman, Texas goes to the National Championship, etc...

Instead, this happens...and you know the rest.

My buddies have attempted to provide a couple of suggestions as to why Mack chose not to drain the clock:

Reason 1) Texas scored with 1:29...they didn't want to risk letting the clock run out prior to scoring

Response) Texas had two timeouts, so there should have been no reason to worry about running "too much" clock. If the clock dipped below 30 seconds, Texas simply would have taken a timeout and then run the next play.

Reason 2) McCoy running out of bounds cost them the ability to run clock.

Response) Nope...simply not true. Colt did indeed run out of bounds...but he did so with 2:27 left on the clock. With college football's new clock rules, running out of bounds ONLY stops the clock if less than two minutes remain. After Colt's run, the officials spotted the ball and started the clock.

Texas left 20 seconds on the clock with their final snap alone! Harrell threw the winning touchdown with 12 seconds on the clock. Weird.

Madden gamers simply would never allow this to happen. Never! And this exemplifies why each college and professional football team should employ an experienced gamer as their "Clock Manager." If a fancier title is needed, go with "Director of Time Operation" or "Continuum Chronometer Coordinator." But just think about how many times teams lose games by a "second here" or a "few seconds there." Think about coaches who can barely determine the best time to call their timeouts in conjunction with the two-minute warning. If it can happen to Texas, one of the largest and most successful football programs in the history of college football, it can happen to anyone!

Mack, I can be available as soon as you need me!

Al Gore 2.0

2008-12-01T09:55:00.008-06:00

In 2000, Al Gore won the Presidential popular vote against George Bush. Unfortunately for Gore, Bush won more Electoral Votes leading to his Presidency. Gore was mad...and still remains bitter.

Mac Brown and the Longhorns find themselves in a similar situation. On Sunday, a day after Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State, despite giving up 41 points, college football voters chose Texas as their 2nd best team in the country. Just like the 2000 Presidential Election, the popular vote wasn't enough.

And just as Al Gore helplessly flailed away at the "flawed" system in 2000, I assume that the rest of 2008 will be filled with constant grumblings from Longhorn fans, players, coaches and anyone else that dislikes the current BCS system. The arguments have already begun: "Texas beat OU head-to-head on a neutral field...Human voters voted Texas ahead of the Sooners in the human polls...This system isn't fair!"

The problem for the Longhorns, as it was for Gore, is that we ALL knew the specifics of each system before the season started. The United States has never elected a President based on the popular vote...and the BCS has never elected a champion based on the human polls. It's nothing new.

Whining about the BCS at the end of the season is like going to see High School Musical 3...and then complaining that it sucked!! Yeah, who would have known that 2 hours of teenagers singing and dancing would force you to consider taking your own life?! In other words, you knew what you were in for before it started.

Oklahoma vaulted above Texas in the computer polls because they played two top 15 teams in the non-conference (#11 TCU and #13 Cincinnati)...and Texas didn't. Pretty simple. The BCS isn't perfect, but we all understood that prior to the beginning of the season.

So while Mac and Company sit at home this weekend while Oklahoma plays for the Big 12 Championship, he would be wise to follow the insightful lead of former Vice President Dan Quayle:

"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."

Greg Golson: "If they don't think that I'm ready..."

2008-11-26T09:11:00.015-06:00

The Rangers recently acquired outfielder Greg Golson from the Phillies. Golson hit .282 in AA this year while striking out in 28% of his at-bats. He produced an OPS of .767 in 2008 (his 5th consecutive MiL season without exceeding an OPS of .800).

A local writer interviewed Golson this week and Greg had an interesting perspective regarding his 2009 expectations:

"My goal is to be in the big leagues...If they don't feel like I'm ready, I'll be more than willing to try to prove them wrong in the minor leagues."

After wiping away my tears of laughter, I was reminded of the classic Tommy Boy line:

"Hi, I'm Earth. Have we met?!"

Greg saying that he "isn't sure" if Texas thinks that he is ready for the Major Leagues is kind of like saying, "I would like to date Marissa Miller, but I'm not sure if she would agree...so I might just stick with Rosie."

In other words: "Greg, you are NOT READY!!!!!!!!"

Even Japanese players hate the Rangers!

2008-11-25T09:11:00.004-06:00

According to numerous sources, four teams have made ML offers to 22-year-old Japanese pitcher, Junichi Tazawa (video here). The reported offers are as follows:

Boston: 3 years, $3 million
Seattle: 3 years, $3 million
Atlanta: 4 years, $4-5 million
Texas: 4 years, $7 million

Again, according to numerous sources, Tazawa will sign with Boston by the end of the week. This isn't CC or Sheets...this is a 22-year-old living in Japan, and even HE won't consider signing with Texas, despite being offered almost twice as much money!

Jon Daniels trying to sign a marquee free-agent pitcher is probably like watching a infomercial on the "ab-tronic" at three in the morning, thinking to yourself, "Man, that's what I need. The only thing standing between me and a six-pack is $24.95..."...only to realize that you can't buy it because you spent the last of your paycheck on Oreos and Fallout 3 for XBox (If the ab-tronic is a free-agent, and users are the General Managers, this guy must be Theo Epstein: doing what it takes to get the job done).

Another day in the life of a Ranger fan.

UT Fans: Smallest Brains in the World?

2008-11-24T10:08:00.008-06:00

If watching Michael Crabtree spin away from the hapless Longhorn secondary wasn't torturous enough for UT followers, Oklahoma's beat-down of the Red Raiders on Saturday night should have done the trick.

For some reason, throughout last week I constantly heard Texas fans claim that they were going to put down their "Oklahoma girls are fat" t-shirts and root for the Sooners. Well, the Sooners obliged and absolutely destroyed Texas Tech...65-21. The Red Raiders, the only team to defeat the Longhorns, were authoritatively dismantled by a superior team.

If you are going to go all Nick Saban on us and flip to the other side, at least do it when it matters! Oklahoma winning didn't help Texas in any way...Texas needed a Rocky type of game...where both competitors duked it out until the end and neither looked dominant in doing so.

This was more along the lines of Mike Tyson destroying Peter McNeeley: lots of hype and watching parties ending after about 2 minutes leaving everyone asking, "what the hell just happened?"

So the Longhorn fans got what they wanted: an OU victory. Unfortunately for the Austinites, the resounding victory jettisoned Oklahoma over Texas in both human polls. Texas still holds the 2nd spot within the BCS standings...but only by the slimmest of margins.

And while Texas rolls over a hideous A&M team on Thanksgiving Day, the Stoops Crew will have an opportunity to continue their BCS rise by playing #12 Oklahoma State this Saturday. A victory over another top 25 team, on the road, will almost certainly catapult Oklahoma ahead of the Longhorns in the BCS standings, propelling the Sooners into the Big 12 Championship and, with a win, the National Championship.

And just like the guy who wished that he had the largest brain in the world, UT fans soon realized that they should have been careful what they wished for.

DSK Hot Stove Exclusive! Email leaked from 4 Yawkey Way

2008-11-23T11:45:00.009-06:00

Hey Jon,

Good to hear from you, dude. Tough day yesterday ~ I couldn't make it over to the stadium for the game, but that didn't stop me from losing another bet to that jerk Hill. You gotta be happy with how the Big Red are playing in the ECAC though, huh?

Anyhow. Yeah, that guy Edes is pretty funny. (Not as funny as his CHB, though.) Why people still put any credence in his writing after he was gullible enough to report that Marie and I got married at a Nathan's Famous hot dog stand at Coney Island is beyond me.

So, yeah. The pieces are starting to fall into place, and we'll talk after Thanksgiving. I sent Edes an email yesterday telling him that our family's going to sit down to a main course of cholent and gefilte instead of turkey ~ I told him it's a Lenny Bruce thing. "Fish, kishka, and horseradish? Very Jewish. Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce? Very goyish."

You know what I'm talking about, right?

Anyhow, yeah, we'll touch base on the other side of December. Your guys are hugely overvaluing Byrd. You don't have a prayer of getting both Masterson and Bowden in that deal, so give it up.

By the way: I was bored at work Friday afternoon, so I surfed over to that guy Newberg's board. Lots of talk over there about how you screwed, raped, and spanked me in the Gagne trade. Besides it being silly ~ where do these people get their ideas about how GMs operate? ~ it's kind of sick, you know? Eventually Jack's gonna be old enough to read that stuff about his old man, and you know how the interwebs are. Could you maybe say something to Newberg? I know you two are tight.

OK, I got to go practice me some guitar. There's a chance that Vampire Weekend could invite me to play with them at a charity gig early 2009 ~ something like that Music for Democracy thing they did last month. Sweet!

Love to Robyn and Lincoln,
Theo

Cowboys & Coaches: Cowher for Christmas?

2008-11-22T12:29:00.011-06:00

Not so long ago, Jason Garrett was the heir apparent to the blue, silver, and star-adorned mantle shouldered by the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. In contrast, Wade Phillips — the rotund, avuncular bearer of that mantle — was fitted with a moniker more famously worn by his father.

How much things can change in a few games.

The crown now rests somewhat more lightly on Phillips’ brow. The Cowboys’ recent defensive efforts (in the face of injuries on both sides of the ball) have won him a bit of breathing room, and a few grudging plaudits from Metroplex scribes — though he’s likely still feeling the heat through the bottom of his breeches. (Perhaps Phillips should take a sartorial page from the book of a noted Dallas sports nemesis.)

Meanwhile, Garrett’s glow has apparently dimmed. The offense installed by the Princeton grad, erstwhile Cowboys third-string QB, and wunderkind offensive coordinator has come under fire from ever-restive receiver and popcorn-muncher Terrell Owens. Owens has now repeated his complaints that the Cowboys’ offense is stultifying and inflexible, and that the NFL's defensive coordinators have caught up with the Ginger Genius. Phillips (perhaps fighting a grin that he wears only behind closed doors in his office at Valley Ranch) has effectively agreed with his star wideout, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has added his voice to the chorus of concerns.

And even Garrett's friends have begun to turn on him.

So after we're done nailing the Redheaded Jesus to his cross: anyone for a Mustachioed Messiah?

Longhorn Fans: Just Face It

2008-11-20T15:14:00.007-06:00

I admit, I am a UT grad. Trust me, I can put on the rose-colored glasses like everyone else, but regarding the Big 12 Championship, us Longhorns need to get real.

Brace yourself: Texas won't be playing for the Big 12 Championship this season.

I know...I know. If Oklahoma beats Tech and all three teams win out, there will be a three-way tie. Unfortunately for Bevo, Texas won't win that tiebreaker. Here's why:

#1: If two teams tie for a division title, the head-to-head matchup will determine the winner.
This scenario only applies if the Sooners beat Texas Tech this weekend...and then loses to Oklahoma State next week. After Tech beats Baylor, that will leave Texas and Texas Tech with one conference loss each...but the Red Raiders beat Texas head-to-head, so Tech prevails.

#2: If three teams tie for the Division Lead, the highest ranked BCS team gets the nod.
If Oklahoma beats the Leach Pirates this weekend and Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma all win out, there will be a three-way tie for the Big 12 South Champion. In that case, the highest ranked BCS team will become the Division Champ. Unfortunately for Texas Tech and Texas, Oklahoma will prevail.

Think about it: Tech, Texas and Oklahoma all have common conference opponents...so nothing will be gained/lost there. The true difference will lie within the timing of the losses and each team's non-conference schedule.

Timing:
Oklahoma lost first...and as we all know, losing early is much better than losing late.
Texas lost next...less than two weeks ago.
Tech, again...assuming that they lose on Saturday, will have lost last.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Non-Conference Schedule:
Texas and Texas Tech have a total of ZERO Top 25 non-conference victories.
Oklahoma has two Top 25 non-conference victories (TCU, Cincinnati)

Advantage: Oklahoma

Sorry guys, but:

if there is a three-way tie atop the Big 12 South, Oklahoma will be the representative
if there is a two-way tie between Texas Tech and Texas, Texas Tech will be the representative

Texas will not be playing in the Big 12 Championship this year, but it might be a good thing. I will explain more tomorrow.

Pacman...I'm Confused

2008-11-20T13:44:00.010-06:00

I just want to make sure that I have the facts straight:

Pacman was suspended in October because of an "alcohol-related incident"
Pacman attended an alcohol rehab program while suspended
The alcohol rehab program determined that Pacman does NOT have a drinking problem
Goodell, based on the information gathered by the rehab program, reinstates Pacman to the NFL

This is my question: if you were the NFL commissioner, and Pacman was thought to have had an alcohol problem...and that alcohol had created his inability to act like a normal human-being...but it was then determined that alcohol was NOT the cause of his Ike Turner-like tantrums...wouldn't you think that he may need some additional type of treatment or rehab?

Simpler version: If you thought alcohol was the problem...only to find out that alcohol was NOT the problem...wouldn't you continue to search for the problem?

The idea of reinstating this guy is worse than the creation of the "Crazy Crab" in San Francisco!!!

This is just a trainwreck waiting to happen...all aboard the Pacman Express!!

Evan Grant: As Stupid as Dustin Pedroia is Short!!

2008-11-20T12:22:00.014-06:00

Not really...but it sounded good.

Evan Grant, a Dallas Morning News reporter who covers the Texas Rangers, has been grilled over the last few days for failing to include AL MVP, Dustin Pedroia, anywhere on his MVP ballot. Of all the writers who voted on the AL MVP, Grant was the ONLY person to have not ranked DP anywhere within the Top 10 candidates.

I hate the Red Sox as much as everyone else, but c'mon! That little dude was definitely Top 10 material. And while Grant has stated that he "made a mistake," he added fuel to the fire yesterday by doing a radio interview with WEEI, a local Boston radio station, and attempted to continue presenting evidence justifying Pedrioa's omission:

*Desperation Warning*
Please be prepared for: Guy that has lost the argument but refuses to go quietly into the night...so he finds one very obscure piece of evidence supporting his stance and holds on for dear life...Cliffhanger style!!

Grant: "...he [Pedroia] was 53rd in OBP with runners in scoring position …"

Poor Evan. He's a good guy and knows his stuff...he just had a mental lapse on this one. It's great to focus on stats...but using "OBP with runners in scoring position" as a statistical measuring stick for the MVP? That is simply ludicrous.

Evan...let's just pretend that this never happened!

Why Avery was fired...

2008-11-20T11:48:00.004-06:00

Many suggest that Avery Johnson was fired because of his unwillingness to delegate tasks, his overbearing nature or his inability to just let the "plaiy-errs" play! That was not the case.

Bienvenidos!

2008-11-20T10:50:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the Dallas Sports Keg.

Basically, we have dedicated this blog to comedic (attempted) coverage of the Dallas Sports world. I know, with Pacman and his 230 arrests, Mark Cuban's Martha-Stewart-like SEC situation and Jerr-uh Jones, this stuff basically writes itself; however, we thought it might be worth documenting.

Regards,

Guy