Rangers Survive April, and The Aporkalypse

Regardless the outcome of this afternoon’s pitching duel between Vicente Padilla and Bobby Bragan, it’s already – I’m sorry, I’m being told the Oakland pitcher is actually Dallas Braden – a successful April for the Texas Rangers. Not only has Texas not had any players succumb to the international flu…

Kidd vs. Devin: Tweaking the Hindsight?

I still – as always – wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on Jason Kidd and two No. 1 draft picks, etc. for Devin Harris and Antoine Wright, etc. But I’ll admit, Kidd has been better than any of us expected. And today – as the Mavericks prepare to enter the second round of…

The Dallas Cowboys’ Draft Deteriorates into a Dirty Dozen

New stadium. New station. Same starters. Lots of reasons to be excited about the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. Jonestown Coliseum will be the world’s coolest sports venue. The team has moved to a 100,000-watt flagship radio station—KRLD-105.3 FM The Fan—insuring that night games can be heard outside of downtown. Terrell…

Pinch Yourself: Mavericks 106, Spurs 93

On second thought, forget The Alamo. And the San Antonio Spurs. What began as a competitive series that some of us skeptics thought the Spurs would win in seven games magically morphed into a hockey power play. Afforded basically a 5-on-2 advantage, the Mavericks ultimately skated past old, slow, buried…

After the Draft: Projecting the Cowboys’ 53-Man Roster

There’s a minicamp at Valley Ranch this weekend, only three months before training camp in San Antonio and a mere 139 days until the Dallas Cowboys kick off their 2009 NFL season against the Buccaneers in Tampa. No better time to look into my crystal football and predict the team’s opening-day…

Dear Rabid, Irrational P1s: Looks Like You’ve Got Company

In its 15-year history, I’ll betcha a nickel no one this side of The Pigskin Poet has written more positive words about The Ticket than me. And, still today, when the station has boffo ratings or cool events, I won’t shy away from tooting its triumphant horn. So when Ticket groupies…

Mavs-Spurs Game 5 Preview: Uh-Oh

*Unless Mark Cuban smears Swine Flu on Tony Parker, I’m afraid the desperate and prideful San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks tonight, forcing a Game 6 Friday night at American Airlines Center. Why? Because home teams down 3-1 always win Game 5. Because Greg Popovich has won 75 percent…

Mavericks 3, Spurs 1. The End is Near.

Let’s say that before tip-off of Game 1 I gave you these crystal ball visions about the Spurs-Mavs series: *San Antonio’s Tony Parker will skip down Dallas’ lane at will, averaging 29 points including games of 38 and 43. *Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki will be held 10 points under his season scoring…

The Dallas Cowboys’ Draft Grade: %$#&*!-Minus

Let me kick off this week with a detailed breakdown of the players the Dallas Cowboys selected on the first day of last weekend’s NFL Draft:                 For the reaches, afterthoughts, confounding strategy and appropriately crappy grade, we’d best jump …..

Spurs-Mavs Game 4: Winner Takes All

Simple: Whoever wins Game 4 of Spurs-Mavs Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center wins the series. Right? With a win, the Mavs go up 3-1 and would have three shots – including a Game 6 at AAC – to seal the deal. With a win, the Spurs would suddenly grab back home-court…

Fact Check of the Week

The duo behind the bestselling weight-loss how-to Skinny Bitch are back with a follow-up: Skinny Bastard, due to hit stores Monday. And it features among its famous faces several vegan athletes, including them a certain hobbled Dallas Maverick who’s been sidelined during the playoffs. Alas, The New York Times has…

Mr. Holland’s Opus

Gotta make this snappy because this morning I’m headed to Jonestown Coliseum. Seems Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is holding a press conference to talk about this weekend’s NFL Draft and – surprise! – a new radio partnership. Watched a wonderful, weird Rangers’ game last night. Weird, because of the ending: With two…

In Dirk We Trust?

Simple: Do you trust Dirk Nowitzki? In the final seconds? In tonight’s Game 3? In the series against the San Antonio Spurs? To get him more room – more open looks – the Dallas Mavericks must push the pace at Amercian Airlines Center. One of the toughest things in the NBA…

Mavs Have an Old Demon to Exorcise

See, here’s the problem: The Dallas Mavericks aren’t just playing the San Antonio Spurs; they’re also fighting the devil. Their internal devil. Who is he, you ask? It’s the little demented, destructive voice inside them. Inside us all. The one that urges you to hit the snooze button. The one…

Dwayne Goodrich Goes Under ESPN E:60 Microscope

I told the sad saga of former Dallas Cowboy Dwayne Goodrich in an Observer cover story back in December. Something tells me Jeremy Schaap is going to tell it even better tonight. To say I “consulted” ESPN E:60 is probably a little strong, but I did sit down with Schaap…

Did Mike Jacobs Save Ron Washington’s Job?

Because the Kansas City Royals couldn’t catch the ball, the Texas Rangers hung on to their manager. For now. After a 3-0 start that feels like months ago, the Rangers are 5-7. Not good, especially considering nine of those 12 have been at home and half against the lowly Orioles and…

Spurrifics 105, Mav-Wrecks 84

Seriously now, did you expect anything different from these Dallas Mavericks? A frustratingly inconsistent team that led the NBA in close victories also had more than its share of blowout losses and inexplicable letdowns. So after the Mavs rallied from 13 down to win Game 1 on Sunday, you knew -…

Dear Jose Juan Barea: I’m Sorry

Consider this my public apology to one J.J. Barea. Dude, I was dead wrong. You are not, in fact, a 5-foot-2 pick-up game liability whose shot I could block. Not a novely act nuisance; the obtuse opposite of Shawn Bradley. Not some twisted Criss Angel mind-fuck. And not, after further…