A Sports Beat Down

A few sportsy items, in no particular order. First, from that venerable sports authority known as The New York Sun comes this story about how Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson’s job is on the line this season; “Johnson Must Succeed To Avoid Texas Boot,” reads the head, and, like,…

Mavs Allegedly Deciding Webber or Not to Sign Him

Dunno where Bill Ingram gets his info — aside, course, from “various reports cited by a Los Angeles radio station,” which is? — but the month-old rumor that has Chris Webber joining Your Dallas Mavericks is alive and well this morning. Writes KRLD-AM (1080) contributor Ingram, who’s tuned into his…

A Bad Omen for Your Dallas Mavericks

We couldn’t help but giggle — or wince, maybe, hard to say — at this line in the Dallas Mavericks’ announcement this afternoon concerning the just-released 2007-’08 season schedule: “Dallas begins its 28th season on Wednesday, Oct. 31 in Cleveland as they take on the Eastern Conference Champions.” Really, the…

Captain Casual

SAN ANTONIO—He was done signing autographs. Finished glad-handing fans. Complete with his first day of training camp as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. But, refreshingly, Wade Phillips was just getting started. As Phillips jogged into The Alamodome locker room tunnel last Wednesday afternoon, a man desperate for his attention…

Fight! Fight! Fight!

So, uh, yeah. The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) championship event known as “The Art of War 3,” taking place September 1 at the American Airlines Center, is apparently going to be “one of the biggest parties Dallas has ever hosted.” Sure, why not — “cageside” VIP tix are going for…

Screw It Like Beckham

So, after days of speculation about the state of his poor sore ankle, David Beckham won’t be in Frisco tomorrow night after all, when the Los Angeles Galaxy play FC Dallas in the SuperLiga tournament. “Obviously not going to Dallas with us,” Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said today; so, that’s…

Taking the “Tex” Out of the Texas Rangers, Looks Like

This isn’t on DallasNews.com yet, but Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal is reporting that: The Braves are on the verge of acquiring Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira. The deal is done, pending a review of the medical records of the players involved, according to major-league sources. The Braves will receive Teixeira…

Arlington-Based Donruss Trading Card Co. Sacks Michael Vick

One day after Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges, he gets the bad news: Nike’s dumping him, and Reebok’s decided not to sell his No. 7 jersey. And closer to home, Arlington-based Donruss Trading Card Company is yanking Vick’s cards from its 2007-’08 football…

The Big Heart of Eugene Lockhart

Thanks to Eugene Lockhart, more than 500 kids are off the 1,800-long Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas waiting list. That. Is. Amazing. If you listened to KTCK-AM (1310) last week, you no doubt noticed that several of the station’s shows were broadcasting on and off throughout the week…

What Up, Dawg?

The sight of Nate Newton, all 340 pounds of him, trying to hide behind a tree would have been funny. If he hadn’t been trying to avoid being spotted and arrested by police. At an illegal dog fight. As Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick prepares for the first of what…

Wading Into Humor

Two days into Dallas Cowboys training camp down the street from the Alamo, and it’s clear that new coach Wade Phillips is folksy and boring and folksy and country and folksy and really, really close to being human NyQuil. Oh, yeah, and, if you pay attention long enough, he’s kind…

SMU Football: It’s Ad-tastic!

Here’s SMU’s new marketing gimmick for the upcoming college football season. Get it? A pony? And an “up” arrow? Pony. Up. Awesome. And who’s behind the whiz-bang promotion? Says SMU’s athletic department on its Mustangs Musings blog: Why a Pony and a drawn arrow? No SMU lettering? The marketing department…

Tony Romo: Money? What Money?

Based on the first day of Dallas Cowboys training camp, Tony Romo is ready. Ready to put last year’s disappointing end behind him: “I’m not a holder anymore, thankfully.” Ready to become the undisputed leader of America’s Team: “I really think we can do something special this season. I need…

How Come No One Here Is Talking About Tom Hicks’ New Stadium?

Tom Hicks’ new stadium looks awfully nice. Kinda Jerry Jones-y. Too bad it’s in England. Hey, lookie there: Tom Hicks is about to build a $615-million stadium that holds up to 76,000 folks — and, smart move, he’s using McKinney Ave.-based HKS, Inc., the same architecture engineering firm responsible for,…

C’mon, No “Told Ya So”?

NBA ref and alleged game-fixer Tim Donaghy, who, we’re pretty sure, is somehow related to Jack Donaghy. We just don’t know how yet. John Walters of NBC Sports reminds us this morning that in 2001, Mark Cuban said of NBA referee Ed Rush, who’s also the league’s Director of Officiating:…

The Iron Women are Coming!

If you’re moping about working late on a Friday or having to squeeze into that bikini you’ve outgrown or finding your boyfriend in a closet with your best friend, this will either give you refreshing perspective or make you feel like an utter loser not worthy of taking up space…

MLB Balking at Rangers’ Asking Prices

The Rangers want a fortune for Eric Gagne. We’d trade him for a six pack. As Richie’s out this week on vacation, we’ll instead turn to another former Startlegrammer for today’s high-and-inside pitch concerning the Texas Rangers’ moves, or not, as the July 31 trade deadline nears. MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan…

Lunchtime Dot Race, Anyone?

Unfair Park HQ is just a few stop lights away from the new Texas Rangers store on McKinney Ave., so maybe you’ll see us there this afternoon for an, ahem, historic occasion: “the first ever LIVE dot race outside Rangers Ballpark,” promises the press release the very persistent Rangers Communication…

The Fab Fifty

When Jerry Jones acts, we all react. He flies to Lubbock, and next thing you know the Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game isn’t relocating to Dallas after all. He builds a $1 billion shrine to himself under the guise of football, and next thing you know Arlington is hosting the 2011…

Root, Root, Root for the Home Team

Interesting story last week in The Dallas Morning News on the struggles F.C. Dallas has had in attracting Mexican fans. In the story, G.M. Michael Hitchcock said he wasn’t interested in taking advantage of the new designated player rule (which allowed the L.A. Galaxy to sign David Beckham) to sign…

Chicago Loves Mark Cuban

So, I’m up here in Chicago — yeah, yeah, doing this again, despite the cries of protest. And, funny thing, whenever anyone finds out I’m from Dallas, the very first thing they say is something along the lines of, “Man, we’d love it if Mark Cuban got the Cubs.” It’s…