Could It Happen Again?

Let's get this out there. I think the 2006 NBA Finals between Dallas and Miami was rigged. I think the NBA wanted the Heat to win and basically told the officials to call the game in a way that Miami couldn't lose.

Let me set this up. The series was going badly. Dallas was up 2-0 after winning the first two games on their home court. They were headed to Miami for games 3-5 and the league wanted anyone but Dallas and especially Mark Cuban to win the series.

I know what you are thinking, the ratings of a Mavericks fan who just can't let it go. Well I am joined in my paranoia. Some examples of others believing the same thing..

This from Phil Jackson? Hardly a Mavericks fan.

"That Miami Finals really was a tough one to swallow," Jackson said before the Lakers won 96-91 on Saturday night in Dallas. "I think Wade averaged about 25 foul shots a game. You couldn't even touch him. That was really tough to swallow and I think he understood there's kind of a pecking order in this league and you keep your mouth shut at times.

and from Tracy McGrady..

Interviewer: Was it a little ridiculous how Dwayne Wade got all the calls? TMac: Yeah, yeah it really was. I'll tell you man, it seems if you were watching that game, seemed like it was rigged. Seriously. I know the NBA.... (cut off by interviewer) Interviewer: You just got fined (sarcastically) TMac: I don't care. So what? But yeah it seemed like it was rigged. With all the calls he was getting. Jesus. Did you hear me? We are talking about the NBA Finals, I wish I could say I was just kidding, and that's what it seemed like.

This is all without mentioning Tim Donaghy (Ex-NBA Ref) saying that the NBA often rigs series just for ratings and that the 2006 Finals were one of those series.


Need more proof?

First off with the phantom fouls on Dwayne Wade. 
Phantom Foul 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX_qMS9b…
Phantom Foul 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuukM40T9…
Phantom Foul 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fydhtOSlf…
Phantom Foul 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZKGlHfuk…
Phantom Foul 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8nI1PPY…

Some items:

Game Five: Miami wins in OT. Dwyane Wade shot as many free throws as all the Mavericks combined! He set an NBA Finals record for most made free-throws in a game with 21. After a controversial play in which many fans thought Wade committed a back court violation, Wade hit the game-winning free throws with 1.9 seconds left.

More: From website "Rigged NBA Games"   http://thumpernewman.com/rigged_nba_games.htm

Mark Cuban Fined $250K Because of Outburst After Game 5 of NBA Finals

According to an AP report he said to Stern and other NBA officials, who were seated at the scorers table and was overheard to shout venomously in the jubilant din, '[Bleep] you! [Bleep] you! Your league is rigged!'

David Stern decided that game 5 would be his chance to pay back all his sponsors. Dwayne Wade who was a spokes person for Converse, Gatorade, T-mobile cell phones, Lincoln cars & whose Jersey is in the top 3 in sales was the benefactor . In total Wade went to the foul line 25 xs, There were 5 separate fouls on Wade in which he was never touched. The Internet bloggers refer to them as the Phantom Fouls. Miami as a team went to the line 49 xs to Dallas 25 xs. Dallas finished with 6 more field goals 11 more rebounds & lost the game by one. Both of Dallas low post defenders were in foul trouble Diop fouled out Dampier finished with 5 fouls.

Was the 2006 NBA finals rigged? Yes 57%  No 43% Total votes : Poll from Real GM

I know a lot of people think Maverick fans are beating a dead horse but the real question, to me, is not that it happened but can it happen again? This guy may have something to say about it.

Aggies and Other Shite..

Make me go to A and M, I will pull the trigger..Proof that Aggies are fucking weird and mostly gay..Don't bail on the video..suffer..and Hook Em Horns...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YTepCLMf_I

Enjoy the greatness of Afro Man..''Because I got high.''
Stick around..it is really funny...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Y7GMPJO64&playnext=1&list=PL2D026EC506AD5922

No one will ever call Obama a pussy again, not after this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3SFXQfE4kk&feature=related

Just when you think it can't get worse, I bring you a farting cat..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KOPil9ABUg

Bud Light: Real Men of Genius..Picking on Dougie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Y7yjxJVlc

Weed with Willie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDQANmQO2g0&feature=related

Finally I leave you with greatness. The one and only..The chosen one..
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYOPMZNdUwU&feature=related

Cowboys Notes

On Rob Ryan..call him ''The Dude''

On Cowboys lack of ''defense picks'' in 2011 draft..Stephen Jones..''It was by design. Our board was set up for offense. We plan to address defense in the upcoming free agency and we are not sure we are through on offense."

On Dez Bryant..He was too busy to meet with Jerry Jones but was spotted at North Park Mall, where his Bentley was double parked, buying more shoes. The Cowboys version of Imelda Marcos also posted his distaste for paying a hundred bucks for a tank of gas. Am I the only one who believes if you make 7 figures, you should own oil company stock, not bitch about gas prices?

More on Dez Bryant..You might be doomed if you adviser's first act is to get you hooked up with bling dealers. This before he had one cent of his signing bonus.
 
On Roy Williams..With no cap in 2011.. We wont  face any cap penalties from releasing him, it costs nothing at all, it's a perfect year to get rid of ridiculous contracts. Ditto to Barber..

On Draft and Character...Cowboys drafted 4 team captains..Good to see these high character guys coming in. You know team captains are going to come in and be hard working, smart, dedicated guys.

On Chapas owning Patrick Peterson..link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7HclLJp_lQ  Chapas is a late round FB from Ga and Peterson is all that from LSU..Chapras..winning..

On grading 2011 draft..This from Goose Gosselin/Dallas Morning News..Grade B..best in NFC East..The Cowboys had a superb third day of this draft. Harris is a Kelvin Martin clone and the arrival of Arkin and Nagy will help Smith make the offensive line deeper and more competitive. Murray can solve a running back riddle.

On Jason Garrett..from the horses mouth/Jerry Jones..Jones told several people before the draft that the thing that has surprised him most about Garrett is that "he's more stubborn than I thought." Jerry just says so much in one sentence..

On Cowboy's Draft Philosophy..More importantly, I think that the pick signals that Garrett and the Cowboys did something very smart in this draft. They looked at needs on a big picture basis, not on a Week 1 vs. the Jets basis.

Go Cowboys..

Cowboy Should Model The Packers

We all watched as the Packers won the Super Bowl. The Cowboys look a whole team behind the Pack and it seems all is a mess. Well you would be half right. You can make a case that Dallas is equal to and a little better on offense than Green Bay . More about that later.

Green Bay has a dilemma on their hands. Two playoffs ago in Arizona their QB Aaron Rogers had a better day than he did in this SB. In Arizona he threw for over 400 yards, had 5 td's and a QB rating of 121. This bettered his 300 yards,3 TD and 111 QB rating of 111 against the Steelers.

The difference was when the team that faced the Cardinals had to be perfect on offense. Good or great were not enough, perfect might have won the game. In 2009 the Packers scored 461 points and allowed 297. In 2010 they actually scored less points 388 but allowed less with 240. That 240 points allowed led the NFL. The Packers, even with Rogers playing at a high level, didn't require he win every game. In the game before the SB, Rogers threw 2 interceptions and had a 62 QB rating and they still won.

Dallas had a miserable year but even with Romo missing 9 games and their third string QB playing the last two games they still outscored the Packers 436 points to 388. This by having the worst starting field position on offensive drives than all but three teams. This by having a defense that never got a turnover in the Cowboys first 5 losses and they still outscored Green Bay by 4 points a game. Told ya you could make a case for Dallas having a better offensive year than Green Bay.

So many have blamed the offense and forgiven Dallas' defense for under performing under Wade Phillips, when the truth has been the defense has never stepped up. Dallas averaged starting an offensive drive on their 23 yard line. That is because the defense allowed an average of 38 yards on their opponents drives. It seemed every punt was from midfield. In one loss against Minnesota the offense average starting field position was  their own 15. NFL stats.com says the chance of scoring from your own 15 is less than 20%. Yet so many blame the offense.

Following the loss in Arizona the Packers turned up the heat on defense. This is where Dallas must look. Fix the defense and fix the Cowboys. Dallas needs to address the corner backs, safeties and get an inside pass rusher. They have options including the ninth pick in a draft heavy with defensive lineman. They must do what they did not do last off season and look to sign some free agents. I also am optimistic with the hiring of Rob Ryan, son of rival Buddy Ryan and brother of Rex Ryan, head coach of the NY Jets.

The other good news is Dallas has a much easier schedule, on paper, than last season. If the defense is fixed or just becomes a little better than average, the offense has the potential to get this team deep into the playoffs. If they completely turn the defense around, they can compete with any team in the league.

Cowboys..What Happened and What Now?

The worst season in Cowboys history is finally over. Oh there have been worse records but never has a Cowboys team with so much promise, flopped so miserably. Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips, mid season, the only time that has happened in the history of the Cowboys.

The defense was Wade's downfall. He has always been a defensive 'fix it guy.' The GM/Owner shares a lot of the blame for this season's disaster. It started when there were no outside free agents signed in the off season. They were the only team in the league to do this. They relied on unproven first time starters to carry the load. Alan Ball  and Gerald Sensabaugh were total failures as safeties. Ball, especially, had never done anything in the past to warrant a promotion but he was there anyway. Anthony Spencer took several steps back at OLB. He was joined in miserable seasons by Keith Brookings..ILB and Jay Ratliff..NT who looked out of position.

The offense was productive, if all you do is look at the yards, but they made way too many mistakes and never figured out the red zone. The offensive line played horribly as a unit and when they did put in a back up it cost them dearly. The one bright spot was Dez Bryant who showed promise but couldn't stay healthy and was lost for the year. Romo played in only five games but Jon Kitna played well as his back up and their third string QB, Steven McGee won a game and should have won two. 

This team lost more games than their opponents won them. Mistakes were the mantra of this team. They were the most penalized team in the league for the second time in three years. The only time they were not number one they were number two. Plus so many of their penalties were in key situations.

The team was 1-7 under Wade Phillips and 5-3 under Jason Garrett. The team did respond to Jason but then the real culprit was exposed. The culprit was lack of talent. This team just wasn't good enough to win without some luck. They gave up more points than any Cowboys team in the history of the franchise. The offense kicked in with some horrible turnovers and mistakes at key times. The big difference in pre and post Wade was the defense, while still sucking, got some turnovers.

Moving forward the Cowboys have the number nine pick in the 2011 draft. They have a favorable schedule for next season. Jerry won't stand pat this season on free agency and that is good because there will be a lot of holes to fill. The entire defensive line are nearly all free agents. That is the bad news, the good news is they need to go..Ratliff needs to be moved to DE where he won't face as many double teams. They need a monster in the middle to stuff the run. We need Sean Lee to step up and replace Brookings, who his surely a goner.

On offense the team needs a couple of Olinemen..Free and Gurode may be the only survivors, although Kosier if he can stay healthy might be kept. For sure Davis and Colombo are gone. I see no need to blow up the running backs, there are more places to put your money. A wide receiver is needed unless they can get Roy Williams to take a pay cut. TE is in good shape as is the QB situation. The Cowboys were the only team with two 1000 yard receivers. Jason Witten and Miles Austin both achieved this.

Special teams need to become special. The team signed Brown a kicker who kicked in Houston. He is reliable but with not much of a leg. Buelher as I post before contributed in two losses. We still need a return guy. Dez seems too fragile to handle both returns and wide receiver.

Here is to 2011 and a return to the playoffs. It will be hard to see two other teams play in the Super Bowl in the Cowboy's stadium..

Some Stats On How Offense and Defense Work Together

For those of you who are at all interested in examples of how the offense and defense are connected read below?

The Redskins had the ball on 9 possessions. On those 9 possessions they scored twice..but they also had drives of:

69 yds...36 yds..50 yds..46 yds..15 yds..11 yds..4 yds..3 yds..0 yds..


The Cowboys offense had drives of:

37 yds..56 yds..7 yds..62 yds..2 yds..41 yds..34 yds..25 yds..5 yds..58 yds..

The offense by having 7 of 10 drives over 25 yards gave the defense good field position all night. It actually could be 8 of 10 because one drive ended in a fumble at the half.. The only good field position the Redskins had was on their own 43 and that was on a kick off..The other kick off the defense got field position at the 33 of Washington..

So what does this mean..It means that Washington took over at their..20..24..15..5..7..17 and 23 yard line following a Cowboys punt and if you take away the 24 yard starting point because of a missed field goal the Redskins started every drive but one at or inside their 20..and the other was at the 23..It is a lot easier to stop a drive when they start that deep.


Plus by giving up so many yards on each possession the Cowboys started deep in their territory. The one exception was when the Redskins got the ball at their 7 yard line and the defense stoned them and the offense got the ball back at the Skins 34. They then scored their only touchdown.


The Redskins averaged their 20 yard line. So the field position the offense put the Skins in had as much to do with the defense as any other factor.

Is Dez the Most Over-Hyped Cowboy Pick Ever

Is Dez the Most Over-Hyped Cowboy Pick Ever


I have been around since the very first game the Cowboys played against Pittsburgh. It was my first pro game of any type. I was 13 years old and watched future HOF Bobby Lane throw for 358 yards and 5 td's. I was hooked and to this day I still am.

I have been struck by the chatter on Dez Bryant. It has been a long time since I have seen any draft pick with this type of positive buzz. He won the hearts and minds of many Cowboys fans when selected. He seems to have gotten the local media on board with his ability to catch everything. Throw it high or low, inside or outside, it doesn't seem to matter he catches everything.

He looks to have the Cowboys on board as well. The evidence is the trading to Patrick Crayton and the rumored interest in being open to trading Sam Hurd. The Cowboys coaches from day one have not held back on Dez. On draft day the Cowboys said they had him as the highest rated wide receiver and one of the highest rated guys on the board. In OTA'S and mini-camps the rhetoric has done nothing but go up.

This brings me to the point of asking is Dez Bryant the most hyped draft pick the Cowboys have ever had? Now you don't become America's team and not have high profile picks. From their very first draft pick in 1961, the great HOF'er Bob Lilly to the rest of the greats. The candidates are as follows:

1961.............Bob Lilly
1963.............Lee Roy Jordan
1974.............Ed Too Tall Jones
1975.............Randy White
1977.............Tony Dorsett
1989.............Troy Aikman
1990.............Emmitt Smith
2010.............Dez Bryant

They are all great players with the exception of Dez, who has yet to play a down. Remember I am not saying I believe Dez will accomplish any of the things these past greats have done. I am simply talking hype. So using scientific and Sherlock Holme's type logic I narrow my list.

Lilly came to an expansion team that didn't have a first year draft. Jordan and Too Tall were both very highly thought of but never received the buzz that Dez is getting. Same for White and maybe the greatest Cowboy ever Emmit Smith. BTW a note on Emmit. He was not the Cowboys first choice. Jimmy Johnson wanted to draft James Francis a linebacker.

I think the main competition for Dez is between Troy Aikman and Tony Dorsett. Both were the best players in the draft and Dallas had the number one pick in the case of Troy Aikman and the number two pick in the case of Tony Dorsett. If this was a case of the most hyped rookie ever it would be a blowout in my opion. Tony Dorsett came out of the blue. The Cowboys made a trade on draft day to get the Heisman Trophy winner out of Pittsburgh and he did not disappoint. He and Roger Staubach led the Cowboys to their second Super Bowl win in 1977..I still remember that the Cowboys have never ran a screen pass before or after that compared to Tony. It seemed he was at full speed in a split second. He is still my favorite running back..EVER..

Then there is Dez Bryant. I have no idea if the guy is as good as advertised? I am not sure if he can do enough to deserve the hyperbole but I he has built a reputation without playing a game. If he is anywhere as good as some suspect he could be the difference maker that the Cowboys got with Tony Dorsett in 1977. If not he will be totally trashed by "I told you so'ers" and the main stream media who never let the Cowboys forget that in Wade's second year they picked the Cowboys to go to the Super Bowl. I just know one thing and that is Dez is the most hyped draft pick in the Cowboys history..Of course all is IMHO..

My First NFL Game

It was Oct 16th 1960. I was thirteen and this was my first NFL game. The guy running over the Cowboys is the great Jim Brown. He had a pedistrian day with only 25 yards rushing. He was not needed that day because the Brown won the game 48-7.

There was only one reason I was there and that was my mom. Dad wanted to go to the game but mom insisted if he went he take my brother Larry and me. In those days you could buy one adult ticket(end zone)and get up to five kids in free.

Looking at the empty seats you can see why they did the promotion. Not many people watched the Cowboys in those days. They played at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park. I wish I could tell you a lot about the game but the fifty years have dulled the memories. I do know that is when I fell in love with the NFL and to this day it is my favorite sport. The Cowboys are my favorite team not named the Longhorns.

There Will Be a Lockout In 2011

The reason the Cowboys and other teams are not going all out in free agency is a lockout is all but assured for 2011..

The owners want more of the revenue..Under the current collective bargaining agreement the players get 60% of the revenues..The owners want that capped at 50% and they want a rookie salary cap..

The owners have already opted out of the agreement..that's why there is no cap this season..The biggest problem..say the owners..is the revenue levels have fell to all time lows for owners..In a not too distant past the owners averaged about 10% profit on all revenues..Now it is down to 5-7% and the small market teams are really feeling the pinch..They are the driving force behind this move. They are locked into a revenue stream that is only going down.

Take a look at New Orleans and Indianapolis..The state of Louisiana had to pay the Saints 186 million in 2001 to keep them in town though the 2010 season..Due to the economy that deal would be hard to do today..There is no money available to keep the Saints in town..They may be forced to leave the city..

In Indianapolis the taxpayers funded Lucas Oil Stadium to the tune of 87%..The other 13% was covered by the sale of the naming rights for 120 million..It looks like the city is already needing a bail out..Revenues anticipated to be over fifteen million over the cost of operating the stadium have fell below the break even level to the tune of over ten million a year..

Even large market teams are falling on hard times. The new Giants stadium has been unable to sell nearly half of the club seats or over 5K a game. They also have only sold half of the over 200 suites..This from a team with 140K people on their season ticket waiting list..They are just too expensive..

The dirty little secret is the NFL teams have insurance..They signed an agreement with Direct TV that pays them one billion dollars a year..The agreement runs from 2011-2014 and here is the kicker..They are guaranteed to get that money in 2011 even if there is a lockout..So each team will receive appx 30 million and have zero expenses..Most will lay off employees and cut expenses to the bone..

All NFL fans should enjoy this season and a Super Bowl at the new Cowboys Stadium..It may be the last time we will see the players for quite some time..I already hear rumors of the owners using replacement players..This could get ugly and last a long time..

Cowboy's Season Predictions

The Dallas Cowboys have the fourth toughest schedule in the NFL. Follow along as I pick the games, week by week.

Week 1...@ Washington..It is opening weekend and a Sunday night game. The NFL once again did the Cowboys no favors. It will be close but the Cowboys should win this one.

Week 2..Chicago..This should be an easy win. The Cowboys have too much offense for the Bears..

Week 3..@ Houston..Tough game. The Texans have gotten really good. They have a good young QB and Wr..Plus Mario Williams is a legit threat on defense..I have this a toss up but I think the Cowboys will win late..

Week 4.....Bye

Week 5..Tennessee..The Titans have a great defense but not enough offense..Dallas wins to go 4-0

Week 6..@ Minnesota..Farve plays = Cowboys Loss........No Farve = Cowboys Win

Week 7..NY Giants...Cowboys get revenge for being swept by the Giants last season..Cowboys Win

Week 8..Jacksonville...The Jaguars have no defense or offense to keep the Boys from really kicking ass..Cowboys win big

Week 9..@ Green Bay...Tough game..The Packers have beefed up their defense and have one of the best QB'S in the league..I see the Cowboys losing a close one

Week 10..@ NY Giants...Cowboys lose two in a row..Critics go nuts and fans want Romo traded,Phillips fired and JJ to seel the team..Just the way it is in Big D..

Week 11..Detroit...Just what the doctor ordered..A large dose of whoop ass on the Lions..Cowboys huge win..Kitna plays the 4th quarter..

Week 12..New Orleans..Dallas shows the Saints why they should be glad they didn't get the Boys in last seasons playoffs..Dallas wins a close one..

Week 13..Indy wins a close one..Note..If the Cowboys win this game it bolds well for their Super Bowl chances

Week 14..Philadelphia..New QB..same beating only a different year..Cowboys win..

Week 15..Washington..By now the Skins are regretting the signing of Donovan McNabb..Cowboys win and sweep the Skins

Week 16..@ Arizona..All Star QB/Gone..All Star WR/Gone...Arizona's chances of winning against the Cowboys...Gone..Dallas wins easily..

Week 17..@ Philadelphia..Dallas is playing for home field advantage and the Eagles are playing for a high draft pick..Dallas sweeps the Eagles..

The NBA Is Hard To Win!

I was watching the NBA playoffs and still getting over my illness from the Mavericks losing in the first round. I got to thinking, it sure seems the same teams win all the time. I wanted to go back and see if this was accurate and from there decided to compare the "Big Four" of North American sports.

I found out a few things to make my argument seem..on face value..not look true. In the last four years the NBA has had four different champions. Seems pretty normal,but it still didn't answer all my two main questions. Are the same teams always winning and how do the four pro sports relate to who wins?

• Some Eye Opening Stats..From the Last 20 Years

NBA...4 teams have won 16 of the twenty titles..Lakers(6)..Bulls(6) and Spurs(4)..Total number of champions..7..so all the other winners have only one championship each..The problem with the NBA is apparent..Strength of schedule is not weighted. Good teams are playing the same schedule as the bad teams..The NBA has a lottery and it is so tilted to avoid a team tanking the end of season that the worst team in the league has never gotten the first pick in the draft..

NHL...The league in the last 20 years has had 4 different multi-championship winners..Detroit(4)New Jersey(4) lead the pack. The league has had 10 different winner in 20 years. Since the lockout year of 04-05 there have been four different winners. They have imposed a hard cap and between the two seem to have increased teams chances of winning.

MLB...The league has had eleven different winners in the last 20 years. The Yankees lead the way with 5 titles. There have been three other multi-winners but all are tied with two. Baseball is the only sport in the USA that has relief from anti-trust practices. They have no salary cap and no weighted schedules. The Yankees lead baseball every year with dollar spending amounts that sometimes are 4 or 5 times higher than some last place teams. Still the Marlins with very low payrolls have won 2 world championships. Baseball is a head scratch-er and I would welcome some advice on this sport.

NFL..The league has had 14 different winners in 20 years. Pete Rozell..past commissioner..was all about parody..Boy did he succeed..Two teams..Dallas/3 and New England/3 are leading the pack. The league has seen a different team win the Super Bowl in the last 6 years. I believe the NFL has figured parody out. They have a draft where the worst teams get the best players and a weighted schedule. In each conference some games are played where the division winners play each other and the last place teams play each other. The league also benefits from teams only playing only one playoff game. The chance to have an upset is greater with all playoff games being game sevens. The Super Bowl is also played at a neutral site.

It is pretty amazing(to me) that the league with the largest roster(NFL) has the most chance for an individual team to win a title. PLUS..The league with the smallest roster(NBA)has the least chance. Just saying!

Cowboys Moves and Rumors

The Cowboys started slow but on Wednesday made a bold move..They cut veterans Michael Hamlin and Flozell Adams..The moves save the Cowboys nearly 13 million in cap space.

Rumors have surfaced about the Cowboys having interest in the Ravens mountain of a left tackle Jared Gaither..He is 6'9"..340 lbs and is only 24 years old..He is a restricted free agent and was only given a second round tender..Meaning the Cowboys can sign him and give up their second..or..make a trade, which makes more sense..Gaither became available when the Ravens drafted their RT of the future Michael Oher..the guy the movie "Blind Side" was made about..

Michael Hamlin has been a disappointment since the Cowboys signed him to a new contract worth 39 million in 2007..Following a career high in tackles(102) and interceptions(5) in 07 he came back in 08 with 92 tackles and only 1 interception..Last year he missed games and saw his number slip to 35 tackles and no ints in 10 games..

For now the Cowboys seem to imply they have faith in Allen Ball..I think that is smoke screen..Ball had 15 tackles in 10 games..while playing limited time..I can't believe the Cowboys would turn over a valuable position to a guy who has show nothing..I think the Cowboys will draft a safety or possibly look to last seasons fifth round pick Michael Hamlin(no relation)..

There has been speculation the Cowboys may also not be done..Terrance Newman is do to make 9 million next season..Do the Cowboys have the gonads to release TNew and play Scandrick opposite Jenkins? Probably not but Newman has had a history of injuries..although he was relatively healthy last season..Can he get through another season?

The Cowboys announced that Roy Williams is going nowhere yet they have been said by people in the know to have interest in drafting a wide receiver..They brought in Dez Bryant(WR Ok State) and JJ Taylor/Dallas Morning News said he believes that was not a smoke screen, the Cowboys do have a serious interest in Dez..

There is one other thing..The Cowboys released Adams and Hamlin to allow them to try and sign on with another team..The team was under no obligation to do this but it once again shows why Jerry Jones is so respected by his players..However..other teams have no such obligation..There will be releases of big names in June..Most roster bonus' are due in June so there is no real need to do anything until after the draft..Do the Cowboys have some inside information, like say a agent telling them that their guy will probably be available? I don't know but it is very possible..Plus players have a way of communicating through other players to the Cowboys..Friends talk!

The draft this year is spread out over three days..The first round will be on Thurs/April 22..followed by rounds two and three on Fri/23rd..The fourth through seventh rounds will be on Saturday..I think this will make the second and third round choices most interesting..Teams will have the overnight to make deals..

Finally with no salary cap this season..I expect a lot of draft day trades..Usually the NFL doesn't have many traded because of the cap implications..With that being gone, teams can take on debt or get rid of debt without any cap implications..With no maximum there is the other part, there is no minimum teams can spend..It is going to get crazier as the draft and June 1st approach..I for one am going to enjoy all of it..

Update:...Seems there is a rumor out of Miami..The Miami Herald is reporting that the Dolphins and the Cowboys are talking about a trade..The Dolphins would send Dallas the number 12 pick in this draft to the Cowboys who would send them the number 27 pick and Marion Barber..
Bill Parcells has always loved MBIII and the pick makes sense from both teams standpoint..Could the Boys be looking at safety?(Earl Thomas)..or..could a WR(Dez Bryant) be their possible target?..Stay tuned..

The New Dallas Mavericks

Presently the Mavericks are in the midst of a twelve game winning streak. They sit 2.5 games behind the Lakers for the best record in the NBA Western Conference. They currently have the third best record in the NBA. All this with their starting and backup center out with injuries and Jason Terry out with a broken orbital bone in his cheek bone.

The Mavericks made the best trade in the history of the franchise over the All Star break. They acquired two starters for two non-starters. This on a team that was already on pace for a fifty win season. It was such a steal that even Kobe Bryant said "I hate the trade".."It just got harder to win." Now those are the type of words I like to hear from one of our rivals. Well we are now rivals because since the trade the Mavs are 12-1. With the loss coming in the first game out of the break and on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of those wins was against the Lakers.

The Mavericks are in the best position since 2006 to have the number one seed in the Western Conference. It will not be easy but besides having a better team than before the trade deadline, they also play the easiest schedule in the NBA. They have no more back to backs and play less winning teams than any other team. They have finished the season series against the Lakers and have one more game against the Denver Nuggets and that is in Dallas. A win and the Mavs will have the tie breaker against the Nuggets.

In a couple of weeks the Mavericks will have all their players back and match up against any team in the NBA. I have no idea if this team can win a title but none other than Dirk Nowitzki thinks this is the best Mavericks team he has been on. That includes the team that lost in six games in the NBA finals against the Miami Heat. I just know it is going to be hard to beat this team four times in a seven game series. If the season ended today the Mavericks would play the San Antonio Spurs. It would be nice to send the Spurs home for the second year in a row but the Mavs true test will come against the Lakers or Nuggets.

Nineteen games remain of the regular season. The Mavericks play a total of ten games against team with winning records, but only three of them(Portland twice and Memphis)are on the road. They have no games left against the East. If the Mavs go 16 and 3 they will win 60 games again. It may take that to secure the home floor advantage throughout the Western Conference portion of the playoffs. '

Things are indeed looking up for the Mavericks and their fans. Life is good and to top it off Dirk has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week the last two weeks. Jason Kidd has had a number 15 triple double and Roddy Beaubois has been unleashed on the NBA. All this while Caron Butler has been a Robin to Dirk's Batman and The Matrix has been amazing. Go Mavs.

Miles Austin..The Cowboys..The Poison Pill Clause

Jerry Jones is playing a game of chicken with wide receiver Miles Austin. Austin is a restricted free agent and the Cowboys will put a 1st and 3 rd tender on him. That means if Austin signs with another team the Cowboys have two options.

One they can match any offer. Two they can let him walk and receive that teams 1st and 3rd round draft pick, in this draft. The Cowboys had to put a monetary figure on the tender of a little over three million. Jerry is betting on another team not signing Miles. I ask myself, would Miles Austin be a first round pick if he were in the draft. I feel the answer is an over whelming yes. So to add a 3rd round pick is to me, no big deal.

Well you say, the Cowboys can simply match the offer. Well yes and no. This is where the "Poison Pill" can be written into a contract. The tactic has been used before and has been ruled to be perfectly legal. The event started with Steve Hutchinson who was a RFA with the Seattle Seahawks. Well enter the Minnesota Vikings, they signed Hutchinson to a contract but they inserted a clause. A poison pill clause. It simply stated if Hutchinson plays more than four games in a season, in the state of Washington, Steve would have to be the highest paid player in the league. The Seahawks went nuts, filed a grievance and as I stated before, they lost.

Could some team, willing to give up a 1st and a 3rd sign Miles and insert this clause. I think a guy like Daniel Snyder, owner of the Redskins, would love to stick it to the Cowboys. He would set up a win win situation and the Cowboys would be left to scramble.

My Thoughts On Tiger

I just watched Tiger's speech. I was prepared to be underwhelmed. Boy was I wrong. You could feel the pain in every part of his speech and body language. He looked totally defeated. Good, he should be. I thought the most telling part of the speech was the part where he said.."I felt entitled"
He is not the first powerful person to think there are laws and rules for us commoners and then others for himself. He will also not be the last.

I know some will feel it was contrived and not sincere. Time will tell is he is really contrite but for this day he showed his human side for maybe the first time. His wife was so right when she talked of actions will tell the story, not words.

I also think his pledge to be a better person on the golf course is absolutely part of his rehabilitation. He will be not be given a pass as he has been given in the past. Times are changed, maybe forever, for Tiger and that is a good thing. A dose of humility never hurt anyone and he has I feel been humbled.

His detractors wanted more. People who disliked Tiger in the past got nothing from this apology. His fans, which I am one, are looking for this great athlete to get his life in order. I just want to see this man play golf again. The sooner the better. I hope he finds healing and becomes the greatest father and husband along with being the greatest athlete on the planet.

I See No Trades Making Mavs Better

The Dallas Mavericks started the season with a lot of promise. They added new players and were playing at a high level. Lately all the trends are going down and the team is having trouble beating anyone. The bottom may have been hit with a home loss to the Timber wolves. They of three win on the road all season.

Grumblings have become louder with each loss. The ire of the fans seems to have become focused on Josh Howard. This season he has missed a lot of time with injuries. The problem is when he plays he has not played very well. So the rumors have started on the trade front. The Mavs have done nothing to dispel these rumors and instead of fed them. Several suspects have been talked about in the past few days and weeks. Josh trade partners, if rumors are to be believed, are Caron Butler, Andre Iguodala and Kevin Martin. I propose to look at their statistics extended to 48 minutes and see how they stack up with Josh.

Caron Butler......... F/G  16.7 ppg...6.8 rpg..42.2%/31.7 3'S..48 minutes avg..20.54 ppg..8.364 rpg
Andre Iguodala......F/G  20.7 ppg...7.0 rpg..42.6 %/31.7 3'S..48 minutes avg..24.84 ppg..8.4 rpg
Kevin Martin.........G  20.4 ppg...................38.4%/36.3 3'S...48 minutes avg...24.84 ppg
Josh Howard..........G/F 12.5 ppg...3.6 rpg...40%/26.4 3'S......48 minutes avg...23.07 ppg..6.664 rpg

All the potential trade partners have remaining year on their contracts. Josh's contract has a team option for next season. All potential trade partners want something more than Josh in return. They either want the Mavs to take additional contract/contracts or give up a young player. When you extend their minutes I see a lot of the same except with additional cost in additional contracts or the Mavs including a player they don't want to include. Unless I see a trade that makes better sense than these, I don't make any of these trades.

I also see a Josh Howard that is getting better as his injury heals. I see a player who can create his own shot and plays good defense. I am not saying I wouldn't trade Josh. I am saying I wouldn't trade Josh for any of these players.

Dallas Cowboys Season in Review

Considering how the season started it ended about same. In between were a lot of highs and lows. Both NY Giants games seemed to be the lowest points in the season. The Eagles would like to know what the Giants have that they haven't . The three Eagles victories along with the Saints road win are classified as the highs of the year.

We watched Tony Romo wake up after a horrible first Giants and Denver games to set Cowboys season records. Most attempts, completion, QB rating fewest interceptions are now records owned by Tony. We saw a team get better by subtracting T O from the team. We watched Miles Austin become a true number one and Roy Williams fail on the biggest stage.

We watched the Cowboys defense finish number two in the league in scoring defense. We started with a platoon between Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick and ended with Jenkins in the Pro Bowl. All totaled the Cowboys put nine in and that tied the Eagles for most.

We watched "Wade's Guys" perform at a high level..Keith Brookings and Igor Oshanski both performed over what was predicted as did Gerald Sensabaugh. We also saw MartyB with so much potential live down to his. We watched the good and the bad of the Oline. Running wild against NO and Philadelphia,yet being eaten alive by GB and Minnesota.

We stayed healthy until the final game and suffered the consequences when Flozell went down early against the Vikings. If not for a horrible field goal kicker and the inability to make fourth and one, we might still be playing. We saw the offense get yards at will and yet struggle to score.
All in all twelve wins came as a surprise to nearly everyone. If you include the real predictions and not "Homer Calls" this team exceeded every one's expectations. Avenging a 44-6 drubbing by the Eagles was sweet satisfaction only to be eclipsed by a blow out loss to the Vikings a week later.

In conclusion this off season is going to be interesting. The Cowboys have nearly everyone under contract with only Miles Austin as a significant free agent and he is restricted. This team actually has a number one pick and a pick in all seven rounds. Wade got a two year extension and except for Dat Nguyen, all coaches are coming back. This season was a victory in the sense the team won the NFC East and won a playoff game. It could have been better but judging by what happened the year before all is good.

Go Cowboys..

Why The Longhorns Will Defeat The Tide

Nearly everyone is picking Alabama to defeat Texas in the BCS Championship. I hear about the Tide's awesome defense and how Texas was just lucky to be in the Game. Well let us take a look at the team from an unbiased point of view. The Stats.

Nebraska/Tennessee..UT escaped with a field goal on the last play of the game. Few people seem to acknowledge the Tide escaped with a blocked 44 yard field goal attempt by Tennessee on the last play of the game. Texas had more yards than Nebraska..more first downs..Alabama was out gained by over a 100 yards..had fewer first downs and had to block two field goals.

Texas A&M/Auburn..These are both rivalry games. They are hard to play and harder to win. You nearly throw out the records. Texas ran into a QB playing out of his mind. He had done nothing close before this and nothing afterward. Colt McCoy had a career day. In a game where he had to step up he did big time. He threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 175 and another touchdown. Texas out gained A&M..had more first downs and won by 10...Auburn out gained Alabama ..had more first downs and held Alabama to 5/14 on third down. They also held Ingram to 30 yards on 16 carries.

Defense......You hear a lot about Alabama defense and with good reason. They are really good and stand as number one in the NCAA..but...Texas is number eight..Plus on offense Alabama wants to run the ball and UT is the number one rushing defense..On offense Texas wants to pass..Alabama is number thirteen in pass defense..A word about Texas' defense coordinator Will Muschamp. He was the coordinator at Auburn and Texas runs the same defense that held Ingram to 30 yards..Texas is also tied for # 1 in the nation in interceptions..Ala. is # 20..Texas is # 3 in tackles for loss..Ala. is # 20..Sacks Texas # 5..Ala..# 20..

Offense...Not ever close..UT is # 4 in scoring offense..averaging over 40 points a game..Alabama is number 27 and scores more than 10 point a game less..Texas QB Colt McCoy is a fifth year senior and is undefeated in bowl games..Including two previous BCS games..,Alabama QB Greg MeElroy is a junior who wasn't a starter until this season.

My Conclusions:  Special Teams are a wash as both teams are really good. Texas does have a big advantage in KO returner D J Monroe who is number two with nearly 40 yards a return..The big difference is what the teams want to do on offense and what the defenses are good at..Texas wants to pass and will go against the # 13 pass defense..Alabama wants to run and Texas is the # 1 rushing defense..Add this to the historical fact that Alabama has never defeated Texas..(0-9)..

I rest my case..Except for...U T.....28.....Alabama 17

Dallas Faces a Tough Foe in San Diego

Here we go again. We have another week and the Cowboys are facing yet another good QB. Phillip Rivers is having one of the best years in the NFL and no one is noticing. With all the oxygen being drained because of Manning(the good one Peyton),Brees and Favre there is little left for anyone else. Quietly Phillip Rivers,who the Chargers drafted to replace Drew Brees, has went about his business and gotten his team to 9/3 in the AFC..

He has a 108 QB rating with 21 td's and only 6 picks. Unlike Brees who plays great at the Super Dome(131 qb rating at home) but average on the road(90 qb rating with 11 td's and 7 ints on the road), Rivers has a 108 rating but a 102 on the Road.

The Chargers have won 7 in a row..Unlike the Cowboys who sink in December the Chargers are at their best in the same month. In 2008 the Chargers won the last 4 games of the regular season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. In 2007 they won the last 6 and lost in the Conference finals to N.E. I can go back to 2006 and see they won the last 10. This team is hard to beat anytime but in December they just don't lose. You have to go back to 2005 to see a loss in December.

The come to town this week riding high and playing great. In their 7 in a row wins San Diego has defeated the Giants and Eagles. They are no fluke. Coached by Norv Turner(who Jerry Jones scorned to hire Wade Phillips)has the offense running the same offense as the Cowboys. It is his offense that Jason Garrett learned and runs. In an irony of ironies the Chargers run the same defense as the Cowboys. It is Wade Phillips defense.

With so much inside information, these teams shouldn't surprise the other team..The QB's are close..Romo 20 tds/7 ints...Rivers 21 tds/7 ints..Offenses/Defenses are compairable..Dallas #11 offense/San Diego #3..
Dallas #5 defense/San Diego #13..Penalties..Dallas 62/San Diego 61..

I expect a close game. Dallas plays better at home and San Diego plays the same no matter where they are. The line is Dallas -3..

Dallas Cowboys 09...vs...Dallas Cowboys...08

Seem every December the Cowboys swoon and it kills their playoff chances or seeding..Although I might remind you in the 2007 season of 13-3 the Cowboys went 2-2 in December and didn't play any starters in the final game..

Here is a comparison between the 08 Cowboys and the 09 Cowboys...



Current Position............Leading Division..............08......2nd...................Big Edge 09

Current Record.............09.....8-3........................08......7-4................... Big Edge 09

Home/Road...................09....2-3........................08.......3-2....................Big Edge 08

Opponents Records.......09....32-19.....................08......36-23-1..............Slight Edge 08

Offense Rankings..........09...23.2 ppg/14th..........08.....22.6 ppg/18th.......Slight Edge 09

Defense Rankings..........09...16.5 ppg/3rd...........08.....22.8 ppg/20th........Big Edge 09

Point Differential...........09...+6.6 ppg/6th............08.....-0.2 ppg/19th........Big Edge 09

Take Aways.................09....-3/19th....................08.....-11/30th...............Big Edge 09

Their is a clear edge in three areas for the 09 team..

One...The Cowboys of 09 have a one game lead on last years 9-7 team..On game last season would have been the difference in making and missing the playoffs..

Two...The Cowboys of 09 are a statistally better team than last season..They are healthier,scoring a little more,giving up a lot less and have one of the best special teams in the league..

Three...The Cowboys of 09 have a one game lead in the division..The 08 version was three games behind the NYG and were playing for a wild card berth..This team is playing for a division title and a home game in the playoffs..

Go Cowboys..