10/8 College Plays

Well, I have been on a pretty good run recently if you have been following my picks. I ended up 8-2 (including 3-1 top plays) last week with posted picks on this website. Not bad if I do say so myself. Maybe I have been inspired by Matthew McConaughey's character in the new movie Two for the Money

Either way, let's hope the good run continues this week. And on a more important note, TEXAS MUST beat OU this weekend. There are no more excuses for tomorrow. NONE. TExas must take care of business. Barring a cataclysmic event or VY's getting injured, I fully expect Texas to win this one comfortably tomorrow. PLEASE GOD!!!!

Onto the picks.

PLAY OF THE YEAR TO THIS POINT

@Colorado -3 over Aggy -- I have been pretty money so far this season on my top plays. Wisconsin against UNC and Minnesota over Colorado St. come to mind right away. But this game is my top play to this point in the season. It starts with my perception of both teams going into the season. I thought Aggie was overvalued by the public and CU was undervalued by the public. Both teams' play so far has justified this thinking. This is the perfect spot for Colorado at home against a wounded and confused Aggy team. Barring a collapse by Colorado and/or an other wordly performance by Mcneal, Colorado will win this game.

Other Top PLays

These are plays that I feel pretty strongly about but definitely not betting the house.

Tech -4 over Nebraska -- Serious revenge factor going for Nebraska (worst defeat ever in Lubbock last year) and this game is in Lincoln. Not a good recipe for a Tech cover, but this is an outstanding Tech offense. While Nebraska's D has looked good so far, they will give up points to this TEch offense. I still am not sold on Nebraska's offense despite their performance last week against Iowa St. Lay the points and a better than expected Tech defensive performance will help in this one.

@Navy -1 over Air Force -- While I have been a closet member of the Navy bandwagon the last few years, Dave has put me front and center on the Navy bandwagon this year. I love their brand of football and their jitterbug QB gets me fired up. Air Force hasn't impressed me this year and the home field in Annapolis will pull the Midshipmen to victory tomorrow.

@UAB -21 over SMU -- I am familiar with this SMU program more than most, and this game will not be pretty. SMU comes of a collapse on the road against Marshall up 10-0 going into the 4th quarter. Going on the road again the following week to play the best team in Conf USA is not a good thing. This game should get real ugly. Lay he points and you will probably be enjoying the 2nd half of this one comfortably.


Other Plays

I'm betting them, but more for entertainment purposes than anything else.

Minnesota +7.5 over Michigan -- Too many points to give a team that is playing on par with Michigan so far. Minnesota comes up with a gutty performance if not an outright win in Ann Arbor.

Iowa +5.5 over Purdue -- I have been betting against Purdue for almost a year and don't see any reason to stop now. Take the points.

@Wyoming -6 over TCU -- Wyoming still undefeated against the spread. Might be time to take TCU seriously, but i'll wait to see how they do this week.

@Penn St. +3 over Ohio St. -- Going against the greater majority but I did last week as well when Minnesota came to town. Joe Pa's last stand continues this week in Happy Valley. This crowd will be amped!!!

Good luck and remember to not bet beyond your means.

Fantasy Heartbreak

1 Joe Boo's Rum (Hurst) 120 +5
1 LaLooshes' Douches (Weisenberger) 120 0
3 Buck Ball (Trampe) 119 +1.5

I know people hate reading about fantasy sports stories. But this one is good I promise. As great as my weekend went, my entire fantasy baseball season came down to this this weekend and I get edged at the finish line and end up in 3rd place.

Thank you Brett Tomko for screwing my out of at least 2nd place by throwing a complete game yesterday for Hurst.

I was so worried about my lineup the last weeks and making sure I got every singe hitting point I could. But in the end, it was my pitching that failed me as I finished percentage points behind in ERA, WHIP, and Saves. A few innings and a save going the other direction and I'm in first today. Oh well, what a great fantasy baseball season and I am super fired up about the playoffs. Looking forward to seeing how it shakes out. I am hoping for someone other than Boston or New York taking home the title this year. I think everyone outside of the East coast is sick sick of the Boston and New York lovefest that ESPN and the rest of media crams down our throats.

Here's to a change...

10/1 College Plays

Well the weather here in Texas is finally getting cooler (if only for a couple days), and that is a good thing because we are finally entering conference season across the country. This should be a good week of football with not a ton of unbelievable matchups, but there should be plenty of competitive games. After last week's narrow approach (only 4 games), I'm back this week with a pretty big card. I have plenty of games that I like a little, but not many I like a lot this week. Going to have a busy Saturday adjusting as the day goes on. I'll break it down into 3 categories this week so take this advice for what it's worth = nothing.

Top Plays

@Bama +4 over Florida -- I like Urban Meyer and I like this Florida team, but I also like Bama, especially their QB, Brodie Croyle. I think the key to this game will be Bama's offense against Florida's D. Florida's D (led by one of my favorites Charlie Strong) has put up some sick #'s so far this year including a +9 TO differential, but I think Bama is going to be able to score on Florida's D. The coaching edge goes to Meyer, but this is a pretty big road test and I am hoping MIke Shula can capture some old bama magic this week. This game should be a classic.

@Penn St. +3.5 over Minnesota -- Most people that read this site (well just Cuyler and Dave) know that I love Minnesota. Unfortunately, you can't be a fan when making wagers. I have said all year that this is Joe Pa's swan song season before he rides off into the sunset, and it starts this week. With Michigan and Ohio St. on the horizon, Penn St. has to find a way to win this week. This should be another great game, but I think Penn St.'s D steps up and plays better against the run their numbers indicate so far. Just in case you were worried, this play does not mean i'm off the Minnesota bandwagon.

Navy -6 over Duke -- I know Dave will like this play, and the only thing that scares me is the crazily long layoff Navy has had since their last game. Normally, Duke's surprisingly good run defense would scare me in this game, but Navy has shown an ability to pass the ball so far this year to offset any running trouble they potentially may have this week. While suffering two heartbreaking losses to Stanford and Mayrland, Navy needs to make statement. Duke as usual is just waiting for basketball season in a brutally tough ACC. I'll take the the road chalk and hope Navy can win this one easily.

Iowa St. +3.5 over Nebraska -- I feel sorry for those of you in the Big 12 region who don't have gameplan. You will be stuck with this game on ABC in the 2:30 timeslot. Both of these defenses are good and both offenses stink. I think Iowa St.'s offense is a little more proven and their team in general is more proven than Nebraska. I will continue betting against Nebraska under Callahan until they prove me wrong. Take the points and be happy about doing so.


Medium Plays
@Wake +7 over Clemson -- Clemson is bound to have at least some sort of an emotional letdown after their rollercoaster first month. Wake is trying to find some consistency after a disappointing 1-3 start. I think Wake has the running game to keep this one close. It would be a larger play but I'm worried about Wake's TO problem

@Mich St. -5.5 over Michigan -- Much like the Wake bet, I pegged this one early but something about this game scares me. Michigan is bound to showup for a big game sometime soon and it might be this week. With that being said, Mich St. is playing great football right now and should be able to handle this michigan team at home.

Baylor +22 over A&M -- Okay, I admit. I just don't like this aggy team and I think Guy Morris is doing some good things at Baylor. A&M should win but it will be tougher than experts are thinking. Looking for a game somewhere in the 42-24 range. A backdoor cover is not out of the question here.

Small Plays
@Iowa -17.5 over Illinois -- Iowa is a different team at home. Enough said.

@UNC -3.5 over Utah -- Tailing my guy on Hornfans.

@FSU -21 over Syracuse -- Syracuse will be lucky to score.

I've got some others but this should be enough of a card to pick out some ones you like.

Good luck to everyone this week and let's all hope Texas doesn't screw the pooch against my good friends up at Mizzou.

USA!!!!!!!! and an Unbeaten Weekend

What a great President's Cup this past weekend at RTJ golf club in Virginia. I realize that a lot of people consider the President's cup a poor man's version of the Ryder. I wonder what those same people are saying after watching this weekend. The US team showed a lot of fight and character by a lot of guys who have questionable team competition records. It was very nice to see.

A quick rundown of the weekend

--Dimarco and Mickelson deserve Co-MVPs of the team for their incredible team performance during the week (3-0-1). Dimarco deserves top billing for disposing of Stuary Appebly in the anchor match on Sunday to clinch the Cup (and avoid the tie) for the US.
--Jim Furyk deserves some credit for just having a solid week teamed up with Tiger (who has trouble with the team competition in the past), and Furyk did a hell of a job Sunday winning his match with the talented Adam Scott.
--Freddy deserves a special mention for his unbelievable match against Vijay. His putt on 18 was one of the coolest shots I've seen in years. He was sweating rather profusely through his red shirt on Sunday, but all was forgiven with his putt on 18. It was a special a moment.
--Scotty VP and Leonard also deserve some recognition. Without their team getting a few points, the US probably would've struggled. Leonard even further solidified his captain's pick choice by winning over Tim Clark in the opening match on Sunday.
--International team (With the exception of Vijay) deserves some kudos for bringing a lot of quality players who obviously consider this competition important but they are all class inviduals. Vijay on the other hand, played like crap, whined about the pace of play and overall just had a miserable weekend. My favorite moment of the weekend was after the Couples/Signh match when the US team were all out on the 18th green celebrating with Couples. Singh was caught in the middle of the celebration and most of the US guys seemed to be rubbing in the victory to Vijay a little bit. That scene tells me all I need to know about what guys on tour think about Vijay. Guy is a jerk.

Overall, it was just a great weekend of golf, and the international team are definitely a worthy adversary. It may not have the bitter blood feud that comes with the Ryder Cup, but the quality of golf this weekend was equal if not greater than any Ryder Cup. I don't care what other people say. I'll take the Ryder Cup and President's Cup any day over any other tournament during the course of the year. It at least deserves to be in the same level as the majors.





9/24 College Football Week that Was
I also have to give myself a pat on the back for going 4-0 this Saturday on College Football. While I didn't post my picks on the blog, all 4 of my plays hit this weekend. I'm looking to carry over this momentum into this weekend's games. So be looking out for that...

Here was a rundown of the 4 games that I nailed down before the weekend and how they played out:

4* play -- Wisconsin +3 over Michigan - Riding their momentum from last week's UNC win on the road, I was hoping Wisconsin would come home to face Michigan and sneak out of Camp Randall with a close win. Fortunately, Wisconsin was able to pull out a close victory at the end. Trailing by 4 late, John Stocco was able to run it in for the 23-20 lead with under 1:00 to go. This was just a sign for the incredible good luck I would have this weekend

3* play -- Tulsa Pk over Memphis - Tailing one of my favorite handicappers on Hornfans, I took an upstart Tulsa team over a young Memphis team at home. Tulsa was able to win in OT 38-31. Another one that I escape by the skin of my teeth

2* play -- Minnesota -3.5 over Purdue - Another classic game that Minnesota was able to cover in 2OT after scoring a TD and not allowing Purdue score. Just some great luck in this game.

1* play -- Arizona St. -6.5 over Oregon St. - Easiest win of the weekend for my smallest play. Should have figured.

So with that being said, everything will probably go the exact opposite this week.



Finally, good work by the cowboys going to 2-1 with a 34-31 win over the 49ers yesterday. A great game with some pretty bad defense on both sides. The cowboys needed that one if they are going to do anything this year. AT least now we have a little hope....

9/17 College Football Plays

I have tried to pace myself this non-conference season and wait until conference season to really get serious. While I don't have any top plays this week, I am looking at about 15-20 games that could be plays. I will limit my list to 10 for this website. If you are interested in any other games, leave a comment and more than likely i have at least some sort of opinion on the game.

Okay, onto the picks...

5 top plays (keep in mind I have no 5* specials this week -- Minnestoa last week against Colorado St. has been my only 5* play so far)

1) Utah -3 against TCU -- TCU has to fall somewhere in the middle between their performances against OU and SMU. Regardless, this game is their MWC opener and is a big game for both teams. I just think TCU is a lot closer to the team we saw last week against SMU then the increasinly less impressive win against OU. Of course, I could be completely wrong. I probably wouldn't even playing this game if it wasn't a Thursday night contest, so proceed with caution. Also, be sure to check out Utah's tailback. He's pretty good and is a Maurice Clarett clone.

2) Bama -2.5 over South Carolina -- This should be a great game (first CBS SEC broadcast) and I feel like BAma isn't getting any respect so far this season. I just think Bama's overall talent level is better than South Carolina. I do expect this game to be close but I feel like Bama's defense will help them win a close won on the road.

3) Wisconsin -3 over North Carolina -- Wisconsin's ground game has been incredible so far this year thanks to CU transfer Brian Calhoun. While UNC is improving, I think Wisconsin's ground game will be too much for a feisty UNC bunch. This is my top play of the weekend but definitely not a 5* play.

4) @BC +2 over Florida St. -- This should be a hell of a game and I like BC because their crowd should be rocking and this is the type of game FSU has had trouble with the last 3 or 4 years. Plus, I need some home teams on my card and this seems like a good spot. Small play.

5) @Kansas -14 over La Tech -- Kansas has struggled so far against 2 subpar teams, and they need a good showing before heading into conference play. This seems to be a soft line considering Kansas will have some incentive play well. Medium play

Others still under consideration:

Mich St. +7 over ND -- I love the domers but Michigan St. has looked good so far this year and ND may have a little bit of an emotional letdown after their first 2 games. I still think ND pulls it out late but this games hould be close.

@New Mexico -22.5 over New Mexico St. -- New Mexico has been impressive so far this year (Win over Mizzou on the road) and New Mexico St. stinks. This is a soft line and should be closer to 27 than 21.

UCONNN +17.5 over G-Tech -- If UCONN (avg close to 300 on ground) can get anything established on the ground, I think they can stay within the number. G-Tech is a solid team so this is a scary play.

East Carolina +13 over Wake -- Wake has been terrible so far (loss at home to Vandy) and probably shouldn't be giving 13 points to anybody. I think East Carolina realizes this and will make Wake fight for a win.

Tennesee +7 over Florida -- Tennesee has too much talent to be getting 7 points against Florida. Public is all over Florida and I'll take my chances with a small play on Tennesee

WAY Too Early Heisman Favorites

I figured I might as well go ahead and give my thoughts on the Heisman. Even though it is way too early and things will change for sure before the end of the season. Here is my mid-September top 5 after 2 weeks:

Before I give my list, let me get one other thing out of the way. AS hopeful as I am that this is the year Texas will finally run the table in the regular season and make it to Pasadena, let's enjoy the ride before we worry about going undefeated. A big pet peeve of mine is trying to speculate who is going to lose to who and how we are going to find our way to the Rose bowl. I already see national sites (ESPN.com) getting fans of others schools (besides Texas and US) worried that they are going to be left out of the National Championship game like Auburn was last year. My advice to fellow football fans across the country is to enjoy each week and let the games play out before we worry about V-tech and Georgia getting left out of the national title game. You never know what is going to happen and this is what makes this sport so great despite the imperfections of the system.

OKay, rant over... Onto my top 5.

1A) Matt Leinart -- The defending Heisman winner has to be considered the favorite until proven otherwise. The only thing that irks me about Leinart is that he supposedly has a bodyguard now. I understand that he is basically a celebrity in LA, but I don't care how good of a college quarterback you are for USC. Requiring a bodyguard is a little much. With that said, the guy is easily the best passing QB in the college game right now, and he can pretty much bang any chick (including A-list actreses) in LA or anywhere else for that matter. He has to be the favorite right now.

1B) Vince Young -- If USC does lose or both Texas and USC go undefeated, Vince has a shot to beat Leinart either way because votes could be split between Bush and Leinart. Vince has such a great attitude on the field and his leadership qualities have transformed the entire Texas program. It's hard to believe that one guy can have that big of an impact on an entire program, but Vince YOung has done that with Texas. His win against Ohio St. may go down as one of the greatest moments in Texas history when it's all said and done. And damnit, the guy can pass too.

3) Reggie Bush -- There aren't enough adjectives to describe how Reggie Bush plays the game. Easily the most electrifying player in the game (no offense to Ted Ginn) and he may be even more valuable to the Trojans' success than Leinart. Can't wait to see him on the next level.

4) Lawrence Maroney -- If he was playing for Ohio St. or Michigan, the entire country would love this guy. But because he plays at Minnesota, he flies under the radar. Now that he doesn't have to share the backfied with cowboy Marion Barber (they both had 2 consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards), Maroney has the potential to put up some huge numbers this year. Through 2 games against Tulsa and Colorado St., he looks to be on pace for a monster season.

5) Brady Quinn -- If Charlie Weis can continue working miracles up in South Bend and ND somehow pulls off the miracle upset against USC, then Quinn has to be considered a darkhorse candidate. ND is still probably a couple years away from being a legitimate contender, but through 2 games, Quinn should be at least in the mix.

Others -- Chris Leak (Florida), Adrian Peterson (OU), Brad Smith (Mizzou), Brian Calhoun (Wisconsin), Ted Ginn (Ohio St.)

WHAT A GAME!

Wow is all I can say about that game. For those that didn't make the trip (you know who you are), you missed a classic. We may never see Texas play a bigger regular season non-conference game in our lifetimes. I hope Deloss and Mack realize the advantages to scheduling these type of home and home series with the big boys of college football, because this weekend was great for the team and especially great for the fans.

As high as my expectations were for "The Shoe", I have never been inside a stadium that cool. The Rose Bowl, DKR, Notre Dame Stadium, Kyle Field. None of those places comes even close to Ohio Stadium. The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric and that was easily the loudest stadium I have been inside. I have plenty of other places to visit (The swamp, between the hedges at UGA, Neyland Stadium, Tiger Stadium at LSU to name a few), but it will be tough topping the atmosphere in Columbus this past Saturday night.

You cannot argue with the passion of the OHio St. fans even if some crossed the line (mostly drunk students and other idiots). I may be in the minority among Texas fans, but I thought the number of Ohio St. fans wearing jerseys was cool and different.

Overall, it was just a fantastic trip. It was great to see everyone up there (Fall '97 and '98 represented well). This was easily the biggest win for Mack Brown in his tenure and the Horns appear to be well on their way to a return trip to Pasadena as long as they take care of business from here on out.

Could we really see USC vs. UT in the Rose Bowl for the national title? If we are going to end the title drought, there is not a better way to do it then going through Leinart, Bush, and Co. in their own backyard.

Before this weekend, I would say we wouldn't have a prayer against the SC juggernaut. But now, why the hell not?

Dallas to lose TX/OU?? and Rangers Hitting Rock Bottom

TX/OU most likely to leave Dallas after 2007 game

Mr. McKoy said the proposed renovation could be done by the 2007 game and would increase seating to more than 80,000 (from its current capacity of 75,000). There would be remodeled concession stands, improvements to the interior and exterior, a new scoreboard, a new sound system and new field lighting as well as resurfaced streets and walkways.

"When it's finished, the stadium will look as nice as the ones in Austin or Norman," Mr. McKoy said. "We feel $26 million will get the job done."

Mr. McKoy said the State Fair spent $5 million to upgrade the Cotton Bowl before last year's game, adding 4,000 seats and renovating restrooms, concession stands and the press box.

It certainly looks pretty bleak right now for TX/OU staying in Dallas. This fight was lost the minute Dallas city leadership gave up on the new Cowboys stadium being built in Fair Park. Very little the city can do now to keep TX/OU in Fair Park becuase there is very little chance the city can justify dumping millions of dollars to renovate the stadium for only 2 or 3 games a year. No Cowboys, hell not even FC Dallas to play games in Fair Park. It is going to be a sad day when TX/OU goes to a home and home series, but the city of Dallas is getting what they deserve. What shame.

But wait, It gets worse

Rangers lose 8th in a row and Players start to be outspoke on their criticisms of management.

Who can blame them? If I am MIchael Young, Alfonso Soriano, Mark Teixeira, Hank Blalock or any other young position player on this team, I am furious right now at management for failing to form sort of plan to help this team solve it's pitching woes.

It's like the movie Groundhog Day out in Arlington right now with regards to our pitching situation. Only this day lasts for years and is turning into decades.

Arrrggggh, thank god for football season!

Cue up the Green Day music - Finley let go by Mavs

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life."

-- Green Day






With very little fanfare, the Mavericks let one of their all time greats go yesterday in an effort to avoid the luxury tax on the remaining $51 million dollars left on his contract.

As much criticism as Finley has taken in this town, it will be very tough for me to see him in another uniform. When he joined the team during the 1997 season, the Mavs rivaled the Clippers as one of the worst organizations in professional sports. While Finley was with the Mavs and benefiting from an owner who actually cares, the Mavs went from laughing stock to legitimate contender. I will not soon forget the Mavs unbelievable comeback from down 2-0 against the Jazz in '01 to beat them in 5 games. Down double digits in the 4th quarter, Finley and the mavs were able to somehow find a way to beat the jazz up in Salt Lake City. I will not soon forget the celebration that followed as the Mavs had finally won a playoff series for the first time in over a decade. I had the privilege of being in attandance that day.

I also will not forget the memorable playoff run in '03 getting all the way to game 6 of the conference finals against San Antonio. If it were not for Steve Kerr getting unconscious in the 4th quarter, the Mavs very well may have gotten all the way to the finals. Finley was an iron man (among the league leaders in minutes played nearly every season) and he will always be underappreciated in this town because we never were able to win a title during his time here. He is a true class act and I for one am going to miss him dearly.

Two Good Links

The Star Telegram had two good stories today worth checking out.

Tom Hicks talks Rangers and Stars

A fairly candid interview with Tom Hicks about his tenure as owner of both the Stars and Rangers. He talks about his critics as well as his plans for the future of both teams. Definitely worth a read.

Ag recruit being way overhyped

Martellus Bennett is just asking to be the biggest bust in recent recruiting history by helping to create all the hype about him at A&M. He is a freaking tight end for god's sakes. I enjoed McNeil's comments in the article about curbing the enthusiasm about Bennett's impact on the Aggies this year. As much as I enjoy rooting against the Ags, Bennett is going to make that very easy to do this season.

Finally!

Rangers end 7 game losing streak at home

Done Deal with Modano !!! and King Felix

Modano agrees to 5 year deal with Stars

The Stars finally were able to sign Modano and every Stars fan across the area breathes a deep sigh of relief. It would have been misery seeing Modano playing in another uniform. It also isn't too much of a stretch to say Modano should have a nice bounceback season. The Stars look to be a contender this year, and they better hope so because the fans aren't coming back unless we are winning games.


19 yeard old pitching phenom makes debut for Mariners

The best young pitching prospect in a few years made his major league start today for the Mariners. Felix Hernandez (aka "King Felix") had the following line in a 3-1 loss to the Tigers:

5 IP 3 Hits 2 Runs 1 Earned Run 4 Ks 2 BBs

Not too shabby. King Felix is supposed to be the most sure fire starting pitching prospect since Mark Prior. He has the potential to make a huge impact at a very young age and it will be interesting to see how the Mariners handle his development. Here is another link to an article earlier in the season about Hernandez's career to this point:

http://mariners.scout.com/2/368949.html

Separated at Birth? - Dennis Leary and Willem Dafoe

Watching Conan O'Brian last night, Conan asked Dennis Leary which celebrity he gets mistaken for most often. Instantly, I thought Willem (who knows why he spells it this way) Dafoe and sure enough, Leary said that he often has to sign his name as Willem Dafoe for people who come up to him on the street. Anyways, I thought we could take a look and judge for yourself.

Tuesday Night Links

So I've decided to go a little more mainstream with this blog thing. Obviously, I still want my usual contributors (Z and Cuyler) to post as often as they would like, but I felt the need to make a "face-lift" on this little blog. I doubt Z will care since he is headed to Espana tomorrow morning, and Cuyler is working up in Chi-town. Until then, I will be flying solo. So anyways, here are some links you may or most likely may not want to check out.



A's continue to roll in the AL West

Somewhere Jeff Hurst is smiling, because the A's are as hot as Jessica's Simpson's ass right now. And no, I'm not afraid to comment on Jessica Simpson's ass. It's very nice. Someone who we can all be proud of is Huston Street. The kid is only about 14 months removed from his last game at Texas. It is amazing what he already doing for the increasingly immortal Billy Beane and the A's. NO matter what you think of Beane's "moneyball" philosophy, you can't argue with his results given such a limited payroll. Anyways, just wanted to give Street and the A's some credit. They sure are kicking our asses in the AL West. And the Arlington triumverate (Hicks, Hart, and Buck) or maybe stooges is a better name should get their act together in '06, or Anaheim and Oakland will completely leave the Rangers organization behind for years to come.



Modano Appears to be Staying in Dallas
Although most people in Dallas or anywhere else could give two shits about the Stars' season, Hicks considering to resign Modano seems newsworthy. Here is a link a DMN article that says Modano is 90% certain to remain a Dallas Star. Now I don't know about you, but if I'm Tom Hicks right now, I'm making damn sure Modano resigns with the Stars. Sergei Zubovs of the world are not going to bring the fans back to the AAC. Hockey is still going to have its die-hard fans, but to win the average hockey fan back in this area, the Stars need to show a commitment to winning. This is a good step in that direction.

Gerry Fraley is an absolute joke of a sportswriter

While most good and decent sportswriters like Fort Worth Star Telegram's beat writer, T.R. Sullivan, do a fine job in the sports media world. Hell, Sullivan announced Peter Gammons (another fine albeit nerdy sports journalist) induction to the hall fame. Guys like Gammons and Sullivan are class acts, Gerry Fraley is the anithesis to the guys I just spoke about. Gerry Fraley is the worst DFW sports media person at that says a lot considering Ric Renner resonantes across our airwaves from his Dallas studio. I couldn't stamach this article, but here is a sample. And yes, I
can't believe I'm giving Fraley free publicity.

How hot are the damn Astros?

As much as it pains me to do this, you have to talk about the Astros right now in any discussion about the current happenings in major league baseball. Outside of the Raffy Palmeiro fallout, the Astros and A's are two good things actually worth talking about right now.

This article from Baseball Prospectus (they are running a free trial through today) talks about just how dominant Pettite, Oswalt, and Clemens have been this year. Obviously, everyone knows how good Clemens has done all year (his sick road ERA being the most astonishing thing about his season). Pettite and Oswalt have been been slouches themselves. In fact, the 3 are on pace to finish with one of the greatest seasons in MLB history for any 3 starting pitchers on one team. Despite their obvious offensive shortcomings, the Astros are going to be a tough out in the playoffs if they do end up making it.

Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe leaves wife for Fox Sports Net news anchor

In an attempt to attract the US weekly crowd, this is a sordid tale of former Red Sox hero Derek Lowe cheating on his wife with someone who covers his team. Interesting read if nothing else.

Sori Stays, Chan HO and Astros

The trade deadline came and went this weekend and Alfonso Soriano is staying with the Rangers. I never understood why so many people were ready to ship such a great player out of town. But then again, I really don't understand a lot of sports fans these days. Alfonso Soriano is a special player and I am very happy to know that more than likely he is going to be our starting 2nd baseman in 2006.

Now it's up to Hicks and Hart to make some moves this offseason to help our pitching staff and fill the huge hole in right field. Hicks needs to open up his wallet this offseason and use some that financial flexibility he has been preaching about for so long.

In other ranger news, Chan Ho is no longer a Ranger. In a swap of pitiful contracts, the Rangers dealt Chan Ho to the Padres for Phil Nevin. While Nevin was having a terrible season in cavernous Petco Park and is 34 years old, he has put up good numbers in the past (especially against LHP) and he could be a pretty good solution for the right-handed bat we have sorely needed this year against left handed pitchers. Good trade for the Rangers.

To end this post, i am going to give some props to our neighbors down in Houston. They have really been playing some good baseball as of late. With the incomparable Roger Clemens leading them, the Stros barring a late charge by the Marlins, Phillies, Cubs, or Mets should make it into the postseason.

A short series starting rotation of Clemens, Oswalt, and Pettite is downright nasty. As much as I hate the Stros, I would probably root for them against everyone else in the NL besides the Cardinals because I like Pettite and Oswalt so much.

There you go Houston, I threw you a bone.

Tom Delay up to His Old tricks and Ranger Trade Talk....

Tom Delay never ceases to amaze me.........

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-07-28T004909Z_01_N27400684_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-ENERGY-CONGRESS-DELAY-DC.XML

I'm waiting to comment on the potential Sori trade until I hear more news. Right now it appears to be about 50/50 proposition about whether Sori remains in a Ranger uniform after the trade deadline this Sunday, July 31st. If a deal gets done, it looks like the Mets are the most likely trade partner with the Twins probably having an outside chance. The Mets seem to have the most to offer as far as the Rangers are concerned. Lastings Milledge/Mike Cameron/young pitching prospect (Petit or Heilma) for Sori and A Gonzalez sounds good to me. Stay tuned......

And for the record, I would HATE to see Sori leave Arlington but if we can get a guy like Mike Cameron combined with one of the best prospects in baseball AND a pitching prospect, I think you have to pull the trigger on that deal.

Sori Talk

It has been quite awhile since my last update. Despite some minor newsworthy event, I really have not felt the need to update this puppy the last couple weeks. One thing I'd like to discuss is the increasingly likely scenario of Alfonso Soriano getting dealt out of Texas.

More to come later.........

The Tigaaaaa and a Darn Good Fight

This weekend actually proved to be worthwhile as we got to see yet another great performance by Tiger Woods at the Old Course and win his 2nd british open and 10th major. To go along with that, we also got to see the first good boxing fight (I don't see many) that I can remember in a long time. Thanks to our kind host (Jay Hills and I guess Riley and Sands), we were able to have the stereotypical guy Saturday night (if Gadoci and Worthy hadn't ignored the memo about no chicks). Nothing like beer, boxing, and a bunch of dudes hanging out on a Saturday.

You all who couldn't make it that night need not worry because we freaked the girls out enough that they decided to hang out on the back porch for much of the night. Special recognition to Marcus "chump ass" Walther aka Bin Laden with that beard he is sporting. He casually decided to stroll in around the 9th round. You deserved whatever ridicule you got that night my friend.

We can also sleep easier now that Cuyler has covered his bet that Tiger would win 2 majors this year. Whatever Tiger was looking for these past few years, he has definitely found it and then some. Granted, Tiger may never win at the % that he did during his magical run in 2000, but the guy gears himself for majors now. And I really see nobody stopping him until passes Jack somewhere around the time he turns 40 (or 2016).

That's all I got for now. I would review Wedding Crashers but Fraser has already beaten me to the punch on his blog. So check his review out.......

Harden DOMINATES Rangers; Mantle review

First of all, I was watching TXCN or Texas CAble News while "surfing" channels, and apparently it rained like a mo-fo in Houston today. Big time flooding. It was pretty insane. So I hope all you houston readers (probably just Glover) made it out OK.

With that said, the day after the slowest day sports day of the year and we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Football season is fast approaching and it is a very good time to be a sports fan.

A's top Rangers 6-0, but it gets worse:

Unfotunately, out in Oakland, the Rangers got damn close to having Rich Harden throw a perfect game against them. 2 singles (all we got was 2 god darn hits) by Sori and Dellucci were the only thing stopping Harden from throwing a perfect game. He only needed 81 pitches to throw a 2 hitter with no walks. Pretty incredible. I'm as much a ranger homer as anyone, and I don't like the way this thing is heading. I hope we make a deal or something. Because it is looking like the team in its current form probably isn't going to catch Anaheim. And the wildcard is an even bigger pipe dream and with the Yanks/Orioles/Red Sox/Indians/Twins all probably more likely to win the wild card then the rangers. However, if Hart can swing a deal that nets a decent right fielder and/or a starting pitching option (yea right in this market), then the Rangers might have a prayer.

On a brighter note, I got to check out the HBO documentary/biography on Mickey Mantle, and it was really a moving story that everyone should check out if you at all are interested in our parents' generation hero worship of Mantle. It also touches on his bad alochol problem and how he really was a poor father for a variety of different reasons.

As much bashing as I heard by those blowhards on "the Ticket's" http://www.theticket.com/ shows today, Mantle really was a fascinating person regardless of your interest in sports. He was one of the few athletes to transcend sport and actually became part of American (mostly-white) culture. For all of his great flaws in his personal life, Mantle was the best position player during the 50s and 60s outside of maybe Willie Mays. Of course, being white and playing for the yankees didn't hurt either. Mantle actually won 7 world series and played on 12 world series teams with the Yanks. He hit 536 HRs and probably would have been closer to 6 or 7 hundred if he hadn't had such bad luck with his body both on and off the field.

The show has a lot of interviews with the usual (Costas and Billy Crystal) and not so usual suspects (Ed Harris??? and Richard Lewis). One of the more poignant portions of this show were the stories by Billy Martin's son about Mickey and his father during their time with the Yankees. I can only imagine the boozing Mickey, Billy Martin (who also tragically died about 150 yards from his own driveway in upstate new york coming home from a bar Christmas Day in 1989), and Whitey Ford did in NYC and all over the country during their playing days. It must have been a hell of a ride hanging out with Frank Sinatra and others.

One of the creepier portions of the show was Ed Harris reciting a poem that he wrote about Mickey when he was 10. It was cute and scary at the same time.

I think Mantle may have been the last true sports American hero for our parent's generation. Maybe Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer could argue, but Mantle's passing definitely affected a lot of the people born in 30s, 40s and 50s. Mantle had the charisma despite his off the field problems not being known to the American public. It does bring up an interesting point that Mantle probably never would have reached his near-mythical status if he played in today's media environment. Back then, players could keep their private lives away from the press as long as you were winning. Much like the Cowboys shenanigans of the early 90s under Jimmy, Mantle and his buddies could get away with whatever they wanted as long as they were winning. But unlike the Cowboys escapades being widely known, Mantle was able to avoid public scrutiny despite playing in the largest media market in the country for the best known team in professional sports.

It also shows that there may never be another hero like Mantle who actually made you feel like he was one of us out there on the field. Because athletes are so over-exposed by today's in your face coverage from the time athletes are very young, you don't feel the personal connection with today's athletes. Even Jordan no matter how great he was on the court never really let the American public into his personal life. Regardless of how many books were written about him, Jordan never let people get to close to him. And when you stop to think about, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Mantle was so beloved that it was almost impossible for him to assimilate back into society when he retired. It's not hard to understand the demons Mickey faced when he realized his playing days were over. At least Mantle at the end of his life realized how foolish he had been throughout his life, and he let the American public know he had screwed up as a father. He has to deserve some credit for owning up to his mistakes to the public.

I think that Mantle really defines a hero in every sense of the word. Heros are human and Mickey Mantle was most definitely human....

Anyways, check out the program sometime will ya.

Entourage -- Taking the leap? and of course a little Rangers sweep!

As my too short of weekend winds down, I thought I'd take a little time to discuss the happenings or most notable things of the weekend in my little world, the Rangers sweep of the Blue Jays and tonight's entourage.

I really though tonight's show was transecendent or however you say that word. I have been a pretty consistent watcher of Entourage since it first came on last year, but tonight's show was the first time that I really felt like I HAVE to watch this show every week. As much as I like Jeremy Piven and his Ari character tonight's show really had me wanting more.... Not sure if anyone else has noticed but during my time with Shane INgraham's brother I defintitely saw some Turtle like aspirations. Don't recall if he was an x-box player or not. Just a thought....

And another thing, Rome looks to be pretty bad ass show too. HBO can do no wrong right now well maybe that Lisa Kudrow show, who knows.

As for the RAngers, I watched them off and on all weekend, and I have to say they are peeking my interest. I knows it's easy to want to throw in the towel on this team (Kenny Rogers incident most notably -- thank god I was in Europe during that meltdown), but damnit they sure are a fun team to follow. Despite the local media's best efforts to bury this team, they just are doing enough to stick around. They after all, are only 5 games back at the break. Certainly not an insourmantable task. And sure Maybe John Hart might not make a move this year, but as long as we stay the course with our farm system this team is just going to get better. We have Blalock and Young locked up for a long time. Tex will hopefully soon be there. Screw Boras, Tex should fire his ass and then sign a huge freaking contract. That would be a statement by Hicks to show Boras who is in charge out in Arlington. No one player is bigger than an organization and star players now realize it. Sooner or later, Tex will realize that and hopefully Boras will go away. Either way, the rangers arms have never seen a brighter future.

D-Diamond, V-Volquez, D-Danks are all very much for real. Talk already is that Volquez may be up in the 2nd half rotation, which seems possible considering he's 21, a pedro clone (just wait till you see him on the mound), and throws mid-90s with a plus curve. DAnks is going to be front-line starter, at worst will be a #2 or #e guy and at his top end could be a #1. And he is the one thing the RAngers haven't had in a lonnnngggg time, a power lefty in the starting rotation. But if Volquez or Danks doesn't become the #1 guy, Diamond is probably the best bet to be a true "ace" in the sense of the word. Diamond dominated at Div. I-A college ball at UNO (New Orleans) and has dominated at all levels of minor league ball so far http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/thomas_diamond.shtml). It's really not a matter of if Diamond gets called up to the rotation, but when. Most likely to start the '06 season and worse case by next year's all star break. He is 22 after all. His time is coming. Just think about how poor are starting pitching looked during the late 9os and I feel damn lucky to see the starting pitching luck start to go our way.

Of course, health is always a concern but just think about a rotation like the following:

Chris Young/Ric Rodridguez/Volquez/Danks/Diamond. We can win a world series with that rotation. It has that much potential.

It is John Hart's job to stay the course and not be swayed by whims offered by the media. We build around Michael Young, Blalock, Soriano (YES Soriano bashers come from far and wide any time the guy makes a mistake), and Teixeira. The rest of the positions need to be considered.

Catcher is a work in progress. Buck is going with Barajas until he breaks down or performance gets really bad. I expect Laird to start in '06 and I'm ready for that position to get settled and hopefully Laird will be the answer. Teagarden backing up isn't a bad proposition very soon either.

Left field is locked down by Mench until further notice.

Center is still a position of concern but there are some potential takers of CF talent in a trade(Preston Wilson, Matt Lawton come to mind quickly). I think Nix is a good option until Hart deems it necessary to go after a big name guy. I don't want to give up too much that's for sure. Because Preston Willson carries a big $$$ price and Lawton is a notorious poor 2nd half guy. I still wouldn't mind rolling the dice on Lawton. Because the guy seems like a gamer to me, has a good OBP for a leadoff hitter and he could be the extra oomph this lineup needs. Just a thought, because I love Nix's approach and defensive ability. Just a little worried about his bat right now.

Right Field is a situation in flux but that's a good thing because good rightfields are not hard to come by. I expect us to make a move for a more permanent solution in right this offseason. For now, Hidalgo/GMJ monster will have to continue until further notice. Sinisi is a guy to watch for the '06 and '07 seasons.

DH seems like a pretty simple situation. Dellucci for the next year or so and Botts should be at least platooning by '06. Maybe even later this season. I have seen Botts in person and the dude reminds me of a switch hitting richie sexson. But I think he has better bat coverage than sexson. Things are definitely optimistic at DH.

The bullpen has a pretty good ancher with Coco until further notice. The setup position is a little rocky but options are emerging, Dominguez and Loe seem like the most logical answers now. Orel and Buck will have to continue to work to find answers. Bullpens across MLB are melting down at epic levels.

So sit back over the next 76 games (86 already played) and see what happens. The most logical trade option is finding a right-handed bat on the cheap. That is the easiest way to help this team and not give up much to do it. Stay tuned. And stop knee-jerking every decision. Thank you DAllas media for really continuing to pretty much suck.