Dallas Sports Offseason Report

NFL betting inches closer with the Hall of Fame Game just over a week away, and Cowboys fans can’t wait for the preseason to start. Let’s catch up with America’s team and our other Dallas sports teams in the offseason.

Dallas Cowboys

Interestingly enough, retired Cowboy Michael Irvin seems to be grabbing more headlines than the current roster this offseason, and he did so again when the Cowboys kicked off training camp this week. Responding to criticism of Tony Romo, he asked if Cowboy supporters really want Romo gone:

“Can we get Drew Bledsoe back out here [for] just a week so you guys can really fall back in love with Tony?” asked Irvin, a man with the gift of both Hall of Fame grab and gab. “Let’s put Drew Bledsoe back out here, because sometimes when you have a pretty girl for awhile, you forget how pretty she is. But when you throw the ugly girl next to her, you say, ‘No, I’m really doing well.’ Maybe we need to bring Drew out so we know we’re really doing well.”

Needless to say, fans are concerned about Romo after he reportedly sailed passes over receivers’ heads to start camp. But Roy Williams should be in better shape and Felix Jones could be dangerous catching passes out of the backfield. Plus we all know what Jason Witten can do.

Nothing major to report on the defensive side of the football for Dallas, though it’s worth remembering that a healthy Terence Newman could do wonders for the Cowboys’ pass defense this season.

Dallas Mavericks

While the Cowboys and NCAA football betting darling Texas Longhorns are getting the major press, the Mavericks quietly had their busiest week since free agency started, making a pair of solid depth signings. On July 26, a report indicated the Mavs had signed veteran forward Drew Gooden to a one-year deal. He’s now playing for his sixth team in the last seven years but can still contribute double-digit points most nights.

Two days later, the Mavs bolstered their three-point shooting by signing Tim Thomas. He’s a 36 per cent career three-point shooter and shot 41.3 per cent from beyond the arc in 2008-2009 with the Bulls, Knicks and Clippers.

The Mavs may be a ragtag bunch in the 2009-10 season but their playoff hopes look solid. I’d rank them about eighth in the West in my early NBA predictions.

Dallas Stars

There’s nothing to report on the hockey front, though I’m betting management in Columbus is making a strong push to sign longtime Star defenseman Sergei Zubov to a deal.

Americans nab another power forward in O’Nabigon

Addition to roster gives Americans more physicality on front line

ALLEN, TX – The Allen Americans of the Central Hockey League (CHL) announced the signing of left-winger Nathan O’Nabigon today.

Self-described as a no-nonsense power forward that is responsible on both ends of the ice, the 26-year-old will have a presence in the offensive and defensive zones and has experience playing for championship teams.

“He’s the type of guy that goes quietly about his work, but he’s got some edge about him,” Americans Associate Coach and Director of Player Personnel Bill McDonald said.

O’Nabigon comes to Allen from the CHL’s Rocky Mountain Rage, who suspended operations for the 2009-10 season. He had 31 points in 63 regular season games last season. The 2009-10 season will be his second year playing professional hockey.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound forward is excited about building the club from the ground up. “I want to be there from the start and help where I can. I think it’s a great opportunity,” O’Nabigon said.

The reputation of the Americans’ coaching staff was a large part of O’Nabigon’s decision to come to Allen. “I know that [Associate Coach] Mac’s been around for a long time and has a lot of connections. He knows a great deal about hockey and he’s a straight-up, legit guy.”

Before signing with the Rage, the Longlac, Ontario, native played four seasons for the University of New Brunswick, winning the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championship in 2006-07.

O’Nabigon also won a championship during his four-year junior career in the Ontario Hockey League. He skated away with the Memorial Cup as a Kitchener Ranger in 2002-03.

“All the research and homework we had on him was all positive, from his junior team to his college team to the team he was with last year,” McDonald said. “He’s a quality individual, and we’re excited to get him down here.”

Attached photos courtesy of the Central Hockey League.

The Americans begin play this fall in the newly built Allen Event Center. Season tickets are on sale now, and corporate partnerships are also available. For information, call 972.912.1000 or visit allenamericans.com. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.

Rangers talk: What if they don’t add anybody?

Just about three hours to the trade deadline as I type this, and there are no significant changes on the trade front for the Rangers.

Seattle traded Jarrod Washburn to the Tigers for Luke French and a Class A pitcher, which means they won’t have to face him again this year unless both teams make the playoffs.

But for the Rangers, the Halladay talks are dead, reportedly because the Rangers refuse to part with Derek Holland in order to make a trade.

I’m fine with that. However, I do think the Rangers need to add somebody. Former Ranger Doug Davis seems to be pretty appealing, although he does carry a hefty contract.

Nick Johnson seems to be headed to Florida for AAA reliever Ryan Tucker and another prospect, which is a little discouraging. I think Johnson is exactly what this offense needs right now – someone who gets on base at an awesome rate.

Victor Martinez could be traded, although it would be pretty complicated to move contracts in order to get him to come here. Still, that would be another bat that would be great to have in the lineup. Boston, though, seems to be the team most interested in the Cleveland catcher.

Davis could still be coming here if he gets through waivers in August. Davis has to be traded by August 31 in order to be eligible for playoff rosters.

Other than that, the Pirates’ Zach Duke has been talked about as a potential target, and Pittsburgh certainly has not been shy about trading away their players. But the market for Duke doesn’t seem to be very lively at the moment, and I really don’t think Duke would be that great of an improvement over Holland, especially if Holland can build off of last night’s sparkling performance.

So here’s the question: What if the Rangers don’t make a big trade today?

The answer seems simple, but can get complicated.

First, the simple part: If the Rangers don’t make a (big) trade today, they will be showing confidence in the team they have (good) and the young players they have coming up through the farm system (also good).

Here’s the complicated part: Multiple Rangers have come out and said they would like the front office to add somebody. Would the clubhouse chemistry be damaged if the Rangers did not make a trade?

Personally, I’m afraid of that scenario, but I also don’t think it’s going to be that big of a deal. Derek Holland’s start last night seemed to fire up the team quite a bit. All of the players were ecstatic that Derek was having such a great start, especially Michael Young.

If Derek Holland can give this team quality starts every time out – 6 innings and 3 runs – this team will be vastly improved. The offense is not what people (including myself) want it to be. There are far too many strikeouts in this lineup, and Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler are really struggling.

But if they turn it around, this team could go far. The offense may not be great, but it is still above average. The Rangers rank 8th in wOBA, or weighted on-base average. This stat takes into account averages across the league and, in a way, is OBP compared to the rest of the league while including park factors and other things of that nature.

Sorry to get stat-heavy on you there, but the point is that the Rangers offense hasn’t been TOTALLY bad this year. With something even resembling improvement from Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, this offense really could be one of the best in the league. And with the pitching going the way it’s going, that could equal a

Texas Rangers Trade Rumors

The Texas Rangers are squarely in the hunt for the American League Playoffs with a 56-43 record, sitting 1.5 games behind Boston for the Wild Card and 3.5 games behind the California Angels (name still under protest) today, on July 30.

Texas has been linked to a variety of big names, and this post is your constant update for what all is going on with the Rangers and their trade rumors.

The Rangers have been looking for both a hitter and a starting pitcher.

First off, the big name, Blue Jays P Roy Halladay.

12:50 p.m. The Rangers are still in the mix for the Blue Jays ace, but the Dodgers are the leaders right now, according to Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal.

(Not real sure what the Dodgers could be giving up that would trump the Rangers’ offer, unless the Dodgers are giving up Chad Billingsley)

The Rangers reportedly turned down a Blue Jays offer of Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Julio Borbon for Halladay earlier this week.

There have been a few rumors floating around that the Rangers are willing to part with a couple of their top prospects, but can’t work out the financial details in order to make the trade work. Neither team can really take any salary on, which is currently the major holdup.

Halladay said that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to come to Texas, but that a trade to Boston, New York or either of the Los Angeles teams would be preferable.

(Honestly? I would be very surprised if the Rangers ended up trading for Halladay by tomorrow’s trading deadline. The price just seems too high in terms of prospects and cash.)

Other names:

Adam Dunn, Nick Johnson, Josh Willingham – Washington Nationals

It doesn’t seem as if the Nats are going to trade any of these three – the prospects requested by Washington are reportedly much too high, and there doesn’t seem to be any suitors out there.

Doug Davis, Jon Garland – Arizona Diamondbacks

An Arizona scout was in Texas on Tuesday, reportedly interested in Guillermo Moscoso, but the Rangers are hoping the asking price can go down before they make that deal.

I haven’t seen anything substantial regarding any other names except for reports that the Rangers aren’t in on somebody. But continue to check back here for constant updates.

Impressions from last night’s Rangers beatdown

So last night was not the high point of the Rangers season. But they’re still 13 games over .500 and still only 1.5 out of the Wild Card.

Combine Scott Feldman’s worst start in nearly a year with an already overworked bullpen and Justin Verlander at the top of his game, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

Still, here are a few thoughts I had from my seats up in Section 313:

• Ian Kinsler could take a few hints from Omar Vizquel as a leadoff hitter. First at-bat of the game, Omar grounds out on eight pitches. That’s what I like to see from my leadoff hitter. Omar had another fine game, collecting two hits and making a sparkling defensive play in the eighth.
• Combine last night’s game with Monday’s contest, and I think I’ve seen three of the four hardest hit home runs at Rangers Ballpark this year. Andruw Jones can certainly still hit.
• Why, though, does Ron Washington insist on playing Marlon Byrd every day while Nelson Cruz sits on the bench at least once per week? I guess that’s one mystery that will remain unsolved. Tonight’s lineup will have Cruz in it – Seattle is starting Garrett Olson, a lefty, so David Murphy will probably take a seat.
• Speaking of my boy DMurph, he couldn’t have looked worse in his first three at-bats. Verlander was just blowing him away with pure gas. The one that hurt the most was the third one, as it came in the 5th inning during the middle of a Rangers rally. MY and Omar were on base, and if David and Marlon could have gotten those guys in, it would have been an 8-6 game…
• Josh Hamilton is a liability just about everywhere right now. The Tigers scored in the top of the 6th solely because of him. Hamilton let a ball drop right in front of him then air-mailed the throw on a fly ball that allowed former Ranger (and current) spare Gerald Laird to score from third. He did look better in his second and third at-bats, but Josh’s bat may be starting to affect his fielding right now.
• Guillermo Moscoso should have made the start Tuesday night. Doug Mathis has been great out of the bullpen, but I’ve read quotes saying that he’s more comfortable in that long relief role than actually being a starter. I’d be willing to bet that Moscoso is more comfortable out of that starters’ role than the long relief role he was in last night, judging by his numbers as a starter at AAA.
• According to reports, Warner Madrigal will most likely be called up today in order to relieve the pitching staff a little bit. Jason Grilli and C.J. Wilson both got last night off, and Darren O’Day could probably go an inning tonight if need be, but Derek Holland needs to string together six good innings. Warner has posted an ERA of around 2 at AAA this year, but he has yet to see any kind of major league success. Let’s hope this stint is the one where he shows a little something.
• Neftali Feliz has to be getting close to getting the call. With Matt Harrison out for the year, he could easily go on the 60-day DL and create a 40-man roster space for Neftali. I saw him once at Frisco last year, and wow. He could really help this bullpen down the stretch.
• Who else could really help this bullpen? Frank Francisco. He’s pronounced himself ready, but the club is being understandably cautious with how they handle their closer. I think Frankie should slot in as the 8th inning guy until the club knows he’s fully healthy, but that would just make things so much easier with another power arm out there.
• Ian Kinsler also hopes to be back tomorrow, but I bet Joaquin Arias stays up for another couple of days just in case.
• The crowd, especially during the 5th inning rally, was into it. More than 33,000 last night for a weeknight game against Detroit – an impressive total. People must really like $1 hot dog night. If they could only figure out how to get those crowds on Mondays and Tuesdays…
• The next eight are against Seattle and Oakland. That’s going to help. Six of the next eight needs to be the goal here. That would put the Rangers at 64-45 heading into their next series against the Angels. California (I’m protesting that name) sits at 60-40 right now, but starts a six-game road trip Friday at Minnesota and follows it up with three at Chicago. 3-3 for the Halos and 6-2 for Texas equals a meager 1.5 game deficit heading into that series.

I think the Rangers have a shot at winning the Wild Card, especially with the number of games Boston has to play inside its own division and considering they don’t look all that great right now. With a trade for Halladay, I think the Rangers even become the favorites to take the WC. California just looks unbeatable right now, and they’re only 1.5 games behind the Yanks for best record in the AL. The next four series might give the Rangers a chance to gain some ground, but the four right after that seem to be great chances for the Angels to gain it right back. I’m not saying they’re out of reach, but the Rangers have a killer road trip coming up in August (@TB, @NYY, @MIN). To have any shot at winning the division, the Rangers need to be in first place when that trip starts. Otherwise, they may simply be too far back to catch the hated Angels.

The feisty Rangers’ pitching staff

Who’d have ever thought those five words would be used together? Certainly not me.

But that’s what we saw last night in the Rangers impressive 7-3 win over Detroit; an attitude that has probably never been seen before by the fans at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Eddie Guardado was getting into it with Jim Leyland, Jason Grilli was defending himself, and the Tigers looked pretty foolish after Zach Miner threw behind Ian Kinsler.

Enough has been said about this offense (although it does seem the team is getting hot right now), but Jamey Newberg made the best point about this pitching staff – they have a swagger.

This staff goes out and expects to shut down the opposing offense every time out. Millwood, Padilla, Feldman, Hunter, Holland all bring their own unique talents, not to mention the Wolfpack.

Frankie will be back soon which will make this ‘pen even better. Right off the DL, Francisco ought to be the 8th inning guy with how well C.J. Wilson has pitched this year. But with Ceej, Frank and O’Day at the back end, I feel pretty good if our starter makes it to the 6th inning with the lead. And with the number of times that’s happened this year, that seems to be a pretty safe bet.

Nothing against Jason Jennings, but he makes me a little nervous whenever he’s out there. Nippert and Mathis have been great as long men out of the pen, although I think Mathis should stay there for good. Guillermo Moscoso has done very well this year at AAA as a starter, so I think he might be the next candidate to fill-in whenever one of our pitchers can’t go.

The next few days are going to be interesting for this staff. It would be very nice to see Padilla and Millwood gut out a couple of starts on Thursday and Friday, especially considering Mathis and Nippert both need some time to recover. If Padilla and Millwood could go, that would mean a rotation of Padilla-Millwood-Hunter-Holland for the four games against the Mariners this weekend. King Felix is slated to go Saturday with Washburn behind him on Sunday, but Washburn has been at the center of a ton of trade speculation, so he might be gone by then.

But if the more senior members of this starting staff can win the first two games of this series against the back-end of the M’s rotation, I feel pretty good about trotting Hunter and Holland out there this weekend.

It’s just amazing to watch the Rangers and know they have a chance to win every time out there because of their pitching staff.

Let’s hope that Jon Daniels does whatever is necessary to keep it that way.

Allen Americans add Veteran Defenseman to Star-Studded Lineup

Erik Adams comes to the Allen Americans from the Colorado Eagles in a trade for future considerations

ALLEN, TX – The Allen Americans announced today that they have acquired veteran defenseman Erik Adams from the Colorado Eagles in exchange for future considerations.

Adams, 29, comes off his eighth professional season and fourth with the 2009 Ray Miron President’s Cup Finalist Eagles. The 6-foot, 205-pound defender posted 38 assists and 66 penalty minutes in 64 games last season and had two 5-game point streaks.

“Erik brings a solid veteran presence to our defense. He will be a key component to the success of the club,” Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins said Tuesday.

After graduating from Denver University in 2002, Adams began his professional career in the ECHL. Following the 2002-03 season, he signed with the New Mexico Scorpions in 2003. Adams went to Colorado in 2005.

The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native is a well-rounded defenseman known for hard hits in his own end of the ice while also contributing offensively. “He’s very versatile and can play in all situations,” Mullins said.

Adams is looking forward to being a member of the new CHL team. “In talking with the coaching staff, the organization sounds first class. Also, there’s a lot of hype and excitement about the club in the [Dallas/Ft. Worth] area.”

picture: Thomas Miller/Colorado Eagles

The Americans begin play this fall in the newly built Allen Event Center. Season tickets are on sale now, and corporate partnerships are also available. For information, call 972.912.1000 or visit allenamericans.com. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.

–AMERICANS–

THE RANGERS REPORT – July 28

If you’re not betting NFL yet, you should turn your attention back to the Texas Rangers. They continue to sizzle in July, having gone 5-1 in the last week, and it’s almost time to wonder if they’ll be buyers before the trade deadline passes. Let’s catch up with the Rangers.

Season record: 55-42
AL West rank: 2
Odds to win World Series: 60 to 1

THE LINEUP

For most of the Texas hitters, the news is very good these days. Nelson Cruz’s power display at the Home Run Derby must’ve lit a fire under him, as he’s up to 24 homers and is hitting .348 since the All-Star Break. Even hotter post-break? Michael Young, who’s now hitting .447 since the break after three straight three-hit games. Another man fueling the Rangers’ increased betting hopes? Hank Blalock. He’s back to fairly regular lineup duty and has responded by hitting .298 with five homers and 17 RBI over 21 games this month.

Unfortunately, the Rangers can’t get Josh Hamilton going. He’s now hitless in 15 at-bats and has been dropped to seventh in the order for now.

THE ROTATION

Could rotation help be on the way? Though they’re not the favorites, the Rangers have reportedly entered the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, dangling a package of good prospects including blue chipper Neftali Feliz. Acquiring Halladay would seriously boost Texas’ chances of competing with the Angels and, heck, Texas could increase the price per head at Rangers Ballpark whenever Doc pitches if they wanted to.

The Tommy Hunter craze continues. The rookie held the Tigers to one run over seven innings for his third major-league win Monday night. He’s allowed one or fewer runs in four straight starts. Baseball predictions experts suggest he’ll continue his success as long as he’s facing lineups for the first time.

THE BULLPEN

Frank Francisco is still working his way back from pneumonia, but he doesn’t have to hurry. C.J. Wilson has converted all four save tries since taking over closing duties. He looks quite comfortable in the role, having saved 11 of 13 attempts overall this season.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

The Angels never seem to slump, but the Rangers deserve lots of credit for hanging in the AL West race. The bats are heating up again and the young pitching is stepping up its game, so the Rangers could compete for the Wild Card or division crown after all.

Allen Americans send Justin Bowers to Phoenix Coyotes NHL rookie camps

Star center Bowers asked to join Coyotes’ camp

ALLEN, TX – The Allen Americans of the Central Hockey League announced that center Justin Bowers will attend the National Hockey League rookie camp of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Bowers first heard about the Coyotes’ interest from Americans Head Coach and General Manger Dwight Mullins. “I was immediately excited. When you get invited to your first NHL camp, it’s huge,” the Nova Scotia native said.

Bowers is looking forward to getting a chance to compete with players of NHL caliber. “I’ll be with other draft picks and players they’ve invested money in. It’ll be my chance to show them what I’ve got,” the 24-year-old said.

Mullins believes that Bowers’ passion for hockey will intensify after the camp. “Justin has such a competitive drive and he loves to play. This happening for him will only fuel that fire,” the head coach said.

Bowers is the second Allen American to receive an invitation to a NHL rookie camp. Goalie Chris Whitley will be going to play with the Stanley Cup Finalist Detroit Red Wings in September.

Bowers isn’t nervous yet. “I’m sure I will be [nervous], but I like to think of myself as a confident hockey player. I’m going to go there and play my game. I’m sure nerves will be part of it, but, as of right now, I’m just looking forward to it.”

Bowers racked up 15 goals and 30 assists in 44 games for the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL last year. He also played a total of 27 games in the American Hockey League with the Lake Erie Monsters and Quad City Flames. The forward is six feet tall and weighs 186 pounds.

The Americans begin play this fall in the newly built Allen Event Center. Season tickets are on sale now, and corporate partnerships are also available. For information, call 972.912.1000 or visit allenamericans.com. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.

picture credit: copyright 2009@proactimage.com

–AMERICANS–

Excited about the Cowboys? Me neither.

Today is the annual “State of the Team” address from Cowboys camp in San Antonio. Jerry and Wade plan to get up there to talk about the team for an hour, discussing why they think this team is going to win it all this year.

What a load of crap.

As presently constructed, I can’t see this team winning the Super Bowl. Could they win a playoff game or two? Sure. But last time I checked, that wasn’t the ultimate goal of a season.

On paper, they actually look pretty solid. Romo’s a fine QB, all three running backs seem like they have something, wide receivers and tight ends are fine, defense looks to be pretty good, special teams should be better…

But they’ve got to show it to me on the field. Until they prove to me they have the mettle to win playoff games and truly contend for a championship, I’m not sold.

The Cowboys feel like the Mavericks did before the start of this past season. The Mavs were just kind of spinning their wheels this year. Yeah they were good, but what came out of it? Not much. That’s kind of how the Cowboys feel.

I can’t remember when I was less excited for a Cowboys season. Perhaps the Campo years – I guess 2002 would be the last year I was less excited. Although even then we had Emmitt’s chase for the all-time rushing record.

I don’t know why I’m not excited for this team. I am really focused on the Rangers right now with how well they’re doing, but I (like so many other Ranger fans) am also afraid that they’ll lose 10 of 12 and completely fall out of the race.

Maybe it’s just the retread factor. It’s not even that we have exactly the same team – it’s pretty similar, but there are significant changes – it might be that we have the same coach.

What, exactly, has Wade Phillips done to prove that he is worthy and capable of leading this team to glory? The answer: nothing.

As a defensive coordinator, Wade’s one of the best, and I think it’s a good move that he’s the defensive coordinator for this team. I just wish that “Head Coach” part of his title would be dropped. If Wade was the defensive coordinator of this team, I’d feel great.

I’ll back off of Wade. It’s far from impossible that he could turn around his career playoff record and take this team to the top. Heck, Norv Turner took the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game two years ago, and won another playoff game last year. While he hasn’t won the Super Bowl, I think Norv’s gotten just about everything out of that team that he could have.

And there’s no real reason Wade can’t either.

Just because I’m not totally excited about the Cowboys, though, doesn’t mean I can’t get that way. The Cowboys really only have one tough game out of their first five (vs. New York). If they squeak that one out, they could be 5-0 heading into the bye week. And if that happens, I know I’ll have bought in to this season completely. But if they don’t, I could see 3-2 or even 2-3 as a possibility.

I just don’t know about the ‘Boys this year. There’s probably a reason I picked them here to go 9-7.

I hope they prove me wrong.

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