Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule Week 4 – Vikings

Once again the Dallas Cowboys starters shined in the first half of week 3′s game against the 49ers. Dallas Cowboys Marion Barber and Felix Jones were like thunder and lightning. Marion Barber thundered over the 49er defenders, and Felix Jones lightening quick moves almost broke him free for a big play. That was the upside of the Cowboys loss to the 49ers. Once the backup players got in the Cowboys looked absolutely terrible, WR Isaiah Stanback fumbled a pass from QB Jon Kitna in the 4th quarter that cost the Cowboys the game, and also may cost Stanback his football career with the Dallas Cowboys. After the 49ers field goal from Stanback’s fumble, backup CB Courtney Brown made the worst play of the game when he tackled a receiver before he had a chance to make a play on the ball. The resulting pass interference call jump started the 49ers drive that later ended up in a touchdown for the win.

This week the Dallas Cowboys will face the Minnesota Vikings and the man, the myth, the legend, Brett Favre and his big bag of nothing that he has carried with him for the last couple of seasons. The Vikings locker room is reported to be divided between QB Brett Favre and then the rest of the team. Apparently the Vikings players want Tarvaris Jackson to be the starter instead, you know since he actually went to training camp.

Preseason Game 3 | Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Time: 7:00 PM Central Time
Day / Date: Friday – September 4, 2009
Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome – Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV Channel: CBS 11 – KTVT
Game Tickets: Dallas Cowboys Tickets as low as $45 at StubHub!
Travel: Travelocity SAVES You 20% or MORE on Air Fares

The Dallas Cowboys are now 1 – 2 – 0 for their 2009 preseason schedule. The will face the Minnesota Vikings this week who are 2 – 0 – 0 in the preseason and will play the Houston Texans Monday Night.

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Can the Rangers catch the Angels?

That seems to be the question on the minds of a lot of Rangers (and Angels) fans these days, with the Rangers continuing to hang around the AL West race, closing to within four games after tonight’s 3-0 win in Minnesota along with the Angels’ coughing up a similar lead against the last-place Athletics.

Scott Feldman did not have his normally sparkling command against the Twins tonight, but holding a red-hot team down the way he did tonight was good enough with a fresh bullpen. The Rangers’ offense slumped again, although Ian Kinsler and Julio Borbon each had a couple of hits.

Kevin Millwood takes the hill tomorrow in the rubber match for the Rangers, who could really use a win tomorrow against Scott Baker and the Twins. A victory gives the Texas nine a 5-4 road trip in quite possibly the toughest stretch of the season. Even a loss tomorrow wouldn’t be a total disaster – four wins on this trip against three of the best home teams in the AL is nothing to sneeze at.

The Angels, on the other hand, have been slumping badly. The Halos have lost seven of 10 against subpar competition, with two losses apiece in that stretch to the A’s and Blue Jays. One more game tomorrow with the A’s looking to take three of four, and really the Angels are lucky to have that chance. Oakland had a 6-1 lead in Friday’s game but committed two crucial errors late to give the game back to LAA. Brett Anderson goes for the A’s against Abilene native John Lackey.

The upcoming schedules for the two teams seems to favor the Rangers, especially later in the month. Matt already took a look at the September slate for the Rangers here. After tomorrow’s game with the Twins, the Rangers have a lot of series that should see them win two of three in all of them. Every series through the home set against the Angels September 18 needs to be a series win at least.

The Angels, meanwhile, head on the road for seven after tomorrow’s contest, beginning with three in the Pacific Northwest against the extremely pesky Mariners, who the Angels have not fared well against this year. The Angels are only 6-7 against the M’s this year, and Seattle is still playing good ball, sitting with a 68-62 mark and a 37-28 record at home.

The big news for the Angels came yesterday when they announced their acquistion of Rays P Scott Kazmir for what will amount to three minor leaguers when all is said and done. Kazmir should help the Angels down the stretch, although his numbers this year really have been nothing spectacular. His first start comes Wednesday against the Mariners.

However, the problem during this recent slide has not really been the starting pitching – it’s been the bullpen, the Achilles heel for the team the whole season. The offense is not doing its part either, only scoring more than five runs twice in the last twelve contests. With Seattle’s strong pitching, those struggles might continue.

So it seems the Angels have finally hit that rough patch of the season.  The Rangers have a chance to take advantage, with a relatively soft schedule over the next couple of weeks. Can they make up any ground without playing the Angels? If the answer’s yes, the Rangers might just find themselves in the thick of things deep into September and Oct—.

Whoops. Almost said the O-word.

Photo courtesy AP via Lone Star Ball

Texas Rangers Schedule | September 2009

Texas Rangers Schedule September 2009
As August winds down the Texas Rangers find themselves in unfamiliar territory, they’re sporting a winning record and have an outside chance to win the AL West. The Rangers went to Yankee Stadium and won 2 out of their 3 games against one of the hottest teams in baseball. Even if the Texas Rangers can’t catch up to the Los Angeles Angels and win the AL West, they are still in the middle of the Wild Card Playoff race with the Boston Red Sox. If the Ranger’s bullpen and pitching staff can keep it together for 6 more weeks we might get to see them in the playoffs in 2009. Things are looking up for the Texas Rangers bats as well with the return of Ian Kinsler from the DL, Chris Davis from the minors, and Josh Hamilton from his season long slump. At the end of the Rangers September schedule we should have a clear picture whether or not playoffs are just a dream or if the’re an actual possibility.

Keys to a successful September:

• Stay Healthy
• Keep Hitting: Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler need to keep it up.
• Rotation: Millwood needs to pitch like an Ace. He as allowed 5ER’s in each of his last 2 starts.
• Bullpen: Looked a little shaky in August, Message to Ron Washington – Please do not pitch Franky in back to back days.

Texas Rangers TV and Game Schedule – September 2009
Fox Sports Southwest will carry most of the Rangers September games, although kdfi has 2 games and FOX has 1. If you haven’t made it to the Ballpark in Arlington, you need to go see the Rangers and their new winning ways before the regular season is over.
I had Rangers tickets to the Boston series and the ballpark was packed with mostly Rangers fans, but as always the bandwagon Texas Red Sox fans were their too.

Wild Card Standings

	Team	Games Back	Games Left
1.)	Boston Red Sox	-	0
2.)	Detroit Tigers	9.5	0
3.)	Seattle Mariners	10.0	0
	updated: 10/7/2009	@ 9:30AM

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DFW Hot Button: Dallas Cowboys Jerry-Tron / Scoreboard Do Over Rule

(This is the first edition of a new feature here at DSF that we are calling the “Hot Button.” We are calling it that for two reasons. First, because it will involve me or someone else analyzing an important, potentially controversial topic that is germane to Dallas sports discussion. Second, and perhaps most importantly, it is sponsored by our good friends at American Button Machines, the button maker capital of the Internet. See the connection? I figured you would. Now onto this week’s Hot Button…)

Scoreboard / Video Screen / Jerry-Tron Measurements:
• Largest high definition television screen in the world.
• Size: 160 feet by 72 feet | 49 meters by 22 meters | 11,520 square feet
• Resolution: equivalent to 1080p

The Dallas Cowboys Massive HD Screen or Jumbo-tron / Scoreboard has been quite the hot button topic in the media as of late. Is the screen high enough, some say yes (Jerry Jones included), and others are saying the Jumbo-tron needs to be raised. The NFL guidelines for this are that it must be at least 85 feet in the air, and the Jumbotron hangs at 90 feet. So, Jerry Jones, the Jumbo-tron, or the Dallas Cowboys should not be at fault because the NFL’s height requirements were not very well thought out. That said, instead of moving the massive HD screen up, which has been reported to make it inoperable the NFL has instead created a special rules.

Pro Football Talk / NBC Sports has announced that the new rule for the Jumbo-Tron / Scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium is as follows:

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Dallas Sports Offseason Report – 8/27/2009

The Cowboys’ NFL odds are coming into focus as the offseason is just a few weeks away from becoming the regular season. How is 2009 shaping up for the Cowboys and their Dallas Sports peers?

Dallas Cowboys

Interestingly enough, the stadium is the biggest newsmaker of the week for the Cowboys. The $1.2-billion Cowboys Stadium has been lauded for its beauty but the jumbo-tron above the field looms so huge that Titans punter A.J. Trapasso hit it with a punt last week.

Tony Romo and Roy Williams are finally improving their rapport. Williams caught five balls against the Titans last week. In other receiver news, Sam Hurd continues to distance himself from Miles Austin for the WR3 job. Hurd isn’t explosive but he’s consistent; Austin has deep speed but has no official catches this preseason, though he did have a 74-yard kick-return touchdown called back for holding.

Dallas Mavericks

You know it’s a slow news week when a rumor from the online betting community is the top headline. The conspiracy theory goes like this; the Mavs commonly ask their players to avoid international play so they don’t get hurt. Dallas did so with Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Barea. However, newly acquired Nathan Jawai still has the green light for the World Basketball Championships. That could mean the Mavs aren’t worried about him burning himself out because they’re planning to deal him.

Dallas Stars

The Dallas front office remains quiet and, as a result, no one has any idea of what to expect for the Stars’ hockey odds this season. In a sense, I’m betting management feels its best acquisition is returning captain Brenden Morrow, who missed most of 2008-09 with a torn ACL. He’s the heart and soul of the club and one of the best all-around players in the game, delivering big hits, blocking shots and scoring clutch goals. The competition will be steep in the West this season but the Stars at least have a chance to contend for eighth, depending largely on how quickly Morrow gets his legs back and if Marty Turco can rebound after a poor season.

Allen Americans Schedule Change

ALLEN, Texas – The Central Hockey League announced today that there has been a schedule change for the Allen Americans and Colorado Eagles. The game scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, at Colorado has been moved to Sunday, Nov. 15. The start time will remain 7:05 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, 8:05 p.m. Central Standard Time.

The Americans, the Dallas Stars’ CHL affiliate, begin play this fall in the newly built Allen Event Center. Season tickets and partial plans 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. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.

Texas Rangers Report – August 25

Dallas’ NFL betting odds may be the best pro bet in Texas right now (not counting the Longhorns’ BCS chances, of course), due to a recent slide by the Rangers. They’re still in the hunt, however, and every time this team is counted out, they end up back in the thick of things.

Current record: 69-54
AL West rank: 2
AL wildcard rank: 2
Odds to win World Series: roughly 60/1

THE LINEUP
Nelson Cruz has returned to the lineup missing three weeks with an ankle injury, and he’s gone 2-for-11 with a homer and an RBI in four games since. Meanwhile, Michael Young was absolutely on fire, going 15-of-30 with a dinger and eight RBIs to earn the American League’s Player of the Week honor. The six-time All-Star carried an 11-game hit streak into the Rangers’ series opener in New York on Tuesday, and he had three straight three-hit games in a row. Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler are still struggling, while Marlon Byrd is continuing his hot August.

THE ROTATION
Vicente Padilla was released and promptly signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers after four inconsistent seasons in Texas, and the Rangers responded by keeping 6’8” Dustin Nippert in the rotation. The righthander is no Roy Halladay, who would have easily boosted the Rangers’ online betting odds, but with youngsters Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland coming on, and Scott Feldman having a great season out of nowhere, the Rangers should be okay, if not for this year, then next year.

THE BULLPEN
The bullpen settled down after costing the Rangers a win in a 9-6 loss at home to Minnesota last week, but they haven’t been getting that many chances. They’re being extra careful with Neftali Feliz, while C.J Wilson and Frank Francisco are a solid one-two closing duo.

OVERALL OUTLOOK
Betting services have been tough on the Rangers this week, dropping them from 10/1 in this year’s World Series odds. They continue a nine-game road trip by heading to New York and Minnesota, which will be no easy feat, before coming home to host Toronto. As of Tuesday, the Rangers were only 1.5 games out of the wild-card spot, behind Boston, and that is no insurmountable gap. A lack of inexperience may hurt the Rangers down the stretch, but at 60/1, it couldn’t hurt to lay a little on their World Series odds.

Loupée lands invite to Worcester camp

Forward becomes fifth American with plans to attend NHL or AHL camp

The Allen Americans announced today that they are sending another player to an American Hockey League training camp. The Worcester Sharks invited forward Bill Loupée to their camp Sept. 21.

Loupée is excited about the invitation. “It’s a good opportunity and will be a good experience before coming to Allen,” Loupée said Tuesday.

Americans Head Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins has similar thoughts.

“To be able to go and compete at the American League level will be a great learning experience for Billy. With his strong work ethic and ability to skate, I think he’ll make a positive impression,” Mullins said.

Loupée, 24, is known for his strong skating ability and has a knack for creating scoring opportunities. He can play wing or center, making him a flexible asset for any club.

The 5-foot-10 forward weighs 183 pounds. He graduated from Miami University in Ohio this year and was part of the school’s first trip to the Frozen Four.

Loupée joins the growing list of Americans attending AHL or National Hockey League camps. Goaltender Chris Whitley and forward Justin Bowers will be skating with the Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes respectively, while Liam Huculak and Bruce Graham have been invited to attend the Texas Stars’ training camp.

Attached photo by Jeffrey Sabo/Miami University.

The Americans, the Dallas Stars’ CHL affiliate, begin play this fall in the newly built Allen Event Center. Season tickets and partial plans 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. – 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday.

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule Week 3 – 49ers

The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium’s first game was a success for the Cowboys football team, but the game presentation left a lot of room for improvement. The stadium announcer was reportedly calling Felix Jones “Julian Jones” who has not been a Dallas Cowboy for several seasons. The huge HD screen is to low and was hit by punts in warm ups, as well as by a punt during the game. The rumor around Dallas is that Jerry Jones will be spending some more money on Cowboys Stadium so that the Jumbotron screens will have the ability to be raised or lowered. The Cowboys looked great against the Titans in their 30-10 win, It will be interesting to see which team shows up this week against the San Francisco 49ers.

Preseason Game 3 | Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
Time: 7:00PM Central Time
Day / Date: Saturday – August 29, 2009
Location: Cowboys Stadium – Arlington Texas
TV Channel: CBS 11 – KTVT
Game Tickets: Dallas Cowboys Tickets as low as $45 at StubHub!

The Dallas Cowboys are 1 – 1 in the preseason, the starters have looked good in each game, but the reserves played terrible in the first preseason game, and then looked great in the second preseason game against the Titans. The Cowboys will face the 2 – 0 San Francisco 49ers in their third game of the preseason.

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The Return of Chris Davis

According to multiple media outlets, including mlb.com, InsideCorner and the Dallas Morning News, Chris Davis will be recalled for the Rangers’ series against the New York Yankees, which begins Tuesday.

No corresponding roster move has been announced by the club, although if I had to make a bet, Andruw Jones to the DL would be the move I would think the team would make in  order to make room on the active roster for Chris.

So what does this move mean for the team? It means that the offense should get a jump start. Hank Blalock has hit .242 with a .270 OBP in his time as the starting first baseman and .128 over the last ten days. As much as Hank has meant to this team in the past, those numbers are unacceptable for a contending team.

Compounding the difficulties at the plate this weekend were some defensive lapses that could have cost the Rangers a few more runs. In each game of this weekend’s series loss to Tampa, the Rangers threw wild on a pickoff attempt to third base, sending a Ray to third base. Now, how much did that contribute to the call for Chris Davis? Hard to tell.

What’s also hard to tell is what the Rangers are going to get out of Davis. Granted, the Rays’ pitching staff is one of the better ones in the bigs, and the Rangers were not that far from winning or even sweeping this series in the Sunshine State.

But the offense scuffled at times in this series, which probably prevented the team from taking Saturday night’s game. This upcoming week is going to be critical for this team, as four wins needs to be the goal. Three in New York followed by three in the Metrodome is not going to make that an easy task, but Boston has four against the White Sox and three against the Blue Jays, all at home. That probably means five wins at least for the Boston club.

Tampa Bay has three at Toronto, followed by three at Detroit, so for those worried about the Rays, don’t be overly concerned this week, especially considering the Rays are ten games under .500 on the road.

So there’s the setup for this week for the Wild Card contenders. (The Angels are at home against Detroit and Oakland, for those interested)

But what exactly is Davis going to give this team? In 44 games at AAA, Davis hit .327 with a .418 OBP, and had 25 walks against 39 strikeouts in that time along with six home runs and 30 RBI.

Is Chris Davis really going to be a huge help to this offense? Possibly, but probably not. But anything above what Hank Blalock was giving the team, and this offense will be better off. Davis will also reportedly get a majority of the playing time at 1B, with Hank Blalock being pretty much banished to the bench.

There are still problems with this offense. Davis’ recall from Oklahoma City probably won’t spark this offense (although it could). But the Rangers don’t need Davis to set the world on fire. They just need him to be better than what they’ve had. And I’m pretty sure Chris will be able to do that.

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