Dallas Sports Teams Report

Dallas Mavericks, Stars, Cowboys and Texas Rangers Report

Sportsbook: NBA: Dallas Mavericks (37-21, 4^th in Western Conference)

-       The Dallas Mavericks are scorching hot as they have now rolled off five victories in a row. A big part of their success has been recent addition Brendan Haywood. At the trade deadline, the Mavs traded Josh Howard and Drew Gooden and somehow got back Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood. Howard is now out for the season with a torn ACL and the Mavs are looking like bandits. Brendan Haywood is one of the league’s premier defensive centers and Caron Butler is a guard/forward that can take over games all by himself at times. The Mavs were able to knock off the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 101- 96 behind 31 points from Dirk Nowitzki and 30 from Jason Terry. Butler did not play due to an allergic reaction to some medicine. Brendan Haywood had 11 points, nine rebounds and a whopping five blocks. The Mavs next game is Friday at Atlanta.

NHL: Dallas Stars (28-21-12, 68 points t-9^th in Western Conference)

-       The Olympic break has not been a passive one for Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. The Stars had a logjam at goaltender with Mary Turco, Alex Auld and recently acquired Kari Lehtonen. Marty Turco is 4-1-1 in his last six starts and gained the starting job which led to the Stars waiving Alex Auld. The Stars will likely make a trade at the deadline to make a push for the playoffs as they are only one point out currently, but Marty Turco apparently will not be part of a deal.

US Sportsbook Review: MLB: Texas Rangers: Spring Training

-       The Texas Rangers will look to get off to a fast start this season but they will have to do it without Khalil Greene who was unable to report to camp with “a recurrence of issues he’s dealt with in the past” according to GM Jon Daniels. The Rangers will now need to find someone else to fill in as the utility infielder for the season. Greene may yet return to the team, but it will not be to start the season.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys: Offseason

-       The Cowboys did not place a franchise tag on WR Miles Austin and will now have to offer him a deal to keep him. Austin has been the most effective receiver for the Cowboys and is coming off his first pro-bowl season. The Cowboys may try to give him a tender, because he’s a restricted free agent, which would pay Austin over three million dollars for one year and allow the Cowboys to get a first and third round pick if they do not match another team’s offer sheet. The Cowboys will likely keep Austin if the price does not get too high, however many teams would love a player of Austin’s caliber and sorely need a number one receiver.

-       NFL Predictions : With the enigmatic Roy Williams taking up space in the Cowboys’ salary cap and not performing anywhere near his expectations, the Cowboys would be smart to get Austin signed to a deal on their own terms.

Dallas Mavericks Schedule March 2010

There is lots to be excited about in regards to the Dallas Mavericks. The team was able to get rid of some team kryptonite in Josh Howard which is a plus by itself. However when you add to this that we got Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood in return this deal was definitely a steal for the Mavericks. The only player I didn’t want to see go is Drew Gooden, even though he is one of the most inefficient players his hustle factor was there every night.

The Mavericks schedule in March will be pretty friendly as we make our playoff push, because of this only 2 games will make it to National Television. Tickets are still available for upcoming games, and I recommend checking out StubHub if you are planning to head to the games. There are two don’t miss games in the month of March, both the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets will swim through town.

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Cowboy Corner: Will Miles Austin be a Cowboy in 2010?

Cowboys Offseason

Sportsbook Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685

Is There A Chance Miles Austin Will Not Be A Cowboy In 2010?

After a breakout, Pro Bowl season, there is no question that wide receiver Miles Austin has plenty of value that the Dallas Cowboys not only want, but rely upon. After Terrell Owens departed and Roy Williams never filled his shoes, Austin stepped up and led the wide receiving corps.

The Cowboys brass is saying all of the right things, but fans can’t help but be a little nervous right now.

Austin is a free agent, although he is of the restricted variety. The good news is that the Cowboys can use a tender on him and it would take an opposing team to really make an effort above and beyond the call of duty to pry him from the Cowboys.

But that is possible – just ask the Seattle Seahawks when they lost Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson in a similar situation a few years ago.

The best way to secure Austin would be to either sign him to a long term contract or franchise tag him. The latter method would cost the team just under $10 million, which isn’t appealing and the former way is dicey considering there is no collective bargaining agreement beyond this year.

Right now, Austin is in the driver’s seat. Whether he gets the franchise tag or a long term deal, or is courted by another team for a lucrative contract, he should be thinking big for his next contract.

What the Cowboys are most likely to do is give him the highest restrictive free agency tender, which would mean two things:

For starters, any team that signed him would have to give a first- and third-round pick to the Cowboys in return if Austin did leave and sign with the new team and also, the Cowboys would have the option to match any deal that Austin would agree to with the new team.

Most NFL picks are expecting the Cowboys to use that tender because there won’t be many NFL teams that want to give up first and a third for him. At the same time, most NFL teams won’t find a receiver as good as Austin in the first round of the 2010 draft, so they might be tempted.

At the end of the day, expect Austin to be a Cowboy but there is some anxiety considering he isn’t locked up quite yet.

Tiger Woods Apology: I am truly sorry

The most interesting part of the Press Conference is that Tiger Woods announced that he is returning to therapy and is not returning to the PGA Tour in the near future, however he did say that he is not ruling out a return to the PGA Tour this season. If you want a play by play on the apology read below:

note: Tiger’s wife Elin was not in attendance

Tiger Woods issued his apology to the world today, he was clearly reading a well written speech from a piece of paper. However Tiger did look up from his paper when he apologized which made it a little better. He apologized to:

• Everyone
• Elin & Family
• Fans
• Sponsors
• Charity / Foundation

Tiger Woods said that his transgressions started when he drifted from away from buddhism which his mom has taught him since he was a young boy.

Props should be given to Tiger Woods for being a man and finally defending his wife and publicly apologizing to his family. However a little bit is always lost when you apologize from a speech that is written on a piece of paper, and lose your place a couple of times.

Tiger took full responsibility for his action several times throughout the press conference, and also apologized to the aforementioned several times. Read more

Dallas Update: Mavericks – Stars – Texas Rangers

Dallas Mavericks (33-21, 1^st in Southwest Division)

The Dallas Mavericks have been a sports betting enigma so far this season but they are hoping that a recent trade deadline acquisition will help right the ship. The Mavericks are just 8-10 in their last 18 games and their division lead has shortened to just one game in the Southwest.

The Mavericks made a move to find that consistent No. 2 scorer behind Dirk Nowitzki this week and that man is tabbed to be Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards. The Mavs had to part ways with Josh Howard but in turn they received a former All-Star in Butler and Brendan Haywood, who is all of the sudden a valuable addition now that Erick Dampier is hurt.

Overall, this team is still a big mixed bag but they did improve themselves. We’ll see if they can mesh down the stretch of the season and become a true playoff contender. At this point, fans are skeptical.

Dallas Stars (28-21-12, 4^th in Pacific)

The Dallas Stars are on break right now as the Winter Olympic Hockey tournament takes place and the only topics where they have come up is NHL trade rumors.

The Stars would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in should they start today but the good news is that they are just one point out of it and just three points out of seventh.

The good news for Dallas is that eight of their first 11 home games will take place at home, where they have been dominant this year. They are 18-6-5 at home and have just two regulation losses there since the start of January.

If they want to make a serious push, now will be the time when the NHL is back.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

Baseball betting tips are just around the corner as teams start to report shortly. This year, there is far more optimism for the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers went into last year with a pitiful pitching staff and a weak group of outfielders. Now the pitching is there and it’s the hitting that needs the focus.

New hitting coach and former Colorado Rockies manager, Clint Hurdle, is in charge. His first order of business will be to get the 2,633 swings and misses down to a more reasonable number and make the team more patient at the plate. The Rangers were the worst in both categories last year.

If they can improve on that, a playoff berth is not out of the question.

Cowboy Corner: Dallas Cowboys Offseason Report

Cowboys Offseason

Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (BetEd Reviews): Cowboys +685

Is Miles Austin A One-Hit Wonder?

While most people were expecting Roy Williams to step up and replace the contributions of Terrell Owens entering the 2009 season, it was a different Cowboys wide receiver that stepped up and became a star. Now that Miles Austin has one fantastic Pro Bowl season under his belt, the speculation has already begun as to whether he can do this again.

The good news is that Austin is saying a lot of the right things after going from being a little-known third receiver to the Pro Bowl. Austin has already talked about not resting on his laurels and working even harder this offseason. He won’t be a kept secret next year and he’ll be the focus of plenty of defensive attention.

One big help to Austin would be for Williams to finally play up to his potential. If he can play like the Pro Bowler that he once was, opposing defenses wouldn’t be able to double-team Austin regularly. Or if they did, Tony Romo and Williams could burn them.

Deon Anderson’s Status In Question

Fullback Deon Anderson didn’t exactly grab many headlines during the regular season for the Cowboys but since the team has hit the offseason, he has been a key story.

Anderson pulled a gun on a valet at a local Dallas restaurant and clearly there are some ramifications that come with those actions.

The team and the league are letting the matter play out legally before anyone makes a decision. Clearly, the result of that will likely result in Anderson receiving – or not receiving – team and/or league sanctions.

Anderson was a starter last year so he is an important team member.

Tashard Choice Trade Rumors

Internet betting fans have heard the trade rumors blowing early this offseason as the Cowboys have been linked in deals with the San Diego Chargers regarding Cowboys running back Tashard Choice and Chargers defensive back Antonio Cromartie.

So far, those rumors have proven to be just smoke but as we all know, where there is smoke there tends to be fire.

The Cowboys are in a position of desperation so they definitely don’t need to make a move but keep an eye for these rumors to heat up as the NFL Draft approaches.

The reality is that Choice, while he’s a good back, is third on the pecking order and the Cowboys could dangle him to improve their roster somewhere else.

Monster Jam Trucks Come to Cowboys Stadium

The Advance Autoparts Monster Jam is bringing the Monster Trucks to Dallas, Cowboys Stadium more specifically on February 27 2010. Yes Grave Digger is still around, and yes you should get tickets to see this event. This is another chance to see the inside of the Deathstar (Cowboys Stadium) on the cheap, and if you like Monster Trucks you are in hog heaven.

Advance Autoparts Monster Jam Event Information.
Monster Truck Dallas Day / Date: February
Monster Truck Dallas Gates Open: 5:00 PM
Monster Truck Dallas Start Time: 7:00 PM
Monster Truck Dallas Locations: Cowboys Stadium – Arlington Texas
Monster Truck Dallas Parking: Cowboys Stadium Parking Information
Monster Truck Dallas Tickets: Get Great Tickets on StubHub.com!

Event Ticket Prices are listed as shown below:

• Total Access Pass – $140
• Club Adult – $45
• Club Kids – $20
• Price Level 3 – $40 Adult | $20.00 Kids
• Price Level 4 – $35 Adult | $17.50 Kids
• Price Level 5 – $30 Adult | $15.00 Kids

Discount Coupons are located at Jack in the box from February 8th until the 26th and will save you $10.00.

Free Adult ticket vouchers will be given when you buy a pair of Wolverine Boots from Academy Sports and Outdoors. Bring the receipt and the Ticket Voucher and the fine folks in the Cowboys Stadium Box office will provide you with your ticket. This offer is also good from February 8th until the 26th.

Josh Howard is out Caron Butler is in

The All Star weekend was great for the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk won his All Star event for team Texas and the Mavs pulled of a 7 player deal. This trade has the potential to fix all of the roster questions that have surrounded the Mavericks for most of this season. Below are the players that are are coming and going.

The trade between the Mavericks and Wizards
Mavericks Get:
G/F Caron Butler
C Brendan Haywood
G DeShawn Stevenson

Wizards Get:
G/F Josh Howard
F/C Drew Gooden
F James Singleton
G Quinton Ross

On Dunham and Miller this morning they reported that Gooden and Howard were the Mavericks least efficient players. Haywood and Butler are the Wizards most efficient players this season.

J-Ho for Caron Butler
The biggest part of this deal is no doubt the fact that the Mavs were able to get rid of Josh Howard and his off court distractions. Caron Butler is a guard / forward that will fit better than Howard at the 2-guard spot. Another plus about Caron Butler is that from all of the accounts that I have heard he is a good guy on and off the court.

Josh Howard seemed to lose his game after his barrage of off season incidents and injuries, J-Ho never returned to the production level that the Mavs counted on in their championship run. Caron Butler improves the Mavericks 2-guard situation and can create his own offense and play a little defense, something Howard forgot how to do at some point.

J-Ho vs Caron Butler Stats 2009-2010
Josh Howard
31 Games 26:41 PPG 12.5 FG 40.1 3PT 26.7 FT 79.0 RBS 3.6 STL 0.7
Caron Butler
47 Games 39:23 PPG 16.9 FG 42.2 3PT 26.3 FT 87.7 RBS 6.7 STL 1.5

Butler has better numbers in almost every category.

The other major swap in this trade is the Mavericks F/C Drew Gooden for the Wizards C Brendan Haywood, the rest of the players were included to get the salaries right. Gooden was a nice player, but we needed him to be a true 7 footer and you can’t teach height.

Haywood is a true center that averages just under a double double a game, this will allow the Mavericks to have 2 true centers again. Watch for Haywood to edge Dampier by the end of the season for the starting job at center.

By Playoff time I believe the Mavericks lineup will be:
PG Jason Kidd
- Backups: Rodrigue Beaubois, Jose Juan Barea
SG Caron Butler
- Jason Terry, DeShawn Stevenson
SF Shawn Marion
- Caron Butler, Eduardo Najera, Matt Carroll
PF Dirk Nowitzki
- Tim Thomas, Eduardo Najera
C Brendan Haywood
- Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera

Conclusion
If I had to score the trade I would put it at Mavericks 3 – Wizards 1. The Mavericks get 2 points for getting rid of Josh Howard and replacing him with 2-time All Star Caron Butler. The Mavs get one more point for acquiring a productive center in Haywood, I think I would take him over Gortat as well. However the Mavs lost some depth in this deal which is why I give the Wizards 1 point. Don’t get me wrong though this trade is definitely lopsided in the Mavericks favor. Gotta love owner Mark Cuban and GM Donnie Nelson.

Dallas Mavericks Trade For Caron Butler

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks have just completed their rumored trade with the Washington Wizards, and the deal will be announced later tonight.

The biggest pieces in the trade are Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood going from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks, and Josh Howard and Drew Gooden moving from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards.

Full description after the jump. mavericks-trade-for-caron-butler/#more-3380″ class=”more-link”>Read more

What’s with all the Kevin Millwood love?

As I rolled through ESPN.com the other day, I saw a link to a video about AL West offseason activity. Of course, being the dutiful Rangers fan I am, I checked it out. It was a 3 Up, 3 Down segment with Buster Olney. Okay, I thought, this should have some positive Rangers vibes in it, right? Wrong.

The three up: Cliff Lee to Seattle, Ben Sheets to Oakland, Chone Figgins to Seattle.

The three down: John Lackey leaving the Angels, Kevin Millwood leaving the Rangers and Russell Branyan leaving Seattle.

My jaw almost hit the desk.

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