Dallas Sports Report 3-18-2010

Dallas Report

With March Madness brackets being crumpled up around the country and thrown into waste baskets; the professional sports world seems to have taken a pause for the moment. In actuality, everything is still moving forward as the NBA and NHL seasons are in the home stretch of the season, the MLB is in the middle of the preseason, with the regular season is only weeks away, while the NFL has the college Draft in less than a month and free agents are picking new homes. Here’s what’s happening in Dallas.

Sportsbook: NBA: Dallas Mavericks (46-22, t-2^nd in Western Conference)

The Mavericks have been able to take somewhat of a break in the last week as they’ve only played twice since last Thursday. Dallas had its 13 game winning streak snapped at home by the New York Knicks who came into the game with a chip on their shoulder after the Mavs blew the Knicks out earlier in the season in MSG by 50. The Knicks returned the favored with an embarrassing blowout of their own, 128-94. Dallas got back on their horse and were destroying the Chicago Bulls most of the game until a late run against the Mavs reserves made the final 113-106. The Mavs continue their journey to the playoffs Saturday at home versus the Celtics.

5dimes review: NHL: Dallas Stars (30-26-13, 73 points, t-11^th in Western Conference)

The Stars started this seven game home stand with two losses to playoff teams in the West; falling to the Kings 2-1 last Friday and to Colorado 5-3 on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Stars had to face the Western Conference leading San Jose Sharks and with playoff hopes dwindling, the Stars came up shining bright with an 8-2 beatdown of the Sharks. Dallas sits seven points behind the Red Wings for the final spot in the playoffs and needed that game and tonight’s game against the Flyers and Saturday’s vs. the Senators as they are must wins for the Stars with only 13 games remaining. The Stars wrap up their home stand Sunday against the streaking Coyotes. This is the make or break point of the season for the Stars.

MLB: Texas Rangers- Preseason

The Rangers made news this week when manager Ron Washington released a statement that he tested positive for cocaine last season. Owner Nolan Ryan said the team knew about the positive test right away and that Washington offered to resign. Ryan refused his resignation and the Rangers manager reportedly finished all the necessary classes and tasks that a positive test requires of you for the MLB. Washington will manage the team as planned.

OF Josh Hamilton has an infected root canal and will miss two weeks for dental work. Hamilton seems to always have something nagging him.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys – Offseason

With the NFL Draft fast approaching, the Cowboys have been silent in free agency up until now, with a major reason being the peculiar rules that being one of the final eight teams brings with an uncapped year under this current CBA. The big news right now is that the Cowboys old digs, Texas Stadium will be imploded on April 11^th and tickets are being sold to watch the show. In regards to the draft, the Cowboys have worked out a number of pro-prospects including Oklahoma St. receiver Dez Bryant who they would likely have to trade up to get to bolster their receiving corp. (Also check out our March Madness Odds)

Texas Longhorns vs Wake Forst Demon Deacons

You won’t have to skip work or school to see the Texas Longhorns take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Thursday because the game is at 8:35 PM Central Time. The State of Texas has had a slew of teams qualify for March Madness, and none had more questions surrounding whether or not they would make the tournament than the Longhorns.

The Texas Longhorns look better on paper, but paper does not take into account their slide after being ranked #1 in the nation at one point to now not even having an AP rank. The Longhorns RPI rank is 29, and the finished their season at 24-9 going 9-7 in the Big 12. Texas made it to the 2nd Round last year and the Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes is 19-17 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons do not have an AP Rank and did not even receive votes, however the team was able to beat Gonzaga, Richmond, Xavier, and Clemson so don’t let that trick you into thinking that they are going to get blown out. The Deacons have an RPI rank of 39 and went 6-5 against the RPI top 50. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons made a first round exit last year and head coach Dino Gaudio is 0-1 in the NCAA tournament.

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Ron Washington Tests Positive for Cocaine

Certainly not the way I expected my Wednesday to go. SI’s Jon Heyman reported today that Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season.

My first reaction was uh-oh. This means a lot of reporters crawling over the complex, distracting everybody with all these questions. I know somebody who certainly didn’t need this is Josh Hamilton.

As I write this, C.J. Wilson just made a great point about Wash’s job security: If the Rangers were going to fire him, they would have done it when Ron went to the team last year.

Follow the jump for more. Read more

Texas Rangers: Ron Washington Tests Positive for Cocaine

It is being reported by a few different news outlets that Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 baseball season. As with any positive drug test in the major leagues Ron Washington has had to undergo more regular drug testing. The Texas Rangers clearly decided that Ron Washington’s positive test for cocaine was something that he could overcome otherwise the would have probably let him go last year.

This sheds more light on the speculation that Ron Washington was going to be let go last season. We all thought he had been under a lot of scrutiny for the teams record, but now it would appear that his job was pretty secure if he used cocaine and tested positive. Also how much was he using if he tested positive for his only drug test of the season? We will probably never know, but it makes you wonder.

The Rangers are going to hold a press conference today to address Ron Washington’s positive test for cocaine.

Here are some of Ron Washington’s quotes from the SI.com article on Ron Washington positive test for cocaine.

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Cowboy Corner: A Look at the Offseason

Cowboys Offseason

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

NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685

The Cowboys Offense

The sports betting world will be keeping a close eye on the Dallas Cowboys offense in 2010. The Cowboys offense finished 2^nd overall in 2009, but that is in yards per game. The knock against the Cowboys’ offense was not about moving the ball, it was about getting the ball into the end zone. The Cowboys were ranked 13^th in the league with 43 touchdowns in 2009. While that is a far cry better than the 17 scored by the Rams, it still falls short of what a team needs to win a Super Bowl.

All of the pressure this season will be on QB Tony Romo. While the sports world is focused on March madness odds right now, Tony Romo is working on becoming more in tune with his receivers. The surprising emergence of wide receiver Miles Austin threw a monkey wrench into the Cowboys offense. Roy Williams was supposed to be the number one receiver but after several drops early in the season, Williams was seeing the ball less and Austin in the endzone more often.

Another issue is that Tony Romo is 29-years-old and he still does not seem to have hit the height of his skills yet. Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson is working with Romo on improving, but it is difficult to find that mix between Romo’s gun slinger attitude and the accuracy he so desperately lacks.

Do not look for the Cowboys to make many moves in the off-season at offense. With the exception of the two offensive line guard positions, the Cowboys have very few needs on offense. They have a solid corps of receivers with Williams, Austin, Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd. The Cowboys may have the best lineup of running backs in the league with Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. The rumors that LaDainian Tomlinson could wind up in Dallas turned out to be false. There is no need for Dallas to spend that kind of money.

The Cowboys also have one of the best tight ends in the game in Jason Whitten. The football world can feel a little sorry for backup tight end Martellus Bennett who has to wait his turn in a line that never seems to move.

The one pick-up the Cowboys did make in the offseason was QB Jon Kitna to backup Romo. A move like that has a lot of positive implications. Not only is Kitna a quality backup that could step in when Romo is hurt, he can also help to mentor Romo and maybe help Romo find his way in the NFL after all of these years.

The Cowboys did manage to improve their lost fumble ratio to +2 in 2009, which is much better than the -11 they had in 2008. Another improvement in 2009 was Romo’s interceptions. In 2008 he threw 14, but in 2009 he only threw 9.

The Cowboys offense has very few holes in it, but there are some questions to be answered. Will Romo answer the bell this season and get the Cowboys off to a good start instead of a slow one? Will Austin or Williams be the number one WR? How will defenses stop the Dallas run game? It is a lot of questions to be answered for the 2010 season.

Texas A&M Aggies vs Utah State Aggies

The 5th seed Texas A&M Aggies will face the 12th seed Utah State Aggies in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. March Madness 2010 kicks off on Thursday, but this game will not be played until Friday March 19th.

Texas A&M Aggies appear to be the stronger team on paper with an RPI Rank of 13, and an AP rank of 23rd in the nation. The Texas A&M Aggies have history on their side too. In 2009 the Aggies were ousted in the second round, and the Texas A&M Coach Mark Turgeon is 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Utah State Aggies have more March Madness appearances then Texas A&M, however they have less tournament wins. The Utah State Aggies RPI rank is also a 30 and they do not have an AP rank. The Utah State Aggies coach, Stew Morrill is 1-7 in the NCAA tournament.

However you can throw out all of the information above on Friday when both of these teams will battle to keep their March Madness hopes alive. In my bracket I chose the Texas A&M Aggies to move on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas A&M Aggies vs Utah State Aggies Game Time, TV Channel and Betting Spreads
Day / Date: Friday – March 19th 2010
Location: Spokane, WA – Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Game Time: 3:45 PM Central Time
TV Channel: CBS
Betting Spread: Texas A&M -3 | Utah State +3
Tickets:

Get Texas A&M vs Utah State Tickets on StubHub.com!

Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics

The Mavericks will take on the Boston Celtics on Saturday March 20th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Celtics are 42-24 and are holding onto the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, and just like the Mavericks have already clinched a playoff spot. The Boston Celtics have struggled with injuries since the All Star break and have been an up and down team because of this.

This year we will see if the Celtics core got to old overnight, or if they can rebound from their injuries and make a statement in the playoffs. This game will be the first of several games that will tell us a lot about what to expect from the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs. The games to pay attention to down this final stretch before the playoffs are:

• Saturday March 20th – Boston Celtics
• Monday March 29th – Denver Nuggets
• Thursday April 1st – Orlando Magic
• Saturday April 3rd – Oklahoma City Thunder
• Friday April 9th – Portland Trailblazers
• Wednesday April 14th – San Antonio Spurs

With the exception of the game against the Trailblazers all of these games will be played at the American Airlines Center, so a little extra emphasis should be placed on the Portland game. With that said lets take a look at the Ticket, TV Channel and Betting Spreads & Information.

Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics | Tickets – TV Channel – Betting Spreads Information
Mavericks-Celtics Game Time: 8:00 PM Central Time
Mavericks-Celtics Day / Date: Saturday – March 20th 2010
Mavericks-Celtics TV Channel: KTXA – 21
Mavericks-Celtics Location: American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
Mavericks-Celtics Spread: When Available
Mavericks-Celtics Tickets:

Mavericks vs Celtics Tickets on StubHub.com!

Baylor Bears vs Sam Houston State Bearkats – March Madness

The great state of Texas will be well represented at 2010 NCAA Tournament, and the Baylor Bears are the highest seeded team from Texas. March Madness 2010 will tip off on Thursday March 18 2010. The 3 seed Baylor Bears will take on the 14 seed Sam Houston State Bearkats. At first glance you would probably expect the Baylor Bears to roll on the Bearkats, but don’t be to sure, Baylor is prone to the upset. The Sam Houston State Bearkats could get an opportunity to move on if Baylor does not start out sharp in this one.

With that said I am going to have to agree with the spread that Vegas put out, and take the Baylor Bears. Yes, I chose the Bears to move on in my bracket, I just don’t think that Sam Houston State has enough to upset them, but you never know.

Lets take a look at the Game Information including: tickets, game time, tv channel, and location. We will also look at the betting information, spreads and over / under.

South Region | Baylor Bears vs Sam Houston State Bearkats Ticket – Game – Betting Information
Location: New Orleans Arena | New Orleans, LA
Game Time: 1:45 Central Time
TV Channel: CBS
Spread: Baylor -12, Sam Houston +12
Tickets:

Baylor Sam Houston State Tickets on StubHub.com!

Dallas Update: Mavericks Stars Cowboys & Texas Rangers

NBA: Dallas Mavericks (45-21, 2^nd in Western Conference)

-       The Mavericks keep on rolling and have now won 13 games in a row after dispatching the Kings, the Bulls, the Timberwolves and the Nets in the past week. Dirk Nowitzki and crew have continued their strong play since the trade deadline but it has been rookie guard, Rodrigue Beaubois that has been a big reason for the success.  Widely thought of as heir apparent to Jason Kidd, Beaubois has seen his minutes rise this past week and his production has followed suit as Beaubois has averaged 27 minutes in the past five games after being a DNP for a lot of the previous month. In these past five games, Beaubois is averaging 17 points, 3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He’s also shooting a shade below 55% from the field and 35% from three. Beaubois is lightning quick in transition and gives the Mavs a whole different element going into the playoffs. After a torrid schedule last week where they played five games in seven days, the Mavs get to relax a bit as they only have two games this week, and they’re against the lowly Knicks and the sliding Bulls. Look for the Mavs keep to keep the engine going full bore and get that win streak up to 15 by week’s end.

5dimes review: NHL: Dallas Stars (29-25-12, 70 points, 10^th in Western Conference)

-       The Stars just finished a week in which that had to face some of the top teams in the league. They came away 1-3, with a surprise victory over the Washington Capitals in Washington on Monday, 4-3 in a shootout. Goalie Marty Turco made 49 saves in that game. In the rest of the Stars games, they were massacred. The Stars gave up 6, 6 and 5 goals in the other three games last week and the defense has been a whole new kind of atrocious recently. The Stars will face four more playoff teams this coming week and look like a good team to bet against as their playoff hopes look grim unless they can somehow turn it around quickly.

Sportsbook: MLB: Texas Rangers – Preseason

-       Preseason is a week underway now and the Rangers got outfielder Josh Hamilton on the field, albeit a couple of games after spring training began. Hamilton came back and went 2-3 and felt fine after the game.

-       Texas acquired relief pitcher Edwar Ramirez from the Yankees for cash. Ramirez, when on, has one of the best changeups in the game.

-       1^st base top prospect and likely to threaten to be a starter out of camp this year, Justin Smoak, has a strained hip and took some time off for treatment.

-       P Rich Harden threw two and 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, walked three and threw a wild pitch. His velocity was in the mid to high 80’s which is a red flag. More to come on the often fragile Harden.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys – Offseason

-       All is quiet in Cowboys land as free agency in the uncapped year is underway. The Cowboys already have a very high payroll and will have to pay out big money to Roy Williams, who doesn’t deserve it, Flozell Adams, who is likely to be replaced in the draft or in some other means, and Marion Barber who is always hurt. Jerry Jones will probably wait until after all the March Madness betting is over and the complex structure of the free agent class of 2010 sorts itself out as the Cowboys are restricted by the “final eight rule” that prohibits them from signing an unrestricted free agent for more than 5.7 + million dollars a year. Look for the Cowboys to look at trading Marion Barber in the upcoming weeks.

Dallas Sports: WTF Moment – Super Bowl XLV Ad

This is a video ad that is supposed to be promoting Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. This video features some prominent Dallas Sports Athletes singing Faith Hill’s “This Kiss, This Kiss”. The Dallas Athletes featured in the video include Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Romo, Brett Hull, and more.

Well there really isn’t much else to say except that this is definitely a Dallas Sports WTF moment. Sit back and enjoy this Super Bowl XLV video ad, possibly one of the cheesiest videos I have ever layed eyes upon.

Dallas Athletes sing Faith Hill’s “This Kiss, This Kiss” on YouTube.

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