Dallas Sports Offseason Update

Stars hire new head coach, Mavs trade rumors blowing

While many sports fans prepare their Stanley Cup betting picks for the big Game 7 in Detroit Friday night and the Magic try to draw even with the Lakers tonight, the offseason rages on for the city of Dallas in the NHL, NBA and NFL. Let’s catch up with our favorite teams and see how their offseasons are going.

The Dallas Stars

For the second straight week, the Dallas Stars are the top newsmaker in the Offseason Update. Last week, they hired Joe Nieuwendyk as their new general manager; this week it was time for a coaching change. Dave Tippett, who coached the Stars to a 271-162-59 record over six seasons but never got the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final, got the axe this week and Dallas wasted no time in hiring their new head coach. They chose veteran bench boss Marc Crawford today and many Dallas fans, not to mention anyone hoping to bet on Stars’ Stanley Cup futures at their sportsbook, are not too pleased.

Crawford made a name for himself when he coached the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup in 1996 but has struggled since then. Coaching Vancouver and Los Angeles for nine total seasons, Crawford missed the playoffs five times and advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once. Only time will tell if he can shake that funk; he does arguably have a better roster to start with than inherited in Vancouver and L.A.

The Dallas Mavericks

Are the Mavs trying to trade for the Wizards’ fifth overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft? That’s the rumor, though most of the buzz is coming from blogs and forums rather than major media sources. Most fans are betting management in Dallas wants center Jordan Hill, though it remains to be seen what the Mavs would give up to get him?

Jason Kidd becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and all indications are that Dallas will try to re-sign him. If they don’t, they’ll have virtually nothing to show for the trade that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey and they’ll risk alienating their fans with a situation paralleling Steve Nash’s departure to Phoenix. The circumstances obviously aren’t totally the same, as Kidd likely has much less left in the tank than Nash did when he blew town.

The Dallas Cowboys

There’s the Wildcat offense and there’s…the Razorback? The Cowboys are experimenting with their answer to the Wildcat this offseason and they may have the pieces to seriously boost their offshore sportsbook odds next season. Currently, the Razorback – a tribute to Felix Jones’ success in the Wildcat at Arkansas – has former college quarterback Patrick Crayton under center, Tony Romo spread wide and, of course, Jones at running back. The pieces are certainly in place for success.

Meanwhile, Michael Irvin’s reality show, 4th and Long, continues. In the most recent episode, receiver Luke Swann was cut due to nagging injuries. Eight contestants remain, with the winner earning a spot at Cowboys’ training camp. Whatever happens, the victor is still a major long shot to make the team for 2009 according to those who bet on sports and follow the odds.