Dallas Sports Offseason Update

Stars sign Nieuwendyk to lead the way; Changes in the ‘Boys locker room

Get away from those Belmont Stakes odds for a second and catch up on what has been going on for a couple of the Lone Star State’s teams in the offseason. We all know offseason moves will directly relate to offshore sportsbook odds, and you wouldn’t want to be misinformed, would you?

The Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are trying to bounce back from a trying season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in five years (not counting the lockout in 2005), only one year after reaching the Western Conference finals. But the Stars made a big front-office change, reassigning general managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson and hiring Joe Nieuwendyk, who won the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP with the Stars in 1999. Hull, in particular, played a huge role in bringing Sean Avery to Dallas last year, and we all know how that turned out. Nieuwendyk has experience, spending his retirement time as an assistant to the GM in both Florida and Toronto, and he has one of the finest hockey minds in the game. Mike Modano also decided to come back for his 20th season, all with the Stars. Modano was one of the most vocal players in terms of Avery’s behavior, and his veteran leadership is crucial to the Dallas’ NHL betting odds for next season.

The Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are, well, the Cowboys. They released Terrell Owens (gone to Buffalo) and Adam “Pacman” Jones, two of the most controversial players in the league. Dallas also lost defensive end Chris Canty to their NFC East rivals in New York, while releasing safety Roy Williams and Pro Bowl linebacker Greg Ellis, in what seemed to be a salary-cap move. To fill some gaps, the Cowboys brought in another Pro Bowl linebacker, Keith Brooking, from Atlanta, while Matt Stewart was also signed. Stewart, a linebacker, played for coach Wade Phillips in Atlanta in 2003 and had his best season. To improve their NFL odds, they also acquired Jon Kitna from Detroit to back up Tony Romo, who hasn’t been the most solid quarterback in the big games. In a new stadium, and their 50th season in the NFL, pressure is going to be ramped up on the Cowboys (we know, hard to believe, right?), and they’ve shown over the past couple of seasons that they tend to panic, so players should go into betting management mode with the Cowboys.