Cowboys Set Sights On Super Bowl In 2010-11
August 3, 2010 by Guest Contributor · 1 Comment
One year ago the Dallas Cowboys finally set the record straight on whether or not they had the talent, depth, and nerves to play December football and in to January when the playoffs got underway. A couple of massive wins over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles- the first which clinched the division and home field advantage in the Wild Card round, the second which was the actual Wild Card contest- were proof that quarterback Tony Romo and company could handle the pressure when it came down to it, which makes the outlook for the future that much brighter. Now comes the next step, which head coach Wade Phillips and his staff have declared as being football’s ultimate goal, to win the Super Bowl and bring the Vince Lombardi trophy to the most luxurious home in the NFL betting league in Cowboys Stadium.
Training camp is already underway for the 2010-11 sports betting season, as the Cowboys go through practices every day until opening their preseason this upcoming Sunday at Canton against the Cincinnati Bengals in the annual Hall of Fame game. Taking part in this contest means that Dallas will have five preseason dates this year, which appears to be fine for Phillips and his staff given the emphasis on attention to detail that the team will focus on this year. While the Cowboys’ draft picks have been working with the coaching staff for a couple of weeks, now is the time for the veterans to get their reps in, with the hope being to get through the next month without any of the starters suffering major injuries. The good thing for Dallas is that it will welcome just one new player to the mix from free agency in tackle Alex Barron, which should result in a continuity that will help this team be prepared.
Heading in to this football betting week, players on both the Cowboys and Bengals are getting amped up at the opportunity to participate in a full contact preseason game again, and this will be the first chance for fans and scouts to get a look at who has the edge to win the position battles that have been contested since the opening of camp. In Dallas, the biggest preseason battle will be for which of the reserves will replace the heavy-hitting Ken Hamlin at the safety spot after the veteran safety was not retained this summer. Converted cornerback Alan Ball has worked with the first team defense in every practice and looks to have the early edge to start, but reserve Mike Hamlin will push him. Meanwhile the offensive line will get back to work with a new left tackle for the first time in 12 years after Flozell Adams was let go by the organization, a move the team may regret of holdover Doug Free and Barron aren’t able to raise their game to another level. The Cowboys Bengals betting game will be the first look players have at this year’s NFL rosters on the field, so let the fun begin.
Dez Bryant Update: Profile – Scouting Report – 40 Time
June 7, 2010 by Matt Lawrence · Leave a Comment
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in the 2010 NFL draft and it seems more light has been shed on family problems than his on field play. Well I think it is high time that we take a look at the skills, scouting report, 40-Time and mini camp impressions of the talented wide receiver. The first thing that confirms Dez Bryants talent level to me is the fact that Cowboys veteran WR Patrick Crayton doesn’t even want to show up to OTA’s he would rather go to another team, however reports are Crayton is coming to camp.
I have no problem saying goodbye to Crayton, he is not worth the 2 million plus incentives….plus a headache. However this post is about Dez Bryant and his awesome athletic talents, so lets get back to the topic at hand.
Dez Bryant Profile, Scouting Report, 40 Time
Dez Bryant Height: 6’2″
Dez Bryant Weight: 225
Dez Bryant 40 Time: 4.52
Read more
Dallas Round-Up – Mavs have hands full with Spurs, Rangers struggling through AL East trip
April 22, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Kentucky Derby odds may get more attention than Dallas’ matchup with San Antonio in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but only if the Mavericks get their act together and start rolling in the series, but they’re up against a tough, experienced rival. Meanwhile, in MLB action, the Texas Rangers will just be happy to return home after a rough trip through baseball’s toughest division, the American League East.
Dallas had beaten the Spurs six straight times at home before a 102-88 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday, and after going 12-of-14 from the field in Game 1 (along with making all 12 of his free-throw attempts), Dirk Nowitzki was held to a 9-of-24 shooting performance, notching 24 points, while Jason Terry provided a spark off the pine with a game-high 27 points. Now, the series switches to San Antonio, where the Mavericks have split their last 10 trips, but they can be encouraged by the fact that they won two of three there in the playoffs last year en route to a five-game romp of the Spurs, who surely won’t forget that. Rebounding will be a big factor in this series: the Mavericks won the battle by a count of 45-37 in Game 1, but the Spurs turned the tables with a 51-42 edge on the glass.
Texas Rangers
On the other hand, horse racing odds may be a bit more positive than looking at the Rangers over the past week. Heading into Thursday night’s series finale in Boston, the Rangers had lost six in a row and plummeted to last in the American League West. It began with a 3-2 loss in Cleveland last Thursday, then the Rangers were swept in the Bronx by the defending World Series champion New York Yankees as they were outscored 17-6 over the weekend. At least they kept it close in Boston, falling 7-6 in the first game on Tuesday before losing 8-7 in 12 innings of the second game, so they’ll be eager to avoid a total sweep of their road trip on Thursday night, when they send out C.J. Wilson, who is making the ninth start of his major league career. The Rangers will return home on Friday for a four-game set with Detroit, followed by a three-game visit from the Chicago White Sox, and they’ll be watching the status of a couple players. Ian Kinsler has yet to suit up this year due to an ankle sprain, and he may make a rehab start sometime this week. Nelson Cruz has a hamstring problem, which would be a big blow to the lineup as Cruz is off to a flying start this year. However, Kinsler’s health is the key to Texas’ sports betting odds.
Dallas Round-Up –Mavs gear up for playoff meeting with Spurs, Rangers face tough week
April 15, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
With no Stanley Cup odds on the Dallas Stars, there is more time to pay attention to the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers for Dallas sports fans. The Mavericks are headed into another playoff battle with Texas rivals San Antonio, while the Rangers are headed to the American League for a wild, and probably difficult, week.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks ended the season on a five-game winning streak, which gave them the second seed in the Western Conference, and set up a date with San Antonio, who they beat in the season finale, although the Spurs didn’t dress Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili. The Mavericks took three of four from the Spurs this season, making it eight of their last 10 overall, and they’ll be out for a second straight playoff ousting of the Spurs as they rolled San Antonio in five games last season. NBA championship odds have the Mavericks at +600 to win the Western Conference, and +1200 to win the title, so they’ll be the favorites in this series, and they go in completely healthy. Caron Butler complained of a bad hip down the stretch, but it didn’t seem to affect his play as he dropped 20 points on the Spurs in a 96-89 win on April 14th.
Texas Rangers
After losing two of three to Toronto in their season-opening series at home, the Rangers took two of three from Seattle, and followed up with two wins in a three-game set in Cleveland. But it gets tougher for the Rangers starting this weekend, and to say it gets tougher may be a bit of an understatement. The Rangers head to the Bronx on Friday to kick off a three-game set with the defending World Series champion New York Yankees, but the Rangers have actually won six of their last 10 in New York. Then the Rangers head to Boston for another series in which they should be an MLB betting underdog as they‘ll face the Red Sox, and they haven’t fared that well at Fenway Park, losing eight of their last 10 games in front of the “Green Monster”. The pitching matchup to watch during this swing through the American League East comes on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Rich Harden is still looking for his first win as a Ranger, but he’ll be taking on veteran Andy Pettitte, so it won’t be an easy task. Second baseman Ian Kinsler attempted batting practice and fielding drills, but he looks no closer to returning to the lineup, and he would be a boost to a Texas offensive attack that has gotten off to a slow start. It could be a tough week for sportsbook players if you’re planning on riding with the Rangers.
Dallas Cowboys Report – Holes in the Roster
April 13, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
The sportsbook experts know where the glaring holes are in the Dallas Cowboys roster, and one of those glaring holes needs to be filled if the Cowboys want any chance of reaching the Super Bowl in 2011.
When the Cowboys released offensive lineman Flozell Adams, sports betting people were not surprised. Adams allowed key sacks against Tony Romo in the last game of the season, and he was an open door in the playoffs.
The release of Adams was done for three reasons, and it can be difficult to really quantify these reasons and put them in any order. The first reason was that he couldn’t block for Romo anymore. Adams was still an effective run blocker, but when Romo dropped back to pass his left side was exposed. The second reason was that the fans wanted it. You could hear the cries for the release of Adams on Dallas talk radio and in the newspapers. The final reason was that more than likely Romo wanted it. Just like the release of Terrell Owens, Romo needed Adams replaced in order to continue his personal quest for a Super Bowl.
The problem for the Cowboys is that Adams had NFL experience, and there is not a lot of good linemen available in free agency this year. That means the problem gets solved in the draft. While the Cowboys may be able to get a better athlete than Adams, they may still have problems on the left side of the line with an inexperienced lineman.
To add to the hole left by the release of safety Ken Hamlin comes word that safety Gerald Sensabaugh is not coming to mandatory training sessions, and he says he will stay away until he gets a long-term deal. Hamlin was released to make room for a drafted replacement, but Sensabaugh not being on the roster is not part of the Cowboys’ plans.
Dallas Cowboy fans may remember the name Cliff Harris. Harris was a safety that played for the Cowboys from 1970 to 1979. With the holes at safety in the Cowboys roster, the team is exploring all possible options. One of those options is the son of Cliff Harris, Matt Harris. He was invited to try out for the Cowboys as part of an open team session for local athletes. The Cowboys are hoping that the NFL safety gene passes from one Harris to another.
Some good news for Cowboys fans and NFLbetting fans is that restricted free agents Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher, and Junior Saivii have all accepted their contract offers and have re-signed with the team. This adds to free agents Corey Proctor and Pat McQuistan who have already signed their free agent tender offers.
The Cowboys have no injuries to report leading in to mandatory team work-outs, they have no franchise player named yet and they are still trying to fill their place-kicker spot before training camp. Online betting sharps know that the newest candidate is former Colts kicker Matt Stover. Unrestricted free agent kicker Shaun Suisham has yet to be offered a contract, and considering his key misses in the playoffs he will probably not be competing for the Dallas kicking job when camp opens.
Mavs Playoffs – Rangers get Started – Stars Golfing
April 9, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Dallas Round-Up – Mavs heading for playoffs, Rangers getting started, Stars get clubs ready
Masters 2010 odds will probably be a big focus in Dallas this weekend, but as for the professional teams, all three are at significantly different stages of their seasons. Here’s a look at how everything is shaking out.
The Mavericks are tied with Denver and Phoenix in winning percentage, but they sit in the second spot due to tiebreakers. The Mavericks lost home games to Orlando and Oklahoma City before beating Memphis on Wednesday, and starting Friday, they play three road games in four nights at Portland, Sacramento, and in Los Angeles against the Clippers. There isn’t much room to move in the West, and this closing stretch will be huge, both for seeding, and for momentum as the Mavericks have been a bit inconsistent in the past month, especially on defense, which makes basketball betting players wary.
The Rangers will wrap up their three-game set at home against Toronto on Thursday afternoon, splitting the first two games. The Rangers were held hitless by Toronto’s Shaun Marcum for seven innings, yet fought all the way back for a 5-4 win on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s ninth-inning hit, although he is now injured. On Wednesday, Rich Harden allowed three runs on one hit in an eventful 3.2-inning stint in a 7-4 loss, striking out eight, but he also walked five. Harden signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract in the offseason, and when he’s on, Harden is lights out. However, sportsbooks won’t put too much faith in him as he’s injury-prone, and with a pitch count of 90 in 3.2 innings, you can bet that Texas management may be a bit worried. Finally, second baseman Ian Kinsler is on the disabled list with a sprained ankle.
The Stars are ready to start golfing as they are eliminated from the playoff race, so with two games left, the attention switches to off-ice issues, such as a decision from Mike Modano about retirement. The 39-year-old was the Stars’ first pick in the 1988 draft, and ironically, his last game could come this Saturday in Minnesota, where this franchise was located before moving to Dallas before the 1993-94 season. He leads the franchise in games, goals, assists and points, and he won a Stanley Cup in 1999, so he has nothing left to prove. Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull are allegedly trying to talk Modano into joining a group looking to buy the Stars, which would be great as Modano has long been the face of the franchise. It may not raise their NHL betting odds, but having Modano on board with the ownership group would be huge for this franchise.
Dallas Cowboys Cut: Flozell Adams – Ken Hamlin
April 2, 2010 by Matt Lawrence · Leave a Comment
The Dallas Cowboys have released, cut and parted ways with the large contracts of OT Flozell “the hotel” Adams and S Ken Hamlin. Looking at the Dallas Cowboys roster makes me worry a little for these positions next year.
Cowboys Roster behind Flozell Adams – Left Tackle
Let’s take a look fo the candidates to replace the released / cut Flozell Adams
- Marc Colombo - The Cowboys could move Colombo over from RT to replace Flozell Adams after his release.
- Doug Free - Doug Free’s great play in the games he started as an injury replacement is most likely what lead the Cowboys to release Flozell Adams. This and the athleticism he displayed during those games makes me think he is a the leading candidate for the LT spot.
- Pat McQuistan - McQuistan is currently listed on the Dallas Cowboys website as the starting LT after the release of Flozell Adams. It may finally be time to see if this high priced backup can do something at LT.
- Draft or Free Agent - You can never discount this option with Jerry Jones, the Cowboys could move up in the draft to find Flozell’s Replacement.
Cowboys Roster behind Ken Hamlin – Safety
The Cowboys have some options and hopefully a plan besides just cutting salary to replace Ken Hamlin after his release.
- Alan Ball - He is 6-1 and 188, he was converted to a corner last season, but would be the #1 candidate to take over for Hamlin barring any free agency signing or draft pick.
- Michael Hamlin - at 6-2 213 he has the size to play, but just like Ball his career is still pretty young so we haven’t seen much out of him.
- Patrick Watkins if Patrick Watkins was going to win a starting safety job for the Cowboys he would have done it by now, I think he will continue to play special teams and star in MartyBTV movies.
- Draft or Free Agency - Unless the Dez Bryant falls to the Cowboys or they move up to take a OT I think the Cowboys will take a Safety in the draft.
Dallas Round Up: Mavericks – Stars – Texas Rangers
March 26, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Dallas Round-Up – Mavs, Stars winding down, Rangers just getting started
When it comes to March Madness odds, Dallas doesn’t have anything to worry about, which means more time to check in on the Mavericks and Stars, as well as the Texas Rangers.
The Mavericks are 47-24 as of Thursday as they head to Portland in the evening, and they have won seven of their last 10 games. But there may be a couple of problems with the players they brought in from Washington, as Caron Butler has been incredibly inconsistent, while Brendan Haywood wasn’t happy about coming off the bench against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. The Mavericks went with Erick Dampier, and if they can get Haywood to be on board with the tandem setup, Dallas will have a lot of size in the post as they attempt to battle the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, as well as the Denver Nuggets.
As of Thursday, the Stars were nine points out of the final playoff spot in the West, and it’s not looking likely that they’ll make the postseason. On Thursday, they head to San Jose, who are one of the sports betting favorites to lift the Stanley Cup, then on Saturday they’ll be in Los Angeles to face the Kings, one of the biggest surprises in the league. Finally, next Monday, they’ll travel to Anaheim to take on the Ducks, who are further out of the playoff hunt than Dallas, but they’re still a tough team to play again. The Stars will also be without Mike Modano, who had his appendix removed just under two weeks ago. But even if the Stars don’t make the playoffs, Brad Richards deserves a pat on the back for the season he’s had. Through 71 games, Richards has 21 goals and 61 assists for 82 points, and he has his sights set on his career high of 91 points, set in 2005-2006.
Texas Rangers
We’re betting management of the Rangers weren’t banking on finding out manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine, and that must be worrisome for a team that took a chance on Josh Hamilton’s checkered past. The Rangers are 6-13 so far in spring training, so it’s hard to say what kind of effect this has on the team as they’re basically just figuring out roster spots right now, but it’s about to get serious as the regular season approaches. Other than the manager, all eyes are on Hamilton and Vladdy Guerrero, who came from the rival Los Angeles Angels in the offseason. The Rangers will be trying to make up for the loss of Marlon Byrd, and these two are the anchors of the lineup. Finally, Rich Harden’s health has to be an issue for the Rangers. Thinking Harden will stay healthy is like picking Texas’ odds on March Madness: they look good and could be great, but we won’t be surprised if Harden ends up on the disabled list.
Texas Stadium: Death by Implosion
March 24, 2010 by Matt Lawrence · 2 Comments
When the construction of Cowboys Stadium started, we all new that it was only a matter of time before the demolition of Texas Stadium. The fate of Texas Stadium has been set, the Dallas Cowboys old home will be destroyed on April 11th. The implosion will be sponsored by Kraft Macaroni & Cheese oddly enough, because nothing says buy macaroni & cheese like an implosion. That aside lets take a look at the Texas Stadium history and honor the longtime home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Texas Stadium Statistics
Location: Irving, Texas
Opened: October 24th, 1971
Implosion: April 11th, 2010
Capacity: 65,675
Cost: 35 million (Cowboys Stadium: 1.15 billion)
Now that we have the boring statistics out of the way lets take a look at the odd facts that made Texas Stadium great. It was in Irving, which as the Dallas Cowboys names implies is close to Dallas. The iconic hole in the roof was not planned, Texas Stadium was actually supposed to be a dome. The hole came about because the roof supports could not handle the weight of a dome. The supports were not modified because back in the day when the public funding for a project ran out, you stopped spending. Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis is responsible for the famous quote, “Texas Stadium has a hole in tis roof so god can watch his favorite team play”.
As we have seen with the new Cowboys Stadium, Texas Stadium also played host to plenty events that were not Dallas Cowboys Games. Events such as Concerts, Pro Wrestling, College Football, Religious Gatherings, High School Football, and even a Major League Lacrosse game.
Texas Stadium was the place that I became a fan of football, and it will suck to see it go. I know the stadium is not as high tech or cool as the new Cowboys Stadium, but you could still watch the Cowboys play there and I was lucky enough to see quite a few games there. Texas stadium didn’t do big video boards or 3-D glasses, it did football.
Texas Stadium Wikipedia Page
Live Video of Texas Stadium Implosion Preparations
2010 NFL Draft: Cowboys Draft Pick Needs
March 24, 2010 by Guest Contributor · Leave a Comment
Cowboys Offseason
Sportsbook Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215
NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685
Who are the Cowboys looking at in the Draft?
This is a busy time of year as the March madness odds rolls on, and the concerns about the NFL draft begin to pile up. There has always been a gap between what the teams are looking at in the draft and what fans feel their team needs to win. But just like March madness odds can sometimes miss the mark on predicting a winner, the fans do not always get what they want in the NFL draft.
The Cowboys consider their place kicking problem more than just a minor inconvenience. Last season their kickers cost them games and cost them the playoffs. While Jerry Jones has never been excited about kickers, he certainly does not want a kicker derailing the 2010 season. The Cowboys could conceivably use their third or fourth round pick on a kicker to give David Buehler a reason to excel in training camp. Considering the Cowboys do not have any extra picks in the 2010 draft, choosing a kicker in the third or fourth round could be a very big deal. Read more
