Dallas Sports Fan – Mavericks Surprising, Rangers Slumping, Cowboys Come Up With A Good Draft

While 2011 Kentucky Derby betting takes place this weekend, there is definitely lots of action elsewhere for Dallas-area players to focus their attentions, such as the Mavericks, who have the defending champions from Los Angeles on the ropes. Texas has gone cold, allowing the Angels to catch up, and the Cowboys had a quiet, but solid, draft.

Dallas Mavericks

If someone who predicted NBA scores would have told you that the Mavericks would win the first two games of their second-round series with the Lakers in Los Angeles, you probably would have thought they were crazy. But here the Mavericks are, heading home to Dallas with a 2-0 series lead, and they’ve shown something that a lot of people didn’t think they had: heart. First, they closed out Portland in a very hostile environment, then they bounced back from a 16-point deficit in Game 1 against the Lakers to come away with a two-point win. Then in Game 2, the Mavericks started hot and finished strong in a 12-point win, frustrating the Lakers and in particular, Ron Artest, who clotheslined J.J.Barea and will miss the third game due to suspension. The Mavericks have held the Lakers to just under 41% from the field over the first two games of the series, and they’ve taken Pau Gasol out of the offense, which piles pressure on Kobe Bryant. Dirk Nowitzki has averaged 26.0 points and 10.5 rebounds and has definitely gotten the better of his matchup with Gasol. The series shifts to Dallas on Friday and Sunday, and if they have to go back to Los Angeles, that will go on Tuesday.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have had a tough week on the road, dropping three of four in Oakland, and they’re going into Thursday’s finale in Seattle with a split of the first two games.  In those six games, the Rangers scored three runs or less in three of the games, losing all three, so it’s obvious that they miss the injured Josh Hamilton. Texas is now tied in the MLB standings with the Los Angeles Angels at the top of the American League West, and they’ll return home on Friday to try to get back on track, starting with a three-game set against New York, who won two of three in the Bronx in the first series. Then, the Rangers will welcome the Athletics to town.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys picked three offensive linemen in last week’s draft as they look to do a better job of protecting quarterback Tony Romo, who missed most of last year with a broken collarbone. USC’s Tyron Smith was the first-round pick, and he is incredibly athletic for a man his size. The Cowboys used to be known for their strength up front, and they’re looking to Smith to help them towards that level again, and an improved offensive line is definitely a good way to boost your sports betting odds.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Players Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands

The sports betting world is starting to hear the rumblings of NFL players that want the lockout to end so they can all get back to work. NFL players are not interested in distractions such as MLB betting or Kentucky Derby betting that sports fans are finding comfort in. The players want to get to work, and the Dallas Cowboys players have decided to take matters into their own hands.

The top NFL picks in this year’s draft may have to wait before they can start working out with their new teammates, but the Dallas Cowboys veterans are scheduling a series of workouts to try and get some time in together while the lockout is still going on. Offensive and defensive veterans plan on meeting in undisclosed locations without the supervision of anyone from the Cowboys’ coaching staff. The Cowboys were fined by the NFL early in the lockout for allowing new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to work with his players at the Cowboys’ facility. This time, the players are meeting without the coaches and none of the players will indicate where or when the workouts will be taking place. The only thing anyone has said is that the players intend to start meeting in May.

The NFL draft is fast approaching, and the rumors surrounding how the Cowboys will use the ninth overall pick are swirling around. The notion that the Cowboys will take a quarterback has been all but dismissed by every member of the Cowboys staff, even though the team had been working out quarterbacks after the combine was over. The primary needs for the Cowboys are offensive line, defensive line and defensive safety. It looks like the Cowboys may be heading in the offensive line’s direction in the first round.

Highly-sought Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey could be the Cowboys’ first round pick. Pouncey is listed as a center, but he has shown the ability to play any position on the offensive line with equal ability. Pouncey, who’s brother plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has indicated that he would welcome a pick by the Cowboys and has gone on to insist that he will be a Cowboy when the 2011 season starts.

The chances that the Cowboys may take Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller in the ninth spot started to evaporate when Miller’s stock went up after the combine. The Cowboys further complicated their chances when they moved the date of their Dallas-Fort Worth pro days from April 15 to an earlier date. Miller was scheduled to work out for Dallas on April 15 and cannot make the new date. All of this seems to be pointing to Miller going before the number nine spot and the Cowboys not willing to trade up in the draft to get him.

The buzz from tight end Martellus Bennett’s statement that Jon Kitna should be allowed to compete for the starting quarterback job with Tony Romo will not die down. Bennett indicated that he enjoyed playing with Kitna and was impressed with the 38-year-old quarterback’s abilities. Neither Romo nor Kitna have responded to Bennett’s statement, but the starting job is expected to go to the healthy Tony Romo when the season starts.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Dez Bryant Running Into Off The Field Trouble

Sports betting experts started to wonder about the character of Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant when Bryant refused to carry the pads of veteran wide receiver Roy Williams at Cowboys’ training camp last year. Carrying the pads of a veteran player has been a rookie ritual in the NFL for as long as the football has been brown, and Bryant’s refusal made headlines. Some of his teammates defended Bryant, others backed off the situation. But it should have been a warning sign.

As March Madness betting starts to reach its peak, Dez Bryant finds himself in the middle of controversy again, but this time it is off the field. The sportsbook promo experts have watched as the relationship between hall of famer Deion Sanders and Dez Bryant has broken down completely over an incident in a Dallas mall. Bryant was asked by mall security to adjust his pants so his underwear was not showing and Bryant went ballistic on the security guard. The incident caused Bryant to be banned from the mall and it caused Deion to publicly call Bryant a troublemaker.

To make matters worse, Bryant was recently named in two separate lawsuits that allege he owes almost $500,000 for jewelry and professional sporting event tickets. The betting services were a bit shocked to find out that a millionaire football player was being sued for not paying his bills, especially when everyone knows that Bryant has the money. The Cowboys are not issuing any statements on Bryant’s off the field problems, but Sanders has come out and said that Bryant needs to learn to stop being selfish and act like a professional athlete.

More details have started to surface about a story that was reported when the NFL lockout first occurred. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys were fined for unauthorized contact with the players, and it should be a fine that Jones is happy to pay. What happened was that several defensive players decided to ignore the lockout and start working with new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The fine came from the league when the league office learned that the players were working on the new defensive scheme with Ryan. Jerry Jones has not commented on the fine, but the dedication of his players and coaches should make him able to justify the payment.

The process for getting on the cover the Madden franchise of football video games has evolved into a one on one competition for the players. The Cowboys one entry into the competition was linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Ware squared off against Michael Vick to play the most recent version of the Madden video game to earn the right to move on to the next round. Ware lost to Vick and is out of the competition as Michael Vick moves closer to becoming the player on the cover of the new Madden NFL video game.

The Cowboys received a little help from the league when Dallas was awarded a seventh round draft pick in the compensatory lottery that was held last week. These are picks awarded to teams whose free agent losses were greater than their free agent gains. The Cowboys received one pick out of the 21 handed out.

Dallas Cowboys Update: New Head Coach is Frustrated by Lockout

Sports betting enthusiasts are forced to sit by and wait as the NFL and the NFL players try to work out a new collective bargaining agreement. While there is still plenty of March Madness betting to occupy sports fans’ time, the NFL players and coaches are not allowed to have contact during the lockout. As the sportsbook promo experts know, coaches use the off-season to implement new offensive and defensive schemes as well as work out possible free agents. But it is especially hard on new head coaches, as new Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is finding out.

Garrett is not just the Cowboys new head coach, the Dallas job is his first NFL head coaching job ever. That makes Garrett extremely frustrated with the lockout, and he is starting to publicly voice his frustrations. In a recent 5dimes review of the Cowboys’ off-season progress with reporters, Garrett expressed frustration at the inability to start implementing his new plans and programs with his players. The Cowboys have new offensive and defensive coordinators who are also missing out on valuable time with the players. For a new coaching staff trying to implement a new system before the season begins, this lockout is one of the worst things that could have happened.

While the current players are being locked out by the owners, the future of the NFL is ready to go on display in the 2011 NFL draft. Last year, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones ignored most of his team’s critical needs and drafted wide receiver Dez Bryant. By the time the season was over, the needs that were not addressed wound up causing the Cowboys to succumb to a 6-10 record.

In a press conference held early last week, Jones said that he plans on discussing team needs with new head coach Jason Garrett before the draft. However, Jones once again emphasized the work that the scouts have done as playing a role in draft pick decisions. Jones praised his scouts for the hard work that they have done throughout the year, and he intends to listen to their recommendations when the Cowboys are ready to pick ninth overall in the draft.

That should send another cold shiver up the spine of Cowboys fans as some of the highest rated players in the draft are quarterbacks and defensive linemen. While the Cowboys could use help in the pass rush and run stop, where Dallas really needs help is at safety and on the offensive line. Free agency looks to be a mystery this year with the CBA still up in the air. There are several very talented safeties and offensive linemen available in this year’s draft. It will be interesting to see who the Cowboys take in the early rounds and if Dallas will address its issues, or draft what is considered to be the best player available regardless of position.

There has also been a great deal of activity at Valley Ranch involving quarterbacks as well. It could be that Jerry Jones is looking for a more reliable backup to Tony Romo. But considering that Jon Kitna did an excellent job filling in for Romo when Romo was hurt last season, it could be time for Romo to start thinking about the other teams in the NFL he could be starting for.

Dallas Cowboys Update: Free Agency and the Draft are Creating Headlines

The sports betting world is watching the Dallas Cowboys very closely this offseason, and there is a lot happening at Valley Ranch. As the March Madness betting gets started, the Cowboys have been sending strange signals about what they intend to do with the ninth pick in the draft.

The sportsbook promo experts are a bit confused as to why quarterback Cam Newton was seen visiting the Cowboys earlier in the week. The betting services are assuming that Newton will go in the top 10 picks, but it is unlikely that he will actually last all the way down to the ninth pick. Are the Cowboys considering trading up for Newton? Even if this is just procedural, the Cowboys have to wonder what kind of message they are sending to current quarterback Tony Romo. Is Romo falling out of favor now that there is a new head coach in Dallas? How will the fact that the Cowboys are even considering taking a quarterback affect Romo when the season starts?

One of the visits by draft picks to Valley Ranch that made sense was cornerback Prince Amukamara of Nebraska. With the immediate impact of high defensive draft pick Ndamukong Suh for the Detriot Lions, teams are now interested in choosing an impact player on defense early in the draft. Amukamara said that playing for the Cowboys would be a great opportunity, and the Cowboys could definitely use help at the cornerback position.

On the heels of the interview with Amukamara was the news that safety Gerald Sensabaugh has been told that he can explore free agency. The Cowboys have not outright said that Sensabaugh would be let go before the season started, but they did encourage him to explore his options. It looks like the Cowboys are looking to make wholesale changes in their secondary.

One of the more interesting pieces of free agent news to come out of Valley Ranch was the statement that the Cowboys are also encouraging defensive end Marcus Spears to explore his options in free agency as well. Spears missed much of the 2010 season after going on injured reserve in November. The Cowboys have been interviewing a wide variety of defensive ends at the combine in Indianapolis, and the feeling is that the Cowboys intend to start rebuilding their defense through the draft and that Spears will need to find a new home if he wants to continue playing in the NFL.

The Cowboys did announce that they intend on keeping defensive ends Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen as well as offensive tackle Doug Free. Another name mentioned as highly coveted by the Cowboys is safety Alan Ball. The pieces are starting to come together on what the 2011 Dallas Cowboys team will look like. But it is becoming apparent that Jerry Jones was not happy with the 2010 performance, and that some major changes could be coming to the Cowboys prior to the start of the new season.

Draft Strategy Advice: Don’t F Yourself on Draft Day

Every year I see people do it. Hell, I’ve even done it myself.

However, I have learned from my draft day mistakes, and in the last 4 years I have been able to win once and finish second three times. (Of course, now that I stated that in a public forum I will probably finish last this year…)

Today, I want to show you how you should approach your fantasy football draft, and I’ll do so by using an analogy that all guys can relate to: I’ll compare fantasy football draft strategy to a night out trolling the bars for ladies.

Pre-Drinking

Fantasy Football Draft Equivalent: Preparation

Think of this like drinking before you get to the bar to help you save money on your tab (which in my experience didn’t really save any money…it just caused me to black out earlier.) You need to do some research, and this isn’t as hard as you think. Just find a few draft ranking sheets.  They are everywhere, compare them, and find one that you most closely agree with.

The next step is to check for injuries and suspensions, and then consider a few things and rank accordingly:

• Is this a good player on a horrible team?
• Is this a great WR with a horrible QB?
• Does this team have any good complimentary players?

These are all reasons to discount players. For example, if JaMarcus Russell was the starting QB for the Colts it would have a severely negative impact on the receiving core of that team, because even Reggie Wayne couldn’t catch enough balls from a no talent ass clown like Russell to be a #1 WR.

First Round of Drinks

Fantasy Football Draft Equivalent: Round 1

When you walk up to the bar to get your first round of drinks, there are ladies everywhere and you haven’t F-ed up your chances with any of them yet. This is just like the first round of the draft, as all the badass players are available and you’re assured to get one of them.

As the rounds of the draft progress, of course, the talent slowly dwindles and drops off. This is the same concept as the more rounds of shots you take, the worse your chances of impressing a lady are. Apparently slurring “You wanna come home with me?” isn’t what they want to hear. Who knew?

Middle Rounds of Drinks

Fantasy Football Draft Equivalent: After Round 4

This is the point in the draft when all of the research you did before the draft will pay off. By knowing which players are actually starting and the caliber of complimentary players around them, you will be able to find guys who are being overlooked, guys like WR Marques Colston and WR Wes Welker, who both havegreat QBs throwing to them.

Also make sure to check injury updates as the rounds get later because drafting a player who is injured for the season is comparable to making out with a tranny…and that’s f-ing gross!!

Later Stages of the Night

Fantasy Football Draft Equivalent: Final Rounds

Hopefully you haven’t blown your load and picked a kicker already. The difference between the best kicker and the 10th best kicker last year was 36 points, which averages out to just over 2 points per week. A kicker is not going to win you a championship. QBs, WRs, and RBs are.

The same thing can be said about Defenses. The difference between the best and 10th best was 55 points, which is between 3 to 4 points per game.

Last Call

A word about Rookies and players from your favorite team

You don’t get points for drafting players from your favorite team, so rank them honestly and if your league is local let someone else be the jackass that makes a homer pick prematurely.

Rookies are like a cock tease: they look really good, however it is often the case that they don’ t put out. Occasionally a rookie will surprise us and have a strong fantasy season, but more often than not – to finish the “not putting out” metaphor – rookies will leave you with blue balls.

You’re better off going for the chubby chick who is still hanging out by herself at closing time. This would be equitable to picking up a veteran starting WR like Jabar Gaffney in the final rounds. He isn’t sexy or exciting, but you know that he’ll put up some fantasy points when needed.

Dallas Cowboys Draft Press Conference

Jerry Jones gave his state of the union draft press conference and not to disappoint he said a lot without really saying anything. He explained how the draft works for the Dallas Cowboys and more, but about all I got out of his rambling was that the draft is coming up and the Cowboys will be making draft selections. Honestly it is not Jerry Jones fault that he is not going to answer questions about who the Cowboys will draft and whether they will trade up, would you if you were in his position?

Read more

2010 NFL Draft: Cowboys Draft Pick Needs

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

Cowboy Corner – Cowboys Offseason Report

Cowboys Offseason

Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (5Dimes Reviews): Cowboys +685

Early Mock Drafts Have Cowboys Addressing Lines Of Scrimmage

While some casual fans may think it is a little early to start speculating about the 2010 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have already begun their scouting and they are filling out some early reports on who can help their team.

The Cowboys will first hit the podium when the 27^th pick overall is called and a lot of early mock drafts are speculating that the Cowboys end up with someone helping them along the line of scrimmage.

Some NFL predictions believe that the Cowboys will address the defensive line by adding a proven commodity like Alabama Crimson Tide nose tackle Terrence Cody. It would definitely make Jerry Jones happy to see another Crimson Tide member on his team.

There are some Cowboys fans who might be wondering: why draft a defensive tackle when the defensive line is already a position of strength?

One possible option is to move Pro Bowl tackle Jay Ratliff to an end spot, where he might be more effective. Another theory is that you always want to draft for depth and (preferably) never for need.

While some people are expecting the Cowboys to draft for the defense, another option is for the offense. Considering how the offensive line was manhandled in the Cowboys playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a lineman might make sense.

A guard like Mike Iupati from Idaho would make a lot of sense but it’s unlikely that he falls that far considering how well he performed at the senior bowl. Another option might be guard Joe Asamoah from Illinois.

There is also some depth with talent at safety, which may appeal to the Cowboys as well.

When you look at the Cowboys overall picture as far as the upcoming draft, the Cowboys don’t have a lot of holes.

With the emergence of Miles Austin, there isn’t a great need at wide receiver. The backfield is set and even the offensive line is pretty good, but could be addressed.

On defense, the story is pretty much the same. The cornerback crop is fine, the linebacking corps is very good and the line is set. A safety would help but it’s not the most pressing need.

The Cowboys strategy will change as the offseason progresses but if the draft were in a week, they would probably be taking an offensive lineman given how they performed in the playoffs. In April, it could be a different story.