Questions? in the Big 12 South for the 2010 Season

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The summer of 2010 will officially be in the rear view mirror with the kick off of the football season this weekend. And what a summer it was for the Big 12. The conference was on life support, and then flat-lined, then was brought back to life, albeit minus a couple limbs. But that is for another time; there’s a football season to play.

The Big 12 is starting the 2010 campaign with three teams ranked in the top 10 of the preseason polls. And there are several others that hope to crash the party and make the final season of the Big 12 as we know it a special one.

Ah, yes, optimism reigns supreme in early September for nearly everyone. Despite the positive vibes coming from around the conference, this weekend will bring with it the reality that not everything is perfect. Here is a look at the Big 12 South and the questions each team needs to answer if they hope to turn that optimism into something real.

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Dallas Round-Up – Mavs have hands full with Spurs, Rangers struggling through AL East trip

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.

Spurs vs Mavericks odds

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

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 14^th.

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.

Best Ron Washington Cocaine Video

One of my buddies from college sent this to me, and after watching it I must say that this is definitely the best spoof video on the subject of coke, cocaine, and well Ron Washington. I know that some of you may be getting tired of this story, but I am not at all haha.

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Dallas Sports Fans Talks With Rusty Greer

Editor’s Note: Recently Dallas Sports Fans featured author Cody Dunlap sat down with Texas Rangers great and RBI Pro Swing Spokesman Rusty Greer. Below is the transcript from Cody’s talk with Rusty Greer on the RBI Pro Swing and what Rusty is up to now.

Have you ever looked at a major league on-deck circle?

I mean, really looked at one?

It looks like a garage sale. You see batting donuts, bat weights, extra bats and other items presumably designed to get a major league hitter ready for his next at-bat. One of the best hitters in Texas Rangers history, Rusty Greer, has taken to using a new tool to help teach hitting fundamentals, the RBI Pro Swing. RBI Pro Swing is a weight that fits over a player’s bat and gives “immediate feedback” on whether or not the player is getting the best power and contact out of their swing. According to Greer, the ideal swing in baseball is short and direct through the hitting zone, which RBI Pro Swing reveals with a quick, sharp sound. A long, sweeping sound from the weight means a longer swing through the zone, which is incorrect.

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Dallas Round Up: Mavericks – Stars – Texas Rangers

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.

Dallas Mavericks

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.

Dallas Stars

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

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

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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Dallas Sports Teams Report

Dallas Mavericks, Stars, Cowboys and Texas Rangers Report

Sportsbook: NBA: Dallas Mavericks (37-21, 4^th in Western Conference)

-       The Dallas Mavericks are scorching hot as they have now rolled off five victories in a row. A big part of their success has been recent addition Brendan Haywood. At the trade deadline, the Mavs traded Josh Howard and Drew Gooden and somehow got back Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood. Howard is now out for the season with a torn ACL and the Mavs are looking like bandits. Brendan Haywood is one of the league’s premier defensive centers and Caron Butler is a guard/forward that can take over games all by himself at times. The Mavs were able to knock off the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 101- 96 behind 31 points from Dirk Nowitzki and 30 from Jason Terry. Butler did not play due to an allergic reaction to some medicine. Brendan Haywood had 11 points, nine rebounds and a whopping five blocks. The Mavs next game is Friday at Atlanta.

NHL: Dallas Stars (28-21-12, 68 points t-9^th in Western Conference)

-       The Olympic break has not been a passive one for Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. The Stars had a logjam at goaltender with Mary Turco, Alex Auld and recently acquired Kari Lehtonen. Marty Turco is 4-1-1 in his last six starts and gained the starting job which led to the Stars waiving Alex Auld. The Stars will likely make a trade at the deadline to make a push for the playoffs as they are only one point out currently, but Marty Turco apparently will not be part of a deal.

US Sportsbook Review: MLB: Texas Rangers: Spring Training

-       The Texas Rangers will look to get off to a fast start this season but they will have to do it without Khalil Greene who was unable to report to camp with “a recurrence of issues he’s dealt with in the past” according to GM Jon Daniels. The Rangers will now need to find someone else to fill in as the utility infielder for the season. Greene may yet return to the team, but it will not be to start the season.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys: Offseason

-       The Cowboys did not place a franchise tag on WR Miles Austin and will now have to offer him a deal to keep him. Austin has been the most effective receiver for the Cowboys and is coming off his first pro-bowl season. The Cowboys may try to give him a tender, because he’s a restricted free agent, which would pay Austin over three million dollars for one year and allow the Cowboys to get a first and third round pick if they do not match another team’s offer sheet. The Cowboys will likely keep Austin if the price does not get too high, however many teams would love a player of Austin’s caliber and sorely need a number one receiver.

-       NFL Predictions : With the enigmatic Roy Williams taking up space in the Cowboys’ salary cap and not performing anywhere near his expectations, the Cowboys would be smart to get Austin signed to a deal on their own terms.

Dallas Sports Roundup – December 10

Dallas Sports Roundup – December 10

Dallas sports betting fans have a tough decision to make this weekend with their beloved Cowboys. Can they beat the red-hot Chargers? Maybe we’ll get some clarity if we check in with our other favorite Dallas sports teams in the meantime.

Dallas Mavericks (15-7, 1^st Southwest)

The Mavs still have first place in the Southwest and, while they’re not dominating, they’re humming along competitively. After an ugly end to last week in which they lost two straight games, they bounced back with an important win over Phoenix at home on Tuesday night. Offseason acquisitions continue to pay dividends. While Josh Howard was out, Shawn Marion showed real toughness, playing through an ankle injury to grind out minutes and points.

Josh Howard returned from ankle rehab for the Suns game and was instrumental to Dallas’ one-point victory, chipping in 20 points off the bench. As he eases his way back into the lineup, the Mavs can scale back Marion’s minutes and get him healthy again. Any die-hard sportsbook bettor will tell you that the next few weeks will tell us a lot about the Mavs, as they face Miami, Cleveland, Portland and Denver before the month is up.

Dallas Stars (13-8-9, 4^th Pacific)

It’s more of the same for the Dallas Stars of late. After two more overtime losses in their last two games they’re thanking the current standings format, as they’ve lost more in overtime than in regulation, earning many “overtime loss” points in the process. Sophomore James Neal’s hockey odds of avoiding the jinx are trending upward again. After a six-game pointless drought, he has two goals and two assists over his last four games. Meanwhile, Brad Richards continues to turn heads. He now has 35 points in just 26 games this season and is starting to earn consideration for a coveted spot on the Canadian Olympic team.

Texas Rangers (Offseason)

Finally, the Rangers’ offseason has truly begun. Texas was as busy as any team over Winter Meetings week. First, the Rangers shipped No. 1 starter Kevin Millwood and $3 million to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Chris Ray and Baltimore’s rule-five draft pick. After bolstering their bullpen, the Rangers then signed starter Rich Harden to one-year deal worth $7.5 million in guaranteed money. It remains to be seen if Harden can stay healthy and avoid the long ball in Texas but there’s no denying his elite stuff and ridiculously high strikeout rate. The Rangers still aren’t done (Unlike the Bears’ NFL odds if they lose on Sunday). They’re reportedly close to sending catcher Max Ramirez to Boston for Mike Lowell. The veteran Lowell would provide better contact hitting and superior defense to the departing Hank Blalock.

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