Spurs-Mavs Game 4: Winner Takes All

Simple: Whoever wins Game 4 of Spurs-Mavs Saturday afternoon at American Airlines Center wins the series. Right? With a win, the Mavs go up 3-1 and would have three shots – including a Game 6 at AAC – to seal the deal. With a win, the Spurs would suddenly grab back home-court…

Fact Check of the Week

The duo behind the bestselling weight-loss how-to Skinny Bitch are back with a follow-up: Skinny Bastard, due to hit stores Monday. And it features among its famous faces several vegan athletes, including them a certain hobbled Dallas Maverick who’s been sidelined during the playoffs. Alas, The New York Times has…

Mr. Holland’s Opus

Gotta make this snappy because this morning I’m headed to Jonestown Coliseum. Seems Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is holding a press conference to talk about this weekend’s NFL Draft and – surprise! – a new radio partnership. Watched a wonderful, weird Rangers’ game last night. Weird, because of the ending: With two…

In Dirk We Trust?

Simple: Do you trust Dirk Nowitzki? In the final seconds? In tonight’s Game 3? In the series against the San Antonio Spurs? To get him more room – more open looks – the Dallas Mavericks must push the pace at Amercian Airlines Center. One of the toughest things in the NBA…

Mavs Have an Old Demon to Exorcise

See, here’s the problem: The Dallas Mavericks aren’t just playing the San Antonio Spurs; they’re also fighting the devil. Their internal devil. Who is he, you ask? It’s the little demented, destructive voice inside them. Inside us all. The one that urges you to hit the snooze button. The one…

Dwayne Goodrich Goes Under ESPN E:60 Microscope

I told the sad saga of former Dallas Cowboy Dwayne Goodrich in an Observer cover story back in December. Something tells me Jeremy Schaap is going to tell it even better tonight. To say I “consulted” ESPN E:60 is probably a little strong, but I did sit down with Schaap…

Did Mike Jacobs Save Ron Washington’s Job?

Because the Kansas City Royals couldn’t catch the ball, the Texas Rangers hung on to their manager. For now. After a 3-0 start that feels like months ago, the Rangers are 5-7. Not good, especially considering nine of those 12 have been at home and half against the lowly Orioles and…

Spurrifics 105, Mav-Wrecks 84

Seriously now, did you expect anything different from these Dallas Mavericks? A frustratingly inconsistent team that led the NBA in close victories also had more than its share of blowout losses and inexplicable letdowns. So after the Mavs rallied from 13 down to win Game 1 on Sunday, you knew -…

Dear Jose Juan Barea: I’m Sorry

Consider this my public apology to one J.J. Barea. Dude, I was dead wrong. You are not, in fact, a 5-foot-2 pick-up game liability whose shot I could block. Not a novely act nuisance; the obtuse opposite of Shawn Bradley. Not some twisted Criss Angel mind-fuck. And not, after further…

2009 NBA Playoff Preview: Spurs vs. Mavs

The good news: When the Mavs and Spurs begin their first-round playoff series this weekend it will be a renewal of a rivalry featuring talented, tested teams. The bad news: When the Mavs and Spurs finish their first-round playoff series, the loser will go home and the winner won’t be far…

The Most Underrated Rivalry in Sports: Act IV

A Dallas Mavericks’ season that had more than its share of ups and downs and ups and downs enters the playoffs on a peak. Thank you – of all people – Michael Finley. The former Maverick’s overtime-forcing 3-pointer allowed the San Antonio Spurs to beat the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night and allowed the Mavs…

The Rangers Are Losing Games, but Not Tom Hicks. So Sorry.

Just when some of you – okay, and most of me – blamed the Texas Rangers’ weekend sweep in Detroit on the lack of a certain rosy-hued sartorial splendor, we’ve got a new scapegoat. The Rangers wore red again last night. But they also handed the ball to a left-handed reliever…

Your 2009 Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

Granted only about 33 percent of the precincts are reporting, but The Sporatorium is projecting the 2009 Dallas Cowboys to win 10 games. Being that the Cowboys haven’t used any of their 11 draft picks or convened for the first quarterback school/minicamp/OTA/gee-ain’t-it-nice-not-to-have-T.O.-around meeting of 2009, I’d like to keep a mulligan in my…

Relax Mavs Fans, Dallas’ First-Round Loss Won’t Be to the Lakers

While you were sleeping, the Dallas Mavericks officially succeeded in their lil’ game of Avoid The Noid. Thanks to the Lakers’ blowout of the Utah Jazz late last night, the Mavs won’t open this weekend’s NBA Playoffs as a no-way-in-hell-8th-seeded-underdog against Los Angeles. Not exactly how I planned it, but the Mavericks did…

Super Bowl XLV is All Hip and Tweety

Twiddling – or I should say Tweeddling – my thumbs until the 6 p.m. release of the NFL schedule and the unveiling of the Dallas Cowboys’ path to 9-7, I stumbled upon a couple of things. 1. This year’s NFL Draft is extraordinarily weak. (More on that later.) 2. The…