Five for Fighting

If you were Stu...

We all love Stu Barnes, and his tough-as-nails play has made him one of the most respected players for the Stars, as well as in the league.

But now Barnes is at a crossroads in his career: Play another year (or so), or retire. Barnes had a bad concussion at the end of last season, one that cost him the last several games of the playoffs. Every time he tried to come back, he had another relapse. We all know if you suffer enough of those, the repercussions could be quite damaging. Now if he's sufficiently recovered, he could certainly still play. On the other end, there's a chance that he could join the Stars staff, possibly as a coach. Obviously his knowledge would be invaluable to this group, and he certainly would fit right in given his relationship with fellow Stars.

So in the spirit of the intermission quiz featuring the center last season, I switch one word in its title and ask you this: What should Stu do?

Metroplex MVP: Quest for the Final 8

Who is the MVP of the Metroplex's sports teams?

We've set the field of 16, and now we need your vote. Mike Modano, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Dirk Nowitzki have already advanced to the field of 8. Who will take the final four spots?

Visit the Daily Ticket Online to vote on today's four matchups:

2. Tony Romo vs. 15. Mike Ribeiro
3. Josh Hamilton vs. 14. Marion Barber
6. DeMarcus Ware vs. 11. Jason Witten
7. Marty Turco vs. 10. Brenden Morrow

Mo needs your help

Voting for our Metroplex MVP is underway, and Mike Modano is in danger of being eliminated from the bracket by Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens.

Modano, the 12 seed, trails 5th-seeded T.O. by a mere 20 votes. Do you think Mo is more important to his team (and the area) than T.O.? Click here to vote!

Stars make minor deal

The Stars acquired forward Lauri Tukonen from the L.A. Kings today, in exchange for left wing Richard Clune. Tukonen, a 21-year-old right wing, was a first-round selection by the Kings in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (11th pick overall). He's played in five NHL games, but spent most of his time last season playing with the Manchester Monarchs, where he had nine goals and 26 assists. Clune, 21, split time last season between the Iowa Stars and Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.

Stars 2008-09 schedule released

Drumroll please... ah, forget it. The big schedule is here, folks, and here's a quick link to it. Just some quick highlights (may include highlights that I gave you yesterday, but a little repetition never hurt anyone:
**Washington is here on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m.
**Pittsburgh comes to town on Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. Do I smell an NBC game?
**The N.Y. Rangers, Sean Avery's former team, is here on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m.
**The Stars will go to see Brad Richards' former teammates in Tampa Bay on Monday, Jan. 19.
**Florida, Carolina and Atlanta also come to the AAC. It's been, what, two years since they've traveled here? Which brings me to my little spiel for the day:

Let's get these teams back to playing home and homes with each other. Every year. No excuses. We all deserve to see the best of the best in every building. I'm glad the NHL made their little step forward -- and that's really all it is -- with seeing every team at least once a season. But let's get back to the pre-lockout days with the schedule.
We're already back to the pre-lockout days with the large salary cap and player contracts.

Preseason sked is here!

Yes, kids, the moment you've all been waiting for since at least 11 a.m. this morning. Sorry, I don't know why I'm being so sarcastic today. Anyway, the goods:
The Stars will have seven preseason games, four at the American Airlines Center. Training camp begins Sept. 19. Here's the pre sked; home in bold:
Tuesday, Sept. 23  @St. Louis Blues  7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 25 Colorado Avalanche  7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27  St. Louis Blues  7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 28  @ Chicago Blackhawks  6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 1 @ Colorado Avalanche  8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 2  Chicago Blackhawks  7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5  Edmonton Oilers  7 p.m.

Schedule's a comin'

At least the preseason one; it looks like it'll be out sometime today. Anyway, the regular-season stuff isn't being relased until 11 a.m. Thursday, but there are a few sneak-peek items which I will now share with you. So gather 'round, boys and girls and get the info:
**The Stars will open the regular-season at home, on Friday, Oct. 10. Their opponent? The Ken Hitchcock-led Columbus Blue Jackets.
**There will be home-and-home matchups with three Eastern Conference teams: the New Jersey Devils (in Dallas on New Year's Eve), the N.Y. Rangers (here on Feb. 6) and the Florida Panthers (here on March 28).
**Oh, and the biggest (or at least most fun) news of all: it looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will be playing in Dallas this season. That's right, kids, get your Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin watching in while you can. Remember, the new schedule means NHL teams will play each other at least once a year, but that doesn't mean they'll always come here!

I know I've mentioned this before (a few thousand times), but the NHL really, really, really needs to have home-and-homes with everyone each season.

Dallas Drake retires

Hey folks,

The grizzled veteran Dallas Drake has announced his retirement. I've enjoyed watching the guy play, and he's been here a long time (I remember him mainly with the St. Louis Blues). So kudos to him for hanging them up. Does Brett Favre need to take a cue?!

Preseason sked not quite ready

Hey folks,

Doesn't look like we'll get the preseason sked until tomorrow. Apparently there's one game they're trying to get cleared up (believe it involves Edmonton). Anyway, we'll wait a little longer. I know, it's the middle of summer and there probably isn't a ton of anticipation for a preseason schedule. It's all I got for now, folks!

Still buzzing

For those who haven't turned on the TV, surfed over to ESPN.com or eavesdropped on people's conversations, Josh Hamilton's performance Monday remains the talk of sports. He should brace for another media crush when the clubhouse opens in 20 minutes. Ditto for Milton Bradley, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young, who undoubtedly will be asked about the man who mashed 28 first-round homers in the All-Star contest.

Hamilton's star is shining so brightly that the great Peter Gammons has chimed in and essentially called Hamilton the hero who will help fans forget about the cloud of the Mitchell Report and steroids. Gammons said Hamilton could be as pivotal a force as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Cal Ripken in moving baseball past one of its darkest moments. Wow.