The fun idea that dies before it reaches Cowboys Stadium

Wasn't exactly sure how this was ever going to work but the controlled chaos that was going to be four college basketball games played at the same time at Cowboys Stadium has died.

According to this report by the Detroit News, the Michigan State director of athletics said the plans have been scrapped.

Here is a real shocker - TV said they didn't like it.

The plan was to have four games to begin about 15 minutes apart on the Cowboys Stadium floor to start off the 2013-'14 season. The problem was it going to require four different networks to televise the games, and there apparently was no way.

This should not stop Cowboys Stadium from trying to do something grand for college basketball at the beginning of next year; it will be the site of the 2014 Final Four. Maybe two games at the same time featuring the four of the best teams in the country.

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

The guy the Mavericks gutted their roster for just got Avery Johnson fired in Brooklyn

Not only did I never, ever think Deron Williams was going to sign with the Dallas Mavericks I never, ever thought he was worth the pursuit in the first place. Chalk this up to one of the few bold sports predictions I nailed this year. 

Not that Williams can't play or isn't a dynamic scorer - the stats say the man can ball. 
My fear about Williams is that in his short career he achieved the impossible when Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan opted to retire than deal with this headache every day. In early Feb. of '11, Sloan quit the Jazz after 23 years.

That is the largest red flag on Williams' resume. Jerry Sloan said "screw it" rather than coach Deron Williams.

This was the player the Dallas Mavericks gutted their title-winning roster to pursue.

A few months after Williams spurned the Mavericks' offer to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, coach Avery Johsnon found himself fired this morning.

According to Yahoo Sports! NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski's Twitter account, @WojYahooNBA, "The Brooklyn Nets have fired coach Avery Johnson, league source tells Yahoo! Sports"

The Nets are 14-14 and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. This season is not going the way the Nets thought it would after they re-signed Williams, traded for Joe Johnson and moved into a new arena in Brooklyn.

Williams is third on the team in scoring with 17 points per game, and leads the team averaging 8.0 assists per game. A few weeks ago he grumbled about Avery's offense, because it's never the player's fault.

The Mavs will spin this as "We never really wanted" D-Will but don't buy it. They wanted this guy, and - who knows? - maybe it would have worked under Rick Carlisle. But any guy who gets Jerry Sloan to quit was never worth the trouble.

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

The numbers: Dan Snyder vs. Jerry Jones

According to www.Redskins.com, Washington Redskins team owner "Dan Snyder has put his passion into action. He has consistently led the franchise to new prominence in the community, the business world, and the National Football League."

According to www.DallasCowboys.com, Dallas Cowboys team owner "Jerry Jones' stewardship of the Dallas Cowboys has brought unprecedented results and success to one of the world's most popular sports entities."

It's on the Internet, so it must be true.

Let's look at the numbers ...

Dan Snyder's Washington Redskins
Year purchased the team: 1999, $800 million
Team record: 100-123, .448
Playoff appearances: 3
Super Bowls: 0
Playoff record: 2-3
Winning seasons: Four (#)
Double digit losing records: Six 
Forbes rank of NFL teams: 3rd, $1.6 billion
Home Field: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland (capacity 91,704)
Coaches: Norv Turner, Terry Robiske, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs, Jim Zorn, Mike Shanahan
Best move: Hiring Mike Shanahan, getting out of the way (finally) and trading up for Robert Griffin III.
Dumbest move: So, so many. The topper has to be trading defensive back Champ Bailey to Denver for running back Clinton Portis in 2004.
Portis was a nice running back whose career died while Bailey is still playing and will go to the Hall of Fame.
(# Does include 2012; Redskins are guaranteed a winning record.) 

Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys
Year purchased the team: 1989, $140 million
Team record: 211-177, .544
Playoff appearances: 12
Super Bowls: 3

Playoff record: 13-9
Winning seasons: 13* 
Double digit losing records: Six
Forbes rank of NFL teams: 1st; $2.1 billion
Home Field: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas (capacity 80,000 - can go up to over 100,000)
Coaches: Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett
Best Move: Hiring Jimmy Johnson. 
Dumbest Move: Where to begin? Allowing Jimmy Johnson to leave is a good place to start. Most recently the acquisition of receiver Roy Williams from the Lions for was a real winner.

(* Does not include 2012; Cowboys can still finish 9-7.)

The verdict: They're both loaded and own franchises with such strong and loyal fan bases they are printing money, and neither is selling any time soon. Deal with it.

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Quote of the day

Mark Twain: New Year's Day now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

 

 

 

 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Pro Bowl droppage - No Spencer or Dez = Dumb

On the same day both Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant and OLB Anthony Spencer got screwed from a deserved Pro Bowl selection, NFL Network reporter and friend to The Big Mac Blog Albert Breer writes the future of the NFL Pro Bowl could be in jeopardy for a variety of reasons.

The least important reason is a roster that routinely can't avoid a few screwups every year. Always happens, and it always will with any All-Star selection process that allows fans have a say. Players, too.

The voting process ends after 14 games. Why? The way technology is today the voting should be completed the day after season ends. People could vote from their phones.

The Cowboys had two players selected to the NFC roster - TE Jason Witten, who is having a record year for tight ends, and OLB DeMarcus Ware, who was picked because he is really popular.

Both Spencer and Dez deserve to be selected; Dez should have been picked over New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz, and Spencer should go ahead of Ware.

Victor Cruz - 82 receptions, 1,040 yards, 9 TDs
Dez Bryant - 88 receptions, 1,311 yards, 12 TDs

DeMarcus Ware - 55 tkls, 11.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 0 int.
Anthony Spencer - 87 tkls, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 0 int., 3 passes defended

Given the way Pro Bowlers routinely drop out of this game I fully expect both Spencer and Dez to be in Hawaii to fake their way through the exhibition of trying to avoid injuries. 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Is the newest Texas Ranger a real jerk?

The day after Christmas the Texas Rangers formally announced they signed veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year deal. Not exactly Zack Greinke, Justin Upton, or keeping Josh Hamilton.

Pierzynski has a good bat, and a perfectly awful reputation in baseball as a guy who simply can't control his mouth. Click on this link to read about A.J. trying to clear the air earlier this summer that he's the devil.

"Of course I'm tired of it. We're supposed to be talking about the Texas Rangers and we're' talking about (his reputation)," he said today on a conference call when I asked him if he was tired of it and how he acquired the rap. "You do get tired of answering questions about something you have no control over. I know I gave everyhting I have. Sometimes it doesn't work and people may get upset."

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has a little bit of a history with A.J. after he didn't select him to the All-Star game last season despite his good numbers. Pierzynski wasn't happy about it, but he insists it was no big deal.

"When Wash' and I had lunch a few days ago with (GM Jon Daniels) he came up and I made a joke of it. As far I was concerned it was over with when it happened," Pierzynski said. "People try to make a big deal of it. I know he was in a tough spot and it didn't work out for me. I know what he is all about. It's over and done with."

Pierzynski may have a big mouth, but there are two things that suggest he is not a total clubhouse cancer.
No. 1 - He was with the Twins from 1998 to 2003.
No. 2 - He was with the White Sox from 2005 to 2012.

Total and complete clubhouse cancer jerks do not stick with the same team for that long. Now, his one year with the Giants - 2004 when he drove in 77 runs, also suggests there is probabaly a little something to this. 

I was never for the Rangers keeping catcher Mike Napoli simply because he was never again going to approach the type of production he generated in 2011.

Pierzynski? It's a one-year deal so the risk is relatively low. He is coming off a season where he played 135 games and hit .278 with 27 home runs, 18 doubles and drove in 77 runs. That's one of the best years of his career. If he does that with the Rangers, or comes close, this is a great signing. 

"The only thing you need to know about me as a person is I want to win," Pierzynski said. "I'll do everything in my power to win. Whatever was said or written you can't change that. I wish it would go away. I've done everything I can to get it to go away but it doesn't seem like it's going away anytime soon."

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Why liking the Washington Redskins is impossible, even with RGIII

When the Washington Redskins traded everything to draft Baylor QB Robert Griffin III my sports heart immediately felt a little heavy. Here is a guy who is nearly impossible not to like going to a franchise run by a man who is mathematically impossible to like.

As many jerseys as RGIII is selling for the Redskins these days, and as much fun as he is to watch, his presence alone does not outweigh the negative vibes generated by Redskins owner Dan Snyder. Cowboys at Redskins on Sunday always brings to mind this famous article from The Washington City Paper, published in 2010.

No owner in recent sports has created such a more negative image of himself as Snyder. This includes LA Clippers owner Don Sterling and Cincy Bengals owner Mike Brown. At least Jerry Jones has a sense of humor about himself and will laugh at his own mistakes.

Snyder has created the impression of a super thin-skinned man who has surrounded himself with a group of Smithers-like sycophants.

Sadly, for the first time since he bought the Redskins in May of 1999 it does appear as if he finally has a winner on his hands. If the Redskins win on Sunday it will be only the third time in the Dan Snyder era the team has won 10 games, fourth time they made the playoffs, and first since 2007.

Here is the rub: You want to for a guy like Robert Griffin III, but desperately want to see Snyder continue to sports suffer in perputuity.

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Chris' Cartoon

 

 

 

 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Quote of the day

Parky: This must be a very exciting moment for you, fighting for the Christmas Number One. How's it looking so far? 

Billy Mack: Very bad indeed... Blue are outselling me five to one. But I'm hoping for a late surge. And if I reach Number One, I promise to sing the song stark naked on TV on Christmas Eve. 

 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel

Dallas Cowboys: 8-8 ... here we come!

Playing a New Orleans Saints football team that can score football points on the football field in most any football stadium, the overmatched Dallas Cowboys defense was exposed for what it is - game, and not good enough.

Despite the Saints' 34-31 OT win against Los Cowboys de Arlington in an ArenaFootball game, the New York Football Giants did their NFC East brother a favor by laying down in Baltimore.

For the second time in as many years the Cowboys will play a division opponent on the road with the chance to win the division, or finish .500. (NOTE - I am writing this watching the Ravens blowout the Giants)

1. The middle of the defense stinks - No Jay Ratliff, Josh Brent, Bruce Carter, Sean Lee, Barry Church has left the interior of the Cowboys' defense simply not good enough. 
The Saints routinely exploited matchups in the middle of the field; Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas combined for 25 receptions and more than 200 yards, primarily in the middle of the field.

2. The Cowboys defense had their shot in overtime when Morris Claiborne punched the ball out of Saints' WR Marques Colston hands for a fumble at the Cowboys' 15. But the Saints' Jimmy Graham recovered the ball by being a bit bigger, and faster, than Sterling Moore. The play was reviewed and it was the right call.
Colston caught the ball. Claiborne popped it out. Graham recovered it.

3. Dez Bryant is a man, man baby - 9 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Remember when he was going to be placed on season-ending IR with a broken finger? 

4. Stat of the game: Saints 11-of-19 on 3rd downs. The Cowboys 2-of-10 on 3rd downs.
4.5 2nd stat of the game: Cowboys time of possession - 22:28 

5. DeMarco Murray. Entering the game against Pittsburgh last week Murray had never fumbled in his career. He has two in the last two weeks. His third-quarter fumble at the Cowboys' 3 all but gave the Saints a TD to give them a 24-17 lead.
He carried the ball 11 times on Sunday. They were the only rushing attempt for the Cowboys all game. 

6. The Cowboys don't quit. Against the Bengals the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter down nine and rallied to win. Against the Steelers, the Cowboys trailed by 7 in the fourth quarter and rallied to win in OT. Against the Saints, the Cowboys trailed by 14 with less than five minutes remaining but rallied to force OT.

7. Miles Austin has replaced Dez as this team's most frustrating WR. He had four receptions for 45 yards and a TD. He had three drops in one series in the fourth quarter. The only way he gets out of the dog house is by catching the 20-yard TD pass with 20 seconds remaining to 

8. Jason Witten is a bad, bad man. He started this season by recovering from a busted spleen and having to answer questions whether he was finished and will end it as the most productive pass catching year ever by an NFL tight end. His 103 receptions this season broke the mark previously held by Tony Gonzalez.

9. Tony Romo can't do much more than he was asked. He was 26-of-43 for 416 yards with four TDs and no picks.

10. Cowboys at Redskins at the Dan Snyder Little Man Sports Complex for the right to prove 9-7 can win a division.

LET'S GET IT ON! 

 

@MacEngelProf
tengel@star-telegram.com
Facebook Mac Engel