So the bush league & fragile Mavericks just lost to the championship caliber Spurs in game 6 of Round One in the NBA play-offs. Are we suprised?
nope.
Once again the Pop managed ‘long of tooth yet short of losing spirit’ Spurs bested the hapless Mavericks, despite an underwhelming regular season record against the Mavs.
As it turns out his resting of Duncan, 6th manning Parker et. al. seems to be effective for the post season. I look for them to advance beyond the next rounds and challenge the Lakers (jumping ahead yes) for the right to represent the West.
Mark my words
Are we surprised?
Nope.
No, not at all. Pop and the trio of Duncan, Ginobli & Parker know what it takes to win. They look formidable, but it may just be that the paper thin Mavericks were also on the court, making things look easy: stop Dirk and let the starters sit & watch & drink Gatorade as Hill and the rest of the bench eat minutes handling things.
This series raises BIG QUESTIONS about the Mavericks going into 2011. Let’s hope Mark Cuban understands that and deals with it.
Since the NBA has drawn its veil on the city, we look to the Rangers to fulfill us. Yet this is an organization built upon failure. This year, the bullpen failed once again early in the season and spewed a win opportunity for the best outing to date from former ace hurler Scott Feldman.
This year Feldman is struggling mightily, but like all teams, you hedge your bets, accounting for slow starts and cold bats from key individuals, expecting the team to cover as needed. But the Rangers have no bullpen to speak of, and the 7th through 9th innings are a crap shoot at best. In spite of that, we also question the organizational decision:
I’m going to ask here once more – why did you get rid of K Millwood, A Jones, & M Byrd?
Again, are we surprised?
Nope.
The team is managed by admitted self medicating manager Washington who came into the fold primarily due to his long tenure as bench/field coach & club-house presence. Yet we see no real results on the field as time and time again the team loses due to blown bull pen opportunities and anemic hitting.
Granted Washington had some measurable level of success last season, but the team collapsed in the final three weeks. And he can only deal with the hand he is dealt. But losing is contagious, despite of what the team felt coming out of Suprise.
Then there are the forever ‘next year’ NHL Dallas Stars. They seem to preach ‘Always Next Year’.
Where are you Brett Hull?
Can we get a decent hockey team on the ice to carry on the last championship tradition? Correct my memory, but the last championship seen in this town was delivered by the lower tier Stars.
And I am not criticizing the Stars by saying they are low tier, but they are not the Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers.
So there you have it. These are my thoughts this evening…
I am damn embarrassed to live in the number #4 sports market in AMERICA and deal with all these losing franchises. Not only is it demoralizing, it is bad marketing.
I remember growing up in St Louis (NFL Cardinal country) and looking forward to when the hapless Cardinals played the Cowboys.
They always beat St Louis, and in my backyard, I emulated Too Tall, Staubach, Dorsett, Pearson, Walls, Richardson, White…every play was critical in my nine year old mind.
Today, look at New England, New York, Philadelphia, hell even Pittsburgh. It’s the same thing.
They win.
Little Pop Warner boys talk about them I am sure.
And I know via twitter that folks living in these cities are pretty happy with not just their teams, but in life in general. Its an indirect economic thing. There is a sense of community that is accompanied with winning organizations, which is tied in with business. I don’t want to get all Carl Segan like, but in this country winning is pretty much everything:
Winning = community pride.
Losing = other things.
Let’s continue…
The only good thing going on in Dallas is Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. Yes, Jerry Jones, the oft controversial and at times erratic owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry, in his own way, is tending to the flame of at least trying to win.
He isn’t perfect, but he knows that. To wit: For whatever reason he traded away draft picks galore to acquire wide receiver Roy Williams from Detroit. As it turned out, last season that failed. But he addressed this blunder at in this year’s draft, moving up to take Oklahoma State Cowboy WR Dez Bryant. Nice indirect admission of failure Jerry. We’ve come to expect that of you.
We still question the release of Flozell Adams and not drafting an offensive tackle . Yet in the eight years that I have lived here, I realized, as convoluted as it may seem, Jerry has a plan. It may not always be well suited to the current incarnation of the Cowboys, or one we understand, but at least he has a track record of fiddling here, tweaking there, adjusting this & that and marketing the franchise.
For that we are at times too much both critical and forgiving in our attitudes. But in light of the way I feel tonight, no more. I’m TIRED of living in a city of this size without a sports Champion.
So let me put some people on alert. It’s time to make corrections.
Mr. Cuban:
Blow it up. We like Dirk, but we are tired of anemic play-off performances, regular season be damned. If the right situation presents itself, trade Dirk. We don’t care anymore. Blow it up.
Mr. Nolan Ryan:
Blow It up. We had high hopes this season, but they have failed to materialize thus far. I for one have no desire to even go to a Ranger game this season. Why? Well, I am tired of the same old- same old.
I suspect your hands may be tied due to the inaptitude of Daniels & Hicks, but do what needs to be done. If you have to, leave the organization and preserve your integrity. Blow It Up.
Mr. Hicks.
Secede all involvement with any sports organization in Dallas/Fort Worth; pursue your ownership in soccer abroad if you must.
Since you are broke, you need to relinquish all professional team involvement here in Dallas and sell to locally interested parties. The sooner you do the better. Blow your investment up and let some passionate people invest in the organization. The sooner the better.
