The Dallas Cowboys are a joke, and here's why

Jonesing

I really think the Dallas Cowboys and their fans should get used to the way things are right now.

No matter how much hope you put into Jason Garrett, Dez Bryant or any other prospects for the future, this team is destined to put together some good years, some bad years and the very minimum of playoff wins.

It's Jerry Jones.

I know, I know. Nothing's going to change, so why fret about it?

But there is a fundamental flaw in this organization and it has everything to do with David Buehler and it will forever keep the Cowboys from ultimate success until it changes. Which probably coincides with Jerry Jones' funeral.

The Cowboys took an entire shakey off-season, pre-season and season to bring in an experienced place kicker signing Kris Brown to a two-year deal with the potential of kicking field goals through next year.

Note: Kris Brown's been at home since the pre-season after getting beat out by Neil Rackers in Houston. And, Brown's a pretty salty kicker having made some ballsy long attempts in his career. Plus, he's a local guy out of Southlake Carroll High .

So, why was Brown at home all season and why was Buehler in uniform helping lose games? Because Jerry Jones is too fucking emotional.

When talk starts up about why a woman could never be president of the United States, people (mostly guys) point to the certain ... propencity for relying on their emotions too much, whilst being the leader of the free world often requires a divorce from feelings to make hard decisions.

Jones is too emotional. Too proud. Too attached.

At some point, Jones made the decision to start Buehler as the placekicker and field goal kicker. It'd save the team a roster spot and it would serve two purposes off a late-round draft pick.

It's not a bad move. Nick Folk was gone. Why not go for it? No one blames Jones for this.

However, by game No. 3 when Buehler was about as dependable as Texas weather, and the season was still on the brink, a move should've made.

But it never came. Buehler's performance continued to go up and down to the point that the Cowboys were completely out of contention and they were better off giving him opportunities to prove himself.

Bringing Brown into the situation in week 17 with a two-year deal exemplifies what's wrong here. Jones got mad. The Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas night by one point when Buehler missed an extra point.

Jones was irate afterwards and it laid the groundwork for Brown's arrival. Thirteen weeks too late.

This franchise is doomed. They will tease the fanbase with an occassional promising year only to be let down the next. Faith in Jones as a general manager ebbs and flows, never gaining enough steam on one side of the coin or the other.

Jerry Jones is the worst general manager in professional football.

An early bowl round-up

Poking along

Before we get to our January college bowl games, we should take a brief look at the games of local or regional interest that have already taken place. Again, if you don't like the 800 bowl games being played, don't watch them.

Army 16, SMU 14
You almost feel bad for Kyle Padron and the Mustangs. They kill the awful Army team and lose by two, mostly, due to Padron's fumble that was returned for a touchdown and two interceptions. But give Army a little credit. They don't have much, but they had zero penalties and did not turn the ball over. June Jones is 1-1 at SMU in bowl games.

Syracuse 36, Kansas State 34
No doubt the best bowl game to date. Tons of offense, no turnovers and a lot of lead changes in the second half. Naturally, it's overshadowed by a shitty official's call: A bunk overcelebration call on K-State that forced them to try a two-point conversion from the 18-yard-line. It failed and the Wildcats were sunk. Football needs to get the celebration bullshit straightened out, quick. If we're worried about gamesmanship and whatnot, Cam Newton's ineligible.

Oklahoma State 36, Arizona 10
The definition of "cruising." Arizona never had a shot, even at 14-7. The Pokes needed Kendall Hunter for just 10 carries and you ain't beating anyone allowing five sacks and three interceptions. A really fine season for Oklahoma State. No shame in 11 wins. Just to note: Mike Gundy's the second-best coach in the Big XII and Justin Blackmon's a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

Washington 19, Nebraska 7
It's insane that Nebraska's offense isn't good already. Or good enough to score 21 points. The Cornhuskers should not be losing to Texas A&M 9-7 nor to Washington 19-7. With all those athletes and you can't score? Insane! By the way, Jake Locker's a first-round pick? Give me Chris Polk.

Iowa 27, Missouri 24
I was mildly shocked to see Mizzou's Blaine Gabbert as a potential top five quarterback in the NFL draft. On cue, it was a Gabbert TAINT that shot the Tigers in the foot against the Hawkeyes.

Illinois 38, Baylor 14
As Robert Griffin goes ... Illinois made Baylor one-dimensional and I don't care how bad or good your opponent is, that'll get you beat a lot of times. Baylor probably turned back into a pumpkin six weeks ago. By the way, it makes the Big XII 1-4 in bowl games and 0-2 against the Big Ten. No wonder Nebraska's leaving.

In memoriam: Tom Vandergriff

There are individuals in the folklore of Dallas-Fort Worth sports that never, ever get mentioned nor do they get any press outside of a quote here or there throughout the year.

There's Lamar Hunt and Clint Murchison Jr. Norm Green. Don Carter. And Tom Vandergriff.

The latter passed away yesterday. He was 84.

It's pretty hard to imagine what the Dallas-Fort Worth sports complex would look like without Vandergriff probably more than any one person, like Jerry Jones.

Vandergriff was mayor of the city of Arlington, winning his first term in 1951. In 1953, he -- the son of an Chevy auto dealership enterprise -- was instrumental in opening the GM plant in Arlington. He also helped build I-30, The University of Texas at Arlington (and it's brilliant football program), Tarrant County College, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

In 1961, Vandergriff got Six Flags to build an amusement park.

Then, his coup de grace, Vandergriff got the Washington Senators to relocate to Arlington. They'd be called the Texas Rangers.

Look at all that. Where are we without Vandergriff. Maybe we get a baseball franchise sooner or later. No telling if they'd be in Arlington or not. Maybe they're in Dallas.

Anyway, Vandergriff was a huge asset for Tarrant County. The development of I-30, Six Flags and the Rangers were a gigantic reason why Jerry Jones built the Death Star in Arlington.

There are names that will be logged in the scrapbook of Dallas-Fort Worth sports like Green, Norm Sonju, Don Carter, Hunt, Murchison Jr., Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban and Tom Hicks. However, none had more impact than Vandergriff. He gave up more than a half century of his life in not only bringing in a cruddy baseball team that no one cared about until they reached the World Series.

He lead. He built roads and championed education. He brought in jobs and sacrificed a lot for a city not named Dallas or Fort Worth.

Rangers add two

O what a tangled Webb ...

Four years ago, I would bet there wasn't one singular pitcher in Major League Baseball that the Texas Rangers pined for more than Brandon Webb.

He was ideal: Young, an ace and a groundball pitcher, perfect for the Ballpark and its jet streams.

The Rangers were probably prepared to offer the lot in a trade. Why would the Arizona Diamondbacks still need him? They were going nowhere.

Then the injuries happened.

No way the Rangers thought they'd be getting Webb for one-year, $3 million deal plus incentives in 2010. The 2007 versions of Thad Levine and Jon Daniels figured Webb would get a Cliff Lee-type deal ... except longer and more expensive.

Alas, after two years of barely stepping on the mound, Webb is a Texas Ranger for a mere $3 million. Should he hit the incentives, he could make upwards of $10 million.

Honestly, it's a savvy move for a team that need at least a single. Cliff Lee was their grand slam and they whiffed there. Zack Greinke was a two-run homer and another whiff.

Considering the money, the obvious upside and the Ranger impeccable luck and fortune with guys trying to rebuild their careers, it's a solid double. If Webb performs how we expect a Cy Young winner to perform with that defense behind him, it'll be possibly bigger and better than Greinke not having given up the prospects.

Another subtle move recently was adding Arthur Rhodes, a 41-year-old lefty reliever.

Frankly, I'm shocked Rhodes hasn't been a Ranger already in his career. He's such a guy that the Rangers would sign in a 90-loss season.

In his old age, Rhodes has reemerged. He posted a sub-1.10 WHIP and sub-3.00 in his last two seasons was a Cincinnati Red.

The move works to further solidify the seventh and eighth innings as, I assume, Rhodes will be used with fellow lefty Darren Oliver, who was overworked mightily in 2010 and fizzled in the end of the season and playoffs.

Unlike some lefties, however, Rhodes is capable of handling batters from both sides of the plate. His now-devastating slider vexes lefties, but righties hit .182 against him (although they posted a .289 OBP due to 17 walks).

It also pushes the bullpen and some younger guys. If the Rangers roll with a seven-man rotation and Neftali Feliz is still the closer, that leaves Feliz, Oliver, Rhodes, Alexi Ogando, Mark Lowe, Darren O'Day and Frank Francisco in the bullpen.

It also pushes out, potentially, lefties Michael Kirkman and Matt Harrison on the outside looking in. Also, it puts into doubt Scott Feldman's role. Also, should Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland struggle, there's little space for them.

Options are potentially moving Ogando or Feliz to the starting rotation. I think this is a strong possibility should any of the current starters struggle.

Also, do not count out the possibility of a move involving someone from the bullpen, such as Darren O'Day, who was in the rumor mill going to the Chicago Cubs for prospects several weeks ago.

As the world turns ...

Losing changes lot

Go down

I thought the Dallas Cowboys had a Christmas gift all wrapped for them in the form of the Arizona Cardinals.

Little did I know that Jon Kitna had a gift of his own. His mistake and about two dozen others resulted in a semi-shocking 27-26 loss on Christmas night to the Cardinals.

Boy, did shit hit the fan. Jerry Jones is pissed because his half-assed talent isn't very good. Well, he's more pissed that the coaches can't take his talent from the Big XII and Arkansas and turn it into a team that can beat the Cardinals in front of God and everybody.

Also, I noted Friday that there are a ton of players that will be playing for a spot in 2011 (or 2012 ... depending on work stoppage and whatnot) either on the Cowboys or with someone else.

I'm pretty sure several guys might have played themselves out of a spot.

Marion Barber
Marion Barber was good, but his over-celebration almost caused him to tear every muscle in his body. Probably playing in his final days as a Cowboy.

Roy Williams
He can't come back, right? His attempt at a catch resulted in the Cardinals second interception return for a touchdown. He failed to record a catch.

David Buehler
Again, you can't bring him back, right? He did hit a 53-yard field goal. He also missed a crucial extra point that cost the Cowboys overtime. I suspect he could be good one day. However, how many blown saves did it take the Rangers to replace Frank Francisco with Neftali Feliz?

Marc Columbo
Did you see the Arizona defenders just scooting around him? He looks like a dude that had been on another team's junk pile.

Alan Ball
C-U-T.

And they're not alone. However, they're the most likely to go. Frankly, I'd dump half the team.

Grades:
Quarterback -- C
Because Jon Kitna could not have been worse and Stephen McGee could not have been better.

Running Back -- B+
Considering they were within one score of the Cardinals throughout the second half, you wonder why the Cowboys didn't run more considering they gashed the Cards for 5.5 yards a carry. They ran the ball three times in two drives down eight to start the third.

Wide Receiver -- D
You could put the two Kitna interceptions on the receivers. That's 14 points there. Add to the fact that Roy Williams didn't get to the stadium on time to play and that the receiving corps was outdone by the tight ends 11-8, and you've got a pretty bad day for the receivers.

Tight End -- B
Martellus Bennett's kind of found an identity. Give him a little room to run and he can eat up yards. Jason Witten made it to 90 catches with eight.

Offensive Line -- F
Absolutely horrible. Starts with the right side of the line and works itself over. If the Cowboys had to blow up one full squad, it'd be the offensive line. Keep Doug Free and rebuild.

Defensive Line -- F
The Cowboys are 5-10. It's stated that you win games in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys aren't winning in the trenches. And are thus losing.

Linebacker -- D
Blah as blah can get. A defense that's come to be known a little for making plays couldn't milk a single turnover out of John Skelton.

Secondary -- D
Mike Jenkins' and Alan Ball's complete bumbling of the long touchdown pass defines the 2010 Dallas Cowboys.

Special Teams -- D
Dallas could never turn the field position around to their favor. Killed them all game starting in or around their own 20 yard line. Then the missed extra point happened and none of it mattered.

Coaching -- F
I thought the playcalling was atrocious. The porous offensive line resulted in the quarterback getting pounded. The defense looks disinterested. We haven't seen a team as focused or enthused about playing football since Wade Phillips strolled the sidelines. You know, eight weeks ago.

Merry Christmas, it's the Arizona Cardinals

It's just the team that sucks ... nevermind

I frankly couldn't think of a better way to cap off a Christmas Day than with NFL football.

The Thursday night games I could live without. Monday night games aren't what they used to be.

However, the thought of watching a game on a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving gives me goosebumps. Because at that point in the day, all you want to do is get away from those you love and watch football.

Thankfully for the Dallas Cowboys (and their fans), they drew the Christmas Day game with the hapless and Kurt Warner-less Arizona Cardinals.

Merry Christmas, bitches.

Five things:

Opportunistic
The Arizona Cardinals defense is awful. Although, it should be noted they allow less points per game than the Cowboys. Throwing stones from glass houses is a risky proposition. Still, the Cardinals allow a lot of yards and a lot of points. Still, they've allowed just 18 passing touchdowns while grabbing 15 interceptions and recovering 11 fumbles. They've also tallied five defensive touchdowns. Awful, but opportunistic.

Larry Fitzgerald
A lot of opposing receivers have been getting behind the Cowboys defense. Just saying. I don't care who's throwing the ball, I'd look to take advantage of Terence Newman and Alan Ball.

Teddy Williams
It's Dec. 25. The Cowboys are fighting for 7-9. Why not look out for the splendid speedster from UT-San Antonio, who's been brought in as a receiver. Let him return a kick or two.

Stats
Again. Look at the date and look at the Cowboys' record. Not a ton to look forward to if not for individual marks. Jason Witten's 18 catches and 89 yards from 100 and 1,000 on the year. Miles Austin needs a manageable 136 yards for 1,000 for the second-straight season.

Playing For Keeps
As the injuries have mounted, opportunities for younger players have come about. These are the times for those youngsters to prove themselves and it might be a last gasp for some veterans who have maybe played themselves off the roster for next season and maybe trying to prove their worth on someone else's roster. Would it kill Anthony Spencer, Alan Ball, Sam Hurd, Josh Brent, Marion Barber and Barry Church to have a good game?

Prediction
Cowboys 30, Cardinals 13
Jason Garrett gets a Christmas gift with his fifth win. Fans can sleep with visions of 2011 dancing in their heads.

Bowl cut

Gig 'em

What's fascinating about all the pundits putting down the current college football bowl scene is that even though there are around 40 games, there's no way anyone watches all of them.

Especially the talking heads in the media. So why bitch about it? What does it matter? As my father said once, if you don't like it, don't watch it. Actually, he never said that. But it's something he would say.

If you don't pay a bowl game any attention, what's the point in hating it?

Although, I do have one gripe about the current bowl system. It's not that there's 25 or so meaningless smaller bowl games being played in mid-December with 6-6 teams.

It's that the second-tier bowl games have dropped off significantly in terms of their importance and position in the college football scheme.

Everyone pays attention to the crappy bowl games and the BCS bowl games. Ignored are the Cotton Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Holiday Bowl and these other bowls that have been around for a long while, were almost always played on New Year's Day and always had really good teams going.

Now, they can't play on New Year's Day because of the influx of crappy bowls and their role in terms of hosting good teams is eliminated due to the BCS bowls.

To bowl games of regional significance:

Insight Bowl
Missouri vs. Iowa
A really good game. Two ranked teams that played well in the season that incurred several hiccups that derailed their BCS hopes. Also, their proximity to each other should be interesting. What do you do with two midwest universities? Send them to Arizona, of course.

Texas Bowl
Illinois vs. Baylor
I don't think Illinois is any good and I think the Bears don't know any better. Illinois plays zero defense and has lost to any team of significance this year.

Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
Talk about spitting the bit. Arizona was riding high until four straight conference losses. Meanwhile, OSU's looking for win No. 11 and potentially a pretty high pre-season ranking should they wind up around the top 10 this year.

Armed Forces Bowl
Army vs. SMU
Of all the talk of schools losing money having to pay for travel, SMU must feel pretty good. What's the big difference between the Armed Forced Bowl and the Honolulu Bowl? Nil. Why not save the money, play at home and enjoy a holidays in the continuous 48?

Pinstripe Bowl
Kansas State vs. Syracuse
New York Yankees. Get it? K-State as disappointing of a team as you'll find and I hope they lose by 20.

Holiday Bowl
Nebraska vs. Washington
I give a little credit to Washington. They could've packed it in after getting nailed by Oregon and Stanford. Instead, they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and beat Cal, Washington State and UCLA to end the season and finish 6-6. Meanwhile, Nebraska crapped the bed against Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma to wind up here. Mixed with the Pelini Brothers Fight and Anger Club, it's been a bad year for the Huskers.

TicketCity Bowl
Northwestern vs. Texas Tech
The new Cotton Bowl game at the old Cotton Bowl. And what a turd in the toilet this is!

Rose Bowl
Wisconsin vs. TCU
A really, really good game. Nothing against this. The black-and-blue badgers from the Big Ten against the upstart Horned Frogs, on the verge of going to the Big East. The Frogs are 5-4 in bowl games under Gary Patterson. But since moving to the Mountain West and entering their prime, they've won four of five, which included last year's loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. A big test for TCU if they want favor in pre-season rankings.

Fiesta Bowl
Connecticut vs. Oklahoma
Connecticut is a team that was shut out by Louisville before rolling off five straight against the best of the Big East and taking the conference. I feel like OU should win by five or more touchdowns.

Cotton Bowl
LSU vs. Texas A&M
I don't know how good a game this is as much as it's an interesting match-up for us locally. We've longed for the Aggies to right the ship. They have. Now I can't help but feel they're going to get their ass whipped by the seasoned LSU team that plays as good a defense as you'll find in the country. Again, A&M's proved they can win as evidenced in their 9-6 win over Nebraska.

The hottest team on ice

Don't Burish me

As good as the Dallas Mavericks have been this season, they can't hold a candle to the hottest team in the Dallas-Fort Worth purview.

That's the Dallas Stars. They are 11-2-2 with last night's 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. With the win, the Stars also jumped the Detroit Red Wings for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference.

Considering its mid-December, that means nothing. On the other hand, I'd rather be No. 1 than No. 10. Especially for a team everyone largely ignored in the pre-season.

I wonder if certain things aren't coming together. The better goaltending hides whatever cracks there are on the blue line; however, it should be noted that play defensively has improved quite a bit this season as some of the youngsters are finding their way.

Also, you wonder if the talent isn't just merely playing to its potential. It was two years ago that this same squad (just slightly older) was in the Western Conference Finals -- a spot you don't trip into.

The talk now is whether or not the cash-strapped Stars will trade their best player, Brad Richards, who is a free agent after the season. As the Stars are probably unable to re-sign him, the thought is they can trade him at his peak value (as one of the better points guys in the league) and get something in return, at least.

Look at it like this, it'd be like the Rangers trading Josh Hamilton during the July trade deadline this last season. It's tough to send a good message to fans and your team by trading your best player in a legit playoff push. I can't imagine the Stars doing that unless they get $1-for-$1 value on him and that never happens.

Notes:
1. Credit GM Joe Nieuwendyk for finding players with a limited budget. Adam Burish and Karlis Skrastins both tallied rare goals last night. Both have been regular parts to this thing.

2. Jamie Benn, who I say has been a top 5 guy for the Stars this season, notched his second shorthanded goal of the year. He has three total shorthanded points.

3. The Stars are creeping in the penalty-kill numbers. Now at 81 percent for the season.

4. Nieuwendyk's decision on Kari Lehtonen is looking gold, too.

Oh oh oh it's Magic!

BFFs

A quick word on the Orlando Magic, the team the Dallas Mavericks beat 105-99 (in Orlando) last night.

I like Dwight Howard and I kind of genuinely hope he makes it to the point that he's a world champion in this league. He plays like a man's man and, yet, fully realizes it's a boy's game.

However, I refused to believe any thoughts that the Magic were any better this year than they were last year. Case in point: Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter.

Those two are about the biggest "losers" in professional sports. Not that they're not talented and good on most nights. The fact is, you're not winning anything of significance with them on your roster. It's a fact.

Then they pulled off the trade to get rid of both of them and the millstone known as the Marcin Gortat contract (do you realize how close he came in becoming a Maverick?) in a trade to get Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu.

Now, give this squad a month to come together and then we'll talk about the Magic being better.

Notes:
1. At 23-5, the Mavs are the best second-place team ever. San Antonio still has the lead by 1.5 games.

2. San Antonio is ridiculous.

3. The Mavericks are a phenomenal 10-1 on the road. They're also 9-2 against the Eastern Conference. Their last road loss came Nov. 17 against New Orleans.

4. Dirk Nowitzki passed Larry Bird for 25th all time in scoring. Quite the accomplishment for a guy who once had this picture taken.

5. Got to see our ol' pal Brandon Bass. Still love his game. But it belongs on the bench as a sixth or seventh man. He's a 6-8 man who plays a 7-0 game.

6. I daresay Jason Kidd has his best game of hte season: 13 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, one turnover.

7. Caron Butler's gotten a lot better. Shooting 50 percent in December compared to 42 percent in November.

8. DeShawn Stevenson is shotting 49 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line.

9. Tyson Chandler's shooting a sick 66 percent from the field. He went 7-7 against Orlando.

10. Why is Dirk great? “As of now, I am still chasing my dream and trying to bring a championship to Dallas. That is where my focus is right now.”

Is Jason Witten a Hall of Famer?

Mr. 600

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten caught his 600th pass. Then he added five more.

Immediately, talk fired up regarding Witten's potential Hall of Fame possibilities. Kind of odd talk when you consider that he's 28 years old. Which seems completely insane. Seems like he's been in the league for 15 years.

Is Witten a Hall of Famer?

No.

I realize I run the risk of pissing off a ton of Cowboys' fans. But that's fine. Witten is not a Hall of Famer, and I believe he has a long, long way to go to even be in the discussion.

Frankly, I don't have a good reason.

Statistically, there's little argument that Witten will amass plenty of impressive stats. Assuming he stays healthy, he'll go another five or six years at 65+ catches and 900+ yards per season. That'd be close to 1,000 catches and about 11,000 yards. Impressive.

Of course, by the ends of their careers, the likes of Kellen Winslow Jr., Todd Heap, Chris Cooley, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis and Marcedes Lewis could have pretty big numbers themselves. Are you putting in a dozen tight ends into the NFL Hall of Fame?

Witten is as "really good" as any NFL player in history has ever been "really good." I'd daresay that Witten's "really really good."

But he's never been great. Case in point, he has just one All Pro designation in his career and chances are he won't get many more, if any.

The Hall of Fame is for "great" players, not really good ones. And with that in mind, it might not ever matter how many stats Witten piles up. He might not ever be Hall of Fame worthy.

Never has a Cowboys fan during a winning, playoff season said, "Man, where would this team be without Jason Witten?"

Never. Ever. It's never happened. When the Cowboys got good during Witten's tenure, it coincided with the ascension of Tony Romo and Terrell Owens' time of putting forth one of the best years for a Cowboys' receiver.

I hate to badmouth Witten. He's clearly extremely good at playing football and he does quite a number of things well.

Our association and proximity to the Cowboys skews our view of Witten. We see the sweet, tough, corn-fed white kid from Tennessee that works hard and takes the game seriously. He brings his "lunch pail" and leaves his heart on the field every week. No doubt about this.

But there are tons of players that do the same thing. Tons. It's just not all are as talented as Witten and working hard and loving the game doesn't get you into the Hall of Fame.

Has Witten ever been transcendent? Has he carried a team on his back to the playoffs? Does he have a defining moment outside of running against the Philadelphia Eagles without his helmet?

Also, today's pass catchers have the luxury of playing during and era that encourages the offensive player. From helmet-to-helmet hits, pass interference and other rule changes, it's almost too hard not to have a good year if you are able to run on two legs. Comparing Witten's stats with those of Shannon Sharpe, Ozzie Newsome, Mike Ditka and Jackie Smith can't be done. It's apples and prostitutes. No comparison.

We can like Witten. That's easy. But any notion of Witten being a Hall of Famer is pure homer vigor and is not based on the play on the field.

Game No. 27

Jason Kidd: Enjoying the ride

There is no substantative data that game No. 27 in an NBA season is any more important than the 81 other games.

However, that one was a big one.

The Dallas Mavericks halted its second 12-game win streak by beating the Miami Heat (in Miami ... a city of so many ghosts) 98-96 last night.

I think you can pencil the Mavericks into the top rung of teams for 2010-11. We talk as if the Mavericks have stunk the last decade or something. The Mavericks are really good every year. However, there's a different buzz this season.

I think it's a lot of Tyson Chandler, by far the most significant addition to this team since Jason Kidd. Some is Dirk Nowitzki's silly season despite apparently entering the "twilight" of his career.

I think some credit is due to Shawn Marion. Every game he brings something. It's typically a little of a lot of things. Last night it was 13 rebounds in a game where only Chandler hit double-digits and the Mavericks narrowly outrebounded the Heat 48-44. I'd love the 2000-01 Marion, but he no longer exists. I'll deal with the 2010-11 Marion.

The biggest reason the Mavericks are a team of note is defense. They held the Heat to 40 percent shooting. Dwayne Wade and Lebron James were a collective 14-34. The Miami bench went 7-25 from the field.

You will win 99 percent of all games where you hold an opponent to 40 percent shooting.

Welcome to the stage, Mavericks. It's fascinating to see what the next 50-odd games will bring.

Another one bites the dust

Zack Greinke, in the powder blues

It came down this weekend that the Kansas City Royals traded star starter Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects.

Plan B for the Texas Rangers is thus gone.

OK. Now what?

I honestly wasn't in love with giving Cliff Lee all that money and all those guaranteed years. I wasn't in love with giving up four high-profile prospects for a guy with social anxiety disorders.

However, it was the best move.

Chances are, Greinke would've cost the Rangers Jurickson Profar, Martin Perez and Derek Holland at the least and probably would require one other youngster.

I make that trade in a second. Prospects don't help this year. Probably don't help next year. May never help. As good as those guys look now, they have a better chance at failing than succeeding.

However, Greinke wasn't in the cards. The Royals got several Major-League ready pieces. Maybe that's what they wanted more than the unknown, yet, higher-ceilinged prospect.

It's another swing and miss for GM Jon Daniels and the new ownership group. The deepest farm system in the Majors can't give their prospects away.

Hopefully, the final response better not be Seth McClung. More like Matt Garza. Wouldn't be totally against Fausto Carmona. Again, not in love with it.

What we know now

You can do a lot worse than Gerald Sensabaugh

Despite what the owner wants, we are all discovering things about the current allotment of Dallas Cowboys even while playing the starters in a 33-30 near collapse at the Death Star.

And let's face it, no matter what the media tells us, keeping the aging veterans in to win meaningless games at the end of a lost season has nothing to do with the fans and everything to do with the owner.

Again, this team will not win a significant football game until Jerry Jones is no longer the general manager because his ego and his business leanings thwart the abilities of this franchise. And fans know exactly how they can change this. Don't go to games.

That'll never happen.

These are the people we do know about now:

Paul Pasqualoni
God bless and keep you, Paul Pasqualoni. You were thrust into a position that maybe you never wanted, yet, you grabbed the opportunity by the horns and have made the best of it. However your defense is allowing 30 points a game to good and bad teams. Granted, the sacks and turnovers are up, but those only go so far. Pasqualoni's won this team some games with the change, but I think he has a much bigger and more suitable role outside of the coordinator's spot.

Jon Kitna
Any ideas that he can't back you up at quarterback have been answered. That trick-play pass to Felix Jones was marvelous.

Alan Ball
He can not be your starting safety. Unless you want to lose 10 games a season.

Bryan McCann
He should be struggling for a roster spot in six months. The guy has something.

Keith Brooking
Is washed up. At the time, exactly what the team needed. Now, a liability.

Terence Newman
I've never thought he was that great. I daresay now, he's not even very good in the sense that I'm not very good at playing cornerback in the NFL. The game-sealing interception does not erase the afternoon of chasing down Redskins as Santana Moss feasted on the Cowboys secondary.

Grades:
Quarterback -- A
Question: Is Jon Kitna a free agent? Question: If so, would it be out of the question that a talented team like the Minnesota Vikings take a good long look at him as a ... starter? I honestly would not be shocked the way he's played. A rebuilding team would never (or shouldn't ever) take a chance. But a team in desperate need might kick the tires.

Running Back -- C
I would seriously suggest to the Dallas Cowboys that they trade Felix Jones if they are not going to use him. Despite Marion Barber being out and the third-stringer Tashard Choice not getting on the field due to his special teams play, you'd think Jones' touches would go up. Nope. Instead, they benched him in the red zone as the Cowboys' offense was befuddled around the goalline. If he's your best back, you give him the ball!

Wide Receiver -- C
Kitna has zero chemistry with Miles Austin. I'm convinced. They're just on different pages and I don't think it'll change in two games despite Kitna targeting him seven times to the tune of three catches. Sam Hurd has four catches. Should've been six with two touchdowns.

Tight End -- A
It is no mistake that Jason Witten had a monster day and, still, the Cowboys almost lost. I'm telling you, teams are willing to let Witten go as long as they stop the speedster skill guys.

Offensive Line -- B+
I assume this crew did well as long as I didn't necessarily notice them throughout the game. And I didn't. Frankly, I haven't heard Doug Free's name called in eight weeks. I do remember a Kyle Kosier penalty. By the way, what were Donovan McNabb and Andre Gurode talking about after the game on the field? What the hell would McNabb have to say to a lout like Gurode?

Defensive Line -- C-
Blah. I thought they did good against the running game early to take the Redskins out of their gameplan to pump Ryan Torain over and over. Otherwise, pretty non-existent. Nowadays, I'm noticing the second-stringers like Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen and Josh Brent more and more.

Linebackers -- B+
If play is any indication, Bradie James must have absolutely hated Wade Phillips. He's been 100 times better post-Phillips. DeMarcus Ware probably had his best game of the season. And you can't convince me that Vic Butler doesn't need more snaps.

Secondary -- F
Gerald Sensabaugh had a huge game. Orlando Scandrick was good. The others would probably like to put a pillow over their head and forget it. Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins and Alan Ball were embarrassing.

Special Teams -- A
Again, Bryan McCann has something. Had 143 return yards yesterday helping the Cowboys offense start their first four possessions near midfield or in Washington territory. I think David Buehler's won the kicking job for next season despite him being good for one dumb miss per contest. I think they like him enough to keep him around and work with him. If he's kicking 75 percent in his first year, they assume he'll be good for 85 percent in his second.

Coaching -- C
That's three straight games in which the opponent's won it or tied it late. These players are either wearing down mentally or physically (or both) and you pin that on the coaching staff.

Redskins-Cowboys

War paint, on

Can you believe how much the Dallas Cowboys' landscape changed three months and one week ago?

It's been just over three months since the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Washington Redskins in the first game of the season 13-7.

Where to start?

The Cowboys netted 24 first downs and nearly 400 offensive yards and scored just seven points. Miles Austin had 10 catches for 146 yards. Who didn't think he wind up with 120 catches and 1,400 yards?

To end the first half, the Redskins scored their only touchdown after Tony Romo threw a screen to Tashard Choice, who had the ball stripped and ran back for a score by DeAngelo Hall.

Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb went 15-32 for a lousy 171 in his Washington debut.

The game ended with Cowboys replacement right tackle bear hugging Brian Orakpo negating a Roy Williams, potentially game-winning touchdown. Thus ending the game.

That's been the 2010-11 season in a nutshell. Turnovers, dumb decisions and a complete lack of playmaking and execution even on the most basic of levels.

It set off a shitstorm unseen in the Cowboys landscape. In the franchise's 60th year, the year the Cowboys were supposed to be the first to play a home game during the Super Bowl.

Since, the head coach was fired, the starting quarterback broke his arm, the third highest-paid receiver in the NFL has disappeared and the defense went into hiding.

And it started three months and one week ago.

Five things:
Rex Grossman
Got to give it to Mike Shanahan: He loves some drama. I don't blame him for being disappointed in Donovan McNabb, because he's stunk. However, does Rex Grossman give you the best opportunity to win. Even if he does, is it worth dividing your locker room to prove a point? With Rex Grossman? As much as he's screwed every fantasy owner with his running back musical chairs, the fact that he's prompted about a million owners to get the Cowboys defense might be his biggest coup.

Miles Austin
It's convenient to give Austin the benefit of the doubt. Losing Tony Romo killed his year. However, there aren't many bodies left after Kevin Ogletree was lost for the season. By sheer attrition, Austin's production should improve.

The Young Ones
This week more than any other, there's been talk of the Cowboys give a bit more time to the young guys stuck in the pit of the depth chart. I love the whole "Fans still want to see their team win" bullshit extolled by members of the media. What a dumb idea. If fans were so fucking smart, they'd be running the teams. Fans are idiots. It's why most of us make a shit paycheck at dumb jobs. It's because we're not good enough to make decisions about a football team. Why not give Sam Young a couple of drives? Why not throw Barry Church out there? How will Church blow a coverage any worse than Alan Ball?

Ryan Torain
As much of a workhorse as you'll find in the NFC East. He's got 74 carries and 407 yards in his last four games. Extraordinary because he had a nine-carry, 10-yard day against Detroit two weeks ago. By all accounts, he's the lead back for Washington from here on out, including next season. Seems like a stud.

Secondary is Primary
I think the members of the Cowboys' secondary are playing for jobs. I really feel that way. I think more than one could be gone next year if things continue to go poorly back there. The Redskins have weapons. Whether Grossman can get the ball to them is a different question. However, lesser-known guys like Anthony Armstrong can make you look really silly, really quickly.

Predictions
Cowboys 17, Redskins 16
Several things always happen in the two-game sets between these teams: Each split a game and each plays down to the inferior opponent. Right now, the Redskins are inferior, but that won't stop the Cowboys from playing to their level and letting them stick around in this game. All prayers are going out to Rex Grossman as he's thrown in the fire.

Tony Romo is getting married

Romo's squeeze for life

Dallas-Fort Worth males fall on knees, raise fists into air and scream, "Whhhhyyyyyyy!?!?"

Maybe he's in love.

Maybe it's his brother-in-law's stash.

Bob Feller

Heater from Van Meter

He's one of the reasons I wish I was born in 1925 so I could watch him play.

Missed essentially three seasons of his prime due to World War II. His dropoff was sharp starting in his late-20s. Probably could've had mind-blowing numbers with those three seasons and maybe better years into his 30s. For all the Cliff Lee haters (or lovers), the Cleveland Indians won the 1948 World Series. Feller went 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA.

Looks like a total badass.

A player not to be named 'Cliff' later

Carl Pavano 'stache

Cliff Lee is a Philadelphia Phillie. Now, the Rangers must move on and as they continue to be in the apparent Adrian Beltre sweepstakes (please, Lord, make this go away!), the team must still address the starting rotation.

Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando may or may not be in line for spots in the rotation.

Jamey Newberg's still banging the Josh Johnson drum. Zack Greinke is still in the mix, somewhere.

For those wondering, here's who's left on the free agent market that could attract the Rangers.

(I started to add Vicente Padilla, Kevin Millwood and/or Rich Harden -- Harden and Padilla already getting contracts for California teams -- but it was too cruel.)

Carl Pavano
When he won 18 games for Florida five years ago, I was on the Pavano bandwagon. Then he robbed the Yankees for three seasons. All of a sudden, he's winning 17 games for the Twins in a contract year. I'd avoid the guy. A turd, I think. He eats innings at best and that's what the Rangers want almost more than anything at this point.

Brad Penny
As long as the Rangers have looked for pitching, Penny's been in the rumor mill. Frankly, the dude's fat and I think that's killed his health, which is why he can't get to 100 innings for consecutive seasons. He doesn't take care of himself and it strains his body in an inordinate fashion. Again, avoid like the plague.

Chien-Ming Wang
It shocks me that Wang won 19 games in two straight seasons for the New York Yankees while his strikeout-walk ratio was nearly 1-1. There's a limit to these Asian guys. I think they catch Major Leaguers off guard at first and then their limits are reached and they start getting hit. For every Ichiro there's two dozen Hideki Irabus. Wang's not worth a minor-league deal.

Brandon Webb
If I'm the Rangers, I throw a contract at Webb. He's coming off about eight billion surgeries. He's more like RoboCop than human at this point. He'll be cheap. Still 31, he has time to come back. Plus, he's always been perfect for the Ballpark with his groundball tendencies. Problem is, he's not a lock for a rotation spot or to make 30 starts.

Chris Young/Justin Duchscherer
Two ex-pats who combined for nine starts last season. Would they dare do the retread thing with two injury-prone guys? Two huge risks. Young hasn't been healthy in four years. Duchscherer has one decent half season.

Conclusion:
Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. There's shit left. Pavano's probably the surest bet to give you 180 innings, but he's a wildcard since he's liable to shut down once he gets his money. Or maybe the New York media got to him. The only guy I'd tender a contract to is Webb. Otherwise, I take my chances with C.J. Wilson-Colby Lewis-Tommy Hunter-Neftali Feliz/Alexi Ogando/Derek Holland. Then wait for the Marlins to get 30 games below .500 and trade Johnson.

The scary goodness of Dirk Nowitzki

Swish 41

We are 25 games into a potentially historically awesome season from Dirk Nowitzki.

He had a quiet 21-5-3 as the Mavericks got back into the winning saddle beating Portland 103-98 last night.

However, on the season, he's playing as well as anyone in the league and the MVP rumblings are already starting.

His percentages:

56% FG - 40% 3PT - 85% FT

There's a good chance that Nowitzki works out the vaunted 50/40/90 season, which he pulled off in his previous MVP season in 2006-07.

Consider this, Nowitzki's shot 50 percent just one other time (2006-07). He's shot 40 percent from the three-point line just three other times.

All the while, he's still getting his eight rebounds, three assists and block.

Nowitzki is 32 years old and he's still peaking. He's not getting worse and he's only getting older.

I hope everyone's paying attention.

Notes:
1. Brendan Haywood: 10 minutes - 2 points - 1 rebound - 2 fouls

2. Ian Mahinmi: 3 minutes - 2 points - 1 rebound - 1 foul

3. It's not that Mahinmi is awesome or anything. It's about effort. Haywood is giving none and he's getting paid $6.5 million this season. Why aren't more people completely pissed about this?

4. Tyson Chandler's shooting a career-high 65 percent from the field. He's also hitting 80 percent of his free throws. He's a 61.9 percent career free-throw shooter.

5. Caron Butler with -- by a million miles -- his best game of the year: 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists.

6. Second-best start in franchise history at 20-5. This season his knocking me for a loop.

Cliff Lee fallout

As the world turns without Cliff Lee:

The Rangers did not go seven years for Cliff Lee. Fortifies my faith in the Rangers management.

****
There was apparent deal in the works with Tampa Bay Rays for Matt Garza, but it fell through. I'd keep my wandering eye on this tidbit.

****
Thoughts are the Rangers would look to boost the offense now with free agent cash.

****
Also, there are renewed talks of pushing Neftali Feliz or Alexi Ogando to the starting rotation.

****
The Rangers are also apparently in on Chien-Ming Wang on an incentive-based, low-risk deal.

****
Evan Grant gives weight to my thoughts the Rangers should get Brandon Webb.

****
Anyone who thinks the Cliff Lee deal is like the Lebron James fiasco, you are a dickhead.

Tending to the goal

The substitute

The Dallas Stars dumped their long-time star goalie, Marty Turco, in the hopes that Kari Lehtonen's back was OK and that he was a goalie with a future.

Turns out, the Stars' back-up might still be better than Turco.

Andrew Raycroft stopped 31 of 33 San Jose Shark shots on the road to get a 3-2 shoot-out win. Raycroft stopped two of three Shark shoot-out attempts to seal the deal.

Raycroft's been forced in to action with Lehtonen's back acting up having started his fourth straight game.

And for about the fourth time in that period, he's come up with some spectacular saves with the game on the line. Last night, the Sharks got a late power play (a trend for Stars hockey as of late) and Raycroft stood on his head for two minutes to get the game to overtime.

Raycroft's got a respectable 2.31 GAA and is saving about 93 percent of opponents' shots. He's 5-3 on the season.

Meanwhile the Stars keep winning, 30 games into this thing. They're 18-10-2 overall and 7-2-1 in their last 10 to maintain their two-point lead in the Pacific Division.

Notes:
1. Jamie Benn's just 21 and he's already a dependable second-tier scorer for this team. Notched goal No. 7 last night in addition to a tally in the shoot-out.

2. Despite the drop in goals (5 in 30 games) and a four-game pointless streak, Mike Ribeiro knows when to show up. A goal and assist last night.

3. The Stars have the second most wins (18) in the Western Conference behind the Detroit Red Wings (19).

4. The Stars are just 4-5 against the Pacific Division, but already 2-0 against the San Jose Sharks.

Cliff Lee is a Philadelphia Phillie

Phil-Lee

Cliff Lee chose a team. And it could not have knocked a city in the gut quite like it has Dallas-Fort Worth.

On the other hand, it's also not like the world is ending.

Mostly because as he's not a Texas Rangers, he's also not a New York Yankee.

Yesterday mid-morning, word came down on a significant "mystery" team being heavy hitters for Lee. Most decried that a "mystery" team was always the creation of the agent to build leverage. Turns out, the "mystery" team was very real.

It was the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that traded Lee to the Seattle Mariners last winter. By some accounts, the Cliff and his family "loved" Philadelphia and were sad to go in the first place. Now they're back.

Reason No. 2 we're not all that sad is that Lee didn't go for the most number of years or some insane amount of money. Seems like he kind of went with his heart. And if you listen to your heart, you can never lose.

The deal is worth $120 million over five years with a vesting option for $27 million for a sixth year should Lee pitch 200 innings in 2015 or 400 innings in 2014-2015.

Yes, the money helped. But we were always told that Lee wanted years, not cash. He wound up with less years (if the Rangers and Yankees were, indeed, offering seven years) and a bit more money in a city that they apparently love.

The Rangers could compete with as many years and dollars as they wanted. However, they were never going to compete with a family's affinity for a particular city or area.

Also, Lee probably doesn't mind missing out on the designated hitter for the final years of his career.

As for the Phillies, this solidifies their role as a World Series favorite. If Roy Oswalt is your No. 3 starter and Cole Hamels No. 4, it's World Series or bust.

For the Rangers, I feel like a great weight has been lifted off our shoulders. I also feel like a certain bullet has been dodged. A potential franchise-breaking contract like the one Lee wanted (or we thought he wanted) could have been the ruin of what was started last season. A bum back or shoulder could've caused a ripple effect that would've taken a decade to overcome again. That's not a place I wanted to go. Not with the light finally shining through.

The Rangers competed without Lee for half a season last year and I suspect they'll do the same without him this year. Remember, Colby Lewis beat the Yankees twice. The Rangers have a lot more options than some other teams and I think with this leadership they can still get better without Cliff Lee.

But whatever you do, do not sign Adrian Beltre!

Tashard Choice, autographs and the state of sports

Last night, Dallas Cowboys running back Tashard Choice ruffled many feathers by getting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to sign a glove.

It was allegedly for his 2-year-old nephew. Poor excuse. Two-year-olds don't know their ass from their elbows more or less the concept of gloves, autographs, sports or Michael Vick.

It's brought up a ton of debate about sports, bygone days, Jason Garrett, Choice, etiquette and all that jazz.

Here are some truths and thoughts:

We Get It: It's Not 1975 Anymore
You don't have to tell us twice, blowhards and know-it-alls. Sports and gamesmanship have changed. Rivalries are all but dead. Much of the violence and hatred have been taken out, mostly thanks to free agency. We're not ignorant. We see it. You don't need a talk radio show to figure this out. But what the fuck does that have to do with sending an intern to get an autograph in the visitor's lockerroom.

It Has Everything To Do With Context
Yes, if the Cowboys beat the Eagles, this is a non-story. Rearrange that. Let's say the Cowboys beat the Eagles and Vick signs the autograph. What's the reaction in Philadelphia. Vick would get fucking crucified for giving the autograph. If it happens in the tunnel or back room, it's a non-story because no one would know the difference. Generally, people don't care about the autograph, just when and where it happened.

The Dallas Cowboys Have Shit For Brains Regarding Public Relations
First it's Tony Romo downplaying an essentially 44-6 "playoff" loss to Philadelphia two years ago. Now it's Choice doing some early Christmas shopping after another home loss, then tripping over himself for an excuse. Jerry Jones hemming and hawing in the media about Wade Phillips, firing him four weeks too late after defending him tooth and nail. It's Jason Garrett mishandling the Marion Barber fine earlier and even today dancing around the subject of Choice's autograph seeking. Look, Dallas sports fans are like the woman that's been cheated on by the same man over and over. We're tired of the bullshit. All we want to be shot straight. We've put up with Bill Parcells' gruffness and then Wade Phillips' assholery for too long.

Fans Can Get Mad
I attended Sunday night's game. Those fans there have paid a shitload of money to buy those stupid seating rights and season tickets to sit through these games and root for this team. They're 1-6 now at home. If I'm paying that much for a ticket, I'm going to get pissed. If the coach smiles wrong, if Choice is eBaying memorabilia, if the team doesn't try, blows up a coverage, drops a pass or just ding-dongs around, they are allowed to get mad. Media, players, owners and general managers must realize that this sports stuff (the colors, the wins, the losses) means a lot more to us because while you might play for the other team in two years, we won't be rooting for that other team with you.

WWTBD?
Think of any champion in any sport. Tim Duncan. Peyton Manning. Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant. Albert Pujols. Kevin Youkilis. Think of the championship coaches. Bill Belichick. Phil Jackson. Jimmy Johnson. Scotty Bowman. Tony Dungy. Pat Riley. Tony LaRussa. Bruce Bochy. Or, for my purposes, Tom Brady. Would any of those guys ever dare to get something autographed, on or off the field, ice or court? OK, so you consider the superstars won't ask for an autograph. However, think of the lesser guys. Is Kevin Faulk seeking an autograph? Robert Horry? Kirk Maltby? Steve Kerr? Derek Fisher?

Hell no. Those guys would just as soon sock you in the gut than ask for an autograph. Maybe they go for a drink afterwards. It's just something that championship-calibre players, coaches and personnel not only won't do, but probably wouldn't stand if a teammate did it. Choice and others must ask themselves: What Would Tom Brady Do?

Please, for the love of God, do not sign Adrian Beltre!

A strike ... at the Beltre

My heart sank this morning when I read a report that the Texas Rangers are "moving aggressively" on free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Nothing could be worse news than that outside of a terrorist strike or the death of John Oates.

If the Rangers spend seven years and $150 million on Cliff Lee, I'll recover.

If they spend a dime and two days on Beltre, I might not.

What I don't understand is why teams don't see what I and every other baseball fan in the world sees.

ADRIAN BELTRE IS A CONTRACT-YEAR PLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What don't teams understand. Look at the stats. It's as clear as the nose on your face!

Beltre's contract years:

2004
104 runs - 200 hits - 32 2B - 48 HR - 121 RBI - .334 avg. - 1.017 OPS

2010
84 runs - 189 hits - 49 2B - 28 HR - 102 RBI - .321 avg. - .919 OPS

Career Averages
70 runs - 145 hits - 30 2B - 21 HR - 77 RBI - .275 avg. - .791 OPS

What could be more clear? That the sky is blue? That water is wet?

Beltre is the classic and insanely maddening case of a player with an immense amount of talent that could give a shit about his career except when he's about to get paid.

I wouldn't have him on my team for free. Give me Mike Young's aged and inferior effort at third base and Vlad Guerrero's crazy baserunning at designated hitter over Beltre as a peanut vendor.

Autograph hounds

Kit-Kitna

I watched the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game from the kinda-friendly confines of the newish Cowboys Stadium. I mean, it's two years old already, but it still has that new stadium smell.

Anyway, watching the game was kind of dicey, considering my seats (end zone), fights and the amazing amount of talent in the stands.

The one glaring detail I took away from the Cowboys' 30-27 loss to the Eagles, making them 1-6 at the Death Star were third downs.

The Cowboys were a game-losing 3-11 on third downs. On at least four instances, they had a manageable third down (10 yards or less) and proceeded to run or execute a play for less yards than they needed. Thanks to a brilliant effort from Kevin Ogletree, it would have been a fifth.

I do not understand certain principles in sports. Missing free throws if you shoot 40 percent from three-point range is inexcusable.

Running a route for five yards on third-and-7 is another concept that I don't grasp and maybe it's because I'm a dumb fan that's never played the game and I'll never understand anything because I'm so pathetically stupid. But I've played enough Madden in my life to know that you at least try for seven yards.

There is no difference between executing a third-and-7 for five yards and not executing a third-and-7 for eight yards.

Then there's the after-game fiasco. Jason Garrett smiling like the cat that just ate the canary. Tashard Choice getting Michael Vick's dog-blood stained autograph ... on the field.

I don't care who's coaching this thing: These dudes are losers. L-O-S-E-R-S. And I'm talking from the quarterback, to the secondary, to the linebackers to the third-string running back. All losers. If Jerry Jones doesn't want to cede his general manager's title, fine. But he has to overhaul this football team. They aren't going to win a thing.

Also, why didn't Terence Newman clock DeSean Jackson on that touchdown run. As soon as he stopped and fell into the end zone, I would've ran up there and George Teague'd him through next Sunday. Screw it. The Cowboys are going to have a losing season. What does it matter if Newman or whoever is suspended or fine?

This team is a million light years away from who they were in the 1990s, and I know I shouldn't compare because it's a different age. However, the next press conference Garrett saunters into and lays down this Jimmy Johnson-like bullshit, I don't want to hear it. Cowboys got a snootful of Mickey Mouse over the past several years and I don't know if Garrett's stopping it.

Grades:

Quarterback -- C

Played it safe the entire game. Don't know if that's coaching or Jon Kitna, but nary a ball was thrown 10 yards down the field. All underneath, check-downs, screens and the like. I'd complete 70 percent of my passes, too, if I were throwing it eight yards. Safe killed them.

Running Back -- F

The Cowboys have a shitload of problems in the backfield. Problem No. 1: They're all getting paid. Problem No. 2: They all think they're good. Problem No. 3: Chances are, you're stuck with this crew for probably three more seasons.

Wide Receiver -- F

Did we think Roy Williams and Miles Austin would pick up Dez Bryant's slack? Four catches, 45 yards. Yikes. Kitna has apparently zero chemistry with Austin. However, Kevin Ogletree doesn't see the field in a year and him and Kitna are like peas and carrots.

Tight End -- C

Great games. Again, how many playoff games and Super Bowls are won by teams that focus on their tight ends? Opponents dare the Cowboys to throw to their tight ends because they know Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett can't really hurt them.

Offensive Line -- B

Frankly, didn't notice them much. Kitna was flushed out a couple of times. Never felt he was getting knocked around too bad.

Defensive Line -- B

I was floored to see that LeSean McCoy had 140-odd yards. Thought they did an awesome job of containing Vick (eight attempts, 16 yards) and even harrassed him a couple of times resulting in good plays.

Linebackers -- B

Thought DeMarcus Ware had his best game in eight weeks. Very active group. Played the pass really well and, again, helped keep Vick in the pocket, throwing the ball.

Secondary -- C

Outside of DeSean Jackson's four catches and 210 yards, they help hold the rest of the pass catchers to 12 catches and 61 yards. Orlando Scandrick looks like a different player, post-Wade. They let two plays go and it cost them everything.

Special Teams -- B

I think David Buehler is your kicker next season. He nailed a 50-yarder and was perfect all the way around. As long as he keeps booting it, he'll be around to soap up those honkers.

Coaching -- B

The general consensus in the stands after the game was that it was a lot closer than anyone thought it was going to be and that the Cowboys gave it their all. Again, it came down to two plays (both long Jackson receptions). Those two killed. Still, the Cowboys controlled the clock and were in control for a bulk of the middle of the game. These moral victories mean something. Eventually, they will be a pocketful of Indian nickels and washers. Results are eventually needed.

Cowboys-Eagles

Give me Liberty or give me death

I have the extreme pleasure of attending tonight's Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles affair at the Turd on the Turnpike.

It's my first chance to get a glimpse at the behemoth. It also comes on the night that Michael Vick is coming back, when the Dreaded and Feared are here and when the Cowboys seek to make their mark in this league before time runs out.

Again, it's a benchmark game for Jason Garrett. At Philly to end the season is not a fair evaluation. That'd be a tough game for just about anyone.

However, at home with your team playing well, Garrett's status with this team will be further soldified even though I kinda think he has the full-time gig anyway.

Five things:

Vick
As he goes, so go the Eagles. It's a big reason I think the Eagles will be as restricted in the playoffs as the Atlanta Falcons were. Vick can't have a bad or so-so game and have his team still win. He has to be really good game in and game out. However, when he's good, when he has time to either run or throw, when he's upright and in the pocket (or running outside of it) he's as dangerous as they get.

Speed
The Eagles have a lot of it outside of Vick. Frankly, the best way to limit the likes of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin is to put Vick on his ass. He gets hit a little and throws start going askew, over heads and into the ground. Again, if Vick is upright, those guys will absolutely kill the Cowboys' secondary, who have allowed more than 300 yards passing per game since October.

DeMarcus Ware
It's time for the guy to have a big game. He's been more than quiet this season. Deathly silent, to be more accurate. Keeping contain in addition to getting his paws on Vick are vital.

Miles Austin
Asante Samuel is out. So is Dez Bryant. Jon Kitna will need to throw the ball to somebody. Might as well be the guy going against the second stringer.

Home-Field Disadvantage
The Cowboys are 7-7 at the new stadium. All thanks to a 1-5 turn this season. The Cowboys are on the verge of a 1-7 year at JerryWorld. Someone will not be pleased at this.

Prediction
Eagles 38, Cowboys 33
Cowboys give a good fight, but like against New Orleans, one play will make a difference. Vick throws for 325 ... and we haven't even talked about LeSean McCoy.

Friday night Cliff Lee thoughts and Brooklyn Decker

Who'd you rather look at right now? Cliff Lee or Brooklyn Decker?

Allegedly, a group consisting of Chuck Greenberg, money and contract men went to Arkansas to woo Cliff Lee.

They offered him a deal with an assortment of perks. Sounds like Lee can Souper Salad whatever he wants in the deal.

Whether that includes a seventh year is not clear. I was under the impression that the Rangers were going to buckle under the pressure of delivering Lee to its fans no matter the price or commitment.

Then I heard Greenberg interviewed specifically stating that they wouldn't put the franchise in the same hole it was in referring to the Alex Rodriguez deal. Says to me that a seventh year isn't on the table.

Six years is too long for me. Seventh is right out. How about five, $25 million per and Tommy Hunter as his permanent hunting partner?

Kris Humphries' girlfriend

I wish I were 6-11 and at least half black

A perspective: Jere Lehtinen

Jere Let The Right One In

With little fanfare, Jere Lehtinen retired the other day.

I didn't read some glowing column in The Dallas Morning News. Not many TV or radio segments, not that they really care. Too much attention being placed on Cliff Lee's money grab.

Remember, Lee didn't win a ring while in Dallas-Fort Worth. Lehtinen did.

In the grand scheme of things, Lehtinen is probably the second-most important Dallas Star in its current state (as a Dallas team, not Minnesota). Probably one of the top 15 or so Dallas-Fort Worth athletes of the past 20 years. Has to be.

Yet, you couldn't find a guy who avoided big contract talks, media brush-ups, shit talk and anything that would call attention to himself. "Quiet" would be an understatement.

This may be due to him being Finnish and probably not speaking the best of English.

Arguably, my favorite Lehtinen experience probably came while attending a game and enjoying a nice game of "Finnish or Gibberish," in which a Finnish Dallas Star says something and the audience is asked to guess if it is Finnish or gibberish.

Lehtinen did his talking on the ice.

He wound up with 514 total points during his NHL career. He was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars in 1992 and made his NHL debut in 1996, when he was name the Stars' (then in Dallas) rookie of the year.

During the Stanley Cup year, Lehtinen probably had his best year. He notched 20 goals and 32 assists. In the playoff run, he scored 10 goals.

The next season, the injuries started. He missed all but 17 games due to a bum ankle. He put together another good six or seven seasons. Really solid. Nothing flashy. Due diligence. As time wore on, the injuries mounted and he missed more and more time. The Stars held on too long to 1998-99 and this included waiting on Lehtinen to come back from the latest setback.

His play was rewarded. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times (1998, 1999, 2003). Lehtinen was named to two All-Star games.

For the Finnish hockey team, he won four Olympic medals (three bronze, a silver) and four World Championship medals (three silver, a gold). He's only one of six hockey players with four Olympic medals.

He also met his wife at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994. Not bad.

Bottomline: Lehtinen was really good and those great Stars teams of the late-1990s and early-2000s were a mirror of the way that Lehtinen worked the boards, in front of the net and at the blue line. Every professional team in this city could use a Lehtinen.

Avery returns

Avery Johnson: Back in town

I'm kinda bummed that the Dallas Mavericks had to roll the New Jersey Nets -- of all teams -- for their 11th straight win last night, 102-89.

I like the Nets. I actively root for the Nets. I like Avery Johnson and I like Devin Harris and I've always felt they both got a bum rap in Dallas and I will always feel that way.

The decade-long success of the Mavericks can be pinned on several people. Mark Cuban and Don Nelson, to start. The players, of course. But Avery Johnson brought something else. He quite literally got them over "the hump."

He got them to where Wade Phillips could only wish to get the Cowboys. He got them where Nelson, Buck Showalter and Dave Tippett couldn't get the early-2000s Mavs, 2000s Rangers and Dallas Stars.

Johnson captured the full attention and respect of the Mavericks for about three seasons and thus he got greatness. Too bad it's 2010 because Johnson would've been a powerhouse in 1960. He coached hustle, defense, respect of the game and a commitment to excellence. And it got them a trip to the NBA Finals, a place they will probably never be with Rick Carlisle and that's really no knock on him as much as its a praise for guys like Johnson.

Devin Harris also got hosed in Dallas. Mainly by Johnson, who was too impatient and demanding of the young guard. The Mavericks lost in the Finals and just about every other subsequent playoff trip because they didn't have a defender on the perimeter and they couldn't get within 10 feet of the basket for a big hoop with two minutes left in the game.

Harris brought that. They traded him for Jason Kidd with the eye on the Finals and it didn't work out and won't with Kidd as a starting point guard. And I love Jason Kidd, but he was far beyond his peak when the Mavericks got him. Slow and not the guy we saw with New Jersey and Phoenix eight or 10 years ago.

Nonetheless, I predicted the Nets to be improved this season and they are. Calling 6-17 an improvement is tough. But it is. They were historically bad a year ago and they've improved to just bad.

If they can stay healthy and bring in a bit more talent (thanks to the Russian Mark Cuban) they should be playoff contenders next year.

Notes:
1. Again, loving Shawn Marion's role here. Came off the bench for 18 points, six rebounds and four steals. The numbers don't show it, but it just feels that Marion is more relaxed and playing within the parameters of his own abilities instead of his abilities of 2000.

2. Mavs roll getting 14 points from Jason Kidd, DeShawn Stevenson and Tyson Chandler combined. Kidd has to be hurt, right?

3. The Mavericks have won 11 straight. They have six other streaks that are longer. We are spoiled.

4. Kris Humphries is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game for New Jersey. He averaged 12 minutes a game for the Mavericks. And Carlisle's certain he couldn't play?

5. And that is why Dominique Jones shouldn't be in Frisco and, instead, getting J.J. Barea's minutes in Dallas.

Year in review: Oklahoma City RedHawks

Omar's coming!

Previous: Spokane Indians, Hickory Crawdads, Bakersfield Blaze and Frisco RoughRiders.

This time, we consider the Oklahoma RedHawks.

The Good
Michael Kirkman's official breakout finally took place. Posted a 13-3 record with a 3.09 ERA and a strikeout per inning.

Chad Tracy took his first exposure to Triple A pitching in stride. His average wound up dipping to .263, but he hit 17 home runs and 14 doubles. He also posted a 35-52 walk to strikeout ratio.

Nevermind the 3-9 record, Omar Beltre has something. He posted a 2.65 ERA with a strikeout per frame. He'll probably be in Arlington this season.

I can't figure out Pedro Strop. Taken off the Colorado Rockies' trash heap, Strop has promise. He had a 1.91 ERA with 57 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 42 innings. Opponents hit .203 off of him. That's dominant. Then he gets to the Majors and craps the bed. Maybe 2011 will be his.

Hernan Iribarren was just kind of a add-on for infield depth in the minors. Wound up with a .275 average. He had 23 doubles and 70 RBI. Not bad for an afterthought.

The Bad
Guillermo Moscoso had a forgettable year. His one awful start in the Majors was mirrored by his 5.18 ERA in OKC with a 2:1 strikeout-walk ratio.

Max Ramirez had just 189 at-bats. His injuries are becoming a chronic issue and I think the Rangers are running out of patience. Just eight minor-league home runs in two seasons.

It had seemed that Doug Mathis had worked himself into the bullpen situation in the Majors. His 2010 started off rough. He got hurt and spent the rest of the year in Oklahoma City. There, the 27 year old had a 5.66 ERA. Opponents hit .317. Although never a huge strikeout guy, Mathis' numbers were awful with almost a walk per strikeout.

The level of play caught up with our boy Tanner Scheppers. His dominance in Frisco was halted in OKC where he had a 5.48 ERA and opponents hit .297 off of him. His month-by-month numbers show that maybe the wear and tear of 80 innings took its toll: 1.13 ERA in May and a 20.25 ERA in September.

In three seasons in Oklahoma City, Michael Ballard's had ERAs of 6.81, 5.14 and 5.09. Granted, it's improving. By 2025, it'll be below 5.00.

MLB scuttlebutt

Hopefully the smartest and loudest man in the room

The Boston Red Sox threw seven years and $142 million at Carl Crawford. I tend to think he's kind of worth it although it would probably cause a third testicle to drop if the Rangers did that. It was rumored the Rangers probably did have talks with Crawford although I'm sure they shook hands with the agent and told him to have a nice day after the price tag was revealed.

****
The New York Yankees are going to seven years for Cliff Lee. If I'm the Rangers, I offer my five years, the proximity to Arkansas and the fact that we don't spit on wives and leave to Lee. When and if he goes to New York, I regroup and move on.

****
What do the Rangers say when they publicly come out to say they aren't shopping Michael Young, but then credible baseball writers are saying they are? There's been apparent talks with the California Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies.

This, as everyone is agreeing, is a money thing. Freeing up Young's contract would give them more leeway to turn to free agent options.

****
The Rule 5 Draft was held. No Rangers prospects were taken, although I think many of the candidates (Tanner Roark, Blake Beavan, Evan Reed, Tim Smith, etc.) had been used in trades the last two years.

The Rangers did grab three names, which I believe must be put on the 40-man roster or they go back to the original team. Or something like that.

The last high-profile Rule 5 pick for the Rangers was Warner Madrigal two years ago.

Mason Tobin - RHP
The 6-4, 220-pounder is 23 years old and hasn't pitched above High A. He sat out 2010 with Tommy John surgery. He hasn't thrown more than 40 professional innings since he was 19. He'll apparently get a shot at a relief spot.

Jessie Fausto Mier - C
He'll be 26 before the season starts. He'll provide some catching depth in the organization, which is sort of in flux right now.

Starling De La Rosa - LHP
Skinny (6-5, 159) Dominican entering just his third professional season in the states. He jumped from the Rookie League to High A last season. Struggled as of late, but showed some high strikeout rates before. Joins the Rangers' growing cadre of "De La Rosas" along with Miguel, Leonel and Ovispo.

Cliff Lee's latest

Fair-Lee expensive

Apparently, Cliff Lee will make a decision (considering every other free agent is waiting for him to decide as are teams looking to trade players) this weekend.

The New York Yankees have allegedly put a six-year, $130-140 million deal on the table. As we've always known, the issue ain't the money, it's the years.

Lee wants as many as he can get. At his age, 32, teams are wont to actually do that. Smart teams, at least.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan has stated that he expects the Rangers to match the six years. He's also avoiding an auction by approaching Lee and his agent and asking exactly what it will take to put him in a Rangers uniform for the next decade.

Still, it seems Ryan is prepared to get into a pissing match with the New York Yankees and, frankly, that's not good. That's how franchises are pushed back 10 years of paying off debt, trading insane contracts for 50 cents on the dollar and having to reboot because you thought Lee's shit smelled like roses.

We've seen it with Alex Rodriguez and Chan Ho Park. Aren't we still paying off A-Rod?

Tim Cowlishaw's strategy of just outbidding the Yankees to outbid the Yankees doesn't work and it has never worked. Trying to match dollar for dollar doesn't mean you're spending intelligently. For all the cash the Yanks have thrown around, they have one World Series in the last 10 years. Whereas, the Boston Red Sox have spent plenty, but with a bit more thought and foresight. No, they haven't always won and gotten to the playoffs, but they've always had their eye on two, three or five years in the future before throwing cash at someone. The Rangers would be smart to do the same.