Dudes that would just as soon punch you than look at you1. The Stars have an overabundance of guys that help you win games, something most of all other local teams don't have; and
2. I should follow hockey a lot more closely because I would thoroughly enjoy it.
I remember back in the mid- to late-1990s when I listened to or watched almost every game and new every guy and their numbers. Seemingly, anytime the Stars played the Oilers, it was a slugfest. Fights, hard hits, legit anger, close games.
It felt equally as chippy last night. Resulting in a final-second brouhaha with Brendan Morrow and Steve Ott. Jamie Langenbrunner even dropped the gloves in his Dallas reunion at the arena.
Then I realized that the Stars have a real shot at winning a lot of games because they have guys you can really win with. Guys that move the puck. Guys that make the extra pass and get the puck on the boards. Guys that have edge. Guys that could give a shit. And will let you know it. In a hurry.
Now, you can't have a team full of these types. You need your Mike Ribeiros and Brad Richardses. You need your Tony Romos, Nelson Cruzes, Josh Hamiltons, Dirk Nowitzkis and DeMarcus Wares. Your superstars.
You also need the Otts, Langenbrunners and Morrows. You need someone that'll drop the gloves, give a stick in the back or do whatever it takes to win a game -- no matter how small (getting to a loose puck) or big (scoring a goal).
The Cowboys don't have these gritty types. I don't think. I would probably categorize Jay Ratliff and Dez Bryant in this category. Win by any costs. Marion Barber in his "prime" two years ago.
The Rangers have a number of them. Matt Treanor and Elvis Andrus come to mind. Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Mitch Moreland also seem to fit this mold.
And it's also what I've always thought the Mavericks needed. Case in point: Any team that beat the Mavericks in the playoffs typically had at least one Steve Ott. Think of Matt Barnes, Bruce Bowen, Stephen Jackson, Corliss Williamson (on those Kings teams) or even Ron Artest with the current Lakers.
In fact, any times the Mavericks have gotten one of these guys -- like Josh Powell, Eddie Najera, Alan Henderson, for example -- they typically don't stick around long because the Mavericks tend to collect the finesse types like Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd (although a team player, I would not regard his game as gritty), Caron Butler or Josh Howard.
This is why I would like hockey. They celebrate the Steve Otts of the world. These guys often get quoted or shown on TV as much as the goal scorers or goalies. And you probably have a handful of them on any good hockey team.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy my Stars experiences these days. I love this core group and I love watching them play together.
Honestly, they got outplayed at home by a bad Oilers team giving up a 2-0 margin in the third period. They tend to get outplayed quite a bit, but still win. I don't know how long it'll last.
However, some of those goals were simply beautiful, especially the Jamie Benn tally in the second period.
The Stars are entirely worth rooting for. Especially if you're sick of the team with the star on the helmet that waved the white flag this year.
