Just win, baby

What's going on here?

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams made minor waves yesterday with some quotable quotes insinuating that if the Cowboys show up Saturday night in New Orleans, they will win.

And that the Saturday match-up against the Saints is just round one of a two-round fight as he (and the Cowboys, we guess) expect to meet the Saints again ... in the playoffs.

Ironically, and this hasn't been reported on, Williams made a crack about New Orleans already being crowned the champions and the Cowboys had already lost the game and that the media had the story already written.

Then he comes out with the ultra-confident notes about "showing up." Williams isn't a smart person. Fifty bucks says Williams bitches about the media taking the "showing up" remarks "out of context." Forget that it was recorded.

All of this is fine. I have no problem with the remarks or the confidence to roll in during the week and say this, especially with the undefeated Saints playing host ... on Saturday night ... amidst 70,000 drunk cajuns. Frankly, you don't play a football game under those circumstances "saying all the right things." You've got to be at least a little attitudinal.

I do have some advice for Williams and the Dallas Cowboys: Win a fucking game in December.

All this talk, all the media go the way of the buffalo if you win in New Orleans Saturday night things look completely different. Now, you might drive some fans crazy and you'll need to show up in Washington and against Philly, but winning cures all ills.

Making others better

Manning: Making others better for a decade

There are a ton of things wrong with the Dallas Cowboys.

Their quarterback is probably the least of their worries, honestly. Tony Romo, I don't think, is the reason their reeling nor is he the sole reason they've stunk it up in December the last three years.

On the other hand, is he the reason they win games? And why isn't he capable of grabbing his team by the scruff of their neck and dragging them to victory?

The fact is, he's probably incapable of doing this. This ain't a Romo bag session. However, it's important to place the guy in his rightful place. He's nowhere near a top-tier quarterback. He might not be a second-tier quarterback. This isn't all bad. The truth is that there's not a ton of guys just all-out better than Romo despite his pockmarks.

A lot of talk this season as revolved around Romo's ability to connect with certain receivers and inability to connect with others. It is frustrating -- even as a guy who revels in a Cowboys loss -- watching this offense play the last six weeks. All the throws in the ground, four feet behind a receiver or six feet over their 6-5 frames.

It has to be further frustrating for fans to see guys like Tom Brady, Brett Favre or Donovan McNabb win a ton of games, division titles and Super Bowls with a seemingly endless cavalcade of nameless rabble of pass catchers.

Let's explore.

Super Bowl Winners
Since 2000 (the decade this practice will take part in), there have only been six different quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl. What we have learned over the last decade is that you don't need a great quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Only two of those six quarterbacks, I think, would be considered great: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

With that said, who are those other quarterbacks and who were they throwing the ball to?

Trent Dilfer
Baltimore Ravens
Key Receivers: Shannon Sharpe, Qadry Ismail, Travis Taylor, Obafemi Ayanbadejo
Pretty spare. Sharpe is a Hall-of-Fame tight end, but he's not breaking off 90-yard catch 'n' runs. He moves chains. Otherwise, Dilfer had very little to work with. Most boggling isn't that Dilfer led a Super Bowl team, but that Ismail (not Rocket) was the leading receiver on a Super Bowl team.

Brad Johnson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Key Receivers: Keenan McCardell's corpse, Keyshawn Johnson, Joe Jurevicius, Ken Dilger
Four possession receivers, basically. Like Dilfer's Ravens, however, Johnson's Bucs won with defense. Not a lot was asked of these guys. But as I remember, if they needed a 3rd-and-8 converted, they could get it.

Eli Manning
New York Giants
Key Receivers: Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer
Remember, Jeremy Shockey was out a lot of that Super Bowl season for the Giants. Manning had two good targets (great, if you consider Burress as such, which I kinda would) and little else.

Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers
Key Receivers: Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Nate Washington, Antwaan Randle-El, Heath Miller, Cedrick Wilson
I would grade Big Ben's targets a grade above everyone else's. If Randle-El's your third receiver, that ain't bad.

The Greats
Right now, the NFL hosts a cadre of quarterbacks that define the sports and position for our generation. On some level, at least.

This dominance or astuteness has translated to wins, division titles, conference titles and Super Bowl victories. At the end of their careers, they're probably looking at a Hall of Fame invitation. At the very least, two are probable locks. Surely these all-time greats were throwing to All-Pros ... or were they making others around them better?

Donovan McNabb
Philadelphia Eagles
Key Receivers: Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, Antonio Freeman, James Thrash, Chad Lewis, Freddie Mitchell, Todd Pinkston, Terrell Owens, L.J. Smith, Donte Stallworth, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, Brent Celek, Jason Avant, Kevin Curtis, Hank Baskett, DeSean Jackson
Say what you will, but McNabb's led the Eagles to a shitload of division titles and countless conference title games with two good receivers at different stretches: Owens and Jackson. Otherwise, it's been guys off the street. And if you want to play the guessing game, put Jackson on the Raiders or Rams coming out of Cal. And some say Owens was at his best with McNabb, but I think TO would be pretty great with me as quarterback. To me, some of those names are shocking as I remember their small burst onto the scene and then their swift decline.

Peyton Manning
Indianapolis Colts
Key Receivers: Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, Ben Utecht, Anthony Gonzalez, Anthony Moorehead
What must kill opposing defenses is that Manning has little fear in throwing the ball to just about any eligible receiver on the field. In fact, none. Look at Colt statistics over the last decade and you'll see a dozen different names with 10 or so catches. Guys out of Butthead State, nondrafted guys getting big-time opportunites at the hands of equal opportunity passer Manning.

Now, Manning might get knocked because he did have Harrison and Wayne, two fantastic pass catchers. But look at Harrison's career arc versus Manning's. Harrison was a good receiver before Manning. He was otherwordly after Manning's rookie year. Furthermore, the Colts have done a fantastic job over the decade in drafting and signing tight ends and receivers with great hands. The idea is that you don't need to be fast or necessarily good. Manning will put the ball there. The question is if you can catch.

Drew Brees
New Orleans Saints
Key Receivers: Marques Colston, Billy Miller, Eric Johnson, Donte Stallworth, David Patten, Lance Moore, David Thomas, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem
Brees is a rare duck because he's probably one of the most highly regarded quarterbacks in the league and, yet, he's actually done very little. I mean, McNabb's had 10 years of utter success. Brees has puttered along with so-so, one-and-done playoff teams, putting up monster stats. What Brees doesn't have that Manning does is the premium quarterback frame. Brees is 6-0, incredibly short for the NFL. But the dude gets it done. And he gets it done with no-names.

He's essentially made the careers of Lance Moore, Robert Meachem and Marques Colston. Moore was undrafted. Colston, a seventh rounder. Meachem's the first rounder and he hasn't had the success of the other two. Check out a Saints box score some time. Brees is liable to sling the pigskin around to eight or 10 different receivers. The guy gets blood out of turnips.

Tom Brady
New England Patriots
Key Receivers: David Patten, David Givens, Deion Branch, Ben Graham, Troy Brown, Christian Fauvia
Brady may be the modern-day miracle worker. He's never ever had a decent receiver in this three Super Bowl seasons (the irony of the Randy Moss acquisition is that it's not resulted in a Super Bowl ring) and his running game's been largely crap outside of Corey Dillon's final gasp.

The fact is this: Tom Brady was by a million miles the best player on his team and he just willed them (thanks to some timely kicking, defense) to three Super Bowl victories. Can you believe Troy Brown had 1,200 yards receiving? If Romo had Brady's receivers, the Cowboys would be 3-10 right now.

Brett Favre
Green Bay Packers/New York Jets/Minnesota Vikings
Key Receivers: Sidney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, Donald Driver, Bill Schroeder, Donald Lee, Koren Robinson, James Jones, Bubba Franks, Ruvell Martin, Terry Glenn, Javon Walker, Antonio Chatman, Robert Ferguson, Antonio Freeman
Although I don't think Favre is better than Manning or Brady, I think he's the best in making those around him better. Every season -- especially as a Packer -- he rolled in with a bunch of receivers that looked like a corps from some mid-major university and padded stats and won games.

Ruvell Martin? Antonio Freeman? Bill Schroeder? Are you kidding? Furthermore, I think Sidney Rice owes Favre his 2009 salary. Rice was a guy with all the tools to be great stuck on a team with Adrian Peterson and one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league, Tavaris Jackson. The greatest moment in Rice's career was when Favre officially quit waffling and signed with the Vikes.

The Receivers

Never The Same
Antonio Freeman, Deion Branch, Javon Walker, Antwaan Randle-El, Brandon Stokley, James Thrash
Remember how big those guys were to their teams? Almost all of them left looking for more playing time, better opportunities. All of them found that when Manning, Roethlisberger, McNabb, Favre or Brady aren't throwing you the ball, success doesn't come as easy.

Repeat Offenders
David Patten, Donte Stallworth, Antonio Freeman
These guys, on some level, might be the smartest of the bunch. Except Stallworth, who's a dirty, disgusting drunk driver who kills people. However, all three went from one of these quarterbacks and wound up wiht another, finding success with two different quarterbacks.

Our Conclusion
Tony Romo is a nice quarterback. The Cowboys are married to him and, frankly, they could do a ton worse.

However, any debate as to whether Romo is a first- or second-tier quarterback should be extinguished as quickly as possible, because he's no where near these other guys.

And it doesn't have to do with his height (as we see with Brees), his receivers, his running game, his defense, his coaches (well, maybe a little), his college, his vacations, accuracy (how many poorly throw balls have we seen McNabb make?) or his gunslingerness (see: Favre).

What hurts Romo the most is his inability to make everyone around him a better football player.
And it's not just receivers. How many crappy running backs looked good on a Brady, Manning or Favre-led team? How many poor offensive lines did they have? What came first: the good offensive line or the good quarterback that made his line look good?

Quarterbacks get a ton of criticism, praise and money because they are the most important guy on any given football team. Mostly because it's not coincidence when you look at a good team and quarterback that you find everyone else looks better.

Romo can't do this. Not his fault. It's not something you practice or can perfect. Romo just doesn't have it and it's something the Cowboys need to overcome ... somehow.

Going, going, gone

Tom Hicks has chosen his heir.

The embattled owner of the Texas Rangers chose the group headed by Chuck Greenberg. Greenberg and his group will be the sole group to negotiate a deal with Hicks (within a 45-day window) in order to officially buy the team. The price tag is projected a$530 million, or so.

Greenberg is a Pittsburgh-oriented sports attorney who helped Mario Lemieux buy the Penguins and owned a minor league team in the area. Nolan Ryan is apparently a part of his group (which should keep the Express in as prez) as is Hicks himself, as a minor partner.

Rumors swirled the last 24 hours that Jim Crane, the Houston trucking magnate, got back in the mix upping and reworking his originally half-assed bid. Then another rumor hit that Bruce Gilbert upped his bid today. However, neither move mattered as Greenberg was a better deal for Hicks for obvious reasons.

Hopefully this ends sooner than later. And maybe the Rangers will get to spend a couple more bucks this off-season. Either way, the tyrannical rule of Hicks on this ballclub -- for all intents and purposes -- is over and we can all breathe a little easier.

Go no tech

Unhealthily obsessed with the brunette.

The Ticket Line of the Week

Yesterday, during Hardline.

Corby Davidson: "Does anyone throw a better deep ball than Phillip Rivers?"

Dan Balis: "I'm pretty good."

Again, the funniest guy on The Ticket is a producer.

The worst of wins, the best of wins

Jason Kidd wants everyone to know: "Most definitely"

In an 82-game NBA season, you don't sweat the bad losses. In the NFL, it's different. There's zero time to recover and possibly stop a long stretch of bad play.

But in the NBA -- NHL, MLB -- there's plenty of time to right the ship and by April nobody will remember one of the most hideous games I've ever seen: A 94-90 Dallas Mavericks win over division foes, New Orleans Hornets.

The Mavs turned the ball over 23 times and Dirk Nowitzki scored 10 measly points, but it didn't matter. J.J. Barea played, by far, the best game of his season (23 points, 10-13 shooting).

They don't have to be pretty to go in the win column. But I think it's a game they'd soon forget.

Fourteen days ago, I asserted that from now through January the Mavericks could create separation in the division and conference. I called it "The Vibrant Middle," the time after the start of the season before the winter doldrums.

They are 5-2 in the Vibrant Middle now with a four-game lead in the division and a top-three seed in the West. I predicted 12-3, which they'd need to win some big games to match.

Notes:
1. The Mavs are 4-3 in the division. 0-1 against Memphis.

2. If I knew Chris Paul would have 20 points, 16 assists, five steals and four rebounds, I'd almost pick the Hornets to win. Instead, he shot 9-20 from the field and 0-4 from the arc.

3. Most promising stat for Josh Howard is his rebounding. Another eight boards last night. Makes me think his movement and jumping ability is alright.

4. Four points and five boards for Kris Humphries in eight minutes. Not bad production.

5. Roddy Beaubois, Tim Thomas and Quinton Ross all sat. What happened to their roles in the rotation?

6. Remember, like, two years ago when New Orleans looked like the team of the future? Now, they're ordinary, at best, and bleeding money and probably gonna start another dump of players sooner than later.

The Dallas Cowboys are D-U-N, done!

Sadness

I took some extra time this morning to process the attitudes of Dallas Cowboys fans and Dallas sports media.

I think it's safe to say that the 2009-10 Dallas Cowboys are finished. Even if they trip into the playoffs, it won't matter. They're not beating the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles or Green Bay Packers.

It's Dec. 14, 2009 and the Dallas Cowboys are done.

It's safe to look at the most recent abortion (versus San Diego) and say that was the biggest blow. However, I think the sun started to set with that Giants loss. That game set the pace for the Cowboys in December and they just blew it. I realize that it was a road game against a desperate division team that was going to play hard against the Cowboys no matter if they were 11-1 or 1-11.

But it was a huge game. If the Cowboys win in New York, losing to San Diego doesn't sting as much. They get to nine wins and, in theory, all they would need to do was win one more (Washington or Philadelphia) to make the playoffs. Not ideal, but real.

The point here is that the Cowboys can't beat anyone. All to the tune of 1-5 against winning teams this year. They're an 8-8 team like many (including me) predicted.

What is an 8-8 team? It's a team that can't beat a good team, but will surely snatch wins against bad teams. This defines the current state of the Dallas Cowboys.

There's a ton wrong here and it is extremely apparent that this team doesn't have what it takes between the ears to win games. With or without Terrell Owens.

The embattled receiver was ousted after last season and immediately fans and media predicted the Cowboys would get better ... the ol' addition by subtraction idiom.

Instead, this team isn't any better. And the attitudinal issues they had with TO are still there.

Why would Nick Folk place blame on him missing kicks on Mat McBriar? Why is Terence Newman bickering with Dave Campo on the sidelines? Why is head coach Wade Phillips constantly going toe to toe with the media wrongly and oddly defending him and his team during losses?

All of this tells us something.

I don't know anything about the professional team sports dynamic. Maybe none of this means anything. If it doesn't, that means that the Cowboys are inferior football players. And no matter who you bring in to coach or play, the Cowboys will always be 8-8 or worse.

I watched half the San Diego game with family, two of whom are gigantic Cowboys fans and just love the team to no end. They're beaten down. Men and women around this area and nation are tired of this team crapping the bed and then telling everyone that it smells like roses.

Until there are monumental changes in management and the coaching (Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett) staff, this team will not get any better and they will forever be stuck in this rut of 8-8, 9-7, 10-6. Forget playoff wins, let's get this team good.

So, again, can we talk about December now?

It was pass interference

Starting today the Dallas sports media will begin asking Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and members of the team about losing another December football game, this time to the San Diego Chargers 20-17.

I have no doubt that stand-up players like Jason Witten and Keith Brooking will probably give the generic answer that they are facing big obstacles in December and its affecting their ability to make the playoffs.

Their asshole coach will ramble off stats from Buffalo or San Diego that showed how awesome his teams were in December.

All I know is that Phillips is liable to be on the street in a month and everyone will point to the last three years of lackluster December and January play and blame these games for his demise. What I think kills him the most -- at least in the media and, thus, the public -- is his lack of desire to just own up to some real trends and issues with his teams. If he comes clean three weeks ago and admits the December swoon and talks honestly without guile or condescension, then the media treats him well. And the public has a different view. And maybe the owner would too.

Well maybe not.

All I do know is that no matter what happens at Giants-Eagles, this is now a goddamn race. And the Cowboys aren't riding momentum.

Awesome.

Grades:

Quarterback -- D-
The king of bullshit touchdowns. Tony Romo sucked and in December you just can't have your quarterback half-ass in any given game.

Running Back -- B
It was there, but Jason Garrett ain't interested in running the ball. More on that. Felix Jones looked like a new guy.

Wide Receiver -- B
OK. Quite a few dropped passes, but even more passes that weren't on target. Those guys weren't going to win this game.

Tight End -- D
Marty B hurt and Jason Witten was a non-factor for most of this game. Again, if Witten is your main ingredient toward winning a game, the Cowboys are in big trouble. He's a chain mover, not a game changer.

Offensive Line -- B
Gonna be honest here: I didn't really notice them. Except for the penalties. However, they opened up the running game with huge gaps and I felt Romo had ample time to throw the ball.

Defensive Line -- C
The game ends in the third quarter and they get an A. Unfortunately, there was still a quarter to play and when they desperately needed a stop, they couldn't get it and that's where most of the Chargers rushing comes from. It was eerily similar to the Baltimore Ravens game from last year. At home, you make the stop and force Phillip Rivers to win the game. Stephen Bowen made the defensive play of the game with the sack on Rivers just before the half. Helped keep it 10-3.

Linebackers -- F
Seemed to be doing a lot of chasing all day. Their coverage sucked. They looked as gassed as the D-line late. Here's to DeMarcus Ware. There's a ton to hate about the Dallas Cowboys. Ware ain't one of them. Not that anyone deserves a neck or head injury, but I'm certainly hoping Ware's back sooner than later.

Secondary -- D
At times, they looked there and ready to make a play. Other times they looked lost, out of position and out-muscled. Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcolm Floyd looked like giants against Terence Newman, Gerald Sensabaugh and Mike Jenkins.

Special Teams -- F
Maybe Nick Folk's missed field goal turned the game. Maybe it was going for it on fourth down instead of the easy field goal. What was most distressing is that Dallas was seemingly perpetually up against their own goalline. Whilst the Chargers were always at midfield. Dallas' second-half possessions started at their own 4, 1, 14 and 14 yard line. Somewhere that field possession had to turn. It didn't.

Coaching -- F-
Where to start? I love going for it on fourth down. I just don't know if I feel the same way in a close first half.

The Cowboys rushed the ball 27 times for 108 yards at 4.0 per pop. At times, Jones and Marion Barber gashed the Chargers defense. It was there all day. Still, 14 of those 27 rushes game on one drive. Of the Cowboys eight possessions (not including the kneel down at the half), six started with the pass. On the two possessions they started with the run, they scored a touchdown (Miles Austin's touchdown) and got to the 1-yard-line (where they were stuffed). See, it's not about running 40 times, it's about running at the right times and if the game dictates running 60 times, you run it 60 times.

No one wants to talk about the December swoon and that's unfortunate because I get that feeling that this denial runs throughout the organization. But who stops it? Who's going to stand up and force this snowball to stop rolling down the hill? Not the coaches. Too busy padding their resume and their game tapes for future gigs.

Charged up

Out of town so I'm doing this the morning of in order to say that I did, indeed, promo the Dallas Cowboy-San Diego Charger gigantic match-up today.

Five things.

December
Gotta bring it up. Especially because the Cowboys are so bad and the Chargers and Norv Turner are so good. Remember, Turner was Wade Phillips' main competition when he was given the head coaching job in Dallas. Either something's got to give here or the trend continues ... depending on who wins.

Offense
I think San Diego scores at least 30 today. And if we learned anything from John Madden, it's that the team with the most points, wins. As good as Tony Romo's been, I wouldn't consider the offense "fixed" over the last two weeks. Moving the ball between the 40s but not scoring is not a good offense.

Holding
No, not necessarily holding calls on the offensive line. But holding extra points and field goals. Last it's Tony Romo's job to lose and I think we all remember the last time he attempted a kick hold.

JerryWorld
Other than the first Giants game, this is the new Cowboys stadium's first test. Home crowds show up for big games like this. Home crowds typically make the difference, often, between a road team coming in and taking over or a road team losing steam. We'll see.

The Big Game
The Cowboys have failed at many things this season. They're 0-2 against desperate teams (Giants, Packers). They've laid three stinkers the last four weeks (Giants, Packers, Redskins). They've lost the biggest game of their season as of date (home opener, Giants). This is a gigantic game for both teams. The Chargers need the win to keep pace on Denver and home-field in the AFC. Dallas needs it for obvious reasons. If they lose and the Giants win, it's a three-way atop the NFC and then nothing's safe, they're on a two-game losing streak, in a tough December with two division games left. Can the Cowboys handle that pressure?

Prediction
Chargers 34, Cowboys 24
Not even that close. I think the Chargers sock them in the jaw enough times in the second and third quarters that the Cowboys wilt.

I was a little wrong and Jon Daniels may be a genius ... maybe

In the clubhouse now

Early today I intimated that the point of the Texas Rangers trading Kevin Millwood to the Baltimore Orioles for a broke reliever was merely for the sake of saving money.

And that any rumor that the Rangers were trading Millwood to free up money in order to spend it elsewhere was bunk.

Well, I was wrong. And the Rangers proved me wrong pretty quickly.

Hours after the Millwood trade went down, the Rangers signed free agent starter Rich Harden to a one-year, $6.5 million contract. The deal has $3.5 million in incentives (if he hits 195 innings pitched) and an $11 million mutual option for 2011. If either side opts out, there's a $1 million buyout.

And I think it's a fantastic move ... and gutty as hell.

Harden's tough-luck career's been well documented. In seven MLB seasons, he's started more than 30 games just once and more than 20 just twice. Injuries have hampered him throughout.

However, when he's gotten on the hill, he's dominated. Talking 50-29, a 3.39 ERA and 783 strikeouts in 753 innings.

Harden had one of his best seasons in 2009 as a Chicago Cub where he started 26 games and had 171 strikeouts in 141 innings. So the Rangesr are catching him after a pretty full season ... for him.

GM Jon Daniels, I think, struck a pretty nice balance with Harden's deal. The Rangers are committing very little while provide a fantastic venue for Harden to put his career back on track. Harden craps out this season, and he's gone. However, Harden, being 27, has a much higher ceiling than Millwood and if he can find his career again before 30 he'll be the ace of a really young and good team.

High risk, really high reward.

****
Back to rumors, the Rangers and Boston Red Sox are allegedly talking a trade of Rangers prospect Max Ramirez for third basemen Mike Lowell.

I never minded Lowell. However, with no real proof, I always thought of him as a steroid guy. For five seasons, he hit 20 home runs a season. Then, he was hitting closer to 30 and then, in 2004, he dropped down to eight and never made it back to the 30s.

Lowell's home run power dipped, but his run producing didn't. He had 120 RBI in 2007.

Typically very durable, Lowell played in 113 and 119 games, respectively, in 2008 and 2009. He'll be 36 at the start of the season, so injuries may be an issue.

He'll play third, first and DH and probably help protect Josh Hamilton in the line-up. He's the big right handed bat the Rangers were looking for. I wonder if Jermaine Dye or Vlad Guerrero are still in the cards?

To me, all of this means one thing: The Rangers, even on a shoestring budget, are serious about winning in 2010. I can appreciate the effort.

Stars got issues

Heads up

The Dallas Stars lost a 3-0 lead and then a 3-2 third-quarter lead last night in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

We are dealing with a fundamental, deep issue with this team and it's one that might sink them before it gets any better.

I suspect there are two possibilities: mental or physical.

It's commonly thought that teams break down late because they don't have it between the ears or they are physically incapable of maintaining a high level of play for the entirety of a game.

According to all involved, Marc Crawford is a conditioning guru, who makes his players do post-game interviews while pumping away on an exercise bike.

Therefore, the idea that it's physical doesn't make sense.

So it must be mental. The Ducks scored the tying goal last night with just a minute and two seconds left in the game. The overtime goal came in the final minute of actual play.

The Stars have nine overtime losses (including two straight) already this season. Last night's was debilitating and it has to be killing the Stars right now to have to be thinking about it.

Crawford has to get this team mentally ready to close out these games. It's not like this is a team full of rookies. Some of the youngest like Steve Ott, Matt Niskanen and Mark Fistric have three seasons of NHL play under their belt.

Something's got to give or else this team's going to grind its way to 11th in the conference and an early spring.

Tim Thomas a suspect

Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson is calling the incident "way, way overblown," but Mavs forward Tim Thomas is a suspect at a dust up at 3 a.m. at a Denny's on Central Expressway.

Nelson said that it's not in Thomas' lifestyle to be in 3 a.m. melees at Denny's because he's got kids and a wife.

According to police, Thomas and another guy came to the Denny's with three women. Seems like something a married man would do.

Furthermore, the crew entered into the eatery and someone greeted the sometimes NBA player and Thomas allegedly blew up, cussing up a storm and using words you wouldn't utter to a homosexual friend.

Of course, according to Nelson, Thomas wasn't even involved. We'll see.

Rangers desperate to move money, Millwood trade emminent

Hey, Ray-Ray

Any thoughts as to the trade value, if any, of Kevin Millwood, our question has been apparently answered.

The Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers have reached a tentative deal to send the veteran starter (plus cash) for 27-year-old reliever Chris Ray.

The move clears $12 million of cash owed to Millwood off the books. Rumors are that the Rangers want to clear the money to go after Vlad Guerrero or Jermaine Dye.

We must consider, however, that they just want that committed money gone and their alleged interest in spending money on a right-handed bat is nil to none. It's something to keep in mind. A team in a top four market in these United States has found a way to look even cheaper.

That is discussion for another day. Today, we take on Ray.

As noted, he's 27 and a big (6-3, 223) righty drafted by the Orioles in 2003 in the third round.

Ray broke into the Majors in 2005 pitching 40 innings and posting a salty 2.66 ERA out of the bullpen. The next season, he saved a career-high 33 games with a 2.73 ERA. He's good for about a strike out per inning, but he's not overly dominant. He's got about a 2:1 strikeout/walk ratio.

Ray struggled mightily in 2009 posting 7.27 ERA in 43 innings a year after needing right elbow reconstruction surgery in 2007.

He'll pop right into the Rangers bullpen probably as a seventh or eighth inning guy and an option for closer. All this depends on wildcards, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco.

I wonder if Millwood was the piece the Rangers were dangling for the Florida Marlins' Matt Lindstrom?

I noted this yesterday: I'm a tad distraught that Millwood was just kinda given away. Nothing against Ray. He's probably a hell of a pitcher. But this trade wasn't made (if it's completed) for tactical reasons. The Rangers are dumping cash. Simple as that. Having Ray is nice, but we don't need Ray like we need, say, another veteran starter or a right-handed bat.

All I know is that three of Millwood's best seasons came in a contract-type year (2003, 2005, 2009). He was entering into his final year, pitching for his last big contract of his career. And the Rangers kinda gave it to Baltimore.

Passing the audition

I was a snivelling five-month-old infant when John Lennon was shot dead, 29 years ago today.

Setting Suns

You don't know what the ball gonna do

The Dallas Mavericks pulled out a most glorious win at home tonight, 102-101 over the hated Phoenix Suns.

However, things got entirely too close for comfort in the final minute as the Suns hit three pointer after three pointer narrowing the gap by small degrees with each possession.

Guarding shooters late in semi-close games is a major issue for the Mavericks and has been the last decade. They'll give up the big basket on you. Sometime it means a loss, sometimes a win. Still, it's like December to the Dallas Cowboys.

Still, I have to wonder why J.J. Barea was on the court when Steve Nash hit that last three pointer? A sideline pass went into Amare Stoudemire, who hit a sprinting Nash coming around the right baseline to the arc. Following three or four seconds too late is lil' Barea getting swallowed up in a pick.

Now, I understand the idea of picks. They're to prevent a member of the opposition from getting from point A to point B. But Barea notoriously can not get through picks of any kind. He's like 5-7 and weighs 140 pounds. He just can't do it. Furthermore, he ain't the best defender in the world.

So why's he on the court? Is Roddy Beaubois that bad of an option there? To me, he'd be perfect with the bigger build and longer arms.

It's a win, but I don't want Barea out there defending in crunch time.

Notes:
1. Josh Howard looked good in his return. I'd urge the Mavs to take baby steps.

2. Mavs must be proud of their is defensive effort. Forty-four percent shooting against with the Suns in town is actually pretty good. Noted bad nights for Channing Frye, Grant Hill and Jason Richardson sunk them.

3. Why is Brook Lopez a starter and possible all-star, but twin Robin can't get five minutes?

4. MVP buzz comes with magnificent performances in big games. This should fuel the fire for Dirk Nowitzki.

5. He didn't have quite the scoring night as counterpart Steve Nash, but I'd take Jason Kidd's performance.

Wow

According to T.R. Sullivan, the Texas Rangers offered Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz to the Florida Marlin for 25-year-old starter Josh Johnson.

And the Marlins said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

Friends, Johnson isn't going anywhere.

The Rangers offered their No. 1 and 2 best prospects in their system; guys that could start for the Marlins tomorrow and Marlins gave the Rangers the stiff arm.

It'll be interesting to see how this trade looks in two years. Maybe Feliz and Smoak bottom out. Maybe Johnson's arm falls off. It'll be one to put in the ol' memory bank

Uwe Blog's NFC Power Rankings, Vol. III

CMJ and his too-big-for-his-head helmet

It's been another two weeks and nothing has shifted except the middle gaggle and the bottom as teams ebb and flow with the season.

Still, it's a mighty two, then a clog of up-and-comers, a gaggle of teams that are unknown and then the worst of the worst.

To the rankings:

New Orleans Saints
The Saints are certainly impressive. So quick. So fast. They just out-athlete you and run away. We talk so much about the Dallas Cowboys receivers getting space between them and the defender. The Saints roll no-names like Lance Moore, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson out there and they look like the Three Amigos. Those guys run away from defenders and seemingly always catch the ball 15 yards away from anyone willing to tackle them. The kings of the NFC until proven otherwise.

Minnesota Vikings
Are teams catching up? Adrian Peterson's had three straight ordinary weeks. Although, the Vikes are still 2-1 in those games. Brett Favre and Co. pine for home-field advantage as they are 6-0 at home.

Green Bay Packers
They were on the brink in mid-November when Dallas came a'courting. Four wins later and they're atop the wild card standings with tiebreakers over the Cowboys and 49ers and two or three probably wins in the next four.

Arizona Cardinals
An easy (49ers, Lions, Rams) gets them to 11 wins and Green Bay at home could be win No. 12. If MVPs were awarded to the most important player to a particular team, Kurt Warner is top five, easy. Take him off the Cards and they're a 7-9 team.

Dallas Cowboys
If you can figure them out, I'm all ears.

Philadelphia Eagles
If I'm the Eagles, I sit Brian Westbrook the rest of the season and role with LeSean McCoy and that fullback running the ball. If they can get DeSean Jackson healthy in the head, they'll set themselves up for a lot of good things. That team has a nutsack the size of Rhode Island and if it's a play-in game against Dallas that last game, I'll take Philly.

New York Giants
Four weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers welcomed the Dallas Cowboys, beat them 17-7 in a desperation game and have reeled off three straight. The Giants welcomed the Cowboys, beat them 31-20 in a desperation game. If the Giants beat the Eagles and the Cowboys lose, it's an 8-5 cluster at the top of the NFC East with Giants holding a tiebreaker over Dallas and potential tiebreakers over Philly.

Washington Redskins
Not. That. Bad. As Kenny Albert said Sunday, they're hte best 3-8 team in NFL history. Now that's impossible to know, but they're a bitch to play at home. They've lost three straight by a total of seven points. One goofy bounce and the Redskins are 6-6.

Atlanta Falcons
Unfair. Injuries have just wiped out their season. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that their defense sucked before all the injures came down. If they're filling holes, they can start there.

Carolina Panthers
At 5-7 and four insane games coming up, the Panthers' season is probably over. Time to look at Matt Moore and replace Jake Delhomme as soon as possible. No other team has as many stinker games on their resume as the Panthers.

San Francisco 49ers
If you think you're a good team, you beat the Seattle Seahawks. Talk about a team with little or no identity, it's the 49ers.

Chicago Bears
They need guys that can cover, Brian Urlacher back and one good receiver. I think you can work with Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox. I don't think they're that far away from competing.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
How the hell did they beat Green Bay? Since, the Packers are 4-0 and the Bucs are 0-4. The gleen is off Josh Freeman. And I don't know if hiring young Raheem Morris was the best idea. Young guys tend to get snippy with the media and that leads to early exits.

Detroit Lions
Someone should start a fantasy league for just first quarters of games. Once the first quarter ends, that's it. You accrue points based on that quarter alone. With that said, I'd take Matthew Stafford with my first pick. Week to week, he's great to start the game. Then he starts getting sloppy and the interceptions come around. Disaster strikes and the Lions are down by 24 and Daunte Culpepper is in the game.

St. Louis Rams
If I'm Rams GM, I'd start by: Trading Steven Jackson for as many draft picks as I can get, starting with two first-rounders, if possible; see if I can get Marc Bulger to come on a hunting trip and dig a shallow grave; sign a free agent, veteran quarterback that can complete passes -- if the Raiders can win with Bruce Gradkowski, I refuse to disbelieve the Rams can't win with some guy; see if the Eagles will part with Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb; sign Mike Vick and run the option with Jackson; overpay for some badass cornerback; draft defense heavy; have Donnie Avery and Danny Amendola as two of my top three receivers.

Seattle Seahawks
Say what you will about the Lions or Rams, but I'd rather watch Calvin Johnson, Jackson or Stafford over any nad all Seahawks. Not only are they awful, but they're boring as hell and that matters. Even though they've beaten St. Louis and Detroit, I can't put them higher.

The Ticket, News create unholy alliance

The two biggest sports media entities in Dallas-Fort Worth are joining forces. I picture it being a lot like "Voltron."

The Ticket and The Dallas Morning News have entered into a content-sharing deal. Basically, you'll hear News sports writers on The Ticket and you'll read Ticket personalities in the News.

It started this morning with Gerry Fraley on with The Musers talking Dallas Cowboys. Needless to say, it was hard hitting and wrought with Charlie Hough references.

What I find interesting is that The Ticket criticizes other stations (ESPN, The Fan) in promos ads for employing moonlighting writers and TV guys (even though Ticket guys have other gigs). This deal will essentially help put newspaper writers behind a microphone and radio guys punching away at a computer keyboard.

Also, it's interesting that both entities' main rival is ESPN -- ESPNDallas and ESPN Radio.

Anyway, the more opportunities to get Jean-Jacque Taylor into my life, the better.

Millwood apparently on way out

Where has my morning Millwood gone?

One burning question I've had the last two months about the Texas Rangers is where all these starting pitchers were going to go.

Kevin Millwood, Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Brandon McCarthy, C.J. Wilson and Willie Moscoso are all apparently in the mix for the starting rotation in April.

But there's only five spots and all nine have to be considered 25-man roster guys when the season starts.

Well, word out of the Winter Meetings is that the Rangers are shopping Kevin Millwood to anyone that will listen. So far, the Orioles and Mets are biting.

He's in his final year and he's due $12 million. Chances are the Rangers will eat some of his contract, but in general they'll get out of paying him that big year.

Rumors swirled weeks ago that McCarthy may be gone, too.

I honestly would love to see those kids in the starting rotation, but it's also pretty scary. Who in that list do you completely trust for 30 starts? It's about the future, but after an 87-win season, it should also be about winning at some point. Not that Millwood's a world beater, but I bet he brings a lot in terms of tutoring those guys.

Big move if it goes down at all. Dumping players ain't exactly what I expected out of this franchise right now.

Mark Cuban hates bloggers, and, yet, he does this

Pudge will play for just about anyone

Any thoughts that Pudge Rodriguez wanted to possibly play for a championship are out the window.

The famed Rangers backstop will sign a two-year deal worth $6 million with the ... Washington Nationals.

Make no mistake, Pudge is doing this for one reason and one reason only: at-bats. He's about 300 hits from 3,000 and 53 doubles from 500. He's a no-doubt first ballot Hall of Famer tomorrow. Probably still feels he can contribute and set some career numbers.

I don't know. I get it. Considering Jarrod Saltalamacchia's injury, he probably could've gotten 300 at-bats with the Rangers and the team could've used him.

Nonetheless, what's done is done. The Ranger will get a supplemental draft pick in the 2010 draft.

Did you hear the one about TCU (and all mid-majors) getting fucked by college football

TCU: Pissed off or should be

College football bowl match-ups were announced today.

Before we get to games of local or regional interest, let it be known that the BCS sucks and college football needs a playoff format or go back to the previous system with the polls.

Eight Big XII teams made bowls. Five of six Big XII South teams will have an extra game. Kansas State -- despite a better record than Iowa State -- didn't get a bid.

Bowling:

BCS Championship Game
Texas vs. Alabama
For all the marbles. UT fans should be tickled. A second national championship for Mack Brown puts him in rare air.

Fiesta Bowl
TCU vs. Boise State
The BCS and NCAA pussied out here. Two of the mid-majors in the same bowl game? That's bullshit. Let these guys play some of the big boys if you aren't going to let them in the big game. As it is, college football/NCAA/BCS/whoever essentially muted any argument from the mid-major schools by pitting TCU against Boise State. They'll beat up on each other and the winner will bitch and moan about their claim to the national championship. Once this happens, college football will say, "Uh, nope. You beat a mid-major team. You need to beat a BCS school to have any real argument." Essentially, college football bent TCU and Boise State over the table and fucked them royally.

Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi
Interesting match-up. Should be a lot of scoring, running going on in Dallas.

Hawaii Bowl
SMU vs. Nevada
O happy day!

Alamo Bowl
Texas Tech vs. Michigan State
I'd bet the Raiders are counting their blessings. They had the potential to really stink this year as they kinda rebuilt post-Graham Harrell. They'll be good again before we know it.

Insight Bowl
Iowa State vs. Minnesota
The Cyclones! Don't think anyone had them bowling in the pre-season.

Texas Bowl
Missouri vs. Navy
Navy will have 300 yards rushing.

Sun Bowl
Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Very interesting match-up. It'll be cool to see that white running back Stanford's throwing out there.

Holiday Bowl
Nebraska vs. Arizona
Has to be somewhat of a disappointment for the Huskers. They had higher hopes in the pre-season.

Independence Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Georgia
There are three Big XII/SEC match-ups, two Big XII/Big X games and two Big XII/Pac 10 games.

Winter Meetings heat up hot stove

Matty Lindstrom

The Texas Rangers have already been active during the Winter Meetings.

The team took the cheap way to help solidify their bullpen by swapping a player to be named later to the Detroit Tigers for 29-year-old sidewinder Clay Rapada.

Rapada's spent the better part of the last seven years in the minor leagues with brief stints with the big-league clubs of the Chicago Cubs and Tigers, where he's had limited to no success.

In Toleda last season, he posted a 2.76 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 41 innings. In his career, he's allowed a lot of baserunners allowing just about a hit per inning and posting a career 1.33 WHIP in the minors.

****
In addition, the Rangers appear to be in the mix to in a trade for Florida Marlins' reliever Matt Lindstrom.

He's been in the Majors for three seasons while seeing his innings pitched drop each season (from 67 in 2007 to 47 in 2009. He's 29 years old and spent part of 2009 closing games for the Marlins while posting a less-than-awesome 5.89 ERA. At 6-4, he's a big righty and I would assume he'd take on the closer or eighth-inning role.

Biggest issue is that he's not a master of control. He's basically walking one per every two guys he strikes out. Although he's kept his ERA down in the past, his WHIP is crazy bad (1.44) and he gets hit a lot (177 hits in 171 pro innings).

Tough weekend or where the hell is Shawn Marion?

Robin and Marion

The Dallas Mavericks aren't doing very much to make their future easier.

In a stretch, which I dubbed "The Vibrant Middle," where the Mavs could win a buttload of games and start padding their playoff seed, they are completely missing the point.

Weekend losses to Memphis (at Memphis, where they've lost three straight) and Atlanta (at home), were massive pitfalls and brought them to a lowly 1-2 for the onset of the Vibrant Middle. I predicted a 12-3 record for this time period through the New Year. That'll be a tough match.

Most alarming about the two games -- both of which could very well be forgotten in a month -- is the team's reoccuring inability to win games in which they shoot poorly.

They scored 82 and 75 points and averaged about 36 percent shooting between the two games.

Most notably is the lack of offensive presence of Shawn Marion. I realize that every Mavs apologist will vomit the excuse that Marion wasn't brought in to score. He's merely an athletic, defensive presence. He's there to bring swagger and toughness.

Marion's acquisition will never be deemed a disaster (unless Antoine Wright figures something out), but it's a dubious transaction to date.

In the last two games, Marion's averaged six points, shot 5-14 and gotten to the free-throw line just four times (making two). He has filled up the box score with 16 rebounds, five assists and five blocks between the Memphis and Atlanta affairs, but the problem here is offense. Plus, he's developed little rapport with Kidd, who was supposed to be guy that brought back Marion's game with alley-oops and running the floor. Neither of which are happening.

Jason Terry was inserted into the starting line-up against Atlanta because this team needs some sort of boost offensively, and, frankly, I would expect a guy like Marion to fill that void without messing with the bench situation.

Simply put, Erick Dampier, Jason Kidd, J.J. Barea, Roddy Beaubois and Tim Thomas are not consistent or even viable scoring options during any given possession.

Kidd takes open three pointers. Barea can't shoot. Beaubois is raw. Thomas is hit or miss. It's basically Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki making baskets and that's not enough.

I don't expect Kidd, Barea, Damp or Thomas to change their colors. Beaubois might not have that in him right now.

So it's up to Marion to wake up and start providing or this team might not have the firepower to win when it really matters.