- I know I'm stealing a bit from the Sturminator here, but Tom Hicks irritates me to no end. He has single handedly run my favorite team from my favorite sport into the ground out in Arlington. And he has made the Stars a study in mediocrity with his ownership habits.
The ongoing Tom Hicks quote board, with what really irritates me in bold. When reading these, imagine Mark Cuban or Jerry Jones uttering these words. You can't, because they never would.
- #1 Dallas Business Journal, May 2007 …
"All of these teams have become businesses in the past 20 years," Hicks said. " ... This business has to do with fan affinity and brand devotion. It doesn't necessarily have to do with winning."
- #2 CBS News, January 1998 …
"I love sports," said Hicks, a billionaire who owns the NHL's Dallas Stars. "We want to add an American League pennant ... and to bring the World Series to Arlington. ... I've demonstrated with the Stars we will have the most competitive team we can have."
If the deal is approved by other baseball owners, a process expected to take 6-to-12 months, the price would be the second-highest for a baseball team.
"There's no reason the Rangers can't get to the top," Hicks said. ``This is one of the best franchises in the country. It's in a world class facility. You don't even have to win a championship every year to draw the fans. You just have to show you're really trying."
- #3 From Randy Galloway’s column in March 2005 …The famous “if you come, I will build it “ quote.
- By far the most ridiculous one. Imagine using this as your business plan if you were a business owner.
Yet, Hicks said, "if our revenue grows in the off-season, our payroll will grow with it."
- #4 Evan Grant’s March 4, 2005 story …
"Maybe there should be a rule that owners can't make a single decision until they've owned a club for three years," Hicks joked before Thursday's 6-4 loss to Kansas City in the spring opener. "I'm not a new owner anymore; I've graduated. We took the payroll up in anticipation of revenues going up, and it didn't match up. We're not going to do that anymore."
Barring a spring-training trade for a high-dollar offensive player, which Hicks said is unlikely, the Rangers guaranteed salaries will cost between $51 million and $52 million. Like all teams, the Rangers will figure another $7 million to $8 million in benefits in their payroll. They do not count the $6.2 million that will be sent to the New York Yankees as part of the Alex Rodriguez trade in the payroll.
The previous low figure for salaries under Hicks was $54.7 million in 1998, his first season as owner. And those salaries were set before Hicks' ownership was officially approved.
This year's payroll should allow the Rangers to turn a profit for a second straight year, Hicks said. He also said it is easier to grow payroll following increases in revenue rather than the other way around. Hicks is hoping to see a jump in attendance of about 200,000 fans over last year's total of 2.5 million.
"For where we are with our fan support, we're where we need to be [with payroll]," Hicks said. "If we get our attendance up around 3 million, things could change."
- #5 turned in by Brandon, from the Fox Sports profile on Tom Hicks in June, 2007, and quoted in Richie Whitt’s blog …
- I bet Liverpool loves hearing this.
On Liverpool: “It’s a great economic model. People are worried that I might take money away from the Rangers to go to Liverpool. It’s just the reverse. Liverpool is going to pull off lots of extra money that if I choose I can use for the Rangers or Stars.
- Details of Bo Pelini's contract.
NU Football: Pelini has five-year deal
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN — Just days after cutting a $3.125 million check to Bill Callahan, the University of Nebraska has partially protected itself from possibly owing Bo Pelini a large sum if Pelini is fired and then rehired elsewhere.
Like Callahan, Pelini would be paid his base salary through the remainder of his five-year contract, at this point $41,700 monthly. However, if he then took another position, a mitigation clause states that NU only would owe him the difference, if greater, than his monthly salary in a new post.
That is among the differences in the Pelini contract obtained Wednesday by The World-Herald.
Also of note:
• Pelini would owe Nebraska money if he resigned to take another position, starting at $1 million before Dec. 31, 2008, and decreasing by $250,000 each of the next three years. No buyout was included in Callahan's contract.
• Pelini's overall compensation package is $1.1 million, compared to $1.75 for Callahan in the new contract he signed last September.
• Pelini would stand to make far greater bonuses for winning the Big 12 North ($150,000) and the Big 12 championship (additional $250,000). The same would be available for making and winning the Bowl Championship Series title game.
Callahan stood to make $50,000 for a North Division title and an additional $75,000 for a league championship. But he also was set to make $50,000 for any bowl appearance or $100,000 for a BCS bid (plus an additional $100,000 for winning a BCS game).
• Exceptional bonuses also are available for a particular graduation rate ($125,000) and different Academic Performance Ratings (from $25,000 to $125,000). Callahan's contract did not include incentives for academic achievement.
Athletic Director Tom Osborne said NU was pleased with the process, and said there were "no protracted negotiations" and "no agents." Pelini was hired on Dec. 2, but the contract was held up by his return to Louisiana State to coach the Tigers' defense in the national championship game.
Pelini's compensation between Dec. 2 and Dec. 31, per the contract, was $91,667.
Pelini called negotiation of the contract a simple and straightforward process.
"Coach Osborne and I have been on the same page throughout the process, and it is good to have the contract finalized," Pelini said in a statement. "I appreciate the support and commitment the administration at Nebraska has made to me and my staff, and I look forward to working with them in the coming years."
Pelini, 40, is a head coach for the first time in his career after working in the NFL and then as defensive coordinator at Nebraska, Oklahoma and LSU. His salary ranks eighth among those in the Big 12, ahead of only Gene Chizik at Iowa State, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, Dan Hawkins at Colorado and Ron Prince at Kansas State.
Pelini's annual salary may be adjusted, at the discretion of the university, without the necessity of a written amendment to his contract. His supplemental benefits include the use of automobiles for both he and his wife, as well as membership in the Lincoln country club of his choice.
Callahan received his severance pay on Tuesday after being fired Nov. 24. It was owed to him in full, through the 2011 season, despite the fact that he was hired last Friday to become assistant head coach of the New York Jets.
Big 12 football salaries
Mack Brown, Texas $2.75 million
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma $2.65 million*
Gary Pinkel, Missouri $1.85 million
Mike Sherman,Texas A&M $1.8 million
Art Briles, Baylor $1.8 million
Mike Leach, Texas Tech $1.662 million
Mark Mangino, Kansas $1.524 million
Bo Pelini, Nebraska $1.1 million
Gene Chizik, Iowa State $1.025 million
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State $950,000
Dan Hawkins, Colorado $936,000
Ron Prince, Kansas State $755,000
- Mavs pull to .500 on the road.
Dallas Mavericks hold off Bobcats, 102-95
Mavs take care of business in Charlotte to finish first half at 28-14
01:47 AM CST on Thursday, January 24, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Mavericks don't like to talk about pressure, but there was some legitimate weight bearing down on them Wednesday night.
They needed a win "in the worst way," as coach Avery Johnson said. They knew San Antonio had come through Bobcats Arena two days earlier and plowed aside Charlotte without much difficulty. It's one of those checkmarks on the schedule that you need, particularly when a key division rival already has done so.
And the Mavs sure didn't want to go home with an 0-2 record on this quick trip.
They needed a solid victory and, despite some deplorable fourth-quarter shooting, that's what they got. Devin Harris had one of his best games of the season and the Mavericks hung tough for a 102-95 triumph over the Bobcats, finishing the first half of the season at 28-13.
More important, they feel they have set themselves up for a big second-half surge after going 16-5 during the second quarter of the season. They are particularly optimistic about their future on the road, where they are a dead-solid-mediocre 10-10.
"You know what time it is," Jason Terry said. "It's the second half of the season. We're in a logjam at the top of the standings, so every game is critical.
"We don't have a choice. If you're going to be a good team, you have to win on the road. And we will."
For a night, they did what they needed to do, jumping on the Bobcats early, surviving a Charlotte run in the third quarter and overcoming their own shooting problems in the fourth with Harris leading a three-pronged attack.
He finished with 23 points and nine assists, the third time in four games he's had eight or more assists. He's averaged 19 points and 7.5 assists in that stretch.
The Mavs could get used to that. Avery Johnson was happy with the way Harris overcame a sloppy start to the second half.
"We were pretty upset at the beginning of the third quarter with his two turnovers," Johnson said. "We had a discussion about it, and he came back strong."
Harris had a traveling violation and a bad pass for the Mavericks' seventh and eighth turnovers.
They didn't have another one the rest of the night.
Instead, Harris threw in 15 points, including two free throws with 1:36 left that moved the Mavericks ahead, 92-87, and began a string of 10 consecutive free throws without a miss down the stretch. They made only one field goal attempt in that time.
Considering they had started the fourth quarter 3-of-13 from the field, it was a good thing they got to the line. The Bobcats missed two chances to cut the gap further when it was 90-87 but couldn't get shots to drop.
Harris got help from Josh Howard, who had 82 friends and family members in attendance, and dazzled them with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
"For the most part, I like where we are right now," Howard said. "There are some things we need to work on. We just need to go on a few more runs, and I think we can do that."
The Mavericks also got some nice contributions from DeSagana Diop, Juwan Howard and Trenton Hassell, who helped fill the void left by injuries to Brandon Bass and Jerry Stackhouse.
- The shoot out king is back.
Dallas Stars happy to have Jokinen back
Forward expected to return from knee injury tonight
01:06 AM CST on Thursday, January 24, 2008
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News
rdurrett@dallasnews.com
FRISCO – There weren't any "Welcome Back" signs in the Stars locker room Wednesday. But Jussi Jokinen certainly got the feeling that his teammates were glad to have him back on the ice.
Jokinen, who has missed the last 13 games with a knee injury, skated with the team during its 60-minute practice and said the knee felt better than he'd expected. He's scheduled to return to the lineup tonight when the Stars host the Buffalo Sabres.
Jokinen's biggest impact may be on the power play. Dallas has been inconsistent with the man advantage the last month or so and is near the middle of the league in power-play percentage.
Much of that can be blamed on injuries. Sergei Zubov, who runs the power play from the blue line like a quarterback, is out with injuries to his foot and groin. Jere Lehtinen, who digs pucks out and gets to the net, isn't playing because of a sports hernia. Philippe Boucher, another point player with a hard shot, has missed the last few months following shoulder surgery.
But Jokinen's return gives the Stars a skill player who can create space and scoring opportunities.
"He's basically the developer of our power play," forward Steve Ott said. "He's a power play specialist. That's Jussi's job. To have that guy back gives us another lethal weapon."
Jokinen has scored four of his 11 goals on the power play, tied for third-most power-play goals on the team, and he provides chances for teammates to put shots on net.
"He's clever with the puck," coach Dave Tippett said. "He can make plays under pressure. There are certain plays that skill players make, and he's a guy that can make those plays."
The Stars hope Jokinen's return is the first of many to occur around the All-Star break, which starts Friday. Lehtinen skated Wednesday in Frisco and continues his rigorous workout routine (one that Ott compared to that of a Navy Seal). Lehtinen is expected to join the Stars on their swing through Western Canada, which begins Tuesday. Zubov is listed as day-to-day, and the Stars aren't sure when he will return.
Ribeiro excited: Mike Ribeiro held up his Western Conference All-Star jersey for TV cameras Wednesday, clearly pleased to make his first All-Star squad.
"I was a bit disappointed when I wasn't picked at first, but [I'm] really happy now," Ribeiro said. "When I started, I wanted to be an All-Star one day, and I can't wait to go to practice and be around those guys."
Ribeiro takes the place of the injured Zubov as the Stars' only representative.
Shifting lines? Jokinen's return could have an effect on line combinations. Tippett had Jokinen with Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen in Wednesday's practice. Loui Eriksson skated with Brenden Morrow and Ribeiro, Mike Modano was with Jeff Halpern and Ott, and Joel Lundqvist centered a line with Stu Barnes and Krys Barch.
- Meet the 2008 Texas Rangers outfield.
Around the Horn: Outfielders
Byrd, Hamilton and Bradley get the starting nod for Texas
ARLINGTON -- When Rangers general manager Jon Daniels decided to trade pitcher Edinson Volquez to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Josh Hamilton, he was basically conceding what has become increasingly obvious as this decade has passed.
The Rangers outfield, a major strength during the division championship years of the 1990s, has been a major source for concern since the club's last division title in 1999. While the Rangers have had five different infielders appear in an All-Star Game in the past eight years, they have had six different Opening Day left fielders, six different right fielders and seven different center fielders over the same stretch of time.
From 1990-99, Rangers outfielders combined to have a .792 OPS, the fourth highest for a group in the American League. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, though, Rangers outfielders have combined for a .763 OPS, the third lowest in the American League.
In the previous decade, the Rangers had ten 20-home run seasons from an outfielder, seven 100-run seasons and nine 100-RBI seasons. Since then, they have had an outfielder hit over 20 home runs just twice and score 100 runs just once. They have not had an outfielder drive in over 80 runs since 1999.
"Mostly it's been the production of our infielders," Daniels said. "The big offensive clubs of the '90s had production from top to bottom in the lineup. We haven't had that level in some time and the biggest difference is we haven't had the outfield production. We've had some guys have an occasional good year, like Gary Matthews Jr., but we haven't had many and not more than one spot at a time."
So the Rangers get ready to start over again. Marlon Byrd, who played all three outfield spots for the Rangers after being called up on May 26, starts out in left. Hamilton was acquired to play center and Milton Bradley, who is coming off knee surgery, was signed as a free agent to play right. David Murphy could fill the crucial role of fourth outfielder.
"I expect significant improvement over last year," Daniels said. "The thing that I like is we have four guys out there who can all play center field. That bodes well for our defense and could go a long way to supporting our pitching staff. If Milton's knee is good to go -- and we've only had positive reports so far -- then it has a chance to be a pretty solid outfield."
Nelson Cruz and Jason Botts also remain in the picture. Frank Catalanotto can play left, but is more likely to be used at designated hitter.
Hamilton offers the best chance of giving the Rangers close to the offensive production they received in the 1990s from Juan Gonzalez, Rusty Greer and Ruben Sierra.
A former No. 1 overall First-Year Player Draft pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Hamilton, 26, had a once-promising career thrown off course by well-documented personal problems with substance abuse. But, after being acquired by the Cincinnati Reds, he was able to overcome his difficult history and hit .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs in 90 games and 298 at-bats as a rookie in 2007.
The numbers could have been better, but he missed time by going on the disabled list in May with gastroenteritis and again in July with a sprained right wrist. He still finished the season with a .922 OPS. The Rangers haven't had an outfielder with an OPS that high since Gonzalez in 1999.
"Josh has the ability, and now he's done it to a degree at the big league level," Daniels said. "One impetus of that deal was getting a talented outfielder who is youthful, productive and can be here for some time. Hopefully Josh can do that for us."
The Rangers have tried hard to fix their outfield problems through the Draft. They have taken an outfielder in the first or second round in four of the last five years: Vince Sinisi (second, 2003), K.C. Herren (second, 2004), John Mayberry Jr. (first, 2005) and Julio Borbon (supplemental first, 2007).
Only Borbon is on the 40-man roster, but that was simply a way to get him signed last summer. He is still at least a few years away.
Mayberry remains a prospect but hasn't progressed as quickly as the Rangers had hoped. While 13 of 30 first-round picks from the 2005 Draft have played in the Majors, Mayberry split time between Class A Bakersfield and Double-A Frisco in 2007, hitting a combined .235 with 30 home runs and 83 RBIs in 489 at-bats with 48 walks and 126 strikeouts.
"When we took John in '05, it was with the knowledge that he would have to make adjustments," Daniels said. "He made some, but he's still working on others. Right-handed power hitters are hard to find. This is a big year for him. He's going to have the opportunity to be challenged and we'll see how he responds."
The Rangers' best outfield prospect may be Chris Davis, who played 36 games out there in 2006 for Class A Spokane after being taken in the fifth round of the Draft. The Rangers moved him to third base last season and he hit a combined .297 with 36 home runs and 118 RBIs between Bakersfield and Frisco. But he has a plus throwing arm and could be moved to right field at some point.
"He has done it before," Daniels said. "I think his arm is a profile-type arm that plays out in right field, but we're not going there yet. If he can continue to hit the way he did all last year, we'll find a way to get that bat in the lineup."
Another guy to watch is center fielder Brandon Boggs, a fourth-round pick in the 2004 Draft who overcame some early injuries and put himself in the picture by hitting .262 with a .380 on-base percentage, 86 runs scored, 30 doubles, 23 home runs, 72 RBIs and 84 walks between Bakersfield and Frisco last season. He is on the 40-man roster and will be in big league camp.
"He's a switch-hitter who can do a lot of little things," Daniels said. "He certainly has a chance. He's a guy we're going to continue to challenge and see how he handles it."
Then there is Engel Beltre, the 18-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Eric Gagne trade on July 31. He has had just one season in professional baseball in the United States and hit .243 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 65 games and 247 at-bats last year. But he is already showing up in top prospect lists because of his enormous talent.
It's the kind of talent the Rangers used to produce in the outfield. But it has been a while.
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