- Huge spot start for Mike Smith in place of injured Marty Turco. Gets a shutout and helps Dallas build a 6 point lead in the division and win their 5th in a row. Some absolutely amazing saves last night. Although I still worry about goal scoring when it really matters, this team is getting healthy and looking strong, to quite strong.
Smith saves day in Dallas Stars' 1-0 win
01:53 AM CST on Friday, February 8, 2008 By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News rdurrett@dallasnews.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Marty Turco's stiff neck meant the Stars needed backup goalie Mike Smith to stiffen up against the Wild on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
And the lanky 25-year-old delivered, playing one of the best games of his career, leading the Stars to an entertaining 1-0 win.
Smith hadn't played since Jan. 22 and was desperate to show he could get the job done against a tough opponent.
If not for a hard elbow to the head Tuesday against Vancouver, Turco probably would have played Thursday against Minnesota, the Northwest Division's top team.
But the Stars' starting goalie, 4-0 since the All-Star break, stayed in Dallas to rest. Smith filled in nicely, using his 6-3 frame to stop 25 shots for his second shutout of the season.
Smith's biggest save helped the Stars get the go-ahead goal a little more than three minutes into the final period. Smith stuck out his long right leg to block an uncontested shot at the side of the net by Marian Gaborik, a deft scorer who normally doesn't miss such opportunities.
"I don't do the splits very often," Smith said. "I'm not sure my groin will like that too much in the morning."
The puck bounded off Smith's pad, and a few quick passes later, Niklas Hagman made a nice move on Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom, slowing down just enough to get him out of position for a backhanded shot. It was Hagman's 20th goal, marking the first time in his career he's reached that plateau.
The goal silenced most of the 18,568 spectators, with Stars co-general manager Brett Hull the one exception. He jumped out of his seat, yelled and pumped his fist even before the red light came on. Then he watched Smith make the lead stand up the final three-quarters of the period.
"The main thing is I wanted to come in here and give the team a chance," Smith said. "I wanted to come in and stabilize the team like Marty's done the last four games. He's played well and stolen some wins for the team. That's what we've got to do right now."
Smith's great game was critical as the Stars missed numerous chances to take the lead in the first two periods. Backstrom was nearly as good as Smith, helping Minnesota build momentum while killing off penalties.
Dallas had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:07 of the first period but couldn't do much with it. When Mattias Norstrom was hit in the face and bleeding from a high stick in the second period, the Stars got a four-minute power play. Dallas, 0-for-6 on the power play, kept the puck in the Wild zone, but Minnesota's penalty killers blocked shots and got out of the way so Backstrom could make a few saves.
"You're concerned that you're going to have a letdown, and that penalties are going to even out," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "So you change your aggressiveness so that you don't have to start killing penalties. We weren't successful on the power play, but you have to find other ways to win."
And the Stars keep doing that right now. Dallas is 5-0 since the All-Star break and has won five consecutive road games. The Stars continue to pile on points in an effort to stay on top of the Pacific Division and in front of San Jose, which has five games in hand.
- We all may be wrong about this, but it's hard to find one person outside of the Phoenix locker room on board with this trade. It just made Dallas and San Antonio's job a lot easier. No Dirk/Ginobli/Josh Howard stopper for Phoenix anymore. And Phoenix still has no answer for Tim Duncan or any of the guards on both teams.
Suns may not rise with Shaq
10:11 PM CST on Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Mavericks have no need to run and hide. Stand back and applaud, maybe.
The Phoenix Suns just got Shaquille O'Neal. That doesn't mean the race to win the West is over. It's more open now to more teams than it was 48 hours ago.
The Suns didn't get better. Just bigger.
Losing Shawn Marion to Miami is a very large deal to the Phoenix Suns' way of doing business. There have been indications that his relationship with point guard Steve Nash wasn't the best. He was known to complain about having a secondary role.
But it still worked.
On the floor, Marion served the Suns' attack-attack-attack-some-more style very well. You can't assuredly say the same about the 35-year-old O'Neal.
He can rebound at the defensive end, hit Nash with the outlet and get the running game in motion. For that, he has real value.
But the Shaq that's coming back to the West isn't the player who won three titles with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He's not even the player who, filling a supporting role to Dwyane Wade, helped the Miami Heat upset the Mavericks for an NBA title 20 months ago.
In his heyday, Shaq was an awesome and powerful machine, averaging 29 points and 13 rebounds a night and scaring the daylights out of any opponent who dared to come charging down the lane.
In his first year with the Heat, conditioning himself better than he had at the end of his Lakers run, O'Neal was still a 20-points, nine-rebounds-a-night guy.
This season, when he hasn't been injured, O'Neal has supplied the Heat with 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds a night.
Those aren't Shaq numbers.
Those are Andrew Bogut numbers. And that's just not enough to stamp the Suns as favorites in the West, which is deeper in quality teams than ever.
What about missing Marion?
His athleticism really allowed the Suns to be what they had become. They and the Warriors have traded back and forth the scoring lead in the league, both averaging 109 to 110 points per game.
Marion's numbers have been off this year, and who knows how much that might have to do with his failed attempts to land a new contract in Phoenix, which was the impetus for this trade, anyway.
But even at 15.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and two steals a game, Marion has allowed the Suns to maintain the break all night. That won't be the case any longer.
If they don't score quickly, the Suns will back up and wait for O'Neal to take his spot down on the low post. They will look more Eastern Conference than they have since before Nash's arrival.
That might be a good thing for the Mavericks. That's not a good thing for the entertainment value of watching the Suns play.
Really, I think for Mavericks fans, the bigger concern than the big man who used to win titles for the Lakers is the big man who might help the Lakers now.
The arrival of Pau Gasol in Los Angeles is scarier than Shaq landing in Phoenix. When injured Andrew Bynum returns, a front court of Lamar Odom, Gasol and Bynum, along with the backcourt of Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, gives the Lakers a real chance to reach the Finals for the first time since O'Neal left for Miami.
But the West is too crazy to call right now. Houston is 29-20 and Portland 28-20, and they're not even in the playoffs at the moment. Golden State is the No. 8 seed, but the Warriors, who had to overcome an 0-6 start with Stephen Jackson suspended, trailed No. 1 Phoenix by 4 ½ games entering play Thursday.
It will be interesting to see how Suns coach Mike D'Antoni adapts his strategy to fit O'Neal's presence in the lineup. With Shaq, the team will be more entertaining than ever off the court.
On the court, not so much. And not any better than what they were.
- Bo pulls a nice class out of the of dog shit he was handed. Very good save.
22. Nebraska One ESPN 150 prospect The Cornhuskers had a strong class in the spring of 2007 but imploded shortly after Bill Callahan's future looked bleak. New head coach Bo Pelini did a good job down the stretch of luring prospects back and signing linebacker Will Compton (Bonne Terre, Mo./North County) and defensive end Josh Williams (Denton, Texas). ESPN 150 offensive tackle Baker Steinkuhler (Lincoln, Neb./Southwest) stayed strong with his in-state commitment as did projected outside linebacker Sean Fisher (Omaha, Neb./Millard). Old Cornhuskers fans have to be pleased with a pledge from 210-pound power back Collins Okafor (Omaha, Neb./Westside) and Scouts Inc.'s No.1-rated fullback/H-back prospect Kyler Reed (Overland Park, Kan./Saint Thomas Aquinas).
NU Football: Pelini, Huskers ignore hype
BY RICH KAIPUST WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini sat down to unveil his first recruiting class Wednesday and discussed it exactly in that way.
As a class.
In his 28-minute session at Memorial Stadium, Pelini not once mentioned any of his 27 signees by name.
There were absolutely no references to "four stars." No gushing over anybody. Not one mention of some player helping right away or being a steal, sleeper or project.
"There's no sense in singling kids out," Pelini said matter-of-factly. "Everybody knows about them. You can read about them."
Pelini said now they're part of the Husker program. It's not about individual players. Once they signed letters of intent, it no longer was about Internet hype and announcements and putting on hats.
"They know that," he said. "They signed on for that."
For perspective, Pelini mentioned 26 people on the NU athletic department staff — by name — and thanked them for their hand in recruiting. Compliance, academic personnel, student assistants, video staff, etc. That didn't include later references to assistant coaches and Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
But not once did he say the names Baker Steinkuhler, Will Compton or Kody Spano. Steinkuhler was a "five star," ya know.
"I don't really want to get into anybody specifically," Pelini said. "I'm proud of every recruit that we have and what they become in the future."
Read into it whatever you want. Around the country, no doubt, at least a few head coaches were rattling off stats and pumping up players to the delight of recruiting geeks.
NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, however, liked Pelini's style.
"Honestly, that's the way it should be," Watson said. "I think what happens today — with the onslaught of all the different things going on with recruiting — there's a lot of pressure and hype that maybe wrongfully gets placed on a young man who hasn't had life experiences enough to know that all that really is not important right now. What's important is that you understand you have to work hard and you have to earn your place. That's part of being forthright and honest and shooting them straight down the middle."
Pelini was not downplaying the overall class, by any means. In fact, the Huskers finished strong after the string of decommitments that hit the staff during the transition from Bill Callahan to Pelini.
The Huskers pulled nine players from Texas, and Pelini and his staff have made it clear NU wants to establish stronger roots there. Steinkuhler led a list of six in-state recruits. The Huskers' release also included 18 walk-ons, with Pelini saying there could be a dozen more once proper paperwork clears.
Nebraska apparently remains alive for at least one other prospect, making it possible that the Huskers sign 28. NCAA rules stipulate that a class of newcomers number no more than 25 when players report in August, meaning NU could lose recruits to academic ineligibility or delay enrollment of a player or players.
In a major change from Callahan, Pelini also made no mention of where NU's class was ranked. For the record, rivals.com had Nebraska at No. 30 and scout.com at No. 21.
"It's hard to say," Pelini said. "Talk to me two, three years down the road and I'll tell you how good a class it was.
"We believe there's a lot of talent and potential in this class, and we're looking forward to working with each of them."
Only Watson and Ted Gilmore were on the Husker staff last season, so Pelini said NU didn't have a strong feel for what it needed in this class. The Huskers' answer was to go looking for "good football players — guys that play with passion, play with an attitude."
Gilmore said the staff was cognizant of numbers as it went out.
"I knew what I needed because I lost four receivers," Gilmore said. "But obviously everybody else has got to figure that out this spring, has got to figure out where the talent level is or if it fits their scheme. When you're in that position, you take athletes."
- So you remove a guy who was tailored to play with Steve Nash and in that system (mainly because he can't shoot and running and dunking is his game on offense). You also take away the best rebounder and defender on your team. A versatile guy who can guard Dirk one night and Kobe the next. A glue-type guy who does all the little things on a team that lacks those players.
And you replace him with an out of shape, plodding 350 lb'er, who's 35, who will be so out of his element in that offense, and is still on the books for 2 years at $40 million. Wow. Do this please. Dirk's job against Phoenix just got easier.
Sources: Suns a 'yes' away from acquiring Shaq for Marion
The seemingly improbable pairing of an aging Shaquille O'Neal and the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns is just a final "yes" from the Suns away from happening, according to NBA front-office sources.
Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Miami Heat have already agreed to send O'Neal to the Suns in exchange for All-Star forward Shawn Marion and out-of-favor guard Marcus Banks. Miami is simply waiting for Phoenix management to complete a medical examination of O'Neal and formally accept what would rank as one of the most unexpected trades in league history.
"It looks like it's going to happen," said one source close to the situation. "We should know for sure by tomorrow."
ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Tuesday night on "SportsCenter" that O'Neal is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix on Wednesday to undergo a physical. A source close to Marion told ESPN.com early Wednesday that the Suns have informed the 29-year-old that the deal will go through, with the forward eager now to move on after playing with the Suns for his whole career.
The Arizona Republic also reported that a deal could be imminent and that O'Neal had contacted some Suns players Tuesday night. The Suns pushed back their shootaround, originally scheduled for 9:45 a.m. MT to 4:45 p.m., shortly before Phoenix plays New Orleans.
The Miami Herald first reported on its Web site Tuesday night that the Heat have informed O'Neal that they are shopping him and that talks with the Suns were serious.
That apparently surprised O'Neal ... but also pleased him. Sources told ESPN.com that the 35-year-old -- in the midst of his least productive season and with the Heat cratering from a championship in 2006 to a 9-37 record less than two years later -- is eager to leave Miami and his deteriorating relationship with Heat coach Pat Riley.
Making a move for O'Neal appears on the surface to make little basketball or financial sense for the Suns. O'Neal's arrival in Phoenix would undoubtedly prompt widespread skepticism about his ability to keep up in the Suns' high-octane system. The two years and $40 million remaining on O'Neal's contract after this season also clashes with the Suns' recent pattern of trading away players (such as Kurt Thomas) and draft picks in attempt to reduce payroll and eventually drag themselves away from the NBA luxury-tax line of $67.875 million.
The Suns, though, have been plagued by well-chronicled concerns about their chemistry for nearly two years, generally focusing on the occasional dissatisfaction voiced behind the scenes by either Marion or Amare Stoudemire. In the locker room as well as the front office, sources say, there are factions that have believed for some time that one of them would eventually have to be traded for the Suns to reach their full potential.
Those in-house doubts about this group's ability to break through and win the first championship in team history have only grown this season, sources say, even though Phoenix currently holds the best record in the West at 34-14.
But owner Robert Sarver and team president Steve Kerr, according to sources with knowledge of the Suns' thinking, have ruled out trading Stoudemire, despite season-long speculation suggesting that his defensive deficiencies would ultimately lead to his exit before Marion's. Sarver and Kerr have deemed Stoudemire too valuable to part with, given that he's only 25 and continues to play at an All-Star level after three surgeries, ranking as perhaps the NBA's most successful comeback patient from the dreaded microfracture knee procedure.
Marion asked to be traded before the season but has rarely mentioned that declaration since, with many Suns insiders believing that he went public with that request mostly as a protest response to being mentioned in trade rumors for years. If he leaves now, it's likely more because Phoenix believes (a) that Boris Diaw can assume some of Marion's old duties, (b) that Stoudemire will relish playing alongside Shaq as a power forward as opposed to masquerading as a center and (c) that team chemistry will improve immediately with this change.
Acquiring O'Neal would also address the size issues Phoenix has faced since two-time MVP Steve Nash was reacquired as a free agent in the summer of 2004 to orchestrate coach Mike D'Antoni's free-wheeling system.
The Suns are said to be confident that Nash can find a way to get Shaq involved offensively. And it's undeniably true that the West is still filled with plenty of big men for Shaq to match up with. Just to name five: San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Houston's Yao Ming, New Orleans' Tyson Chandler, Portland's Greg Oden (next season) and Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Of course, O'Neal turns 36 in March and has been plagued by a persistent hip problem that has cost him 14 games this season. He refused to speak with Miami reporters after Tuesday's practice, while Riley insisted that O'Neal would soon undergo an MRI after missing the Heat's past six games.
And when he has been healthy, O'Neal is averaging a career-worst 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, while the Heat's demise has deepened after they followed their historic comeback from 2-0 down against Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals by absorbing a first-round sweep by Chicago last season.
So if the deal does go through as widely expected now, Phoenix would be banking on the idea that O'Neal will be rejuvenated health-wise and reinvigorated mentally by the prospect of fresh start, after a half-season in which his remaining effectiveness and durability have been doubted louder than ever.
Miami's motivation, meanwhile, is clear. The Heat's need to revamp their entire roster around Dwyane Wade grows more apparent by the day in what ranks as an unprecedented collapse for a championship team that didn't lose its star players. Marion has the ability to opt out of his contract at season's end if he's willing to forfeit next season's $17.2 million salary, potentially giving the Heat substantial salary-cap space as early as this summer.
It remains to be seen if the Heat want Marion more for the financial flexibility or because they see him as a long-term complement to Wade. It also remains to be seen how much Phoenix will miss Marion's athleticism and versatility, since his ability to guard all five positions and tireless running made him a one-of-a-kind fit alongside Nash in D'Antoni's system.
Sarver said earlier this month that Marion was one of the Suns' cornerstone players who "flat-out was not getting traded," but that changed once Miami started shopping O'Neal. Although Riley later denied it, Bucher reported on ESPN2's "NBA Coast to Coast" last week that Miami had been begun to gauge trade interest in the hulking center with four championship rings from his time with the Lakers and Heat.
Although attempts to reach officials from both teams proved unsuccessful, D'Antoni did acknowledge the possibility of O'Neal's arrival on his weekly radio show Tuesday night, saying: "It would mean a lot. [But] that's a big question that's got to be thought over and pondered."
- 4 in a row. Shootouts rock.
Captain caps Dallas Stars' fourth straight win
09:34 AM CST on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News mheika@dallasnews.com
The Stars have been finding a way to win games and collect points, and as boring as that sounds sometimes, it paid off again Tuesday night.
Facing a crippled Vancouver Canucks team, the Stars had to go to their sixth shooter in the shootout but came out with a 3-2 victory that pushed their winning streak to four games and their record to 32-20-5.
"It's true what Tip [coach Dave Tippett] says about wanting to do more, but for us, it's recognizing what kind of game we were in," said goalie Marty Turco, who stopped 22 shots and improved to 19-7 in shootouts.
"You have to keep pushing ahead, and never feel that you want to do more. It is human nature, but it's good experience for this team. You've got to continue to learn and gain confidence in these typesgames."
The Canucks were without five of their regular defensemen – Willie Mitchell (back), Kevin Bieksa (calf), Luka Krajicek (shoulder), Mattias Ohlund (personal) and Aaron Miller (foot) all missed the game. Vancouver filled the lineup with a mostly minor league defense, but the group played well and the Stars failed to put enough pressure on to see if it would crack.
Dallas waded into the game – neither team was able to put a shot on goal in the first seven minutes – then watched as Vancouver took the lead on a power-play goal at the 12:50 mark of the first period.
Dallas saw an early end to its run of 22 consecutive penalty kills as Markus Naslund scored. The top-ranked penalty kill in the league was foiled when Mason Raymond made a nice touch pass to Naslund in the slot, and he one-timed a shot over Turco.
But the Stars bounced back and scored a gritty goal at 16:40 of the first period to tie the score. Mike Ribeiro made a nice play along the boards to get the puck to Brenden Morrow, and Morrow uncorked a one-timer from the left circle. The puck went sailing toward a scrum at the net, and deflected in off the skate of Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows. Jeff Halpern had created the scrum by driving hard to the net and pulling Burrows in front of Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Dallas then capitalized on its power play in the second period, as Morrow made a slick backhand pass into the slot and Jere Lehtinen deflected the puck between Luongo's legs for a 2-1 lead at the 7:11 mark.
"Same old Lehts, he does it all," Morrow said of Lehtinen's first goal since returning from a sports hernia that kept him out for 33 games. "He looks like he hasn't missed a step."
The Canucks made a spirited stand to earn a point in the standings. Naslund added his second goal of the game and Luongo then stopped 13 shots in the third period – 32 for the game. That forced the shootout, where the Stars improved their shootout record, the NHL's best, to 26-7.
Jussi Jokinen scored first for Dallas, and Naslund scored for Vancouver. Morrow then put in a wrister as the sixth shooter and Turco came up with a stop to give Dallas two points in the standings.
"Right now, everybody in the Western Conference is so tight that it's important to play a full 60 minutes and get whatever points we can," Ribeiro said.
The Stars have won seven consecutive regular season games against the Canucks at American Airlines Center. It is the second longest active home winning streak against one opponent in the NHL.
"We'll take the points and run," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.
- Baseball America's look at the future of the Rangers.
As it became apparent the Rangers were going to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season in 2007, second-year general manager Jon Daniels faced some tough decisions, and he ultimately embraced a true commitment to rebuilding the organization from the ground up.
Texas limped out of the gates under first-year manager Ron Washington, finding itself in last place and 51⁄2 games back of the first-place Angels by the end of April. By the end of May, the Rangers trailed by 131⁄2 games, and when the deficit had stretched to 161⁄2 games by the end of June, Daniels had little choice but to look toward the future.
That meant trading franchise cornerstone Mark Teixeira to maximize the return for a player who faces free agency after the 2008 season. He did just that by shipping Teixeira to the Braves along with lefthander Ron Mahay for a bounty of five highly regarded prospects: catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, righthander Neftali Feliz and lefties Matt Harrison and Beau Jones.
Texas went even further by moving Eric Gagne and Kenny Lofton to the Red Sox and Indians, bringing back more prospects in outfielders Engel Beltre and David Murphy and catcher Max Ramirez, plus a young big league lefty in Kason Gabbard.
Those three deals highlighted the dramatic overhaul of the farm system, and what had been one of baseball's thinnest organization's is now one of its most talented.
The system's transformation was augmented by strong work in the draft by scouting director Ron Hopkins and his staff. The Rangers had five picks before the second round, which they used on a trio of high-upside prep righthanders (Blake Beavan, Michael Main and Neil Ramirez), a safe college righty (Tommy Hunter) and a college center fielder who could be the team's leadoff man of the future (Julio Borbon). And as usual, the Rangers were active in the Latin American market under international scouting director A.J. Preller, landing a solid crop led by Venezuelan lefthander Martin Perez.
The net result is greatly improved minor league depth, particularly on the mound. Developing impact pitchers long has been a challenge for the Rangers, whose 4.75 major league team ERA ranked 24th in baseball in 2007. Now a majority of their top prospects are pitchers, giving some reason for optimism. However, much of the high-ceiling talent remains in the lower levels of the minors, so it will take another couple of years before the Rangers will start seeing dividends in Arlington.
The Rangers expect to continue their rebuilding process in 2008, field a competitive team by 2009 and make a serious playoff run in 2010. In addition to the foundation in the farm system, Texas has whom it regards as a few core players to build around at the big league level, including outfielder Josh Hamilton (brought over in an offseason trade with the Reds for righthander Edinson Volquez), second baseman Ian Kinsler, righthander Brandon McCarthy, Saltalamacchia and shortstop Michael Young. The most significant major league bright spot from a gloomy 2007, Young recorded his fifth straight 200-hit season. Since 1940, only Young, Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki have accomplished that feat.
TOP TEN PROSPECTS 1. Elvis Andruz, ss 2. Chris Davis, 3b 3. Eric Hurley, rhp 4. Taylor Teagarden, c 5. Neftali Feliz, rhp 6. Michael Main, rhp 7. Kasey Kiker, lhp 8. Blake Beavan, rhp 9. Julio Borbon, of 10. Engel Beltre, of
BEST TOOLS Best Hitter for Average German Duran Best Power Hitter Chris Davis Best Strike-Zone Discipline Johnny Whittleman Fastest Baserunner Jose Vallejo Best Athlete Michael Main Best Fastball Neftali Feliz Best Curveball Neil Ramirez Best Slider Eric Hurley Best Changeup Kasey Kiker Best Control Matt Harrison Best Defensive Catcher Taylor Teagarden Best Defensive Infielder Elvis Andrus Best Infield Arm Elvis Andrus Best Defensive Outfielder Julio Borbon Best Outfield Arm Engel Beltre
PROJECTED 2011 LINEUP Catcher Taylor Teagarden First Base Jarrod Saltalamacchia Second Base Michael Young Third Base Chris Davis Shortstop Elvis Andrus Left Field Engel Beltre Center Field Julio Borbon Right Field Josh Hamilton Designated Hitter Ian Kinsler No. 1 Starter Eric Hurley No. 2 Starter Neftali Feliz No. 3 Starter Michael Main No. 4 Starter Blake Beavan No. 5 Starter Brandon McCarthy Closer Kasey Kiker
TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE Year Player, Position 2007 1998 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers 1999 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers 2000 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers 2001 Carlos Pena, 1b Rays 2002 Hank Blalock, 3b Rangers 2003 Mark Teixeira, 3b Braves 2004 Adrian Gonzalez, 1b Padres 2005 Thomas Diamond, rhp Rangers 2006 Edinson Volquez, rhp Rangers 2007 John Danks, lhp White Sox
TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE Year Player, Position 2007 1998 Carlos Pena, 1b Rays 1999 Colby Lewis, rhp Athletics 2000 Scott Heard, c Out of baseball 2001 Mark Teixeira, 3b Braves 2002 Drew Meyer, ss Rangers 2003 John Danks, lhp White Sox 2004 Thomas Diamond, rhp Rangers 2005 John Mayberry Jr., of Rangers 2006 Kasey Kiker, lhp Rangers 2007 Blake Beavan, rhp Rangers
LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY Mark Teixeira, 2001 $4,500,000 John Danks, 2003 $2,100,000 Vicent Sinsi, 2003 $2,070,000 Thomas Diamond, 2004 $2,025,000 Drew Meyer, 2002 $1,875,000
- Another loss to an Eatern Conference leader wouldn't have been good. Good win here, especially considering the Maverick's history against Orlando.
Dallas Mavericks rebound with strong outing
11:38 PM CST on Monday, February 4, 2008 By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News esefko@dallasnews.com
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Dallas Mavericks on Monday were wearing the same road uniforms that they wore the day before. The faces looked the same.
But, boy, can appearances be deceiving.
There was no resemblance whatsoever to the team that was so deplorable in Detroit.
Defying all logic, the Mavericks followed up their worst game of the season with one of their best, building a nice lead and then executing when they had to in a 107-98 win over the Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic at Amway Arena.
In winning, the Mavs avoided a three-game sweep by Eastern Conference divisional leaders after dropping a heartbreaker at Boston and getting stomped at Detroit. They also showed that the difference between trashy and terrific can be as subtle as a tweak in the playing rotation.
Jason Terry, who had been forced into the starting lineup at point guard because of the injury to Devin Harris, returned to his sixth man role, with J.J. Barea starting at the point. Terry played his usual minutes, but the alteration made all the difference.
After the Mavericks had staved off Orlando's comeback attempt, coach Avery Johnson stood on the court as his players filed past him toward the locker room. He passed out high-fives and hugs in one of the most emotional moments of the season.
"I wanted the men to know that I'm in their corner," Johnson said. "I'm out there fighting. I think I stood up tonight more than I've stood up the whole season, just letting them know that if we're going to go down, then I'm going to go down with them."
The collective effort was amazing, considering how poorly the Mavs played in a 23-point loss to the Pistons on Sunday.
Terry needed to get back into a comfort zone, so the natural move was to get him out of the starting lineup. The move had the desired effect. Terry hit 8-of-14 shots, the first time since Jan. 19 that he's hit at least half of his shots (seven games).
Terry, who prides himself on being able to fill any role asked of him, admitted it might have been a good move to get him back in the sixth-man role that has been so good for him this season.
"It's an adjustment to make," he said. "I've been able to do it in the past, but the last two games, it just didn't go as smoothly as it usually does."
It certainly seemed to help his shot. But there have been suggestions coming from all sides about his shooting of late – in particular from his coach.
"With Jet, we've always said, when you're open, shoot," Johnson said. "And when you're not open, shoot, because we love for you to shoot."
Said Terry: "I was getting calls from here to Seattle, Washington, to shoot the ball. They thought I was a little hesitant the other night. But shooters shoot."
And so, he did. And so did Josh Howard, who scored a team-high 28 points. Dirk Nowitzki matched Terry's 20 points as the Mavericks led the entire game.
Dallas' lead reached 19 in the second quarter, but it was down to 83-80 in the fourth. Terry started a 10-0 blitz with an 18-foot running jumper and hit two more perimeter shots in the run.
"That's the money time of the basketball game," Terry said.
Orlando, which got 28 points from Dwight Howard, never got closer than six the rest of the way. The best thing Terry did was take the right shots, Johnson said. Against Detroit, he passed up an open 3-pointer when the game was still in reach, drawing his coach's ire.
"When he's open and he doesn't shoot, then we have a problem," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Barea did a nice job of setting an early tempo. Johnson said he considered moving Barea into the lineup at Detroit but was concerned about matchup problems defensively.
It worked wonderfully against Orlando, which also starts a Puerto Rican point guard, Carlos Arroyo.
Technically, the Mavericks went 2-2 on this trip, since it started in Memphis. But they went home for a day before starting the Boston-Detroit-Orlando swing.
"O-2 road trip was not the way we wanted to start," Nowitzki said of the Celtics and Pistons games. "We definitely wanted to go home with a win."
- It's about time the Stars start having some home-grown youth that can actually contribute.
Young defensemen rewarding Dallas Stars for their patience
11:47 PM CST on Monday, February 4, 2008 By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News mheika@dallasnews.com
The Dallas Stars received a little reminder Saturday night of just how young their defensemen really are.
On one shift, Calgary captain Jarome Iginla made a deft stick lift on Niklas Grossman, creating a golden scoring opportunity. On another shift, Flames veteran Owen Nolan put a few tricky moves on Mark Fistric, also ending up with a great shot on net.
Stars goalie Marty Turco made both saves, but the Stars coaching staff made a save of another variety – protecting the confidence of the two young defensemen after the game with constructive criticism.
With veteran defenseman Sergei Zubov (foot/groin) still listed as week to week and fellow veteran Philippe Boucher (shoulder) probably a month away from returning, the trio of Fistric, 21, Grossman, 23, and Matt Niskanen, 21, will be expected to play a lot of minutes at important times for the Stars.
"I think you teach and you push and you direct, but you try to do it in a positive way," Stars associate coach Rick Wilson said. "They have to trust themselves, and we have to trust them, too, for that to happen."
So far, the coaches' trust in the young defensemen has paid off. Niskanen is averaging more than 23 minutes of ice time a game with Zubov out and is plus-14 this season. Grossman has seen his minutes increase to 18, and he is plus-1. Fistric has ranged from eight to 15 minutes in his 14 games, and he is plus-6.
"Part of it is there are no other options – patience on our part is forced," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "But I look at it as a two-way street: There's been patience on our part that has paid off for them, but they've also paid off the organization with good play."
Tippett praised Turco for cleaning up a lot of messes over the last three games. The Stars goalie went 3-0-0 on a trip through Western Canada with a 1.67 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. However, Tippett also said the defensemen are showing great intelligence and a knack for learning from their mistakes.
"The experience these guys are getting is excellent, and they've responded very well," Tippett said. "Sure, they're going to have hiccups, but the majority of times, they've dug in and found a way to get the job done."
Fistric said the learning process has been interesting. He said rubbing elbows with NHL superstars is a challenge mentally and physically.
"These are guys you watched on television, and that is kind of strange to be on the ice against them. But you have to get over it," he said. "You obviously have respect for the player, but you also know you have to do your job."
Wilson said that while the Stars are careful not to damage the young defensemen's confidence, they also are very upfront about the expectations that come with being an NHL player.
"It's a fine line, because as much as we are developing players, the majority of their development should be done before they get here," Wilson said. "This league is about winning, and you're measured by that every single game. So, yes, you need to have patience, but the bottom line is they need to know this is a job – and a job where they are required to do certain things the right way."
- Nebraska raids Texas for recruits.
Nebraska going deep into Texas for recruits
BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008 - 12:27:47 am CST
Josh Williams knew nothing about the popularity of high school football in his new state when his family moved from Shreveport, La., to Denton, Texas, when he was about to start junior high.
Well, almost nothing, because even back then, it would have been next to impossible for Williams to be totally oblivious.
“The high school stadiums out here look like small-college stadiums,” he said.
To this day, Williams, now a senior at Denton’s Ryan High, still doesn’t completely get Texas’ infatuation with prep football. But he’s grateful for it. After all, becoming a star in one of the nation’s hotbeds of major college recruiting left him with almost limitless options.
Nebraska — along with schools from the Big 12, Southeastern and Pac-10 conferences, and other colleges in Texas — had no trouble finding and then offering the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defensive end a scholarship. Williams said yes to the Huskers last July, but then had to be won over again after Bill Callahan was fired at the end of the 2007 season.
As it turns out, Williams could pose as the poster boy for the “Deep in the Heart of Texas” strategy new coach Bo Pelini and his staff have used during their first eight weeks on the job.
Pelini’s first NU recruiting class, which will be announced Wednesday, currently includes nine Texans out of 25 recruits. Nebraska’s number of commitments had shrunk from 24 to 15 after Callahan was fired.
In building it back up, the Huskers got six Texas players after Pelini was hired. Williams also recommitted after he considered other offers.
Williams said Nebraska assistant Ted Gilmore didn’t mention the level of priority the Husker coaches were placing on signing kids from Texas. Then again, he probably didn’t have to.
“It seems Texas is going to be pretty big,” Williams said.
Oh, sure. Any school would like to make tracks for the Texas border, grab a couple handfuls of recruits each year and then start racking up championships. But getting kids from Texas isn’t as simple as just saying you’re going to recruit kids from Texas.
Ask Chad Morris, the coach of Nebraska quarterback recruit Kody Spano at Stephenville, Texas, who has spent 17 years coaching in that state.
“You don’t have a lot of outsiders come in here. You’ve got to have an ‘in,’” Morris said. “If someone on the outside is going to try and come and recruit here, the most important thing is for that coach to be straight-up and be honest. We get some coaches that try and come in and try and negatively recruit other schools. That’s a big turnoff. Kids can sense a bluff there.”
Morris completely understands, though, why schools like Nebraska would covet Texas kids. There, high school football is not just a part-time deal.
Morris, also the athletic director, is like many Texas high school head coaches and doesn’t teach classes. He has 12 assistants. He conducts spring practice — an option given to schools in the largest two of Texas’ five classifications.
“It’s a way of life for a lot of people,” Morris said, noting that his team has played in front of 32,000 people and regularly draws 9,000 for home games. “It’s a big business for high schools in the state of Texas.”
Nebraska running backs coach Tim Beck can relate.
Before spending the past three seasons as an assistant at the University of Kansas, he was head coach for three years each at two Texas high schools.
Beck took his first job there after the staff he was on at Southwest Missouri State was fired — and after turning down an opportunity to become offensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin, an NCAA Division I-AA program in Texas.
Beck says Nebraska won’t count on getting a certain number of recruits from Texas every year, that it will go wherever to get the best talent. But he also noted how common it is for a coach to walk into a Texas high school and see four seniors who are Division I prospects, and have four or five underclassmen waiting in the wings.
And, yes, it helps to know the lay of the land.
“No question if you’ve been down there as a coach it helps,” Beck said. “If I want speed, I go here. If I want hard-nosed kid, I go here.
“It’s hard, I think, when you come in as an unknown. But your school has a lot to do with it. Anybody that would come in there from the Big 12 would be recognized, because there’s national exposure.”
The influx of Texans at Nebraska isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. The Huskers’ 2007 class had seven players from the state. The previous year’s class, though, had just one.
Williams said he didn’t give any advantage to Texas schools who were recruiting him, but admits he’s comforted by the fact that so many other players from the state will be joining him at NU “because I know Texas has some pretty good ‘ballers’ coming out this year.”
The majority of the state’s players will become Longhorns, Aggies, Red Raiders, Horned Frogs or wear the uniform of another state school.
The ones who get away — and many do because of sheer numbers — oftentimes become prize catches for schools such as Nebraska.
Although for Williams, the venture north comes at somewhat of a price.
Two of his closest friends are the younger twin brothers of Derek Lokey, a Ryan High alum who just finished his senior season at Texas — and were quick to razz Williams about his college choice.
“If I was a nail and you were putting me in some wood, I was through the board twice,” Williams said. “I was getting pounded.
“I just didn’t feel the same (about Texas) as Nebraska.”
Those words are lip-smacking tasty to the Huskers’ new, Texas-sweetened recipe.
- Great performance by Petty Sunday night. Another great one here.......
- Genius.
- Another great use of Where the Streets Have No Names. Fast forward to 1:20.
- No Devin Harris means more jump shots, more standing around, no one attacking the rim, and allowing little rat spares like Rajon Rondo dominate you with 12 rebounds, including a late back breaking rebound and put back. And I now have another team I hate. My disdain for Boston sports grows by the day.
Dallas Mavericks blow it in Boston, 96-90
12:58 AM CST on Friday, February 1, 2008 By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News esefko@dallasnews.com
BOSTON – Missing vital pieces, but not a drop of passion, the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics showed how much fun two great sports teams from the Dallas area and New England can have together.
We'll never know if the Cowboys could have supplied this kind of drama and entertainment had they not fallen short of the Super Bowl and the New England Patriots.
But the Mavericks and Celtics delivered. In one of the season's best shows thus far, the Celtics scored the last six points for a 96-90 victory Thursday night at TD Banknorth Garden.
The Mavericks' winning streak ended at four, and the loss ensured Avery Johnson will not be coaching the Western Conference squad in his hometown of New Orleans at the All-Star Game on Feb. 17.
That honor was clinched by New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott with the Mavericks' loss.
But of the Mavericks' 14 losses this season (against 31 wins) this was one of their best efforts. They were missing Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse – and it showed at times, like a crucial turnover by Jason Terry in the final seconds.
The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett – who along with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce form the so-called Boston "Three Party."
So down the stretch, it was a gritty play by unheralded guard Rajon Rondo that would spring the Celtics.
Tied 90-90, the Mavericks stopped Boston, as Pierce, who had 26 points, missed a jumper. But as Dirk Nowitzki tried to clutch the rebound, the 6-1 Rondo was sneaking through the trees on the baseline.
"It was a well-fought game, and neither team gave the other team much," Nowitzki said. "I had the rebound in my hand when it was a tie game, and Rondo came out of nowhere. I didn't even see him, and he snuck it up to the basket before I could react."
That put the Celtics ahead for good. Nowitzki and Terry missed drives to the basket, the second of which led to James Posey's free throws with 10 seconds left. Terry, who would normally have been spotting up instead of handling the ball if Harris was healthy, threw a bad pass to Nowitzki to extinguish any last hope for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks pointed to a key officiating call with three minutes to go when Devean George was called for a blocking foul. Pierce hit both free throws to make it 90-88.
"It's dangerous taking that kind of chance at the end," George said. "More times than not, it's not going to go in your favor. I felt 100 percent positive like I was right in front of him."
The Mavericks had other problems, however. They were terrible from long range, yet they shot 22 3-pointers, making only four.
"Too many jump shots," Johnson said. "When we go 4-for-22 from 3, that's not a good night. We just weren't as persistent as we have been."
The Celtics' defense had something to do with that. They allow an NBA-low 88.2 points per game, and the Mavericks struggled to score, which is why they started settling for jumpers.
But both teams unleashed some defensive grit throughout the night. In the final five minutes, the score was tied 86-86, 88-88 and, finally, 90-90, when Nowitzki hit two free throws with 58.4 seconds left. Many failed possessions for both sides during that stretch were caused by sticky defense.
Nowitzki single-handedly kept the Mavericks close in the second half, when he scored 24 of his game-high 31 points.
But he had precious little help as Josh Howard had just two of his 19 points after halftime, and the Celtics got key contributions from Rondo, who picked off a game-best 12 rebounds.
- Lick a dong Laura Miller. Victory Park has come up with another great event.
About MystiQal
MystiQal is all about the true New Orleans Mardi Gras with a Quick twist in Victory Park. MystiQal will be a night parade with beads and baubles featuring pre- and post-parties along the parade route, live music and loads of fun activities with food and drink that celebrate everything that is Mardi Gras.
All activities will kick off at 5pm with the opening of the street festival, located on High Market between Victory and Houston Streets, in the heart of Victory Park. The Mardi Gras Run will begin at Houston Street and Continental. The Grand Parade will begin at 7:30pm, so pick your spot behind the barricades, anywhere along Victory and Houston Streets, and get ready to catch beads and baubles. Live entertainment on the stage and street festival activities will continue until 11pm.
We are not planning any children's activities as MystiQal will be an authentic Mardi Gras experience in Dallas on Saturday, February 2, 2008. Now is the time to book your babysitter and join us at MystiQal.
All content contained on this website is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice, so please check back for updates.
02.02.2008 Victory Park transforms into New Orleans during Mardi Gras- complete with a nighttime parade, outdoor cafes, street vendors and live music and entertainment. MystiQal will rival the most authentic Mardi Gras experience without ever leaving Dallas.
MystiQal, the first night parade in Dallas in over a decade, will feature beads and baubles, parties along the parade route, live music and loads of fun activities with the food and drink that celebrate Mardi Gras. So, start thinking Mardi Gras in Dallas…. MystiQal …? Yes! Thousands of people lining the streets, partying? Yes! Beads? Yes! Floats? Yes! Fun? Oh, heck yes!
In New Orleans?
- A dude you can really get behind. What a guy.
Family matters most to Dallas Cowboys' Jason Witten
09:59 PM CST on Thursday, January 31, 2008 By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News tarcher@dallasnews.com
SOUTHLAKE – As you walk into Jason Witten's home, you soak in the spoils of his fame and fortune as a four-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Cowboys.
There is an understated country feel to the home tucked away in a Southlake neighborhood. Beyond the pool, there is a pond where he can fish. Upstairs is a media room, complete with his jerseys from high school to college to the Cowboys and other autographed photos and helmets.
But look closely at the walls in the family room. Look at the pictures on the end table. Or in the kitchen. Around the media center. Above the fireplace.
They are all of Witten, his wife Michelle, and their 1-year-old son, C.J.
You can feel the warmth, the love, the devotion, the faith. One day not too long ago, Witten playfully tossed C.J. in the air, catching him with the softest hands as they exchanged the same wide smile.
"He's wanted to give his son the perfect family, whatever that is, that he never had," Michelle said. "He wants C.J. to have the things he felt like he never could have."
Today in Phoenix, Witten will be honored as one of the four finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
The other finalists are Miami's Jason Taylor, Pittsburgh's Hines Ward and Kansas City's Brian Waters, the Waxahachie native and former University of North Texas standout, whose 54 Foundation benefits underprivileged families in low-income areas in his hometown, Dallas and Kansas City.
The winner will be announced Sunday before New England plays the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
"If there's a guy the NFL could look at and say, 'We want every player to be like this,' then that's Walter Payton," Witten said. "He stood for everything the league is about. Not just on the field but off the field as well. I know what he did, and it encourages me to do more to be like Walter Payton."
Witten was named Cowboys Man of the Year for his off-the-field work. He is heavily involved in all of the team's charitable functions, such as the Salvation Army. He has been part of the "Take a Player to School," program since his rookie year.
The NFL asked Witten to be a part of its "Play 60" initiative that asks kids to exercise for at least 60 minutes a day to fight obesity. He also runs a football camp in Elizabethton, Tenn., his hometown, for more than 900 kids and hopes to start a camp locally this year.
But his passion is The Jason Witten SCORE Foundation, which supports families affected by domestic violence. SCORE stands for Support, Community, Overcome, Rebuild, Educate.
To understand why Witten gives so much of himself, you have to go to a place inside his soul, a place he does not talk about much.
Not yet a teenager, Witten was living outside Washington D.C. with his mother, Kim, father, Eddie, and older brothers Ryan and Shawn, when he witnessed the verbal and physical violence his father inflicted on the family.
"Those heartaches, those cries in your life that you go through, I thought that every kid goes through them," Witten said. "I knew I didn't have much, but I didn't know there was another side out there. I thought one present for Christmas was the way it is."
But at 11 years old, Witten's life changed. Witten, his mother and brothers left the father and moved to Elizabethton to live with their grandfather, Dave Rider. He was not only Witten's football coach at Elizabethton High School, but became the male influence Witten lacked.
"I learned quick to say, 'Yes sir. No sir. Yes ma'am. No ma'am,' " Witten said.
Witten learned about football, but he also saw his grandfather open the car door for his grandmother. When he skipped school once to get a haircut, his hands trembled when his grandfather met him at the school entrance and demanded his car keys. A month went by before he got them back.
When Witten was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2004, the first person he called was his grandfather, and he struggled getting the words out.
"He was a role model for how to treat other people, how to treat your wife," Michelle said. "It was a respect factor his grandfather put in him. It was how to love other people and do things the right way."
In December, the Wittens launched the foundation and the first event benefited 30 families from The Family Place, the largest family violence service provider in the Dallas area.
The stories, like the one of an 18-month-old who was given Kool-Aid and noodles to eat twice a day, made Witten shudder and wanting to help more.
"I remember those feelings and those times, and I see kids now, and I can't really relate my level to theirs," Witten said, "but I know what my feelings were and they'll be there the rest of my life."
Witten has intermittent contact with his father, but he holds no grudge. He wants his father to know C.J. and the couple's next son who is scheduled to arrive in April.
In fact, Witten wonders where he would be if not for what happened earlier in his life. To this day, it drives him on the field, and it drives him off the field with his foundation.
"Our first goal with the foundation was leaving a legacy," Witten said. "We all have an opportunity to make an impact while you're playing. I want to use that to set a standard for long after that. When I'm done playing football 10, 15 years down the road, the foundation is still impacting the youth."
JASON WITTEN NFL experience: Five seasons
College: Tennessee
On the field: Will play in his fourth straight Pro Bowl next week after catching a career-high 96 passes, most in team history by a tight end, for 1,145 yards. ... With 348 catches, he has the most in team history by a tight end and is seventh all time among Cowboys receivers ... He is one of eight tight ends in NFL history to have four straight 60-catch seasons. ... Missed only one game in his career because of a broken jaw but returned the next week. ... Third-round draft pick in 2003.
Off the field: Finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. ... Started the Jason Witten SCORE Foundation, which benefits families of domestic violence. ... Runs a football camp in Elizabethton, Tenn., for more than 900 kids. ... Has taken part in the NFL's Take a Player to School Program since his rookie year and is a spokesman for the league's Play 60 initiative ... Wife, Michelle, son, C.J. ... Expected to graduate from the University of Tennessee in May. ... For more information on his foundation visit jasonwitten82.com.
FINAL FOUR
The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for off-the-field contributions will be announced Sunday. The finalists: Player Team Jason Taylor Miami Hines Ward Pittsburgh Brian Waters Kansas City Jason Witten Dallas
- According to Razor, it was -40 last night in Edmonton. Stars continue a road trip that I want to go on one day. The 3 game Western Canada swing.
Cold medicine: Dallas Stars welcome Alberta trip
Forget cold weather; Dallas will feel heat against Oilers, Flames
01:20 AM CST on Friday, February 1, 2008 By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News mheika@dallasnews.com
EDMONTON, Alberta – So this is what it's like when heaven freezes over.
Well, it is if you're a hockey fan.
The Stars were greeted by temperatures of minus-18 as they flew into Edmonton on Thursday for a weekend series in Alberta. They play the Oilers tonight and the Flames in Calgary on Saturday.
To some, it was the perfect environment to enjoy the perfect sport.
"I personally think it's exactly how it should be," said Andy Moog, the Stars' player development coach and a former Oilers standout. "It's a hard winter sport, and it's a hard winter city. There's a reason hockey is so popular, because that's all there is to do when it's this cold."
The run through Alberta is one of the most popular on the Stars' schedule, because players get to immerse themselves in the culture of hockey. The sport is on television all the time, it leads the sports coverage in newspapers and on radio, and the players are the top celebrities in town, hawking everything from soup to doughnuts to tires.
"I grew up in it, so it's obviously home to me," said forward Stu Barnes, who was born and raised in Edmonton. "But after you leave for a while and come back, it really is something to see. It's everything to them."
Stars analyst Daryl Reaugh worked the broadcast of Tuesday's Oilers game against the Sharks on Versus. Also a former Oilers goalie, Reaugh said he was impressed with the fan support in temperatures that were reported as cold as minus-40 (F).
"That's as cold as I've ever been in my life, and it was just one of those nights when it would have been really easy to stay home and watch the game on television," Reaugh said. "But that just wouldn't work up here. The place was full, the crowd was wild, and they were ready for a great hockey game."
As much as it would seem this has been going on for 100 years, the Oilers-Flames rivalry is fairly new. The Oilers started as a World Hockey Association franchise and joined the NHL in 1979. The Flames moved from Atlanta in 1980.
"I think it's definitely one of the best rivalries in hockey, if not the best," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "For those first 10 years or so, there were some great battles there, with big, strong, fast hockey teams. I don't think you can really know the perspective of that until you've been in it."
The cities have distinctive personalities. It's a three-hour drive north from Calgary to Edmonton, across flat prairie land where the wind blows cold.
Much of the production work in the petroleum industry comes through Edmonton. Calgary has more scenic surroundings, with the Canadian Rockies in the distance, and houses management companies for many oil firms.
"The two cities have their own identities, and they argue about everything from provincial politics to the sports teams," Reaugh said. "So that sets up the rivalry pretty well."
There is no arguing the importance of hockey. The Oilers' fans pack 16,839-seat Rexall Place every game and create one of the noisiest environments in hockey.
Flames fans showed in 2004 they can be just as wild and crazy. During a run to the Stanley Cup Finals, a stretch of restaurants and bars known as "The Red Mile" hosted as many as 35,000 fans before, during and after games.
"I don't know how to compare it to the Cowboys, but I think that in some ways, it's even bigger and more intense," Moog said. "So much of the identity of the people is tied to hockey. It's just a huge part of life in all of Canada."
The Stars say that drives them to play better. Since Tippett has been coaching the Stars, they are 14-7-5 in games at Calgary and Edmonton.
"It goes both ways," Stars captain Brenden Morrow said. "The home team feeds off it, but we get a lot of energy from that type of atmosphere, too."
- The new staff starts the long road back to getting the walk on program back to normal. Another Makovicka will play at Nebraska. Check out Jeff, a freak who could block like a fullback, catch like a receiver, and run like an I-Back. Fast forward to 1:15.
Youngest Makovicka to walk on at NU
BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star Friday, Feb 01, 2008 - 12:34:59 am CST The Makovicka assembly line has produced one more.
Jordan Makovicka will keep up the tradition and become the fourth Makovicka brother to walk on to the Husker football program.
The list of walk-on commitments in Nebraska’s current recruiting class has now reached two dozen.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Makovicka. The East Butler senior had a baseball scholarship offer from Creighton on the table.
But Husker football is not an easy thing for a kid who grew up in Nebraska to just push away, whatever your last name.
The hiring of coach Bo Pelini went a long way in helping Makovicka decide.
“This past season it was always crossing my mind that maybe I didn’t want to give (football) up yet,” he said. “After Coach Pelini was hired, I was about 90 percent sure that’s what I wanted to do, and then last week after I was up there and met with the whole staff, that clinched my decision.”
Husker coaches want to start Makovicka out at I-back. He could also potentially be a safety. Makovicka said he’s not currently entertaining ideas of also trying to play baseball at NU.
His older brothers, Jeff and Joel, played fullback for Nebraska during the program’s glory years in the ’90s, competing in a hard-nosed manner that elevated them from walk-ons to scholarship players and household names across the state.
Joel was a two-year starter, finishing his career in 1998 third on the school’s career list for rushing yards (1,447) by a fullback. Jeff was a backup to Cory Schlesinger in 1994 when NU captured its first national crown of the decade, and was a starter in 1995 when the Huskers repeated.
Joel went on to play in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals from 1999-2002.
After Jeff and Joel, there’s Justin, who walked on in 2006 and redshirted. Justin will be a sophomore next season.
As good as the older Makovickas were, Joel said: “I think both of the younger ones were better than we ever were.”
Despite the history of the Makovicka name at NU, Jordan’s older brothers never put any pressure on him to play football.
More of the pressure came from fans, hoping to see another Makovicka playing for Nebraska.
“I’ve dealt with the pressure, the hype of playing behind them all of my life,” Jordan said. “I’ve learned to deal with it, almost to ignore it and just do what I can do on the field.”
Joel expects his brother will bring the same fire the rest of them did — with a “chip on his shoulder” to try to show he’s worthy of a scholarship.
Such was the motivating power of the Husker walk-on program when Jeff and Joel played. Joel senses it might be coming back.
“Jordan kind of grew up in a time when Nebraska was Nebraska,” Joel said. “Coach Osborne was there. You had guys like Coach (Frank) Solich, Coach (Ron) Brown. He grew up watching us with that type of atmosphere. Now, it seems like that’s what they’re getting back to and he wanted to be a part of it.”
- The Ticket press conference moments.
- Super Bowl
- Neutral field with 72 degree temperatures. Randy Moss finally being unleashed in the playoffs. Eli keeping it close against Brady? Doubt it. - Remember, New England scored at will in week 17. Moss went off. And NY only managed 1 sack. - The clock strikes midnight for NY.
- Would be the worst move made in the organization in a long time.
- For a rising Devin Harris, the nutsack of your team (Stackhouse), and the 1st athletic Dirk-backup you've ever had (Bass).......you get a 35 year old past his prime PG who can't shoot, will shorten your window to 2 years, and will cost you $21 mil and whatever else in luxury tax.
- No need to make this deal. Stand pat, get healthy, get bench players minutes so they're ready for the playoffs, get your rotation set, and roll with this team.
- San Antonio is struggling and getting older. Phoenix is a broken chemistry set who routinely gives up 110 points. And New Orleans is in no way as good as their record suggests. The West is there. This team has proven it can win the West, leave it alone.
Kidd trade doesn't add up for Dallas Mavericks
Talks have cooled for now, source says; Stack, Harris rumored in deal
11:36 PM CST on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News esefko@dallasnews.com
BOSTON – Officials from the Mavericks and New Jersey have been in contact, just like the Nets and just about every other NBA team have had conversations since it became public knowledge that Jason Kidd has requested a trade.
An NBA source said that, while the Mavericks and Nets have talked, none of the scenarios have been to the Mavs' liking.
As it stands, all trade talks involving the Mavericks are dead, although the source said it's possible things could rekindle quickly.
The hottest rumor Wednesday involved the Mavericks, Nets and Portland Trail Blazers and would have sent Devin Harris to the Blazers and Jerry Stackhouse and others to the Nets, along with several players from the Blazers going to the Nets.
Several aspects of that proposal, including a possible buyout of the remainder of Stackhouse's three-year $21 million contract he signed in the summer, would make that deal problematic, to say the least.
Several NBA executives said Wednesday that they expect this process to drag on, although the Nets apparently are working feverishly to make something happen quickly.
- ESPN.com
Obstacles in way of deal that sends Kidd back to Dallas
By Marc Stein ESPN.com
Updated: January 31, 2008, 10:25 AM ET
The growing feeling among league executives that the Dallas Mavericks are the most likely winners in the Jason Kidd trade sweepstakes is even stronger now.
Reason being: Within 24 hours of Kidd saying that it's time for him and the New Jersey Nets "all to move on" in separate directions, New Jersey and Dallas engaged in advanced trade discussions with Portland on a three-way deal that would land Kidd back with the team that drafted him in 1994.
Such a trade would involve at least a dozen players, cash sweeteners and future draft picks. In a breakdown of the most noteworthy principles, Portland would land Mavericks guard Devin Harris and possibly Mavs forward Brandon Bass, New Jersey would receive draft and financial considerations, Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse and a trio of young prospects from Portland (Travis Outlaw, Channing Frye and Jarrett Jack) while the Mavericks would score Kidd.
The talks were very active Tuesday, as reported Tuesday night on ESPN2's "NBA Coast to Coast" by ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. But dialogue between the three clubs had cooled Wednesday to the point that sources close to the situation described them as "pretty much dead."
But another source insisted that the deal still has life and noted that the "pretty much" disclaimer leaves open the possibility that the dialogue can be reheated to Tuesday's levels, especially since the league's Feb. 21 trading deadline is still three weeks away. And what most observers considered to be one of the biggest obstacles for New Jersey and Dallas to either moving or acquiring Kidd -- finding the third team they needed to broaden the deal -- might be less of an impediment than anticipated if Portland could be recruited so quickly.
Some reluctance from the Blazers, sources said, is one of the factors that has stalled the talks. In addition to the short-term concerns about the ankle injury that has sidelined Harris, Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard told The Oregonian newspaper last week that "we're not making any trades" to break up a roster of youngsters that rebounded from Greg Oden's season-ending injury to rank as the biggest surprise team so far in a league filled with surprise teams. Sources say Portland has been shopping Jack on his own, but parting with three or four players is something else, with guard Sergio Rodriguez also potentially involved. Outlaw's development, furthermore, is one of the stories of the Blazers' season.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, might also have some hesitation, even knowing that Kidd has made it clear behind the scenes that a return to Dallas and the opportunity to play alongside Dirk Nowitzki is his preferred outcome, ahead of a move to Cleveland to play with Team USA teammate and close friend LeBron James.
Sources say Dallas is resigned to the fact that it won't be able to reacquire Kidd -- 1994-95's co-Rookie of the Year with Grant Hill as a Mav but who left town in acrimonious circumstances less than two seasons later -- without parting with Harris, who's a fan and Mark Cuban favorite as well as a 24-year-old point guard having by far his best season.
The initial scenarios discussed by the teams, however, also would require Dallas to part with either Bass or center DeSagana Diop. Both are critical role players in the Mavericks' system. Bass ranks as the most effective backup Nowitzki has ever had and Diop operates as one half of the center tandem with Erick Dampier that has been successful against San Antonio and Tim Duncan.
The Mavs, if the deal goes through, would be undertaking the aggressive renovation that many critics have been calling for since they followed up a 67-win regular season with a first-round exit to Golden State last season. Although there would obviously be some risk giving Harris' job to a quarterback who will be 35 in March, Dallas is undoubtedly seduced by the idea of enhancing the scoring abilities of Nowitzki and Josh Howard. Kidd's arrival would likewise address Dallas' team IQ and mental toughness issues after back-to-back epic collapses in the playoffs, first to Miami in the 2006 NBA Finals and then to Golden State.
Yet another potential snag here is that the Nets naturally hope to come out of a Kidd deal with at least one young star. The closest thing to a young star in the scenarios discussed so far -- Harris -- would be going to Portland.
But Outlaw is on the rise, too. Outlaw and Frye, furthermore, are athletic prospects who come with salary cap-friendly contracts in addition to the two future first-round draft picks New Jersey would also likely receive. It's believed that the Nets would immediately buy out Stackhouse and release him if the proposed deal wound up going through.
Yet it seems safe to expect that a Kidd deal involving these three teams will likely happen quickly or fade to all the way dead sooner rather than later. New Jersey has been dealing with speculation about Kidd's future dating to last February's trade deadline, when Kidd was nearly dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers. "But Dallas and Portland," said one source, "won't want this [trade speculation] to linger because then it starts affecting their teams."
- Big one tonight. Leave it to Eddie Sefko to pull a Laura Miller-parade route column out of his ass.
Dallas Mavericks might be gazing into Finals crystal ball
Three-game trip vs. East's three beasts just may offer hint of June
01:26 AM CST on Thursday, January 31, 2008 By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News esefko@dallasnews.com
BOSTON – Jump forward, for a moment, to June. The Mavericks already are champions of the Western Conference and are preparing for the NBA Finals.
Hey, it's a hypothetical. Work with us here.
It's not a mortal lock, but there's a major chance that the team they will line up against is one they will see on the rest of this disjointed road trip. They visit Boston tonight, and the Celtics lead the Atlantic Division with the NBA's best record. After this, it's on to Detroit and Orlando, who lead the other Eastern Conference divisions.
Call this trip the NBA Finals test drive.
Washington or Cleveland or maybe even Toronto or Chicago could still shock everybody in the East. But the smart money says the division leaders are the favorites to represent the conference.
These are the heavyweights, and the Mavericks will get a great gauge on just how tough their future NBA Finals opponent will be.
Like we said, it's a hypothetical.
"It's great," coach Avery Johnson said. "They could be heavyweights, lightweights, middleweights, any weights. We just need to get back on the floor after two days off. It's good to get back, and it should be some exciting games.
"Going on the road is a tough test for us no matter who we're playing."
That much is true, although things have started to turn around. The Mavericks don't have to apologize for anything lately as they have won 12 of their last 14 games and are 5-2 on the road in that stretch.
They may not have completely fixed their road woes of earlier in the season. But they have improved. And Johnson hit on a crucial point after a lively practice Wednesday.
The Mavericks, he said, aren't the only team having problems on the road this season. Their 11-10 record away from home is indicative of how tough it is to win away from home. That links with other problems that have surfaced away from home.
"First of all, teams are playing better at home," Johnson said. "A lot of teams that have struggled at home in previous years, they've been playing pretty good at home.
"And for us, we tend to be more of a jump-shooting team on the road. I think our offense has just as much to do with our defense as our defense itself. We tend to be a little less aggressive.
"But we've played a little better recently, because we're much more aggressive, we attack the basket more and we defend the paint better, and that's what you've got to do on the road."
Boston coach Doc Rivers has turned back the clock to the Larry Bird '80s with the addition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Along with Paul Pierce, they have dominated the East. Unknown is whether Garnett or Allen will play tonight. Both missed the Celtics' easy win in Miami on Tuesday.
When whole, however, the Celtics are the team everybody is watching in the East, not that the Mavs are overly fixated on them.
"It's a great test," Dirk Nowitzki said. "That's all it is, a great regular-season road trip. There are some good teams out there. But I focus more on the Western Conference."
Added Jason Terry: "All these games are critical. We're all battling to position ourselves for home-court advantage. Each game is critical, whether it's an East or West team."
Nevertheless, it's hard to look at the Celtics and not be impressed.
"They jumped out pretty hard, set a great tone," Johnson said. "They've had a solid year. Doc's always been a terrific coach. He was a great coach in Orlando, and he was a great coach before Garnett and Allen got there. Now he has more talent to work with."
Mavericks (31-13) at Boston Celtics (35-8), 7 p.m. today (Ch. 21/TNT; ESPN-FM 103.3, KFLC-AM 1270 in Spanish)
SIZING THEM UP Staff writer Eddie Sefko evaluates the Mavericks' best advantages and biggest shortcoming against the three Eastern Conference divisional leaders they will see on this road trip.
Boston (tonight) Advantage: Solid matchups at each position vs. the Celtics' Big Three, including Kevin Garnett.
Shortcoming: Celts' D would snuff out Dirk. Anybody else stepping up?
Detroit (Sunday) Advantage: Nowitzki always comes up huge against them.
Shortcoming: In a long series, can any Mav stay with Chauncey Billups?
Orlando (Monday) Advantage: Mavs have the experience of having been to the Finals.
Shortcoming: Magic has Dwight Howard, the new beast of the East.
- Ranger's 2008 starting rotation preview.
Around the Horn: Starting rotation Pitching staff looks to rebound behind healthy Millwood
ARLINGTON -- Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood, a golfing fanatic, has a new hobby.
Kickboxing.
"I started out doing it for fun, but it's an unbelievable workout," Millwood said. "I really enjoy it."
The Rangers need him to do more than just enjoy his offseason workouts. They need him to get the most of those workouts, report to training camp in the best possible shape and assume the role of staff ace.
He wasn't in the best possible shape in 2007 and the results were obvious. Millwood, after winning a club-high 16 games in 2006, was 10-13 with a 5.16 ERA while missing most of May with a strained left hamstring.
"I just want to be in the best possible shape I can be so nobody can say that I wasn't in shape," Millwood said. "If I stink, then I stink, but I don't want people to say that I wasn't in shape."
Rangers manager Ron Washington said he has noticed a significant difference.
"He looks strong," Washington said. "He looks very strong. His demeanor is different. He has a look about him. He's working hard."
Conditioning and health is going to be huge all through the Rangers rotation this season, after the disaster that collectively befell that group in 2007. By every measure the 2007 was a horrible year for the Rangers starting staff, as they finished last in the American League in wins (42), innings (838) and ERA (5.50).
Injuries played a significant role in their problems as Millwood, Vicente Padilla and Brandon McCarthy all spent time on the disabled list because of injuries. Rookie left-hander Kason Gabbard, acquired from the Boston Red Sox on July 31, didn't go on the disabled list, but he was shut down at the end of the season because of a tired arm.
The Rangers only added to their health concerns this offseason by trading pitcher Edinson Volquez to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Josh Hamilton and then replacing him by signing free-agent pitcher Jason Jennings. A native of Dallas, Jennings is coming off right elbow surgery after going 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA with the Houston Astros.
"Health is going to be a big factor," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "I feel like a broken record, but if all those guys stay healthy, they have a chance to go deep in the game every night and give us a chance to win. So far, we've had positive reports on everybody."
The three veterans -- Millwood, Padilla and Jennings -- all struggled in 2007, but were solid in 2006. Millwood was 16-12 with a 4.62 ERA, Padilla was 15-10 with a 4.50 ERA and Jennings was 9-13, but had a 3.78 ERA in 212 innings for the Colorado Rockies in 2006.
That at least gives the Rangers some hope that their rotation could be significantly improved in 2007. McCarthy (5-10, 4.87) and Gabbard (6-1, 4.65) had their moments, but need to show they can put together a full season of 160-180 innings.
McCarthy had blister problems and a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade last season that limited him to 22 starts. Gabbard made 29 starts with a career-high 156 1/3 innings between the Red Sox, Rangers and Triple-A Pawtucket.
Both are healthy and should be ready at the beginning of Spring Training. McCarthy has added 15 pounds to his lanky body, with the idea of increasing much-needed endurance. Offseason workouts are much different than regular-season grind, however.
"I think we'll be a stronger club," Millwood said. "Our defense will be better, but we'll go only as far as our pitching takes us. That's no different than any other year. Our pitching can be better."
The rotation does appear set with Millwood, Padilla, Jennings, McCarthy and Gabbard. The Rangers insist there will be competition in Spring Training and health issues could change that scenario. Bullpen candidates Kameron Loe, Jason Davis, Robinson Tejeda and Jamey Wright all have started at the Major League level and the Rangers figure to take a look in Spring Training at two of their top prospects: right-handers Eric Hurley and Luis Mendoza.
Hurley was 11-9 with a 4.00 ERA in 28 games, including 27 starts, at Triple-A Oklahoma and Double-A Frisco in 2007, while Mendoza was 15-4 with a 3.93 ERA at Frisco.
The possibility exists that one or both of those guys could create some excitement in Spring Training and create the impression that the rotation is not quite as locked in place as it appears to be at the end of January.
Those two could also be part of another rarity: an all-prospect rotation at Oklahoma. The RedHawks rotation could consist not only of Hurley and Mendoza, but also A.J. Murray, Thomas Diamond, Matt Harrison and/or Doug Mathis.
Murray pitched in relief most of last year and appeared in 14 games for the Rangers. But the Rangers see him better suited to starting, and want him to build up arm strength and endurance as a starter at Oklahoma. Diamond needs to do the same after missing all of last year, because of Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery on his right arm.
Mathis was 11-7 with a 3.76 ERA in 22 starts at Frisco while Harrison was 5-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 20 starts for Double-A Mississippi before being one of five players acquired from the Atlanta Braves in the Mark Teixeira trade. A problem with turf toe and shoulder tightness kept him from pitching for the Rangers after the trade, but he was 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in the Arizona Fall League.
Beyond that upper tier of prospects come the "kids" that have the Rangers so excited: a deep list of young arms at the Class A and short-season levels that have everybody excited, but still need substantial development and experience before they get anywhere near Arlington.
The list includes Kasey Kiker (7-4, 2.90 in 2007), Omar Poveda (12-6, 3.22), Zach Phillips (11-7, 2.91), Michael Schlact (8-10, 5.62), Neftali Feliz (2-2, 2.55), Fabio Castillo (3-5, 5.92), Beau Jones (9-1, 4.01), Wilmer Font (2-3, 4.53) and Jacob Brigham (5-4, 3.16). There is also the four first-or-supplemental round picks from the June First-Year Player Draft: Blake Beavan, Michael Main, Tommy Hunter and Neil Ramirez.
It's one of the best groups of young arms the Rangers have ever assembled. But they are years away. The Rangers have enough arms at the big league level right now. What they desperately need is a group of healthy arms and not what they had last year.
- What a concept, recruit high school player, teach and develop player, and not treat player like a spare part to be plugged into some almighty system.
Mitch Sherman: Pelini won't rely on jucos
BY MITCH SHERMAN WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
LINCOLN — Amid the ugliness of the final months of the Bill Callahan era, this comment from the fired Nebraska coach slipped through the cracks: "We really didn't feel like we could bring a guy in at a young age and wait . . . to develop them."
Callahan said it at one of those tense Tuesday press conferences during the Huskers' historic five-game skid. He was defending his practice of recruiting junior college players by the bushel.
"You've got to win," he said. "You've got to win right away."
Callahan signed 29 juco players in four recruiting classes, including 11 in his touted 2005 group.
Somewhere along the way, he determined it more important to "win now" than to develop young talent.
You'll hear no such talk from Bo Pelini and his staff. Nebraska has barely sniffed the junior college ranks since Pelini was hired Dec. 2.
Yes, NU unsuccessfully tried to retain the oral commitments of three California junior college players. And yes, the Huskers signed tight end Tyson Hetzer out of Citrus (Calif.) College in December. They're also expected Wednesday to sign former Omaha Burke lineman Ricky Henry, who now attends the North Dakota State College of Science.
But Hetzer and Henry committed long before Pelini was hired.
Nine players, all high school seniors, have joined the Nebraska class during the past two months.
Jeff Jamrog, NU director of football operations, broke it down Wednesday like this: The Huskers focus first on recruiting Nebraska high schools, then canvass the area within a 500-mile radius of Lincoln. The next focus is national recruiting.
"And then, if we do go the junior college route," Jamrog said, "it's going to be for a specific need. It'll probably be a situation where we're counting on someone coming in right away to play. If it's all equal, we'll tend to probably go toward the high school player just because he has five years to play four."
Junior college players make up an important part of NU history. Think Mike Rozier. Jamrog referenced Demorrio Williams, too. There have been many others, but never in the numbers that Callahan brought.
"Different people subscribe to different ideas about junior college players," said Jeremy Crabtree, recruiting editor for rivals.com. "Some believe that it's a no-no. Some people, you should go heavy. Others think the junior college players can complement a class."
There's always a sense of urgency to win at Nebraska. That hasn't changed.
"This time, I think there's a sense of urgency not to try to find the quick fix," Crabtree said. "I think (Pelini) wants to win for a long time. It looks like they're in this for the long haul."
More planning to be walk-ons
Almost every day, there's word of another Nebraska high school senior who's planning to walk on next year in Lincoln.
Omaha Creighton Prep coach Tom Jaworski on Wednesday said twin defenders Colin McDermott, a linebacker, and defensive end Conor McDermott, have pledged to walk on next season at NU. They visited Lincoln last week with Prep's Matt Manninger and Omaha Bryan's Jeremy Wallace, both of whom are also on board.
"They feel like they'd be shortchanging themselves if they didn't give it a chance," Jaworski said.
If you don't know someone involved in this resurgence of the NU walk-on program, well, you're just not getting out enough. The class of committed walk-ons is up to 23 and may grow by a few more.
The interest has surprised even Jamrog, a former Nebraska walk-on turned starting outside linebacker and assistant coach.
"What we found out is that the percentage we've targeted has been extremely high," he said.
Jamrog is the chief organizer of the walk-on bonanza.
He compiled an impressive list of 28 former Nebraska walk-ons who graduated to the NFL. The collection includes Jimmy Williams, Joel Makovicka, Adam Treu, Jared Tomich and John Parrella, who together played 43 professional seasons.
Not exactly the same recruiting pitch you'll get from the University of Nebraska at Omaha or Northwest Missouri State.
"We really don't want to turn down anyone who comes highly recommended, looks good on film and has been offered some kind of scholarship somewhere else," Jamrog said.
As for the numbers, Jamrog said, the Huskers will "err on the high end this year."
The recruited walk-ons sign a nonbinding agreement with the Huskers.
Only those walk-ons who have been admitted to school at Nebraska and taken other steps toward enrollment will be announced with the NU signing class next week. Jamrog said he expects that to include about half of the walk-on group.
