Whitt's End: 2.8.13
Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:
*Ballsy – if not real brainy – of the Mavs to commit to not shaving until they reach .500. But at 21-28, I fear Dirk Nowitzki might look more ZZ Top than NBA by April. Seriously, there is real chance the Mavs don't get back to level this season. Yikes. Imagine the embarrassment of players in pre-game intros dragging a 37-42 record and foot-long facial hair.
*Tony Romo consistently appears on "Most Hated Athlete" lists alongside liars, cheaters, philanderers and frauds like Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Michael Vick. His crime? Um, I dunno. I believe the national perspective is that Romo is a celebrity sans success. If I'm him, for just once, this off-season I put out a press release that reads: "While I'm honored and flattered by the numerous invitations to golf tournaments and public appearances, this off-season I'm 100 percent focused on football. See you guys at OTAs in March." Do I think not playing golf will help Romo on the football field? Absolutely not. Do I think skipping an off-season in the limelight will help Romo's image? Definitely.
*Rick Carlisle wins his 500th game as an NBA coach Wednesday and it gets me to thinking, "Where does he rank in a list of DFW coaches?" My top 10 of any time, any sport, any level local coaches: 10. Johnny Oates; 9. Dick Motta; 8. Robert Hughes; 7. Ken Hitchcock; 6. Don Nelson; 5. Ron Washington; 4. G.A. Moore; 3. Rick Carlisle; 2. Jimmy Johnson; 1. Tom Landry.
*Raised a devout Southern Baptist, I believe the Bible is a great handbook toward living a righteous life. But some of the details are, let's say, a tad sketchy. The least believable: Methuselah was the oldest man ever, at the ripe old age of 969. Come on.
*Dallas is overflowing with great steak houses. And last night Sybil and I enjoyed one of them: Ruth's Chris. Horrible name. Fantastic piece of meat.
*In the final analysis of how close the Cowboys are to the Ravens I've come to this conclusion: There are 4 Cowboys who could win jobs for the Super Bowl champs. Dez Bryant (No. 2 receiver); Jason Witten (tight end); Sean Lee (right inside linebacker); Anthony Spencer (outside linebacker).
*Remember way back when the NBA's Slam Dunk contest was cool? Or at least watchable? This year the entrants are: Kenneth Faried (Nuggets), Terrence Ross (Raptors), Eric Bledsoe (Clippers), Gerald Green (Pacers), Jeremy Evans (Jazz) and James White (Knicks). White has dunked twice this season. Twice.
*HOT
*NOT
*With over 100 Navy SEALs attending Chris Kyle's memorial service Monday at Cowboys Stadium, I genuinely fear for violence if the protestors from Westboro Baptist Church show up and giggle.
*There's a blizzard in the northeast? Sorry, it's 70 and sunny in Dallas today.
*We get all amped about National Signing Day and its can't-miss, 5-star recruits, but let's not forget that RG3 was ranked as the 42nd-best player in Texas in '08 and that Johnny Manziel was the 22nd-ranked quarterback in '11.
*College basketball's No. 1-ranked team has lost for 5 consecutive weeks. In other words, bring on March Madness.
*Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski has been offered $3.75 million to star in a porn with 21-year-old hottie Bibi Jones. Considering Ron Jeremy made $5.5 million for almost 2,000 films, this is a no-brainer. Paid, to have protected sex with a porn star. Must be a catch. Admit it, most guys would pay for that opportunity, to be paid for it is an easy decision.
*LeBron James said he'd skip a Miami Heat game in order to watch the Cowboys play in a Super Bowl. I hate him a little less today. I also, however, don't believe he could get away with that.
*Of the 56 major TV markets watching Super Bowl 47, Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 42. In other words, if it ain't the Cowboys we ain't real interested.
*If Rob Ryan becomes the Saints' defensive coordinator, beware him trying to take Anthony Spencer to New Orleans. Ryan brought former players Abe Elam and Kenyon Coleman with him to Dallas, and why wouldn't he try to land the best 3-4 outside linebacker on the market to start his new defense in New Orleans?
*The Ravens became the 9th straight NFL team to win the Super Bowl without having the best regular-season record. In all the four major sports since 1966, only 40 percent of the time does the regular-season's best team wind up winning the post-season trophy. Hot and healthy for six weeks trumps consistency over six months.
*Sorry, but Charles Haley doesn't belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 100 sacks and 5 Super Bowls notwithstanding, he was All-Pro only twice and never made an All-Decade team and was never NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
*This weekend? Saturday afternoon 12-2 I'll be at Vandergriff Honda in Arlington. Saturday night – for the first time, I'm ashamed to admit – I'll take in a UTA hoops game at the new College Park Center. Sunday, we Sabbath while trying to remember what to do on a weekend without football for the first time since August. Don't be a stranger.
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