The Stars re-signed Jussi Jokinen, the Rangers committed to Ron Washington through 2009, and the Mavs still haven’t added anything except this spare part. I know, you don’t give a da-yum. Honestly, me neither. ‘Cuz tomorrow the calendar changes to September, and the season changes to football!
The Cowboys slept-walked through their pre-season finale last night in Minnesota, playing only six of their projected 22 starters in a 23-14 loss to the Vikings. The highlights? Matt Moore likely sealed up the No. 3 quarterback job, and rookie kick Nick Folk made his both his extra points and booted his three kickoffs to the 7, 8 and 5-yard lines to, I suspect, win the job from veteran Martin Gramatica. With the roster seemingly set, don’t expect a ton of surprises Saturday when Dallas cuts to its final 53.
As for this weekend, the Todd Dodge Era officially begins for North Texas when the Mean Green visit powerhouse OU Saturday night at 7. Dodge has the style, but not the substance. Not yet anyway. Not until next season, when his son, Riley, starts slinging it around Denton. Honestly, last year’s Southlake Carroll team would have a better chance of covering the 40-point spread.
And then there’s Labor Day, which is D-Day for SMU. Yes, already. With AD Steve Orsini expecting a bowl and hot-seat coach Phil Bennett predicting a bowl, the Mustangs had best win their home games, even against a Big 12 bully like Texas Tech at 3 p.m. (ESPN) at Ford Stadium. It’s SMU’s first home game of the season. And also its biggest. --Richie Whitt
