Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:
*Bengie Molina. Cliff Lee. Jorge Cantu. Considering transactions like these this month, the Texas Rangers should be in bankruptcy every year.
*If you remember the NFL back when it was a violent, emotional, team game of tackle football, you'll love these photos. Set your hot tub time machine to 1975 and dig in.
*I think it's a riot that Troy Aikman flat out lied to TMZ this week, fake confirming he was going to appear on next season's Dancing With The Stars. While TMZ was plastering its "breaking news", Aikman later giggled that of course he was kidding. Serves those bastards right.
*Done lots of "research" lately and I've come to the conclusion that fake > real. The owners of said fake usually desire our attention, as where the owners of said real often despise it.
*Mark Cuban told me this week -- via email, of course -- that while his lawyers pore over the Rangers' financial records he's on family vacation. Isn't his whole life a vacation? Wonder where he goes when he wants to get away from it all? He ain't saying.
*Hot.
*Not.
*If -- so far, so good -- Doug Free can handle left tackle and David Buehler can make some clutch field goals, the Cowboys just might play a game Feb. 6 in Cowboys Stadium after all.
*Mark Aug. 10 on your calendars. Cowboys' free practice at Cowboys Stadium at 5:30, followed by Rangers-Yankees just down the street. Dee-lish.
*Daryl Johnston will again be an analyst on Fox NFL Sundays, but he's also been hired as a weeknight analyst on NFL Network. Good for him. One of the greatest guys I've ever come across in sports.
*In my book, one of the most underrated bands of all time is this one.
*Jorge Cantu may not be the final piece to the Rangers' puzzle. But when you also get $700,000 in return and only have to part with AA pitching prospects Omar Poveda and Evan Reed it's totally worth the low risk.
*The UIL says there were no positive steroid tests among 3,308 student-athletes tested last spring. Either steroid use is on the steep decline, or else players are a step ahead of the system. Either way, seems naive to think "well, that's cured" and drop funding for testing from $3 million to $750,000.
*Our buddy Richard "Big Dick" Hunter has a new gig as a stand-up comedian (wonder why you can't be a sit-down comedian?). Hunter will open this weekend for Hal Sparks at the Arlington Improv. Sparks used to host E!'s Talk Soup, back when it was funny. Hunter always has a thought-provoked (i.e. twisted) view on our world, and I guarantee he'll make you laugh as much as he'll make you think.
*With Taylor Teagarden being called up while Matt Treanor is on the mend, how far has Jarrod Saltalamacchia fallen? In April he was the Rangers' starting catcher and had the game-winning hit on Opening Day. In July he was skipped over for a dude who was 1-of-27 at the plate with Texas this season.
*Never seen MTV's Jersey Shore, but I hear there is actually a guy on there that likes to be called "The Situation." Shoot me now. Worst nickname since "Crawl Space."
*Nothing official just yet, but don't be surprised if the Cowboys pre-game show on 105.3 The Fan this season includes veteran Wally Lynn, a dork named Richie Whitt and a player or coach to be named later very soon. Lynn will also handle halftime duties and my old pal Greg Williams will be of the voice on the post-game show. Developing.
*This weekend? Headed to San Antonio. I'll be blogging and yapping on The Fan all next week from Dallas Cowboys training camp. If you see me on the River Walk, don't be a stranger.
