College Basketball

Larry Brown Just Can't Stop

The remaking of SMU basketball with the game's most persistent coach.

Larry Brown Had to Beg SMU to Hire Him

When SMU announced in April that it had hired Larry Brown, the only man to have coached teams to both the NCAA and NBA championships, to lead the Mustangs, a lot of head-scratching ensued. It was hard to fathom why SMU would put its basketball program in the hands of a 72-year-old known for changin ... More >>

GIVE UP PUNS FOR LIN-T

Margolin: Horse Park Proposal Not What Voters Agreed To. Allen: But It'll Be "World Class."

​The council's Economic Development Committee kicked off its morning meeting by taking up the Texas Horse Park, which came up $14 million short in private funds but remains high on the city's to-do list. Hence, as we've noted in recent days, Park and Rec and the city manager's hope that the counci ... More >>

Best of Dallas 2011: Sports (Director's Cut and Deleted Scenes)

​Some are good. Some are getting better. But only a select few are the best. When it comes to our annual Best of Dallas issue I've made it easy this year. For those of you too cheap to "buy" a paper that's absolutely free, just sit back in your boxers and click, click, click away. ... More >>

Whitt's End: 9.16.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Every once in a while I take Michael Young for granted. I think of him as a step-slow, reaction-reduced fielder. Then I go to Rangers Ballpark, watch him rip a bases-loaded double down ... More >>

College Football Uniforms Are Outta Control: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​ 10. We've sorta become desensitized to Oregon's smorgasboard of uniforms with different helmets featuring gray, green, yellow and white and neon-green outlined numbers. Blame Phil Knight and Nike for those. But what about the rest of ya? The opening weekend of college football delivered some gr ... More >>

The 50 Most Powerful Peeps in DFW Sports: Take 7

​Power is subjective. But when you see it -- when you sense it's immense influence -- you just know it. Each summer, as I construct my list of the 50 Most Powerful People in Metroplex Sports, the criteria gets a triple-digit tweaking. This year I deemed the allure of power  ... More >>

Why We Love Sports in America: 2011

​Since I'm out on vacation next week let me get to this Fourth of July tradition a little early: Happy Birthday, America. Our country turns the ripe old age of 235 on Monday. Between burgers and beers and bikinis, I'll make time this weekend remembering how friggin' fortunate we are to have a ... More >>

Our Next American Sports Idol is ...

​Beats me. Monday I watched both Williams sisters lose at Wimbledon, a week after Andy Roddick bowed out. It leaves as the only American quarterfinalist gentlemen's 10th seed Mardy Fish, a 29-year-old doubles specialist who will hardly threatening Rafael Nadal's throne. We heard a b ... More >>

March Badness

​I'll admit it, my NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket sucks. Got off to a horrid start with Louisville losing to Morehead State and got progressively worse as the weekend wore on. The Sour 16 carnage: I've lost three of my Final Four teams including my projected champion Pittsburg ... More >>

SMU Men's Basketball Program Slapped With Two Years Probation For Text Messages

SMU​Sure, it's not the death penalty, but the NCAA just released a statement saying it has accepted self-imposed sanctions by Southern Methodist University on its basketball program. SMU's recommendations included two years probation (March 10, 2011, through March 9, 2013), a reduction of 15 recru ... More >>

FC Dallas is the latest proof that the metroplex can host everything without winning anything.

Whitt's End: 9.24.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Times like these make me regret that I stopped referring to Wade Phillips as "Stumbledoofus." After missing two crucial field goals in two weeks, David Buehler should be on a short leash and a l ... More >>

SMU Guard Gets Drafted By a Team That I Didn't Know Needed a Draft

​I saw the Harlem Globetrotters not long ago but I'll admit, I had no idea they had a "draft." You? The world's most famous basketball team yesterday drafted the "Club Trillion" founder, a college slam dunk champion, a husband-wife couple and - lookie here - a dude from SMU. That's right, SMU ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.11.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *The Southwest Conference lived to be 80. The Big 12 won't see its 17th birthday. Favorite part of the squabble is Texas A&M threatening to go to the Southeastern Conference without Texas. Yeah ... More >>

Let's Put an End to the Madness, Shall We?

​Long after Tiger Woods stops talking and the Texas Rangers have finished beating the Toronto Blue Jays, March Madness will finally end tonight at 8 when Butler plays Duke for the National Championship. (Smells like a Duke blowout to me.) Show of hands: Whose bracket has Butler in the final g ... More >>

March Sadness: How'd Your Bracket Get Busted?

​Cornell in the Sweet 16? Called it. St. Mary's upsetting Richmond and Villanova? So nailed it. Um, and then there's the rest of my NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket. I lost two of my Final Four over the weekend, but have nine of the Sweet 16 in play and my winner (Kentucky) is still alive. ... More >>

NCAA Basketball Tournament: Let the Madness Commence!

Substitute me for Dickie V, and you're looking at my next three weeks.​It was pitch dark this morning when I woke up. Must be Spring. Spent an hour this morning sweating over a bracket. Must be March. If you want to come have a beer and talk hoops and maybe punch me in the face, I'll b ... More >>

If SMU Has Grown Tired of Matt Doherty, I Got a Name For You

​Make it 17 years and counting that SMU won't be invited to March Madness. With head coach Matt Doherty's rebuilding program on a pace that's as slow as refrigerated honey - or is it simply a treadmill? - is it time for a change? SMU's latest losing season was buried last night in a disappoin ... More >>

Whitt's End: 10.09.09

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Ho hum, The Ticket's dynasty rolls on as one of the most dominant entities in sports. In September's Arbitron PPM ratings - I hear, by the way, that only 1,400 meters are used to garner these numb ... More >>

The Top 10 Sportiest American Holidays

Had a buddy yesterday gloat to me that Memorial Day Sunday is "one of the greatest sporting days of the year!" To which I replied, "Huh?" I remember a time when the Indianapolis 500 was must-see TV along with the Harlem Globetrotters, heavyweight boxing matches, Oklahoma-Nebraska foot ... More >>

Dave Bliss Still Alive. Praise Jesus?

Thanks to the tip from loyal Sportatorium reader, Luca: If you're not busy Sunday morning and you always wanted to barf on a pew, head down to Ovilla's First Baptist Church. Now appearing at the pulpit: David Bliss. Yep, that one. Actually, the church's website boasts a speaking ... More >>

Whitt's End: 5.8.09

Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Looks like The Ticket's parent company - Cumulus Media - is asking forcing employees to take five unpaid days off before June 30. Ouch. Maybe not a big deal to on-air talent with six-figure ... More >>

The 10 Worst Sports Celebrations in the History of Sports

Bad, but nowhere near the worst.Dear LeBron James, Just ask, and I'm sure Dancing With The Stars will have you on their ridiculously cheesy show next season. I'm sure millions of potato-chip snackin' housewives would be fixated on your every silly, pre-fabricated step. But as a bask ... More >>

Despite Its Big-Time Coach, SMU Basketball Remains Small-Time

March Madness Cheat Sheet

Tomorrow and Friday are two of the best sports days of the year. 32 college basketball games over 36 hours, tipping off Thursday at 11:30 a.m. with BYU-Texas A&M. And when it's done, you can use your office pool brackets at toilet paper. Unless, that is, I let you peek at my picks. You can sig ... More >>

This Just In: Dallas Moving to Arlington.

Hoops Du Jour, With a Side of Pigskin

Thursday Afternoon Sports Smörgåsbord

Ambassador Class

Marques Haynes should be wealthy and celebrated. He was always content just to be the best.

The Fab Fifty

Or, half a hundred folks with way better seats than you

American Eagle

March Madness ain't nothing compared to Ambush Alley

Mustang Mania?

Black Good Friday

Clean Up, Aisle Two!

Who Is That Guy?

He plays golf with George Clooney. He clowns around with Chris Tucker. He's best buddies with Peri Gilpin. He's a pasty white dude named Steve Stodghill.

Close Shave

Spring Senility

Bet on Black

Glory Road relives the season college hoops smashed the color barrier

Best Local NBA Hopeful (Who Actually Has a Shot)

LaMarcus Aldridge

Favorite Mistake

Other teams screwed up by not taking Josh Howard, which helps the Mavs

The Kids Are All Right

Two locals try to help restore junior American basketball to prominence

The Back Page

I would tell you about the Big 12 tourney, but my stomach hurts

Leonard Bishop

Lincoln High

No man's land

When you're out of options, look no further than the USBL

Not as dome as you think

Dallas attorney Darrell Jordan wants to cover the Cotton Bowl--anyone got $150 million to spare?

Stealing home

Tom Hicks bought a baseball team, but he'll own an empire

Jurist imprudence

The search for a new federal judge reaches the lowest common denominator

Fast Times at UTA

Ryan Amacher says he's leading the University of Texas at Arlington into a glorious future. But his critics fear his passion for pomp and party will run it into the ground.