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Major League Baseball's Screwball Economics

As another season begins, MLB faces an unsustainable future -- and you’re picking up the tab.

The Six Best Concerts In Dallas This Week, February 25-28

Tame Impala Wednesday, February 27, at Granada Theater, $22/$24 There is no edge to the earth, but if there were, Perth, Australia, would probably be in spitting distance of it. So it's unexpected for a band to overcome such geographic remoteness to find a place on the world stage. Tame Impala have ... More >>

Eight Music-Themed Gifts You Never Knew You Needed

Ah, the holidays, that time when you frantically try to figure out what exactly to give whoever you got stuck with in the secret Santa drawing. Maybe you got lucky and selected a music fan; maybe you think you want to give that music fan something that's not just the latest Pitchfork-blessed album, ... More >>

The Dunk Tank

If Delonte West's Twitter Rant Doesn't Bring Deron Williams to the Mavs, Nothing Will

So the Mavs have a very legitimate shot at landing the NBA's top free agent, current New Jersey Net Deron Williams. This is his hometown. His mother lives here. The entire city would go apeshit if he took his talents to Victory Park. That hasn't yet definitively tipped the scales in our favor, what ... More >>

Santigold Finds a Balance With Her New Album

A Night of Linsanity in Dallas

It was about four seconds after I arrived at the American Airlines Center last night that I saw my first Jeremy Lin jersey, on an Asian reporter in the media parking lot. A journalistic sin, sure, but one you've gotta let slide on Jeremy Lin Appreciation Night. Mavericks games on any other night ar ... More >>

At Fred's Downtown Philly, an Italian Hoagie Even a Cowboys Fan Should Consider

Each week, Justin Bitner goes hunting for DFW's most interesting sandwiches. Have a sandwich suggestion? Leave it in the comments and he'll check it out. Shop: Fred's Downtown Philly The Sandwich: Italian Hoagie ($7.25) Bread: Amoroso's Hoagie, shipped right in from the City of Bro Love Toppings: ... More >>

Defending Champion Mavericks are Now Must-See TV

​The champagne isn't quite dry and the NBA lockout is just getting started, but how good does it sound to be already talking about the defending champion Mavericks? Once a soft, underachieving team that nobody outside the Metroplex gave a dang about watching, the Mavs are now natio ... 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 >>

Video Explosion: Centro-matic, Selena Gomez, Virgin Wolves and Four Others Release Clips

One small step for local music. One giant leap for local music videos.​Can't really pin down a specific reason for this, but there sure have been a lot of local music video releases in the past few weeks. Good ones, too, and featuring bands that run the entire local gamut. There's a new Centro-mat ... More >>

The Best Team in Mavericks' History: '88 vs. '11

​While contemplating defensive coordinator Dwane Casey's departure to be the Toronto Raptors' head coach and whom they should take with the 26th pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, a couple more Mavs-related items buzzed through my brain this week. 1. Who from the championship team s ... More >>

Dirk's Legacy: The All-Time Top 7 NBA Power Forwards

​10 All-Star Appearances. 1 NBA MVP. 1 Ring. 1 NBA Finals MVP. 4-time All-NBA First Team 3-Point Shootout Champion Soft. Clutch. With Sunday's victory over the Miami Heat Dirk Nowitzki filled in the final void of his Hall of Fame resume. Only things potentially left that would improve his leg ... More >>

New to Town? Some Tips to Avoiding a Bad Restaurant.

Warning sign: A waiter at a good restaurant would have tucked this shirt in.​We've all been there, done that. Come to a new town on business, pleasure, or for a change of venue, and wondering where to go to get good food. Some people seem to equate "good food" with "pricey", which isn't always ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.10.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *In 31 years of basketball, the Dallas Mavericks have won a combined (regular season and playoffs) 1,349 games. One more in Miami either Sunday or Tuesday and they are NBA Champions. *Histor ... More >>

Mavericks Getting a Teeny Tiny Bit of Help for Stretch Run with Corey Brewer

Corey Brewer​Don't get too giddy if and when the Dallas Mavericks sign free-agent forward Corey Brewer today. Decent player at both ends of the court, but it's basically one more attempt to fill in the gaps left by the absence of Caron Butler. Maybe with the additions of Peja Stojakov ... More >>

In Light of Bissinger vs. Cuban, I Present the NBA's All-White Team

​Buzz Bissinger is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. His Friday Night Lights captured high-school football in Texas, spawned a network TV series and afforded him writing immortality. Buzz Bissinger is also an idiot. At least when it comes to the NBA. His "White Men Can't Root" column for ... More >>

Mavs Rally Past Raptors. Again.

Yesterday I flipped on the Mavericks and they trailed the lowly Toronto Raptors - playing without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani - and they trailed 22-3. 22-3! I couldn't believe it. I was worried. I was ... soothed when I realized it was the Raptors. By the third quarter the Mavs l ... More >>

A Tale of Two Trades: How the Mavs and Stars are Affected by 'Melo and Neal

​The Dallas Mavericks got better today. The Dallas Stars? Hmm. With the trading of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the New York Knicks, you can cross the Denver Nuggets off the list of NBA Western Conference powers in this spring's playoffs. Raymond Felton is a decent point guard and ... More >>

Dirk Nowitzki Interrupts Super Bowl Week to Remind Us That He's a Legit MVP Candidate

​I know it's all about Super Bowl XLV around here this week. I can tell by the way my eyes are drooping and feet are dragging. But while we were partying and footballing last night, the Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki did it again. He reminded us how damn good he is. In Dallas' 113-97 win over the Knicks ... More >>

Whitt's End: 1.21.11

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *So the Dallas Cowboys hire loquacious, bombastic, entertaining new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan not with a press conference but only a press release? That's like hiring Ricky Gervais to emcee th ... More >>

In the Wake of Losing Caron Butler, the Dallas Mavericks Land ...

​Carmelo Anthony Sasha Pavlovic. The former first-round draft pick of the Utah Jazz is far from the answer for the reeling Dallas Mavericks. He'll likely just get a shot via a 10-day contract after the team last week cut role player Steve Novak. Word today is that if the New Jersey Nets ... More >>

Ten Items Worth a Look-See: Mavs, Stars, Cowboys, Rangers and Fox News Pundit Says Michael Vick "Should Have Been Executed"

The fans gave him a break, and even President Obama applauded Vick's return to the NFL. Tucker Carlson of Fox News? Not so much.​10. Mark Teixeira says teammate Andy Pettitte's "probably leaning toward retirement," which is good news for the Texas Rangers and everyone else aiming to win the AL pen ... More >>

Think I'm Nuts For Calling Mavs the NBA's Best? I've Got Your Power Rankings Right Here.

​After the Dallas Mavericks disposed of the Miami Heat for the second time last week, I boldly said they were the NBA's best team at the time. My opinion stood firm as they overcame 26 points and 23 rebounds from Dwight Howard to beat the Orlando Magic before taking a five-day break. One of the c ... More >>

Beat the Raptors Into Extinction

After Big Win in Miami, Mavs Look Like the Best Team Out There. Yup, I Just Said That.

Sam Merten​The Mavericks are calling themselves streak busters after ending the Heat's 12-game winning streak in Miami, but they should be calling themselves the best team in the NBA at this point in the season. After all, it was Mark Cuban who dubbed the Heat as the league's best team a few ... More >>

Hey, the Dallas Mavericks are Finally Winners!

​Where were you on October  11, 1980? I was inside Reunion Arena, watching the Dallas Mavericks and guys like Winford Boynes and Tom LaGarde somehow beat George Gervin and the San Antonio Spurs, 103-92, in their inaugural game as an NBA franchise. At 1-0 - at least for a night - th ... More >>

Avery Johnson Returns: To Boo or Not to Boo?

​He led the Dallas Mavericks to their 30-year apex. He Instilled defense and discipline into a franchise that had forever languished with an offensive philosophy. He orchestrated the best regular-season in team history. He was the NBA's Coach of the Year. And he took  ... More >>

Don't Look Now, But Your Dallas Mavericks Have a Decent Center

Danny Bollinger​Can't remember the last time Erick Dampier had 12 points on perfect shooting and 13 rebounds in a win over an elite opponent. I'm sure it happened, but not nearly enough. That's why, in part, Dampier was traded in the off-season for Tyson Chandler. The positive effects for t ... More >>

First, He Was Tron. Then, The Big Lebowski. Now, Dirk Nowitzki's Navin R. Johnson.

Back in April we ran that Dirk Nowitzki film festival alluded to in the headline. Cute stuff, especially Dirk as The Dude. Tonight at the AAC, when Your Dallas Mavericks take on the Shaq-less Boston Celtics, debuts another addition to the filmography starring Dirk as Steve Martin as The Jerk. Sneak ... More >>

Lebron James Eats for Free: Five Food Bribes That Might Work

Wanna bribe us? Keep the food. Try this instead.​A recent University of Texas at Dallas release that was ostensibly about T-shirts raises an interesting food issue: Explaining why he'd decided to display 300 commemorative T-shirts in a university building, Dean J. Michael Coleman said, "Free ... More >>

Why We Love Sports in America

​Happy Birthday, America.   Like tonight's July 5th fireworks show in Dallas, it's better late than never. Right?   Our country turned the ripe old age of 234 on Sunday. Between burgers and beers and bikinis, I tried to spend some time remembering how friggin' fortunate we are to ha ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.18.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Watching Thursday night's NBA Finals Game 7, it struck me just how far your Dallas Mavericks are from a championship. Lakers 83, Celtics 79 was a rugged, violent scrum on every possession. I' ... More >>

Keeping the Faith: Lakers in 7

​The Boston Celtics have the lead. But the Los Angeles Lakers have the advantage. Right? Boston needs just win one - tonight in Game 6 or in a Game 7 Thursday night - to clinch its record 18th NBA Championship. They won't get it. As I said before the series, Lakers in 7. How's that you a ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.4.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Thing that jumped out at me about Thursday night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals was how physical it was. The scrapping for loose balls. The intensity of picks. Just running through the lane witho ... More >>

Lakers Over Celtics: My Top 10 Observations

​10. With a combined 32 championships, isn't this the all-time greatest rivalry in sports? Thought so.  9. Kobe Bryant may be one of the greatest players of all time, but don't be shocked if Boston point guard Rajon Rondo is the best player on the court. 8. The Dallas Mavericks ... More >>

The Top 5 Uniforms in the History of Your Texas Rangers

​The Texas Rangers broke a four-game losing streak last night with a 9-6 walloping of the Chicago White Sox. But they didn't look good doing it. I know those white beanies atop their head were special Memorial Day caps, but in a word ... Godawful. The Colonial the other day had a pink out. Ba ... More >>

C'mon, LeBron, Put A Mavericks Jersey On...

LeBron holds the fate of the NBA in his hands this offseason...​Because we know you come to DC9 for all your sports-watching needs, let us chime in for a moment on the upcoming NBA offseason, which the Mavs are already fully entrenched in--and, hey, so too is LeBron James, courtesy of the Boston C ... More >>

Loveable Losers or Successfully Consistent?

​Dirk did it. Again. As he's done for the last decade around here, Dirk Nowitzki snapped out of ugly shooting night just in time to lift the Dallas Mavericks to an improbable, pulsating victory. This time - mired in a 3-for-16 night - he hit two 3-pointers late in regulation and and then ... More >>

Day "Off": My Top 10 Observations

​10. Decided to take a day off today. At least from 105.3 The Fan. I'm working on a cover story for next week's Dallas Observer, plus I've contracted some ornery strand of the common cold that has me so congested that diced jalapenos taste like nothing but texture.  Seeing that I spent ... More >>

Whitt's End: 3.12.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *I said upon hearing the Josh Howard-for-Caron Butler trade during the NBA All-Star break that the Dallas Mavericks were not only re-shaping their roster but re-booting their playoff prospects. I h ... More >>

Shake Your (Broken) Hips

Motown Matchup

Resolute Hoops

Burned and Bearded

$2 Draft

Drink your Mavs sorrows away with The Ticket

Net Gain

Kidd and Co. take it to the Nets

Sweet, Sweet Fantasy

Erin Go Sing

Celtic Woman enjoys some Southern hospitality