Cool that Dallas Mavericks’ guard Jason Kidd was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week. Last week he passed Magic Johnson for No. 3 on the all-time assist list, dished out 20 dimes against the Suns on national television and generally upgraded his room-with-a-view in the Hall of…
Seriously, who are these guys decked out in red? *The starting pitcher (Kevin Millwood) throws six shutout innings, the first Ranger to do so since Charlie Hough in 1989. *The 20-year-old shortstop (Elvis Andrus) gets a hit in his first at-bat and ranges on the first-base side of second, turning…
How’s this for Elvis Andrus’ Major League debut? A two-out double down the right-field line, with reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee on the mound and former President George W. Bush in the TV booth offering his thoughts on Fox4. Not bad, I say. Especially for a 20-year-old – third-youngest…
Minutes after two jets shook our loins with a flyover, the 43rd President of the United States strode to the mound – the mound, not the rubber – and fired a ceremonial first-pitch strike to Rangers’ outfielder Josh Hamilton. The Prez, who somehow received nary a boo, then autographed the ball…
First pitch in T-minus two hours … *When I stepped on the field at 9 a.m. it was 39 degrees. Factoring in the northern howl of about 30 mph and it felt, ya know, about 0. *You know it’s a different, bigger day when you get on the press elevator…
No time to dilly-daddle this morning, as I’m headed out to Arlington for Texas Rangers’ Opening Day. Gotta get there in time to beat some traffic, smell the fresh-cut grass and, of course, see former Prez George W. Bush throw out the first pitch. I know it’ll never happen, but wouldn’t…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Seems Highland Park-ex and potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Matthew Stafford isn’t comfortable talking with teams – specifically a psychologist for the San Francisco 49ers – about his parents’…
Where were you for Magic vs. Bird 30 years ago? Some of you were just twinkles. Some of us were already hip-deep in bracketology. None of us, however, envisioned Dick Enberg’s career outlasting Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Al McGuire and Billy Packer…
After all, this is The Sportatorium. Right? I grew up watching Saturday Night Wrestling on Channel 11. While the adults played Canasta the kids were banished to the TV room, where we couldn’t wait for Bill Mercer on the black-and-white Zenith. I remember Blackjack Mulligan and Frtiz Von Erich and…
I’m 44. But I’m about to sound 84. It was a better world when paddling was a part of school. A safer world when “licks” between a teacher and student were punishment rather than perverted pleasure. Hear me out: I’m not condoning the 21 “licks” allegedly applied to the backside…
Okay, now I’m intrigued. For all the Texas Rangers’ promise of a better future, yesterday they made moves geared at providing fans an improved today. I squawked last week about the Rangers not being serious – much less serious contenders – if they trotted out really average re-runs like Frank Catalanotto and…
In this week’s column in the dead tree version of Sportatorium I maintain that NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes. Conversely, Texas Motor Speedway grand poobah Eddie Gossage counterpoints that not only are drivers supremely athletic, but more fit than even soccer players. Got me to thinking: Which sport truly has the world’s…
Eddie Gossage thinks I’m an April Fool. Texas Motor Speedway’s president told me so—in no uncertain terms—when I trial-ballooned my thesis that NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes. “You’ve lost your mind,” Gossage retorted from his office overlooking TMS, home to this weekend’s Samsung 500 out in Fort Worth. “That’s the dumbest…
“Forest Grumps,” by Alexa Schirtzinger, March 19 the Money Tree I enjoyed your article on the tree problems with Dallas City Hall. It looks to me like there should be a follow-up on where the money went. Thanks for this article. I have long felt that our city government was…
About a month ago in this cover story Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told me his team didn’t fear a first-round NBA Playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. “The Lakers don’t intimidate us at all,” Cuban maintains. “In the West it’s going to come down to whoever stays the healthiest…
My career has its perks. I’ve sipped Mai Tais on Waikiki Beach with Troy Aikman. Shaken hands with Wayne Gretzky moments after his final NHL game. Seen – first hand – Roger Federer win at Wimbledon, Michael Johnson triumph in Atlanta and Michael Jordan sink his last shot as a…
This is by far the most difficult post I’ve ever written. But it’s time. I can continue this charade no longer. Over the past 11 months on this blog I’ve spewed forth a plethora of radical opinions, most of which this morning I’d like to officially denounce. I admit, most of them…
Sad – and surprising – that your Dallas Mavericks are reduced to trying to hold on to 8th place in the Western Conference over their final nine games over two weeks. But with that gut-gouging home loss to the Denver Nuggets last Friday night, I think they fumbled away any…
The following is a prime example of my curse here on Earth. A fleeting thought sprouts into a mild observation, only to bloom into a thesis that eventually flourishes into a blog item with sports branches. My apologies … Got a text the other day, the salutation of which was LOL. It struck…
I play sports because I love them. But I watch sports because I love to see done what I can’t do. I watch Tiger Woods because I can’t hit a 7-iron 210 yards. I watch Andy Roddick because I can’t hit a serve 149 mph. I watch Kobe Bryant because I…
This is not the time to talk politics. It’s the time to talk baseball. I’ll put my liberal left leaning on hold today because the Texas Rangers have announced – no surprise – that former Prez and former co-owner George W. Bush will throw out the first pitch before next…
My March Madness bracket has long been in shambles. But my pick to win it all – UConn – is alive, well and poised to win the title next weekend in Detroit. If you called Michigan State over Louisville, kudos. If you predicted UConn, Villanova, North Carolina and the Spartans as…
