Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:
*Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway - who's forgotten more Rangers' baseball than I'll ever learn - says a disgruntled former employee blackmailed the organization and ultimately leaked the story of manager Ron Washington's failed drug test to the media. Made perfect sense to me, until Newy and I asked GM Jon Daniels about the theory and he said "I don't know how it got out." But if not the employee (Zack Minasian and Rudy Jaramillo would be "persons of interest"), then how'd this story surface? One thing's for sure: Nothing is secret in baseball.
*The Rangers say they couldn't tell their fans about Washington's episode because of Major League Baseball's "confidentiality clause." So when SI.com breaks the story, what happened to that clause? Seems to me they should've stood by their clause and responded with a simple "No comment."
*And ... we're off. Washington said he hopes this incident doesn't follow him the rest of his career. Good luck with all that. You'd have to be dumber than beetle dung to think opposing stadium's won't play Clapton's "Cocaine" every time Wash strides to the mound for a pitching change. And the stuff like this is just getting started.
*My bracket? Thanks for asking. 13-3 on Thursday including the upsets by Murray State, Washington and St. Mary's.
*By the way, no way in heck I believe a man tries cocaine for the first and only time in his life at age 57. You?
*Went Tuesday for my annual physical. But this time - two days later - doctor's office calls and says "we've got the results of your blood test and you need to come in for a follow-up." Gulpygulpgulp. After a couple of squeamish hours on Thursday, it wasn't so bad: High cholesterol.
*Former Cowboy Rocket Ismael has a new job. As a reporter for the Professional Bull Riders Tour on Country Music Television. Weird.
*Hot.
*Not.
*Fess Parker's passing makes me think about old TV. Black-n-White TV. Anybody watch shows without color anymore? I still get hooked every year by It's A Wonderful Life and sometimes I'll try The Dick Van Dyke Show.
*City of Irving, I condemn you. Texas Stadium deserves a funeral, not a spectacle.
*Wonder if masked man Jason Terry is going to turn into Richard Hamilton?
*DART is pondering altering its nondiscrimination policy for employees to include transgenders. No, that's not Eddie Izzard cross-dressers, that's surgically flip-flopped folks. Whoda thunk that "race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation" wouldn't have covered it all?
*Every time I hear of a Mike Modano injury I always think it's going to be his last. And it never is.
*We're going to get his healthcare reform bill passed, right? But are we happy about it?
*It's going to be 75 today and 35 - with possible snow? - tomorrow night. Depressing I know, but maybe this will cheer you up.
*I know a girl - a smoking hot girl - who actually says lovingly to her dog, "I want to have your babies." Cute or creepy?
*Looking for something cool to do tomorrow? The 5K Walk For Literacy & Educational Fair is taking place at Fair Park at 9 a.m. The event includes appearances by former Cowboys Charles Haley, Kelvin Edwards and Lincoln Coleman and is highlighted by a $600 Karaoke contest.
*If you need me tonight I'll be at the Hooters in Lewisville around 6 p.m. watching March Madness and chugging beer and giving away free stuff from the Dallas Observer and 105.3 The Fan. Saturday night it's the Hooters in Denton. Don't be a stranger.
