:
*When Jerry Jones admits his team has to "walk before we can run," that's code for "rebuilding." 8-8.
*The Jets may well kill the Cowboys Sunday, but aren't we glad Dallas isn't opening up against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' four-receiver sets? With Terence Newman hurt the Cowboys' fourth cornerback is ... no one. I guess backup safety Barry Church will be pressed into duty if Mike Jenkins gets re-injured.
*Everybody chill on the Rangers and their AL West race. It's over. Texas survived its 16-game gauntlet against the Red Sox, Angels and Rays at 8-8. Starting tonight against the lowly A's, the schedule is unbelievably appetizing. If they can merely beat Oakland and Seattle down the stretch, the season-ending three-game series in Anaheim won't matter.
*Vegas odds have set the numbers for Felix Jones this season at 800 yards and 4.5 touchdowns. If he doesn't go "over" both the Cowboys won't be a .500 team.
*Can't believe it's been 10 years since 9/11. I was in New York the weekend before covering the U.S. Open for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I remember watching Lleyton Hewitt win the title on Sunday and the next day doing some tourist stuff with friends and family. Took the ferry ride around the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. I have a photo in front of the Twin Towers, dated 9/10/01. Still gives me chills. I flew out of LaGuardia Monday night.
*Radio ratings time. For August 2011 in the desired demo of Men 25-54: Overall The Ticket earned a 6.2, ESPN a 4.4 and The Fan 3.9. Some of us are hyper-sensitive to P.M. Drive, where The Hardline had 8.6, RAGE 4.8 and Galloway and Co. 4.1. I'm sure you guys will apply your spin. Here's mine: Still getting our afternoon asses kicked by The Ticket. No way around that. But we've beaten ESPN the last three months and in two of those, including August, been No. 2 among all stations in our demo behind only The Hardline.
*Hot.
*Not.
*Not gonna lie, it's going to be a weird NFL season with nary a highlight from Brett Favre nor Peyton Manning. But if last night's Packers 42, Saints 34 opener is any indication, we'll all be just fine. You mope around in 108-degree heat thinking you're missing football, then it turns 84 and you see TCU over Baylor over TCU and Drew Brees and Rodgers duke it out and then you really remember how much you missed it.
*We're still waiting for Donald Young to blossom into Tennis Tiger. Better this year as he advanced into the fourth round of the U.S. Open, but the one-time "next big thing" remains a disappointment.
*Still something very cool to me about sleeping with the windows in the house open. Sorta feels like I'm getting away with something.
*Also from last night: Didn't take long for the 108-yard kickoff return we all knew was coming, Charles Woodson should have been ejected for punching David Thomas, and Saints' tight end Jimmy Graham should be levied an idiot fine after celebrating the "belt" maneuver while trailing in the fourth quarter at Lambeau. By the way, for us old-schoolers, Randall Cobb will always be a boxer.
*Not a huge hockey/Stars fan but I do remember watching Karlis Skrastins play a time or two. The Russian plane crash that killed him and most of his team is a horrible tragedy. And this related episode is chilling.
*You kids are so cute with your stubborn, irrational loyalty and all. So last Saturday night I Tweeted a dumb comment about Georgia's uniforms looking like an arena team. Repeated it Monday on RAGE and then put it in a blog item that posted Tuesday afternoon. But according to some of you, I supposedly stole it from The Ticket Tuesday morning. SMH.
*I have no problem with Jets coach Rex Ryan saying he doesn't want Cowboys fans in his stadium. It's a looong leap to say that he's condoning violence. Stop it.
*I sorta dig the TV ad for Grantland.com, but the site? Very underwhelming. And I'm a writer for crying out loud. I should love it.
*Once upon a time I was obsessed (getting paid to endorse a product will do that to ya) with daily P90X workouts. But I'll admit, since the move to a 5-hour afternoon radio show back on Nov. 1, I haven't worked out more than 10 times. And yes, it shows.
*In probably my all-time strangest ending to a strip-club night, went to Bucks Cabaret Thursday night in Fort Worth and somehow wound up playing "Patty Cake" with a hot chick as potential foreplay. But either I was too drunk or too old, because I couldn't remember exactly how it went. For the record: Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man; Bake me a cake as fast as you can; Pat it and prick it and mark it with B, Put it in the oven for baby and me. Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can; Roll it up, roll it up; And throw it in a pan! Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Man that's stupid. Me, and the song.
*Yep, I saw that too. Josh Hamilton almost injured his back sliding -- head-first, again! -- into third base the other night.
*If you're driving in the Grapevine area in the coming weeks -- whatever you do -- find a way around the 114 West/121 South clusterfuck. Last night there was a flashing sign that read "Total Fwy Closure". Not kidding. Then, all traffic was diverted onto the service road and eventually into one lane and then through two traffic lights. What should have been a 5-minute passage took 35 minutes. You've been warned.
*This weekend? Tomorrow I'll co-emcee Dallas Brew at the Zoo, your chance to both ogle some zebras and sample over 100 beers from around the globe in the glorious Fall-ish sunshine. And on Sunday -- duh -- it's the NFL. I'll be on the couch until Cowboys-Jets pre-game on 105.3 The Fan at 4:30 from Frankie's in Fort Worth's Sundance Square. Don't be a stranger.
