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 salaries, but to office staff and board ops, etc., missing an entire week's pay is significant. Though the move is voluntary to on-air personnel, I hearby welcome any Ticket host to spend one of their days off blogging here at Sportatorium. Lunch is on me.
*I know the Texas Brahmas aren't major league hockey. But Wednesday night they had themselves a major league celebration. After winning the Central Hockey League's championship series in North Richland Hills, they even skated the President's Cup. First time I remember a Metroplex pro sports team ending a season with smiles this millenium.
*I don't watch a lot of TV. But when I do, I prefer watching those commercials featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World. Stay funny, my friends.
*I'll believe a minor-league baseball park on the banks of the Trinity River when I see it. And not a second before. You?
*How long did it take you to figure out the meaning of the name Spearmint Rhino?
*Tuesday the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee will announce 10-15 major venues associated with the game. Team hotels, NFL Experience, Taste of the NFL, media center, etc. No, the convention center hotel is not on the agenda. Or is that yes?
*Silver lining in Dirk Nowitzki's traumatic experience with his female roommate/girlfriend/fiancee: He caught the fraud before the pre-nup was signed. Good for him.
*I despise the Denver Thuggets, but I'm giving credit to their fans. Actually heard an original, creative chant at Pepsi Center during Game 2: "You can't beat us!" Beats the hell out of The Wave.
*My sympathies to Fox 4 cameraman photo journalist Larry Rodriguez. He's been sucker-punched by Kenny Rogers and slammed by Mother Nature, yet he remains one of the nicest humans on this planet.
*Hot.
*Not.
*Indy star(?) Danica Patrick will be in town Monday for lunch with Stephan Pyles. Why? Have no idea. But it's a good excuse to remind you what she looks like in a bikini.
*A boxer died last week in a Dallas fight? What?
*If you have $7,500 burning a hole in your golf knickers, consider buying a spot in the HP Byron Nelson Celebrity-Am event. The tournament - May 18 at the Vaquero Club in Westlake - features celebs like Roger Staubach, Pat Green, Matt Doherty, Ed Werder - Ed Werder?! - and Terry Glenn. That Terry Glenn? Interesting.
*So I'm on the phone last week during an interview when my son walks up and positions himself just within in my peripheral vision. Unnoticed, he scoots a tad closer. Ignored, he shuffles yet closer. Totally dissed, he eventually stomps right in front of me. "Yes?" I say, putting the call on hold and giving him the this-better-be-damn-important look. Behind his urgency? "I'm out of the shower." Kids. You gotta ... love 'em?
*If you were wondering what happened to former Dallas' Only Daily Cowboys beat writer Calvin Watkins, he landed at the same place as former DMN columnist Kevin Blackistone. Something called AOL Fanhouse.
*I love President Obama, but why does he pronounce it "PAWK-ee-stan"? Probably the same reason Tom Landry butchered "Sant Lewis" all those years. Because he could.
*I was right about the Swine Flu: Over-rated (clap clap clapclapclap).
*Rember the controversy and chaos over the Big 12 Conference's reliance upon the BCS rankings to sort through last season's Texas-Texas Tech-Oklahoma deadlock? Possible it could happen again.
*I know this will break hearts all over the Metroplex, but I'm taking a weekend off from media moguling. No TV. No radio. (Hi mom!) Enjoy the silence.
