Dallas Observer | The Leading Independent News Source in Dallas, Texas

From Penn State to the Dallas Stars, the Good, Bad and Godawful News in This Day in Sports

By Robert Wilonsky

Nov 10, 2011

Don't think for a second this small attempt to resurrect a sports blog is an afterthought. We'll get there ... sooner than later. But on a day like today: Where to begin? Penn State, no doubt, far from home for most but not for all, and certain top of mind...

Show Me the Highlights: Sorry, Kid, But You Can't Watch ESPN Right Now. Maybe Later.

By Robert Wilonsky

Nov 9, 2011

For the last year, my 8-year-old boy's had a morning routine that involves watching SportsCenter and reading SportsDay over breakfast. Today he wanted to watch highlights from last night's Stars win over the Capitals, 5-2, making Dallas tops in the NHL -- big news 'round our house in the absence...

Chuck Greenberg Wants to Own Another Metroplex Sports Team: Your Dallas Stars

By Richie Whitt

Jul 11, 2011

Just talked to a National Hockey League source who confirmed what the News reported last week: that former Texas Rangers' CEO Chuck Greenberg is seriously interested in buying your Dallas Stars. The Stars have been for sale since Tom Hicks' sports empire went kaput, and for a long time it...

Baseball Goes Bonkers: The Top 5 Championship Celebrations in Sports

By Richie Whitt

Jun 29, 2011

Watched South Carolina win their second consecutive College World Series last night. Their celebration -- gloves and hats flying in a giant infield dog pile -- got me to thinking: Does baseball over-celebrate? Or, perhaps, do they do it just right? Think about the Mavs' reaction after a 31-year wait to...

Ed-die's Bet-ter ... Clap-Clap-CLAPCLAPCLAP!

By Richie Whitt

Jun 29, 2011

We've seen the Rangers in the World Series and the Mavs win the NBA Finals, and on Tuesday I was reminded just how great a Stanley Cup run can be when former Stars' goalie Ed Belfour and current GM Joe Nieuwendyk were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. They'll officially be inducted into...

The Champion of Championships: Where Does the Mavs' Title Rank?

By Richie Whitt

Jun 14, 2011

Great. But is it the greatest? When Dirk Nowitzki accessorized his lefty layup in the final minute with private tears of joy and accomplishment last Sunday night in Miami, the Dallas Mavericks symbolically threw Don Carter's 10-gallon hat in the ring. After years of sheepishly having Brad Davis' No. 15, A.C...

The Greatest Individual Playoff Performance in the History of Dallas-Fort Worth Sports. Is Dirk's Dominant?

By Richie Whitt

May 19, 2011

The Mavs can play better than they did in Game 1 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals. For the first time in the playoffs they allowed 100 points, 112 to be exact. The Thunder grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and, according to Mavs' coach Rick Carlisle, corralled 13 of the game's...

Stars Fire Coach Marc Crawford For ... Underachieving?

By Richie Whitt

Apr 13, 2011

Not that we care too much, considering the Mavericks are on the verge of the playoffs and the Rangers are in panic mode, but I'm not exactly sure why the Dallas Stars fired head coach Marc Crawford yesterday. Did the Stars underachieve in 2010-11? They amassed 95 points and were in playoff...

Falling Stars: Dallas Earns Its Early Vacation

By Richie Whitt

Apr 11, 2011

So who crumbled worse Sunday: Rory McIlroy at Augusta or your Dallas Stars in Minnesota? Hours after McIlroy ruined a four-shot lead with an 80 at The Masters, the hockey team fanned on a tap-in and missed the NHL Playoffs. After the Chicago Blackhawks lost at home to Detroit earlier...

The Dallas Stars -- and the Refs -- May Have Saved Their Season Last Night

By Richie Whitt

Apr 4, 2011

Nauseated by the Mavs last night, I turned on the Dallas Stars. And what did I see? A team maybe saving its season. The Stars have had their share of bad-luck bounces lately. But last night in Anaheim they saved a gasp of their season with two controversial calls that...

Remember That Time You Went to a Fight and a Hockey Game Broke Out?

By Richie Whitt

Mar 30, 2011

With last night's shootout loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Dallas Stars remain on the outside looking in at the NHL's Western Conference playoffs. Nonetheless, everyone is watching hockey in Texas today. Reason? The ugly brawl between Arlington Martin and Keller High School in the closing minute of their...

Stars Lose What Felt Like a Playoff Game to Dastardly Ducks

By Richie Whitt

Mar 24, 2011

If the Dallas Stars wind up missing the NHL playoffs they'll have a crazy bounce and crotch-kick, 4-3, loss on March 23 to blame. I don't watch a lot of hockey but last night's tilt had a post-season atmosphere at American Airlines Center. The Stars were seconds away -- literally -- from...

Someone Actually Wants to Buy the Dallas Stars. And Keep Them Here.

By Richie Whitt

Mar 2, 2011

The fear with the Dallas Stars is this: Tom Hicks would so bury the team that no one would buy them and eventually they'd leave Dallas. It appears, knock on ice-covered wood, that a savior has arisen. Goes by the name of Doug Miller. Everyone from Mark Cuban to Wayne...

Stars Keep Brad Richards, and their Playoff Hopes

By Richie Whitt

Mar 1, 2011

The Dallas Stars have been falling, from the top of the NHL's Western Conference down to eighth place. But as yesterday's trade deadline came and went without any deals, the message is clear: The Stars aren't giving up. It's not only a bold move. It's the right move. Leading scorer and...

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

By Richie Whitt

Feb 22, 2011

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...

Falling Stars: Injuries Dragging Dallas Down

By Richie Whitt

Feb 15, 2011

Add leading scorer Brad Richards to the Dallas Stars' list of injuries that has dragged their NHL season from surprising to so-so. The scrappy Stars jumped to an impressive start, getting even skeptical hockey neophytes like myself to pay attention. But somewhat lost in the middle of Super Bowl XLV and the...

Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, Stars All Searching for Help in 2011

By Richie Whitt

Jan 11, 2011

Texas Rangers - Jim Thome. The left-handed slugging free agent would, I assume, join Michael Young for a righty-lefty platoon designated hitter. I know Thome is a sexy name with some pop left in his bat, just not real sure where he fits in. Dallas Mavericks - Dirk Nowitzki. The signing...

Dallas' Other Teams are Playing Too. Who Knew?

By Richie Whitt

Nov 4, 2010

For the last month we've all been - gladly, of course - buried up to here in the Texas Rangers. Don't look now, but the other sports in our city didn't shut down. Let's play some catch up, shall we? FC DALLAS - In the Major League Soccer's Western Conference...

Hey, Look, it's a UFO! No, Actually, it's an Even Weirder Sight: Mike Modano, Detroit Red Wing

By Richie Whitt

Oct 14, 2010

Hell hath officially frozen over. In Arlington, the Texas Rangers are still playing baseball. And in Dallas, Stars fans are now cheering for the Detroit Red Wings. Well, at least one of them. The Stars, off to a 2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 start or whatever the hell it is these days in the...

Do-or-Die in Dallas: How Our Teams Fare in Elimination Games

By Richie Whitt

Oct 12, 2010

To the Texas Rangers, tonight's do-or-die game is unprecedented, uncharted territory. But as metroplex sports fans, we're accustomed to these elimination scenarios. And, you know what? We're pretty damn good at them. While the Rangers take their pathetic 3-11 playoff pedigree into tonight's decisive Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays,...

Dallas Stars

I support

Keep Dallas Observer Free.

This Week's Issue