Kid Rock Turns His Back on the Pistons for This?

I am a hockey fan. We all know that, right? I want what is best for hockey. Trust me. It isn’t this. After watching the Stars play the Red Wings, I thought it was a matter of the Stars not having enough talent. Now, after watching the Red Wings demoralize the Penguins even worse, I have come to the conclusion that the Red Wings are playing such suffocating defense that this can officially be declared “bad for the sport”.

Sore loser? Sure. But, there is no way any unbiased party could have enjoyed Game 2. Very tough to watch. I am declaring the Detroit team bad for hockey. And the sure thing Champions. Yuck.

And, by the way, I retract any positive things I projected for the NBC numbers on Wednesday against Celtics-Pistons Game 5. Sorry bout that.

Detroit Papers hold no superlatives back …

If this really is the NHL's dream matchup, the Red Wings are destroying it and enhancing it at the same time. They're doing their share, more than their share, multiple shares, and they're turning the poor Penguins into frustrated flailers.
The Wings are back on one of their familiar rolls, filling familiar roles, and here's a truth no one should ever forget: Once they get going, they're awfully difficult to stop. That's really bad news for the Penguins, who are looking more and more like dumb, flightless birds.

The Wings are squeezing the life out of them, smothering them with dominant defense, a noisy crowd and more rock-steady doses of Chris Osgood. This was yet another brutally efficient effort, and after the Wings' 3-0 victory Monday gave them a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals, it's apparent the Penguins have few answers for the Wings' dizzying mix of speed and spunk.

Sidney Crosby? Evgeni Malkin? Anyone seen Pittsburgh's stars yet, buried under all that red, outscored 7-0 in two games? The Penguins' top three centers, Crosby, Jordan Staal and Malkin, have been about as effective as Crosby, Stills and Nash, only with mangier beards.

The Penguins even mixed in a ridiculous display of nastiness in the third period, when Gary Roberts leveled Johan Franzen with a hit to the face. Yes, just as Franzen returned from concussion-like symptoms, Roberts pathetically leaped at a chance. Franzen returned to the ice but was furious, a rightly riled Mule.

Really, this series is laughably lopsided right now, and there aren't a lot of reasons to think it'll change.

Speed? The Wings are skating as if they own the ice, and in this one, they absolutely did. On the clinching goal in the third period, Valtteri Filppula zipped past defenseman Kris Letang, swiveled brilliantly and fired the puck in, even as he was being tripped.

Spunk? The Wings catch your eye with flash, then slam back. Niklas Kronwall remains a hitting machine. And early in the third period, when Ryan Malone bashed Henrik Zetterberg into the boards, here came Pavel Datsyuk leaping after Malone, swinging away.

"No, we didn't expect (two shutouts)," defenseman Brad Stuart said. "We wanted to limit their chances and we've done that. I don't know (if the Penguins got frustrated) but if you don't score in two straight games, maybe you do. It's not any of our concern. We're not gonna get caught up in that."

Penguins coach Michel Therrien sounded positively flustered, complaining the Wings' defense gets away with obstruction, scoffing that Osgood embellished a fall when he was clipped late in the game.

The Wings reacted with modest shrugs.

"The way we try to do it is, we play as hard as we can between the whistles, and we try to shoot the puck in the net when you take penalties," Mike Babcock said. "To me, we just try to keep our poise and play."

This is the formula that almost always works for the Wings when they get this far. It's their puck and their time, and they dare anyone to take it away. Going back to 1997, they're an astounding 14-1 in the Stanley Cup Finals, an imposing number that should make the green Penguins quiver.

Osgood was his normal, lonely self, making big saves when needed, which wasn't often. The Wings didn't wait around, jumping immediately after the last chunks of pregame octopus gunk were scraped from the ice. The Wings played so precisely with the puck, and so responsible defensively, the Penguins couldn't know what hit them.

The Pittsburgh Paper tries to keep a brave face …

History suggests the Penguins have very little hope of winning the Stanley Cup this season.

Reality suggests they have absolutely none, unless they can figure out how to make some radical changes during the rest of the series.

Start doing some dramatically different stuff, like scoring a goal every now and then.

They haven't managed that in the first two games of the Cup final, including a 3-0 loss to Detroit in Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena last night that gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead in the series, which will shift to Mellon Arena for Game 3 tomorrow night.

This defeat came in the wake of a 4-0 loss to the Red Wings in the opener, and makes the Penguins the first team since Anaheim in 2003 to be shut out in the first two games of the final.

"Obviously, it's a surprise," Penguins left winger Gary Roberts said. "We've had some success scoring goals in the playoffs."

True enough, but they are shooting 0 for 41 from the field and, while Detroit goalie Chris Osgood obviously has made every stop he has had to, there have been times when his greatest challenge simply has been to avoid the temptation to nap.

Times like the first 12 minutes of Game 2, when the Penguins didn't have a shot and Osgood's teammates staked him to a 2-0 lead.

With the way Detroit can clog the neutral zone -- there are times when opponents couldn't get through it if they were using machetes -- a two-goal lead, even one with 21/2 periods to play, can seem almost insurmountable.

On to Baseball….Rangers baseball!

While we wish to keep the positivity going with the local baseball franchise, we do have 4 questions with answers that should concern us greatly (or encourage us that the Rangers are where they are)…

Question: What team’s hitters have struck out more than any other team in the American League in 2008? Texas, 381 (Cleveland is 2nd)

Question: What team’s pitchers have struck out fewer opponents than any other team in the American League in 2008? Texas, 276 (Minnesota is 2nd)

Question: What team’s pitchers have walked more opponents than any other team in the American League in 2008? Texas, 226 (Detroit 2nd)

Question: What team has more errors than any other team in the American League? Texas, 46 (Minnesota 2nd)

Those 4 statistics are all led by the same team! Our Texas Rangers. How are they not in last place? It makes you wonder if this is a smoke and mirrors hot month, or if the Rangers are making up for it elsewhere. The truth will be told over the course of 162.

Kazmir dominates the Rangers …

The Texas Rangers' run back to respectability over the last month has brought them to .500, but never above.

For the third time in 10 days Monday, they ran straight at the hurdle and fell face first. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances in the 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay. They were facing the team with the best record in baseball (now 31-20). And they were facing that team's ace: Scott Kazmir.

"I can't recall the reasons for the other losses right now," manager Ron Washington said. "But tonight was all Scott Kazmir. Good pitching stops good hitting, and he certainly stopped us tonight."

Kazmir dominated the Rangers, piling up 10 strikeouts while allowing just three hits in seven innings to win his fourth consecutive game. But the Rangers shouldn't feel all that bad. Since a rough first outing of the year after a month on the DL, Kazmir has won his last four games and put up a 0.69 ERA while doing so.

He made it clear quickly: He had no time to mess around. Relying primarily on his fastball-slider combo, Kazmir struck out the side to start the game. He threw 16 pitches in the first inning; only three were balls.

And just in case anybody missed it, he struck out the side again in the third. In that inning, he threw 17 pitches. Four of them were balls. By the time he left after the seventh inning, Kazmir had struck out every Rangers starter.

"He didn't have his electric stuff, but he was just in the right place at the right time all night," Marlon Byrd said. "He didn't really follow his usual setup of guys, and that kept guys off balance."

While Kazmir dominated, Sidney Ponson, coming off a complete-game win, struggled to keep the Rangers in it. Ponson allowed 15 hitters to reach base in five innings.

Then, this to make it smart more…remember Drew Meyer?

THE NEWBERG REPORT

You can’t win ’em all on Draft Day – nobody does – but yeah, June 4, 2002 wasn’t a real good day in Rangersland.

(Or in Exposland, where Montreal hung out at the correct high school field but chose the wrong guy . . . or in the war rooms of nearly half the teams who had the chance to name their player before the Mets came up):

1. Pittsburgh, Bryan Bullington, rhp, Ball State
2. Tampa Bay, B.J. Upton, ss, Greenbrier Christian Academy, Chesapeake, Va.
3. Cincinnati, Chris Gruler, rhp, Liberty HS, Brentwood, Calif.
4. Baltimore, Adam Loewen, lhp, Fraser Valley Christian, Surrey, B.C.
5. Montreal, Clint Everts, rhp, Cypress Falls HS, Houston.
6. Kansas City, Zack Greinke, rhp, Apopka (Fla.) HS.
7. Milwaukee, Prince Fielder, 1b, Eau Gallie HS, Melbourne, Fla.
8. Detroit, Scott Moore, ss, Cypress (Calif.) HS.
9. Colorado, Jeff Francis, lhp, U. of British Columbia.
10. Texas, Drew Meyer, ss, South Carolina.
11. Florida, Jeremy Hermida, of, Wheeler HS, Marietta, Ga.
12. Anaheim, Joe Saunders, lhp, Virginia Tech.
13. San Diego, Khalil Greene, ss, Clemson.
14. Toronto, Russ Adams, ss, North Carolina.
15. N.Y. Mets, Scott Kazmir, lhp, Cypress Falls HS, Houston.

Our intern, the great Mr Bacsik is featured on ESPN …

So much has changed since the fifth inning of that August 2007 game by the bay. And yet, these two career ballplayers are connected by a singular moment and a stark reality.

Bonds is no longer a San Francisco Giant. Bacsik is no longer a Washington National.

And they both want the same thing: another chance.

"I was 22 when I first reached Triple-A," said Bacsik. "There were some veteran guys on that team who had played in the big leagues. I remember thinking, 'Man, I'm not going to sit around here when I'm 30 years old playing Triple-A baseball. If I haven't established myself by then, I'm not going to be here.'"

A short pause.

"So here I am," he said, "30-years old, sitting on a bus from Toledo to Columbus, trying to make it to the big leagues."

If you want to root for somebody in baseball these days, Bacsik is a nice place to start. You root for him because he's taking those bus rides again, this time as a converted reliever for the Columbus Clippers of the International League.

He doesn't want to be there. Who would? Nine months ago he was a starting major league pitcher facing arguably the game's greatest hitter in one of the game's greatest moments. Now he's facing the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) IronPigs.
Bacsik has thought about quitting. He's talked about it at the weekly chapel services, about -- how did he put it? -- "letting go and being free of the game." And then the game pulls him back.

"I love this game so much," said Bacsik. "[Union executive director] Donald Fehr wouldn't want me to say it, but I'd go play in the big leagues for the same salary I'm getting here."

Do you think Bonds loves the game as deeply as that? Or does he love the game only when the game loves him back? I'm just asking.

You root for Bacsik because on April 4, the day after Opening Day at Columbus, Clippers manager Tim Foli handed Bacsik a phone in the clubhouse. It was Bacsik's wife, Sue. There were complications with the pregnancy.

The condition is known as Placenta previa. There was hemorrhaging and had it continued without medical attention, both Sue and the baby could have died.

A clubhouse manager rushed Bacsik to his apartment. Then they followed the ambulance to nearby Riverside Methodist. Sue, a pediatrician herself, spent the next 20 days in the hospital. So did Bacsik when he was in town.
"Hospital in the morning ... game ... back to the hospital ... sleep," said Bacsik.

Jacob Ryan Bacsik was born April 21, 2008, by C-section. Mother and son were fine. The father fainted during the procedure.

Years from now Bacsik will take Jacob to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame gave Bacsik a lifetime pass after he donated the Nationals ball cap he wore the night he gave up the dinger to Bonds.

What will he tell Jacob that day? That he pitched against the man who was tied for the all-time home run lead with Henry Aaron. That in 1976, Bacsik's father, Mike Sr., pitched against the great Aaron when Aaron had 755 career homers. That when it became obvious that Bacsik would face Bonds in that Aug. 7 start, Mike Sr. told him, "Go after him with your best stuff. If you strike him out three times, nobody will ever remember you. But I will."

Bacsik gave it his best, but the pitch stayed middle up and that was that. Bonds' bat left a bruise mark on the ball.

Afterward, Bacsik and Bonds met briefly. Bacsik congratulated him on the historic home run. That's when Bonds said something that caused Bacsik to do a double take.

"He said, 'I'll see you on TV next year,'" said Bacsik.

It could only mean two things: Bonds thought he would play in the American League this season. Or Bonds thought his career was finished.

Matt Mosely with a very interesting piece on the life of Roy …

Six years ago, he was given the opportunity to become the face of the Dallas Cowboys. As a rookie in 2002, he was one of the few bright spots on a 5-11 team, and his No. 31 jersey quickly overtook No. 22 in the Texas Stadium crowd.

But now as the Cowboys prepare to christen a $1 billion stadium in 2009, there's a
good chance Williams won't be around for the grand opening. How could a player with so much promise fall off the map? Well, it's important to go back to the beginning.
In his first two years, Williams became one of the most feared players in the NFL because of his punishing style. Turns out, though, that Jerry Jones and his scouting department overlooked flaws in Williams' game leading up to the 2002 draft.

In recent conversations with men who were privy to those discussions, I learned that former secondary coach Clancy Pendergast, now the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, had serious concerns about Williams' ability to learn the defense. When he traveled to the Oklahoma campus and put Williams on the dry erase board, he quickly learned that it would be a difficult transition for the college All American. Veteran scout Jim Hess, a former college coach, agreed with Pendergast's assessment.

Jones and his right-hand man, Larry Lacewell, were able to look past that potential flaw because they knew Williams would be playing next to Darren Woodson, one of the league's best safeties.

The Cowboys thought Williams could be much like John Lynch was in the vaunted Tampa 2 defense, but even more dynamic. And for the first two years of his NFL career, they were rewarded. Playing next to Woodson in 2002 and 2003, Williams was a bone-crunching playmaker. Running backs and receivers flinched when they sensed his arrival.

Williams began his string of five Pro Bowl appearances in 2003, although you can make a strong argument that the past couple have been on name-recognition alone. The 2004 season started off with a bust when QB Quincy Carter was released only days into training camp. The story line that got buried was that Woodson's injured back was preventing him from practicing. The Cowboys placed him on the physically unable to perform list and hoped for the best.

But it was apparent from the start that the odds were against Woodson, and he was eventually forced into retirement. Suddenly Williams was thrust into a leadership role in a secondary that included cornerback Terence Newman, a first-round pick in 2003, and safety Keith Davis, who had starred in NFL Europe the previous spring.
"I take a lot of blame for what Roy has had to endure," said Woodson, now an ESPN analyst.

"[Former defensive coordinator Mike] Zimmer and myself just wanted him to be a football player when he first came into the league. He didn't have to think about where he needed to be because we made the scheme pretty simple. He could just come downhill and wreak havoc. I'd never seen a player with that type of ferocity. But I didn't involve him in what the corners were doing and some of the linebackers' gaps. He could change the whole outlook of a game because of his ability to separate players from the ball. But we probably kept it too simple for him."

In Woodson's defense, he thought he had at least two more seasons left in the league before his injury forced him from the game.

"I would have approached it differently if I'd known," Woodson said. "He looked at me like a big brother, and we were always honest with each other. He used to ask me why I was in such a bad mood during practice, and I'd say, 'This is the way I am in practice.' We could say anything."

and a follow up piece today ….

thanks to the guys over at dallasbasketball.com , here is Avery’s new bit: WOW!

Avery Johnson’s North Texas Nissan


New Weezer Makes us all remember youtube



Robbed the wrong store

Holiday Mail Run

Who says the mail doesn't run on a holiday? This blog mails it in bigtime, with absolutely no fresh content, but 4 stellar videos I viewed over the weekend, that I think are now ready for prime time.

The Wing Suit looks awesome...until it ends in a death.


Kobe and Wee Man and snakes



CC Sabathia farts



Mountain Wingsuit



Mountain Wingsuit Gone Wrong

Here Come the Weekend

The Stanley Cup Finals begin tomorrow night, and I am ready. I really wish the Red Wings would lose, but I think it is tough to imagine that Detroit team losing. They are too good and too ready. I think Crosby’s time is coming (and trust me, I will be rooting for him) but I think now it is time for those stinking Red Wings.
Detroit in 6. Yuck.

James Mirtle has a numerical breakdown that will give you tired head …

Stanley Cup final
(1) Detroit v. (2) Pittsburgh
Series starts Saturday

Average age
Detroit 32.32
Pittsburgh 27.75
(Detroit without Chelios and Hasek: 31.13)

Average height
Pittsburgh 6 foot 1.8"
Detroit 6 foot 0"

Average weight
Pittsburgh 208.95 lbs
Detroit 195.26 lbs

Nationality
Can USA Euro
Pittsburgh 45.0% 30.0% 25.0%
Detroit 39.1% 13.0% 47.8%

Oldest players
Chris Chelios, 46 years, 4 months
Dom Hasek, 43 years, 4 months
Gary Roberts, 42 years
Dallas Drake, 39 years, 3 months
Nick Lidstrom, 38 years, 1 month

Youngest players
Jordan Staal, 19 years, 9 months
Sidney Crosby, 20 years, 10 months
Kristopher Letang, 21 years, 1 month
Darren Helm, 21 years, 4 months
Evgeni Malkin, 21 years, 10 months
Tyler Kennedy, 21 years, 10 months
Marc-Andre Fleury, 23 years, 6 months

Over 6 foot 3
Hal Gill, 6 foot 7
Ryan Malone, 6 foot 4
Ryan Whitney, 6 foot 4
Jordan Staal, 6 foot 4

Under 6 feet
Brett Lebda, 5 foot 9
Brian Rafalski, 5 foot 10
Jiri Hudler, 5 foot 10
Kris Draper, 5 foot 10
Chris Osgood, 5 foot 10
Sidney Crosby, 5 foot 11
Pavel Datysk, 5 foot 11
Darren Helm, 5 foot 11
Tyler Kennedy, 5 foot 11
Maxime Talbot, 5 foot 11
Henrik Zetterberg, 5 foot 11

Tipping the scales
Hal Gill, 250 lbs
Georges Laraque, 243 lbs
Ryan Malone, 224 lbs
Jordan Staal, 220 lbs
Andreas Lilja, 220 lbs
Johan Franzen, 220 lbs
Brooks Orpik, 219 lbs
Ryan Whitney, 219 lbs
Rob Scuderi, 218 lbs

Lightweights
Dom Hasek, 166 lbs
Darren Helm, 172 lbs
Chris Osgood, 178 lbs
Marc-Andre Fleury, 180 lbs
Jiri Hudler, 182 lbs
Tyler Kennedy, 183 lbs
Dallas Drake, 186 lbs
Kris Draper, 188 lbs

Ice time leaders (forward)
Henrik Zetterberg 21:24
Pavel Datsyuk 20:49
Evgeni Malkin 20:22
Marian Hossa 19:49
Sidney Crosby 19:44
Ryan Malone 18:16
Johan Franzen 18:08
Dan Cleary 17:08

Ice time leaders (defence)
Sergei Gonchar 24:45
Nicklas Lidstrom 24:42
Brian Rafalski 24:02
Niklas Kronwall 22:10
Brad Stuart 20:58

Faceoff kings
Kris Draper 63.4%
Henrik Zetterberg 57.9%
Pavel Datsyuk 55.8%
Jordan Staal 52%
Valtteri Filppula 52%
Johan Franzen 50%
Sidney Crosby 49%

Hits
Ryan Malone 62
Brooks Orpik 62
Jarkko Ruutu 42
Pavel Datsyuk 37
Dallas Drake 34
Brad Stuart 34
Jordan Staal 33

Blocked shots
Brooks Orpik 33
Sergei Gonchar 31
Hal Gill 25
Rob Scuderi 21
Brad Stuart 18
Kristopher Letang 18

Shooting percentage
Gary Roberts 40%
Johan Franzen 25%
Georges Laraque 25%
Jordan Staal 21.4%
Pavel Datsyuk 17.6%
Ryan Malone 16.2%

Shots
Henrik Zetterberg 84
Evgeni Malkin 59
Mikael Samuelsson 58
Marian Hossa 58
Pavel Datsyuk 51
Johan Franzen 48
Brian Rafalski 43
Sidney Crosby 41
Dan Cleary 38
Ryan Malone 37

Missed shots
Henrik Zetterberg 25
Evgeni Malkin 23
Johan Franzen 19
Tomas Holmstrom 18
Brian Rafalski 16
Pavel Datsyuk 14
Sergei Gonchar 14
Marian Hossa 14
Petr Sykora 14

The real story – what will people in Detroit watch? …

On Wednesday night, May 28, the Detroit Red Wings will travel to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Finals series, as the action shifts to NBC. On that same night, and if necessary, will be Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, as the Detroit Pistons travel to face the Boston Celtics on ESPN.

There's already been a firestorm of controversy over the scheduling conflicts between the two popular Detroit teams. But NBC Sports' hockey analysts are convinced that Motor City sports fans are going to choose hockey over hoops.

"It's called Hockeytown for a reason, said Pierre McGuire, NBC's "inside the glass" reporter, on a conference call earlier this week. "I don't think because there's a basketball game being played head-to-head with a Red Wing game it's going to have any effect, due to the fact that it truly is Hockeytown. Their fans are going to watch on TV, and I think they're going to keep their eyes glued to what could be one of the best Stanley Cup Finals we've seen in a long time. Hoorah for Hockeytown!"

Well, that was emphatic. NBC color commentator and former Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk went even further than McGuire. "I will guarantee you that the people of Detroit will have our game on before they'll have that final or whatever the Pistons are in, in the Eastern Conference," he said. "Pierre hit it right on the head: It is a hockey town, and this being a Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 versus whatever game it would be in the Eastern Final for the Pistons ... I'm not afraid of stepping out, and I would say that Game 3 on NBC, we will win that ratings war."

Gary Bettman, in an interview with WDFN-AM, expressed remorse that there was a conflict for Detroit fans, and wasn't sure what the ratings would look like:

The answer is basketball fans will watch basketball, hockey fans will watch hockey and the casual fans will probably flip back and forth. Whatever game seems to be more compelling at the time will probably do the higher number. I will be interested to see. Most people will assume that basketball will beat us from the ratings. We'll have to see what happens.
He's right: If Game 5 is an elimination game for the Pistons -- meaning they could be eliminated -- the Wings get a bump. If Game 3 is a blowout either way for the NHL, and the NBA series is still competitive, then the NBA gets a bump. There can't be any generalizations; it's all about the specific conditions in place next Wednesday.

Josh Hamilton does it again! …

Hamilton shook off his day-time malaise and hit a 10th-inning homer – on a 3-and-2, two-out fastball – to give the Rangers an 8-7 win in a game in which it looked like no lead was safe.

Hamilton's homer and some efficient relief work by beleaguered closer C.J. Wilson allowed the Rangers to split the four-game series in Minnesota after losing the first two. They have not lost any of their last eight series. They head to Cleveland today once again within a game of .500 (24-25).

Hamilton, who turned 27 on Wednesday, has been the difference in a handful of games already this season, and he was again Thursday.

He also moved to the top of the AL's Triple Crown race. His homer tied him for the AL lead with 12. He leads the planet with 53 RBIs. And his afternoon, combined with an unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearance by Minnesota's Joe Mauer, gave him the batting lead at .335. Mauer, who began the day at .336, is now at .333.

And this is from a guy who has had a serious handicap in afternoon games. He began the day hitting .365 at night but just .236 during the day. In the outfield, he misjudged several balls in the daylight.

Hamilton said he'd been more uncomfortable at the plate than in the field during the day.

"I'm not sure what it is, because I didn't have any problems in spring training," Hamilton said. "But in spring training, you pretty much have a routine, and everything happens during the day. During the regular season, with different starting times, the routine isn't as set.

"I'm sure it's not just me, but it's something I've got to get used to. And it's not that way every game."

Said Washington: "I think that's just Josh's youth. I know [outfield instructor] Gary Pettis has worked with him, and he'll make the adjustment. We'll blow that off as just youth."

Hamilton rescued the Rangers when it looked like they might just waste leads of 4-0 after the first, 6-3 through 5 ½ and 7-5 through 7 ½. Wilson, who blew a save in the 12-inning loss that began the road trip, put the finishing touches on things with a 12-pitch, 10-strike 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

Wilson gave the Rangers what they needed after relievers Jamey Wright, Frank Francisco and Joaquin Benoit combined to walk or hit six batters from the sixth through the ninth.

Hamilton contract about to go down? …

The latest contractual trend in baseball is to lock up players with less than two years' experience to deals that extend well past eventual free agency.

In the wake of several recent deals, the Rangers have started exploring the possibility with Josh Hamilton. Hamilton, who has one year and nearly two months of major league service time, is at the forefront of the AL Triple Crown chase.

There have been some internal discussions and at least one casual conversation with his agent.

"What's meant to happen is going to happen," Hamilton said after acknowledging some conversation. "The more I read the Bible, the more I realize it doesn't make any sense to worry. I'm not going to be able to add one day to my life by worrying. I know God will provide for my family.

"I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I feel like I mix well with these guys and have felt that way since the first day at spring training. Since I started playing baseball, this is the most comfortable I've ever felt."

Hamilton's twisting path to major league stardom makes doing a deal more complicated than the ones recently signed by Evan Longoria with Tampa Bay and Ryan Braun with Milwaukee.

Longoria signed a deal that could keep him with the Rays for nine seasons; Braun signed an eight-year, $45 million deal. But both players are younger than 25 while Hamilton turned 27 on Wednesday.

The sides would probably also have to consider Hamilton's difficult past, which included three years out of baseball because of drug-addiction issues.

March 11, 2007 – Peter Gammons on Josh Hamilton



Eddie Sefko decides to spray proposed Josh Howard Deals in every direction …

Eric Musselman thinks the Bulls should take Rose over Beasley …

With CHI winning the lottery, the Bulls have to decide who fits in right now, as well as how much better can he get (i.e., his upside).

As I look at this year's draft, if I was sitting in the Bulls' position, I'd ask myself where would D. Rose and M. Beasley be right now at their position?

Rose would rank among the league's top 10 point guards right now, behind only C. Paul, D. Williams, S. Nash, T. Parker, G. Arenas, and B. Davis. Rose is that good. In fact, I think he'll be better than D. Harris, Billups (Chauncey's getting older), J. Kidd (so is Jason), and M. Williams in MIL.

Looking at Beasley today, I don't think he'd rank among the top 10 at either forward spot. Just look at the NBA's best power forwards -- Dirk, KG, Bosh, Boozer, Gasol, Jefferson, Marion, Brand, Aldridge, Jamison, West, Josh Smith. How about small forwards? LeBron, Pierce, Butler, Anthony, Howard, Turkoglu, Iguodala, Kirilenko, Gay, Deng, Artest...

Of course Beasley is a great player. But the NBA is loaded with talented forwards.

Here's my case for taking Rose:

1. You'd immediately have one of the league's top 7 point guards.
2. You can trade Hinrich for a team need. I'm sure the Bulls are already getting calls about his availability.
3. In order to win in the NBA, you need a great PG (Paul, Williams, Nash, etc.)
4. Rose is a Chicago kid.

Regardless, both Rose and Beasley will be terrific pros. Because they're so young and talented, they've got plenty of upside.

UFC 84

featuring BJ Penn vs Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight Title, Tito Ortiz vs Lyoto Machida, and Wanderlei Silva vs Keith Jardine



2008 Stars Playoff Tribute



Playoff Scoreboard Open

Round 1 to Kobe

Busy sports day. But, let’s start with hoops, where the Spurs were up 20, only to lose. Wow. That is one of those losses that you might not be able to recover from. Blame it on the plane, San Antonio…

Let's be clear here. Once the Mavericks and Stars are out of the playoffs, it then becomes my rooting interest to attempt to foil the Spurs and Red Wings from being Champions of the league, and thus at least, keep the annoying fans of those teams from being too insufferable. I admit it is a bit sad, but then again, so are sports.

So, with that being said, Go Kobe and Go Sidney Crosby. We are counting on you.

From Los Angeles ….

It was just one game, just Game 1, just a beginning.

It felt like seven games, Game 7, an ending.

The Lakers didn't just come back from a 20-point deficit to steal an 89-85 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals opener Wednesday.

They turned basketball's smartest crunch-time team into dummies.

They turned basketball's toughest veterans into twitching rookies.

They stole a victory from a team that was doing everything right, and they stole it after doing everything wrong.

In the end, after another Spur had bricked and another Laker had dived and wonderful spring chaos had once again returned to 11th and Figueroa, both locker rooms were quiet.

The Spurs, because they were trying to leave.

"We're supposed to be smarter than this," said Robert Horry, rushing into the hallway.

The Lakers, because they were trying not to laugh.

"I would think a loss like this might take a little bit out of their sails," said Jordan Farmar, dressing slowly.

The last time the Lakers pulled off a playoff comeback this large, they needed Horry to win it with that infamous last-second shot against Sacramento in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

You know what happened next.

The last time the Spurs blew this sort of lead and lost this sort of close game under this sort of pressure was, well, almost never.

You can almost guess what will happen next.

The weary champions have a 20-point lead on the court of the young team, and hold that team to under 90 points . . . and still lose?

The aging champions have a chance to throw a huge first punch on the road against a team that played with rust and dust . . . and they miss?

"Obviously we were up 20 and we hoped to put that one away and put them on their heels, but we didn't," said Tim Duncan, shaking his head. "We have to recover."

Recover? How do you recover from something such as this?

The answer is, you probably can't.

The Lakers may have won this series by winning a game in which their best player and league MVP made one basket in three shots -- three -- in the first half.

From San Antonio …

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant had just nine points when he strode to the foul line midway through the third quarter Wednesday night, but the home crowd didn’t seem to notice. They gave him the “M-V-P” treatment anyway.

The star-studded denizens of the Staples Center, it seems, knew what Bryant knew.
“I can get off at any time,” Bryant said.

Behind by 20 points to the defending NBA champions, in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, seemed as good a time as any.

Bryant scored 25 of his 27 points after halftime, willing his team to an 89-85 comeback victory that the Spurs will still be feeling in the morning.

Given a chance to steal home-court advantage, staked to the kind of second-half lead that in any other circumstance might have afforded them the chance to flip on cruise control, the Spurs instead watched Bryant erase it all with a stunning second half that everybody saw coming.

This ought to make the Spurs grumpier than a week’s worth of nights spent on a grounded plane.

“We had a great opportunity and didn’t take advantage of it,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It hurts like hell.”

Bryant, with his peculiar brand of first-half rope-a-dope, applied much of that hurt. He took three shots in the first half, 17 in the second.

His last attempt — a floating 9-footer sunk over Bruce Bowen — broke an 85-85 tie
and proved to be the game-winner. The Spurs had a final shot at taking back the victory, but Manu Ginobili’s corner 3-point attempt with 10 seconds left bounced out.

The Spurs squandered a 30-point, 18-rebound night from Tim Duncan, as well as a decent night for their defense. They held the Lakers, who came into the game averaging a league-best 112.1 points per game in the playoffs, to 23 fewer than that.

The Spurs were doomed by a game-closing stretch of 7:19 in which they made one basket.

Though the Spurs were loath to admit it, fatigue likely played a factor late. They were two nights removed from Game 7 of the conference semifinals in New Orleans, and had spent a restless night on an airport tarmac.

“I don’t want to give any excuses,” said Tony Parker, who as the anti-Bryant had six of his 18 points in the second half. “We were in pretty good shape. We had a good lead.”

With 5:54 to go in the third quarter, the Spurs led by 20 points on the Lakers’ home floor. It’s a luxury that might not come again.

“Those are the kind of games that keep coaches up late at night,” Bowen said.
A good bit of the blame for the Spurs’ next sleepless night goes to Bryant.

And now, we blame Champion Air for the series …you watch. This will be as big as Steve Bartman in San Antonio if the series doesn’t go right…

The Spurs have flown their last flight with Champion Air.

Team chairman Peter Holt said the league assured him Tuesday another carrier would transport the Spurs to San Antonio after Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Friday and would also fly them to the rest of their road playoff games.

Word of the change came less than 24 hours after the Spurs spent seven hours on a tarmac in New Orleans after mechanical problems grounded the Boeing 727 provided to the team by Champion, which declared bankruptcy in March and is set to ground its 16-plane fleet May 31.

“The league called the next morning and said they were working on it right away,” Holt said. “They said they would find us another airplane that (it) will be with you as long as you are in the playoffs. That’s another thing we didn’t want to have to do, keep switching.”

Holt said he made it clear to the league they were done with Champion. The league arranges for the Spurs’ carrier, but the team foots the bill.

“We just told them we obviously don’t have any faith or trust any more (in Champion),” Holt said. “I don’t know if it is a safety issue, as much as we don’t want to be stuck again, especially with us playing every other day from this point on.”

Holt said he hasn’t spoken to anyone from Champion.

“Not interested in Champion,” Holt said. “We’re done.”

Different perspective: What’s it like spending 11 hours onboard an aircraft after you have expended most of your energy in Game 7 of a playoff series?

“Not fun,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said.

But Ginobili had a different take on the ordeal that followed the Spurs’ victory Monday night than most of his teammates. He played three seasons in the Italian League, where long bus rides were commonplace.

“It’s not the first time it happened to me,” he said. “I’ve slept many times on buses, so it was not much of a difference.”

Some of his teammates, Ginobili said with a smile, have had it too easy.
“They are spoiled,” he said. “I’ve spent 20 hours on a bus. So it’s no big thing.

Probably never the day before a game. That’s kind of different, but it happened, and we’ve just got to face it.”

Sid Ponson looks real solid as the Rangers get back in the win column …

Two poor starts in the span of five days last week sent Sidney Ponson back to school to resurrect a season that could resurrect his career.

A flaw in his mechanics had caused his best pitch, the sinker, to move sideways instead of down. Too many fly balls were being hit, and too many runs were scoring.
That changed Wednesday in the Texas Rangers' 10-1 victory over the Twins.

A sinker that stunk during Ponson's past two outings produced 18 ground ball outs, and he sunk his former team with his first complete game in more than three years.
Ponson won for the third time this season, allowing only one run on six hits as the Rangers ended a three-game slide and a six-game losing streak in the Metrodome. They scored seven times in the sixth inning to break open a scoreless game.

"My mechanics were much better tonight," said Ponson, who threw 110 pitches in the Rangers' third complete game this season. "I made a couple mistakes, but we won. The team hit and played good defense behind me."

Designated hitter Milton Bradley and manager Ron Washington were ejected after the top of the second inning by home-plate umpire Jeff Nelson. They missed Ponson's best effort in six starts since being recalled from Triple A Oklahoma last month.

He had allowed 13 runs (nine earned) and saw his ERA jump from 1.33 to 3.52. There aren't many pitchers who wouldn't want a sub-four ERA, but Ponson admits that he was off in those starts.

He was sharp again Wednesday. He matched his season-high with five strikeouts, and 18 of the 27 outs came on groundballs. The Twins didn't have a flyball out until the fifth.

Their only run came in the sixth after a leadoff triple and a one-out sacrifice fly. But the Rangers led 7-1 after ruining what had been a pitcher's duel between Ponson and Nick Blackburn in the top of the inning.

Michael Young led off with his fifth home run, and the inning got away from Blackburn (4-3) thanks to an error on a potential double-play grounder that led to six unearned runs.

The big blast was a three-run homer by Ian Kinsler, his fifth, and the final five runs were scored with two outs.

Josh Hamilton celebrated his 27th birthday by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and his first stolen base. Chris Shelton went 3-for-4, Gerald Laird homered, and David Murphy had two RBI doubles.

"It's exactly what we needed tonight," Kinsler said. "We're good offensively, and
we're going to score a lot of runs. Hopefully, we can get back in a groove."

Ponson made seven starts for the Twins in 2007, going 2-5 with a 6.93 ERA. He has said that he thought that stint was the last chance he would get to pitch in the major leagues.

But the Rangers signed him during spring training, and he is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA since he returned from Oklahoma on April 26.

Stars clean out the lockers, and speak of Cups …

Brad Richards said he's setting the bar very high for the Stars next season.

"I think we need to have the goal of winning the Stanley Cup," Richards said, emphasizing that he felt the goal was realistic.

"You don't throw that around lightly, but I think we've proven that's what we should be shooting for. Expectations, for me, are going to be really high next year ... and they should be."

And with that, Dallas players left the Dr Pepper StarCenter on Wednesday with their marching orders. After a season in which they advanced to the sixth game of the Western Conference finals, the Stars say they want more and are ready to embrace the challenge.

While players such as Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow, Stephane Robidas and Steve Ott had career-best seasons, they say that level now has to be a baseline.

"We're at a point where we should be setting a new career high every season," Ott said. "That should be a goal for each of us, and it should be a very realistic goal."

And if the main players continue to improve, then the team should continue to improve, coach Dave Tippett said.

"You're not accepting of being just all right anymore," Tippett said. "Now you want to be better every day."

The Stars say they can be because they have gotten a whiff of their potential.

"We're improving," captain Brenden Morrow said. "We made good strides this year, but it makes you realize how hard it is to get here and how hard we have to work to get back."

Is this the greatest commercial I have ever seen connected with my hockey?



I.Love.It.

Oh dear, the Hambricks – in trouble AGAIN! …

Not even a month after being cleared of a felony battery charge, former NFL football player Darren Hambrick was back in legal trouble.

Hambrick was arrested April 12 and accused of hitting his longtime girlfriend, Ileana Quiles, and stopping her son from calling 911.

Hambrick, 32, pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Monday and was assigned a court-appointed attorney. That means Hambrick doesn't have the money to hire his own lawyer.

Hambrick, of 38827 Coit Road in Lacoochee, is accused of pulling Quiles' hair and punching her in the head, according to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report.

Hambrick then struck Quiles in the leg with a glass table lamp, the report states.
Quiles told her son to call 911, but Hambrick intimidated him so he wouldn't, the report shows. When Quiles, her son and nephew attempted to call authorities again, Hambrick took away the phones, the report states.

Hambrick, who is free on bail, faces charges of tampering with a witness, a third-degree felony, and misdemeanor battery. A hearing is scheduled for June 17.
Hambrick was a Pasco High School football star who played five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. His NFL career ended in 2002.
He and his brother Troy led Pasco High to its only state championship in 1992.

Troy Hambrick, 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison this month after pleading guilty to selling 78 grams of crack cocaine to an undercover informant.

I cannot believe that family.



Now, on to the main event. I thought I hated both teams, but it is clear I hate Manchester United more. I was all excited as the game went on because Chelsea was more dangerous and hit the woodwork a few times. They were going to win the game it appeared. Then it went to extra time. Then it went to a shootout. Then Ronaldo looked like a goat as he missed! But, alas, as per usual, United figure out a way out of that mess with a little skill and a ton of luck as John Terry missed the open net.

And United are Champions of Europe. Yuck.

Guardian Unlimited …

Manchester United are once more engulfed in the delirious joy of Champions League melodrama. They were on the verge of defeat in the shoot-out as the Chelsea captain, John Terry, came up to take the penalty that would have taken the trophy to Stamford Bridge. His standing foot slipped as he struck the ball and the effort flew wide. A failure by Cristiano Ronaldo had been cancelled out.

The momentum was irreversibly United's and, in the end, Edwin van der Sar ensured that the trophy would come to Old Trafford for the third time by saving the spot kick from the substitute Nicolas Anelka. This is a club that cannot come by glory in this tournament until it has scared itself senseless. The Luzhniki Stadium witnessed a spectacle to compare with the comeback in 1999 when Bayern Munich were overtaken at the close of the final.

The memorability of such a moment depends as well on the images of the losers' pain. Terry had been magnificent and, 11 minutes into extra-time, had somehow twisted his neck to head away a shot by the substitute Ryan Giggs that was bound for the net. It seemed inconceivable then that such a character could be brought low.

He is no culprit. The single person meriting blame is Didier Drogba, sent off four minutes from the close of extra-time for aiming a slap at the United centre-half Nemanja Vidic following a mêlée after Chelsea had expected the ball to be returned to them at a throw-in. That folly by the Ivorian did not mar one of the most engrossing Champions League finals of modern times. Its main side effect was to promote Terry to taking the fifth penalty.

There is always a craving to consecrate winners as deserving of their prize. It is tempting to do that because, in the first half particularly, they scored, wasted openings and were thwarted by the goalkeeper Petr Cech. That was an outstanding spell but Chelsea's self-belief was also imposing. At times they appeared ready to overpower Sir Alex Ferguson's team.

The Scot declared this to be the first major shoot-out to have gone his way, dismissing the bauble of the Community Shield that was won in just such a fashion, against Chelsea, at the start of this season. Ferguson has now conquered in all four of his European finals since the days with Aberdeen.

It might all have been different in Moscow. Drogba had struck the woodwork in the 78th minute and Lampard would do likewise in stoppage-time. Nothing, it appears, goes in favour of the Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, for long. The Israeli could well have imagined that his luck was turning when his team came through an initial
bombardment. Now there will be more uncertainty and disquiet.

Terry's failure from the spot brought a gesture of wry exasperation from Roman Abramovich. The owner will ask himself if he is employing an unlucky manager or one who falls a little short of what is needed. Either way the Russian, deliberating in Moscow last night, cannot ignore the fact that Chelsea have failed to take a trophy for the first time in four seasons. Nor would he have liked the way in which United initially took his side by surprise.

To Chelsea's regret it turned out that it is possible for one of these teams to surprise the other. United did more still, disconcerting the opposition with tactics that helped Ronaldo score against these adversaries for the first time in his career. United had been sent out in a 4-4-2 formation that some might have supposed had been stashed in the Old Trafford museum. The purpose of it was to exploit the narrowness of Chelsea's 4-3-3 system and bedevil the full-backs. Michael Essien was the principal target. Accustomed as the midfielder is to operating on the right of the defence, he has no experience of the suffering to which Ronaldo subjected him.

The winger had left him utterly stranded in one incident and then embarrassed him more severely with the opener in the 27th minute. Paul Scholes exchanged passes with Wes Brown on the right and the latter stroked an unexpectedly good inswinging cross with his left foot. Ronaldo skipped in front of a static Essien to glide a perfect header low into the net.

It was a bruising encounter, with Scholes, for instance, requiring attention to a
bloodied nose after a crash between himself and Claude Makelele that led to a yellow card for each of them. All the same United were not diverted from performing with freedom. Owen Hargreaves brought his running power to bear from right midfield, the position in which he got his earlier Champions League winners' medal with Bayern Munich in 2001.

Ten minutes before half-time United should have been in a virtually unassailable position but Petr Cech parried Carlos Tevez's header and then reached Michael Carrick's shot from that rebound. There was a further opportunity nine minutes later when Tevez could not quite get to the low ball by Wayne Rooney that had eluded Makelele. Nonetheless United by then had been given a clue as to Chelsea's powers of recovery. When Drogba headed a deep cross into the centre after 34 minutes Rio Ferdinand, under pressure from Michael Ballack, knocked it towards his own net, only for Van der Sar to tip the ball on to the bar.

Chelsea had their fortune when pulling level. Essien's 25-yarder cannoned of Vidic and then Ferdinand to set up Lampard for a coolly taken goal. Though Chelsea had been rallying, their feelings much have contained a measure of relief. It invigorated the team thereafter. Each side took the other to its limits

Tonight! Tonight!



Love for the Ewoks

Jerry Likes to Spend

The blog returns to what you have come to expect today….Lots of cut and paste, and more soccer than most of you want.

We should start, though, with some very general managing on the part of the the Jones clan yesterday, as their two biggest contract concerns have been put to bed with as much ease and relaxation as Romo, Witten, and many others before them. The fact is that the Terrence Newman deal seemed to sneak up on the media a bit, with no indication that was about to go down as of Monday. But, on Tuesday, Newman is done at 2pm, and no sooner had the dust settled than before 3pm, the Marion Barber deal comes down.

There is no question that the Cowboys love what they have right now, and believe they have a Super Bowl Champion waiting to win. They have almost no other contractual concerns of note (Ken Hamlin and Chris Canty, I guess) and now can just focus on winning. Jerry is going all in with his draft day maneuvers and his willingness to sign up with Pac Man, Tank, and any other discounted stars to get the last pieces in place. There is no doubt he is obsessed with 2 things…1) winning and 2) showing you the fortune he wants for seats in the new stadium is worthy of your dollar.

If you are a Cowboys fan, this is going to be fun. And expensive.

The deals for Newman and Barber …

On a day when Jerry Jones and 31 other NFL teams voted unanimously to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, the Cowboys owner and general manager took care of two of his Pro Bowlers.

Cornerback Terence Newman signed a six-year extension worth $50.2 million with $22.5 million in guaranteed money, and running back Marion Barber signed a seven-year deal worth $45 million that includes $16 million guaranteed.

While the league and players association will have labor peace at least through 2010, the uncertainty of what might happen beyond that led to a flurry of action, even as Jerry and Stephen Jones attended the spring meetings in Atlanta.

The Cowboys wanted to get the deals done before the end of business Tuesday because of future changes to the salary cap following the owners' decision to opt out of the labor agreement.
How long signing bonuses can be prorated and how the 30 percent yearly increase would count against the salary cap would have been factors had the deal not been reached Tuesday.

The players wanted deals done so they could concentrate on football. Newman, entering the last year of his contract, was scheduled to make $1.4 million this season. Barber had been tendered a deal worth $2.562 million as a restricted free agent and missed the first day of organized team activities Tuesday.

He will be at today's workouts.

"I think it was a big factor for the Cowboys," Barber's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said of the deadline. "They have so many fine players and big deals they have to negotiate. So it may not be
a factor for other teams, but it was for the Cowboys.

"At the end of the day, it didn't matter to us, we were going to be patient and wait for a deal for our client," Rosenhaus said. "To their credit, they were very aggressive over the last 48 hours, and we were able to get it done in time. At the end of the day, both sides are very happy."

The moves continue the Cowboys' insistence on keeping their core players – from Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Bradie James, Jay Ratliff, Roy Williams, Flozell Adams, Andre Gurode, Patrick Crayton and Mat McBriar – before they hit the open market.

"The Cowboys' ownership once again demonstrated why players want to be a part of their organization," said Newman's agent, Ben Dogra, who also represents Williams. "They take care of their guys."

To create room under the salary cap, the Cowboys restructured Romo's contract, opening up nearly $5 million. The Cowboys have been in talks with safety Ken Hamlin regarding a multiyear deal, and have several key players like receiver Terrell Owens and offensive lineman Marc Colombo entering the last seasons of their contracts.

Newman's contract falls in line with the deals struck recently by cornerbacks Asante Samuel of Philadelphia ($23 million guaranteed), Oakland's DeAngelo Hall ($23.5 million) and Seattle's Marcus Trufant ($20 million). Newman turns 30 on Sept. 4.

Despite missing three games because of a foot injury, Newman was named to his first Pro Bowl last season after tying career highs in interceptions (four) and pass deflections (15).

"Sometimes when you don't have a contract going into your last year, you get to thinking about the wrong things," Newman said. "You worry about staying healthy and making plays you don't normally make. The fact that we're done with it, I only have to worry about playing football."

Barber also was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007 despite not starting a regular-season game. He ran for a career-high 975 yards on 204 carries with 10 touchdowns.

Barber's guaranteed money is $1 million more than what Michael Turner received from Atlanta as part of a six-year, $34.5 million contract this year and the amount Willis McGahee received in a seven-year, $40 million contract from Baltimore last season after his trade from Buffalo.

TERENCE NEWMAN
Six-year extension, totaling $50.2 million
Signing bonus: $12 million
Guaranteed money: $22.5 million

MARION BARBER
Seven-year deal, totaling $45 million
Signing bonus: $12 million
Guaranteed money: $16 million

More great work from Albert Breer at the Cowboys blog as he looks at the core and their deals ….

I thought we'd take a look at the contract status of all 13 of the club's Pro Bowlers. With Newman and Leonard Davis celebrating their 30th birthdays on back-to-back September days, the Thursday and Friday before the opener, six of Dallas' 13 Pro Bowl players will be 30-somethings to start the season. Here's the opening-day age (in parantheses) of each player, and the year each one of them is locked up through ...

OT Flozell Adams (33) -- 2013
RB Marion Barber (25) -- 2014
OG Leonard Davis (30) -- 2013
OLB Greg Ellis (33) -- 2009
K Nick Folk (23) -- 2010
C Andre Gurode (30) -- 2012
S Ken Hamlin (27) -- unsigned*
CB Terence Newman (30) -- 2014
WR Terrell Owens (34) -- 2008
QB Tony Romo (28) -- 2013
OLB DeMarcus Ware (26) -- 2009
S Roy Williams (28) -- 2010
TE Jason Witten (26) -- 2012
* -- Franchise player

Add it all up and nine of the 13 are signed through the next three years, and seven (Adams, Barber, Davis, Gurode, Newman, Romo, Witten) are inked for the next five seasons. I would expect that Ware will join both those groups well before his rookie deal expires.

And all of that is pretty impressive. It may have taken Jerry and Co. a while to build a championship core again. But give them this: They are serious about keeping one together when they have it.

What are the future free agency issues? …

Here, I'm going to provide the list of the free-agents-to-be over the next two years, so you guys can see any drain on the roster that could be coming. I didn't include franchise player Ken Hamlin or restricted free agent Chris Canty on these lists, since the status of those two is still up in the air. Canty is expected to sign his one-year, $2.019 million tender, with an eye on being part of the 2009 free-agent class, while Hamlin is seeking a long-term deal.

Here's the rest ...
Up after 2008
WR Miles Austin*
C/G Joe Berger
DE Stephen Bowen*
LB Kevin Burnett
OT Marc Colombo
TE Tony Curtis*
WR Sam Hurd*
NT Tank Johnson
CB Evan Oglesby*
WR Terrell Owens
C/G Cory Procter*

Up after 2009
OLB Greg Ellis
DE Jason Hatcher
CB Anthony Henry
QB Brad Johnson
OT Pat McQuistan
OLB Justin Rogers*
DE Marcus Spears
OLB DeMarcus Ware
S Pat Watkins

Check out this Gem: From Michael Lombardi’s Football Blog, A detailed evaluation of his skills …read carefully…

Williams as a player represents a shift in the game that has happen over the last few years. There was a time in the NFL where you could have a strong safety and a free safety, but today's NFL safties have to be able to play in the high part of the field, which I call level three. When you evaluate a safety its critical that they be able to play on the third level, regardless of man or zone.

Even in zone if the defender is playing in a cover two shell and a wide outs comes into his area, he still has to man him up. So when a safety lacks explosive movement in pass coverage and is limited to playing on the second level only, then he will be attacked each and every week.

Williams agent, Ben Dogra called me three years ago before he was going to finalize his extension for Williams and asked me what I thought. My thoughts were unless he was going to be moved to Will Linebacker, then there was no way he could justify the amount of money on the table. Dogra assured me the deal was for him to play safety and my reaction was for him to take the money and run-fast.

Williams lack of athleitic skills and coverage skills limits what Wade Phillips can do with his scheme on Sunday, he is always trying to hide him and hoping he can keep him from being in space and having to play in coverage. That is why the Cowboys send him on blitzes all the time. Blitzes keep him out of coverage-which is what the Cowboys need to do.

No matter how many Pro Bowls Williams achieves, he wears a big circle on his chest each week as opposing offensive coordinators plan to attack him in coverage. Now, add the notion that he has gone Hollywood, and refuses to work hard-his time in the NFL will be short lived. The NFL is all about what can you do for a team today, its always moving forward and it could care less when and where you were drafted. You have to justify the pick with your play.

Williams football career sounds like he is on borrowed time.

Adam Morris points out that CJ Wilson is not missing bats anymore …

Percentage of strikes that are swinging strikes for various Ranger relievers:
C.J. Wilson -- 12%
Joaquin Benoit -- 21%
Frankie Francisco -- 22%
Franklyn German -- 17%
Eddie Guardado -- 13%
Jamey Wright -- 11%
Josh Rupe -- 14%
The major league average is 14%.

Last season, when C.J. Wilson had 2 strikes on a batter, he allowed opposing batters to hit .134/.258/.150 against him. He allowed 17 hits, and just 2 XBHs (both doubles), in 151 PAs. He got 2 strikes on 53% of the batters he faced, and struck out 41.7% of batters once he got 2 strikes on them.

In 2008, with 2 strikes, hitters are hitting .175/.250/.350 against Wilson, including 3 XBHs (1 double and 2 homers). He's gotten 2 strikes on 56% of the batters he has faced, but he's struck out only 23% of them.

In 2007, Wilson threw a first pitch strike to 55% of the batters he saw. In 2008, he's thrown a first pitch strike to 49% of the batters he's seen.

In a nutshell...the biggest problem seems to be that Wilson isn't putting batters away this season, as reflected in his low swinging strike percentage and his low K rate once he has 2 strikes on hitters.

Carmelo anyone? …

They have been talking around the league and one of the teams they will revisit is Denver, where Carmelo Anthony is available. League sources insist the Nuggets are making Anthony available for the right price. The Nets have spoken to Denver - Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe drafted Anthony and reshaped the Nuggets roster when he was there.

Vandeweghe refused any comment on talks with the Nuggets but admitted the Nets will look to be active this summer but only in "trying to make deals that are good for your team so you are always talking to everybody around the league. But I am a firm believer in not making trades just to make trades."

So where the Nets pick will add to their summer intrigue. They have their own pick (likely 10) and No. 21 from Dallas through the Jason Kidd trade. Should they get No. 1, they would keep it for Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Same with No. 2, assuming Memphis' Derrick Rose went first to another team. If they got three, they might look to deal and a higher pick could be attractive to Denver.

The Nets and Nuggets discussed various parameters of a deal, which would not occur until after June 30 when the full $14.4 million on Anthony's 2008-09 contract kicks in. He is a base year compensation type, which makes trades difficult. One proposal contained "a lot of pieces" including the Nets' pick, Richard Jefferson and Marcus Williams for Anthony and Marcus Camby. One source stressed nothing is imminent and talks are still in the infancy stage.

Another Solid Hockey Blog I have Bookmarked …



And now, for a considerable amount of blog, I point you in the direction of the single biggest club football event of the year…And it happens today! ESPN 2, coverage begins at 1, kickoff at 1:45.

The Champions League Final! And yes, I hate both teams, but it is the Super Bowl of their sport, and they will have more viewers than the Super Bowl, and I like soccer, so sue me…

Thanks to television, the local kickoff time in Moscow is really late ….But at least it will hit London in prime time, right? And it should give everyone a fair chance to get properly drunk…

Manchester United and Chelsea are making history with the first all-English Champions League final—and the one with the latest starting time.

Kickoff at Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday is 10:45 p.m. (2:45 p.m. EDT), which is 8:45 p.m. for television viewers in Western Europe. If the game goes to overtime and a shootout, the new champion won’t be crowned until about 1:30 a.m. Trains on the Moscow subway system are running two hours later than usual to accommodate fans.

“We’ve only had two days here so there is no adjustment,” Chelsea midfielder Frank
Lampard said. “Our body clock is basically ready to deal with that time.”

United has been playing in European soccer for more than a half century but has never kicked off this late.

“Even if we had it at 4 in the morning, that’s not really going to bother me,” United defender Rio Ferdinand said. “It’s not something that has played on our minds. We will just deal with it.”

By kickoff, 40,000 English fans who traveled to the match should have had plenty of time to down a pint—or perhaps a few. Because most hotel rooms were booked up months ago, many supporters are taking chartered flights, will go to the game and then fly home at breakfast time Thursday.

“We don’t care how late it kicks off, as long as we win,” said Man United fan Jimmy Westmancoat, who flew out from England on Monday.

Champions League Final Funfacts …

Facts and figures relating to the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday:

— Wednesday’s all-English final will be the third same-country final in the Champions League following the all-Spanish clash between Real Madrid and Valencia in Paris in 2000, which Real won 3-0, and the all-Italian match between AC Milan and Juventus in Manchester in 2003 which Milan won 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

— Wednesday’s final will be the 53rd since the competition started in 1955-56 and England are guaranteed an 11th success, bringing them level with Italy and Spain as the most successful countries. They will also win a 29th success in the three European club competitions, equalling Spain’s record.

— It is the fourth successive season that England have been represented in the final following Liverpool’s success in 2005, Arsenal’s defeat in 2006 and Liverpool’s defeat last season.

— Moscow will be staging the Champions League final for the first time, nine years after it staged the UEFA Cup final between Parma and Olympique Marseille which Parma won 3-0.

— United manager Alex Ferguson will become the 16th man to win the European Cup more than once if United triumph, following his success in 1999. He would also set a record of winning longevity in European club competition—he won his first European trophy, the Cup Winners’ Cup, with Aberdeen in 1983.

— He will become, at 66, the second-oldest man to win the trophy if United triumph. The oldest is Belgian Raymond Goethals who was 71 when Marseille won in 1993.

— Chelsea coach Avram Grant would become the first Israeli, either as a coach or player, to win the European Cup. Chelsea defender Tal Ben-Haim would become the first Israeli to be on the winning team if he plays, which is unlikely.

— Six players in the two squads will be looking to win the European Cup with a second club. United’s Edwin van der Sar won it with Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 while Owen Hargreaves won it with Bayern Munich in 2001.

— Chelsea’s four previous winners are Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira (both Porto 2004), Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan 2003) and Claude Makelele (Real Madrid 2002).

— Ryan Giggs will beat Bobby Charlton’s all-time club appearance record of 758
matches for United if he plays and could also win the trophy for a second time. He and Gary Neville were in United’s winning 1999 team while Wes Brown was a non-playing substitute. Paul Scholes, who is expected to play on Wednesday, was suspended in 1999.

— Wednesday’s match will be the third major final between the two clubs. Manchester United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final in 1994 while Chelsea beat United 1-0 in last season’s FA Cup final.

— Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United and Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Chelsea have all played at the Luzhniki Stadium this season for England. Rooney gave England a first-half lead against Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifier on Oct. 17, but Russia ended 2-1 winners.

— If Chelsea triumph they would be the first club from London to win the European Cup.

Will Chelsea have Ashley Cole to chase down Ronaldo today ?…

Ashley Cole is a doubt for the Champions League final after receiving a blow to the ankle in a challenge with Claude Makelele. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
Chelsea's preparations for this evening's European Cup final were dealt a late blow last night when Ashley Cole, the England full-back, who was due to directly confront Cristiano Ronaldo at the Luzhniki Stadium, suffered an ankle injury which leaves his participation in doubt.

Cole was injured in a tackle from his team-mate Claude Makelele as the Londoners' squad trained on the turf in Moscow. He was forced to hobble from the pitch to have the joint strapped and, after some clear initial discomfort as he jogged on the touchline, he did eventually rejoin the side in a practice match with Makelele offering his apologies.

Those were accepted, albeit grudgingly at first, though the full-back was unable to complete the training session and left early, still shaking his head, with the masseur Bill McCulloch for treatment on the swollen right ankle in the dressing rooms.

The joint will be assessed more fully today, though Chelsea are hopeful Cole - a losing finalist in this competition with Arsenal two years ago, and absent with a knee injury when England lost in this arena last October - will be fit to confront United, and the 41-goal Ronaldo, this evening.

In a report on their website, Chelsea said: "In a challenge with Claude Makelele Ashley Cole hurt his right ankle. He was treated, it was tested, then strapped - but after consultation between [Avram] Grant, club doctor Bryan English and physios Dave Hancock and Thierry Laurent, Cole resumed and took full part in the final training game."

Sir Alex Ferguson had his own injury concerns last night with Nemanja Vidic and Louis Saha forced to miss training at the stadium. However, while the France striker may not be fit enough to feature on the bench, United are confident Vidic will be able to start. "He has a different training programme to the other players, but he will definitely play," said Ferguson.

And if that wasn’t enough, Steve Morrow got the axe …which I hate to see, but lose 5-1 in front of your franchise’s biggest crowd will cause things like that…

Morrow, a former Dallas player, guided his former team through 38 regular-season matches and leaves with a record of 15-15-8 and secured 53 of a possible 114 points.
The loss to David Beckham's Galaxy on Sunday and Morrow's subsequent dismissal capped a rough stretch for FC Dallas, which is winless in its last four matches. Tensions were high with Thursday's dismissal of Morrow's top assistant, Jorge Alvial.

Dallas (2-3-3) is fourth in the Western Conference with nine points. Morrow is the first MLS coach to lose his job this season.

"Due to a recent run of poor results, I fully accept responsibility, and if the team needs to go in a different direction, then I wish the players nothing but great success for the remainder of the season and beyond," Morrow said in a statement.
Hitchcock, who mentioned the need for strong leadership qualities in the next coach, also cited Dallas' lack of success defending the home turf.

"If you look on our home record over the last year and a half, we have had 30 matches and have won 10 of those," he said. "I'm a firm believer that when we bring our fans out to the stadiums, this needs to be a home-field advantage for the team, and we need the team to respond and reward the fans for coming out."

Buzz Carrick is on the case with a good summary …

I got this email yesterday:

Hi Bob,

As a friend of Buckner's, I just thought I would pass this along to you and The Ticket to let you know about some exciting news for Buckner and Shoes for Orphan Souls -- and the need for volunteers in North Texas! More information below. Thank you for all you do!

- Jenny

MEDIA ADVISORY

TITLE: Large Humanitarian Aid Donation as a result of Texas tornado – Local Volunteers Enlisted!
DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 2008
LOCATION: Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, 5405 Shoe Drive, Mesquite, TX (just east of Buckner Blvd. on Samuell)
TIME: Volunteer prep 9 a.m.

San Angelo Tornado Creates Whirlwind of Need for Volunteers in North Texas

DALLAS, Texas – A mid-April tornado that ripped through the R.G. Barry shoe company’s San Angelo distribution center has caused a whirlwind of volunteer activity for a North Texas non-profit.

Because of the damage caused by the twister, Shoes for Orphan Souls, a shoe collection ministry of Dallas-based Buckner International, is receiving an estimated 180,000 pairs of R.G. Barry shoes and slippers over the next few weeks.

The windfall, says Shoes for Orphan Souls director Rachel Garton, has created the need for additional local volunteers to help sort and prepare the shoes for distribution to orphan and at-risk children in more than 62 countries.

“Getting multiple truckloads of shoes in a short period is very unusual,” she says. “Usually, donated shoes come in large boxes, or one or two truckloads, but never in this volume. Because these shoes are arriving at an already busy part of our collection season, we need volunteer groups and individuals to come to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid to help sort and prepare this large number of shoes.”

A May 21 volunteer event from 9 a.m. to noon at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, located at 5405 Shoe Drive in Mesquite, will highlight the need for volunteer groups’ participation. About 40 fifth- and sixth-grade students from The Winston School in Dallas will prepare shoes from one of several shipments arriving from San Angelo and shipped courtesy of Wal-Mart. The shipment is expected to arrive at 10 a.m. and special accommodations for live shots and interviews can be made.

Garton says volunteering is “easy and rewarding. It’s a climate-controlled setting, and we take individual volunteers and groups both large and small -- civic organizations, Sunday school classes, clubs, schools, or families -- all it takes are people wanting to make a difference. Come for an hour, come for the day.”

Processing of the tornado shoes is expected to take three months, and Garton says volunteers can call the humanitarian aid center at (214) 367-8080, ext. 1009, to schedule a time to volunteer.

In its ninth year of operation as a ministry of Buckner, Shoes for Orphan Souls has distributed more than 1.6 million pairs of shoes to more 62 countries. For more information about Shoes for Orphan Souls, visit the Web site at www.ShoesforOrphanSouls.org.

Stars Playoff Run Remembered



Red Neck's Wife versus Desert Eagle .50



Fifa Street

Game 6: Detroit 4, Dallas 1 (Detroit Wins, 4-2)

“I can honestly look at those guys that we have – starting with Brenden Morrow – and say they left everything on the ice. Everything.” – Dave Tippett, after Game 6.

The darned thing about these fairy tales is that sometimes you might not care much for the ending. And so it goes as the 2008 Dallas Stars season ends at Game #100.

A 4-1 loss to the Stanley-Cup-Finals-Bound Detroit Red Wings killed the collective buzz of the 18,532 – but when the dust settles, the journey will be seen for what it was – a fabulous 40 day ride that will stay with those of us who love this sport and this team for a long time.

The truth is that this team squeezed everything out of its ability. There really was not much of a case to be made that the Stars deserved this series. Detroit, sadly, is better. And at times, it seemed obvious that they were quite a bit better.

But, what is that saying? That there is one team in the Western Conference that is better than the Dallas Stars? We’ve come a long way, baby.

In the life span of the Dave Tippett/Marty Turco era, the Dallas Stars have made the playoffs every year. But, as we all know, when they got there they were not quite sure what to do about it. From 2003-2007, the Stars accumulated 11 playoff wins. This spring, they gave us 10. They truly gave us something to Believe.

Let’s wrap this run up with some notes and thoughts from Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals:

• You could tell the Stars just weren’t themselves last night. Give Detroit all of their due. Tough questions were asked of them, and they answered all with such overwhelming power that they had grabbed momentum by the throat within 5 minutes of faceoff last night. Having said that, as a Stars fan that starting feeling greedy about potential accomplishments this spring, allow me to point out that the errors from our boys were tough to take. Datsyuk took the puck from between Grossman’s legs on his goal, Morrow set up Zetterberg with a very poor turnover, and the other two goals were scored when Marty couldn’t find the puck and for some reason an unmolested Red Wing was allowed to stand right next to him and poke home a near-freebie. Detroit crashed the net with great urgency last night, but we have seen the Stars stand up that barrage with far more effectiveness in recent games.

• When I started calling Brenden Morrow our very own William Wallace a while back, I would have the occasional e-mailer respond to me that I obviously didn’t remember that Wallace died in the end while fighting bravely and valiantly for Scotland. Nope. I remember my favorite movie quite well. The sad reality is that 29 teams end in a figurative “death” every-year. But do they surrender? Some do. Not William Wallace. He fights to the death. And Morrow, with injuries everywhere, fought like a Captain should. To the End.

• One truth that is told every spring is that hockey is the ultimate team game. 20 guys are required to each do their part. We saw it in every round, and in this series, who could ignore the great battle between Stephane Robidas and Dallas Drake? With players making $7 or $8 million a season on the same ice, both of those veteran warriors will take bruises forward at a much lower salary, and for Robidas, he forever will hold a special place in Dallas’ heart for his heroic efforts all year long. He properly demonstrates the guts of a professional hockey player. I have to think he might need a few weeks to heal up. Well deserved.

• I cannot stress how proud I was of the Dallas hockey fan last night. I am not sure I heard a “Boo” all night directed at the home team (no matter how bad they played at times). Personally, I think they earned a “boo-less” night given the fact that it was only due to their sheer will that there was even a game last night to begin with. Then, to top it off, the final minute of the game gave me chills. The full house was waving their white towels and showing proper appreciation for the 40 nights of playoff enjoyment. You paid a proper tribute. And when Morrow and Mike Ribeiro skated off and saluted the crowd, it was a wonderful portrait to remember as we wait for October.

• Not to reference Brett Favre or Roger Clemens here, but there comes a time in every athlete’s career when you wonder if you just saw their last performance. I am almost positive that Mike Modano will be back, but the thought did cross my mind as I saw him leave the ice. Next month, Mike will celebrate his 38th birthday.

• Another few thoughts on the Red Wings. Chris Osgood was very solid when he needed to be this series. It may be easier to be the goalie for a team like that, but the truth is that there will come a time when you must make a save to bail out your team, and he was seemingly always up to the challenge. Last night in the 3rd period, he was the best he had been the whole series.

• The Detroit Penalty Kill has given the Stars fits all year. They are so aggressive that the Stars never find a comfortable posture when setting up the man-advantage. It helps when you have the talent, but even more so, that team seems to be the smartest team in hockey. Very few mistakes, and when you see a botched line-change like you did in Game 5, you are almost amazed that Detroit was capable of a mental gaffe. Smart players make smart plays, and it is obvious that Ken Holland and Scotty Bowman know a little about finding players with a fine Hockey IQ.

• I think I would install Detroit as a slight favorite in what should be a fine Finals matchup for our sport. If you love hockey, you must find some pleasure in an attractive match-up for the nation to take note of in the next few weeks. I wanted Dallas there badly, but short of that, Pittsburgh and Detroit is good for the
game.

• In 1997, the Stars lost a painful game 7 in Round 1. In 1998, they lost in the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in 6 games. In 1999, they won the Stanley Cup. Hmmm. In 2007, the Stars lost a painful Game 7 in Round 1. In 2008, the Stars lost in the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in 6 games. In 2009…..

• Michael Scott, Branch Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton Office sent me his thoughts on Game 6’s loss and the end of the magical Stars run: “it feels like somebody took my heart and dropped it into a bucket of boiling tears... and at the same time, somebody else is hitting my soul in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer... and then a third guy walks in and starts punching me in the grief bone... and I'm crying, and nobody can hear me, because I'm terribly, terribly... terribly alone.”

• Cheer up. This thing is headed in the right direction. The next wave, with Morrow, Ribeiro, Richards, Turco, and the gang, is ready to march forward with all of this new confidence and experience. They have learned what they are capable of. I refuse to believe they came up short. I believe they exceeded everyone’s expectations. Moving forward, those expectations will raise, and then it will be time to figure out how a Stanley Cup can be grabbed again. But, for now, enjoy the progress. Enjoy the memories. And, enjoy a few months without hockey. Because 2008-09 is on its way. And I suspect our boys will have some unfinished business to attend to and complete.

Game 5: Dallas 2, Detroit 1 (Det, 3-2)

Game 4 was about Pride. Game 5 was about crossing another task off the list. You know, that Joe Louis Arena “curse”. There is no curse. There is a game that requires will, precision, and belief. And on Saturday, this team had belief in what it does and who it is.

This is getting good, because Game 6 is about getting even with those Red Wings. Amazingly, the Stars are still breathing. And almost more amazingly, their pulse is getting stronger.

So feel free to make the mistake I did at your own peril. You see, 5 days ago, I was writing a column to the 18,532 that sounded like I was prepared for a funeral. A happy funeral for sure – like the one for someone who lived a really long, successful, respected life - but, still a funeral. Down 3-0, I was convinced that the heroic Dallas Stars 2008 Playoff run had smiled its last smile.

I didn’t see any way out of this mess. Sadly, despite being told all spring to “Believe”, I obviously did not. I was very proud of my boys taking down the Ducks and the Sharks, but the dream was over. Nice try, boys.

Well, I have never been so pleased to be wrong. And, I might have been wrong about something else, too. Maybe Skill doesn’t always beat Will. That isn’t to say the Stars don’t have plenty of skill, nor is it saying the Red Wings don’t have will.

But, since the theme of this series early on has been that Detroit is just too talented, then I think Games 4 and 5 indicate that maybe the Stars have too much will to go quietly into the night. Or too much will to go at all.

I don’t know quite what we are looking at right now. I still must remind all of us that the odds remain greatly stacked against Dallas. But if you don’t believe that this thing is back on in a huge fashion, then you haven’t been watching. The Stars didn’t need a plane to fly back to Texas. They felt great to earn a reprieve. And now, they realize that the mountain is being climbed. They are 60 minutes away from tying this series. 60 minutes of home hockey that could force a magical Game 7.

Game 6’s have been filled with memories in this franchise’s history. Brett Hull in Buffalo years ago, or Brenden Morrow at 1:24 am a few weeks ago come quickly to mind as two of the best. But, when you recall the two Game 6 wars in this city this spring – Game 6 versus the Ducks and the Quadruple Overtime to beat the Sharks, both were being fought with ferocity from the Boys in Black to avoid a Game 7 in California. Now, there is nothing in the world that the Stars would want to do more, than fly to Detroit for a Game 7 in Michigan Wednesday Night. Their house of horrors is now their dream destination. A lot can change on a Saturday afternoon, eh?

Notes and Observations from a glorious spring day in Detroit:

• Congratulations to Marty Turco. In his 12th try at the Joe, Turco gets a win. Nobody ever mentioned that his first 11 trips to Detroit included only 15 Dallas goals. It was all laid at his feet. Well, he seemed fine with that. Need some big saves? Holmstrom, Cleary, Zetterberg, and about 36 more come to mind. Need some offense? Turco set up both goals with passes, and also set up a 3rd great chance for Nik Hagman that Chris Osgood stopped. He is locked in again, and I wonder if he feels he can remain in the zone through Wednesday? Guess what, he will need to.

• After Game 2 , I wrote about punching the Red Wings in the face with adversity. I am telling you, they are not comfortable at times like these. They do not want to be on an airplane back to Texas. They thought that this weekend was a celebration of their triumphant return to the Stanley Cup Finals. This coach, this captain, these superstars, and most of this team have not done it in the playoffs. When adversity strikes Detroit, they have struck out since the days of Yzerman, Federov, Shanahan and that awesome group that won 3 Cups in 6 seasons. This group is awesome, too, but do they have the resolve and the heart? Test time. Doubt is a heavy backpack.

• My vote for the craziest stat I have ever seen: Take a guess (without cheating) of which Dallas player played the most ice time when the game was at equal strength. If you get this, you are a genius. Modano? Zubov? Ribeiro? Morrow? Robidas? Richards? Norstrom? Still guessing? Toby Peterson. Or as Zetterberg and Datsyuk must be saying now, Toby-Freaking-Peterson, who had a team-leading 19:25 when the game was at 5-on-5. I don’t believe it.

• Joel Lundqvist sure didn’t look like he wanted to take that shot that he scored on. He looked set to pass the entire way in on the 2 on 1 after a botched line change from Chris Chelios. But, he finally ripped it high corner past Osgood, and scored the game winner. What a game for that entire line with Toby, Lundqvist, and Loui Eriksson. Lundqvist even ran over Tomas Holmstrom seconds before a frustrated Holmstrom punched someone on the Stars bench taking a minor for roughing at precisely the wrong moment for his team.

• Detroit still dominated in the face-off circle, and dominated the shots on goal. The difference in what the Stars have figured out appears to be subtle. They are simply trying to make Detroit possess the puck on the outer part of the rink. Protect the slot, and protect the goalmouth. This still sacrifices shots and possession, but the premium shots are minimized. It also makes the Red Wings skill players engage much of their shift fighting in puck battles in the corners with the likes of Peterson or Steve Ott. Puck battles are about grit and fight, not skill and talent. If you can engage 13 and 40 in a corner, you will have a much better chance than in open ice.

• Jiri Hudler scored Detroit’s only goal on a power play. It was a pretty nice rebound finish for Hudler, but I was sure wondering how Detroit was on that PP to begin with given that Darren McCarty had run over Turco in the sequence prior to that which did not get called.

• Good to see Trevor Daley score and finish a game high +2. In this playoff run, Daley has at times been the forgotten man in the back, but his speed should always be something that gets the opponent’s attention. He can step into a rush as a trailer, as he did yesterday on Richards’ drop pass, and provide a nice element.

• Detroit can never be counted out. When Morrow hit the crossbar, he had a golden chance to get the Stars a bit of breathing room. It didn’t work, so it was hang on again in the final minutes. The final icing call made the last minute even more agonizing, but the Stars were up to the task.

• Credit Kris Draper with an exceptional cross check on Brenden’s face. Nice technique, Kris. Not sure how that call was missed, but I am sure it was an accident. Between Osgood’s butt-end and Draper’s cross check, it would seem Detroit has quite a few accidents with their conduct.

• I always enjoy a movie reference to sum up my feelings. But, I can’t take credit for this one. Many of you have been sending me the Rocky IV clip where Rocky realizes that Ivan Drago bleeds. Once he bleeds, you realize he is human. Once you realize he is human, you realize that your punches can hurt. Then, you realize victory can be had. It all starts, though, with a drop of blood. The Wings were just cut. Let’s see how that affects the two teams.

• The beauty of playoff hockey is this: No matter what you pay these guys in salary, you cannot put a price on victory. It is priceless. Imagine the money that could be raised if you could put a price on a Game 6 victory. We would all scramble to the phones to pledge what we could. But, it can’t be bought. It must be earned. Don’t look now, but your Dallas Stars are ready. Let’s see if this improbable, and some might even say impossible dream can keep going.

• Game 6 is very necessary.