Wednesday Links

Rangers lose, show frustration …

Michael Young was frustrated, and Mark Teixeira was blunt.

"My three years here, this is the worst that it's ever been," Teixeira said. "Everything. My rookie year, we lost something like 20 of 23 in June.

"This is worse than that."

But, wait, there is more:

"I had hoped we were ready to take it to the next level this season instead of taking a step backward," Young said. "This is my fifth year with this team, and we've never finished higher than third place. It's hard when every season you start concentrating on next year.

"I don't want to think of myself as a losing player. I know how to stay locked in for a game, and I'll do that. Unfortunately, I've had that practice."

Evan Grant’s newsletter takes on the angry Rangers fans…

A look back at the Mavs with Finley …

Mark Cuban second guesses himself …

Are we going to get back in the business of taking on bad contracts to get a single player. No. Will we consider trading short term contracts for longer, more expensive players, yes. If it makes basketball sense and doesnt inhibit our future. The difference going forward today vs the past is that Avery and Donnie are putting in programs and structure that will allow us to better evaluate players and choose those that put our team in the best position to succeed. We never did that in the past.

We made trades because we thought we knew players. Im embarrased to admit, but this summer was the first time we actually brought in non rookie Free Agents that we were interested in to work out. Before, we just called the agents of guys we liked and tried to work out deals.

Avery and Donnie and Joe P have watched more tape in a week of players that we have talked about in trades or Free Agency then we have watched in any summer since I bought the team and maybe in all combined.

Its my fault that we got to this point.

I never should have authorized deals without asking for far more details. I was guilty of being overly optomistic. I wanted to believe that the next deal was the one that was the difference maker. I found ways to rationalize the business side and how i would only be losing a few more dollars and that if it made the difference it was worth it. I enabled a culture where we always thought that if we had assets to trade we could fix a mistake.

I was wrong.

John Clayton looks at the Cowboys building their roster with more Parcells guys this spring …

Kyle Field is #1 stadium in America …



Liberty Allows Flip-Flops! …

LYNCHBURG, Virginia (AP) -- Capri pants and flip-flops will be fine in class but shorts will remain forbidden as school starts next week at Liberty University, the college founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Students were notified of the more relaxed campus dress code by e-mail. As recently as five years ago, men were required to wear ties at the university and women had to wear long skirts or dresses.

And a few quick e-mails:

Sports Sturm,

I missed your previous discussion on Parcells and EA sports - but in case you never got an answer as to why Tuna is not in the game - it's because he declined to become a member in the NFL Coaches Association, and EA contracted with the Association for their images and likenesses.

NFL Coaches.com

David Smith

And this one from last yesterday’s Rosenhaus segment:

I love lectures from professional athletes and super agents. More please. And it is the media's fault, if you don't like it TOO BAD! I am marching right into my bosses office to tell him I am playing golf this afternoon and if he doesn't like it, TOO BAD! When he fires me I will sock him in the face, go play golf, and demand a second chance tomorrow while at the same time telling him that when I come back I will expect to play golf again. brilliant! Pro athletes and super agents should rule the world.

DK