Finally, Thursday Links.

In Memphis, reality is setting in …

The Grizzlies are good.

The other guys are better.

It's simple and devastating, all at once.

But what other conclusion can you reach after watching the Mavericks dismantle the Grizzlies Wednesday night, 94-79?

The Grizzlies tried hard.

The Grizzlies always try hard. They are a plucky bunch of players who like each other and support each other and give it the old college try.

This works very well during the regular season, when some teams float from game to game.

Then come the playoffs.

Then nobody floats.

Then the better players win.

And the Mavericks are better, no matter how you look at it. They have the better big guys and the better wing guys. They have the better starters and the better bench.
They are both bigger than the Grizzlies and faster than the Grizzlies.

They have the better dance team, too.

And the better mascot.

And the better international star with facial hair.

And, oh, this is depressing, isn't it?

Another day, another Choke-O Cordero masterpiece …

The Rangers have spent 10 days trying to figure out how to pull Francisco Cordero out of his startling tailspin. The next option may be to simply pull Cordero.
A struggling Cordero says he won't be surprised if he has lost the closer job. 'Whatever they do, I'm going to agree with it.'

"We'll see if there are any adjustments to make," Showalter said. "If so, I'm going to talk to the player first."

For the 2nd day in a row, we check in with Jamey Newberg: For his take …

Yesterday I wrote this, regarding Francisco Cordero's woes:

"We need to keep giving him the ball to protect ninth-inning leads, and hope that just around the corner are a couple extra ticks on the radar gun, a little lower plane on the fastball and the slider, and a better look in his
eye."

Someone on the message board respectfully questioned what I wrote, suggesting it was time to move Cordero out of his role as closer. I responded:

"Not yet. Not ruling it out, but not yet."

Seven hours later, my patience, already circling the drain, gurgled away.
Cordero shouldn't be this team's closer. At least not for a while.

Buck Showalter had a tough call to make yesterday, one he undoubtedly made before game time: Do I close with Cordero today, getting him right back on the horse? Or do I give him the day off, which I can pull off without creating a media firestorm by pointing out that he'd thrown 32 adversity-ridden pitches the day before -- in fact, half a day before?

He used Cordero. And the result was disastrous. Again. And this time, the offense didn't bail him out.

The last time I felt this way was with Cowboy cornerback Kevin Smith, post-torn Achilles.

It's time to unseat Cordero, who is being spanked to the tune of .326/.400/.558, and give Akinori Otsuka (.250/.250/.325, no walks, 11 strikeouts in 10 innings) the ball in the ninth. Texas is just a game out of first, and things are now at a point where you owe it to the other 24 --even if they're not asking for it -- to change the ninth-inning dynamic.

You can only let Dan Johnson beat you so many times.

Let’s say a game of “pick up sticks” is breaking out. You have to bet your life on either Francisco Cordero or Marty Turco being the steady hand in adversity. What do you do? And, is suicide an option?

Fraley on the Stars …

XM Radio commercial that makes me giggle …

Find cheap gas here …or ride your bike…

More indirect publicity for BaD Radio …

“Bill Guerin is one of the highest-paid players in the league, at $6.7 million, but he isn't even getting on the ice on the power play and -- to make matters worse -- has a boot-camp haircut because he lost a bet when his beloved Boston College Eagles lost to Wisconsin at the Frozen Four.

He has to step up, and coach Dave Tippett needs to show more faith in him for that to happen.”

Aggie blows top …and says naughty words…

Since he couldn’t play QB, Heath Shuler is running for congress ….seriously…

Brett Hull sings! …

I don’t claim to know much about music. I like many genres and know very little about any of them. But, I always enjoy it when my music consultant, Kevin Scott (Hardline Ticker Man) offers me a CD that I dig from the Hip Hop world. He hits big on about 1 a year. In 2004, it was Beastie Boys – To the Five Boroughs. Then in 2005, it was Kanye and the College Dropout. Well, KScott has done it again. He has burned me a CD that is a few years old, but it is new to me: “Original Pirate Material” from The Streets …A Brit white boy who can bust a rhyme. Well done, KScott.

Packers make a curious move – signing Chuck Woodson …

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said that he had been in draft meetings all day and was unaware that the team had reached agreement on a deal with Woodson. But he said that when the 29-year-old cornerback visited the Packers April 3, he told Woodson that he would be able to play some wide receiver if he signed in Green Bay.

Woodson doesn't have the blazing speed he had coming out of college - he was timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at his pro day - but at 6-1, 200 pounds he is a physical player with outstanding athletic ability. The Packers signed him because they want him to play left cornerback opposite veteran Al Harris, but if he can add anything on offense they're willing to give it a whirl.

"It's something he and I talked about," McCarthy said. "I've always believed if you have a guy with special qualities you take advantage of it. We'll look at it."

Good luck with all of that.

Barcelona advances to Champions League final to face Arsenal ...Delicious....

Keep scrolling down for Mavs/Stars notes from the playoff games last night.