The two local papers have the worst websites in the world. But, for purposes of today’s discussion, allow me to complain more about the Dallas Morning News. I just want a Cowboys story on the latest on Terrell Owens. That is all. So, I click on dallasnews.com and I see a story on Padilla, a story on Wilkerson, a story on FC Dallas, a story on SMU, a column on the Rangers, a column on Oklahoma, a column on the Oakland A’s, and an offering to check out Matt Mosely’s blog.
Now, I may have Cowboys myopia, but isn’t Owens the top story of interest in Dallas this morning? So, why do I require a 10 minute process to find what is the feature story in the print edition of the newspaper? Or, did the Morning News not believe that this is a story of substance?
So, I go over to the Star-Telegram’s website. And despite my views that their website is horrendous, at least they have 3 major stories on Owens at the very top. Well done.
Since they won the derby, Here is Clarence Hill on The Story …
when Owens missed a rehabilitation session, a team meeting and was late for a meeting of the offensive unit Friday, the Cowboys finally had enough, fining the sidelined receiver $9,500, according to team sources.
Owens, who was unavailable for comment, has missed the first three preseason games and is doubtful for Thursday's preseason finale against Minnesota.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also was unavailable for comment Sunday.
According to a source, it wasn't the first time Owens had been fined by the Cowboys. He was fined in training camp for repeatedly being late to rehab, which ran from 6:30-8 a.m. Owens would routinely show up at 7:15 or 7:30, not understanding he had to be there at 6:30, a source said.
According to another source, it would be wrong to use these incidents as evidence of Owens not taking his rehab seriously. He has been at the Cowboys' facility nightly receiving treatment and has continued to work with his own trainers throughout the process, the source said.
Owens remains day-to-day, and it isn't known if he will practice today. But there is growing optimism inside the locker room that he could return to practice this week.
But given Owens' past and coach Bill Parcells' usually intolerant attitude, the incidents can't be ignored.
The question now is where does this relationship -- which was labeled a gamble by Jones when the Cowboys signed Owens to a three-year, $25 million contract in March -- go from here?
After a tumultuous and controversial two-season tenure with Philadelphia, Owens said he wanted a fresh start in Dallas. He promised to be a better person and better teammate.
One reason the Cowboys believed they could make it work is because they felt Owens was eager to prove his critics wrong. A big season on the field, void of any controversy, was the best way for Owens to make that happen.
"There's no question our best thing to do is get him well," Jones said Saturday night. "I want him out there and would've wanted him to make every practice. I understand that, and everyone else does, too. I know this: When he's healthy, he's going to help us win these ballgames."
Obviously, this is the first development of actual substance on the Owens front. It certainly bears watching very closely. Owens doesn’t appear to be acting as the model citizen that many of us (including me) had anticipated. This is a big week.
But let us not forget the bottom line that made this signing appeal to me from day 1. There are absolutely no reasons why the Cowboys are bound to keep him. Anytime they want they may release him and only sustain the $5 million bonus. No problem. I am not calling for his release now (nor am I close to it) but keep in mind that anytime they want to make him unemployed, they may. And all parties know this.
Jen Floyd on the case …Question: Why does Jen Floyd now write columns as if she is doing a Randy Galloway impersonation? I have always liked her work, but since they gave her a column, it is like she is either trying to get Galloway’s approval or flat out trying to copy all of his tired bits. Come back to us, Jen. I have seen your work and liked it for 8 years. But, this isn’t your old writing style.
Apparently some wily media member snuck into Mr. Initials' abode recently and prevented him from attending a team meeting and multiple rehab sessions.
What other explanation could there be?
How else would the Cowboys have reason to fine him $9,500, as my S-T colleague Clarence E. Hill Jr. reported?
Seriously, I keep getting e-mails about how T.O. has not been a real problem for this team but a media-created distraction. My handiwork especially.
So exactly how are you people going to explain away this latest bit of self-absorbed
sorriness?
Don't bother e-mailing. I'll answer for you. You can't.
Whatever his explanation for skipping rehab sessions, he looks like neither a "better teammate" nor a "better man."
If his sore hammy is a legit injury, skipping rehab is a sign that he is not taking his recovery seriously. And if this rehab session was not really that important, he is not really that hurt.
See what I mean? Neither exactly paints the picture Mr. Initials and his people, his blind fans and even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have been trying to sell -- of T.O. as a victim of trumped-up media you know what.
He is exactly what he has been and continues to be -- selfish, incorrigible, immature, boorish and, most importantly, unlikely to change his ways just because Cowboys fans really, really want him to, or because Jones thinks he will.
Nor is the media responsible.
We did not make him skip off-season workouts in favor of NBA playoff games or dress up like Lance Armstrong or verbally challenge coach Bill Parcells with his "If he wants to see something, he has 10 years of film" nonsense from a couple of days ago.
And unless you have proof that S-T columnist Randy Galloway went to Mr. Initials' house and held him down, delaying his arrival at Friday's team meeting, he is totally to blame for this as well.
Wow. She even worked Galloway in to her work today. That has to get her bonus points with her leader.
And now, under the fairness in blogging act, I offer all 3 significant Texas schools some reading material for the preseason of college football:
Longhorn …
Despite a 20-game winning streak and most starters returning, one news conference back in January dropped the Longhorns from national title favorite into the pack of contenders at No. 3.
That's because Brown, who traded the derogatory label of "Coach February" for the exclusive "National Champion," must try to repeat the title with a pair of freshman quarterbacks in Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead.
"After Vince left, it changed our position nationally because if he had returned, people would have thought we would have had a great chance to repeat," Brown said.
"Repeating is very hard to do, but winning a national championship is very hard to do. There's been no complacency. In fact, there's been more urgency to see if they can do it again."
Doing it with a freshman quarterback will take more than willpower and hard work. Texas will need some lucky breaks and bounces - the Longhorns lost only nine of 35 fumbles last season - and someone else will have to take over Young's role as a 6-foot-5, 230-pound playmaker.
Brown said Texas will use the same spread offense that Young ran to perfection even if McCoy and Snead don't scare defenses the way he did running the ball.
"We probably won't have the third-down-and-30 scrambles we had for first downs,"
Brown said.
Aggie …
Adding to the angst is the Aggies' 1-11 combined record against Oklahoma and Texas since 1999, including 0-6 under Franchione.
A&M has lost six in a row to the hated Longhorns, and even Texas Tech and Baylor have closed the gap. The Red Raiders beat A&M 56-17 last season, their fourth series win in five years and the Bears won 35-34 in overtime in 2004, an unthinkable result during A&M's glory years.
"He needs to pick up his game or pack up his bags," said A&M sophomore Caelyn Bradley.
This season, many of Franchione's first recruits will have more significant roles, starting with quarterback Stephen McGee. The sophomore from Burnet sparked optimism - and eased some pressure on Franchione - with his gutsy performance against Texas in last season's finale. The Longhorns won 40-29, but McGee gathered 191 yards of total offense and helped make the game more competitive than most expected.
"If that season would've ended with a dismal loss to Texas, that would've been a disaster," Booth said. "That gave everyone some hope."
A favorable schedule this season should also help. The Aggies play five of their first seven games at imposing Kyle Field and one of the other two is a pseudo-home game against Army in San Antonio. A&M leaves the state only twice, going to Kansas and Oklahoma State in October.
Red Raider …
When Leach arrived in 2000, the Red Raiders were stuck on a plateau. Tech had managed seasons of more than six victories only three times since 1990.
Since then, Tech has won at least seven games every season and has advanced to six-straight bowl games. Last year's 9-3 finish capped a string of four consecutive eight-victory seasons, a school record.
Now, the key is avoiding another plateau.
"Just make sure you get all (your players are capable of)," Leach said. "If you do, then you put yourself in the best position, and hopefully you do quite a bit of the time. Hopefully you do all the time."
To that end, Leach used his mad-scientist-meets-accountant brain to hatch an offensive system that has led the nation in passing four years in a row.
Last year's quarterback, Cody Hodges, joined Kliff Kingsbury as the two Leach era signal-callers to post nine-victory seasons. Graham Harrell, this season's heir/air apparent, wouldn't mind joining that group, if not adding a few more.
"I think it's a good thing," Harrell said of the position's tradition. "The guys have high expectations and won't accept anything but greatness. So, it can only help on the field."
The Raiders have used a new quarterback in each of the past four seasons, and, as expected, Leach kept this year's battle wide open throughout spring and early preseason workouts.
Through it all, Harrell seemed to hold an edge over redshirt freshman Chris Todd, but Leach never budged.
"You try to put them in the best position to improve, between spring and when you have camp," Leach said. "You make the situation as competitive as you possibly can. From there, you just go back to picking the one you feel best about."
Madden Player Ranking Humor …
44 -- Drew Bledsoe's agility rating. Proof that the people at EA Sports are kind, generous souls. And that their rating system does not include negative numbers.
25 -- The player morale rating for Terrell Owens, far and away the lowest in the game. So apparently to get lower than 25 in this category a player has to be coming off of a season in which he actually murdered a teammate. (Maybe that's something the Bengals can try to achieve for Madden 2008.)
Meanwhile, Bill Simmons goes to Wisconsin …with an amazing column, including this wonderful Bob Ryan reference:
7:48 -- Not to sound like legendary Hollywood producer Bob Ryan, but what if I told you that Gabe Gross uses a Christian song for his at-bat music that includes lyrics like "help me Jesus!" and "Hallelujah!" Is that something you'd be interested in?
Bob Evans is mad at Entourage …
The Ultimate Fighter 4 – Episode 2 Recap …bloody, bloody, bloody…
Treadmills rock , don’t they?
Is Deadwood authentic? …
Email:
Hey Bob,
I composed a Bob and Dan Sudoku, and was hoping you might consider it blogworthy. Link
Plus, a link in your blog to the forums can't hurt. 100,000 post milestone achieved today, pretty special.
Sorry for overlaughing during my visit to the roadshow today. Dan does make me seriously amused. Which is an oxymoron, no?
Still no Survivor 13 cast announcement. Kinda worrisome. Remember when Danni was on and we knew it like 6 weeks ahead? S13 starts September 14. Just 3 weeks from Thursday.
Take care,
Terry
The Popsicle Stick Chick
Thanks, Terry. I don’t know Sudoku, but congrats to our forum for 100,000 posts! That is many bored humans…
Youtube:
Holley Mangold big little sister of Nick
The Great Mike Leach
35 comments:
Holly Mangold- not going to make on nicepiece.com
I wish JenF would stick to her own style and not go over to the grandpa urine two sentences or less paragraphs, and horrible puns.
If/when the fat tuna swims off can we get the other Coach of the Sea- Mike Leach. If nothing else we would be get pure gold from press confrences and on the office Cowboys network.
Ahh, it's below 90 here in Dallas today finally, it's raining finally, and the Rangers pennant race hopes are dead. That must mean that college football starts this weekend! Finally!
R.I.P. Deadwood, you will definitely be missed.
Oh, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby..... I was just telling my wife last week that you would be my leader (IF I had one), and then you go and have a blog like today's.
Actually, I enjoyed the blog except for the following:
"And now, under the fairness in blogging act, I offer all 3 significant Texas schools some reading material for the preseason of college football:"
I realize that TCU alumni/fan base is just a fraction of the other 3 Texas school you mentioned today, but haven't they done ANYTHING to at least become SIGNIFICANT to the state in the last 7 years????
Please just check out the polls from the last 7 years and see where the average ranking for UT, A&M, Tech and TCU would be.
I would think that for the time being, TCU would have to at least be the second most significant team in the state. Now, I realize that this may change in the years to come, but give them some credit for these last several years.
Oh yeah, and before I'm accused of being a homer-- I give you this-- GO FROGS!!!!!!
Typical - you post stuff for the Whorns, fAgs, and Gayders, but not for the obvious #1 team in the Big 12 -- OU.
Adrian Peterson is going to run for 2,000+ yards, 25 touchdowns, and at least 12 wins. The rest of the sorry teams you listed haven't shown a single reason for hope for 2006.
Way to go, Bob, ignoring the best team in an entire conference just so you can try to make you're readers happy by showcasing there sorry teams. That's just stupid. We will see who is crying this fall.
Boomer Sooner!
The local papers do have the worst writers. If a sportswriter can't pee standing up then I don't want to hear what they have to say. That means I could care less about what Jen Floyd Engel or Matt Mosely has to say.
Bone
out.
^^^^^^
signed, julius jones
Merkin
9:56 Anon:
I can give you Bob's response right now:
A) He said "significant Texas schools", so unless you can offer compelling evidence that OU is now a Texas school, maybe you should cool down.
B) Do you need a tampon?
Kipster198:
I agree that TCU has done very well recently, but in all fairness, there is not as much media coverage to link to, and I don't honestly think that TCU comes to mind as a significant football school to anyone outside of DFW just yet. All that being said, I hope TCU has an awesome year.
Bob,
I completely agree with you on the "Jen floyd Engel Galloway" whatever the hell her name is comments. On occassion during Ticket commercial breaks i will check out what is being said on 103.3 and apparently she is doing her best MRS Galloway impersonation. It's ridiculously funny!!
BTW the Bill Simmons blog was genious and i'm becoming a big fan of his.
to TCU homers.
when you join a real conference, we will talk.
JUST CUT THIS IDIOT. CUT HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
(Yes, a stupid blog comment bit, but I am sticking with it.)
Thanks to all who checked out the Sudoku on the BaD Forum.
If you don't know who Salad Bob or Speedo Dan are, visit the BaD Flickr page.
Well guess what FAKE Sturm, I'm not from Oklahoma, and I'm not toothless. I'm a Texas born and bred OU fan who knows a good football program when I see it.
I did not go to OU, but I have always rooted for them because of there tradition. If I could I would move to Norman and paint my house Sooner Red.
Your just jealous of our SEVEN national titles and our inevatable DOMINANCE of the Big 12 this season. Look around you, where have all the Texas high school football stars gone? Thats right, to OU. Why? Because everyone in Texas knows that OU is on top for a reason -- there the best and always will be.
The Whorns are just pretenders and will fall back to earth now that the great black hype Vince Young is gone. In fact I bet this year Paul Thompson makes you forget Young ever existed.
Own up to your inferiority complex and admit to yourself that OU would beat an All Star team of all the best players on Tech, A&M, UT, TCU, SMU, UNT, and UTEP combined.
OU will prove once again that there the best and you just can't handle that in your simple little mind. Let's see you combat my sound logic with stupid insults and failed sports points. Where are your stats? Where is your data? I gave you mine: SEVEN NATIONAL TITLES.
BOOMER SOONER!
wow, i liked OU as a kid, but you are on crack if you dont think UT has better talent than OU does or if not better the same. Tech consistanlty gets more done with less every year and there is no way to agrue that. Aggie is terrible and deserves to switch conferences with TCU. I'd like to see TCU play some of the big boys for a while. Ummm, im not sure that vince was hype last year, he drilled ou and everyone else. he may not be anything in the NFL, but he was the best thing i've seen in college in my lifetime.
Anonymous Sooner, please stop with your inane Sooner rants. It's Sooner fans like you that give us all a bad name.
The blog clearly delineated the three big Texas schools, end of story. I love the Sooners too, and in fact live there for some time and graduated from the school. That said, I certainly don't put my OU blinders on and do nothing but yell, "Boomer Sooner, University X Sucks!!! Seven National Championships baby!"
How about you root for your team in a civil manner and not try to sound like such an idiot in the process?
Go Mustangs!
Eric, I'm not trying to make OU look bad. I am just tired of everyone giving Texas too much credit for a lot of nothing. Yes, they won last year because OU had a down year. I understand that. I just think everyone should be ready for the FACT that OU will bounce back as strong as ever this year, and all available evidence supports that.
Texas fans think that week 2's matchup against OSU is their big challenge, and they are not agnolleging the Red River Shootout like they should be. Warning to Texas fans: you are not looking ahead! Your real test is at the State Fair!
Of course I realize that Bob said his post is about the three significant Texas schools. But it looks like a Big 12 preview in disguise. No Big 12 preview is even close to legitimite without some OU love.
I don't want people to get mad, I just think OU should be in the conversation. Besides, with all the Texas talent on there roster, they may as well be one of the "significant Texas schools."
If you're not with OU, your against it. And if your against it, your on drugs.
Collegedip & Eric in McKinney-- Well said, thanks for having some class.
Formerly Anonymous Sooner-- Please go back to literacy school before you post here again. Your insane, uneducated, mispelled, and improper grammar makes your posts unbearable to read.
And, as far as TCU joining a real conference, it's hard to do with the total size of the current students and alumni base. We don't have state dollars like UT, A&M, and Tech. That being said, we have Tech at home this year, and we go to Austin next year. Besides that, I seem to remember beating OU in Norman last year (remember that game, Anonymous?)
In any case, TCU is stepping up to the plate and playing whomever they get asked to play. The other big problem for TCU is the fact that schools from the "Big Conferences" are generally afraid to play TCU- it's a lose-lose situation for them. If they win, well, they're supposed to win. If they lose, well they just lost to a mid-major conference school.
In any case, TCU is finally getting some national respect based on the last 7 years.
And, as I signed out before, GO FROGS!
One last TCU post. Here's their upcoming schedule by year:
2007
Baylor
SMU
Stanford
at Texas
2008
Arkansas
at SMU
at Stanford
2009
at Arkansas
SMU
2010
Baylor
at SMU
2011
at Baylor
at Navy
2012
Navy
2013
at LSU
2014
LSU
Please note, Stanford, UT, Arkansas, LSU, and Baylor are all coming up in years to come. All of those schools are in a BCS conference.
I suppose now would be a horrible time to ask: where's Baylor U in the mix? I kid, of course. I'm a hapless bear alumn and I know a sucky team when I see it. I will issue the "watch out" warning for all those that will be planning the week-after game when faced with BU on the week-of.
Phil-
I assure you that TCU isn't looking past Baylor on Sunday.
I'm a little nervous about them. They are certainly on their way up in the conference.
Maybe Jen is tired of Norm beating the hell out of her and Steve Dennis in the ratings, and figures the way to get more people to listen is to write like Galloway writes or like how Hansen talks.
I'm telling you, the S-T's columnist policy is apparently to say whatever they think will help their radio shows get better ratings.
Geez...now all you people can see what I have to deal with on a daily basis with this "Former Anon Sooner Horse Cock" jerkoff up here in Oklahoma. Every freaking sooner fan thinks ou will not only win the National Championship this year, but also the Super Bowl and the World Series of Poker...and when they make their arguments, they can't spell, can use the basic rules of English grammar and can't avoid sounding like they just fell of the back of a freaking turnip truck. What a freaking jackass. I hope the horse he's blowing this afternoon bucks up and crams a hoof in his hillbilly ass. "Boomer Welfare!"
PLEASE let Rhett Bomar be made eligible to play at Sam Houston State by September 30th. I'd love to see the Horns pound him once more for old time's sake.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/082906dnspooulede.3714244.html
See how much more traffic you get when you talk Football Bob?
The good news is, at least we'll get to see who's right since we all play each other (Anon at 9:56 "Gayders", funny, verrry funny)
So I guess OU stands for Oozing Uterus?
Speaking of, I normally would join in the rant that women belong ANYWHERE except sports (cheerleaders excepted), but Bob never played football and we let him draw us offsides all the time. So shame on him, no wait, shame on me, fool me and I can't get fooled again.
Oh yeah,
Celina sux and SLC needs to move up to D-II in College.
I'm listening to this guy who ran 50 marathons in 50 days. Anyone want to guess what 26.2 times 50 is?
That's right...1310. The Ticket.
I see that you have to attack my spelling because you can't so easily attack the content of my posts. That is a good sign, I take it to mean that my points are pretty solid.
Look, I didn't go to college, so my spelling and grammer usage might not be as great as yours. I bet you can't do some things as well as me though. So while I ACKNOLLEDGE (happy now?) that you are a better speller than me, I don't acknolledge that you have better sports points.
I don't want to cause controversy, I just wanted to make my point that OU is the team to beat in the Big 12 this year. They aren't the preseason #1 in the country, and maybe they shouldn't be. But you can bet they'll have a shot at #1 come bowl season.
We can keep it friendly while still being rivals. After all, if Texas did not exist then OU would not have as good a legacy. Some of the best games year to year are between them.
Acknowledge...
And I won't even comment on the "content" of your posts. I think other people have pretty well disproved what you "guarantee."
You sir are an idiot. You still misspelled "Acknolledge." It is ACKNOWLEDGE. And your sports points suck.
It is hard to make a case that the team to beat is the team with the wide receiver at quarterback and holes on the o-line, that went 8-4 last year including a loss to TCU. Or should the team to beat be the defending conference and national champions who are replacing one position? Even if it is at quarterback. Oklahoma may show to be improved and may even surprise Texas and everybody else. But saying that they are the team to beat before the season begins, with so many question marks is dumb.
The field is wide open this year. No VY at Texas.
No Bush or Lineart at USC.
OSU replacing 9 on defense.
ND's defense and schedule.
But I would rate all of those teams over Oklahoma.
Oh, and don't blame your lack of college on misspelling "Acknolledge." I learned to spell when I was a kid, not in college.
how do you spell "retard?"
I beg to differ Mr. Mantooth. I've been to USC and there is ALOT of Bush there (huh, huh)
I think "retard" is spelled S-O-O-N-E-R.
That should draw them offsides.
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