0-4, eh? O-U-C-H

Wow. 0-5 tonight? Something tells me that our boys did not take off-season, pre-season, and early-season very seriously...

Mavs lose again …I do believe this is getting ridiculous…

From the time the Mavericks led 27-13 after a 14-0 spree, they were outscored 60-39 until the end of the third quarter. In the final three periods, the Clippers beat the Mavs 82-53.

"When the shots go in, everything looks OK,’’ said Jerry Stackhouse. "When you miss, it just doesn’t look like good offense. When we get bottled up, there aren’t a lot of options.’’

The Mavericks fell to 0-4 for the first time in franchise history. And they remained with some dubious company in the losing department. According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the last 25 seasons only one other time has a team that reached the NBA Finals started the next season winless this deep into the season. Philadelphia went 0-5 in 2001.

In addition, the loss left the Mavericks in the same boat as the Denver Nuggets – as the last winless teams in the league after Boston won Wednesday night.
The Clippers couldn't hide their giddiness with the victory.

"This is one of the best, maybe the best win we've had here in three years," coach Mike Dunleavy said.

The Mavericks had chances in the fourth quarter to put the pressure on the Clips. But with LA swarming on Nowitzki, not enough other Mavericks made them pay.
Down 79-70, the Mavs scored five consecutive points. But it could have been seven had Nowitzki and Terry not missed free throws. The Clippers then scored on three consecutive possessions, with Cuttino Mobley doing all the damage. He finished with 28 points as the Clippers pulled away in the final minutes.

The Mavericks were 6-of-23 from 3-point range, trying too many of them and making too few.

Over at Mavs Central, They do a study on what specifically is wrong …And it starts with the finish…

Anyone who has watched the Mavs this season will know they have folded like a cardboard box in the fourth quarter this season. There is no way to sugarcoat it, they have been just plain bad in the fourth:
Mavericks vs. Opponents - Fourth Quarter - 2006-07
(Through Games Of 11/08/2006)
Mavericks Opponents
Points/Game 17.8 27.5
FG Pct.--- 35.5% 46.7%
3-PT Pct.-- 18.2% 35.3%
FT Pct. ---- 68.4% 72.3%
Rebounds/Game 9.0 12.3
Turnovers/Game 4.5 2.5

Owens is ready to take responsibility; make promises …

While the most troubling part of Owens' play has been his dropped passes -- he has six for the season, including at least three potential touchdowns -- Parcells said the Cowboys understood they weren't getting the second coming of Fred Biletnikoff. Despite his gaudy stats with San Francisco and Philadelphia, Owens has always had trouble with dropped passes, Parcells said.

Owens acknowledges as much, but it still doesn't sit well with him. He believes he is getting more scrutiny because of his controversial reputation. He also says he's never been in a situation where a dropped pass has cost his team the game as it did Sunday and promised that it won't happen again.

"That's a play that I should make and I didn't make it and I feel bad," Owens said. "I let the team down. This loss is on my shoulders. From here on out, I won't be standing here no more during the season saying I lost the game."

Owens blamed some of his drops on the broken hand he suffered in the Week 2 victory against the Redskins. He dropped a touchdown pass in that game and in the next one against Tennessee.

Owens vowed he will live up to expectations in the second half of the season.
Pointing to his increased involvement and production since Tony Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe at quarterback 2 1/2 games ago, Owens said he is starting to get a rhythm. He has caught 20 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns during that time.

"I think it's a situation where, in the beginning, I really wasn't getting in the flow of the game and wasn't getting as many balls as I should've been or as I wanted," Owens said. "With [Romo] back there and the success that we've had, I expect to get better, no doubt."

Is the T.O. show ready?

"It's coming. It's coming," Owens said.

Ron Washington gets Zito interested in Arlington? …or is Barry Zito just a smart free agent who doesn’t want to rule any bidders out …

Ron Washington has only been the Rangers manager since Monday, but he is already making Texas a potentially choice destination for free agents. It will take money to get any deals done, but prize free-agent pitcher Barry Zito has placed the Rangers on his short list as a result of Washington's hire.

Over lunch Wednesday, Washington said: "Barry Zito called me yesterday. He wants to make a visit here. Texas wasn't on his list, but it is now."

Zito is a free agent and one of the top starting pitchers on the market this off-season. The 28-year-old left-hander has spent his entire career with the Oakland A's, but is unlikely to re-sign there because of the team's financial limitations.
In his career, Zito is 102-63 with a 3.55 ERA. He won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award, is a three-time All-Star, and has finished in the top 10 in the AL in ERA four of the past six seasons.

Most have surmised that Zito will wind up on one of the coasts, likely in New York or Los Angeles. But playing for Washington, a coach with the A's for the past 11 seasons, evidently holds some appeal for Zito.

Even Washington admitted that money will be a deciding factor in the end. He said he is too new on the job to know if the Rangers will compete in a bidding war for Zito, whose agent is Scott Boras. Zito is 11-1 with a 3.75 ERA in 15 career starts at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

Did the Rangers bid seriously on Matsuzaka? …

NEW YORK -- The waiting began Wednesday for teams that bid for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

His Japanese club, the Pacific League's Seibu Lions, said they have been notified of the highest bid for the 26-year-old right-hander. They said they will not make a decision on whether to accept until after a meeting of their board of directors -- not expected to be held before Friday at the earliest.

The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers were thought to be among the teams that bid for Matsuzaka, but the major league commissioner's office instructed teams not to comment publicly, several clubs said.
The Yankees' involvement was confirmed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the directive. Prior to the directive, the Rangers had said they planned to bid.

The major-league commissioner's office, which opened the bidding last Thursday, informed the Japanese commissioner's office of the amount of the highest bid but not the club that made the offer. The team and the amount will be revealed only if the Lions accept the offer.

Here he is with 14k’s a few months back…



Another big weekend in college football round here …


Check out this weekend:

Nebraska at Texas A&M, 2:30 ABC
Texas Tech at Oklahoma, 6:00 FSN
Texas at Kansas State, 7:00 ABC

And now, a top P1 - Brad C takes the stage to talk television:

Greetings P1 television enthusiasts. I’m here to address the state of our television union. The state of our union ….. is good. In fact, I believe we are living in the golden age of Television with more new and innovative, well written, well-acted shows available than at any other time in our history. Add to that the advent of the TiVo, and just to run up the score , the HIGH DEF TiVo and well, we have undoubtedly hit a sweet spot in television viewing history that is heretofore unprecidented. However, every so often things upon this blissful television landscape make a paradigm shift if you will, that we don’t expect. I believe one of those changes is upon us.

Let us examine our biggest, bestest TV buddy HBO, the undisputed heavyweight champion of cutting-edge television. Well times, they are a changin’. It seems we now wait years for snippets of the once great “Sopranos”. While still excellent, it isn’t quite what it was and we only have a few more episodes until the one that started it all for Home Box Office is gone for good. Yes, but what about “Deadwood” you ask? The network’s ham-fisted handling of the ending of that fine c*cks*cker of a series is laughable. David Milch always intended the series to run four seasons based on the actual history of Deadwood, but after only three HBO decides not to renew? Then it reconsiders and agrees to produce a pair of two-hour movies that will serve as the season’s finale? Since I guarantee those will never get made, here’s season four for those wondering – Deadwood burns down. No potential for drama there. Thanks HBO. “Six Feet Under” is no more. “Curb” only has one more year. “The Wire” is no-doubt one of television’s all-time best shows but season five in 2007 will be it’s last. So who’s gonna save them? “Rome”?? Hardly. The only show with legs for HBO right now is “Entourage”. If you gotta have something to keep you going, that’s as good as you can ask for, but at only a half hour it might be tough to support the entire network. “Big Love” might keep the respirator going for a while too.

Now let’s take a glance at Showtime. Sweet, shiny, rejuvenated Showtime. “Weeds” just finished up a spectacular second season with an incredible season finale and has been a breakout hit. Elizabeth Perkins runs wild in that show and is fantastic. Follow that up with the premiere of what just might be the best new show on TV this year, “Dexter”. Showtime is no fool. They snapped up Michael C. Hall from HBO and gave him something special to work with, and believe me, he is working it. Also, don’t forget about the greatness of “Brotherhood” which could also be one of the best new shows on TV. After the flood of critical praise following the season finale Showtime immediately added a season two. Rounding out their lineup is the superb “Sleeper Cell” amongst a few more. Quite simply HBO has had great shows that are all reaching their ends, while Showtime has equally great shows that are just getting started. What will become of HBO in 2008? Face it TV nerds, HBO is on the way out and Showtime is stepping up. Despite some advice I got from Dennis Green I’m hereby crowning Showtime’s ass. It’s the dawn of new and strange day, boys and girls.

God Bless Showtime and God bless the United States of America.

P1 Brad C

And then this email from sources!

My co-workers hubbie plays golf with Tony Romo In Trophy Club, usually once a week, yesterday they played. Tony said her agent contacted his, because on Sunday Night Football, they asked him who he thought the most beautiful woman was, he said Jessica Simpson. She said he is overwelmed and excited as hell. The date is tomorrow…

Should be interesting... Romo and Jessica Simpson, I am sure this will probably make the news tomorrow or Friday, but i will have details of the actual date next wednesday, her hubbie plays golf with him once a week...

Had to share this with yal
Go Cowboys!

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Cowboys Stink



Mad Cat