So Long, Pac

I must be honest, I am pleased with a few of the stories trickling out of Valley Ranch. Bruce Read – Gone. Adam Jones – now, gone.

You know, all you ask in this business is that a player be worth the trouble. That could mean a draft pick. In could mean salary. And it could mean a security detail. But, if he is worth the trouble, then he is worth the trouble.

But, if you are Pac Man Jones, you spent an entire year in our lives, and the sum total of his stay on the field was: A couple 12 men on the field penalties that we blamed on him. A couple pass break-ups. And a more than a couple odd decisions on punt returns.

Not worth the trouble. Not worth the babysitting. When Orlando Scandrick looks like he may already be as dependable a CB as you are, and the normally average punt return skills of Patrick Crayton look superior to yours, well…here is the door, Adam.
And what might be the best part? The pipeline between Deion Sanders and the Cowboys locker-room just got cut off a bit more. 81, anyone?

The other Jones era ends …

The Cowboys announced they will release cornerback Adam Jones, ending a brief and turbulent run in which Jones was suspended for six games and missed another because of a neck injury.

The Cowboys can officially release Jones on Feb. 9, the first day teams are allowed to waive players.

"Surprised? Yeah, I was surprised," said Jones, reached at his Prosper home. "All I can do is keep working hard, keep my nose clean and hope for the best."

Staying out of trouble, however, is still an issue.

The Cowboys looked into rumors Jones was partying at a Dallas club the night the Cowboys lost to Baltimore and attended a bar in Miami on New Year's Day.

ESPN reported Wednesday that three Atlanta-area men have alleged Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them two months after he was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in June 2007.

The ESPN story said NFL security and the Cowboys didn't know about the shooting prior to Jones joining the team or being reinstated by the league.

Jones angrily denied the report.

"It will be a lawsuit in a week against ESPN," Jones said. "That's stupid. It's so
stupid I have no more comments."
===

Jones said he thought he performed well for the Cowboys and hopes to get a chance with another team.

His in-season suspension and other legal issues – he has a March 2 court date in a case in which he must testify against a man involved in a triple shooting that left a bar bouncer paralyzed – could have led to his release.

"I don't know," Jones said. "I got suspended for a couple of weeks, but I don't want to talk about it."

Jones deflected questions about letting people down with his suspension during the season.

Former Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders said the pending legal drama could have influenced the Cowboys.

"Now, he has a trial coming up and not many people want to have a Dallas Cowboy going to trial," Sanders said.

Jones said he plans to stay in the Dallas area and will work out at Sanders' Prime U camp next week in Carrollton.

During two interviews Wednesday, Jones was at various times calm, angry and even laughing about things said about him.

"If I beat myself up, who will take care of me?" Jones said. "Football means a lot to me, but it's not everything. It's not like I'm taking it pretty good. I love me some me."

Good Idea? …Lions tattoo to celebrate 2008…

Meanwhile, the main event of the college football season is tonight in Miami. Sooners v. Gators, and let’s hope that someone can slow the SEC down. I am interested to see if Stoops can pull his way out of his most recent BCS slump. I really don’t have much of a prediction for you, since I honestly have seen the Gators play twice this season, but I anticipate that OU will have their hands quite full. Let’s hope for a fun game…

Speed will be the story …

Sooner teams for more than half a century have been known for their speed. From sprinting halfbacks (Greg Pruitt) to speed linebackers (Rod Shoate) to blazing quarterbacks (Charles Thompson).

But tonight, in a very familiar place, the Sooners find themselves in a very unfamiliar role.

Under the palm branches of Miami and in the national championship game, stages that have been second homes to Oklahoma football, OU plays to relieve the burden of four straight BCS bowl defeats and a month of defending its right to be here.
And the Sooners are the tortoise to Florida's hare.

"They'll be the fastest team we've seen," said OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables.

Maybe ever.

Florida coach Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville four years ago wanting to make the Gators the fastest team in America. Darned if he hasn't done it.

Here's how fast are the Gators. Flanker Louis Murphy, who covers 40 yards in 4.3 seconds, says wingback Percy Harvin has the "fastest 10 yards I've ever seen, and he keeps getting faster and faster as he runs."

Yet Harvin is no better than the third-fastest Gator, behind tailbacks Chris Rainey
(4.24 40) and Jeff Demps (10.01 100 meters).

"They're fast," said OU d-end Jeremy Beal. "They're real fast. That's our main concern."

But before we hand the BCS trophy to Florida's rabbits, remember the fate of the tortoise.

"There's a lot of equalizers out there on the field," Venables said. "Playing smart, playing disciplined. Talent isn't what wins."

Heck, witnesses as varied as Bob Stoops and Vance Bedford scoff at the tortoise label anyway.

Bedford, who played against the Sooners almost 30 years ago as a Texas defensive back and coached against the Sooners this decade as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator, said anyone who touts Florida's team speed over OU's is blowing smoke.

"They have some guys that can flat fly," said Bedford, now Florida's cornerbacks coach. "They have three or four receivers, they touch the football, they can be in the end zone. It's going to take a full team to slow 'em down."

Stoops said that until you're on the field, you can't gauge team speed, although I would assume he makes individual exceptions for the likes of Demps and Harvin.

Stoops pointed out a Miami trip of recent vintage. OU came to the Orange Bowl eight years ago and heard all about Florida State's speed. The Sooners won 13-2 and the game could have lasted into the next morning without the Seminoles sniffing the end zone.

Stars and Wings tonight, at the Joe …

The Stars have won six of their last nine games (6-2-1) and ten of their last 16 (10-5-1) and have been inching up the standings and closer to a playoff spot. The Red Wings sit second in the West and third overall in the league behind San Jose and Boston.

"They are at the top of the league so it's a big challenge for us," said defenseman Trevor Daley.

The last time they faced the Red Wings - December 12 in Dallas - the Stars measured up well, beating the Red Wings 3-1. The situation then is the same now. The Stars are still desperate for points as they try to climb up the standings and into a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"Every game is big for us right now," said Stars coach Dave Tippett. "The last game we played against Detroit we played very well as a group and we're hoping to go up there and do that again."

The Red Wings have been on a roll lately. They've won four straight, have points in five straight and are 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Among those wins were a 6-0 rout of San Jose and a home-and-home sweep of Chicago, another one of the top teams in the league so far this season.

"We need points. It's going to be a dogfight," said goalie Marty Turco. "They are a tough team to play against, but we know if we play well to a man we can win up there."

In fact, the last time the Stars did play up there they won. That was Game 5 of last year's Western Conference Finals when the Stars won 2-1 at Joe Louis to force a sixth game in Dallas.

Jarkko Ruutu bites Andrew Peters


Jarkko gets 2 for biting …

The National Hockey League has suspended Ottawa Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu two games following a biting incident Tuesday night in Buffalo.

Although the video evidence appears to conclusively show Ruutu bit the gloved thumb of Sabres tough guy Andrew Peters, after the Sens 4-2 loss Ruutu denied that to be the case. The altercation took place in the first period after Peters started an exchange with Ruutu by rubbing his glove into Ruutu's face.

"It's a pretty goofy thing that happened," Peters said. "It's not the injury, it's the incident. Just the fact that happened it's unfortunate. It's not good for the game of hockey."

Ruutu, who was suspended for two games in November, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

He forfeits more than $31,000 in salary with the money going to the Players'
Emergency Assistance Fund.

Ruutu will miss Thursday's game at Boston and Saturday's game against the Rangers. He will be eligible to return Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Checking in with Bill Guerin …

There may still be plenty of Islanders action prior to the March deadline, but it likely will not involve the status of Bill Guerin.

The captain has a no-move clause in his contract, and during the NHL season that usually means a player is not moving.

Sure, no-trade and no-move clauses have been waived before, most recently in the cases of Bryan McCabe and Dan Boyle. But those were off-season deals, giving both McCabe and Boyle plenty of time to make important life decisions and move their families.

I don’t see a trade for Guerin coming together in-season. As much as some contenders would love to have Guerin on their rosters, most teams don’t like the complicated nature of acquiring a player with an NTC. They don’t like having to woo their potential acquisition in the middle of a hockey season. They don’t like the assets they would relinguish in the deal getting out in the press, only to see the trade crater.

(The only other Islander to have a no-trade clause in the last decade was Miroslav Satan. At last year’s trade deadline, not one NHL team wanted the hassle of acquiring Miro for a draft pick and convincing him to move.)

The now 38-year old Guerin won a Stanley Cup in New Jersey at age 24 and has played for 7 NHL teams. He has worked on both coasts, at home (for the Bruins), in the heartland and in Canada. Two years ago, he had the experience of being a “rental” for the San Jose Sharks. Guerin is not done, but he has done it all.

If Peter Chiarelli came knocking on the door with an invitation to help bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston, I assume the Islanders captain would be flattered and at least listen. If the Bruins offered Snow their 2009 very late first round pick and gave Scott Gordon one player of his choice off the Providence roster, the Islanders would listen. Other than this scenario - a longshot - Guerin is probably staying in New York.

Bill Guerin earned a no-move clause in his two-year Islanders contract with an all-star body of work on the ice and impeccable reputation off it. It’s not a leap to say he pushed for it in negotiations because he was tired of moving and hoped the Islanders would match his commitment to them. The team thought so much of the player, they named him captain before Guerin ever played a game in their jersey. Guerin has done everything the organization expected of him.

Whalers v Canucks and Razor on the call? 1996



Souray knocks out Ohlund

For Dallasstars.com

I apologize for no significant blog entries in the days since the mailbag, so let’s play a little bit of hockey catch-up.

• The game in Edmonton was especially painful because when you give up all the ground you gave up back in the first 60 days of the season, you use up all of your mulligans. You simply cannot get handled that easily against a team that you are fighting against in the standings. Perfect definition of a 4-point game, and the Stars gave up all 4 to Edmonton. They out-shot Edmonton, which is a fine trend we are starting to see with regularity, but, they could not beat Dwayne Roloson – and Marty did not have a great evening.

• Then, on to Vancouver, with the weather screwing up the Stars and knocking them out of their routine with a Sunday morning flight as opposed to waking up in Vancouver. By the way, if there is a city in which you do not want to shorten your stay, it is sweet Vancouver. From my perspective, after watching Saturday’s disappointment, I wasn’t feeling terribly optimistic when the Stars fell behind 2-0 to the Canucks to start the game. But, then came the text-book definition of a big goal when Mike Modano scored in the final seconds of the 1st period to cut the lead to 2-1. This is the type of goal that coaches fear – a momentum turner right before an intermission. Both teams go to their respective rooms with a totally different feeling than they had for the first 19+ minutes of the period. The Stars room was now optimistic, and after Jere Lehtinen put a sweet pass on Mike Ribeiro’s stick that 63 buried, the game was 2-2. From there, both teams got after it – but neither could get that 3rd. Thankfully, the Stars won the shootout after a very entertaining game, and they fly back with 2 points out of 4 in the mini-trip. About midnight, I turned the tv off, and felt pretty solid about the Stars night.

• On Monday, Canada finished off the World Juniors with a win over Sweden. The tournament gave us a few classic games, including USA-Canada, USA-Slovakia (That dang goalie!) and Canada-Russia. Russia absolutely had Canada beat, and Canada scored an amazing goal with just seconds left in the semi-final. I really enjoyed this tournament, and I thank the NHL Network for a) showing it and b) showing it in HD. Jamie Benn looks really, really good.

• And now we wait for Detroit – 2 times in the next 5 days. The Stars are still in the mix for the playoff run, but they have to get points in almost every situation. They now have games in hand which are nice to have – provided you win the games when you play them.

Now, on to the Landon Wilson injury. It was a quick and odd fight with Dustin Penner the other night.

Wilson vs Penner – 1/3/09


Mike Heika wrote plenty about the road of injuries that Landon has traveled …and it is certainly one that will no doubt put the wear and tear on his body that most of us will never understand.

I don’t know Landon at all. But, his dad, of course, is one of the longest tenured members of this organization, Rick Wilson. If I had a dollar for every time I have had a conversation with Rick while we both nursed a Starbucks product, I would be set for life.

But, his son demonstrates that not all careers navigate from the 1st round to the hockey hall of fame.

Landon’s playing Career from Hockey Data base …

Soon to be 34 years old, Landon started as a first round pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 1993. He was then sent to Quebec in the Mats Sundin deal, and then relocated with Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and the rest of the Avs was part of the 1996 Cup Winning Avalanche, but did not play enough to get his name on the cup that year.

Wilson was sent to Boston in 1997 in a deal for Robyn Regehr, and spent the next 4 seasons with the Bruins – playing part of every season with Boston and part of every season in Providence. He then signed in Phoenix in 2000, and was a fixture with the Coyotes for the next few years until his significant eye injury he suffered that many thought would be the end of Landon Wilson.

He rehabbed, then played more with Phoenix, a quick stop in Pittsburgh, a year in Finland, and 3 years in Switzerland (where he evidently turned into a bit of a goal scorer with 60 goals in 101 games! Not sure what kind of hockey they play in Switzerland, but wow) up until last year.

Starting this fall, he played in Grand Rapids in the AHL, and was there when the Stars called for him.

I encourage you to look at his playing career and when you consider the Mike Modano’s of the world, also remember that there are dozens of Landon Wilson’s for every Modano. In fact, Wilson’s career has lasted professionally 15 years, so there are many players would love to have a career like Landon.

So, while we are all fixated on the superstars and the rookie prospects, spend a moment periodically pondering a road where you switch addresses about 15 times, but play hockey for a living for at least a decade and a half. It is a pretty cool story, I think.

Wilson vs Barnaby - 1996

Tuesday Reading

Great Fiesta Bowl finish last night. You know me, I have no stake in this, but I should tell you that Texas was the team that I think should be playing Thursday from the Big 12. No offense, Sooners, but head to head will always out-weigh any other debate you can toss at me for two 1-loss teams.

Regardless, Colt McCoy and the Longhorns looked like they were in trouble, looked like they were in control, looked like they were in trouble again, and then finally won the game at the end. Heck of a finish to a heck of a season that turned on 1 dropped interception and 1 miracle play about 60 seconds apart in Lubbock…

the report from the San Antoinio Paper …

Actually, Colt McCoy did fold under the pressure.

With his Texas Longhorns trailing Ohio State by four, less than two minutes on the clock to mount the comeback, and the entire focus of the University of Phoenix Stadium centering on his jersey, McCoy bounced up and down on the sideline and then lowered himself to one knee.

McCoy bowed his head, collected his thoughts and silently steadied his shoulders underneath the weight of an entire team.

He lifted himself up, calm and cool, and then he lifted the third-ranked Longhorns to a remarkable 24-21 Fiesta Bowl victory in a manner that defines his entire season — poised and precise.

McCoy and the Longhorns trailed 21-17 with 1:58 on the clock and the ball on their own 22-yard line. One minute, 42 seconds later, they were celebrating in the end zone, and it was all because of McCoy.

Literally.

UT needed 11 plays to gain 78 yards, and McCoy was responsible for every one. He was 7-of-10 passing for 76 yards, including the 26-yard touchdown connection to Quan Cosby, and McCoy also picked up the other 2 yards on a sideline scamper.

“To me, that’s a Heisman-type drive,” UT coach Mack Brown said. “He has tremendous faith. He’s strong-willed. He’s very confident, and he never thinks he’s going to lose.”

McCoy will never take sole — if any — credit for this.

When he was runner-up to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford for the Heisman Trophy, McCoy was most disappointed to let down his team, because he considers the honor to be the “ultimate team award.”

But on Monday, McCoy carried the Longhorns to their school-record fifth straight bowl victory — and third BCS triumph in the past five years. UT rolled up a Fiesta Bowl record 486 yards of offense, and McCoy picked up all but 69 of them. He completed 41 of 59 passes for 414 passing yards and two touchdowns, and ran in for another score.

Cosby caught 14 of those passes for 171 yards and two scores.

This season, McCoy passed iconic Vince Young on the all-time UT victories list, and passed fan-favorite Major Applewhite as the all-time passing touchdown leader. And this victory was the perfect testament to the leadership he has given the Longhorns all season.

AA with the highlights …



The Pro-Prospect Watch from the Fiesta Bowl….

Ohio State

Full Name Pos Number Year Round
Chris Wells RB 28 3Jr 1
Malcolm Jenkins CB 2 4Sr 1
James Laurinaitis ILB 33 4Sr 1
Marcus Freeman OLB 1 5Sr 2
Anderson Russell S 21 4Jr 2-3
Brian Robiskie WR 80 5Sr 3rd
Justin Boren C 65 3Jr 2-3
Kurt Coleman CB 4 3Jr 2-3
Jim Cordle C 64 4Jr 3-4
Brian Hartline WR 9 4Jr 4-5
Donald Washington CB 20 4Jr 4-5
Alex Boone T 75 4Sr 5-6
Chimdi Chekwa S 5 3So 5-6
Doug Worthington DE 84 4Jr 6-7
Jake Ballard TE 86 3Jr 7-FA
Rory Nicol TE 88 5Sr 7-FA
Steve Rehring G 71 5Sr FA
Nader Abdallah DT 93 5Sr FA
Todd Boeckman QB 17 5Sr FA
Maurice Wells RB 34 4Sr FA
Nick Patterson S N 5Sr FA


Texas
Full Name Pos Number Year Round
Brian Orakpo DE 98 5Sr 1
Sergio Kindle OLB 2 3Jr 2-3
Adam Ulatoski T 74 4Jr 2-3
Colt McCoy QB 12 3Jr 2-3
Roy Miller DT 99 4Sr 3-4
Quan Crosby WR 6 4Sr 4-5
Chris Hall C 71 4Jr 5-6
Ryan Palmer CB 13 5Sr 6-7
Cedric Dockery G 55 4Sr 6-7
Jordan Shipley WR 8 4Sr 7-FA
Rashad Bobino ILB 44 5Sr FA
Aaron Lewis DE 95 4Sr FA

I was so fascinated with yesterday's turnover findings about the Cowboys, that TC and I wanted to break down the season on a game by game basis. Of 16 games, the Cowboys won the turnover battle 5 times. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

-	Cowboys	Turnovers	Opponents	Turnovers	-
Game	Fumbles (Lost)	INTS	Fumbles (Lost)	INTS	+/-
W @ Cle	1 (0)	1	2 (0)	0	-1
W vs Phil	2 (1)	1	3 (1)	0	-1
W @ GB	3 (1)	1	2 (1)	0	-1
L vs Wash	1 (0)	1	0	0	-1
W vs. Cin	2 (1)	1	1 (1)	1	0
L @ Arz	4 (1)	0	2 (2)	1	+2
L @ St Lou	2 (1)	3	0	0	-4
W vs TB	0	0	1 (1)	0	+1
L @ NYG	1 (1)	3	3 (2)	1	-1
W @ Wash	1 (0)	2	0	1	-1
W vs SF	1 (1)	0	2 (1)	1	+1
W vs Sea	0	1	2 (1)	1	+1
L @ Pitt	3 (2)	3	2 (2)	0	-3
W vs NYG	2 (0)	0	2 (0)	2	+2
L vs Balt	2 (0)	2	5 (1)	0	-1
L @ Phil	4 (4)	1	1 (1)	0	-4
Totals	29 (13)	20	28 (14)	8	-11

Table Tutorial

A little more on the Cowboys:

Michael Lombardi with this little detail ...

I hear the Cowboys are not sweating the notion of losing Jason Garrett to another team as a head coach. They are actually hoping this might happen.

My thoughts exactly.

Rafa's autopsy on the Defensive Line ...

In pass rush, the front took one giant step forward and one annoying step backward. Herring was running rushing drills on the first day of camp that Pasqualoni did not include in his repertoire. It took about half a season for the lessons to sink in, but Demarcus Ware finally began to incorporate better hand usage and change of direction into his rushing patterns. He appeared to finally attack left tackles with a game plan, rather than trying to out rush then on every play.

The results speak for themselves. He lead the NFL with 20 sacks, and if he can begin the '09 season the way he ended '08, the sack record will become his. On the line, Jay Ratliff showed by the team made him the first -- and only -- young DL to get a contract extension. His rush skills blossomed and he finished the year with 8
sacks, an unheard of number for a nose tackle.

The overall sack numbers jumped 28%, from a good 46 to a league-leading 59 this year. For their aggression and better technique, the d-line gets the award for the least disciplined unit on the team. They didn't take as many penalties as the offensive line, but when you consider good linemen and lines almost never take penalties, the groups 25 total penalties is unforgivable.

The 2009 Draft Order ...

Mike Mayock looks at the best Seniors in College Football with Draft prospects ...

Canada wins the Juniors ...

Canada captured its fifth straight World Junior Hockey Championship gold with a 5-1 victory over Team Sweden in front of a record crowd on Monday night.

Canadian netminder Dustin Tokarski saved his best performance of the championship for the final, turning aside 39 shots in the win. While he was shaky at times during the tournament, the native of Watson, SK was sharp against Sweden.

Tokarski's play coupled with steady pressure from Canada on Sweden's goaltender, Jacob Markstrom, were the difference. Markstrom looked rattled during the game and
there were several run-ins with Canadian players.

Head coach Pat Quinn's decision to go with Tokarski in the final was met with some skepticism following rough starts against the United States and then Russia in the semifinal game.

"I knew I had to come out better tonight and I think I did that," Tokarski told TSN after making the game.

"Pat Quinn was smart. Dustin Tokarski's pedigree is phenomenal," said TSN's Pierre McGuire. "You think about being the Memorial Cup MVP and when he needed to be at his best, he was in the gold medal game."

Debates over Canada's starting goaltender are nothing new.

"Canada went through this last year too," explained McGuire. "Craig Hartsburg had to make a decision in the Czech Republic, go with Steve Bernier or go with Steve Mason. He ended up going with Mason. He picked right and Pat Quinn picked right tonight."
Following the win, Tokarski was asked about his knack of coming up big in high-pressure games.

"It's all about battling, people can put you down and say you're not good enough but if you believe in yourself you can do anything," said the 2008 Memorial Cup MVP.
The attendance for the game was announced at 20,380, a single game record for the WJHC and the five straight gold medals equals a Canadian record for the tournament (1993-97).

"There's nothing like this," John Tavares told TSN before the medal presentation. "There's nothing like it at all. Listen to these fans. That's five, Canada."

Tavares was named most valuable player and top forward for the tournament and made a strong case to be the top pick in the 2009 NHL Entry draft with his performance in Ottawa.

Stoops to center stage, please ...

Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops bristles when asked about his recent failures in Bowl Championship Series games.

He proudly rattles off his team’s successes in the Big 12, including appearances in seven of the last nine championship games with six victories. What he does not mention is that his teams have lost four consecutive times in the B.C.S., including the national title games at the end of the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Nor does Stoops, whose team plays Florida for the title Thursday, point out that his only crystal trophy for winning the B.C.S. championship game bears the fingerprints of his predecessor John Blake.

The only black head football coach at Oklahoma, Blake recruited more than half of that championship team’s 22 starters, including future N.F.L. players like safety Roy Williams and linebacker Rocky Calmus.

The mere mention of that fact seems to agitate Stoops, who did recruit quarterback Josh Heupel, tailback Quentin Griffin and linebacker Torrance Marshall, all vital players in Oklahoma’s 13-2 victory against Florida State for the national title at the end of the 2000 season.

“You’ve got to go there after all these years?” Stoops said in a telephone interview last month. “Are you kidding me?”

But the matter is no joke to Blake, an associate head coach at North Carolina. A defensive tackle for Oklahoma from 1979 to ’82 under Barry Switzer, he was later an assistant for the Sooners and the Dallas Cowboys. He returned to his alma mater in December 1995 for his first head-coaching job, taking over after the Sooners went 5-5-1 in Howard Schnellenberger’s only season as the coach.

“I’m happy for Bob because sometimes one man’s sacrifice is another man’s gain, and I really believe that,” Blake said last month in a telephone interview. “Through the process, I sacrificed a whole lot and took a whole lot of negative things. But if it’s for one man to gain the glory, then I’ll just accept it. That’s fine with me.”
Although Blake’s contributions to the Sooners’ 2000 national title is barely a footnote nationally, it is known in Oklahoma. It is still occasionally fodder for sports talk radio stations and Internet message boards.

“It’s probably a no-win situation for Bob,” Al Eschbach, a longtime sports radio host in Oklahoma, said in a telephone interview. “He doesn’t want to say that John had nothing to do with it. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to give John all the credit, either, because the program was in pretty bad shape when he took it over.”
Still, Blake wonders what might have been had he been able to coach a fourth season at Oklahoma. Instead, he was fired in November 1998 after posting a 12-22 record during the worst three-year stretch in the program’s history.

“I really felt that we had the recruiting class and young talent to turn the program around,” Blake said. “I just needed another year.”

Less than two weeks later, Stoops was hired from Florida, where he had been the defensive coordinator. In his first season, the Sooners went 7-5 and lost to Mississippi in the Independence Bowl.

The next season, Stoops claimed his first and only B.C.S. title.

“We weren’t even a couple of years away,” Blake said.

We Like Sportz - language alert



Tank Johnson on Ice Skates

Why Take Care of the Ball?

I was spending plenty of time in deep thought this weekend pondering the playoffs – how certain teams made the playoffs (like Miami) and how certain teams managed to miss the playoffs despite having a better collection of talent than those that did (Dallas, anyone?).

I think the following to charts will dazzle you with the simplicity to explain much of it. Take any year that football has ever been played, and do the following experiment. Find the teams that have the 10 fewest giveaways, and chances are most if not all of those teams are in the playoffs. Find the teams with the 10 most giveaways on offense, and you will find that most if not all of the teams are not in the playoffs.

Let’s start with the teams that took care of the football this season. Here are the Top 10 (actually 11 with ties) who did not give the ball away much…Keep in mind that teams with a “*” after their name were in the 2008 playoffs:

Team	Giveaways	+/-
1. Dolphins *	13	+17
1. Giants *	13	+9
3. Colts *	17	+9
3. Titans *	17	+14
5. Redskins	18	0
6. Panthers *	19	+6
7. Chargers *	20	+4
8. Ravens *	21	+13
8. Patriots	21	+1
8. Falcons *	21	-3
8. Packers	21	+7

Table Tutorial

So, of the top 11 teams in fewest giveaways, 8 made the playoffs. Of the other 3, the Redskins and Patriots had very few takeaways from their defense for even +/- ratios, and the anomaly was Green Bay, who somehow finished a +7 and still finished only 6-10 in a pretty lousy division.

Now, the worst 10 teams:

Team	Giveaways	+/-
32. 49ers	35	-17
31. Cowboys	33	-11
30. Texans	32	-10
29. Rams	31	-5
29. Vikings *	31	-6
29. Jets	31	-1
26. Bills	30	-8
26. Broncos	30	-17
26. Cardinals *	30	0
23. Lions	29	-9

Table Tutorial

So, of the worst 10 offenses for giveaways, 8 missed the playoffs. Of the other 2, the Cardinals had an equally huge number of takeaways (30) and finished even. Then the anomaly was the Vikings who gave the ball away 31 times, finished a -6, and still made the playoffs in that same lousy NFC North.

If you are interested, the league average for a team is about 24 or 25. So, 25 giveaways is about normal, and of course, 25 takeaways would be the same. So, the Cowboys were well above the giveaways with 33, and below in the takeaways with 22.

Now, as you know, I don't believe the object of the game of football is to Not turn the ball over. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent, and thus win the game. But, there are certain things that can equalize a difference in talent or speed or even execution. And that is gifting the ball to the other team. And in 2008, the Cowboys were far too generous.

In 2007, the Cowboys gave the ball away 24 times (33 in 2008) and took the ball away 29 times (22 in 2008) for a +5 instead of a -11. There is the difference in your record. What is bizarre? The interceptions in 2007 were 19. In 2008, 20. That is right. Tony Romo (and the backups) had 1 more INT than last season. But the fumbles rose from 5 to 13. In fact, Romo and Barber, despite both playing far less than full-time, both saw a rise in fumbles. Romo went from 3 to 5, and Barber went from 3 fumbles in '07 to 7 fumbles in '08.

More interesting year to year numbers on the defense. Last year, the Cowboys recovered just 10 fumbles. This year, 14! But that must mean that Interceptions dropped dramatically. They did. Instead of 19 INTs, in 2008, they only picked off 8passes. After adding Pac Man, Mike Jenkins, and getting that Roy Williams off the field, they picked off only 8 passes all season. Ouch. In 2007, All 4 starting DB's had multiple INTs. In 2008, only Newman had more than 1 pick.

While we are talking turnovers, let's finish our tracking of game by game turnovers and the 100 yard rushers, and 300 yard passers.

Final Turnover Data

In weeks 16 and 17, the winner of the turnover battle was 23-2. That put the final numbers almost to where they are every year. Almost every year they have done this, the final numbers are between 80% and 85%. Well, in 2008, the final numbers were 159-44, for a final win percentage of 78.3%. Regardless of the teams or the home field advantage, if you win the turnover battle, you win 4 out of every 5 games.

Final 100 yard rusher Data

Weeks 16 and 17 saw the 100 yard rusher actually only go 15-6, with Steven Jackson bringing down the average as he ran for 100+ in both games for in a losing effort. But, the final season numbers for teams that had a runner get to 100 yards was a convincing 102-29, for a win percentage of 77.9%.

Final 300 yard passer Data

And, just to prove that throwing for 300 yards has almost no correlation to winning, we have tracked this again. The final two weeks, QB's with 300+ yards were 5-6. That put the season record at 46-27-1, for a win percentage of 63%.

Here are some final thoughts from TC the intern who compiled my data this year:

The thing about turnovers that stood out to me was that teams that win the turnover battle by two are equally as likely to win as teams that win it by three. That was not the case all season, but that's how it ended up. It seems clear that a two-turnover lead is a pretty commanding one that even great teams will usually not come back from. Another thing that stood out was that there were only seven weeks when Drew Brees didn't make the 300-yard passer list, and one of them was his bye week. I know he almost broke Marino's record, but looking at it this way put a new light on it for me. Especially because 100-yard rushers are more rare than 300-yard
passers.

Tell me this isn't comedy - Here is Rey Malaluga, top draft prospect and Erin Andrews...

1 Day Work Week

Before we get to some various other links, please know that it is time for the 2009 NFL Playoffs this weekend. I trust you don’t need me reminding you.

Here is the menu …

Parity. Roger Goodell and the NFL love it.

That will be evident when the playoffs start with the wild-card round this weekend. Five of the eight participants will be teams that missed the postseason a year ago, and one of them, AFC East champion Miami, actually finished 1-15.

In the NFC, there is only one repeater from 2007 among the six entries: the defending champion New York Giants, who are the top-seeded team in the conference and will have the week off.

Other than New York, which finished 12-4, the rest of last year's NFC playoff teams were a combined 36-44, including Seattle, which finished 4-12 this season, and Green Bay, which was 6-10. That "left out" group also includes preseason favorite Dallas, whose players consistently dubbed themselves "the most talented team in the league," but were sent home with an embarrassing 44-6 drubbing in Philadelphia last week.

Atlanta (11-5) at Arizona (9-7) – 3:30 Saturday NBC

The Cardinals, who finished by losing four of their last six and allowing an average of more than 40 points in those games, benefited from playing in the weak NFC West, where they were 6-0. So they get the first playoff home game for the franchise since 1947, when they won the NFL title as the Chicago Cardinals.

Indianapolis (12-4) at San Diego (8-8) 7pm Saturday NBC

Baltimore (11-5) at Miami (11-5) 12pm Sunday CBS

These are the two AFC teams that aren't playoff repeaters; they were a combined 6-26 last season. In fact, Miami's one win in 2007 was in overtime over the Ravens after the usually reliable Matt Stover missed a 44-yard field goal attempt that could have won it for Baltimore — and possibly sent the Dolphins to an 0-16 season.

Philadelphia (9-6-1) at Minnesota (10-6) 3:30om Sunday FOX

Here is what I like to happen this weekend. First, the Falcons are a nice story, but Arizona can be a tough place to play and John Abraham being hurt is a major concern, because that is where the Falcons pass rush happens. On offense, I am not sure the Cardinals can slow down the ATL, but I like Arizona 31, Atlanta 27.

Then, the Colts-Chargers is a game we have seen many times. But, after the Chargers went into Indy last year and won the playoff game behind Michael Turner’s big day, I think the Colts make them pay back in San Diego. I just cannot pick Norv and a 8-8 team to beat Peyton. No way. Colts 28, Chargers 20.

Sunday, in a game where I don’t think I like either team, either I am taking a Dolphins team to Wildcat its way to a playoff win, or I am taking a rookie QB on the road in Joe Flacco. I guess I will have to pick though, so let me say that Ryan and Flacco are both studs, but neither wins on the road in the playoffs and Miami advances with an odd 13-9 win.

And finally, the Vikings-Eagles should be entertaining, but if you are asking if I think Tavaris-Gus or McNabb are more likely to make plays when the game is on the line, I will take Donovan to win in a game that will have Vikings fans trying to get Matt Cassel to Minnesota immediately. Eagles 24, Vikings 16.

Now, on to some links:



Winter Classic? Awesome. The Red Wings screwed it up being so good, but the Blackhawks-Wings put on a fun 10 goal show with big hits and good times. Love the concept for sure. Also, the Anthem was amazing. If you saw it, you know, if you missed it, I cannot describe how cool it was.

Verdi on the Winter Classic …

Besides that 6-4 final for clearly the better team, this Winter Classic had to be the most fun Hawks fans ever had with all those clothes on. After the event was awarded to Chicago, there was thought of staging it at Soldier Field, for greater gate receipts. Also, the chore of laying a rink over grass would have been bypassed because there is no grass at Soldier Field.

However, Wrigley Field proved perfect for 40,818 witnesses. They paid dearly for seats, but thousands shunned them, standing for two anthems, scores and highlights, then a seventh-inning knockoff sung by sports legends. Harry Caray would have loved it. His first play-by-play in St. Louis was hockey. Then he found baseball, wondering, "How can a guy who was born in Mexico lose a ball in the sun?" Flurries never materialized Thursday, but I swear I heard him anyway: "How can a guy who was born in Flin Flon lose a puck in the snow?"

Only last season, when the Red Wings came to town, the United Center was overrun by red jerseys of Detroit fans who couldn't gain admission there, so they came here, where plenty of tickets were always available. On other nights, the building remained a sea of scarlet, the color of empty chairs. The Hawks were so insignificant, the local mood so apathetic, that the idea of luring people inside from the cold was folly. To borrow from Mike Tyson, the Hawks had sunk into "bolivian."

Now, the Hawks uproot people from fireplaces in the middle of winter for a coming-out party. The transformation of the franchise is not to be believed, except it's true. Not once in this 48th season since that last Cup—the longest existing NHL drought—has management uttered the tired term, five-year plan. That would be much too slow for a team on the fast track in the world's fastest game. Institutional objectives are raised, and the organization has undergone a personality transplant. The Hawks aren't angry at anybody anymore, except the other team. See: Brent Seabrook removing Dan Cleary from the premises early Thursday.

The Hit



And, since we are enjoying Seabrook this morning, here is Ott vs Seabrook



Revo echos BaD Radio …

It’s been said more than once that the very thing that makes Tony Romo great on the field — his almost Jedi-like ability to make something out of nothing — is too often also his greatest undoing.

Let’s take that rationale a step further. The thing that makes him so likable — his candor and honesty — is also what creates doubt in people’s minds that he can ever be the Super Bowl-caliber leader and quarterback Dallas Cowboys’ fans so desperately want him to be.

Strangely, it’s a whole lot about perception, and, while you would think that Romo might have learned a little something about that after last January’s trip to Cabo before the Cowboys’ playoff game with the Giants, I submit that he still doesn’t quite get it.

His postgame news conference after the 44-6 debacle in Philadelphia on Sunday is a prime example.

He stood there, in obvious pain from a rib injury after being hounded by the Eagles all afternoon, and spoke directly from what we all fully expected to be a broken heart.

But was it?

Here’s the exact transcript of Romo’s response when someone asked ... and him how he dealt with such a devastating loss. It made me proud of him it made me flinch, too.
"I wake up tomorrow and keep living. You don’t [deal with it]. You just keep playing the game. It’s a fun game, and it’s enjoyable. We’re going to try to win next year. We’re going to try to get back in the playoffs, and we’re going to try to win a Super Bowl.

"If you don’t, OK. If you do, OK. Then you’re really a great player. If you don’t, you’re just a solid, good player, and I’ll have to deal with that, not you guys. That’s just part of the job.

"I’ve had a lot worse things happen to me than a loss in a sporting event, that’s for sure. If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, then I’ll have lived a pretty good life."

In other words, folks, it’s just a game, not life or death, and he’s right. It’s a
mature, grown-up philosophy, an attempt to try to put it all back into some semblance of proper perspective.

Only one problem. As much as I agree with Tony Boy’s candor and admire his willingness to state his life philosophy out loud, I seriously doubt that Cowboys fans were looking for rational perspective from their quarterback at that point.
They wanted heartbreak. They wanted pathos. They wanted their quarterback to stand there and tell them how bad he felt, how he would do anything in the world to change things if he could.

While I suspect that Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman both share Romo’s overall philosophy on life and games, I don’t think any of us ever heard either of them shrug and say after a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking loss, "Hey, too bad, but the sun will come up tomorrow."

For most Cowboys fans, the sun won’t come up again for many, many months.

They want their quarterback to not just understand their despair, but to share in it, not stand there with that smug, I-get-it-and-you-don’t half-smile, in that goofy-looking hat and tell them that things aren’t really so bad after all and that they could be a whole lot worse.

The season just ended in ignominy and disgrace, for crying out loud. Act like it. Don’t stand there offering homilies and life lessons, as sincere as they may be. For most Cowboys fans, it was the worst day of a truly horrible year.

Garrett hangs up on the Lions …

Sources close to the National Football Post have informed us that Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has withdrawn his name from consideration for the vacant head coaching position in Detroit.

Our sources have informed us that Garrett decided to withdrawal his name after he spoke with officials from Dallas.

Rafa Vela breaks down the Cowboys OL season …

Offensive line has been the black hole for several Dallas personnel departments, going back to the late '90s. The team has drafted 21 offensive linemen since Larry Allen was selected in the '94 draft's 2nd round. Only three of those can be rated as hits, players who started multiple years and played at a solid level. Two of them, Flozell Adams and Andre Gurode, anchor the current Dallas line. The third, Oliver Ross, had three decent seasons for the Steelers in the mid-'00s.

The remainder are a testament to the worst of Jerry 1.0 and of the Parcells days: George Hegamin, Shane Hannah, Cha'Ron Dorsey, Clay Shiver, Steve Scifres, Tyson Walter, Kelvin Garmon, Solomon Page, Al Johnson, Justin Bates, Rob Petitti, Jacob Rogers, James Marten, etc., etc. If Doug Free fails to emerge, Parcells and his protege Jeff Ireland will have a perfect, in the worst sense, 0-for-9 draft record with offensive linemen.

The price tags on free agent linemen have blown up in recent years, as the demand for quality linemen has far outpaced supply. When a team finds just two O-line starters in fourteen years, it puts itself as the mercy of the market. Such are the Cowboys, who have signed Marco Rivera, Kyle Kosier and Leonard Davis to huge deals in recent years, because they could not develop their own young linemen.

Some of these players have earned post season honors. Three current Cowboys, Adams, Gurode and Davis, were tapped to the '07 Pro Bowl team. But are the Cowboys getting the maximum return on their massive investment? I don't think so.

And, then, Does the same thing to the special teams …

All the Wade's horses and all of Jerry's men couldn't help poor Bruce in the end.
The job was simply too big for him. Nearly all the team's talent was placed at his disposal. Every linebacker save Demarcus Ware and Greg Ellis participated on the unit. Every secondary player except Terence Newman and Ken Hamlin took part.

It didn't matter. The Cowboys special teams were awful -- across the board. There was no single area in which they excelled, or were even middling. They were:

• 31st in kickoff distance;
• 26th in kickoff yardage allowed;
• 21st in kickoff returns;
• 17th in punting;
• 23rd in punt yardage allowed;
• 24th in net punting
• 30th in punt returns;
• tied for 26th in scoring.

There was no benefit to be found in any area. On a team with disciplinary problems, special teams more than contributed to the malaise. The Cowboys led the league with 119 penalties. 19 of them were committed by special teammers.

Coaches will tell you that good special teams units will win a game for you over the course of a year, and sometimes steal a second. Read's units cost Dallas the Arizona game, with sickening symmetry: they allowed J.J. Arrington to rip them for a 93 yard TD on the game's opening kickoff and broke down on the game's final play, when Mat McBriar's punt was blocked and recovered for a second touchdown.

It was fitting, given the copious breakdowns, that Dallas was penalitzed for an offsides penalty on the play. It was also cruel, but typical, that McBrian was injured on the play, and was placed on I.R. the next day.

In between, Nick Folk negated the one good play the special teammers made that day. He smacked a field goal attempt off an upright three plays after Tashard Choice recovered a Cardinals fumble.

It was that kind of year. Finding a quality replacement for Read should be treated with the same seriousness as finding a coordinator. A wiser, more decisive coach could iron out a significant percentage of the unit's penalties and give the Cowboys consistently better field position.

Special Teamer of the Year: It's sad when your MVP has a handful of black marks. Nick Folk was his solid self, but he had that key miss in Arizona to ponder, and missed a short field goal early in the 2nd half at St. Louis which helped build the Rams avalanche. He also yanked two kickoffs out of bounds.

Runner up -- Felix Jones made the special teams play of the year in week two, when he returned an Eagles kickoff 98 yards for a score. He made several more big returns before he was lost in game six with a hamstring injury. He's thekickoff return playmaker this team has lacked for years decades. Heal well, Mr. Jones.

Knucklehead of the Year: Pat Watkins. The Cowboys entered the season with a core group of players who participated on every unit. Watkins, Kevin Burnett, Bobby Carpenter, Justin Rogers and Keith Davis were the assumed leaders on special teams.
Watkins couldn't stand the pressure. He committed one third of the special teams' penalties, most of them of the fifteen-yard variety. (No other special teammer committed more than two.) He took three in the first Eagles game. Two weeks later, against Washington, he committed another special teams' penalty and took a critical
12-men-on-the-field penalty when he failed to sub out after a time out. Watkins demonstrated on more than one occasion that his mind was not always in the game.
This is the type of player who gets coaches fired. Wade Phillips sent Bruce Read packing. If Wade values his own job, Pat Watkins may not be far behind.

If you are watching the Cotton Bowl today from an NFL draft perspective, This site provides some decent scouting info on who is thought of as a prospect …

And here is a Mock Draft for you …

another day, another Leach feature …

Leach has guided the 11-1 Red Raiders to their best regular season in school history and a national ranking that reached as high as No. 2. In one magical season, Tech made itself relevant in a conference that includes tradition-rich programs Texas and Oklahoma. Suddenly, Leach has gained the respect of his peers and the nation.
He can no longer be considered a mad scientist.

"Mike has a goal and a passion and he stays with that thought process and he doesn't flinch," Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "He stays with what he believes in."

Leach won two national coach of the year awards this season – the Woody Hayes and
George Munger awards– and was mentioned in almost every major coaching search. Tech has offered Leach a five-year, $12.1 million contract that would extend his current deal three years, through the 2013 season, but he has yet to agree to the terms.

A few weeks ago, Leach even got the opportunity to meet with President George W. Bush and take a tour of the White House. On Sunday, he'll be featured on CBS' 60 Minutes.

In November, Tech played in ABC's national prime-time Saturday game three times. None was more riveting than the Red Raiders' last-second home win over then-No. 1 Texas that started the media rush to West Texas.

"It's all been good. Anything positive that happens helps the overall program," Leach said. "We've had a chance to have a lot of people watch us and a lot of people see our games. The attention drawn to the program in a positive fashion helps everybody – helps our players, helps recruiting, helps our fans, the excitement of it and the rest."

Two challenges remain for Leach. He has yet to lead the Red Raiders to a Big 12 championship or a BCS bowl.

But Tech has played in a bowl every season since Leach took over in 2000, winning five of their last six. Those five victories match the program's number of bowl wins during the 75 seasons prior to Leach's arrival.

Record-setting quarterback Graham Harrell said Tech has never been a destination school for the nation's – or even the state's – top high school recruits, making what Leach has done in Lubbock that much more impressive.

Harrell has shouted to the world this season that Leach "does more with less talent than any coach in the country."

Tech's average recruiting class the last five seasons, according to Rivals.com, has ranked 37th nationally. That's considerably lower than Oklahoma's (eighth), Texas' (11th) and Texas A&M's (21st) average ranking. During that span, Leach has led Tech to a 45-17 record, with at least eight wins and a bowl bid each season.

60 Minutes Teaser …

Stars Mailbag - Mucho Grande

One month ago, I rolled out a mailbag that contained mostly discussions about why the Stars had played 23 games, and only won 8 of them. The discussions revolved around Marty Turco’s poor play, Sean Avery’s poor conduct, the Stars poor health, and the overall long shot of having any chance of making the playoffs – let alone making a run at a Stanley Cup.

Well, a month can make a difference. The Stars won as many games in December as they did in October and November combined. A month that grabbed them 8 wins and 17 points in 13 games put the Stars right back in the mix and possibly on the right track as we hit Mailbag #2.

So, why have things changed? Where did the direction change? And many, many more thoughts are straight ahead.

Let’s get started:

You: Hey Bob,

Happy New Year and I gotta say I really enjoy reading your blog. Are you liking the improvements we are seeing in the Stars overall play? I don't think anyone would truly say that Avery was the reason the Stars had such a sub-par performance for the first third of this season, but it's hard to argue with their performance since the split. I had about written off this team for making the playoffs (like another Dallas team - ahem), but if you had to predict a "yay" or "nay" for the Stars making the playoffs, which way do you see it going??

Sharon - Little Elm

ME: I shall give you a qualified “Yay”. At the moment I write this on New Year’s Night, the Stars sit 2 points behind the #8 seed, Colorado. Of course, between the Avs and the Stars are the Wild, Blue Jackets, Oilers, and Predators. The Kings also sit one point back meaning that 7 teams are playing for essentially one spot. And as we hit 2009, they are all virtually even. The Stars have 46 games to go, as do most of the rest, and it is going to be a fun run in. Vancouver, Anaheim, and Phoenix, who all currently occupy #5-#7 better not have any prolonged down time either or they could find themselves on the outside looking in on an amazingly even Western Conference.

So, why do I think the Stars are playing better now than they have in the first two months (W.A. = With Avery) is a fairly complex answer.

Honestly, I think you do have to consider the impact that Avery had on everything. At the time, I thought it was a convenient excuse for poor play, but as the evidence continues to mount (23 games with Avery for 20 points; 13 games without Avery for 17 points) it is difficult to say that he was not affecting the product. But how much? I think the simple explanation will be that Sean Avery was a horrid cancer that needed to be cut out – and then a classic addition by subtraction case yielded big results. In fact, the parallels between what the Stars did and what the Cowboys should have done with their own case of cancer leaves you wondering how the football team may have turned out had they followed the Stars lead.

But aren’t there at least 3 other factors that should be added to Avery’s exit as primary reasons for the resurgence of the Stars?

1. The return of Steve Ott (Dec 18th) and Jere Lehtinen (Dec 20th). Let’s be honest; there were quite a few games where the Stars were fielding half of an AHL team during the tougher stretches of the season. When they plug these two back into the mix, everyone else fits better. The top 6 wings are now Eriksson, Sutherby, Ott, Neal, Lehtinen, and Parrish. Putting those 6 guys around Modano, Richards, and Ribeiro make everything work better. And, when Lundqvist and Brunnstrom get right physically, it will only continue to improve. You can see the production of the centers get better and better as the wings play does the same. Now, you have a confident Loui and Neal, the veteran presence of the other 4, and you are ready for work. Which leads us to…

2. The surge of 91 and 63. Poor guys, they lead the team in points by a healthy margin, and yet we are never satisfied with their contribution. When I wrote about Mike Ribeiro’s production was getting hit hard from losing Brenden (Dec 17 blog), we noted that he had 18 points in 18 games with Brenden, and only 5 points in 12 games without him. We needed more 63. Well, in the 6 games since, he has 9 points – and is a +3. Brad Richards is on a tear as well, with 13 points in 13 December games. But, he started the post Avery era with 0 points in 6 games, and has followed that up with 13 points in the next 7. I would say he is slightly hot right now.

3. Defense, Defense. This is all about Marty Turco continuing to look the part. In December, the GAA is way down, the save percentage is back up where it needs to be (above 90%) and he appears to own his crease again. How much of this is Marty and how much of it is his blueline being solidified by the play of Robidas up top and Sydor steadying the young lads since he has been added is open to debate. But, what is not open to debate is that the Stars allow fewer than 3 goals a game for the month, and that is way down from the first few months.


See what I am saying? You can say it is Avery, but I think you have to factor in health, your best players being your best players, and getting your defense squared away. None of those 3 things are affected by a black cloud that Sean Avery brought in my estimation.

You: Dear Bob,

There’s no doubt that the 2008-2009 season for the Stars has been somewhat of a disappointment, but as I’ve watched the team progress over the past few weeks I really don’t think we can blame any one person – coach, player, or GM. This is a bit contradictory to what I’ve said it the past, but as a frustrated fan you want to blame somebody, anybody for this years lackluster performance.

Can you blame Turco or Tippett? Maybe.
Can you blame it on the Sean Avery situation? Maybe.
Can you blame the season on the numerous injuries? Maybe.
Can you blame it on bad karma? If you believe in that sort of thing you might.
Can you blame Modano? Not if he continues his jedi-like performance this year.

But the way I see it, when you start blaming any one person or thing, you no longer consider the Stars a team and the way these guys have joined together and have fought hard despite the adversity is exactly what I, as a fan, have seen in the Stars this season, especially in the last 12 games or so.

When you’re at the bottom the only direction you can go is up and if the Stars keep playing like they have (7-4-1 in the last 12 games), then hopefully by the end of January we’ll see the Stars somewhere in the top eight fighting for a ticket into the NHL playoffs.

P1 Dan

Me: Agreed. I like the fact that they all seem unified in their battles right now. The team spirit was obviously fractured for a while, and now they look like the familiar family they have appeared for many years. It is surely a bit different without Morrow and Zubov on the ice, but at least the team looks like they will fight for eachother and defend eachother. I think the blame game is not important right now. What is important is playing good hockey and getting results on a regular basis. The hole they dug was deep, but they also showed that they can dig out of it pretty fast. To consider that they are but 5 points behind Anaheim is a very nice feeling. I realize the Ducks are having their own issues, but you would think all of the quality teams would have left the Stars in the dust. The Stars could still finish 2nd in the Pacific, and have a chance to work their way not only into the playoff mix, but also into a seed that could avoid Detroit or San Jose in round 1 if they really hurry.

You: Hello Bob, best wishes and a happy new year to you from Stralsund, Germany!

I have a question and I really would like to hear from an insider how he thinks about this topic. I am a big, big fan of Mike Modano for years now and I can hardly imagine a Dallas Stars team without him. So I am thankful for every year he will stay around with us.

Now, we are having a difficult year (it is getting better right now). I am afraid, that if we will miss the Playoffs, Big Mo will stop playing hockey immediately. How do you think about it? Will we have to make the Playoffs and do well in it to keep Big Mo for another year? Or would he stay to help us, if we cannot make it as good as last season?

Would be great to read your opinion about it!

Best wishes to you!

Robert Schwols
Stralsund, Germany

Me: Nice! Hope it is all good in Germany these days. If I were to guess, Mike Modano will play as long as his body is holding up. He is an exceptional athlete who appears to still be able to do things that many 10 years younger than him cannot dream of doing.

It should be noted, however, that the body does strange thing at his age, and will break down without very many warning signs. Sergei Zubov is one of nature’s marvels for most of his career, but in 2008, he was unable to get his body right, and now I am wondering if we will ever see him back on the ice resembling the clear-cut #1 defensemen he has been for so long. Time waits for no man in pro sports, and there are only so many games in a player’s body.

So, I am optimistic that Modano wants to keep playing. He is having fun, and he also likes proving people wrong that think he is washed up. He also realizes that there are not very many jobs that pay like his current one. I guess I don’t buy him leaving the game before the game kicks him out. If he can still do it, look for #9 to still be skating below rather than hanging in the rafters above. That will happen soon enough.

You: Bob,

With the absence of Brenden Morrow is there a particular player you would say has stepped up to the plate and helped steer the Stars back in the right direction?

Thanks,

Long Time Stars Fan

ME: Honestly, I was just thinking this during the Ducks-Sharks-Devils homestand – Steve Ott makes this team so different. I am not saying he can do things Brenden can do, because he cannot. But he serves a gigantic purpose on this team of sending a physical message to the opponent. He had Mike Rupp going crazy on Wednesday night with his antics, and I loved the shift in the 3rd where Otter had at least 3 body checks on the forecheck. When the team was playing in early December without Morrow, Avery, and Ott, they surely seemed to lack any sort of adrenaline or physicality to their play, and I think had a hard time beating some teams unless they could put the other team to sleep with their polite style (they actually beat Calgary in Calgary with a very docile attack). But now, even with Ott in the middle of his fight embargo due to his injured hand, he is driving up the hatred in the game, and that serves to distract the opponent, but also to open up opportunities to his mates. Heck, I even saw 63 throwing the body, so you know it is infectious.

As for others stepping up in the absence of Morrow, I keep thinking that the primary beneficiary of all of the wings being hurt or suspended is James Neal. During training camp, you wondered where they were going to be able to get him any ice time. He actually spent quite a while in Manitoba during November, but with Avery and Morrow gone from the left side, here comes James Neal, just 21 years old to take 20 shifts a game, and make an impact on every single game. If those guys were here, there is a very good chance he would not be. When opportunity knocks, James Neal has answered and I think he will be a regular up here now for a long, long time. He is a special one.

You: Hey, Bob,

Here's a question for your mailbag:

What was Sean Avery like in person? Did you or Dan interact with him at all while he was here?

Thanks,
Patty

Me: Well, I must be honest. I never got a chance to engage in much conversation with the man. Whenever I was in close proximity, I generally just observed the interesting fellow, and I don’t have much along the lines of anecdotes other than my night on the Stars bench when I enjoyed his running conversations with Blackhawks players and then the tunnel screaming match with the Chicago coaching staff and then coach Denis Savard as I stood at an extremely close distance quite nervous.
Beyond that, I just saw him off by himself doing his own thing. But did I know that everything was going so south so fast? Nope. I knew he was not very popular, but you have to understand that I cover the Cowboys as well, and am therefore conditioned to not think it is overly disconcerting to have a teammate who is not popular and a bit of a loner. Pro sports is not a frat house, and I was caught by great surprise to hear the extent of the discontent by his mates.

You: I don’t think that the fact that they’re playing better has anything to do with Sean Avery being gone..to be honest I actually enjoyed him playing for the Stars, he brought a lot of pretty women to the games to watch, which was a distraction to me...I’ve been very disappointed with Marty Turco this year, I think he gets alot of leniency for his bad performance this season, it kind of angered me when he mouthed off after Sean Averys famous "sloppy seconds" comment, because he made it seem like that distraction was the reason for his bad play, I took a historical look back at Marty Turco, and other than last season’s awesome playoff run, he hasn’t been the top notch goalie that many people say he is, I’m not saying he’s bad because obviously hes done very well for his career, I just notice that in alot of games he gives up 5 goals. That’s not necessarily all his fault because the Defense hasn’t played well either and are either banged up or just give the puck away, I don’t have much confidence in the back up goalie; he seems to be a slow reactor when the puck is coming his way...When it comes to the Power Play, it just seems like the line that’s out there is more concerned about making a pretty pass than actually shooting that puck into the goal...I don’t think any shot on goal is a bad shot, especially on the PP. Tippett needs to get that through his players heads, SHOOT. Even if we have alot of banged up players; we still have alot more talent on the ice than most teams...I’m glad we got Sydor back, an old familiar face is always good. I still to this day, second guess the trade that sent Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk to New Jersey for Jason Arnott, because look at how Langenbrunner is still playing great hockey. I dont think the Stars need to make any significant deals, maybe get a good defenseman? We are too good to be at the bottom, looking at the top. San Jose looks solid all around, but I believe the Stars can beat them, and not only them but the rest of the league, 1. If were healthy 2. Take advantage on the PP, or just SHOOT 3. Play physical...I notice sometimes the Stars arent as physical as the opponents, we need to check more and with authority so the opposing players will be afraid to come down the ice.
Leo

Me: Wow, you said a lot. First, on the Langenbrunner deal, I was thinking the same thing watching the Devils’ captain and wondering what if the Stars never did that deal. At the time, I still think it made some sense – trading a old center and a younger piece for someone’s #1 center. You have to remember where Jason Arnott’s value was in the NHL at the time of the deal. He has been a tough guy to figure most of his career, but he was 27, and just coming off two monster playoff runs in 2000 and 2001. The Stars were scared that Nieuwendyk just could not last much longer and like I said, at the time, I bought it. But, since hindsight is 20/20, we see that Langenbrunner was the real piece that hurts. I remember thinking he was just “a guy” in this league, and he could be replaced. But, I now realize the errors in my thinking as he is a great leader and example the way he competes. He has skill, too, but he is just great captain material, and holds guys accountable. You can’t have too many of those, and I think with Morrow and Langenbrunner patrolling the franchise this entire decade, they may have experienced more happy spring times. Just speculating.

Now, on to your thoughts of Turco. He is surely a lightning rod, and I will not argue that he has not been good enough. But, there are a few things for you to consider. First, he has plenty of skins on the wall, in my estimation, with the 3 All-Star games and the 3 seasons with GAA’s under 2.00. But, most importantly have been the last TWO springs where Turco has been the best goaltender in at least 3 of his last 4 series while facing Luongo, Giguere, Nabokov, and Osgood.

But, the other very important factor with Turco’s play and the defense in general is that I believe the blue-line is short a stud or two. This summer, the Stars put a bid in on Wade Redden to take over as the Stars top defensemen because Sergei may not have much time left as the man here. Well, they didn’t get Redden (nor did they bid on Commodore, Orpik, or anyone of the other free agents on defense) and for some reason changed their focus to Avery. This left them dangerously thin and dependent on the kids back there to grow up extremely fast.

When Zubov got hurt, and Fistric and Niskanen started slowly, they were up the creek without paddles. So, then they are panicking to find a Hutchinson here and a Janik here and a Sydor there. The facts are pretty simple: The Stars are trying to get by with a huge money forward corp, and a small money blueline. Without Zubov, there is almost no money investment back there, and when I spoke to a personnel expert in the league this week, I asked him how many Stars defensemen could crack the Chicago Blackhawks starting 6? He said, Robidas - As a 4th or 5th defensemen in that group - would be the only one. Wow.

There is no Pronger, or Boyle, or Blake, or Lidstrom, or Keith, or Campbell, or Niedermayer. I am not saying the Stars don’t have some nice players who are going to continue to get better, but this is a team that does not appear to have a #1 or #2 defenseman at their disposal right now. So, before we blame Turco for the entirety of the slow start, let’s understand that the management has perhaps left the cupboard a bit bare back there.

You: Ok.... here's a question for you. Why doesn't the NHL mandate use of Helmet cages?

I know that a lot of players prefer not to use them... but if "Team" comes first, why not make the change?

Look at Robidas last season... he played great with the cage... Or, remember when Boucher got that orbital fracture? If he hadn't been injured, how much more could he have produced for the team?

It's good for the players.... healthwise.

It's good for the Team ..... minimizes injuries and keeps good players playing and PRODUCING!

Thanks!

William de Leon

Me: William, there has long been a feeling that half-visors will be required sooner or later. In fact, almost every young player who is called up is used to wearing them, so they just keep them on anyway. The idea is that they will likely be grandfathered in, with players who entered the league prior to whatever date would get to choose for themselves, but those after would get no such choice.
As far as a full face cage, the league would not do this. I believe they want the faces as visible as possible so that the public gets to know them, so I don’t think they will ever roll that way.

You: Hey Bob,
Greetings from Corpus Christi, TX. I am a big fan of the blogs by you and Razor. I am new to the love of hockey (about two years now), since I grew up in Brownsville, TX, hockey was not talked about at the dinner table (or anywhere else for that matter). I am new to some of the lingo and I have to ask, why does Razor insist that the goalie's gear are the tools of ignorance. I am trying to understand, please enlighten a newbie. Thanx and enjoy the new year!

andy hernandez, corpus christi, TX

Me: Razor charges me a hefty fee every time I want to talk with him, so let me try to answer this on my own. I believe “tools of ignorance” was originally a term used in baseball to describe the catching gear that is worn by those behind the plate. Here is a link of the origin and I believe that the idea is that anyone who would dare be a catcher or a goalie must be ignorant to want to play a position that requires full body armor. And Razor was a goalie, so….

You: I demand you offer in your next mailbag a great hockey video for me to watch at my job and kill a few minutes of my work day. Pretty please -With sugar on top.
Tom

Me: Here you go. If this isn’t fascinating to you, I will refund your money:
How its Made – Hockey Pucks

You: Sturm,
Where does the organization stand with the Sean Avery Saga? I haven’t heard much about anything on this topic besides him not joining back up with the team. Are they shopping him around the league, demoting him to the minors or going to buy out his contract? Obviously the best scenario would be trading him to another team in hopes of getting possibly a defenseman or forward in return but do you know of any takers?
Gil

Me: Honestly, all is quiet on the Avery front. They have said he will never play here again. He is also “working some things out in his life”. I suspect he will be bought out this summer, and will play with someone – somewhere next season. He could push the issue, but I just don’t see a very large trade market for a guy that many teams would not touch BEFORE the Dallas fiasco. I don’t begrudge the guy a chance to redeem himself, but I don’t think he holds very many cards right now.

You: Bob,

I would like to start off by saying I love the direction the stars are headed. There is an excitement with the team that was non-existent early in the season and I tip my hat to Hull and Tippett for not being
afraid to change it up a bit. My question to you is do you think the stars would have a few more power play goals if they got a few more shots on goal and picked up the trash? I love the finesse of Richards,
Modano, and Ribeiro but maybe if we crashed the net a bit more on the advantage, we could capitalize on situations like the Sharks game. GO STARS!!!

Jacob

Me: Since I have been in Dallas (1998), there has been one constant complaint about Dallas Stars hockey. They don’t shoot enough on the Power Play. Actually, I think this is a complaint about every team in the NHL, but especially in the Zubov/Modano PP where those two magicians have always given up a good look to try to find a great look. Well, with Zubie on the shelf, now it is Richards and Ribeiro who join Modano and make the fans crazy with all of the passes. The truth is, the power play can still improve. It can still help this team even more, and they are still trying to figure out who are the best players to have down low on the man-advantage. Is it Neal? Is it Loui? Is it Ott? They are trying them all to find the best player to stand in the crease and cause issues. But, the talent is there for the Stars to have a better PP than 15%. That can really help them the rest of the way if they continue to make teams pay in that department. I always support crashing the net in search of the juicy rebound.

YOU: Bob,

I have a question for you and it's not about the Dallas Stars rough year but it's about Brenden Morrow. When Morrow ever comes back to play hockey, do you think he'll be the same player? Do you think the Stars will make the playoffs?

Melissa

Me: There is no guarantee, but I have learned to never bet against Morrow. He is a determined man, and I see him at practice, and he wants to be around the team and lead anyway he can. But he also knows that he can only lead for real when he is out there with his boys.

You: Hey Bob,

I'm a big fan of your blog and the Dallas Stars, in fact I order the centre ice package just so I can watch the games in Canada. I enjoy how you always look at the stars without too much emotion; don't get too down when they are or too optimistic when they get hot. On to my questions:

1) I don't think the Stars can seriously take a run at the cup this year. I think they CAN make the playoffs but do you think its worth it? to sacrifice a good draft position for a a first round exit? I know the Stars need to make money but this year looks to have a lot of draft promise.

2) If the Stars do make a playoff run what type of player should they target at the trade deadline??
Again, I don't think they will make a serious run, so giving up young talent (Benn, Neal, Fistric, Vishnevsky or picks) would REALLY disappoint me, but as far as I can see it they need: a skilled RW for Ribeiro's line, a veteran D-man and a solid back-up tender... perhaps more of a summer wish list

3) Lastly, looking at the draft. Who do you realistically see the Stars pursuing??
Personally, I'm high on Braydon Schenn, watching his brother in Toronto and looking at Benn in the World juniors I am shaking at the thought of those two playing together in Dallas....

Thanks for your feedback, its always interesting to hear from someone close to the team.

Brandon

Me: Thanks, Brandon.

1) – No, I think it would be silly to consider the Stars in the Cup mix right now. But, Yes, I do think it is worth it to find out what you can do. This is a short term industry, and you must take your best shots. What if Lehtinen, Zubov, and Modano all are done this summer? Won’t you wish you gave it one last run with them? I think draft position takes care of itself (the first thing is to not trade your 1st rounders for Ladislav Nagy), but I think you always try to win rather than tank it.

2) – At the same time, I am not sure I make a huge trade to win now. I have to keep the big picture in focus, so I don’t cough up a Benn or Neal to help myself short term. If you can give a lower-tier prospect to help yourself now, fine. But Les Jackson and Brett Hull are not going to move the stars of next decade. My priority would be backup goalie and defensemen. I think you have enough forwards to get you where you need to go.

3) – I have not seen Schenn, so I will tell you that my only draft knowledge is what I am watching right now in the World Juniors. I love Jordan Schroeder from the USA, but I doubt he makes it down to the Stars – here is one of his sweet goals.



And of course, the #1 pick is this John Tavares kid most likely – he is really stinking good.

You: Sports Sturm,

I went to prospect camp and training camp before the season started just to check out the fresh looks of young talent. I right off the bat noticed Jamie Benn and James Neal. I was most impressed with Jamie Benn, and wanted to get your take on who you saw as a “real deal”? Also what potential you see coming up for the trade deadline? I am highly frustrated with Matt Niskanen and would like to see him go as a package deal to get a solid defenseman. What say you?

Me: Like I say, we need to be really careful at this trade deadline. I would not be willing to do much. I would not move Niskanen. He has the tools, and I think all he needs is maturity. Grossman is not even in a discussion, and I don’t want to sell low on Fistric. Ivan Vishnevsky is the 1st round pick from 2006, and I don’t think he is ready to play up here yet, although the Stars are giving him a taste of the NHL life right now. He cannot go, either, I don’t believe.

If you like your kids, you don’t trade them. That simple. As for the forwards, there just isn’t anyone you would want to deal from the younger ranks. Neal, Brunnstrom, or Eriksson? This better be quite a trade if you are going to do it.

Now, they do have some cap room with the Morrow and Zubov injuries, but are the Stars looking to spend with the economic times hitting them at the box office? Time will tell. But, if someone wants to dump salary, you could strike there, because money is coming off the books this summer.

They do really need to resolve their backup-goaltender situation, pronto.

You: James Neal gets more impressive with each game, he is the future of this team!

K Martin
Dallas

Me: As president of the James Neal fan club, I will not disagree

You: Bob,

What is the main reason Stars got rid of Guerin. Was it salary cap issue or did he just not fit in? He seems to be doing well on a sub par Islander team. I appreciate what you do on the ticket and for the Stars......

Steve

Me: Ah, Billy G. One of my favorite players, and I am biased since he did our radio show for 3 years and is about the nicest pro athlete you will ever meet. Why didn’t it work? Lots of reasons. He was very expensive, and his contract hit right before the lockout. The Stars underachieved while he was here in the playoffs, and the guys making the most money got the blame – so, Guerin and Arnott were two popular targets.

He was also a high-up in the NHLPA, so I think that rubbed some Stars management the wrong way, but I am only guessing. He actually was pretty productive in 3 seasons here, where he led them in scoring one year and goal scoring another. But all in all, his time here was not overly successful for the organization. When you sign someone at his price-tag, the owner is thinking Stanley Cup, and Guerin was right after the debacle of Pierre Turgeon (another super human being – not a super Stars
hockey player) so the leash was short.

I will always have my #13 jersey ready, I just wish he would have tasted a bit more playoff happiness here.

You: this question has brought my attention several times and do not know what would happen. ribero scores, or at least thinks he does but the ref waves no goal. play continues but knowing as soon as play stops it will be reviewed. what if the other team scores before play stops? review shows riberos goal was good. both teams get a goal? only Dallas’s counts and the other team is pissed off?

thanks
billy

Me: This is one of my favorites. The ruling is that Ribeiro’s goal is good, and any other goals scored after are wiped off the map. They never happened. Crazy, eh? It has happened before and it will happen again. If the goal is good, the clock goes back to that time, and the rest never existed.
----
There you have it. 6,000 words this time for you. Now, on to January, where we can play those stinking Wings 3 times, and spend a lot of time on the road. Let’s keep some momentum going.

Nobody could have predicted the crazy 2008, so don’t think for a second that you have any idea what 2009 holds!

Happy New Year

Scoops and Eli Manning