Jerry Likes to Spend

The blog returns to what you have come to expect today….Lots of cut and paste, and more soccer than most of you want.

We should start, though, with some very general managing on the part of the the Jones clan yesterday, as their two biggest contract concerns have been put to bed with as much ease and relaxation as Romo, Witten, and many others before them. The fact is that the Terrence Newman deal seemed to sneak up on the media a bit, with no indication that was about to go down as of Monday. But, on Tuesday, Newman is done at 2pm, and no sooner had the dust settled than before 3pm, the Marion Barber deal comes down.

There is no question that the Cowboys love what they have right now, and believe they have a Super Bowl Champion waiting to win. They have almost no other contractual concerns of note (Ken Hamlin and Chris Canty, I guess) and now can just focus on winning. Jerry is going all in with his draft day maneuvers and his willingness to sign up with Pac Man, Tank, and any other discounted stars to get the last pieces in place. There is no doubt he is obsessed with 2 things…1) winning and 2) showing you the fortune he wants for seats in the new stadium is worthy of your dollar.

If you are a Cowboys fan, this is going to be fun. And expensive.

The deals for Newman and Barber …

On a day when Jerry Jones and 31 other NFL teams voted unanimously to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, the Cowboys owner and general manager took care of two of his Pro Bowlers.

Cornerback Terence Newman signed a six-year extension worth $50.2 million with $22.5 million in guaranteed money, and running back Marion Barber signed a seven-year deal worth $45 million that includes $16 million guaranteed.

While the league and players association will have labor peace at least through 2010, the uncertainty of what might happen beyond that led to a flurry of action, even as Jerry and Stephen Jones attended the spring meetings in Atlanta.

The Cowboys wanted to get the deals done before the end of business Tuesday because of future changes to the salary cap following the owners' decision to opt out of the labor agreement.
How long signing bonuses can be prorated and how the 30 percent yearly increase would count against the salary cap would have been factors had the deal not been reached Tuesday.

The players wanted deals done so they could concentrate on football. Newman, entering the last year of his contract, was scheduled to make $1.4 million this season. Barber had been tendered a deal worth $2.562 million as a restricted free agent and missed the first day of organized team activities Tuesday.

He will be at today's workouts.

"I think it was a big factor for the Cowboys," Barber's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said of the deadline. "They have so many fine players and big deals they have to negotiate. So it may not be
a factor for other teams, but it was for the Cowboys.

"At the end of the day, it didn't matter to us, we were going to be patient and wait for a deal for our client," Rosenhaus said. "To their credit, they were very aggressive over the last 48 hours, and we were able to get it done in time. At the end of the day, both sides are very happy."

The moves continue the Cowboys' insistence on keeping their core players – from Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Bradie James, Jay Ratliff, Roy Williams, Flozell Adams, Andre Gurode, Patrick Crayton and Mat McBriar – before they hit the open market.

"The Cowboys' ownership once again demonstrated why players want to be a part of their organization," said Newman's agent, Ben Dogra, who also represents Williams. "They take care of their guys."

To create room under the salary cap, the Cowboys restructured Romo's contract, opening up nearly $5 million. The Cowboys have been in talks with safety Ken Hamlin regarding a multiyear deal, and have several key players like receiver Terrell Owens and offensive lineman Marc Colombo entering the last seasons of their contracts.

Newman's contract falls in line with the deals struck recently by cornerbacks Asante Samuel of Philadelphia ($23 million guaranteed), Oakland's DeAngelo Hall ($23.5 million) and Seattle's Marcus Trufant ($20 million). Newman turns 30 on Sept. 4.

Despite missing three games because of a foot injury, Newman was named to his first Pro Bowl last season after tying career highs in interceptions (four) and pass deflections (15).

"Sometimes when you don't have a contract going into your last year, you get to thinking about the wrong things," Newman said. "You worry about staying healthy and making plays you don't normally make. The fact that we're done with it, I only have to worry about playing football."

Barber also was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007 despite not starting a regular-season game. He ran for a career-high 975 yards on 204 carries with 10 touchdowns.

Barber's guaranteed money is $1 million more than what Michael Turner received from Atlanta as part of a six-year, $34.5 million contract this year and the amount Willis McGahee received in a seven-year, $40 million contract from Baltimore last season after his trade from Buffalo.

TERENCE NEWMAN
Six-year extension, totaling $50.2 million
Signing bonus: $12 million
Guaranteed money: $22.5 million

MARION BARBER
Seven-year deal, totaling $45 million
Signing bonus: $12 million
Guaranteed money: $16 million

More great work from Albert Breer at the Cowboys blog as he looks at the core and their deals ….

I thought we'd take a look at the contract status of all 13 of the club's Pro Bowlers. With Newman and Leonard Davis celebrating their 30th birthdays on back-to-back September days, the Thursday and Friday before the opener, six of Dallas' 13 Pro Bowl players will be 30-somethings to start the season. Here's the opening-day age (in parantheses) of each player, and the year each one of them is locked up through ...

OT Flozell Adams (33) -- 2013
RB Marion Barber (25) -- 2014
OG Leonard Davis (30) -- 2013
OLB Greg Ellis (33) -- 2009
K Nick Folk (23) -- 2010
C Andre Gurode (30) -- 2012
S Ken Hamlin (27) -- unsigned*
CB Terence Newman (30) -- 2014
WR Terrell Owens (34) -- 2008
QB Tony Romo (28) -- 2013
OLB DeMarcus Ware (26) -- 2009
S Roy Williams (28) -- 2010
TE Jason Witten (26) -- 2012
* -- Franchise player

Add it all up and nine of the 13 are signed through the next three years, and seven (Adams, Barber, Davis, Gurode, Newman, Romo, Witten) are inked for the next five seasons. I would expect that Ware will join both those groups well before his rookie deal expires.

And all of that is pretty impressive. It may have taken Jerry and Co. a while to build a championship core again. But give them this: They are serious about keeping one together when they have it.

What are the future free agency issues? …

Here, I'm going to provide the list of the free-agents-to-be over the next two years, so you guys can see any drain on the roster that could be coming. I didn't include franchise player Ken Hamlin or restricted free agent Chris Canty on these lists, since the status of those two is still up in the air. Canty is expected to sign his one-year, $2.019 million tender, with an eye on being part of the 2009 free-agent class, while Hamlin is seeking a long-term deal.

Here's the rest ...
Up after 2008
WR Miles Austin*
C/G Joe Berger
DE Stephen Bowen*
LB Kevin Burnett
OT Marc Colombo
TE Tony Curtis*
WR Sam Hurd*
NT Tank Johnson
CB Evan Oglesby*
WR Terrell Owens
C/G Cory Procter*

Up after 2009
OLB Greg Ellis
DE Jason Hatcher
CB Anthony Henry
QB Brad Johnson
OT Pat McQuistan
OLB Justin Rogers*
DE Marcus Spears
OLB DeMarcus Ware
S Pat Watkins

Check out this Gem: From Michael Lombardi’s Football Blog, A detailed evaluation of his skills …read carefully…

Williams as a player represents a shift in the game that has happen over the last few years. There was a time in the NFL where you could have a strong safety and a free safety, but today's NFL safties have to be able to play in the high part of the field, which I call level three. When you evaluate a safety its critical that they be able to play on the third level, regardless of man or zone.

Even in zone if the defender is playing in a cover two shell and a wide outs comes into his area, he still has to man him up. So when a safety lacks explosive movement in pass coverage and is limited to playing on the second level only, then he will be attacked each and every week.

Williams agent, Ben Dogra called me three years ago before he was going to finalize his extension for Williams and asked me what I thought. My thoughts were unless he was going to be moved to Will Linebacker, then there was no way he could justify the amount of money on the table. Dogra assured me the deal was for him to play safety and my reaction was for him to take the money and run-fast.

Williams lack of athleitic skills and coverage skills limits what Wade Phillips can do with his scheme on Sunday, he is always trying to hide him and hoping he can keep him from being in space and having to play in coverage. That is why the Cowboys send him on blitzes all the time. Blitzes keep him out of coverage-which is what the Cowboys need to do.

No matter how many Pro Bowls Williams achieves, he wears a big circle on his chest each week as opposing offensive coordinators plan to attack him in coverage. Now, add the notion that he has gone Hollywood, and refuses to work hard-his time in the NFL will be short lived. The NFL is all about what can you do for a team today, its always moving forward and it could care less when and where you were drafted. You have to justify the pick with your play.

Williams football career sounds like he is on borrowed time.

Adam Morris points out that CJ Wilson is not missing bats anymore …

Percentage of strikes that are swinging strikes for various Ranger relievers:
C.J. Wilson -- 12%
Joaquin Benoit -- 21%
Frankie Francisco -- 22%
Franklyn German -- 17%
Eddie Guardado -- 13%
Jamey Wright -- 11%
Josh Rupe -- 14%
The major league average is 14%.

Last season, when C.J. Wilson had 2 strikes on a batter, he allowed opposing batters to hit .134/.258/.150 against him. He allowed 17 hits, and just 2 XBHs (both doubles), in 151 PAs. He got 2 strikes on 53% of the batters he faced, and struck out 41.7% of batters once he got 2 strikes on them.

In 2008, with 2 strikes, hitters are hitting .175/.250/.350 against Wilson, including 3 XBHs (1 double and 2 homers). He's gotten 2 strikes on 56% of the batters he has faced, but he's struck out only 23% of them.

In 2007, Wilson threw a first pitch strike to 55% of the batters he saw. In 2008, he's thrown a first pitch strike to 49% of the batters he's seen.

In a nutshell...the biggest problem seems to be that Wilson isn't putting batters away this season, as reflected in his low swinging strike percentage and his low K rate once he has 2 strikes on hitters.

Carmelo anyone? …

They have been talking around the league and one of the teams they will revisit is Denver, where Carmelo Anthony is available. League sources insist the Nuggets are making Anthony available for the right price. The Nets have spoken to Denver - Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe drafted Anthony and reshaped the Nuggets roster when he was there.

Vandeweghe refused any comment on talks with the Nuggets but admitted the Nets will look to be active this summer but only in "trying to make deals that are good for your team so you are always talking to everybody around the league. But I am a firm believer in not making trades just to make trades."

So where the Nets pick will add to their summer intrigue. They have their own pick (likely 10) and No. 21 from Dallas through the Jason Kidd trade. Should they get No. 1, they would keep it for Michael Beasley of Kansas State. Same with No. 2, assuming Memphis' Derrick Rose went first to another team. If they got three, they might look to deal and a higher pick could be attractive to Denver.

The Nets and Nuggets discussed various parameters of a deal, which would not occur until after June 30 when the full $14.4 million on Anthony's 2008-09 contract kicks in. He is a base year compensation type, which makes trades difficult. One proposal contained "a lot of pieces" including the Nets' pick, Richard Jefferson and Marcus Williams for Anthony and Marcus Camby. One source stressed nothing is imminent and talks are still in the infancy stage.

Another Solid Hockey Blog I have Bookmarked …



And now, for a considerable amount of blog, I point you in the direction of the single biggest club football event of the year…And it happens today! ESPN 2, coverage begins at 1, kickoff at 1:45.

The Champions League Final! And yes, I hate both teams, but it is the Super Bowl of their sport, and they will have more viewers than the Super Bowl, and I like soccer, so sue me…

Thanks to television, the local kickoff time in Moscow is really late ….But at least it will hit London in prime time, right? And it should give everyone a fair chance to get properly drunk…

Manchester United and Chelsea are making history with the first all-English Champions League final—and the one with the latest starting time.

Kickoff at Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday is 10:45 p.m. (2:45 p.m. EDT), which is 8:45 p.m. for television viewers in Western Europe. If the game goes to overtime and a shootout, the new champion won’t be crowned until about 1:30 a.m. Trains on the Moscow subway system are running two hours later than usual to accommodate fans.

“We’ve only had two days here so there is no adjustment,” Chelsea midfielder Frank
Lampard said. “Our body clock is basically ready to deal with that time.”

United has been playing in European soccer for more than a half century but has never kicked off this late.

“Even if we had it at 4 in the morning, that’s not really going to bother me,” United defender Rio Ferdinand said. “It’s not something that has played on our minds. We will just deal with it.”

By kickoff, 40,000 English fans who traveled to the match should have had plenty of time to down a pint—or perhaps a few. Because most hotel rooms were booked up months ago, many supporters are taking chartered flights, will go to the game and then fly home at breakfast time Thursday.

“We don’t care how late it kicks off, as long as we win,” said Man United fan Jimmy Westmancoat, who flew out from England on Monday.

Champions League Final Funfacts …

Facts and figures relating to the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday:

— Wednesday’s all-English final will be the third same-country final in the Champions League following the all-Spanish clash between Real Madrid and Valencia in Paris in 2000, which Real won 3-0, and the all-Italian match between AC Milan and Juventus in Manchester in 2003 which Milan won 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

— Wednesday’s final will be the 53rd since the competition started in 1955-56 and England are guaranteed an 11th success, bringing them level with Italy and Spain as the most successful countries. They will also win a 29th success in the three European club competitions, equalling Spain’s record.

— It is the fourth successive season that England have been represented in the final following Liverpool’s success in 2005, Arsenal’s defeat in 2006 and Liverpool’s defeat last season.

— Moscow will be staging the Champions League final for the first time, nine years after it staged the UEFA Cup final between Parma and Olympique Marseille which Parma won 3-0.

— United manager Alex Ferguson will become the 16th man to win the European Cup more than once if United triumph, following his success in 1999. He would also set a record of winning longevity in European club competition—he won his first European trophy, the Cup Winners’ Cup, with Aberdeen in 1983.

— He will become, at 66, the second-oldest man to win the trophy if United triumph. The oldest is Belgian Raymond Goethals who was 71 when Marseille won in 1993.

— Chelsea coach Avram Grant would become the first Israeli, either as a coach or player, to win the European Cup. Chelsea defender Tal Ben-Haim would become the first Israeli to be on the winning team if he plays, which is unlikely.

— Six players in the two squads will be looking to win the European Cup with a second club. United’s Edwin van der Sar won it with Ajax Amsterdam in 1995 while Owen Hargreaves won it with Bayern Munich in 2001.

— Chelsea’s four previous winners are Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira (both Porto 2004), Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan 2003) and Claude Makelele (Real Madrid 2002).

— Ryan Giggs will beat Bobby Charlton’s all-time club appearance record of 758
matches for United if he plays and could also win the trophy for a second time. He and Gary Neville were in United’s winning 1999 team while Wes Brown was a non-playing substitute. Paul Scholes, who is expected to play on Wednesday, was suspended in 1999.

— Wednesday’s match will be the third major final between the two clubs. Manchester United beat Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final in 1994 while Chelsea beat United 1-0 in last season’s FA Cup final.

— Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United and Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Chelsea have all played at the Luzhniki Stadium this season for England. Rooney gave England a first-half lead against Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifier on Oct. 17, but Russia ended 2-1 winners.

— If Chelsea triumph they would be the first club from London to win the European Cup.

Will Chelsea have Ashley Cole to chase down Ronaldo today ?…

Ashley Cole is a doubt for the Champions League final after receiving a blow to the ankle in a challenge with Claude Makelele. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
Chelsea's preparations for this evening's European Cup final were dealt a late blow last night when Ashley Cole, the England full-back, who was due to directly confront Cristiano Ronaldo at the Luzhniki Stadium, suffered an ankle injury which leaves his participation in doubt.

Cole was injured in a tackle from his team-mate Claude Makelele as the Londoners' squad trained on the turf in Moscow. He was forced to hobble from the pitch to have the joint strapped and, after some clear initial discomfort as he jogged on the touchline, he did eventually rejoin the side in a practice match with Makelele offering his apologies.

Those were accepted, albeit grudgingly at first, though the full-back was unable to complete the training session and left early, still shaking his head, with the masseur Bill McCulloch for treatment on the swollen right ankle in the dressing rooms.

The joint will be assessed more fully today, though Chelsea are hopeful Cole - a losing finalist in this competition with Arsenal two years ago, and absent with a knee injury when England lost in this arena last October - will be fit to confront United, and the 41-goal Ronaldo, this evening.

In a report on their website, Chelsea said: "In a challenge with Claude Makelele Ashley Cole hurt his right ankle. He was treated, it was tested, then strapped - but after consultation between [Avram] Grant, club doctor Bryan English and physios Dave Hancock and Thierry Laurent, Cole resumed and took full part in the final training game."

Sir Alex Ferguson had his own injury concerns last night with Nemanja Vidic and Louis Saha forced to miss training at the stadium. However, while the France striker may not be fit enough to feature on the bench, United are confident Vidic will be able to start. "He has a different training programme to the other players, but he will definitely play," said Ferguson.

And if that wasn’t enough, Steve Morrow got the axe …which I hate to see, but lose 5-1 in front of your franchise’s biggest crowd will cause things like that…

Morrow, a former Dallas player, guided his former team through 38 regular-season matches and leaves with a record of 15-15-8 and secured 53 of a possible 114 points.
The loss to David Beckham's Galaxy on Sunday and Morrow's subsequent dismissal capped a rough stretch for FC Dallas, which is winless in its last four matches. Tensions were high with Thursday's dismissal of Morrow's top assistant, Jorge Alvial.

Dallas (2-3-3) is fourth in the Western Conference with nine points. Morrow is the first MLS coach to lose his job this season.

"Due to a recent run of poor results, I fully accept responsibility, and if the team needs to go in a different direction, then I wish the players nothing but great success for the remainder of the season and beyond," Morrow said in a statement.
Hitchcock, who mentioned the need for strong leadership qualities in the next coach, also cited Dallas' lack of success defending the home turf.

"If you look on our home record over the last year and a half, we have had 30 matches and have won 10 of those," he said. "I'm a firm believer that when we bring our fans out to the stadiums, this needs to be a home-field advantage for the team, and we need the team to respond and reward the fans for coming out."

Buzz Carrick is on the case with a good summary …

I got this email yesterday:

Hi Bob,

As a friend of Buckner's, I just thought I would pass this along to you and The Ticket to let you know about some exciting news for Buckner and Shoes for Orphan Souls -- and the need for volunteers in North Texas! More information below. Thank you for all you do!

- Jenny

MEDIA ADVISORY

TITLE: Large Humanitarian Aid Donation as a result of Texas tornado – Local Volunteers Enlisted!
DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 2008
LOCATION: Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, 5405 Shoe Drive, Mesquite, TX (just east of Buckner Blvd. on Samuell)
TIME: Volunteer prep 9 a.m.

San Angelo Tornado Creates Whirlwind of Need for Volunteers in North Texas

DALLAS, Texas – A mid-April tornado that ripped through the R.G. Barry shoe company’s San Angelo distribution center has caused a whirlwind of volunteer activity for a North Texas non-profit.

Because of the damage caused by the twister, Shoes for Orphan Souls, a shoe collection ministry of Dallas-based Buckner International, is receiving an estimated 180,000 pairs of R.G. Barry shoes and slippers over the next few weeks.

The windfall, says Shoes for Orphan Souls director Rachel Garton, has created the need for additional local volunteers to help sort and prepare the shoes for distribution to orphan and at-risk children in more than 62 countries.

“Getting multiple truckloads of shoes in a short period is very unusual,” she says. “Usually, donated shoes come in large boxes, or one or two truckloads, but never in this volume. Because these shoes are arriving at an already busy part of our collection season, we need volunteer groups and individuals to come to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid to help sort and prepare this large number of shoes.”

A May 21 volunteer event from 9 a.m. to noon at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, located at 5405 Shoe Drive in Mesquite, will highlight the need for volunteer groups’ participation. About 40 fifth- and sixth-grade students from The Winston School in Dallas will prepare shoes from one of several shipments arriving from San Angelo and shipped courtesy of Wal-Mart. The shipment is expected to arrive at 10 a.m. and special accommodations for live shots and interviews can be made.

Garton says volunteering is “easy and rewarding. It’s a climate-controlled setting, and we take individual volunteers and groups both large and small -- civic organizations, Sunday school classes, clubs, schools, or families -- all it takes are people wanting to make a difference. Come for an hour, come for the day.”

Processing of the tornado shoes is expected to take three months, and Garton says volunteers can call the humanitarian aid center at (214) 367-8080, ext. 1009, to schedule a time to volunteer.

In its ninth year of operation as a ministry of Buckner, Shoes for Orphan Souls has distributed more than 1.6 million pairs of shoes to more 62 countries. For more information about Shoes for Orphan Souls, visit the Web site at www.ShoesforOrphanSouls.org.

Stars Playoff Run Remembered



Red Neck's Wife versus Desert Eagle .50



Fifa Street

Game 6: Detroit 4, Dallas 1 (Detroit Wins, 4-2)

“I can honestly look at those guys that we have – starting with Brenden Morrow – and say they left everything on the ice. Everything.” – Dave Tippett, after Game 6.

The darned thing about these fairy tales is that sometimes you might not care much for the ending. And so it goes as the 2008 Dallas Stars season ends at Game #100.

A 4-1 loss to the Stanley-Cup-Finals-Bound Detroit Red Wings killed the collective buzz of the 18,532 – but when the dust settles, the journey will be seen for what it was – a fabulous 40 day ride that will stay with those of us who love this sport and this team for a long time.

The truth is that this team squeezed everything out of its ability. There really was not much of a case to be made that the Stars deserved this series. Detroit, sadly, is better. And at times, it seemed obvious that they were quite a bit better.

But, what is that saying? That there is one team in the Western Conference that is better than the Dallas Stars? We’ve come a long way, baby.

In the life span of the Dave Tippett/Marty Turco era, the Dallas Stars have made the playoffs every year. But, as we all know, when they got there they were not quite sure what to do about it. From 2003-2007, the Stars accumulated 11 playoff wins. This spring, they gave us 10. They truly gave us something to Believe.

Let’s wrap this run up with some notes and thoughts from Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals:

• You could tell the Stars just weren’t themselves last night. Give Detroit all of their due. Tough questions were asked of them, and they answered all with such overwhelming power that they had grabbed momentum by the throat within 5 minutes of faceoff last night. Having said that, as a Stars fan that starting feeling greedy about potential accomplishments this spring, allow me to point out that the errors from our boys were tough to take. Datsyuk took the puck from between Grossman’s legs on his goal, Morrow set up Zetterberg with a very poor turnover, and the other two goals were scored when Marty couldn’t find the puck and for some reason an unmolested Red Wing was allowed to stand right next to him and poke home a near-freebie. Detroit crashed the net with great urgency last night, but we have seen the Stars stand up that barrage with far more effectiveness in recent games.

• When I started calling Brenden Morrow our very own William Wallace a while back, I would have the occasional e-mailer respond to me that I obviously didn’t remember that Wallace died in the end while fighting bravely and valiantly for Scotland. Nope. I remember my favorite movie quite well. The sad reality is that 29 teams end in a figurative “death” every-year. But do they surrender? Some do. Not William Wallace. He fights to the death. And Morrow, with injuries everywhere, fought like a Captain should. To the End.

• One truth that is told every spring is that hockey is the ultimate team game. 20 guys are required to each do their part. We saw it in every round, and in this series, who could ignore the great battle between Stephane Robidas and Dallas Drake? With players making $7 or $8 million a season on the same ice, both of those veteran warriors will take bruises forward at a much lower salary, and for Robidas, he forever will hold a special place in Dallas’ heart for his heroic efforts all year long. He properly demonstrates the guts of a professional hockey player. I have to think he might need a few weeks to heal up. Well deserved.

• I cannot stress how proud I was of the Dallas hockey fan last night. I am not sure I heard a “Boo” all night directed at the home team (no matter how bad they played at times). Personally, I think they earned a “boo-less” night given the fact that it was only due to their sheer will that there was even a game last night to begin with. Then, to top it off, the final minute of the game gave me chills. The full house was waving their white towels and showing proper appreciation for the 40 nights of playoff enjoyment. You paid a proper tribute. And when Morrow and Mike Ribeiro skated off and saluted the crowd, it was a wonderful portrait to remember as we wait for October.

• Not to reference Brett Favre or Roger Clemens here, but there comes a time in every athlete’s career when you wonder if you just saw their last performance. I am almost positive that Mike Modano will be back, but the thought did cross my mind as I saw him leave the ice. Next month, Mike will celebrate his 38th birthday.

• Another few thoughts on the Red Wings. Chris Osgood was very solid when he needed to be this series. It may be easier to be the goalie for a team like that, but the truth is that there will come a time when you must make a save to bail out your team, and he was seemingly always up to the challenge. Last night in the 3rd period, he was the best he had been the whole series.

• The Detroit Penalty Kill has given the Stars fits all year. They are so aggressive that the Stars never find a comfortable posture when setting up the man-advantage. It helps when you have the talent, but even more so, that team seems to be the smartest team in hockey. Very few mistakes, and when you see a botched line-change like you did in Game 5, you are almost amazed that Detroit was capable of a mental gaffe. Smart players make smart plays, and it is obvious that Ken Holland and Scotty Bowman know a little about finding players with a fine Hockey IQ.

• I think I would install Detroit as a slight favorite in what should be a fine Finals matchup for our sport. If you love hockey, you must find some pleasure in an attractive match-up for the nation to take note of in the next few weeks. I wanted Dallas there badly, but short of that, Pittsburgh and Detroit is good for the
game.

• In 1997, the Stars lost a painful game 7 in Round 1. In 1998, they lost in the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in 6 games. In 1999, they won the Stanley Cup. Hmmm. In 2007, the Stars lost a painful Game 7 in Round 1. In 2008, the Stars lost in the Western Conference Finals to Detroit in 6 games. In 2009…..

• Michael Scott, Branch Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton Office sent me his thoughts on Game 6’s loss and the end of the magical Stars run: “it feels like somebody took my heart and dropped it into a bucket of boiling tears... and at the same time, somebody else is hitting my soul in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer... and then a third guy walks in and starts punching me in the grief bone... and I'm crying, and nobody can hear me, because I'm terribly, terribly... terribly alone.”

• Cheer up. This thing is headed in the right direction. The next wave, with Morrow, Ribeiro, Richards, Turco, and the gang, is ready to march forward with all of this new confidence and experience. They have learned what they are capable of. I refuse to believe they came up short. I believe they exceeded everyone’s expectations. Moving forward, those expectations will raise, and then it will be time to figure out how a Stanley Cup can be grabbed again. But, for now, enjoy the progress. Enjoy the memories. And, enjoy a few months without hockey. Because 2008-09 is on its way. And I suspect our boys will have some unfinished business to attend to and complete.

Game 5: Dallas 2, Detroit 1 (Det, 3-2)

Game 4 was about Pride. Game 5 was about crossing another task off the list. You know, that Joe Louis Arena “curse”. There is no curse. There is a game that requires will, precision, and belief. And on Saturday, this team had belief in what it does and who it is.

This is getting good, because Game 6 is about getting even with those Red Wings. Amazingly, the Stars are still breathing. And almost more amazingly, their pulse is getting stronger.

So feel free to make the mistake I did at your own peril. You see, 5 days ago, I was writing a column to the 18,532 that sounded like I was prepared for a funeral. A happy funeral for sure – like the one for someone who lived a really long, successful, respected life - but, still a funeral. Down 3-0, I was convinced that the heroic Dallas Stars 2008 Playoff run had smiled its last smile.

I didn’t see any way out of this mess. Sadly, despite being told all spring to “Believe”, I obviously did not. I was very proud of my boys taking down the Ducks and the Sharks, but the dream was over. Nice try, boys.

Well, I have never been so pleased to be wrong. And, I might have been wrong about something else, too. Maybe Skill doesn’t always beat Will. That isn’t to say the Stars don’t have plenty of skill, nor is it saying the Red Wings don’t have will.

But, since the theme of this series early on has been that Detroit is just too talented, then I think Games 4 and 5 indicate that maybe the Stars have too much will to go quietly into the night. Or too much will to go at all.

I don’t know quite what we are looking at right now. I still must remind all of us that the odds remain greatly stacked against Dallas. But if you don’t believe that this thing is back on in a huge fashion, then you haven’t been watching. The Stars didn’t need a plane to fly back to Texas. They felt great to earn a reprieve. And now, they realize that the mountain is being climbed. They are 60 minutes away from tying this series. 60 minutes of home hockey that could force a magical Game 7.

Game 6’s have been filled with memories in this franchise’s history. Brett Hull in Buffalo years ago, or Brenden Morrow at 1:24 am a few weeks ago come quickly to mind as two of the best. But, when you recall the two Game 6 wars in this city this spring – Game 6 versus the Ducks and the Quadruple Overtime to beat the Sharks, both were being fought with ferocity from the Boys in Black to avoid a Game 7 in California. Now, there is nothing in the world that the Stars would want to do more, than fly to Detroit for a Game 7 in Michigan Wednesday Night. Their house of horrors is now their dream destination. A lot can change on a Saturday afternoon, eh?

Notes and Observations from a glorious spring day in Detroit:

• Congratulations to Marty Turco. In his 12th try at the Joe, Turco gets a win. Nobody ever mentioned that his first 11 trips to Detroit included only 15 Dallas goals. It was all laid at his feet. Well, he seemed fine with that. Need some big saves? Holmstrom, Cleary, Zetterberg, and about 36 more come to mind. Need some offense? Turco set up both goals with passes, and also set up a 3rd great chance for Nik Hagman that Chris Osgood stopped. He is locked in again, and I wonder if he feels he can remain in the zone through Wednesday? Guess what, he will need to.

• After Game 2 , I wrote about punching the Red Wings in the face with adversity. I am telling you, they are not comfortable at times like these. They do not want to be on an airplane back to Texas. They thought that this weekend was a celebration of their triumphant return to the Stanley Cup Finals. This coach, this captain, these superstars, and most of this team have not done it in the playoffs. When adversity strikes Detroit, they have struck out since the days of Yzerman, Federov, Shanahan and that awesome group that won 3 Cups in 6 seasons. This group is awesome, too, but do they have the resolve and the heart? Test time. Doubt is a heavy backpack.

• My vote for the craziest stat I have ever seen: Take a guess (without cheating) of which Dallas player played the most ice time when the game was at equal strength. If you get this, you are a genius. Modano? Zubov? Ribeiro? Morrow? Robidas? Richards? Norstrom? Still guessing? Toby Peterson. Or as Zetterberg and Datsyuk must be saying now, Toby-Freaking-Peterson, who had a team-leading 19:25 when the game was at 5-on-5. I don’t believe it.

• Joel Lundqvist sure didn’t look like he wanted to take that shot that he scored on. He looked set to pass the entire way in on the 2 on 1 after a botched line change from Chris Chelios. But, he finally ripped it high corner past Osgood, and scored the game winner. What a game for that entire line with Toby, Lundqvist, and Loui Eriksson. Lundqvist even ran over Tomas Holmstrom seconds before a frustrated Holmstrom punched someone on the Stars bench taking a minor for roughing at precisely the wrong moment for his team.

• Detroit still dominated in the face-off circle, and dominated the shots on goal. The difference in what the Stars have figured out appears to be subtle. They are simply trying to make Detroit possess the puck on the outer part of the rink. Protect the slot, and protect the goalmouth. This still sacrifices shots and possession, but the premium shots are minimized. It also makes the Red Wings skill players engage much of their shift fighting in puck battles in the corners with the likes of Peterson or Steve Ott. Puck battles are about grit and fight, not skill and talent. If you can engage 13 and 40 in a corner, you will have a much better chance than in open ice.

• Jiri Hudler scored Detroit’s only goal on a power play. It was a pretty nice rebound finish for Hudler, but I was sure wondering how Detroit was on that PP to begin with given that Darren McCarty had run over Turco in the sequence prior to that which did not get called.

• Good to see Trevor Daley score and finish a game high +2. In this playoff run, Daley has at times been the forgotten man in the back, but his speed should always be something that gets the opponent’s attention. He can step into a rush as a trailer, as he did yesterday on Richards’ drop pass, and provide a nice element.

• Detroit can never be counted out. When Morrow hit the crossbar, he had a golden chance to get the Stars a bit of breathing room. It didn’t work, so it was hang on again in the final minutes. The final icing call made the last minute even more agonizing, but the Stars were up to the task.

• Credit Kris Draper with an exceptional cross check on Brenden’s face. Nice technique, Kris. Not sure how that call was missed, but I am sure it was an accident. Between Osgood’s butt-end and Draper’s cross check, it would seem Detroit has quite a few accidents with their conduct.

• I always enjoy a movie reference to sum up my feelings. But, I can’t take credit for this one. Many of you have been sending me the Rocky IV clip where Rocky realizes that Ivan Drago bleeds. Once he bleeds, you realize he is human. Once you realize he is human, you realize that your punches can hurt. Then, you realize victory can be had. It all starts, though, with a drop of blood. The Wings were just cut. Let’s see how that affects the two teams.

• The beauty of playoff hockey is this: No matter what you pay these guys in salary, you cannot put a price on victory. It is priceless. Imagine the money that could be raised if you could put a price on a Game 6 victory. We would all scramble to the phones to pledge what we could. But, it can’t be bought. It must be earned. Don’t look now, but your Dallas Stars are ready. Let’s see if this improbable, and some might even say impossible dream can keep going.

• Game 6 is very necessary.

When The Stars Turned the Corner

As the Plane heads off to what could be the final game of the season (if things don't go right), we ponder when the Stars figured it out again. I will say the summer of 2006, when they made Morrow the captain, said goodbye to Arnott and Guerin, and made some odd trade with Montreal for Mike Ribeiro.

I was emailed a link to this blog, yesterday , where a Stars fan was writing another tribute to Brenden. It was good stuff, but I was emailed the link because it referenced something I said many moons ago.

Usually, when I am sent this, it is to remind me of a mistake I made in the past (like when I thought Okafor was a better pick than Dwight Howard) because these archives don’t lie. If you search hard enough you can find some really dumb things I have said over the years, but I will leave that up to you and your boredom.

Anyway, I was sent something I got very right. It was from April 27, 2006, when I wrote about Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 1, with Dallas losing to Colorado again . I was all bitter about another Stars crash and burn, but I guess I decided that the Stars needed a new captain that day and wrote this:

• I endorse Brendan Morrow (above) for captain in 2006-07.

Wow. I am really proud of getting that one so right – please don’t note that I also obviously didn’t know how to spell his name.

What seems like such a no-brainer now was certainly questioned then; but I guess I can’t lose them all.

Links:

Evan Examines the Rangers turnaround ….

On the evening of April 24, while all around them was silent and sullen, the senior members of the Rangers' roster conducted a makeshift board meeting in the back of the club's charter flight from Detroit to Dallas.

A three-game sweep in Detroit extended the Rangers' losing streak to seven games and left the club with the worst record in the American League and staring at the same kind of season-killing start that had scuttled the 2007 season before Memorial Day.

Something had to be done if the season was to be saved.

Eddie Guardado, with the most major league service time, represented the bullpen. Kevin Millwood spoke for the starting rotation, Milton Bradley and Michael Young for the position players. By the time the plane had landed, the group had decided it was time to take the rather extreme measure of a players-only meeting.

A day later, they met. As is custom, the most experienced member of the club, Guardado, spoke first and told the team, "This is where it starts." The others followed, echoing the approach that the season started anew with the next game. And when it was done, almost every player on the roster had said something.

"We became a team that day," Young said. "The effect of that meeting was huge."

Even Dr. Phil would be envious of the results of the Rangers' group therapy. Since the meeting, the team is 13-6 and has won each of the six series it has played. Manager Ron Washington's job security is no longer being discussed. In three weeks, the Rangers have moved back to the brink of .500. Or if you count things this way, they began Thursday 3 ½ games behind the wild-card leader, Boston.

Was it that simple? Was some introspection all the Rangers needed? Are they winning because they had a meeting?

"It's not that simple," Guardado said. "I've been through a lot of meetings where you said a lot of the same things and nothing happened. That everybody said something was important. I came out of it feeling good, and I think everybody did. I think there was a feeling like a ton of bricks had been taken off each of our backs. We started relying on each other more. Now, we are picking each other up."

It shows in the way the Rangers' lineup has approached its job. It shows in the way the starting rotation and bullpen have gotten back in synch to ensure that one doesn't place too much of a burden on the other. It shows in the way the veterans seem to feed off the rookies' energy as much as the rookies feed off the veterans' experience.

Hicks has no confidence in Daniels …it would appear from his quote….

Speculation was rampant that manager Ron Washington would be fired, but Ryan said a knee-jerk reaction would have been a mistake. Daniels and Hicks agree that Ryan's experiences -- 27 seasons as a player and 15 years in private business -- were invaluable in deciding to remain patient.

"He wanted us to face the issues because he wasn't prepared to give up on this season," Hicks said. "We did face the issues, we thought long and hard about them, we decided to be patient, and it looks like that decision was a good decision."
That means that ideas were shared by Ryan and Daniels, a pairing Hicks said is working well and should make the Rangers better. Ryan can give Daniels perspective he didn't have before.

Said Hicks: "Some of the mistakes J.D. made in trades we wouldn't have made had Nolan been at the table. I don't think we'll have to worry about that again."
Hicks' faith in Ryan is so strong that he has taken a step back from the Rangers to juggle his other two major league franchises, the Dallas Stars and FC Liverpool. He also has let Ryan to be the public face of the ballclub.

It's a luxury he has because Ryan's grasp on the Rangers -- business and baseball -- improves each day. He is getting a better idea of how to meet deadlines and demands set by the office of Major League Baseball, and he knows which prospects are where and what they can do.

But only four teams are playing in the minors now. Nine, including two teams in the Dominican Republic, will be playing by summer. He'll have more to grasp then, but he hasn't given anyone a reason to think he won't be on top of those clubs, too.

"I give him a lot of credit," Daniels said. "He's taken on a lot in a very short amount of time. To a degree it's been a crash course. Every day he's got everything from how the big-league club is doing to merchandising to facility improvements."
Indeed, Ryan's spacious office is home to a rack of jerseys that could be worn next season.

He has hired Dale Petroskey, former president of the Baseball Hall of Fame, to oversee marketing, community development, government relations and the Texas Rangers Foundation.

Nolan Ryan Tender Beef is now available at Rangers Ballpark.

He can be heard on radio ads telling fans they could use some baseball.

Ryan will be keeping lookout during the Lone Star Series.

"It's a big weekend," he said. "There are going to be some Astros fans who haven't seen our club. So we hope we play well."

Why is Vince Young Dancing Topless? …

Spurs stay alive …

Boosted by a hot shooting stroke, scrappy defense and an inspired Manu Ginobili, the Spurs kept their season alive for at least one more game.

Ginobili scored 25 points, making 6 of 9 3-pointers, and Tim Duncan had his best game this series with 20 points and 15 rebounds, as the Spurs raced to a 13-point lead in the first quarter and never trailed again.

The Spurs won with 3-point shooting (11-of-21) and with defense, holding the Hornets to 41.3 percent shooting.

It was a performance typical of the home team in this series, in which the visitors have been beaten by an average of more than 18 points.

Now, this Jekyll-and-Hyde series heads back to the Big Easy, with the Spurs hoping to break the home-team-in-a-rout trend. Monday’s Game 7 will be just the third for the Spurs since Tim Duncan arrived in 1997.

“We’re happy to go back to their gym, and we think we’re a pretty good road team,” Duncan said. “We’re going to do our best to make a better game of it.”

Popovich, who won his 99th postseason game to match Red Auerbach for fourth on the NBA’s all-time list, has known this kind of pressure before.

On the golf course.

“I can visibly see my hands shake when I’m trying to make a two-footer for a Budweiser,” Popovich cracked.

The stakes are significantly higher now.

The site of Game 7 — and perhaps given the state of star David West’s back, the date of it — was the only bit of good news to come out of San Antonio for the Hornets.

Parker added 15 points for the Spurs, but it was more than the Big Three who secured a return trip to the Big Easy.

Ime Udoka hit all five of his shots en route to 13 points off the bench, and Fabricio Oberto made the most of his first start of the series with four assists in the first quarter to help kick-start the Spurs’ offense.

“When you are able to have that many people play well, you have a chance to win a basketball game,” Popovich said.

Chris Paul led the Hornets with 21 points, but the Spurs were able to take away his other scoring options. Paul finished with a series-low eight assists.

West, fresh off scorching the Spurs for 38 points in Game 5, looked almost human. Guarded primarily by Duncan, West had just 10 points, making 4 of 14 field goals. By game’s end West was in bad shape.

Felled by a Robert Horry back-pick early in the fourth, West — who had been battling a stiff back — was helped to the locker room and didn’t return.

Thanks to the heavy lifting the Spurs had done to that point, the game was decided.
The Hornets trailed by seven at half, and did not open the third quarter well. Parker stole Morris Peterson’s opening inbounds pass and, two seconds into the second half, the Spurs were up nine.

“I took that as a bad sign, right off the bat,” Scott said.

Flipping the script from what normally happens to them in New Orleans, the Spurs won the third quarter 20-12. Behind a 7-0 quarter-closing run — sparked by a Udoka 3-pointer and block of Jannero Pargo that became a Duncan layup — to take a 78-63 lead into the final frame.

By that point, the return trip to New Orleans had all but been booked. The Spurs, befitting their been-there, done-that nature, won’t sweat it.

Ticket Prices at the New Stadium are just really, really expensive …not really, really, really expensive..

The team announced Thursday that the least expensive seats in the new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington will cost $59, just $9 more than the cheapest Texas Stadium seats. Also, those seats – at least 8,000 of them – won't require a one-time seat option, which costs as much as $150,000.

The season ticket prices for the 50,000 reserved seats in the new stadium will range from $59 to $125 per game, including two preseason contests.

"That's very comparable to our ticket prices for the past couple of years at Texas Stadium," said Brett Daniels, a Cowboys spokesman. "There's just a small increase."

And just like at Texas Stadium, fans must buy season tickets to the new stadium. Single-game tickets are not available.

Tickets initially will be sold only to current season ticket holders.

Most reserved seats at the new stadium also will require seat options, which range from $2,000 to $5,000. The seat option gives fans the right to buy the same seats for 30 years.

The reserved seats are mostly in the upper decks, corners and end zones. The club seats are between the end zones and closest to the field.

On Thursday, the team also announced that it would sell 1,200 loge seats in the upper deck at midfield. Those will cost $125 per game and require a $12,000 seat option. The loge seats will have cushioned club-style seating, but those fans won't have access to the stadium's private clubs.

Cowboys officials said they would offer single-game tickets at the new stadium only if they failed to sell all the seats as season tickets.

"If that happened, we would come up with a single-game price," said Chad Estis, Cowboys vice president of sales and marketing.

He said the team doesn't expect that to happen.

The Cowboys had no single-game tickets available for the 2008 season. The few that were available in 2007 sold out in minutes.

Thursday's announcement comes nearly six months after the Cowboys released prices for the expensive club seats – $340 per game – which require seat options ranging from $16,000 to $150,000.

In March, the Cowboys said that about 8,000 of the 15,000 club seats had been sold. Mr. Daniels said some of the club seats are still available, but he declined to say how many.

The Comedy of “We”



Brenden’s House is big

Game 4: Stars 3, Red Wings 1 (Det, 3-1)

“Not in Our House”. “Not on Our Watch”.

I can’t swear this was anything more than delaying the inevitable, but I was certainly happy to see the way-too-many Red Wings fans hang their head and wander out into the night. No offense, Detroit fans, because we all recognize you have a great team, but I would say many of us were happy to see you without that smug look on your face for once.

The performance the Stars put out last night reminded me plenty of many of the other wins on this wonderful playoff run – desperation, determination, and just enough at the end of the game to break through. Led by usual suspects Brenden Morrow, Mike Modano, and Marty Turco, the team gave us all we could ask for – one more night of smiles. Now, we shall repeat the request for Saturday.

Are the legs returning? Is the energy back up? Or did the Stars just relax and play last night like they had nothing to lose? I am sure we all have a number of explanations for a game that finally saw the Stars enjoy a lead for a few minutes. Whatever the combination of reasons might have been, the fact is that the team was able to make Chris Osgood scramble a little bit by unleashing their best forecheck of the series, which was followed by turnovers and scoring chances.

Detroit had plenty of chances pushing back, as Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were just as dangerous as ever. But, the Stars hung on and live to fight another day.

Here is a notebook for a Game 4 that extended hockey season for at least 60 more minutes:

· Great to see Modano push through. He has been such a factor for this team during the run as when he plays well, the Stars do, too. Sent out to wing last night with Brad Richards, he looked extra determined, and you have to believe a guy with his resume perhaps realizes he might not get within 3 wins of the Stanley Cup Finals ever again. So, there is no use taking any energy and effort with you to the off-season. He looks like he has decided to leave it all on the ice.

· That Zetterberg is amazing as a penalty killer. Seriously. Watch him some time. He deflects so many passes. He seems to have that ability that they used to say about Pele, that he sees the game 3 or 4 passes ahead of everyone else. I know that sounds crazy, but how else does he know what you are doing before you know?

· Speaking of Henrik, who felt good about Dallas’ chances after he tied the game on the 1st shift of the 3rd period?

· Jeff K plays the music at the American Airlines Center. I am sure he puts plenty of thought into what songs he plays, but I thought it was extra relative last night. 10 minutes before the National Anthem played, he rolls out Pearl Jam’s “Alive”: Is something wrong, she said - Well of course there is - Youre still alive, she said - Oh, and do I deserve to be - Is that the question - And if so...if so...who answers...who answers...-I, oh, Im still alive - Hey i, oh, Im still alive - Hey i, but, Im still alive -Yeah i, ooh, Im still alive -Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah ...I thought of it as I left the arena after the win. I guess that is what they mean about music being the soundtrack of life.

· Marty really had to work last night. He no doubt is not feeling great about his performance in Game 3, and despite many close calls as the puck creeps past the goal line, he kept the Stars in the game. Detroit has a relentless attack, and many goalies are going to look bad against them. I thought this performance was really important to his psyche moving forward. Not just for Saturday, but for many battles in the future. Of course, to really break through the “curse”, he needs a stand-on-his-head performance at their place. Hey look, opportunity knocks on Saturday at 12:30!

· What can you say about Toby Peterson, Loui Eriksson, and Joel Lundqvist? I certainly had no idea what Dave Tippett was thinking matching those three up against the Detroit Super-Line, but I guess they did just fine. They matched them goal for goal, and somehow limited the damage. Toby Peterson is showing that he belongs, while Loui and Joel both add to the bright future of the Stars.

· “Proud” is defined at dictionary.com in many ways. I thought the one that summed up my feelings for the boys yesterday was this one: “Highly Gratifying to the Feelings or Self Esteem”. There was no way they deserved to go out like that, swept at the hands of their hated rivals. I don’t know where this series is going – as odds remain stacked – but if that wasn’t a night of pride for the 18,532, I don’t know what would be. They showed they weren’t going quietly. Well done.

· Detroit certainly got a raw deal on that disallowed goal. It was a blown call, no doubt. Blown calls happen quite a bit in these playoffs, but it is particularly painful that such an innocent party such as Tomas Holmstrom be blamed. I don’t know how any official could accuse him of being in the crease. I kid. Sort of.

· Brenden Morrow is William Wallace. I started saying it last year when he skated on one leg to the Vancouver bench ready to fight the whole team. I see it in nearly every game. I have no idea if he is the greatest captain in the league, but I contend no player inspires his team and his fan base more than #10. With him leading this team, I would say the future of the Dallas Stars is plenty promising.

· With Brenden and Modano in the box, the game was finished with a 6 on 3, with only Steve Ott, Stephane Robidas, and Mattias Norstrom trying to assist Turco in bringing the game home. It was the series in a nutshell – wave after wave of Red coming at you, and the Stars trying courageously to protect the fort. And while the attack was thwarted, it was only momentary. There are many more waves of attacks to withstand.

· The Stars have won their first do-or-die game. They must now do it again. Don’t consider the big picture. If you are the Stars, don’t worry about every 33 years. Worry about resting for a few days, and going into Detroit as a big underdog with nothing to lose. You must win again. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. They’re Still Alive.

The Last Stand

Legends and Myths are everywhere about the last stand at the Alamo. It is difficult to get authors and historians to agree on the specifics. What is not difficult to agree on is that the soldiers were greatly outnumbered and fought courageously to the very end, despite knowing victory did not appear to be in the cards.

Who would have thought there would be a hockey application to all of that. Tonight, at 7pm, welcome to the Alamo. Can the Stars hold off the waves of Mexican soldiers until Saturday? And who would have thought Mexican Soldiers were such great Ice Hockey Players?

Chin Up, Says Tippett …

The Dallas Stars had maybe their best shift of the season Monday night at American Airlines Center.

Looking for some momentum against the bedeviling Detroit Red Wings, Stars coach Dave Tippett aligned the supergroup of Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow, Sergei Zubov and Nicklas Grossman, and pitted them against a tired group of Detroit checkers who had just iced the puck.

The move forced Red Wings coach Mike Babcock to burn his only timeout of the game just to give his weary troops a rest.

It was delicious theater.

Sensing the chance to finally make a statement against Detroit, the Stars began a monumental cycle that lasted 1:12 in the offensive zone (most shifts are about 45 seconds) and included Dallas coming out on top of about eight puck battles.

Finally, Modano grabbed a loose puck behind the net and deftly slid a backhand pass through the slot to Grossman crashing the net, and the Stars popped in a goal that tied the score, 1-1.

It was a moment of elation for the Stars and their fans – a realization that the hill the Red Wings had built was not too high to climb, that the seemingly impenetrable veneer of the NHL's best team was not bulletproof, that the Stars could find a new level of play if they would just dig down to the depths of their hockey souls.

"It was an amazing feeling," Modano said.

And it lasted all of 37 seconds – that's how long it took Detroit to regain the lead.


With his goal, Pavel Datsyuk might have ripped the heart out of the Stars at that moment. He certainly proved how tough it is going to be for Dallas to crawl out of its 3-0 hole. Only two teams in 153 have come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NHL history. For the Stars to become the third, they will have to take a lead at some point in the series.

"You've got to act like you want to live. That's what it is," Stars coach Dave Tippett said Tuesday. "If you think this thing is over and you act that way, it's going to be over. Simple as that – don't hang your head, get up, let's go."

The Stars say they have to follow the old philosophy of eating an elephant one bite at a time.

"It's just a process of believing in ourselves and playing hard and playing smart," defenseman Stephane Robidas said. "We have to take it one step at a time, and that's what everyone says, but that's the way it is now."

The problem, of course, is the team on the other side of the ice.

The Stars say they can win four games in a row – they did it five separate times this season.
The problem is Detroit has lost four games in a row only once this season – when half the roster was injured.

On Paper, the Series is not close …

Being down 3-0 in the Western Conference final isn't even the worst part for the Dallas Stars.

This is: Dallas has yet to lead the Detroit Red Wings for a single second in any game this series. How can the Stars fathom winning four straight games under those circumstances?

They can't. Instead, players came away from practice Tuesday talking about playing for pride in Game 4 on Wednesday night, hoping merely to send the series back to Detroit for Game 5. If they can pull off that one, too, maybe then they can start thinking about pulling off what would be among the greatest comebacks in NHL history.

"We're all honest," forward Brad Richards said. "We know it's a tough hole to climb out of, but we're doing some good things. A break or two, a little more concentration in a few areas and we have a win. We've got to look at it like that. Get a win and you don't know what kind of roll you can get on."

Teammate Mike Modano talked about trying "to make this thing interesting ... get some confidence going, get a little doubt in their mind, maybe, make it difficult."
They certainly need something because Detroit has nothing to doubt right now.
The league's top team in the regular season has been even better in the playoffs.

The Red Wings are 11-2 with nine straight wins, a franchise record for a single post-season. Their next victory will send them to the Stanley Cup final and they're sure to be heavy favourites to win it all for the fourth time in 11 seasons.

But, first, there's that pesky matter of the close-out game.

It's supposed to be the toughest in any playoff series, but Detroit has made it look easy. The Red Wings have ended both series thus far on their first try, ending the opening round with their best defensive performance (their lone shutout) then ending the second round with their best offensive performance (eight goals).

So, no, the Stars aren't likely to catch them looking ahead.

"They're going to have a huge push, we understand that totally," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "In saying that, we have to push them as hard as we've pushed them all series, and harder. And we're optimistic. We're capable of doing that."

The Red Wings are capable of doing anything they want right now, which is why the Eastern Conference finalists should be worried.

See, Dallas hasn't been that bad. Detroit simply has been that good.

Pick a stat, any stat, and the Red Wings aren't just winning, they are dominating the fifth-seeded Stars, making it look more and more like they overachieved by getting this far.

-Detroit scored five goals in Game 3. Dallas has four all series. The overall tally is 11-4.

-The Red Wings have taken 86 shots, the Stars 57.

-Both teams have had 15 power-play chances. Detroit has converted four times, Dallas once.

-The Red Wings also have a short-handed goal. Thus, when the Stars have had a man advantage, Detroit has scored as often as Dallas.

-Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood is riding the wave of being 9-0 this post-season. Dallas goalie Marty Turco has seen his overall career record against the Red Wings sink to 2-13-5.

-Detroit has collected 32 penalty minutes to Dallas' 56. The Stars also have had two players fined for dirty play, the Red Wings one.

-Even good health is on Detroit's side. Yes, the Red Wings remain without Johan Franzen, the top goal-scorer this post-season with 12, and will be again for Game 4. But the Stars will again be without top-line forward Jere Lehtinen and veteran forward Stu Barnes. They also haven't gotten back defenceman Philippe Boucher, as hoped, and they saw Modano and captain Brenden Morrow go straight to the dressing room for treatment in Game 3.

Revo either listens or we think alike …either way, I echo his thoughts…

They have been outscored, outhit and outclassed by the Detroit Red Wings in almost every facet of the game in the Western Conference Finals, which is best illustrated by the fact that the Dallas Stars will be fighting for their very playoff lives tonight, down 0-3 in the best-of-seven series.

They have looked almost nothing like the team that shocked Anaheim and stunned San Jose in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Wings have pulled the plug on the Dallas power play and reminded the Stars' young defensemen that there's no place for raw and inexperienced players this deep in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Stars have been flustered, confused and frustrated by a much deeper, more talented team.

So here's my suggestion to you when the Stars take the ice tonight at the AAC:
Get on your feet and pay your respects to a Stars team that has played its heart out for you. Bring them out with a standing ovation and, whatever happens in the game, send them out the same way.

Whatever else you may think, they've earned it.

Look around you. Anybody else around here still fighting in the playoffs in mid-May?
Don't think so. In fact, the Stars have given us our longest run in the spring since the Mavs' trip to the NBA Finals two years ago.

By all rights, the Stars shouldn't be here. They weren't supposed to have a chance against the defending Stanley Cup champs in the first round, but it was the Ducks who went home mad.

In the semifinals, the Stars were expected to be easy pickings for the hungry Sharks, just about everyone's pick to win the Cup this year, but it was the Sharks who were disappointed.

Both were hard-fought, tense, six-game series, climaxed by that four-overtime win over San Jose at the AAC.

Now, The Little Team That Could has finally run out of steam. The tank is empty. The Stars are wheezing on fumes.

It's not that the heart isn't there. That's never been a problem with this team.
You could see that illustrated perfectly in Game 3's 5-2 loss Monday night when Brenden Morrow ricocheted awkwardly off the end boards and landed with his left arm bent behind him in ways it's not supposed to bend.

"Broken?" I typed onto my computer at the time, as Morrow slowly skated toward the bench, cradling the arm in front of him. He disappeared down the tunnel, done for the series I was sure, only to reappear on the bench and then back onto the ice 3 minutes later. The miracle of painkillers, no doubt.

It didn't matter that the Stars' chances of overtaking the Wings were zero. Morrow wasn't going to quit on his teammates. And this Stars team hasn't quit on you, the fans.

So I'm asking you, don't quit on the Stars.

What do the Final 4 in the NHL have in common? ….

At first glance, it may look tough to identify a common thread running through the Penguins, Flyers, Red Wings and Stars.

The Pens are a young, skilled team built for offense. The Stars are a versatile, veteran squad, equal parts intensity and discipline. Opportunism is the key word defining the Flyers, while the Red Wings prefer domination of both puck possession and shots.

What is the one thing these four teams have in common? Development.

The Penguins’ key players are virtually all homegrown. Sure, finishing in the league cellar for several years allowed them to draft some pretty hot prospects. But let’s not forget, can’t-miss prospects sometimes do (See: Daigle, Alexandre).

Besides, without diminishing the brilliance of Sidney Crosby, the playoffs have been as much about the Fleury-and-Malkin show. Marc-Andre Fleury, who had his struggles well into his pro career, is second in the playoffs in save percentage. And Evgeni Malkin, who looked great in his first game in the NHL, is looking more and more like his magnificent owner everyday.

I recall how a youngster named Jaromir Jagr – once followed a similar trajectory under Big Mario’s observance, as well.

As for the Flyers, look no further than Martin Biron, who was brought on a year ago as a project from a Sabres team that had apparently given up on him. Young players such as Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger, Randy Jones and Braydon Coburn have developed dramatically in one year’s time.

They are now the core of a resurgent Flyers team that is solid and tough to beat. And Danny Briere is one of those players countless people would have said is too small to survive in the NHL.

During my playing career, I skated with Briere in the summer. His commitment to developing himself as a player was total; it is no surprise to me he has not only survived but become a star. And a bigger and bigger star each year.

The Stars are another team big on development. As young prospects, my brother Steve and I attended a development camp in Finland for Dallas prospects. One of those prospects was Brenden Morrow, the Stars’ most critical skater now.

Much of the supporting cast, as well as goaltending standout Marty Turco, are players who were not drafted high, but who have developed into important contributors.

Mike Ribeiro’s defensive play wasn’t good enough to satisfy the Habs, but he has shored it up enough to become a key member of this Dallas squad.

Last, but not least, are the Red Wings. Finishing first every year does not make for great draft position. And despite being in Motown, the Wings are not “wheelers and dealers.”

They just consistently develop their prospects into not just regulars, but world-class players. Pavel Datsyuk was picked in the sixth round, 171st overall; Henrik Zetterberg in the seventh round, 210th overall. Would you have guessed perennial Norris Trophy candidate Nick Lidstrom was no lottery pick, but a third round draft choice? And then there’s players such as Chris Osgood and Mikael Samuelsson, who had fallen out of the NHL, but in the Red Wings system have become exceptional performers.

Rangers are on a quality run of form …

The first three weeks of the season seem like a long time ago now, don't they?
That Rangers team sure doesn't resemble the one that has won six consecutive series after beating Seattle, 5-2, in a light drizzle Tuesday night. It's the first time since 1999 – the Rangers' last playoff team – that they've won that many series in a row.

Texas is 20-21 and 3 ½ games behind first-place Oakland. It took the Rangers until June 1 last season to win 20 games.

The club that bobbled balls, missed cut-off men, made errant throws and beat itself to start the season has morphed into one that is putting together an impressive highlight reel of defensive plays, adding four more to the collection Tuesday.
And it isn't just the defense. These Rangers are manufacturing runs, running the bases smartly, delivering key hits, and, most important, pitching well. Consequently, they are winning games.

Texas is 13-5 since returning home from Detroit on April 24 after losing seven straight road games. The team faced questions about manager Ron Washington's job status and had meetings to figure out what changes were needed to jumpstart a club that was losing, sometimes in embarrassing fashion.

None of that is an issue now.

"We're playing the way we're capable of playing," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Everyone in this clubhouse knew we had a good club. It seems like everyone on the outside doubts us. We're a good club, and I think we're going to be around the whole season."

Carlos Silva and Scott Feldman today at 1 for the Rangers to get to .500!



Spurs no better in New Orleans …

Anyone else sense a theme here?

For the third straight time, the San Antonio Spurs took a small lead into halftime and looked poised to get the one road win they needed to take this Western Conference semifinal series.

And for the third straight time, they laid a giant dinosaur egg in the third quarter, and the Hornets ended up rolling to an easy win. This time it was an 11-point stanza that did them in, and the Hornets won 101-79 to take a 3-2 series lead and put the defending champs on the brink of elimination. New Orleans can make its first-ever trip to the conference finals with a win in Game 6 in San Antonio on Thursday.

"It's a fact, but I don't know [why]," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "I know tonight their defense was the reason why we had so many problems in the third quarter. They deserve credit for that."

For the series, the third quarters have been an ongoing theme regardless of the locale. In two games in San Antonio the Spurs held a 59-41 advantage, helping them even the series.

But it's the three games in the Big Easy where things have really been one-sided. In the first, second and fourth quarters in the three games in New Orleans, the score is relatively even, with New Orleans holding just a 12-point advantage.

And in the third quarters? Would you believe Hornets 93, Spurs 46? No, that's not a misprint -- New Orleans has doubled up the defending champs after the break. It's as though a different Spurs team comes out in the third quarter, one that can't get out of its own way offensively but has no problem getting out of Chris Paul's way at the other end.

"What upsets me, and I think the whole team, is that we made the same mistake again," said Manu Ginobili. "Third quarter we were not ready, we stopped moving the ball, stopped attacking. Of course we give them credit, they were good. But there's no way we can do that again."

The Spurs actually got a wide-open dunk by Tim Duncan to start the quarter before going into a serious funk, netting only two points in the next seven minutes. For the period, they were 5-for-18 from the floor with four turnovers.

Of course, the Spurs weren't out there by themselves. One reason the Spurs keep hitting a wall in the third is because that's when Paul goes into overdrive. This is the eighth time I've seen him in person this season, and all but one have had the same theme: Paul spends the first half getting everybody else involved and then looks for his own offense after the break.

"I definitely try to get my teammates going early," Paul said. "But at the same time, I try to take what the defense gives me. In the third quarter we got stops, and we're at our best in our transition."

That was the theme again Tuesday. Paul had only one basket in the first half, and even that came on a generous continuation call when it appeared he took at least three steps before releasing the shot. Then, in the second half, he pushed the pace and turned up the scoring, and the "woo!"-fest got rolling once again. Paul outscored the Spurs by himself in the third quarter, 12-11.

Additionally, New Orleans clamped down on defense and made some adjustments after one-sided defeats in Games 3 and 4 had tied the series 2-2. Mostly, they used a lot more single coverage on Duncan, with both Tyson Chandler and David West registering spectacular blocks in one-on-one situations while holding the Spurs' big man to 5-of-18 shooting.

"I just felt we had to mix it up a little bit more," said Hornets coach Byron Scott. "We still came and doubled him at times, [but] there were times, especially in the third quarter, where Tyson only had two fouls and we felt we could play him one-on-one a little bit more, and I thought Tyson did a great job."

The Hornets also blitzed the screen-and-roll much harder than in past games, helping limit Tony Parker to 18 points after he torched them in the two games in San Antonio.

And of course, West had a coming-of-age game, dominating at both ends with 38 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five blocks. But both he and Chandler will need to rest up and get treatment for injuries that could lay them low in Game 6.
Chandler sprained his toe late in the contest after getting tangled up with Ime Udoka and sat out the final 8:47, while West had trouble all game with a stiff back. The good news for the Hornets is that they'll get three days off to recuperate if a Game 7 is needed.

As a result of West's inspired effort and the Spurs' uninspired third quarter, this was the fifth straight one-sided win by the home team in this series. So instead of late-game drama, we had to settle for the early-game fireworks between Popovich and Joey Crawford.

Popovich was furious over a first-quarter delay of game violation -- yes, really -- that he felt was called in error, and he let Crawford know about it in no uncertain terms. Crawford, as is his reputation, didn't back down, and replays seemed to show him poking a finger in Popovich's chest.

The scene ended with Pop getting a technical and several players being needed to restrain him from picking up a second. Crawford also drew a lengthy, Sheed-like glare from Duncan after a late loose-ball call right before the Spurs sent in the scrubs; it's probably fortunate for everyone that Crawford had his back turned.
Nonetheless, the Spurs' issues with this particular referee once again seem very much alive, and it seemed to spread to the other players -- San Antonio invested a lot of time lobbying for calls.

"I think we got worried about the refs way too much," said Ginobili. "We've just got to let Pop do that. That's his job."

Not that the Spurs need to worry about seeing Crawford again if they play like they did in the second half, as the upstart Hornets have two shots at knocking the defending champs out of the playoffs.

After beating the Spurs three times by a combined 59 points in New Orleans, delivering the knockout blow is the final test before their graduation into the league's elite.

Mavericks Press Conference Today …

Rick Carlisle will be formally introduced today as the Mavericks coach, and his first order of business will be to build his staff , as well as build relationships with the players.

The Mavericks scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. today.

Carlisle, 48, said Tuesday that hiring his staff "may not happen right away" but that he expects to talk to most of the assistants who were on Avery Johnson's staff.
"Setting the staff is always a priority," said Carlisle, who signed a four-year contract on Saturday. "But the next thing, equal to that, is getting in touch with the players and building rapport with them."

That process has already begun. Carlisle has met briefly with Dirk Nowitzki and has dinner planned with Josh Howard later this week. He hopes to meet face-to-face with all the players as soon as possible. The Mavericks have eight players under contract for next season, but probably will keep at least some of their free agents.

Carlisle, who coached two years at Detroit and four at Indiana, will be charged with balancing uptempo and half-court, offense and defense, more than he was able to do with the Pacers and Pistons, who were mostly post-up, half-court defensive-minded teams.

Mike Fisher versus Charles Haley …very solid…

I have really slacked off on my EPL coverage. Manchester United held off Chelsea at the final wire to win their 10th Premiership Title in 16 years. Crazy.
Meanwhile, the quality of football (soccer) that I think makes for amazing theater is the relegation battles every year. Imagine the excitement of the Rangers in September if they were playing every game to survive and keep their spot in Major League Baseball for the next season. Imagine if they were relegated down to AAA baseball.

This is what the English Soccer fan must endure. The Bottom 3 of the 20 teams go down a level and are replaced every spring. One of the teams that seemed destined to go down a level was Fulham of London. This team is made up of several American players, so fans of American Soccer always pull for Fulham to do well. They had no chance of surviving 6 weeks ago, but they have pulled off a miracle and have stayed up.

Fulham Survive …

Fulham looked powerless to save themselves six matches ago, but with impeccable timing they have overcome their notorious impotence on their travels, winning three away matches in a row after failing to take three points on an opposing team’s ground in the previous 19 months. Danny Murphy’s goal after 76 minutes at Fratton Park yesterday earned a fourth victory in five matches.

Al Fayed will see the outcome as vindication of his decision to replace Lawrie Sanchez as manager in December with Roy Hodgson, whose faith in a more sophisticated style than that espoused by Sanchez has been rewarded. “We left it late and gave ourselves a mountain to climb, but we had quite a long spell when we have played well,” Hodgson said. “It’s been a really good four months. I can take a lot of satisfaction from the job that everybody has done, but at the same time I have a lot of sympathy for the two managers who have been relegated. Alex McLeish and Steve Coppell are friends of mine, both excellent managers, and having had a long time to contemplate that it might be us, I know exactly how they are feeling.”

Fulham’s great escape



A Stroll down memory lane: Edmonton – Dallas, Game 7, 1997



The Famous Cats on a Treadmill

Game 3: Detroit 5, Dallas 2 (Det, 3-0)

Skill Beats Will.

18,532 arrived Monday night with great plans and expectations. 18,532 knew that all they needed was one win to turn this series right back around. And, 18,532 left the American Airlines Center in quiet depression as they had just witnessed a hockey clinic they will not soon forget, that will likely end a spring of hockey they also will not soon forget.

The Dallas Stars appear to be a team that is out of answers, energy, and ideas. They have accomplished far more than most observers thought possible this season, and have much to be excited about moving forward. But, the present is not so kind. The Western Conference Finals have required a meeting with a team that has me wondering if we will all look back and marvel at how special this Detroit Red Wings team really is. I don’t want to admit it anymore than you do, but there are times
when you play a team that is just flat-out better.

Will history show us that the 2008 Red Wings are a star-studded cast that will rival the Penguins of the early 1990’s? Even Edmonton in the 1980’s? It seems silly to suggest, but I can’t remember seeing this quality since Mario, Jagr, and the gang rode through the NHL in 1991 and 1992. Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg are such high-end talent playing so well, at times while driving you insane by destroying your team, you feel fortunate to be witnessing such greatness with your own eyes.

With far more questions than answers, let’s look back at a Game 3 that was tough to take:

• Would you like the entire series in a nutshell? Here it is. Mike Modano sends a wicked backhand pass to Nik Grossman, which is promptly spanked home to tie the game, 1-1. While Bill Oellermann attempted to announce the specifics of the goal, the Red Wings had sent their unstoppable gang-of-5 (28, 5, 12, 40, 96) to go re-take the lead. I hate to say that they were toying with the Stars, but when they can go score seemingly anytime they want, it makes you consider the premise. The Stars had the game tied for an entire 37 seconds before the energy was sucked out of the building when Datsyuk scored again to make it, 2-1. At least when Brad Richards scored to tie it at 2-2, the Red Wings had the mercy to wait 8 minutes before taking the lead again. So very frustrating.

• I felt the Stars were bringing all sorts of pressure at Detroit in the first two periods last night. They had more chances, but just not results. I think the most under-rated aspect of Detroit is that defensive zone coverage. When Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro have put the pressure on in past series, they would always end up with golden scoring chances. But those Wings hardly ever lose their shape. Once in a while, a chance presents itself, but they are so much more secure in their own end than the Ducks or the Sharks. I don’t think it is even close.

• Is there anything that broadcasters say more than: “In the playoffs, it is all about Power Play and Goaltending”. But, a quick check of the 2008 playoff run will reveal that following: When the Stars had their Power Play clicking, and Marty bailing them out, they won. Sadly, right now, the Power Play is not very powerful, and Marty is not bailing them out. Last night, they needed Marty to foil Hudler’s breakaway, Zetterberg’s short hander, or one of Datsyuk’s sorties. Easy for me to say, but this time of year, either your goalie saves your bacon, or you lose.

• I can’t help look back at Game 4 of the San Jose Series. In the 2nd intermission of that game, it is tied, 1-1. If the Stars can control the 3rd period, like they had been routinely, the sweep of the Sharks is complete, and the rest and recuperation would have been substantial. But, while the Red Wings had their feet up, the Stars had to battle the Sharks into overtime in Game 5, and quadruple overtime in Game 6. I have to wonder if the strength expended to play those 11 extra periods have taken their toll. Look, I am not saying that this is the difference in this series, but it sure doesn’t help.

• My first Chris Chelios memory was when I was 9 years old, and he was playing his first season at Wisconsin in 1981. 5 years later, Matt Niskanen and Mark Fistric would be born. I will turn 36 years old next month, and Chris played in his 258th playoff game last night. I am not sure what this has to do with last night’s game but it just amazes me that this guy keeps playing. And contributing. At 46.

• Brenden Morrow looks beat up. So does Mike Modano. And Brad Richards. And Sergei Zubov doesn’t look right. And Marty Turco looks exhausted. I wonder how many of these guys are injured and just trying to keep going. It is a war of attrition. And it appears that skill beats will.

• Have you ever heard of Wallace Hartley? He was the band leader on a little boat called the Titanic. According to legend (or at least the movie), the band played until the very end. The boat was sinking, people were screaming, and death was looming, yet the band played on. Even though their doom was completely assured, they continued playing. And according to the script , he turned to his band-mates and with water rolling up the deck toward them, he lowered his violin and said, “Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight”. Well, it would appear that water is rushing in right now on the good ship, “Believe”. I would like to echo Mr. Hartley’s words and direct them to our boys. “Gentlemen, it has been a privilege watching you play this spring.”

• Wednesday Night should be a celebration of what you have seen. Let’s hope they have at least one more courageous win in them. But, allow me to make a request, 18,532. Win or Lose, I sure hope you are ready to salute your team at the end of the game. Nobody thought there would be a Stars game on May 14th, and yet there is. It has been a wonderful run that is restoring a lot of faith in the organ-i-zation. It isn’t over yet, but when it is, make sure you remind yourself that 2008 has been very successful, and a major step forward. Don’t lose sight of that. Enjoy the journey.