gather here to watch your team!

Transcription

So Long DeMarco
March 13 - March 19, 2015
Vol.13, Issue 29
www.sportspagdfw.com
FREE
GATHER HERE TO WATCH YOUR TEAM!
2 7 3 0 C o m m e r c e S t r e e t • D a l l a s , Te x a s 7 5 2 2 6
P h o n e 2 1 4 . 6 9 8 . 1 5 1 1 • w w w. s t p e t e s d a n c i n g m a r l i n . c o m
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March 13, 2015 - March 19, 2015 | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 13 Issue 29 | www.sportspagedfw.com | follow us on twitter @sportspagdfw
Follow us on twitter @sportspagedfw | www.sportspagedfw.com | The Sports Page Weekly | Volume 13 - Issue 29 | March 13, 2015 - March 19, 2015
3
AROUND THE AREA
Volume 13, Issue 29
sportspagedfw.com
established 2002
Lone Star Basketball Championships results
4 AROUND THE AREA
5 RANGER REPORT
6 GOLF, ETC
7 THIS WEEK IN THE PGA
8 GOODGUYS CAR SHOW
10 HOCKEY REPORT
11 JEFF GORDON IN DALLAS
13 BIG12 BASEBALL REPORT
14 NBA POWER RANKINGS
15 NBA POWER RANKINGS
16 RESTAURANT REVIEW
17 THE TICKET WINDOW
18 AUTO REVIEW
WITH DIC HUMPHREY
WITH TOM WARD
PGATOUR.COM
BY BETSY BENNETT
BY RICHARD POLLAK
COURTESY TMS
BIG12SPORTS.COM
NBA.COM
NBA.COM
BY RICHARD POLLAK
BY DAVID GOODSPEED
Follow us on
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twitter.com/sportspagedfw
facebook.com/sportspagePublisher / Founder
Dan McVicker
dmcvicker@sportspagedallas.com
Editor /Art Director/Staff Writer
Scott Rozsa
srozsa@sportspagedallas.com
Carter, Richard Pollak, Robert
Cortinez
Contact Us
Main Number (214) 683-1469
P.O. Box 820813
Dallas, Tx. 75382
Dic Humphrey, Tom Ward, Bo
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4
LOCAL NEWS OF INTEREST
By Bo Carter
Special Correspondent
As the old sage once intoned: “That’s
why they play the postseason tournament.”
If there had been any doubt about possible regional at-large bids and seedings during the recent Lone Star Conference tournament at Allen Events Center, those fears
were dispelled with seven teams (four men,
three women) receiving bids to the NCAA
Division II Championships this week.
The all-important Top Eight rankings
in the NCAA Regional polls were ratified
as No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Commerce bolted to the men’s crown with three wins and
a final regular-season mark of 24-7 while
upending top-seeded and current NCAA
South Central Region host Tarleton State
53-51 in the semifinals and topping Angelo
State 68-61 in the title tilt.
The same went on the women’s side as
No. 1 seed and sixth nationally West Texas
A&M eased past second-seeded
Midwestern State 73-70 in the grand finale
after just missing a possible game-tying 3pointer at the buzzer. That Nos. 1 and 2
duo was joined by No. 8 region at-large
qualifier Cameron with a 12-4 LSC mark
and 15-11 worksheet overall.
LSC officials and head coaches again
noted the top-to-bottom strength on both
sides of the ledger during and after the
conference championship ended.
College Basketball Top 25 - Week 18
AP Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Villanova
5. Arizona
6. Wisconsin
7. Gonzaga
8. Maryland
9. Kansas
10. Northern Iowa
11. Notre Dame
12. Witchita State
13. Iowa State
14. Louisville
15. Oklahoma
16. Baylor
17. Utah
18. West Virginia
19. North Carolina
20. BYU
21. Arkansas
22. Butler
23. Georgetown
24. Davidson
25. Boise State
Coaches Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Duke
3. Villanova
4. Virginia
5. Wisconsin
6. Arizona
7. Gonzaga
8. Maryland
9. Notre Dame
10. Kansas
11. Northern Iowa
12. Witchita State
13. Louisville
14. Oklahoma
15. Iowa State
16. Baylor
17. Utah
18. West Virginia
19. North Carolina
20. Arkansas
21. SMU
22. Butler
23. Georgetown
24. Davidson
25. San Diego State
On the opposite bench Angelo State head
coach Chris Beard waxed philosophical
with a probable NCAA bid at hand after a
26-5 mark through the league joust.
“It definitely was a tale of two halves,”
he explained, “and defense just failed us in
the final half. We didn’t make the plays we
needed, but give Sam Walker and his team
credit. They are a very good team with a
chance to do some damage in the NCAA
tournament.”
While No. 7 nationally Tarleton’s (27-3
overall, 16-game winning streak ended by
Commerce) total body of work under venerable head coach and director of athletics
Lonn Reisman was enough to host the key
regional, the Texans face a dangerous field
with TAMUC, Midwestern State (21-8)
and Angelo State invading Stephenville.
Mix in contenders Metro State (Colo.),
St. Mary’s (Texas) of the Heartland
Conference, Colorado-Colorado Springs
and Colorado Mines, and the South Central
Regional field gets a little scarier.
The Friday-Saturday format includes a
noon (CDT) rematch with Texas A&MCommerce and Angelo State, a 2:30 p.m.
intersectional bout with Metro State and
Midwestern State, the 6 p.m. headliner
with host TSU and St. Mary’s, and finally
an all-Colorado matchup with UCCS and
CMU at 8:30 p.m. The finals for the bid to
the NCAA DII Great Eight in Evansville,
Ind., are slated for Monday at 7 p.m. after
Saturday’s twinbill semifinal.
The women’s South Central Region
hosted for the second year in succession by
WT in Canyon Texas, features a first-day
LSC rematch between the host Lady Buffs
and No. 8 regional Cameron, 5:00 Friday.
No. 3 seed Midwestern State and No. 6
Colorado Christian go at it at noon.
Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado
State-Pueblo are featured at 2:30 p.m.
before the WT-Cameron tussle. No. 4
Colorado Mesa and fifth-seeded ArkansasFort Smith close Friday’s festivities at 7:30
p.m. Saturday will be semifinals starting at
5 p.m. before the regional title bout at 7
p.m. Monday. The winner advances to the
DII women’s NCAA Elite Eight on Mar.
24-25, 27 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux
Falls, S.D.
West Texas A&M (27-2 overall) has the
always-unenviable task of downing
Cameron for the third time in three meetings in 2015 while 23-6 Midwestern State
meets an upset-minded CCU quintet. The
Lady Buffs have an 18-game winning
streak (second-longest in DII) after sweeping three LSC meet opportunities at Allen.
Colorado-Colo. Springs poses a major test
to CSUP and possibly West Texas A&M in
the potential Monday finals.
Arkansas-Forth Smith is making its
first appearance in the NCAA Division II
Tournament after moving into these ranks
in 2009-10. Favored WTA&M is hosting
the South Central Regional for the fourth
time since 2009 and is tied for the seventhmost all-time victories in NCAA DII competition with 27.
And that is certainly why they contest
the NCAA Division II women’s basketball
championship.
Quick Note: LSC interim commissioner
Jay Poerner starred for SMU in basketball
from 1994-98 and was an interested
observer when the Mustangs downed Tulsa
last Sunday to win the American Athletic
Conference men’s trophy – SMU’s first
conference championship in hoops since
the 1992-93 Southwest Conference crown.
WEEKLY CALENDAR
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Mavs
vs
Clippers
7:30 / FSSW
St Patricks Day
Parade
11:00
Festival DeLos
Mavs
1:00
Mavs
vs
Thunder
7:30 / FSSW
Mavs
vs
Magic
7:00 / FSSW
FC Dallas
vs
Sporting KC
7:30 / TXA21
AAC Conference AAC Conference AAC Conference
Tournament
Tournament
Tournament
Finals
Semi finals
Quarterfinals
ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2
Allen
at
Rapid City
7:05
Allen
at
Rapid City
7:05
Stars
at
Capitals
6:00 / 1310am
Allen
vs
Witchita
7:05
Stars
vs
Blues
5:00 / 1310am
Allen
vs
Witchita
7:05
Stars
vs
Penguins
7:30 / 1310am
RANGERS
WITH DIC HUMPHREY
Fielder and Choo must step up this year
By Dic Humphrey
dic.humphrey@yahoo.com
The Yu Darvish verdict was supposed
to be announced on Wednesday. He had
gone to New York for a second opinion
from renowned orthopedist David Altchek.
Dr. Altchek's opinion was similar to the
first - a partial tear of the ulnar collateral
ligament in his right elbow. The Rangers
weren't ready to announce that Darvish will
undergo Tommy John surgery, but it was a
foregone conclusion that he will have the
surgery soon. He will need 13-15 months
to recover.
“Things are likely headed down the
path to surgery,” GM Jon Daniels told the
media Wednesday. The Rangers are now
seeking a third opinion from Dr. James
Andrews, but there is little hope the prognosis will differ.
One positive aspect of this injury is
money. The Rangers have obviously been
financially hamstrung this winter in their
pursuit of free agents and trades. They
simply did not have the salary flexibility to
go after top players, such as James Shields.
Darvish's contract is insured, such that a
good portion of his 2015 salary will be
recouped. If things fall right, and the
Rangers contend; the Darvish salary relief
might enable the team to make a key acquisition in mid-season. Rest assured though,
the Rangers would much rather have
Darvish on the mound instead of salary
relief from insurance.
There were a number of reactions. The
most prevalent was “how did this happen?”
Darvish was placed on the disabled list
last August theoretically as a precaution. It
was clear that then manager Ron
Washington wanted Darvish to return to the
roster when he was eligible to return in late
August. GM Jon Daniels didn't want to
chance a serious injury and vetoed
Darvish's 2015 return.
A winter regimen was established, and
Darvish spent most of the off season in the
Arlington area with most of his workouts
at the ballpark under the supervision of
Ranger personnel. He received a clean bill
of health after taking an MRI shortly
before the start of spring training.
Still, Darvish indicated discomfort in his
first start of the spring. He didn't finish the
inning, and a subsequent MRI revealed the
problem. Amazingly, the worst case sce-
nario happened despite the best laid plans
and precautions.
So basically, no one can explain how
this happened.
Another reaction for many is that the
loss of Darvish kills the Rangers' chances
to contend this year. There is no question
that the loss of Darvish puts a huge hole in
any hopes the team harbored about returning to contention. He was 10-7, 3.06 in his
truncated 2014 season. Not overwhelming,
but he was an innings eater that saved the
bullpen. His record would have been much
better with decent run support, but he is a
special talent. He seemed capable of
throwing a special game almost any time
he took the mound.
However, the season is not an automatic write-off without Darvish. If the question was posed two weeks ago as to what
the Rangers most needed to happen to
improve from their 95 losses last year, the
answer would have been for Prince Fielder
and Sin-Soo Choo to play to the top of
their expectations. With Darvish out, the
answer is still the same.
The landscape of baseball has changed
over the past decade. Offense is now at a
premium. Pitching is easier to find. If
Fielder and Choo make healthy contributions, and the offense gels; this team will
be dangerous. If Fielder and Choo don't,
2015 could be another long season.
It's a small sample size, but Fielder is
off to a strong start with a .368 batting
average in his first 13 at bats with a home
run and five RBIs. Choo has been less
impressive - three singles in 12 at bats,
with one RBI, no walks and three strikeouts.
The Rangers went to camp with the
thought that they had four starting pitching
slots in the rotation nailed down, with
Darvish, Derek Holland, Yovani Gallardo,
and Colby Lewis. There are a host of candidates for the fifth starter slot, including
left-hander Ross Detwiler, right-handers
Nic Tepesch and Nick Martinez, and top
prospects Alex Chi-Chi Gonzalez, Anthony
Ranaudo and Luke Jackson. Martinez and
Tepesch combined to start almost a third of
the Rangers' games last season - 52.
With Darvish gone, the fifth starter candidates now have two rotation spots available.
Also, Matt Harrison and Martin Perez
are recovering from injuries. Perez for
sure is expected to be part of the rotation in
the latter half of the season.
The Rangers have shown interest this
off season in Phillies left-hander Cole
Hamels. The Phillies aren't going to contend this year, so would like to shed themselves of Hamels' contract with four years
at $94 million remaining. They are asking
a king's ransom in return for one of the top
10 pitchers in baseball along with taking
on the financial obligation.
It makes no sense to pony up to
Philly's trade demands to obtain Hamels.
With Darvish out, the Phillies perceive the
Rangers need Hamels more, and will not
come down in their trade demands. This
Ranger team has too many other questions.
A top of the rotation starter replacement
for Darvish will not assure this the Rangers
will compete for the playoffs. The type of
players Philadelphia is demanding could
wreck the Rangers' future.
No matter what happens to the pitching, this team has a lot of questions. It
wasn't a good defensive unit last year, as
they finished 12th in the league in fielding
percentage. Adrian Beltre is the only elite
defender. There is hope that after losing 15
pounds that Elvis Andrus will return to
being an elite defender. After those two,
the rest are adequate or worse. Fielder and
Choo are definitely sub-par.
There is also the question of a rookie
manager. Jeff Banister runs a tighter ship
than his predecessor. With all the young
players the Rangers are bringing to the
Majors now and expect to bring in the near
future, he is a much better fit than Ron
Washington. Bannister's energy is infectious. He has been immaculately groomed
to manage with a solid minor league
apprenticeship and sitting at the right hand
of one of the best managers in the game as
Clint Hurdle's bench coach for the last four
years.
Still, there's a learning curve. He will
make mistakes.
Last year was awful, but even as bad as
95 losses were, some good things happened. Shawn Tolleson established himself
as a solid middle reliever. Rougned Odor
claimed second base. A number of other
young players such as Ryan Rua showed
promise. There will be more surprises this
year, and if there are enough, a .500 plus
season could be in the offing, even without
ace Yu Darvish.
NOTABLE:
- Tanner Scheppers has not pitched in a
spring game yet, as he is dealing with an
ankle sprain. Scheppers is projected to be
the primary eighth inning set-up man, a
key bullpen assignment. At this point, it is
still believed that he will be ready for
opening day, but if the injury lingers much
longer, his opening day status could be in
jeopardy.
- Derek Holland has early season shoulder soreness that has held back his work in
training camp. Manager Jeff Banister has
ruled Holland out as the opening day
starter, though it is possible that Holland
may be ready for the home opener in game
number five of the season. At this point,
Holland has yet to make a spring training
appearance, while the other starters have
made two and pushed their pitch count to
the 50-55 range. Yovani Gallardo is the
likely opening day starter with Holland and
Darvish out.
5
GOLF
WITH TOM WARD
Cartoonist Jim Toomey: Creator of Sherman’s Lagoon
By Tom Ward
Special Contributor
tompward@sbcglobal.net
Since 1991, something fishy has been
going on in the comic strips thanks to cartoonist Jim Toomey. His widely popular
strip ‘Sherman’s Lagoon’ features the
underwater antics of Sherman who’s a
great white shark. Sherman is seen in 150
newspapers in 12 countries and has been
translated into 6 languages.
So how did a guy who grew up in
Alexandria, Virginia and graduated from
Duke University with a degree in mechanical engineering become a nationally syndicated cartoonist?
Toomey said, “Mechanical engineering
was a family tradition. My dad, my brother
and grandfather were all engineers. When
it came time to declare a major I hadn’t
really had the rest of my life planned out
so I figured that I would declare for that
degree for lack of anything better and it’s a
great degree. I was pretty strong in math
and science anyway. I’m proud of the engineering tradition in our family.”
How did you come up with the idea for
your strip?
Toomey recalled, “I was a political cartoonist in college and I really enjoyed that.
I was aspiring to be a big newspaper political cartoonist. By the time my senior year
rolled around I began to address more campus issues rather than political and national
issues. By doing that I really got a following and a lot of reaction. So my first lesson
was that If you draw cartoons on issues
people care about you’ll be an effective
cartoonist. After graduation I went out a
got an actual engineering job. I would submit my political cartoons to the local paper
back in Alexandria, but I really didn’t
enjoy it because I didn’t care about the
local issues there. I found that political cartooning is really a negative art form. I
wanted to be a full time cartoonist, but I
wanted to bring something positive to the
world as corny as that sounds. So then I set
my sites on creating a cast of characters.
The Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz
was a huge inspiration to me. Not only the
strip itself, but the animated specials on
TV. Schulz created a world that I really
wanted to be in. It was a world without
adults, and by and large a world without
6
landscapes. Also, It was a world of relationships and friendships and quirky kids
who played Beethoven and carried blankets. To me building a world like that
would be the ultimate accomplishment.
That’s how I fell in love with doing comic
strips.”
Toomey added, “I’ve always been into
the ocean since I was a little boy. I had a
fascination with the ocean and sharks in
particular and my other big hero was
Jacques Cousteau who I crossed paths
when he came to my hometown when I
was a boy. That was the other life I always
aspired to have with adventures out in the
ocean. I was really fascinated with sharks
and I had a couple of formative experiences as a kid in Ocean City, Maryland. I
remember vividly when this fisherman
reeled in a 4 foot shark and let me touch it.
So now let’s fast forward about 20 years
and I’m maybe 30 years old now and I had
a couple of failed runs with strips like your
standard boy and his dog strip that didn’t
work. I tried another one that was based in
college called ‘Ivory Towers’ and that was
universally rejected. Then I came up
Sherman’s Lagoon. I started with the shark
character Sherman and built this cast of
character around him. Sherman is kind of
your say anything, do anything character
that is big and powerful because he’s a
great white shark. Then I created a weaker,
more timid character to be his foil named
Fillmore whose a turtle and an cantankerous crab named Hawthorne and I gave him
a wife (Megan) around the same time I got
married. Then I threw a couple other characters to round out the cast and I proceeded
to self-syndicate because I got tired of syndicates telling me I can’t do it. At that
point personal computers were just coming
out and I got myself a Mac and I got some
Lotus spread sheet software and I bought a
copy of a book called ‘the Working Press
of the Nation’ which is a list of all the daily
2500 newspapers at the time and the names
of their feature editors and addresses. I
contacted many of them and initially got
15 client newspapers to take my strip.”
How did you decide on the names for
your characters?
Toomey laughed saying, “The easy
answer is I was living in San Francisco in
1991 and I was looking at a map of the city
and I thought they had some interesting
street names. One of them was named after
former President Millard Fillmore and
another after the writer Hawthorne.
Sherman street at the Presidio was named
after General Sherman. So I pulled most of
them off the map of San Francisco.”
Do you have a set schedule to draw
and write your strip at your home studio?
“Through the years you really have to
develop some sort of routine. I have a very
ordinary schedule. I wake up and get the
kids off to school and catch up with my
wife and I’m at my desk at 8 and I’m usually not done till around dinner time.
Typically I devote about two days a week
to 7 days of a comic strip. I’ll spend a lot
of Thursday writing and then I’ll draw out
the 6 dailies. Then I’ll spend Friday finishing up whatever I didn’t finish the day
before and begin writing and drawing the
Sunday strip. For Sunday, it’s a bigger
comic strip that isn’t part of the normal
storyline that’s in the daily strip. It really is
a separate thing altogether.” said Toomey.
Where do your ideas come from for the
strip?
Toomey stated, “Most of my ideas
come from life experience and I don’t feel
like I’m running out of ideas. The beauty
of the comic strip as opposed to making a
film where you’re limited by a budget is
whatever you can dream up you can do.”
Has there been any talk about making your
strip into a cartoon or animated film?
“When I lived in California I went
down to L.A. and pitched it a few times
with no luck, but that doors not closed.” He
said.
When you’re not working on your strip
I know one of your other passions is scuba
diving. Have you ever had any close
encounters with sharks?
Toomey said, “I swam with them a
number of times, but I never had any issues
with them. The two places that I’ve dived
with sharks that are most memorable were
in the Bahamas and Cuba. Also, I’ve been
spending a lot of time producing videos.
I’m trying to start a second career hosting
ocean related videos and I’m working with
a few non-profits doing PSA’s. I did a
series of videos for the United Nations on
ocean issues.”
After speaking with Toomey I came
away impressed that he was able to take
two of his passions (cartooning & marine
conservation) and parlay a successful
career doing a job he loves and making a
big difference helping people become
aware of the important issues surrounding
our oceans.
Before ending our call Jim told me that
his more recent passion over the past few
years involves aviation as he got his private
pilot license and loves flying planes. So
will we soon be seeing his character
Sherman coming out of the water and taking flight? Oh wait! That has already happened with those campy Sharknado films.
You can read Jim Toomey’s strip everyday here locally in the Dallas Morning
News and the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram or
go on-line at www.shermanslagoon.com.
Tom Ward can be reached at www.teetimewithtom.com
GOLF
THIS WEEK ON THE PGA TOUR
This Week in Golf -- Valspar Championship
Valspar Championship
Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course
Palm Harbor, Florida
Defendng Champion - John Senden
The Valspar Championship begins
Thursday at Innisbrook Resort's
Copperhead Course, a layout often praised
as one of the PGA TOUR's best tests of
shot-making skill.
There's ample evidence to support the
claim that the Copperhead favors strong
ball-strikers.
Major championship winners Retief
Goosen (twice), Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk
and Mark Calcavecchia all are past winners
at Innisbrook. Other tournament champs
include former World No. 1 Luke Donald,
former PLAYERS Championship winner
K.J. Choi (twice) and defending champ
John Senden.
Six of the last seven Valspar winners
have finished the season of their win inside
the top 30 in the FedExCup standings,
highlighted by Furyk winning the Valspar
and FedExCup in 2010.
“I think you need to play pretty solid
golf to do well around here because it's
narrow in spots, the greens are smaller,”
Senden said. “It's a very strategic golf
course.
“It's different. If you're smart around
here you can actually do really well. If you
try to sort of tear it apart by bombing it, it's
much more narrow than probably (Trump
National Doral). Doral visually looks -- all
you see is the bunkers. Here you see more
tree line. Even if you do lay it back a little
bit here you can still score well.”
Being recognized as a good ball-striker
on the PGA TOUR is like having Jimmy
Fallon laugh at your jokes. But what exactly makes a good ball-striker to guys who
really know?
It's not as if some guys on the PGA
TOUR can't get the ball airborne.
Everybody seems to hit it long and far.
Some guys just make it look easier.
“You’re looking at someone who can
really control the golf ball very well in all
areas of the game,” said 2013 Masters
champion Adam Scott, who is making his
sixth visit here. “I look at a guy like Jim
Furyk as maybe the best ball-striker out
here for a long period of time. I think he's
got total control over his golf ball a lot of
the time.”
To be one of the TOUR's better ball-
strikers does not necessarily mean a player
has more shots and does the most things
with his golf ball. It means knowing what
each shot is going to do. It’s not as much
about hitting more great shots than other
guys; it’s about hitting fewer questionable
ones.
The Copperhead Course is a par 71,
playing more than 7,340 yards. Unlike typical Florida golf courses, its level of difficulty does not depend greatly on wind and
an overabundance of water as a primary
defense.
Elevation changes and tight treelined
and doglegged fairways demand accuracy,
distance in select moments and good
approach angles.
A shot-makers track.
Fans love to see drives hit so far they
change area codes, but driving statistics
rarely are going to identify those who are
the best at their craft.
Instead look for greens hit in regulation.
"It’s tough to hit the fairway and the
greens," Jordan Spieth said. “The rough is
really sticky and if you're a foot off the
green and it’s just off the fringe, that's as
tough as it gets because the rough is not
quite high and thick enough to where you
just play like a bunker shot and it's not thin
enough to where you can hit a normal chip.
You got to almost feel your way through
and try and judge it perfectly.
“Greens in regulation will be a very
important stat this week."
Last year, when Senden won by one
shot with a 7-under 277, the Copperhead
Course ranked No. 6 on TOUR in difficulty. The year before it was No. 7. In 2010 it
ranked 13th.
“I think as a golf course it's going to
give awards if you're a strong iron player,”
said Henrik Stenson. “Longer iron spots in
particular. You got a lot of 4-, 5-, 6-, 7irons into these greens and you got to play
a good game if you want to stick those in
the right places and give yourself birdie
chances and, of course, that tends to be the
game of some strong players that do that.”
7
MISC
GOODGUYS CAR SHOW
Goodguys 5th Spring Lone Star Nationals
Goodguys 5th Spring Lone Star Nationals
set to bring Hot Rods, Customs and
Horsepower to the Texas Motor Speedway,
March 20-22
The stage is set for the return of Full
Throttle Fun Texas Style!! Goodguys Rod
& Custom Association is poised to bring
their American hot rodding fun to Texas
Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, March 2022 bringing together over 2,000 candy colored and chromed hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks to the Great
American Speedway. This event has
become one of the “must attend” events on
the Goodguys schedule and brings hot rodders from all over the US to the Lone Star
state. Currently, the event showcases preregistered participants Arizona, Arkansas,
Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas,
Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming and
Washington.
Goodguys events originate back to
1983, when official car nut Gary Meadors
founded Goodguys back in the spring of
‘83 as a way to get car people and hot rod
aficionados like him together to show off
their cars, trade ideas, listen to some live
music and have a little fun. The vision
behind the Goodguys events was simple:
to welcome all genres of American car
enthusiasts with a lean towards V8 powered, low-to-the-ground eye catchers likehot rods from the 30s & 40s, lead sled cus-
8
toms from the 50s, Muscle Cars from the
70s as well as the new breed of American
Muscle like 5.0 GT Mustangs, Z28
Camaros and more. What stated over 30
years ago is now a strong, 21-event series
that allows car guys to meet and hang out
with car guys. The spirit of hot rodding is
alive and well at the Goodguys events for
sure in the generations of cars on display.
At the 5th Spring Lone Star Nationals,
March 20-22 at the Texas Motor Speedway,
fans will get a close up glimpse of just how
eclectic the modern day hot rodding scene
is though in spirit – the Goodguys core
message is unchanged after over 30 years –
having fun with cars. Acres of 1972 & earlier show cars glistening with candy colors
will sprawl throughout the infield of TMS
taking many on a trip back in time. The
sight of all of those classic cars takes us
back to a simpler time in our history.
For those who have the need for speed,
the shrill sound of rubber meeting pavement will fill the air with excitement as
competitors in the Goodguys AutoCross, a
closed performance race course, vehicle
speed & agility meet to battle it out in a
weekend long fastest-car-wins contest of
speed & skill. Again this year, the
Goodguys event season will showcase the
AutoCross Shootout Finals qualifying at
each event. The Duel in the Desert, the
Final Shootout will take place at the 18th
Southwest Nationals, November 21 at
WestWorld.
For those who need to do some shopping for a project, there’s the midway featuring multi-million dollar custom big rig
tractor trailers (a show in and of themselves) offering high-performance parts and
accessories to budding hot rodders and doit-yourselfers. Having the chance to interact directly with manufacturers has long
been an appealing aspect of Goodguys
events. Throw in a giant used car parts
swap meet and Auto Trader Classics car
corral (world’s coolest used car gathering)
and it’s literally auto-utopia for any red
blooded American with motor oil in their
veins.
There are fun things for the kids to do,
too at the 5th Spring Lone Star Nationals.
There’s even a model car program sponsored by Revell that sends the little one’s
home with their very own model kit forging big dreams to one day come back to
the show with a life sized version. Plus the
PPG coloring contest and other kids games.
Goodguys All American Sunday on
March 22 offers owners of American made
or powered show cars and trucks of all
years to come inside the event to show off
next to the 1972 and earlier iron. All
American Sunday participants are eligible
for awards, and can join in the AutoCross
on Sunday. Registration for All American
Sunday takes place on site at the DFW
Marriott and Golf Club across from the
Texas Motor Speedway, beginning at 7 am.
What started over 30 years ago in
March 1983 in Northern California is still
true today. Goodguys events are all about
cars…driving them, showing them, and
hanging out with other car guys. Our company motto says it best…“Goodguys…Full
Throttle Fun!”
The Goodguys 5th Spring Lone Star
Nationals gates are open Friday and
Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday
8am to 3pm. General admission is $20,
kids 7-12 $6. Spectator parking is free.
Visit www.good-guys.com to purchase
event tickets or to register a show car. Call
Goodguys @ (925) 838-9876 for more
information. $17 general admission tickets
are available at www.good-guys.com until
midnight, 3/19 only.
About Goodguys:
Based in Pleasanton, CA - Goodguys
Rod & Custom Association promotes and
produces the world’s most dynamic automotive events. Founded by lifelong hot
rodder Gary Meadors and his wife, Marilyn
in 1983, Goodguys is the world’s largest
hot rodding association with over 70,000
active members worldwide. Goodguys
events feature thousands of hot rods and
customs, tricked out trucks, mighty muscle
cars and classics sprawled throughout venues such as lush fairgrounds, super speedways and large outdoor stadiums. The cars,
vendor exhibits, the Goodguys AutoCross,
live entertainment and colorful people create a festive atmosphere charged with electricity.
HOCKEY
WITH RICHARD POLLAK
Sharks land goalie from under Stars scouting nose
By Richard Pollak
The Hockey Attitude
dallasentertain@aol.com
San Jose Sharks General Manager
Doug Wilson announced today the team
has signed goaltender Aaron Dell (25) for
the remainder of the 2014-15 season. Dell
has been in Allen for the last 2 years right
under the eyes of the Dallas Stars scouts .
Dell has posted an 8-1-2 record with
The ECHL announced that for the second time this season, Allen Americans forward Chad Costello has been named the
Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the
Week for February 23rd -March 1st.
Costello had three goals and added
four assists for the week, leading the
Americans to a 2-0-1 record in three
games, including two road victories.
The native of Johnston, Iowa, has won
the Player of the Week award two times
this season. Costello has also been named
ECHL Player of the Month this season, as
well as Plus Performer of the Month. Not
surprised Chad is Player of the Week, said
Allen Americans Head Coach and General
Manager Steve Martinson. "He has been
consistent for us all season, and one of the
top players in the league."
tending debacle continues despite 2 overtime wins against non-conference opponents that was unable to move the team any
closer to the final playoff spot. While the
Dallas Stars fans experience true freezing
cold weather and snow, the team is cruising
through the east coast.
the Allen Americans in the ECHL along
with an 8-4-2 record with a 1.91 GAA and
a .929 save % with the Worcester Sharks
this season. He was originally signed by
the Worcester Sharks to an AHL contact
during training camp this season.Dell won
the CHL (Central Hockey League)
Championship with the Allen Americans in
2013 and was named the CHL’s most outstanding goaltender in 2012-13.
Aaron is the career leader at the
University of North Dakota in goals against
average (1.79) and save percentage (.923).
Costello has 92 points in 54 games for
Allen (29 g, 63 a). He has a 30 point lead
over second place; Drew Fisher of Tulsa,
who has 62 points in 51 games. On behalf
of Chad Costello, a case of pucks will be
donated to an Allen youth hockey organization by Sher-Wood Hockey, the exclusive
puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 200001, Sher-Wood Hockey has donated more
than 31,000 pucks to youth hockey organizations in ECHL cities.
Meanwhile in Dallas, the Stars goal-
Allan Americans Chad Costello wins his 2nd ECHL Player
of the Week award
DALLAS STARS ALUMNI TO SHOWCASE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON
The annual Dallas Stars Alumni Hockey
game will take place on Sunday March
15th at the AAC featuring NHL Stanley
Cup Champions Mike Modano, Bret Hull
and Ed Belfour (playing defense).
Opposing netminder, Frank Bornstein of
the Phoeniz Coyote said, "they can still put
the biscuit in the basket." The game will
raise funds for DEFENDING THE BLUELINE who's mision is to help ensure that
the children of all military members are
afforded every opportunity to participate in
the game of hockey. In Dallas, the funds
will specifically go to Keep a kid in the
game, for DFW families affected by a
fatality,disability or other financial impact
that would cause a kid to give up the great
game a priority to assistance.
9
FOOTBALL
AROUND THE NFL
Murray signs $42 million deal with Eagles
By Bart Hubbuch
Another day, another flurry of headscratching moves by Chip Kelly.
The Eagles ended their winding road of
a search for LeSean McCoy’s replacement
in emphatic fashion Thursday by adding
both DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews
to a backfield suddenly bursting at the
seams.
Signing Murray away from the archrival Cowboys was the bigger surprise, especially considering Kelly gave the NFL’s
reigning Offensive Player of the Year a
reported $42 million over five years,
including as much as $21 million guaranteed.
That wasn’t much less than the contract
Kelly said Wednesday had prompted him to
trade McCoy to the Bills, although
Murray’s between-the-tackles style is considered a better fit than McCoy’s cutback
10
approach for Kelly’s no-huddle offense.
While luring a young and prolific back
away from a division rival could be looked
at as a coup, especially compared to some
of Kelly’s other moves recently, that was a
lot to pay for a player such as Murray, who
hasn’t been able to stay healthy at a position now considered easily fillable.
The move became even more puzzling
just hours after Murray was introduced
when Kelly also signed Mathews, the talented but injury-prone free agent from the
Chargers, to a three-year, $11.5 million
deal.
The twin signings left the Eagles with
four running backs on the roster when you
throw in Darren Sproles and Chris Polk, a
restricted free agent who now might draw
some interest from other teams in light of
Philly’s overflowing backfield.
As if gorging on running backs in a
passing league wasn’t curious enough,
Kelly didn’t stop there.
He also continued his inexplicable
purge of seemingly any player connected to
the Andy Reid regime by allowing Evan
Mathis — one of the best guards in the
game — to set up a trade.
Mathis might be 33 and coming off an
injury-marred season, but he still grades
out very well. Kelly also presumably needs
people to block for his platoon of running
backs, and the Eagles would be very thin in
that department if Mathis is jettisoned.
It’s never a dull moment with The
Chipper.
The Patriots will have to defend their
Super Bowl title next season with two new
starting cornerbacks after Brandon
Browner bolted to the Saints for a reported
three-year, $18 million deal.
Browner’s departure came a day after
Darrelle Revis left New England for a
return engagement with the Jets. With
backup corner Alfonzo Dennard not
expected back, Belichick suddenly has a
major rebuilding job to do at that key spot.
The only corners left with any experience are Kyle Arrington, Super Bowl hero
Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan, and the
free-agent market at the position is now
almost barren.
As a result, it looks as if the days of
playing press coverage — a key to the
Patriots’ success last season — are over, at
least for now. Look for Belichick to go
back to the more conservative, two-deep
zone coverage that he had to use before
getting the since-departed Aqib Talib in
2012 and Revis last year.
Free agency hasn’t been nearly the disaster for the Raiders that it was shaping up
to be during the negotiating window last
weekend and the first day of the signing
period.
Oakland went into free agency with
roughly $70 million in cap room, the most
of any team and seemingly enough for
them to splurge on the likes of Ndamukong
Suh and Randall Cobb and still have plenty
left over.
When Cobb re-signed with the Packers,
Suh picked the Dolphins and the rest of the
top tier quickly came off the board, it
looked as if the Raiders would have a ton
of money and nowhere to go with it.
But new Oakland coach Jack Del Rio
has rebounded as well as could be expected
under the circumstances, so far signing a
crop of seven free agentsthat should give
the Raiders a boost this season.
All seven additions are under 30, with
the highlights being linebackers Curtis
Lofton (Saints), former Super Bowl MVP
Malcolm Smith (Seahawks) and former
Eagles safety Nate Allen, as well as exChiefs offensive lineman Rodney Hudson
and former Cardinals defensive tackle Dan
Williams.
NASCAR
DUCK COMMANDER 500
‘Jeff Gordon Day’at Klyde Warren Park
GORDON REVS UP FANS, RECEIVES
SPECIAL HONORS
The Dallas Arts District provided the
perfect canvas Thursday for the artistry that
four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
champion Jeff Gordon has been known for
throughout his illustrious career.
Gordon made a spectacular entrance
for "Jeff Gordon Day" at adjacent Klyde
Warren Park by taking Duck Commander's
John Godwin for a spin in the No. 24
Panasonic Chevrolet stock car that culminated with burnouts at the intersection of
the Woodall Rodgers frontage road and
Harwood St. in the heart of Dallas.
That was just the start of a day where
TMS partnered with Dallas' scenic 5.2-acre
Klyde Warren Park to honor Gordon's
career with special guests such as Dallas
Cowboys great and fellow No. 24 Everson
Walls and unique gifts in front of more
than 2,000 of his fans.
"What a great day," said Gordon, who
announced in January that 2015 will be his
final season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
competition.
TMS President Eddie Gossage kicked
off the presentations as he reflected on
Gordon's historic career and what he has
meant to the sport of auto racing. Gossage
presented Gordon with a shadowbox containing a Texas-shaped paver from Texas
Motor Speedway's Victory Lane and photos
from his first - and currently only - victory
at the speedway that came in the 2009
Samsung 500.
"He is so important and has been such
an iconic figure and has changed how the
business works," Gossage said. "Jeff came
from California, beat everybody and has
done things that no one else could do. He
has made it so when you look for drivers
you look everywhere, just not from the
South. That is one of things he has
changed. He has done so well out of the
car and that is just as important these days
as winning on the track. It has been really
fun to watch him grow professionally and
personally."
The iconic No. 24 Chevrolet that he
has piloted for 23 seasons defines Gordon's
career and who better to join the festivities
than one of the greatest No. 24s in Dallas
sports history. Walls, a four-time NFL Pro
Bowl defensive back who led the league in
interceptions three times, presented a
signed, authentic No. 24 Dallas Cowboys
jersey with Gordon's name stitched on the
back.
Gordon then did what he has done best
outside of the car all these years, engage
with his fans. He conducted a lengthy
Q&A session with the throng and found
time to sign autographs and pose for photos during the day. Some fans arrived during the wee hours of the morning to secure
the best viewing location. Longtime
Gordon and NASCAR fan Leonard Fortuna
arrived at 7:45 a.m. CT for the afternoon's
festivities.
Gordon will return to Texas Motor
Speedway in four weeks for NASCAR's
first nighttime race of the season, the Duck
Commander 500. Tickets are available for
both the Duck Commander 500 and the
XFINITY Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 300
on April 10, by calling (817) 215-8500 or
by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
~Texas Motor Speedway
11
COLLEGES
BIG 12 WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
BU takes Big 12 Womens Championship
By Bo Carter
Special Contributor
bcarter@footballfoundation.com
Now the fun part begins as Big 12
Conference women’s basketball squads
await at-large berths during the Monday,
March 16, selection show.
TCU head coach Raegan Pebley compared it to waiting for her son to be born
eight days after the due date and with an
additional 25 hours of labor.
“It’s not quite that hard waiting for the
selections,” she said with a laugh, “but it
can be just as nerve-wracking.”
The situation gets even more interesting as the Big 12 women’s circuit has been
rated as high as No. 1 in faux Rating
Percentage Indices by one survey but has
six potential qualifiers with league records
of 9-9 to 7-11 in tough round-robin play
where the RPI usually takes bump upward
in Big 12 play.
And Baylor already raced through the
18-game Big 12 slate with a 16-2 loop
record and 30-3 standard overall after
downing Texas 75-64 in the Phillips 66 Big
12 Championship finals last Monday night
at American Airline Center in Dallas.
It was another case of the Lady Bears
getting balanced scoring with four of five
starters in double figures and tourney
Outstanding Player Nina Davis paving the
way with 16 points and 11 rebounds. BU
also shot 48.4 percent from the field
Monday while rolling past its third foe.
Baylor downed Kansas State 82-70 and
Oklahoma State 69-52 before double digiting the Longhorns (22-10, 9-9).
Texas also aided its cause for an atlarge bid with a pair of wins – including a
59-49 downing of fellow at-large competitor and longtime women’s hoops rival
Oklahoma in the semifinals.
“We showed a lot of patience offensively,” said a pleased head coach Kim
Mulkey after the championship triumph.
“We had good ball reversal and hit some
big threes when the game was close. We
were able to play a lot players, and our
fans really got behind us from the start.
That was a major factor tonight.
“Winning five consecutive Big 12 tournaments means these kids are pretty good,”
she added, “and our program has been consistent. It never gets old. It’s in the books,
and that is a fact. You know Nina Davis is
12
In the four all-time meetings of the current Big 12 women’s powerhouses in the Phillips 66 Championship, it was Baylor’s first time to down Texas.
so much more than a big scorer for us. She
settles the team and plays great defense.
“We told the team that they would have
to do a lot of dirty work inside with Texas
having those 6-7 and 6-5 post players,”
Mulkey continued, “and they did just that.
Everybody has a role for this team, and
they all played their roles well against
Texas.”
UT head coach Karen Aston was philosophical but knew the Longhorns might
have let a chance for a big upset against
BU go by the wayside. In the four all-time
meetings of the current Big 12 women’s
powerhouses in the Phillips 66
Championship, it was Baylor’s first time to
down Texas.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of this
team,” Aston began. “There was a sense of
urgency in the Big 12 tournament, and the
players showed that down the stretch in
Big 12 play as well. Baylor was just more
efficient, and we couldn’t get a defensive
stop when we closed the gaps.”
With the Longhorns sitting in fairly
good shape for an at-large berth, it is up to
the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection
Committee (chaired by Big 12 senior associate commissioner Dru Hancock who has
to disqualify herself by NCAA rules when
Big 12 teams are discussed) to find some
key places for these contenders.
“And, believe me, the Big 12 teams are
going to pose a lot of matchup problems
for their opponents in the NCAAs,”
Mulkey reiterated.
Possible bid selling points are for
Oklahoma (Oklahoma 20-11, 13-5 Big 12)
with quality wins over several key Big 12
foes (including Baylor in February) and
one RPI as high as ninth in one of the leading national surveys and a triumph in the
tourney, TCU (17-13, 9-9) with a championship win over West Virginia (also a 6861 loss to Texas) and RPI as high as 33rd
and Oklahoma State (20-11, 9-9) with a
highest RPI of 48 and Top 25 ranking for
most of the first half of 2014-15.
Leading candidates Iowa State (18-12,
9-9) with a late-season upset victory over
Baylor in Ames and No.35 RPI, West
Virginia (18-14, 7-11) and early national
wire ratings with a No 27 RPI and Kansas
State (18-13, 7-11) with a tourney verdict
over Kansas and No. 21 RPI in one of the
trio of surveys have stated their possible
positions for the NCAA field on the court.
What it adds up to is some Pepto-
Bismol moments over the weekend and a
few shrieks of joy coming Monday night.
“The Big 12 has come a long, long way
since the first year of women’s basketball
in 1996-97,” said Pebley, a center on
Colorado’s inaugural 1997 conference title
squad. “We have had coaches, administrators and players dedicated to building all
the programs, we have been successful in
hosting tournaments and will have the
Women’s Final Four at American Airlines
Center in a couple of years, and it really is
great for TCU and our staff to be part of
the conference.”
And many eyes will be glued to
screens when ESPN hosts its 2014-15
Women’s Championship selection show on
Monday, March 16, at 6 p.m. (CDT) from
Indianapolis, Ind., and Bristol, Conn.
Big 12 Baseball Weekly Notes Package
By Wendall Barnhouse
big12sports.com
Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas and
Texas Tech all remain ranked heading into
the fifth week of the season. TCU sits atop
the Collegiate Baseball poll and second on
three other lists. The four teams have been
ranked all season while the Frogs have
been ranked in the top 10 on all four lists
throughout the year.
Conference play begins this weekend
with a pair of series as Baylor travels to
TCU and Texas hosts West Virginia. The
Frogs enter the 2015 conference season
having won six straight series against
league opponents and are coming off a
week in which they went 3-1 against four
ranked teams.
K-State, Oklahoma and West Virginia
all set season-highs in runs scored over the
past weekend. All three teams batted over
.300 last week and combined to score 115
runs. Through 18 games, the Sooners lead
the league in five offensive statistical categories, including runs, hits and RBI. The
Sooner pitching staff also leads the league
in strikeouts.
Oklahoma’s Sheldon Neuse was named
the Big 12 Player of the Week after leading
the league in home runs, RBI, total bases
and slugging percentage last week. The
sophomore totaled three home runs and 10
RBI. Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors
went to TCU’s Alex Young who picked up
two wins over ranked opponents on the
week, while K-State’s Tyler Moore was
named the Newcomer of the Week.
TCU’s Riley Ferrell recorded three
saves last week and now has 23 in his
career. With four more, he enters the Big
12’s top 10 career list where two closers
hold down the No. 9 spot with 27 saves.
Oklahoma State is just 17 wins shy of
becoming only the 15th program in
Division I history to reach 2,500 victories
while head coach Josh Holliday needs just
three more wins to reach 100 victories as
OSU’s head coach (third season).
K-State opened its 2015 home slate
with a sweep of Santa Clara. The Wildcats
have won 23 of their last 24 home contests
against nonconference opponents, a stretch
that dates back to March 20, 2013.
The Big 12 has claimed four national
player of the week awards this season.
Big 12 teams are a combined 76-56 in
non-conference action.
TTU’s Larry Hays Named College
Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee
to accomplish that feat.
He received nine coach of the year
awards during his career, including the
1997 Big 12 Coach of the Year honor. Hays
led Tech to a 51-14 record in 1995 – marking a school record for wins in a singleseason.
The Red Raiders had 96 Major League
Baseball Draft selections under Hays’ guidance, including 22 players that made their
MLB debuts.
Hays coached 36 All-Southwest
Conference selections, 18 All-Big 12 first
team picks, 14 consensus All-Americans
and six USA Baseball National Collegiate
Team members.
He led Tech to four consecutive seasons with at least 18 wins in Big 12 play
(1998-2001) – marking one of only three
times in league history for a program
(Texas – 5, 2000-04; Baylor – 4, 19972000).
Hays is the second longest tenured
head coach (22 years) in Texas Tech
University history (Marsha Sharp, women’s
basketball – 24 years).
Hays had his #27 jersey number retired
at Tech on March 23, 2009.
Texas Tech coaching legend Larry
Hays is one of eight individuals that make
up the 2015 National College Baseball Hall
of Fame induction class, the organization
announced today.
Hays, head coach of the Red Raiders
from 1987-2008, led Tech to 813 wins,
four conference championships, nine
NCAA Tournament appearances and to 11
40-win seasons. He becomes the first individual from Texas Tech to be inducted into
the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
This year’s class, which will be inducted as a part of the annual celebration of
college baseball on June 28-29 in Lubbock,
also includes Joe Arnold (Miami-Dade
/Arizona State, 1965-67 – Pitcher), Lance
Berkman (Rice, 1995-97 – First Baseman
/Outfielder), Al Holland (North Carolina
A&T, 1972-75 – Pitcher), Bill Holowaty
(Eastern Connecticut State, 1969-2013 –
Coach), Mike Kelly (Arizona State, 198991 – Outfielder), Rick Reichardt
(Wisconsin, 1963-64 – Outfielder) and
Frank Viola (St. John’s, 1979-81 – Pitcher).
Hays spent the first 16 years of his
career at Lubbock Christian where he tallied a 695-381 record from 1971-86 while
guiding the Chaparrals to the 1983 NAIA
National Championship. He was inducted
into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1991, and
in 2001 he became the first collegiate baseball coach to be inducted into the Texas
Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hays completed his college baseball
coaching career with over 1,500 wins –
making him one of only eight coaches in
the history of college baseball at any level
13
BASKETBALL
NBA
NBA Power Rankings Week 19
For all that’s made about the discrepancy between the West and East, the Hawks
and Cavs are two of the NBA’s best three
teams right now. Of course, after those
two, the East is as unimpressive as ever
with the exception of the surging Pacers.
Meanwhile out West, the Warriors reclaim
the top spot and the Spurs rejoin the fray. -1. Warriors (50-12) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 7
The MVP debate still has 20 games left
to work itself out, but here’s how it stands
now: The MVP should be the best player
on the best team, and that’s Stephen Curry.
There’s still a quarter of the season left, but
the Warriors are at 50 wins, have the best
record in the league and Curry just
becomes more impressive. His three-point
shooting is transitioning to playoff form, as
Curry has made 53.8 percent of them in his
last 10 games.
2. Hawks (50-13) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 20
Diversification is key for Atlanta. Of
the NBA's top title contenders, only the
Hawks (OK, and perhaps the Spurs)
wouldn’t have their title chances completely blown with one injury. The Hawks may
be the anti-superstar team, but that doesn’t
mean they’re without stars. Atlanta has
three players (Al Horford, Jeff Teague,
Paul Millsap) with PERs hovering at or
above 20. That list grows deeper when you
include DeMarre Carroll (15.0 PER) and
Kyle Korver (14.9).
3. Cavaliers (41-25) HIGH: 3 / LOW: 18
That blowout win in Dallas offers just
the latest piece of evidence that these
Cavaliers are just as much title favorites as
the Hawks or Warriors. Nothing that happened before mid-January will have any
effect on the postseason other than one few
erpotential home game. LeBron James is
playing like an MVP, the defense has dramatically become one of the best in the
14
league, and trades have made Cleveland as
deep as any team.
4. Rockets (43-20) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 11
James Harden makes a strong case for
MVP, if it’s not Curry. Since Dwight
Howard missed his first game on Jan. 25,
the Rockets are 13-5 and Harden is playing
37.9 minutes per game. He's carrying the
Rockets, now a top-three team in the tough
West. In those 18 games since Howard
went down, Harden is averaging 26.6
points, 7.9 assists and 6.6 rebounds.
5. Grizzlies (45-18) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 14
The Grizzlies may not catch the
Warriors for that No. 1 spot, but they’re
putting themselves in a great position for
home-court advantage for at least the first
two rounds of the playoffs. That's going to
serve the Grizzlies well, as they have the
best home record in the West after Golden
State. Another good sign for Memphis this
postseason is that it has the third-best
record (behind Golden State and Atlanta)
against teams with a record of .500 or
above (21-13).
6. Blazers (41-20) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 8
There's no way around it: The torn
Achilles of Wesley Matthews is a huge
blow to Portland's playoff chances. If
there's a tinge of silver lining, it's the trade
deadline move for supposed-to-be bench
piece Arron Afflalo. Afflalo started and
played 32 minutes in the Blazers' only
game so far without Matthews and scored
14 points, including shooting 3-of-5 from
three-point range. Though Afflalo may be
able to somewhat match Matthews’ stat
line, the question again becomes who will
fill the scoring need off Portland’s bench.
7. Spurs (40-23) HIGH: 1 / LOW: 13
Counting out Gregg Popovich’s Spurs
in late February is like betting on the
superhero to die three-quarters of the way
through a movie. It just doesn’t happen like
that. When whispers that this season’s
Spurs may not have time to get it together
for the playoffs, San Antonio responded
with a deep-voiced, “REMEMBER US!?”
The Spurs have won six in a row and are
creeping closer to earning home-court in at
least the first round. The win streak hasn’t
come against tough competition, but
Thursday’s matchup against the hot Cavs
will be a good barometer.
8. Thunder (35-28) HIGH: 4 / LOW: 28
It’s somewhat laughable to think OKC
would ever trade Kevin Durant. Sure the
reigning MVP has been hurt for more than
half of the season, but he’s a once-in-ageneration talent that even a masked
Russell Westbrook could never make up
for. Durant’s value will be clear again
when he returns from his recent foot injury,
which could be any day. With KD and
Westbrook healthy at the No. 8 spot, the
Warriors will be wondering why they ever
wanted that No. 1 seed.
9. Clippers (41-23) HIGH: 2 / LOW: 16
You could see just how badly the
Clippers are missing Blake Griffin in their
recent loss to the Warriors. Griffin is a top10 player in the NBA, so of course there’s
a lack of punch (and size) without him. Los
Angeles isn't in danger of losing its playoff
spot, but a slip to the No. 7 seed is
absolutely likely if Griffin is out much
longer. Right now, his return is uncertain
and the team is already without Jamal
Crawford. This week isn't going to make
things easier, with road games at
Oklahoma City and Dallas before coming
home to face Houston.
10. Mavericks (41-25) High: 4 / Low: 10
It’s so tough to adjust to chemistry and
a new playbook midway into the season,
especially if you’re a point guard. Rajon
Rondo is struggling to adjust to the
Mavericks’ offense and the rest of the
offense is struggling to move to his rhythm.
Rondo is at his best when he’s aggressive,
but right now his lack of confidence is
negating that. Dallas has just 16 games
remaining to find that chemistry.
11. Pelicans (36-29) High: 11 / Low: 18
Like one nervous fish said to the other:
these Pelicans aren't going anywhere. New
Orleans and OKC sit in a virtual tie for the
eighth seed (OKC leads by .002%). With
all this MVP talk about Russell Westbrook
while he leads the Thunder, don’t forget
about Anthony Davis. He was more earthly
in just 28 minutes on the second part of a
back-to-back in Brooklyn, but Monday in
Milwaukee he tallied 43 points (17-of-23
shooting), 10 rebounds and six assists. No
one has more impact both offensively and
defensively than Davis, who, by the way,
turns just 22 years old today.
(continued on page 14)
looked in March (now 5-1). Mo Williams,
recently named Eastern Conference Player
of the Week, may actually end up as one of
the more impactful players acquired at the
deadline.
19. Celtics (26-36) HIGH: 16 / LOW: 28
The Celtics could be a playoff team.
And that’s actually more sad than it is
intriguing. Boston traded nearly all of itself
as a sacrifice for the future and is currently
10 games under .500. Yet, as of midMarch, it can be considered a playoff team.
As the kids say: SMH. Boston is just two
games out of the No. 7 spot and is surging
in Eastern Conference terms, winning six
of the last nine.
20. Suns (33-32) HIGH: 9 / LOW: 20
It isn't that being three games out of
the No. 8 spot is insurmountable or anything. It’s just that these Suns went from
eight games over .500 nearing the end of
January to now just barely hanging above
.500. The trend is pointing downward, and
there's no reason to think Phoenix will
hang with Oklahoma City or New Orleans.
12. Pacers (29-34) HIGH: 12 / LOW: 27
It may sound crazy to say this, but
Frank Vogel might deserve some Coach of
the Year votes. After going in reverse after
last season’s All-Star Break, the opposite is
happening this season — and perhaps more
unexpectedly. Indy is surging up the East
standings (winning six in a row and 12 of
14) and now seems a lock for the postseason. The Pacers could have waved the tanking flag at the deadline, but instead guys
like Rodney Stuckey and David West are
proving valuable. And oh yeah, the team
gets Paul George back as early as this
week.
13. Bulls (39-26) HIGH: 5 / LOW: 15
The traditional "if only" melody is
sounding through Chicago once again. If
only Derrick Rose is able to come back
and be himself. If only Jimmy Butler
returns to that elite level and brings
Chicago's defensive identity back with him.
If only these things can happen in time for
the looming playoffs. Then, and only then,
Chicago has a shot at winning in the first
round before still probably being quickly
ousted in the second round by Cleveland or
Atlanta.
14. Wizards (36-28) HIGH: 6 / LOW: 16
At least the losing is leveling off a bit.
The Wizards have won three of five but
remain just 3-7 since the All-Star Break.
Bradley Beal is still finding his way after
returning from injury, shooting just 20 percent from three-point range and just 38.2
percent from the field in four games back.
Meanwhile, John Wall is shooting just 38
percent for 14.5 ppg since the break.
15. Bucks (33-30) HIGH: 12 / LOW: 29
Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to
make people learn how to pronounce and
spell his name correctly. The 20-year-old
will soon become a household name, with
a 7-foot wingspan and the ballhandling of a
point guard. Antetokounmpo just had a
career-high 29 points to go with five
rebounds, four assists, three blocks and
three steals. That massive line came in a
loss to the Pelicans, but it proves what an
all-around star he will become with age
and experience.
16. Jazz (27-36) HIGH: 16 / LOW: 27
On a team that was all but eliminated from
the playoffs months ago, these Jazz players
and coaches are still pushing hard — and
that's a great sign for next season. There
are still 21 games remaining for the Jazz,
and they’ve already surpassed last season's
win total. Quin Snyder has proven what his
team’s core is capable of, and he can only
hope the effort and execution will return to
start 2015-16.
17. Raptors (38-26) HIGH: 2 / LOW: 17
The Raptors are sliding faster than
Masai Ujiri bobblehead sales in Brooklyn.
Toronto has lost nine of their last 10
games, and that one win came against
Philly. There’s still time for things to turn
around, but there’s also a greater likelihood
of collapse that ends in a second consecutive first-round playoff exit. For now, it’s
just a a good thing Toronto plays in the
worst division in the NBA.
18. Hornets (28-34) HIGH: 16 / LOW: 28
Charlotte played six games in the first
nine days of March. So yeah, the Hornets
must be pretty tired. The fatigue showed in
scoring just 23 second-half points in their
home loss to the Wizards, but it doesn’t
wipe away how good these Hornets have
21.Heat (28-35) HIGH: 7 / LOW: 21
It’s a frustrating time in Miami. On the
same night Chris Bosh thanked fans, the
Heat lost and were kicked out of the current playoff picture. Making matters worse
were the selfish and immature actions of
Hassan Whiteside. His recent outburst, a
cheap shove in the back of Boston’s Kelly
Olynyk that resulted in an ejection (his second in the last four games), led to Dwyane
Wade calling out the 25-year-old for continuing to act in ways that make him unreliable. Whiteside has a ton of talent, but if
he can’t listen to a guy with a great reputation and rings like Wade, it can easily go
wasted.
22. Nets (25-37) HIGH: 13 / LOW: 26
All it takes is four straight losses to be
able to write off the Nets again. It seems
unlikely that Brooklyn will have one last
push in it, since Indiana doesn't appear
ready to regress down the stretch and
Brooklyn isn't better than Charlotte, Miami
or perhaps even Boston.
23. Nuggets (23-41) High: 12 / Low: 28
If the Nuggets quit on Brian Shaw,
how do you describe what they're doing
under interim coach Melvin Hunt?
Working, perhaps. Without the constraints
of Shaw’s offensive structure, the Nuggets
are running and the offense already looks
vastly improved. Denver has won three of
its last five games, averaging 104.3 points,
10 points more than in their previous 20
games under Shaw.
24. Pistons (23-40) HIGH: 17 / LOW: 30
Just two weeks ago, the Pistons were
pushing toward the unlikeliest of turnarounds. After starting 3-19, Detroit went
20-14 and had a trajectory toward a bottom
seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Then the wheels fell off losing seven
straight (including losses to the league's
worst, Knicks and Lakers), and even the
East playoffs no longer seem possible.
25. Magic (21-44) HIGH: 19 / LOW: 29
Victor Oladipo wasn't impressive in his
return to his Hoosiers roots in Indiana (13
points on 4-of-12 shooting at the Pacers),
but the second-year guard has shown recent
signs of being a top-tier scorer. Oladipo has
averaged 28.3 points in his last five games.
26. Kings (21-41) HIGH: 9 / LOW: 27
The Kings are tail-spinning, fighting
through their current eight-game road trip
that still has three games left. Sacramento
has many ills, but the defense remains the
worst, as illustrated by allowing 130 points
to the Hawks on Monday. The Kings are
the worst defensive team in basketball,
dead last in the NBA since Jan. 1 with a
defensive rating of 107.0.
27. Lakers (17-46) HIGH: 23 / LOW: 30
Momentum has been fully on the
Lakers' side since Feb. 1, except for that
nasty three-game win streak to end
February and Tuesday's unfortunate win
against the Pistons. Other than that, the
Lakers still seemed destined for a bottomfive finish to keep this summer’s protected
draft pick.
28. 76ers (14-49) HIGH: 23 / LOW: 30
The @76ers Twitter account posted a
Vine on Saturday of Joel Embiid dunking
between his legs in warm-ups with the caption, "We'll just leave this here." It ended
up a course in social-media jinx 101. Days
after the Vine was posted, news came of
Embiid suffering a “minor setback,”
accompanied with a walking boot.
Setbacks are normal, but the hype surrounding the video may have done damage
by either indirectly rushing expectations of
Embiid’s return or raising eyebrows when
he suffered a setback soon after.
T’wolves (14-48) HIGH: 22 / LOW: 30
Andrew Wiggins has the Rookie of the
Year award locked up, but of course the
Wolves will take bonus rookies, too. It was
a month ago when they traded a future
first-round pick to the Hawks for Adreian
Payne, knowing the 15th overall choice in
the 2014 draft hadn’t played in more than a
handful of NBA games. But if Payne’s 16point, 15-rebound performance on Monday
is a sign of what's to come, that could be
deal Wolves fans look back on and cherish.
30. Knicks (12-51) HIGH: 17 / LOW: 30
Easy there, Knicks. With Jahlil Okafor
(or whichever No. 1 pick emerges from the
crop) waiting, New York needs to be careful about accidentally winning games. It
almost slipped up against the Jazz on
Tuesday before falling back in line. There
absolutely cannot be a repeat of what happened in late February when the Knicks
won two games.
15
16
FOOD REVIEW
By RICHARD POLLAK
I Dig the Dugg Burger! Do you?
By Richard Pollak
The Traveling Gourmet
dallasentertain@aol.com
I dig the newest invention in gourmet
hamburgers. The boys at Dugg Burger at
Casa Linda have reinvented how to stack
your burger.
They present a lineup of "Lucky 12":
The simple symbolic menu board has to be explained
bacon, crispy onions, caramelized onions,
grilled jalapenos, sauteed mushrooms,
pickles, lettuce, and cherry tomatoes, plus a
quartet of sauces — barbecue, mustard,
ketchup, and the wild card "Dugg sauce."
All we should really talk about is the
The hot condiments stand ready
daily from Village Baking Company.
With our unique operating system and
a menu that is focused on just a few items,
we can consistently ensure the food delivers on our promise of “simple done exceptional,” says Managing Partner, Scott
Spence. “The end-result is a high quality
burger, served hot and fast with 100%
accuracy.”
With over fifty years of collective
restaurant experience at some of the
biggest restaurant companies in the world,
Dugg Burger’s founders, Jeff Braunstein,
Martin Hennessy and Scott Spence have a
great concept and all three are constantly
working the floor with newly converted
Digg the Dugg Burgers.
Blue Cheese from the Mozarella
Companies kitchen.
I had already recommended to the boys
that they should immediately add Pastrami
as the Lucky 13th condiment permanently!
At Carl's Juniors World Wide their
Pastrami Buger is there number 1 specialty
Burger. Perhaps because ot the Terrell
Owens TV commercial.
In Salt Lake City, the Pastrami Burger
with Fry sauce is like what a Cheesesteak
is to Philly or a Hot Dog is to Chicago. It's
the official sandwich of the city.
The Pastrami that I presented to them
was expertly prepared by Cafe Du Jour
Catering Owner Larry Goldstein, who originally prepared his master season beef at
his Bagelstein's Deli in Richardson. The
Deli may be gone but not the Pastrami as
Maestro Meat maker joined us for a media
dinner. It was funny that we barely got 2
Pastrami sandwiches out of the kitchen
(one to take home to m wife) before the
Dugg Buger Boys ate the rest of the 2 lbs
of Pastrami themselves. That's alright, we
enjoyed a Double Beef Burger with
Swiss,Mushrooms, Double Bacon and
grilled Onion plus an off the menu Grilled
Cheddar Cheese with Bacon Sandwich
Fan inspired Lucky 13th ingrediant should be Larry
Goldstein’s Pastrami from Bagelstein’s fame
before our Pastrami Burger arrived.
And don’t forget that the leftover bread
from the crown of the brioche Bun is used
for their incredible Bread Pudding. The
bread pudding is made from a 50-year-old
recipe from co-founder Martin Hennessy’s
mom. The main ingredient for the dessert
will be the dug-out bread from the buns.
Clever!
As every employee says; Don't forget to
leave room for the Bread Pudding!"
The decor is exposed brick and small communal tables
All we should really talk about is the burgers
fabulous burger and the process for making
it as such. There is an atttentive staffer that
will dress the burger any way you want
it..and which of the 12 condiments and
how much of each you want to pile on!
No fear in piling it on with the Dugg
secret method of carving out the excess
bread inside the crown of their exclusively
baked Brioche Bun which is delivered
The decor of exposed brick and small
communal tables is warm and casual for
the upscale Casa Linda neighborhoods.
After everyone reads this review, seating will be difficult to find in this first concept development. The space is made to
handle long lines waiting to order.
I am not sure if it will be able to handle the condiment selection by newcomer
customers as they browse the bounty of
toppings!
The game for avid followers of Dugg
Burger is to suggest a Lucky 13th condiment to be added to the menu as a “nonscheduled” surprise topping. While at
Dugg Burger we were able to add a special
17
TICKET WINDOW
18
AUTO REVIEW
By DAVID GOODSPEED
photo courtesy Lexus
The Lexus NX compact luxury crossover is a hit
By David Goodspeed
Special Contributor
autoworlddavid@yahoo.com
Lexus, the luxury division for Toyota
Motor Corporation, has been around since
1989 yet it has never released a Turbobocharged vehicle…until now. And the
automaker delivers it in a totally new vehicle, a compact luxury crossover known as
NX. Lexus has launched the model line in
the form of the NX 200t turbo gas
crossover and the NX 300h hybrid.
We spent time recently in the NX 200t
turbo arriving in F Sport trim and to be
perfectly honest this is the only way I
would order the new NX. Smaller than the
uber-popular RX crossover, NX offers
comfortable seating for up to five in a sport
package offering all the latest amenities
offered by the brand and they are available
in front- or all-wheel drive configuration.
Let’s begin under the hood of the new
NX as this is where the fun begins. Lexus
utilizes a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0liter four-cylinder with an advanced valve
control system to alternate between
Atkinson and Otto cycle operations for
optimum performance as well as fuel efficiency.
Generating 235hp and 258 lb. ft. of
torque, the new Lexus engine operates
smoothly across a broad power band delivering fun acceleration and great control on
the road via new six-speed automatic gearbox and Dynamic Torque Control AWD
system providing an outstanding driving
experience no matter what the road and
weather conditions.
The 2015 NX 200t features Lexus’
Drive Mode Select allowing the driver to
select vehicle responses in varying situations through settings of ECO (yawn),
Normal (yawn) and Sport (personally recommended). NX is still a Lexus and offers
a very comfortable ride but I prefer this
chassis over the RX as it provides a bit
more sport experience and feel.
As with all new Lexus vehicles, NX
received the new face of the automaker and
for those opting for the F Sport package
that face is even more pronounced with a
very large black mesh grille supported by
the Lexus spindles.
I have read some polarizing comments
regarding the design of the new NX and I
am on the thumbs up side of this debate as
I like how this vehicle looks and wish RX
would have arrived like this years ago.
Inside one can find everything new
about Lexus including the track pad controller in the center console. I am not a big
track pad fan but wish repeated use I am
sure I would get the hang of it. Hey, just
give me rows of buttons and knobs and I
am just fine. In Lexus’ favor designers did
place the multimedia display high in the
center dash stack to reduce the amount of
time eyes are shifted from road to screen
and a haptic feedback in the track pad confirms targeting of the cursor over a function icon.
The new NX features Qi wireless
charging of devices in the tray inside the
console box but your device has to be Qi
compatible (iPhones are NOT) or be
housed in a Qi compatible case. Lexus
gives NX premium audio systems and the
aforementioned multimedia display is
offered with a navigation upgrade of course
along with Enform App Suite and Siri Eyes
Free Mode and Bluetooth connectivity is
standard.
A host of safety technology envelops
the 2015 NX including blind spot monitor
and rear cross traffic alert as well as pre
collision system with pre collision brake
and lane departure alert.
Our tester arrived with the navigation
upgrade along with the premium package
that included heated and ventilated front
seats, moonroof and 18-inch wheel and tire
upgrade. The F Sport package brought even
more goodies including unique wheels,
seats, gear shift, steering wheel, scuff plate,
trim, meters, sport tuned suspension, gear
shift differential for the AWD, paddle
shifters and that unique fascia and LED fog
lamps.
To be fair, this Lexus NX 200t arrived
as prototype #526 so it did not include a
production window sticker and some of the
features and materials may have differed
slightly from final production units you
will drive off your dealer’s lot. I found no
issues whatsoever with this unit. I truly
enjoyed my week behind the wheel and the
driving experience of the new chassis and
turbocharged engine.
I was forced to get pricing information
from the consumer Lexus website where I
had to “build my own vehicle” to receive
pricing for a vehicle comparable to what
we tested here. The 2015 NX 200t F Sport
with AWD begins at $37,980 (the base NX
200t FWD starts at $34,480). With the Nav
and premium packaging added, the online
build version came to $43,090 with delivery, processing and handling charges. Fuel
economy for the turbo engine is rated at 22
mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
It has been a busy year for Lexus and
they have yet another hit on their hands
with the new NX compact luxury crossover
And did I mention the awesome stereo system also provides some extra growl for the
powertrain playing through the speakers?
NX 200t F Sport in sensurround!
19
20

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