Articles about Sports
Baseball Fight!
I think you can guess what I’m about to say: I didn’t see this live.
FireAvery.com Creator Fires Himself
Greg Holland, the guy who beat everyone else to the domain name that would sum up the second half of the Mavs’ season, is giving up blogging.
Which works out just fine, because a Knicks fan is going to need that in about three/four seasons.
[slow clap]
Red Wings in Seven Seems to Be the Consensus
That’s what the experts say. And I think that’s what the handsome gentleman to the left says, since he’s a Wings fan. I say: nothing. Ask Adam. I just struggled to name more than three guys on the team. I’ve watched 15 minutes all season. But, uh, go Stars.
Kevin McCarthy Puts Souvenir Basketball Up For Sale — on WSJ.com
Back in the day, Kevin McCarthy got himself a game ball from an all-star game. Then he got it signed by his favorite players — Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Nice work. But even more impressive is that he somehow got the Wall Street Journal to market the ball for him in this story. If you’re interested, looks like it’ll cost you somewhere between $2,000 and $4,000.
Get Ready For About 48 Aggie Jokes in the Comments
I’d like to tee this up for FB Nation. So, looks like Reveille VII, the attractive lass you see pictured here, is retiring. Texas A&M needs a new mascot. So of course it formed a 16-member search committee. Jump for the full memo that describes what it is they’re looking for in Reveille VIII (spoiler alert: “healthy,” “outgoing,” “not afraid of noise”):
Avery Johnson Eats Lunch
Spotted: Avery Johnson at Al Biernat’s having lunch with an unidentified guy in a tan suit. Says one person who was close enough to eavesdrop a little bit, “They were talking about something business-related. They’d both talk on their cellphones, then go back to talking to each other about business.” Developing?
Michael Young Does What Everyone Watching the Rangers-Royals Game Was Begging Him to Do
Not on purpose of course. At any rate, I doubt the girl sitting behind home plate will try that again. Actually, I take it back. She definitely will. I just hope Gerald Laird isn’t at the plate when she does.
Avery Johnson is Dead to Me, Mavs
Avery Johnson has been fired by the Mavericks, sources in our offices tell me. I know the body isn’t cold, but I would like to officially announce that I am interested in the position. I’m a hard worker, a self starter, I watched almost every game over the past five seasons (many from the confines of the AAC, as I am a half-season ticket older), and I played varsity basketball at a 3A high school (and even started a bunch of games!). So, as you can see, I’m totally qualified. Plus, I look awesome in a suit and wouldn’t hesitate to have some pipe-wielding MFFLs go to town on Stack’s knee.
Lone Star Park Mixtape Publicity Ploy Works (On Me)
(Full disclosure right off the bat: I’ve met Lone Star Park Vice President G.W. Hail a few times and he’s a nice guy. Nice enough that if he asks me to do him a favor, I’m inclined to oblige. I’m especially inclined when the favor involves promoting me as an almost pseudo-celebrity. And yes, I realize I’m falling in to his publicity trap by mentioning this stunt on FrontBurner … just as he planned it. Well played, G.W.)
What am I talking about? A week or so ago, G.W. asked me to create a Lone Star Park music mix to be broadcast during live racing days — songs to be played during downtime. G.W. said he was going to ask other media types to contribute (people like Norm, Newy, and Clarice). Apparently I was the first to turn mine in and so mine will be the first to enter the rotation — starting tomorrow, G.W. tells me. I obsessed over the mix like I am wont to do. I had to account for varying age groups, differences in preferences, sensitivity to mood (upbeat, but not too cheery for the frowny-faced bettors), yet still staying true to songs I truly like/love. For those who are curious, the final line-up is after the jump.
“It Caught Twine in the Back of the Onion Bag.”
Stars win in overtime. And the above description of the winning goal is why I love Razor Reaugh. (Side note: yes, I’m a horribly casual hockey fan, and I didn’t watch a single game this season until the playoffs started. And, yes, I realize that some hardcore Stars fans take a dim view of people like me. There’s an ownership thing at work here. “I invested all those hours during the regular season watching the team. So don’t think you can come along and get as excited as I am about their going up 3-0 on the Sharks.” Okay, would you rather people like me not get excited this time of year? If the whole city — latecomers included — jump on the bandwagon here at the end, doesn’t that make it more fun for you, too? Just asking.)
Mavs Lose. Let’s Focus on Hockey Now.
As I write this, there are still 5.7 seconds left in the game. It actually got exciting right there, toward the end. The only reason it was close: Brandon Bass. That’s what I’m taking away from this playoffs. I look forward to watching more Bass next season. And less Josh Howard.
P.S. That foul that Jerry Stackhouse put on Chris Paul, the one that got him ejected? Embarrassing.
Giddy-Up: Four More Days To The Kentucky Derby
My anticipation for the first Saturday in May starts earlier and grows more fervent each year, and it seems like I learn something new every spring. For instance, I didn’t know there was a famous train decades ago that ran from Dallas-Fort Worth to Louisville, dubbed the “millionaires’ special,” that signaled the start of Derby fever. It was the Gulfstream of the day for owners and horseplayers. Very cool. (If someone wants to hire me to write about 200 pages about the Texas & Pacific’s trek to Kentucky, let’s chat.)
In related Derby news, the peeps at the NYT have (wisely) asked SMU alum, fellow horseplayer, and fellow fan of Louie’s Joe Drape to contribute to the new, Derby-centric blog called The Rail. Interested parties should check it out.
Tony Romo Takes His Gunslinging Attitude to the Blackjack Tables in Vegas and Drops $2.5 Million
Allegedly. The source on this is Robin Leach, so you might want to take that with a handful of sea salt.
Bobby Valentine Is Big in Japan
Ever wonder what the former Rangers manager is up to? An alert FBvian points us to the this story about his enormous popularity as a manager in Japan — and about the documentary on him in the works. In related news, there are no documentaries about Ron Washington currently under way.
Adam Scott Goes From Green to Scene
An eagle-eyed FBvian passes along this scoop (albeit minor) about your newly crowned Byron champ:
I thought you might be interested to know that Adam Scott, who won the Byron Nelson yesterday, was seen at W Dallas-Victory last night enjoying cocktails in The Living Room.
[Insert quippy, golf-y rejoinder here.]
Bunky Vroom Coaches Babes on the Pitch
Several in the FrontBurner Nation might know Bunky Vroom. He is the spawn of sometime D contributor Nan Coulter and the bulti-talented Jacques Vroom. He left these parts years ago to work for MTV in LA. Now he’s got a gig with Disney, for Those Who Care. But what brings our attention to Vroom today is the following video about his hobby: coaching an all-babe soccer team. You’ll find him about halfway through:
Update: Dunno what’s what. But several of you have said in the comments that you can’t see the video. You can find it here.
Re: Byron Nelson Final Round
While attendance was down yesterday, partly due to the weather, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship couldn’t have concluded in more spectacular fashion. The Four Seasons Resort & Club–which is undergoing a $190 million renovation, including new luxury condos–made a great setting for the nail-biting, three-hole showdown. And while the spectators’ outfits weren’t nearly as skimpy yesterday as earlier in the tourney–”This Comes Off” t-shirts were commonplace then–many still were underdressed against the chill. To remedy that the hotel thoughtfully provided some guests Sunday with colorful “wraps”–one of which was modeled by Caroline Free Bagot from Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (at left) in front of the Four Seasons hospitality suite.
Byron Nelson Final Round: “No Weather for Skanky Women!”
It was an exciting finish to the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Citizen journalist Anthony Pulido was there for us and files his final report, after the jump. As always: watch out for adult language!
Byron Nelson Round Three: “A Modest Proposal”
An abbreviated Sunday report on round three, from our man in the field (or links), Anthony Pulido:
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A Modest Proposal for the Byron Nelson
Many attendees of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship fail to realize that it is a charitable event, meaning the proceeds from every canned mojito and hot dog you buy go to an excellent cause. Although attendance was very high yesterday, it did break my heart to learn that so many potential donors would have to leave early to attend the Jimmy Buffet concert, or they would not be coming back at all to watch the final round of the tournament because they needed to get psyched for tonight’s very important Mavs and Stars playoff games. Furthermore, we cannot forget about today’s Edgefest.
So what I have done is devised a master plan for next year in the event that all these oh-so-awesome events all occur on the same weekend: The EDS/NBA/NHL Awesome Sports and Crappy Music Festival. Now that the Cottonwood Valley course is no longer being used for the tournament, I see nothing but potential. I’ve already done the hard part; I’ll leave the rest to the smart men in red pants. – Anthony Pulido
Re: Byron Nelson Round One
Normally FrontBurner doesn’t work on Saturdays. We’ll make an exception tomorrow (and Sunday). Here is a tease for Anthony Pulido’s report tomorrow:
I will focus on the new 17th, where the majority of cross-armed accountants in Oakley sunglasses will be mumbling things under their breath about the hot girls they are too old to get and cursing the wealthier men in the elite sky boxes above them. Hopefully it will be a much cleaner and friendlier atmosphere than yesterday, but I seriously doubt it. If anything, I will try to see if this 17th green really comes to fruition as being the new party scene.
I was able to use my press pass to get into one of the elite sky boxes on the 17th where I made friends with a nice gentleman in charge of said sky box, who told me I could set up shop there to cover the 17th all week long. But I doubt I could write anything about the people in there because just about everyone in the place probably knows Wick Allison.
Byron Nelson Round One: “There Will Be Blood Booze.”
We don’t know who Anthony Pulido is. But a couple weeks ago, out of the blue, the guy sent Eric a hysterically profane e-mail, demanding that we let him cover the EDS Byron Nelson Championship — by which he meant the newly energized Pavilion — for FrontBurner. Who are we to stand in the way of citizen journalism? So we armed Anthony with press credentials, and cover it he did. He titled his round one report “There Will Be Blood Booze.” Before you jump, a warning: adult language ahead!
Oh, Yeah. The EDS Byron Nelson Started.
The weather decided to cooperate and the golf tourney is under way. If you want to follow live scores, go here. If you want to read a DMagazine.com featurette about Saturday’s exhibition round, go here. Writer Curt Samson followed the foursome of Tony Romo, Tripp Keuhne, Harrison Frazar, and J.J. Henry. The latter two, locally based pros had a hand in the redesigned course.
Stay tuned to FrontBurner for reports from the field.
EDS Byron Nelson To Remain “EDS Byron Nelson”
Earlier this week EDS CEO Ron Rittenmeyer voiced his disgruntlement about the low-wattage of PGA stars who play in the EDS Byron Nelson these days. He said the tourney needed a turnaround for him to feel confident about EDS’ continued sponsorship. I guess Tour commissioner Tim Finchem did some convincing: EDS extended its contract through 2014.
Dallas Runner is Humble, Speedy
Hometown girl Melisa Christian placed 27th in the women’s Olympic marathon trials in Boston this past weekend with a time of 2:41. We’ve written about her here, and I had the opportunity to run with her a couple months ago, when she graciously slowed her pace to help coach a running group I’m in. I asked her what she was training for and she modestly said, “Boston.” It wasn’t until a few more miles into the run did it come out that by “Boston” she meant the Olympic trials in Boston not the regular ol’ marathon (Go Ann! Go Perry!). Considering I would have to shave more than an hour off my best marathon time just to keep up (read: not happening), I applaud her effort.
Stars Play Good Hockey
The score hadn’t changed yet, but the below shot was taken last night right after Modano scored the open netter to put the Stars up 4-1 in the waning moments of the game. Adam, Eric, and I got to watch the contest from the Haynes and Boone suite, despite D Magazine having recently fallen off of that firm’s top-200 client list. The seats were amazing (middle ice, directly across the arena from Tom Hicks’ suite). I’m now officially spoiled. Someone please sue us so we get invited back soon.
Jock and Droll
Randy Jennings has a nice little item in today’s SportsDay about a pair of brother jockeys at Lone Star Park. Justin, 21, is slightly more accomplished than Dustin, 17. But here’s the good part:
The boys’ parents had a sense of humor when it came to naming them: Justin Time and Dusty Ryder. Dusty uses his middle name in the program.
Dallas Cowboys’ Big, Big Screen
The Cowboys 2008 schedule is out. Blah blah blah. Bigger news: the details on the huge, HD displays are now public. How huge are the TVs? The 11,393-square-foot screens are about five times the size of my house. The 170,000-pound things will take about nine months to install, because I bet Jerry Jones, like a certain member of my household, insists that the new TVs cannot have any visible wires. It’s like the “no wire hangers” of TV installation.
“Is That The Rangers Season Guide In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?”
Rangers fan Joe Siegler has quite the collection of Rangers Pocket Schedules, but the collection is not complete. He needs your help. So go help him already.
Lone Star Park’s Opening Night
I hope those who made it to Grand Prairie last night had as much fun as I did. Granted, a certain exacta, trifecta, and longshot winner in the fifth made it difficult for me not to have a good time. The attendance was the lowest opening day crowd Lone Star has ever had (despite the Steve Asmussen bobblehead giveaway), but the track officials aren’t worried. And even though there were a number of small fields on the card last night, a couple of those can be attributed to scratches when races came off the turf. Plus, the meet doesn’t overlap as much with Louisiana Downs this summer, so officials are optimistic about more horses and better races coming to LSP. Not that they need to get much better than the fifth race last night, of course.
Go, Stars
Tomorrow night is the first night of the Stars-Ducks playoffs. If you didn’t know that already, you probably don’t care. And if you did, you probably know how the Stars match up with the defending Stanley Cup champs or know where to find stuff like that. Instead, I’ll focus on the celebrity bloggers associated with each team. The Stars have (again) Mrs. Modano Willa Ford (left). The Ducks have celebreality “star” Lauren “L.C.” Conrad, who admits to being more of a Kings fan (right). I’m still trying to figure out if L.C. is more boring than she is fake or more fake than she is boring. Either way: Advantage Stars.
Trip Kuehne Hangs Em Up
Well, he’ll still play golf. But his competitive career will end at the Masters. A co-working FBvian points us to a good story about how Tiger Woods changed Kuehne’s life back in 1994 when he whipped him in the U.S. Amateur championships.
Happy Opening Day: A Really Live Blog
OK, I just got back to my seat after standing down on the field as the players were announced. Michael Young totally winked at me. I have tons of video which we will edit later. For now, I am going to hang around and make some observations on today’s game. Of course, they’ll all be after the jump.
Re: FrontBurner Madness
Leigh Covert (aka Whoopi Goldberg) sends word to the FB Nation:
What can I say? I’m honored to receive this prestigious award, and I’m pretty excited to see what $200 worth of meat looks like. A throat yogurt joke would probably fit in nicely here — but I’m going to pretend to be too mature for that.
Happy Opening Day
Ahoy, FrontBurnervian Baseball Fans! I am sitting front row in the press box at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington with all my baseball-writing friends at the DMN. Columnist Kevin Sherrington was nice enough to give me his seat. Then I discovered why. The sun is shining directly into my face and I can’t see my computer screen. I’m here to video broadcaster Eric Nadel (pictured) when he throws out the first pitch to open the season. Gotta go. Back later. Go Rangers.
Ritz-Carlton Hampers V-Ball Watching
Years ago, when the AVP tour came to town, truckloads of sand would turn the vacant lot just south of The Crescent into an oceanless beach. How cool it was to watch some 2-on-2 volleyball action with downtown Dallas in the distance. But, like I said, that was years ago. Where does the AVP make their Dallas stop these days? Where else: Arlington.
Rangers Home Opener … Yum
Oh, would that I were headed to the Ballpark in Arlington for this afternoon’s game. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. My top three concession-stand finds (excluding beer, natch): jalapeno bagel dog (though every year I wonder if it’ll be available), onion garlic fries with Old Bay seasoning (dunno why I said “onion.” Hunger pangs, I guess), then the catfish basket.
Commenters, your turn.
Update: Glad to see the commenters have carried on the discussion. A coupla points: 1. I can’t say with certainty that there will be bagel dogs. I wasn’t able to find ‘em last season. 2. The garlic fries are at the concession stand nearest the right foul pole. At least, that’s where they were last time I checked. Go, Rangers.
FrontBurner Madness: Final Results
Thanks to all who participated in our little pool. But this isn’t third grade. You don’t get anything for participating. Congratulations to Whoopi Goldberg, who wins the $200 gift certificate to Texas de Brazil. Whoopi, please send me an e-mail, and we’ll make arrangements to get the certificate to you. (Side note: congratulations also go out to Sarah Eveans, who won the D Magazine office pool. It probably won’t come as a huge surprise when I tell you she hails from Kansas.)
FrontBurner Madness Update
We’ve narrowed it down to two. If Kansas wins tonight, Whoopi Goldberg takes the $200 gift certificate to Texas de Brazil. If Memphis wins, DTF will be eating meat. Your leaders going into the final game:
1. Whoopi Goldberg
2. The Revenge of Abraham Lincoln [so close, yet –]
3. DTF
4. Old East Dallas
5. ILikeSports
6. Donkey Punch Bowl
6. Throat Yogurt [again, murmur]
8. Scissor Me Timbers
8. IDGAF
10. VSBB [thank you for using an acronym]
Horse Players Gear Up, Horse Company Bears Down
As longtime readers of FrontBurner might imagine, I’m pretty stoked that Lone Star Park starts its 2008 season of live racing in less than a week. Thursday night, to be exact. Magna Entertainment Corp., owner and operator of LSP and some of the country’s best tracks (Santa Anita, Pimplico Pimlico, Gulfstream, and more), is probably excited too. More like “hopeful.” MECA has fallen on some hard times of late. The NASDAQ stock is on the brink of being delisted, and confident company owner Frank Stronach’s plan to loan MECA money from another one of his interests faces an uphill battle. Full disclosure: I own a tiny bit of MECA stock, purchased as a means of self-rationalizing when I had a bad night at the track. How tiny? Right now, it’s worth a little more than enough to buy a $2 exacta box of three horses.
Oh. And also on the LSP tip: a belated congratulations to former Lone Star Park media relations rock star Darren Rogers. The immensely helpful and kind Rogers is now the Senior Director of Communications & Media Services at Churchill Downs.
What Mike Shropshire (and Randy Galloway) Were Doing 33 Years Ago Today
The Last Real Season, Mike Shropshire’s wonderfully profane book about the 1975 Major League Baseball season, hits stores on May 14. The conceit is simple: it’s more or less the diary Shropshire kept while following the Texas Rangers as a beat reporter for the Star-T during the last year before free agency changed the game. After the jump is Shrop’s April 4 entry, featuring a cameo by one Randy Galloway.
Texas Rangers 2008 Season Ends As Expected
Some smart science and math guy at the New Jersey Institute of Technology has been running mathematical models for the past seven seasons to predict how many wins each MLB team will get each year. He’s apparently been accurate enough to gain credibility. Sadly, he predicts Your Texas Rangers will say hello to the win column only 70 times this season. [Generic Rangers talk alert] And unless they can tighten up middle relief and play defense worth a lick, I can’t see much reason to disagree.
Former Bengals WR Chris Henry Headed to the Dallas Cowboys, Local Strip Club, Jail?
That’s what one of the bloggers at AOL’s FanHouse thinks–the first part, anyway. If that happens, and the team consummates its flirtation with Pacman Jones, they’re going to need to bring in Michael Irvin to show them how to properly set up a new “White House.” Get your purple mink coats and matching bowler hats ready.
Bosworth Steel Erectors, Inc. Built the New Nationals Ballpark in D.C. Out of Metal and Brawn
And now the Dallas-based company has won an award for it. Well played, fellas.
FrontBurner Madness Update
Your leaders in the contest for a $200 gift certificate to Texas de Brazil:
1. Old East Dallas
1. heelSpurs
3. Whoopi Goldberg
4. John Galt
5. Throat Yogurt [ed: murmur]
5. Where’s Greggo?
7. IDGAF
7. Liberally Lean
9. Steve Holt!
9. Spitzer?! I hardly knew her!
Tony Romo Ain’t Hitched to Jessica Simpson
Several FrontBurnervians have asked me about this story, wherein Jessica Simpson’s mom apparently tells a reporter that her daughter is married to Romo. A friend of Romo’s tells FrontBurner that is definitely not the truth. So there you have it.
Bloggers’ Locker Room Access the Latest on the List of the Million Things On Which Mark Cuban and the NBA Don’t Agree
The NBA rejected Cubes’ locker-room blogger ban. The NBA then wagged a finger in his face and firmly instructed him “not to bring that weak stuff in here no more. This is my house!”
Newcastle Club’s Dallas Ties Get Stronger, Younger
A soccer-minded, friend-of-mine FrontBurnervian just passed along this item about Emerson Hyndman, an 11-year-old Dallas soccer phenom who’s headed to Newcastle’s academy. Not bad. (The kid’s got good soccer genes; his grandfather is SMU’s legendary head coach Schellas Hyndman.) Also Dallas-y on the Newcastle front, and vice versa, is the news of Kenny Cooper Sr.’s job as chief scout for North America. Cooper’s kid, as you know, plays for FC Dallas.
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