RWFrog's Blog

OK, people, I did go to the theater last night to see the latest installment of Christopher Nolan's dark and rugged take on Batman, The Dark Knight. I have to say that I was thoroughly amused as well as spellbound by the amazing late Heath Ledger's portrayal of Gotham's arch nemesis, the Joker.

And seeing this movie got me to thinking that Tony Romo and Bruce Wayne have quite a  bit in common. Both are playboys, with Bruce Wayne appearing more like James Bond in the new flick. And of course everyone already knows about the Romo-Jessica saga. Furthermore, both of these men have very different aspects of their personas, with Wayne a central business figure in Gotham as well as the secret savior of the city.  They have both taken much scrutiny for their perceived or unperceived actions (Batman as an outlaw; Tony going to Cabo with Jessica before a playoff game, being a "Hollywood" QB and more interested in having success on the PGA tour.)

However, while Bruce Wayne/Batman have to rescue Gotham City from an actual terrorist in human form, Tony Romo has had to deal with a demon of a joker called playoff failure from the last two seasons. 

As training camp draws near, do you think Romo and company have what it takes to bring the glory days back to Dallas?

As Bruce said, "I now see what I have to become to stop men like him."

Will Romo take that next  step to dominance and give the Cow faithful what they need and desire???

Who/what will be the next nemesis for Romo and the Boys?

Stay tuned...Camp starts July 25th.

According to Rangers' skipper Ron Washington, anyway. That is what Wash told the media following Friday's 7-2 smackdown of the AL Central-leading Chicago Whitesox.

A lot of hubub has been made about the position battle between Davis and injured Hank Blalock.  The Rangers expected Hank Blalock to return to action a month ago, but he just can't stay healthy. And the team sure didn't expect Davis to be so successful so early. 

It was Davis who got the Rangers' offense untracked in the 2nd inning, hitting his 6th homerun of the season in only 51 at-bats.  He went 1-4 on the night with an rbi, which followed last night's 3-6 against the Angels.  His heroics in the extra-inning loss represented his first multi-hit game of his young big league career.

And now here the Rangers sit, 49-45, having rekindled the fire in many  die-hard Ranger fans' hearts.  They may or may not contend the rest of the way, but it is no coincidence that the team has played much better with the Longview Legend in the lineup. 

Which makes me wonder if the Rangers are really going to revert to their losing ways by postponing the career of a guy who is a proven winner at every level for a guy who may not even be able to hit the ball after sitting for so long. A guy who represents past Rangers' failures.  The Hank Blalock of 2003 is a hitter I would welcome with open arms. However, I don't think Hank is a fraction of what he was then. Thus, I would rather the Rangers roll the dice on Davis of 2008 and beyond.

That would be a BLEEP shoot that would more than likely turn up a winner.

After the Rangers' epic 5-4 walk-off win last night, a game that saw Josh Hamilton hit his first homerun since June 17th, all of the media personnel from DFW swarmed to the LandShark's locker, waiting for Hamilton to address the them after his two-run jack  in the bottom of the ninth put the Rangers past LA and the Angels' amazing Franciso Rodriguez.

Well chronicled is the story of Josh Hamilton. There is no lack of appreciation and praise for a man who has overcome much more than tough pitching. However, sitting all alone at his locker was the man who made it possible for Hamilton to even get the chance to hit.

That man is Rangers' utility infielder Ramon Vasquez. Vasquez drew a four-pitch walk from Rodriguez to lead off the memorable ninth inning, and would later come around to score on Michael Young's 2-out single to left to make the game 4-3.  Getting on base against one of the game's best closers is a difficult task even when a hitter is feeling good at the plate. But Vasquez hadn't played the entire game due to some shoulder stiffness.  It didn't matter. 

He is the glue for this Texas team. A guy that Michael Young called one of the smartest players he's ever been around. This season alone, Ramon is hitting .317 with 5 homeruns and 29 rbi in 66 games. That doesn't seem all that impressive until you factor in his .384 OBP or on-base percentage.

But anything the Rangers have asked Vasquez to do this season, he has done without complaining.  He is the definition of a pro. Not flashy and definitely not a prima donna.

Which is why I almost felt bad for the guy as all the attention was focused on Hamilton. This probably doesn't even register to Vasquez. He seems perfectly content flying under ther radar. I guarantee you everyone in that clubhouse knows how important he has been to the team's resurgence this season.

Well, maybe not just yet. But the product the Texas Rangers organization has put on the field this season is vastly improved from just a year ago.  The same organization that has marginalized fans in seasons past, valuing the dollar over winning baseball, is seeing its club grow up at the right time. 

C.J. Wilson capped a marvelous pitching performance by 22-year-old lefty, Matt Harrison. Of course, Wilson had to load the bases before getting Juan Rivera to ground out to Ian Kinsler at 2nd, preserving a 3-2 win over those hated division-leading LA Angels.

But every man, woman, or child who has ever played sports should live by the mantra that a win is a win is a win...especially a Rangers' fanbase that has seen too many losing seasons in the last few years.

And now, here the Rangers sit, 91 games into the season, 3 games over .500 at 47-44 and relying on a squad of mostly very young ballplayers.

HOWEVER, this may be the most talented group of young players the Rangers have ever had in team history. 22-year-old Chris Davis continues to open eyes with his herculean power, belting another homerun tonight, a solo shot off of 12-game winner, Joe Saunders. 

In 10 starts this season, Davis has 5 homeruns. 5 in only 36 at-bats. Oh, and he's hit a homerun in every game (4) he's played at the Temple in Arlington.

The Rangers sit 7 1/2 games back of  Los Angeles with plenty of baseball left this season. They probably won't dethrone the Angels, but this is the most excited I have been about the Rangers since 1998.

And hey, it could be wayyyy worse. You could root for the Astros. Talk about a team mired in an ugly season.

I haven't posted in a long time, but I thought I would show some love to a fellow East Texan in Chris Davis. I played a little ball with him growing up and could not be happier for the guy. I attended yesterday's game against the Phillies, where Chris became the first Ranger EVER to hit a homerun in each of his first two major league starts.

Being a journalist, I wrote a little something about the Rangers new first baseman. Let me know what you think!

Every town needs heroes. Longview may be witnessing the birth of one, at least in the sports world.

 

When I was about 10 years old, my mom and dad encouraged me to join a pony league baseball team.  Over the next few summers I developed a deep-seeded passion for the game of baseball.  This is also how I came to know one of the greatest hitters I have ever played with.  He swung the bat like a lumberjack wielding an axe, crushing the souls of little leaguers with each homerun he hit.  It was almost funny watching 10-year-old kid that played like a man amongst boys. I’m not going to lie; I wished that I could hit the ball like this guy. It was almost if he was born with a bat in his hand.

 

One day, we were driving to McWhorter Park when a ball sailed over the 200- foot- fence where the ten and eleven-year-old kids played.  This ball didn’t just clear the fence though. It went over the road a good 50-75 feet beyond. 

 

My mom looked at me and said, “I wonder if that was Chris Davis who hit that.”

 

Sure enough, it was. If you were a little league baseball player in Longview, Texas during the mid to late nineties, you heard stories about Davis.  These stories were told in a way that made him seem larger than life. Legendary if you will.

 

 Let’s flash forward about 10 years to 2006. Being an avid Texas Rangers fan all of my life, which has brought me much heartache, I found out the club had drafted Mr. Davis in the 5th round of the Major League Baseball draft. I was excited to hear this news, but I never expected for Davis to rip through the minor leagues in a little over 2 calendar years, terrorizing every pitcher along the way from Bakersfield, California to Oklahoma City, OK. 

 

 This year alone, Davis has hit 23 homeruns and driven in 73 runs in 77 games between AA Frisco and AAA Oklahoma.  Davis was now wowing Nolan Ryan and General Manager John Daniels.

Which brings me to Friday June 27th, 2008, the heralded home debut of Mr. Davis, who now wears the  number 19, the same number worn by former 2-time AL MVP, Juan Gonzales. No pressure, Chris.

 

 Well, long story short, Chris hit a homerun to left field in his first ever start at first in the big leagues. That was impressive, but even Chris was modest, saying he doesn’t consider a game in which he strikes out three times a success.  Well, on Sunday, June 29th, Mr. Davis would do something that NO ONE has ever done in Texas Rangers history.

In the 2nd inning, Davis would rocket a 3-2 pitch over the center field wall for his 2nd homerun in as many starts. 

 

In the 37 year history of the Texas Rangers organization, no player has ever hit a homerun in each of his first two starts.  That’s history that includes the likes of Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzales, Rafael Palmeiro, and Rusty Greer.

 

No one until Longview’s own Chris Davis.

Tyler has its Rose in Earl Campbell, but Longview may have just discovered its Legend.

 

As Rangers’ outfielder Milton Bradley put it, “the kid’s got stupid pop.”

 

I think Stars' captain Brendan Morrow gave all of Dallas an early monday wakeup call with his  winner in the 4th overtime of game 6 against San Jose.  Not normally an avid hockey fan, I found myself glued to the television set.  And I finally realized why so many people are die-hard hockey fans.  It's not a corporately sexy sport like football or basketball, but its playoffs might contain the best drama.

The Stars are now headed for a collision with top seeded powerhouse, Detroit.  A team that handled the Stars 3-1 in the season series will truly test the magic the Stars have conjured up during these playoffs.

These western finals are sure to be amazing, as it pits two teams that have fought tooth and nail over the years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe2o2Z4rpTU

here's a recap of Game 6 against San Jose, in case you missed it.

The Stars in Sharks are about to start the 3rd overtime of game 6 tied 1-1.  A series that once looked very winnable for the Stars is about to be made or broken in this next period. I think a 3 OT loss in a game 6 would be devastating to a team that once held a 3-0 series lead. 

Both teams have played their butts off, and goaltending has been unbelievable by both Nabakov and Turco. Neither team has been able to break the will of the opposing goalie. If the Stars  blow this game and are forced to play a game 7 at the Tank, I will be willing to say the curse of DFW is back on.

And the Sharks just went on the powerplay! Things are about to get real dicey...

That's right....I, Reese Gordon, as devoted as they come in following the Mavs, am already sick with all of the fallout from the Avery Johnson firing. Anyone one with any basketball and Mavericks knowledge knew this was inevitable. However, there is one team in DFW that has a chance to break the bad hoodoo-voodoo curse on area teams. (Yes, I did steal that term from Randy Galloway.)

The Dallas Stars are leading the San Jose Sharks 3-0 in their best-of-seven series and have displayed a hunger and determination that hasn't been seen in these parts in a long time.

So far, the Stars and Sharks are scoreless with about 5 minutes to play in the first period.

Here's my question to readers:

If the Stars win it all, will they break the supposed curse on DFW sports??

Tonight is the night. The night that will ultimately decide the fate of this current group of Mavericks. If they lose tonight, to fall into a 0-3 hole against the spunky New Orleans Hornets, Avery Johnson can start packing his bags. Same with Josh Howard. Jason Terry Too.  No, the Mavs won't be eliminated with a loss tonight, but they might as well not show up for game 4. I may sound very condescending towards a team that has achieved a good deal over the last 8 seasons, but the fact is this Mavs team has underachieved.  It definitely seems like the team has tuned Avery out. To the point that he is considering the services of a motivational speaker.

If a professional basketball team, playing for the chance at an NBA title, needs a motivational speaker, there is something majorly wrong. I can only think that it has to do with coaching. Any job, no matter how lucrative, can be dreaded if the people you work for are disagreeable. I don't know if this is the case with the Mavs, but it is something to think about.

All of my friends say that I should become a Spurs fan because of how negative I am with the team. But I am not alone in my new found apathy with the Mavs. I have loved them for so long, and have continually been let down. Are they going to change? I doubt it.  I think it takes more of a fan to root for a team that has caused so much despair and agony to its fanbase.

But hey, don't let me get ya down. The Mavs have a chance to repent for their basketball sins tonight at 7 p.m. A 34-7 home record during the regular season should provide some hope, right??

The Dallas Morning News' Todd Archer, resident Cowboys Blogger, is reporting that suspended Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman Jones is officially a Dallas Cowboy. The terms of the trade have not been announced yet, but I figured there would be tons of people interested in knowing about this.

What will be interesting now is how the Cowboys play the draft..Does this mean they might make a big splash for Arkansas' McFadden or Detroit's Roy Williams?

This draft weekend should be quite interesting...

It would have been great if the Calgary Flames had knocked off San Jose, but it was not meant to be.  The Sharks rallied from a 2-1 2nd period deficit in Game 7 of its first round series with Flames, scoring 4 goals in frame.

The reason I say it would have been beneficial for the Sharks to lose is because the Stars would be playing the 6th seeded Colorado Avalanche in the semifinals with home ice.  With San Jose winning, the Stars will be forced to continue their winning ways on the road against a team whose home ice and fans will be rabid.  I don't know if anybody got to watch the game last night, but the "Tank" was rocking and rolling.

With area playoff basketball losing most of its luster with the Mavs looking like a D-League team, the Stars are in a position to capture the hearts of sports fans across the metroplex.

The Stars will need some razor sharp stick play to slay the mighty sharks, and they will get their chance starting Friday at 9 p.m.

People can point to Christ Paul's amazing and increasingly legendary play as the main reason the Mavs have looked so terrible in their first two playoff games against New Orleans. Paul became the first player in New Orleans Hornets' history to record back-to-back 30 point and 10 assist games in the playoffs.  But I can assure you the Mavs are making the game easy for him.

WHY does Avery Johnson have the reputation as a defensive coach??? The Mavs may be better defensively than they were under Don Nelson, but that isn't saying much.  And those Mavs teams could at least outscore their opponents. And they had heart. 

Avery's Mavs have gotten worse as he has instilled his mindset on the team.  Now they can't score or defend. Or win on the road. Good teams don't allow a young, inexperienced team to shoot 70 % in the first quarter, giving up 39 points. Especially after cratering in the second half of the previous game. Good teams don't give up 127 points like the Mavs did tonight, falling into an 0-2 hole in their best-of-seven series with New Orleans. 

Can this team rally and win the series? They better...Avery Johnson has alienated an entire fanbase with his stubbornness and that stubbornness has caused his players to act like they don't care. Do I blame them? Both Jason Kidd and Dirk know their talent is being wasted by dictator who let a little success go right to his head. To the point that he can't make adjustments based on individual circumstances.

I see the light...Who is with me??

Last night, the Dallas Stars defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1, advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2003.  The way the Stars were able to put away the defending Stanley Cup champions was a refreshing sight for a city that has become way too accustomed to losing. 

My question for readers is this: Do the Dallas Stars have a better chance of winning the championship than the Mavericks?

After the Dallas Mavericks escaped the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, locking up a playoff spot, the team went on the road to Portland and Seattle.  They had a chance to solidify the 7th seed and avoid the Los Angeles Lakers, but they reverted back to their frustrating ways, losing both games down the stretch.

The 108-105 loss to the Portland Trailblazers could be credited to the team experiencing a letdown following the playoff clinching win, but last night's 99-95 setback at the hands of the 19-win Seattle Sonics was just plain terrible. The Mavs thought they had the game wrapped up with under 2 minutes to play, leading 95-89, but they Sonics scored the last 10 points of the game, concluding a bad road year for the boys in blue.

Dallas' 17 road wins is its lowest total since 2004, when the team won only 16 away from American Airlines Center.  That year, the team lost 4-1 to Sacramento in the first round.

What will happen this postseason?

Are the Mavs destined for failure?

Let me hear your thoughts.

With 3 games to go in the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks sit in 7th place in the Western Conference with a 50-29 record. Their latest victory came against a very tough Utah Jazz team at the AAC on Thursday night. And like so many other nights, Mr. Elastic Ankles, Dirk Nowitzki, willed his team to victory with 32 points on 12-23 shooting. He put the dagger in the Jazz with a 24-foot three ball at the 0.9 second mark that sealed a 97-94 victory for Dallas.

After falling to 1-11 against playoff teams with Jason Kidd, the Mavs have now won three out of their last four games against playoff bound teams, including an impressive 111-86 thrashing of Golden State that will probably end up keeping the Warriors out of the playoff picture. Perhaps the most impressive thing the Mavs have done lately is their come-from-behind victory against Phoenix, in which they only allowed 9 points in the 4th quarter on their way to a 105-98 triumph.

Reason for the Mavs new found confidence??

One word: Dirk

In last 5 games, since coming back from a high ankle sprain/knee injury, the Uberman has carried his team. In those games, he is averaging 24 points and 7 rebounds on 50% shooting.

Will the Mavs be the talk of the town when all is said and done?

I wish I had a crystal ball.