This One for Skip

Two years ago no Texas Rangers fan had ever seen their team win the American League Championship, play for a World Series, or shock the country with hot bats and teenage like smiles. With seven games to play and the best record in the AL, Rangers fans now say it’s World Series or bust. Over the past two seasons, the Texas Rangers have turned into a baseball powerhouse, with home runs and bedazzling defensive plays. All these accomplishments are something DFW lives for, being called “a winner’s city” by Troy Aikman. That doesn’t mean the Rangers road to success has been without trouble and despair. Since a failed drug test just a few years ago, Manager Ron Washington has been not only the leader of this popular clubhouse, but a father figure to many of the players. Washington has dealt with not only his own off the field issues, but with his players as well. Keeping star centerfielder and slugger Josh Hamilton in line is maybe his biggest success, a task many thought was too much for any big league ball club. Somehow Washington holds that magic touch needed to help Hamilton with his troubles, with many crediting his own experiences as the reason why. Others say his success as a player helps him connect with the players. This may seem like nothing much, but in an era where media and news is constantly trying to stir up trouble and drama, things have stayed relatively low key in Arlington. Regardless of how or why he is able to keep a clubhouse that seems full of smiles, the Rangers look to win their third straight division title, something very new to this franchise. Washington says this season is not World Series or bust, but finishing a job that allured their grasp the previous two seasons has to keep him up at night from time to time. Many managers or even franchises would spend time making big changes after back to back World Series let downs, but not Washington. He coaches each game with a smile on his face and a jump in his step when he waves runners around third from the dugout. This kind of energy motivates players to do anything for their skipper; a respect many managers never receive from their players. Many times in sports that kind of thing goes unnoticed, and the value of a coach is sometimes never appreciated the way they deserve. So next time you are cussing the old man for pulling a pitcher too early, or a pinch hitter you just think is crazy, remember what the Rangers were before Mr. Washington came to town, because I promise you the New Orleans Saints would tell you first-hand what a great coach is worth. Follow me on Twitter @DFWsportscreed Edited by Keith Walterscheid and Dustin Hughes

Are Rules Ruining the Game?

Rules are made to be broken. How many times have you heard that line over the years? If you’re anything like me, it is a constant refresher to how most American’s, and much of the human race in fact behave. Much speculation has been made involving children, implying many will do something simply because they were told not to. As talented as the professional athlete is today, they are still playing a child’s game, only at a substantially higher level. Each year more and more rules are added to sports to “make the game better”, but mainly to sell more tickets and possibly keep players safe. In my eyes, safety is something that should always be considered when deciding a rule, but at what point do we sit back and say enough is enough? Over the past years, I have noticed major rule changes in the three big sports in the U.S.; baseball, football, and basketball. Much has been said about last night’s NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, but I wonder if so many rules could possibly be to blame. In my generation, I have seen the way a quarterback can be hit change drastically, typically depending on how the most popular player got injured the previous season. Last night a roughing the passer was called that kept Seattle in the game because a lineman was chasing the quarterback out of the pocket and dove to tackle him below the waist as he threw the ball. This rule only exists because Tom Brady suffered a season ending ACL tear a couple seasons earlier, leading to a penalty that possibly cost Green Bay a win. Officials are forced to allow horse collars in certain spots on the field, but not in others. Sunday Dallas Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree slipped on a hat thrown by an official that was making a signal that the quarterback left the pocket, which changes how defensive backs can play. This resulted in Ogletree having a pass go over his head and prevented a touchdown. The official took the blame, but in my eyes an unnecessary rule caused the situation in the first place. Instant replay is added to the game to make sure plays are correctly called, but only certain plays can be reviewed. Last night the final play was reviewed, but had it happened on the two yard line possession of the ball could not have been reviewed. How much sense does that make? Also, coaches can challenge plays, but not during the last two minutes. WHAT IS THE POINT OF REPLAY IF A COACH CAN NOT REVIEW A PLAY WHEN IT MATTERS MOST? The new player safety rules protect defenseless players, but in fact they are in full pads, choose what parts of the field they occupy, and are in fact making millions of dollars to play a simple game. Baseball has made two changes over the last few years that to this day still get my blood pumping. A game in which players are voted in by fans, is not mandatory, and consists of different pitchers and substitutions every inning does in fact determine home field advantage in the World Series. I have yet to hear a convincing argument supporting that case, and luckily the NFL is smart enough to consider cancelling its Pro Bowl because it is in fact a meaningless game. The second change is adding an additional playoff spot. When I heard this new rule I was very excited, until I learned it was a one game playoff to determine who would represent the wild card position. That means a team ten games better than another can miss the playoffs because one team has a stud starting pitcher like Justin Verlander or David Price. Once again this makes no sense to me, because an overly long 162 game season needs more than one game to decide a playoff spot. Somehow the NBA has stayed out of the spotlight when it comes to rule changes, but they have some that will make you scratch your head. A player cannot take a charge from an offensive player if they are planted inside a restricted area. This rule allows giant centers to dip shoulder and push their way to the basket, with no chance of being called for an offensive foul. They league says the rule was made to stop players from sliding under the basket to take charges, but why can’t officials make that judgment call, since in fact that’s what every call is in the NBA. A second rule that in my mind was added to keep star center Shaquille O’Neal dominant in a sport that needed stars was the “hack-a-shaq” rule. This rule prevented players from fouling someone without the ball at the end of the game. The league said the rule was added to make the game better, I think it allowed players the chance to stay in games they didn’t deserve to be in. Sports were made to be played for fun and watched to entertain the masses once their days have passed. Today it simply is all about the money and keeping a high status brand. Any time unneeded rules are added to anything, value is lost. Next weekend when you are watching the NFL and yelling at replacement officials, take a look at a rulebook and see how many you can remember. It will amaze you how out of hand things have gotten. Unfortunately, the bottom is not near if money and politics continue to run these great games. Follow me on Twitter @DFWsportscreed Edited by Dustin Hughes

End of the Dynasty?

After a weekend of watching several great football and baseball games, I started to notice a few behind the scene things that don’t catch the common eye. The MLB race for October has hit full speed, with many teams fighting for division leads, playoff spots, and home field advantage. As a young sports fan, dynasties have not ruled the sports world like teams did in the 90’s and before. No team has won three out of four Super Bowls like the Dallas Cowboys or six NBA championships like Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Baseball, a sport historically dominated by the New York Yankees, has failed to establish a power over the last decade. College football, as many know, has been constantly blanketed with negative feedback with the current Bowl Championship Series, known as the BCS. Critics complain that the current system doesn’t properly allow the best team to be crowned champion, resulting in a soon to come playoff system. These things may seem to lack importance in many eyes, but for me it raised some questions. Are sports finally reaching a point where the playing field is becoming much more equal? Could the days of franchise supremacy and multi-title holding superstars be coming to an end? LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tom Brady may argue this is not true, but let’s look back and decide for ourselves. In the last ten years, the NBA and college football have each had six different crowned champions. The San Antonio Spurs lead the charge with three championships, the closest to a dynasty in all sports. Three college football programs have held the trophy high multiple times after the final whistle, including Alabama, LSU, and Florida. Those numbers seem distributed almost perfectly, but the NFL and MLB may have something to say about that. Each of these leagues has presented seven different champions over the last decade, something that almost proves their sports are on the way to complete equality. Many argue baseball is not fair, however looking at the facts may change your mind. The New York Yankees have been known from the beginning as the deep pocket dominators in a sport deemed “America’s pastime”. With that said, they have only won ONE World Series Championship in the last ten years. Only the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox have achieved multiple championships, winning two each. Switching to the NFL, the New England Patriots looked to be our next dynasty, but the New York Giants have defeated them twice in Super Bowls, leaving the Patriots, Pittsburg Steelers, and Giants all winning two titles this decade. Colin Cowherd of ESPN has said multiple times that dynasties and villains are good for the game. He says more people will watch hoping for the “bad guys” to lose. I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Cowherd, because I firmly believe a sport is at its best when every team has a chance to contend with a month left in the season. Baseball fans are lying if they say they don’t check the wild card standings immediately after seeing how their respective team did each night. NFC East fans can’t say with a straight face they haven’t noticed how competitive their division is beginning to look this season. Nothing builds a fan base like a contending team and magical playoff run. The last ten years have moved each sport in the correct direction. Before we know it, TCU will be crowned king of college football and the Pittsburg Pirates will be facing the Seattle Mariners for a World Series Championship. Follow me on Twitter @DFWsportscreed Edited by Keith Walterscheid, Dustin Hughes, and Aaron Walterscheid

Pretender or Contender? The Big 12 in 2012

Heading into the fourth week of the 2012 NCAA football season, intriguing would adequately describe what we have seen. Multiple top 10 upsets have stolen the headlines, blocking the Big 12 the contender discussion it may truly deserve. Now much of the college football world will laugh at such a remark. The argument is even made that the PAC 12 is actually the second best conference this year. Speculation is flying around this young season, but what we do know are a few facts. After three weeks of play, the Big 12 and SEC are tied with six teams each falling in the top 25 polls across the country. Much of the great play being seen from Big 12 teams comes from two new kids on the block, #16 TCU, who won the Rose Bowl two years ago against a stellar Wisconsin team, and #7 West Virginia, who dominates opponents with an offense like many in the conference. Many believe that alone could shake up a conference dominated by Oklahoma over the previous decade. Offense is exactly what the Big 12 is known for, and probably the reason most don’t rank them with the SEC. Leave no doubt, offense is everywhere this year in the Big 12, ranking four teams in the top 8 in offense and 5 in scoring. Although they suffered an early loss, Oklahoma State sits atop the list in total offense and scoring. Many argue this is typical for the Big 12, but what many aren’t noticing is the much-improved defenses across the conference. Three teams fall in the top 10 in defense, with Texas Tech at #2, TCU at #7, and Oklahoma finishing at #10. Another point many SEC faithful like to bring up is the poor teams most Big 12 teams have played. As true as this may be, the same falls true with most top ranked teams. What we can definitively prove is the Big 12 is 22-2 in non-conference play this season, topping the SEC who holds a stellar 23-6 record. All this “top ranking conference” talk doesn’t typically get very far, because the common opinion see’s Alabama and LSU playing at a level not comparable by other teams. At this point those thoughts may be true, maybe these two SEC teams are substantially better than anyone else in the country. Or maybe the rest of the country is catching up, and the Big 12 is actually shortening a gap that has existed for many years. To end this never-ending debate, hopefully the NCAA and BCS will give us the chance to first hand see the best conference in the country.

AL West Race

With only 14 games left in this long season, the Texas Rangers are in a position they didn’t see coming after this offseason. With all the hype going west with the big-time free agent pickups by the Angels, including our own CJ Wilson, the season was expected to be going much differently. Instead, the Rangers for the third year in a row hold the AL West lead by 4 games. The only difference from the past two seasons is the team contending to the title, and this year’s Oakland team is giving the Rangers all they can handle. Fortunately for Ranger fans, the team has picked up its play the last six weeks of the season, with Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre pounding the ball like we are accustomed to seeing. Mike Napoli also returning to the lineup has fans begging for another “year of the Napoli” with only a few games to play before the Fall Classic begins. Now a race for the ages is boiling up for the two wild card spots, something that is also new this year, so baseball fans are in for a fun next few weeks. The Rangers hold the best record in the American League, as well as the biggest division lead. A rubber match game Thursday night between the Rangers and Angels could all but end the Angels chances of contending for a title, and possibly knock them too far back to recover in this tight Wild Card race. In today’s world sports are heading towards more and more drama and excitement for fans, something we all need to buckle up and enjoy for the next three weeks. With a change in the game making more teams qualify for playoffs, anything can happen. We all remember the last night of the regular season in 2011, and the stage is set to contend with what many great baseball minds call “the greatest night in baseball history”.

Are the Boys Back?

Domination is probably the best word to describe the Cowboys performance at MetLife stadium Wednesday night when they left town with a 7 point win over the World Champion New York Giants. In a game where few gave the Cowboys a chance to win, they shocked the nation with good defense and even better offense, something not seen in these parts since the glory days of the 90’s. Rather than endless discussions of how replacement officials cost either team the game, the focus has been on Cowboys wide receiver Kevin Ogletree who caught 8 passes for 114 yards, 2 of which were for touchdowns. From a man that had never caught a TD in his three years with the Cowboys, Ogletree made his mark on the 2012 season by showing Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett he was the man for the job. The offseason had been blanketed with media questioning who would fill Robinsons spot as third wide receiver, something we may not hear for a while after his performance Wednesday night. Another jewel that must not go unnoticed was the play of DeMarko Murray, who rushed for 131 yards on 20 carries, while also catching 2 passes for 9 yards. The offense never looked so balanced, something we Cowboy fans have been dreaming about for some time. The game seemed to be much more lopsided than the score showed, and when the Cowboys needed a first down to win the game, Tony Romo came through. After Jason Witten was called for a holding penalty on a converted third down run by Murray, Ogletree hauled in his 8^th catch on a slant from Romo for 15 yards and a Dallas first down. As great as the offense was, the true winner of this game is Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan. While his defense did give up 17 points, they held the Giants to a field goal in the first half when a Tony Romo interception set the Giants offense up on the 2-yard line. Hopefully that stop is the kind of hard nose defense we can expect for the remainder of the season. Every football brain knows the keys to success are playing good defense, running the ball, and winning on the road. Well ladies and gentleman, it may have only been one game, but at least things seem to be headed in the right direction.