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Monday, September 30, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.30.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Rangers win! Cowboys lose!! Let's keep it simple today.

   *Chargers 30, Cowboys 21: My Top 10 Whitty Comments are over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *I admit, I didn't think the Rangers would be playing baseball tonight. Thought they were done after Sept. 22's kick-to-the-crotch loss in Kansas City via Grand Slam in extra innings. Give 'em credit. I know they played the putrid Astros and Angels, but they won seven consecutive elimination games to end the season. Impressive.

   *So did the Rangers make the playoffs? They're kind of in Purgatory, the gray space between success and failure. Tonight at 7 on TBS they'll play Game 163, and all the statistics will count toward the regular season. But Nelson Cruz will be back and it's a do-or-die game, so it must be the post-season. Right?

   *When Bruce Carter and Morris Claiborne get benched, it's hard to blame the Cowboys' coaching staff. Neither of those highly-touted guys are making plays, and Monte Kiffin is attempting to fix what is surprisingly broken.

   *David Price vs. Martin Perez. Tampa's veteran ace vs. Texas' 22-year-old rookie that has made only 25 career starts, 0 in the post-season. Seems like a mismatch, but Price is 1-7 all-time against the Rangers with a 5.57 ERA and 1-2 with a 10.26 ERA in four starts in Arlington. Also in the Rangers' favor, home teams are 5-1 in Tiebreaker Play-In Games since '95.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Friday, September 27, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.27.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Rangers' manager Ron Washington is taking a lot of heat for another September swoon, but he gets credit for picking the right pinch-hitter Thursday night. Needing a runner to start a rally in a must-win game to cling to hope in the AL Wild Card, Wash inserted Jurickson Profar over Lance Berkman. It was the right call, and probably also an easy one. Berkman hasn't had a hit since July 3. And Profar rewarded his manager with a dramatic homer. Profar, by the way, is only the second player in baseball history with a pinch-hit, walk-off home run before turning 21. The other? Jimmie Foxx back in 19 and 28. Needing to make up one game with three to play, the Rangers are embarking on a fun weekend.

   *The rarest of all jerseys in the NFL are the Cowboys' blue roadies. They'll wear them Sunday in San Diego for the only time this year. They've worn them only seven times in the past five seasons. Probably a good thing, because in their 54-year history the Cowboys have only one - that's one, singular - playoff win in blue. Is there really a jinx? I detail the myth over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Took a lot of grief in comments Thursday for being happy about $2.99 gas in Fort Worth and saying that the ominous predictions of President Obama's incompetency pushing gas to $5 were simply wrong. I got called a "flaming liberal" and warned that - as a small business owner starting up Pizza Buzz - Obamacare was going to doom me and my dream. Fine, y'all be Old Man Potter in It's A Wonderful Life. I'm content as George Bailey. If I'm ever lucky enough to have 50+ employees I'll gladly provide health insurance for my peeps. To me that would be a privilege, not a burden. Because when I sit in a rocking chair on the porch of my golden years, I'm going to reflect not on how many dollars I saved but rather how many lives I touched. You go ahead and protect your money. That's your right and I'll never criticize you for it. But me? I'll continue to donate my time and assets to Make-A-Wish and DFWRescueMe and the fight against Alzheimer's. In fact, I'm walking Saturday morning in Allen at Celebration Park for my good buddy Trey Lee, whose father is fighting the horrible disease. See you - or at least your money - there?

   *In a game we thought we were destined to remember for the epic four-error inning, the RangErs instead erased the mistakes with a fourth consecutive walk-off  homer against the Angels and Josh Hamilton's beard. Going back to late July, that's back-to-back-to-back-to-back walk-off homers at home for the Rangers over Anaheim. Gotta be some kind of record. I'd look it up, but it's gorgeous outside today and it's been a long week. Let me know what you find out.

   *Not trying to mist on your parade plans, but the Cowboys' two wins are against teams with a combined record of 1-6. And if you watched Frank Gore shred the Rams' defense for 153 yards last night you're a little less impressed by DeMarco Murray's 175 from last Sunday. On the other hand, Dallas' only loss is by one point, on the road, to an undefeated team. So maybe your glass is more than half-full?

   *Yeah, I get it. Mariano Rivera is baseball's all-time saves leader and a class guy. His retirement is noteworthy, but to me - a life-long Yankees' hater - not the least bit sad. I'll be about as "sad" when Tim Duncan retires. But, seriously now, has any player in the history of baseball had a more out-of-whack send-off? For a player who was on the field only a half-inning per game and never appeared on more than three consecutive days, didn't his farewell go a tad overboard? And you get the feeling we'll get more of it over the weekend when New York travels to Houston.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.26.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *"We know that once (Tony Romo's) rattled and what not, it’s easy to take him out of the game.” - Corey Liuget, defensive end for the NFL's 32nd-ranked unit. The Chargers - Dallas' Sunday opponent - are the only team to surrender 1,000 yards passing through three weeks. In other words, seems like a good week for Liuget to shut his pie hole and fix what is broken in his own trailer.

   *Fitting that with Josh Hamilton in the yard tonight the non-"baseball town" of Arlington will welcome its 3,000,000th fan into Rangers Ballpark. Rangers average about 1,800 more fans per game than the Angels. Said Hamilton of his team's four-game season-ending series against his old team: "Sure we'd like to (knock them out of the playoffs) and silence their crowd."

   *At the Valero on I-35W just north of downtown Fort Worth the price of gas is ... $2.99. Where are all those doomsdayers who predicted Obama's incompetence would push gas over $5 a gallon? Enjoying low gas prices at the pump, that's where.

   *Toldja earlier this week that Randy Galloway's days at 103.3 FM ESPN were numbered. Think you could fill his iconic boots? The job apparently is already open. Good luck!

   *More fragile: Those silky spider webs suddenly floating in our skies or Miles Austin's hamstrings?

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.25.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Death. Taxes. Jerry Jones hyperbole. You can always count on the Cowboys owner to get carried away at the tiniest glimpse of positivity from his squad. In the wake of Cowboys 31, Rams 7 he actually said of his defense, "I can't recall when I've seen us play better. Ever." Ever? C'mon Jerry. Ever? I know you'll turn 71 on Oct. 13 but in 1992 your No. 1-ranked defense helped win a Super Bowl. And it wasn't that long ago - 2009 - that your defense recorded back-to-back shutouts to end the regular season and then won a playoff game. Ever?

   *Thanks again to the Houston Astros for being so neighborly (and sucky) in 2013. The Rangers are 16-2 against them, and 70-69 against everyone else.

   *Before the dust settled on 105.3 The Fan's firing of Elf & Slater last week I heard a weird rumor that GBag Nation would only temporarily land on the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot en route to permanently switching time slots with afternooners Ben and Skin. Couldn't confirm it, so I didn't write it. But somebody who might know thinks it's a "done deal." Gregg Henson - one of the original G's in GBag Nation when he worked alongside Gavin Dawson in 2009-10 - says on his Twitter (@GreggHenson) that the switch will happen. This week. Believe it when I hear it.

   *Two things: 1. This Carissa Loethen chick is hot; 2. This naked haunted house idea is cool. What, too chicken?

   *For a wrinkly, old, white dude, David Stern has always been a progressive, hip commissioner. But the NBA is missing the point allowing nicknames on the backs of Heat and Nets' jerseys for selected games in 2014. Instead of LeBron James, for example, you'll see "King James." And instead of Ray Allen you'll get "Jesus Shuttlesworth." Hey, wait a minute. Not only is it a bad me-before-team idea, it's a horrible execution of a bad me-before-team idea. Jesus Shuttlesworth isn't a nickname, but a character from the movie He Got Game. I'm all for better nicknames than just the lazy first-letter-of-the-first-name-and-last-name (D-Wade, T-Rich, D-Ware, etc.), but with this move the NBA will take a step toward becoming The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Comforting thing about the notion is the flashy nickname Dirk Nowitzki would demand on the back of his jersey: "Nowitzki".

   *Even without their best defensive player from 2012, the Cowboys have options along the front four. Who and what the what? Over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.24.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Big blow to the Cowboys' defense with Anthony Spencer needing microfracture knee surgery and likely being out for the year. Dallas is already without Jay Ratliff three more games and Tyrone Crawford suffered a season-ending injury early in training camp. I know new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli is working magic with the likes of George Selvie and Nick Hayden and Edgar Jones. But the Cowboys can't keep this up with only DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher anchoring the front four. Can they?

   *My former radio partner needs help. Serious help. At least he's getting heart-felt advice from friend and former Ticket co-worker, Grubes. I don't take Greggo's calls or texts and I no longer follow him on Twitter, but couple of friends alerted me Sunday that he was attacking 105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher. In attempting to harpoon Fisher's breaking news about Spencer not playing against the Rams, Greggo used words like "truth", "class", "integrity", "slimy" and "unethical." Laughable. Those criticisms coming from a guy with sub-freezing credibility. Those accusations coming from a guy who, among his litany of lies, skipped out on his RAGE teammates, fabricated stories about his own mother to miss work, and misstated his days of supposed sobriety on the air. Ring a bell? Sorry, but at this point anyone who believes Greggo's version of "just tellin' the truth" is simply stubborn, naive or as fucked up as he is. Greggo was once a radio icon in DFW. But these days he's nothing more than an alarmingly skinny 53-year-old habitual liar with a failed blog, banished to a life of irrelevance and Internet trolling with his days spent buying Heineken at Still On The Corner in Gainesville and picking nonsensical Twitter fights in a lame attempt to get people to notice him. It truly saddens me. We had some great times, made some good radio and I'll always have a special place in my heart for him. But I won't help Greggo until he finally decides to help himself.

   *See, that's the maddening thing about your Rangers. Monday night they used the worst team in baseball as their personal pinata with Alex Rios' cycle, 12 runs, a complete game by Derek Holland and lots of fireworks and fun for the whole family. 12-0. Can't help but be a tad frustrated that this team wins games 8-2 and 12-0, but can't scratch out a single tally in all those 1-0 defeats.

   *What do you mean your son almost drowned at the football camp of some Cowboys? Sounds to me like the players should almost pay you a bunch of money. Unless, that is, the kid suffered permanent physical damage. If so, prove it.

   *After shredding the Raiders on Monday Night Football, Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning is on pace for 475 completions, 6,096 yards and 64 touchdowns. All would be NFL records.

   *Is it too early, or does DeMarco Murray's 175-yard rushing performance demand an apology from his critics? I discuss over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Hot.

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Monday, September 23, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.23.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Cowboys 31, Rams 7: My Top 10 Whitty Observations over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog, including a foggy memory of the last time the Cowboys played such a dominant first half of football. Hint: We were Christmas shopping. And a lot younger.

   *EDIT: The more I hear the more this seems like Galloway is pulling the strings on his own departure. To which I say, good for him. I've written a couple times that it'd make sense for Cumulus to just buy out the contract of Randy Galloway and, sure enough, one way or another, the legendary media icon's days are numbered. It's actually Galloway's decision since his non-transferable contract stipulates him only working for ESPN, but regardless, his last day on the radio will be the day The Ticket officially takes over 103.3 FM ESPN. That could be as soon as Friday or as far out as a month from now, as the FCC has initially rejected The Ticket's selling of its 104.1 FM signal. Galloway's contract runs through Dec. 31, but he has zero intention of working for the Cumulus folks he's battled against for three decades. Though the station is upticking in the ratings, the expected cuts at ESPN are now beginning. Out as of last week - but also not official until the switch is approved - are program director Tom Lee, general manager Pete Dits and on-air talent like Kelly Webster and Landry Locker. Filling Galloway's big boots won't be easy, as he's been a print fixture in the Metroplex since 1966. I'm told names being kicked around to take his chair include The Ticket's Norm Hitzges, Channel 8's Dale Hansen and Channel 11's Steve Dennis. Also told that Galloway sidekick Matt Mosley's job is safe, awaiting a new partner. Not that Dennis - or anyone else - can come in and dent The Hardline's dynasty, but he's opinionated, educated and not afraid to ask a tough question nor shy away from offering a unique view. I worked alongside Galloway at the Star-Telegram, competed against him at 105.3 The Fan and played with him at various horse tracks around the country. Personally, I'll miss him.

   *Last year it was Josh Hamilton's bat. This Fall it's Nelson Cruz's. For very different reasons, obviously, they both vanished at the wrong time. And the punchless Rangers are again authoring an epic collapse. On Aug. 23 the Rangers led the A's by 3.5 games. On Sept. 22 the A's clinched the AL West. How does a 12-game swing happen? The Rangers haven't won back-to-back games since Aug. 28, that's how.

   *Between Breaking Bad and Dexter and Bears-Steelers and my late-night appearance on NBC 5's Big Game Sunday, managed to watch a little of The Emmys. Gotta admit, very entertaining. Neil Patrick Harris was a lively host. The Newsroom's Will MacAvoy beat out Walter White. And two women caught my eye: That one with the cavernous cleavage that I can never understand and who's on that show that I never watch. And the one from Homeland who always makes those painful faces and is flatter than Odessa.

   *Monday tastes a little better with this sugar on top: For the first time ever, the Giants and Redskins are both 0-3. Bon appetit.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Friday, September 20, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.20.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End:

   *Wait, so a radio station whose mantra is "Breaking sports news first, guaranteed!" but never actually breaks sports news wins a Marconi Award for "Sports Station of the Year" last night in Orlando? While aural journalism hangs its head in shame, I'll congratulate The Ticket. Maybe it's just me, but I want my sports radio to be both entertaining and informative. An award-winning comedian has to tell fresh jokes. A blue-ribbon chef comes up with new recipes. And an elite "sports station" needs to go to practices and games and talk to coaches and players and air an intimate, unique knowledge of the teams it yaps about. But what do I know? I've been on radio and in radio for years and I fully admit, I do not understand radio.

   *Cowboys' most pleasant surprise of the season is ... over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *See what happens when the Rangers hit three homers in an inning and score eight runs behind Yu Darvish? They win. What a concept. September Swoon and Wednesday night's excruciating extra-inning loss be damned, these final 10 games are gonna be fun. Three at the Royals this weekend, followed by three against the Astros and four vs. the Angels. Last year Texas limped to a 3-7 finish and missed the playoffs. Another 3-7 and they'll miss again. 7-3 and they're in. Anything in between is a crap-shoot.

   *Songs I've heard 1,000 times and hope I never have to suffer through hearing again: 10. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffet; 9. "Beautiful", James Blunt; 8. "Free Fallin'", Tom Petty; 7. "Sweet Caroline", Neil Diamond; 6. "Umbrella", Rihanna; 5. "American Pie", Don McLean; 4. "Centerfield", John Fogerty ; 3. "Blackbird", The Beatles; 2. Anything by Weird Al Yankovic; 1. "Old Time Rock-and-Roll", Bob Seger.

   *Thanks to Andy Reid beating his old Eagles' team last night, the Cowboys woke up this morning with the only non-losing record in the NFC East. And suddenly, a one-point loss on the road to a 3-0 Chiefs team doesn't look so bad eh?

   *Lots of you think Breaking Bad is the greatest show in the history of TV. But are you buying that Jesse Pinkman can really tell the sex of a dog just by petting it? Meh, Will McAvoy can tell just via an interview.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

WHITT'S END: 9.19.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *In sports, it's the coaches who get blamed. In sports radio, it's always the players. With the firing Wednesday of midday show Mark Elfenbein and Jane Slater, 105.3 The Fan bumbling program director Gavin Spittle has now canned his struggling station's two highest-rated shows in five months. (Some might remember a certain afternoon show getting shown the door in April.) He's also fired the station's three female on-air hosts: Slater, Jasmine Sadry and Sybil Summers. So if Spittle's goal was to rid The Fan of its most recognizable personalities while also making it a considerably uglier station, mission accomplished. New lineup: Gavin Dawson, Chris Arnold and Mike Bacsik from 10a-2p and the KandC Masterpiece from 6-11p. Though seemingly unwarranted - in the station's horrible August ratings, Elf & Slater was the only show to post a 2.0 rating for any time period - this move wasn't a big surprise. I surmised that Elf & Slater sat in wobbly chairs since The Fan's almost acquisition of BaD Radio back in June. Don't know if the station will be any better, but it's a little different. And when you're embarrassingly No. 3 in a three-horse race, I guess any change is good.

   *Tony Romo leads NFL QBs with a completion percentage of 72.5, but only nine of his 91 passes have traveled more than 20 yards. Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to throw downfield? My Deep Thoughts over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Joe Nathan, that Rangers' loss is on you. I know Jurickson Profar failed to turn a double play earlier, but all a team asks for is to get to its closer. And the Rangers got there. But armed with a 1-run lead and two-out, none out in the 11th, Nathan couldn't close the deal. Walking a guy in that situation proved a fatal flaw. That said, why was Joe Ortiz handed the ball for the 12th? He's obviously not ready for playoff baseball. Neftali Feliz was warming, but I guess Wash doesn't fully trust him yet? Deflating loss. Or, I should say, another deflating loss.

   *Personally, I'm sad over the firings of Elf & Slater. Though former program director Bruce Gilbert took an admitted gamble on a girl new to that genre of radio, she consistently worked to improve her craft. And Elf remains the most passionate, positive teammate I've ever worked alongside. I'll remember Slater for being my partner in crime on a Malibu beach and for a crazy night in New Orleans at last year's Super Bowl when she playfully slapped a hotel night manager with her hair weave. Serious. And I'll remember Elf for his smile, enthusiasm and ... Oh, who am I kidding? Cut the dramatic, twinkling piano. Sybil and I will have drinks with Slater within a couple days and I'll beat Elf's ass on the tennis court sooner than later. They're gone, but certainly not dead.

   *And on Sept. 18, the Cleveland Browns gave up on the 2013 season. The team with the worst helmets this side of Jacksonville traded franchise running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in next April's draft. The Colts are going to be good. Their pick is going to suck. And so are the Browns. Richardson was their marquee player, plastered on media guides and pocket schedules, etc. While Andrew Luck is gifted a runner with 12 touchdowns in his first 17 NFL games, the Browns are left to sell ... starting quarterback Brian Hoyer. Awful.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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