WHITT'S END: 11.29.13

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

   *Despite a stomach virus that had him up all Wednesday night and taking an IV Thursday morning, Tony Romo was perfect in the second half. No, I mean literally perfect. 12 of 12. So much for the Sports Illustrated jinx.

   *Cowboys 31, Raiders 24: My Top 10 Whitty Observations are over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Blatant, nauseating cheating? Or merely crafty gamesmanship? Saw a couple coaches blurring the lines this week. First was our ol' friend Jason Kidd manufacturing a timeout for his Nets Wednesday night. Out of timeouts but needing a stoppage to draw up a final play, he walked onto the court with a cup of soda, mouthed the words "hit me" and then accidentally-on-purpose collided with Tyshon Taylor to spill his drink on the court. While cleanup ensued, Kidd called his team over to design a play that worked, but Paul Pierce missed the open shot as Brooklyn fell to 4-11. If you don't think it was totally planned, you don't remember Kidd as a Mav once "accidentally" running into Hawks' coach Mike Woodson to draw a technical foul. Kidd was fined $50,000 by the NBA for his soda slip. The NFL should fine the Steelers' Mike Tomlin as well. He stood on the field yesterday while Baltimore's Jacoby Jones returned a kick down the sideline, pretending not to see him and jumping out of the way only at the last second. Sports are better when coaches and managers stay outside the lines.

   *Shane Larkin is quick. He can pass. He can shoot. And he can play in the NBA. In the Mavs' electric win Wednesday win over Golden State he had seven points, two rebounds, six assists and a steal - all in 17 minutes. Of course if you've been reading this blog since its inception you're not surprised.

   *Spent Wednesday night with the family down in JoCoMoFo. And this sentence was actually uttered: "Well Gary, she's a girl, just wandered up from somewhere and then she had a batch of pups and Scratches, he was one of those." Country folk. Country dogs. Nothing like it.

   *The Seattle Seahawks have had 8 players suspended 9 times for drug violations since 2011. During that same time the Cowboys have had ... zero. None. Imagine the criticism that would be heaped upon Jerry Jones' noggin' if his team would've had 8 players suspended in two years.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

Pages:    1       2       3   

---

(continued from page 1)

   *There was a time in late October when Texas Tech was 6-0 and engaged in a close game in the 4th quarter against Oklahoma in Norman. No team has nosedived like the Red Raiders. Tech lost to OU 38-30 and hasn't won since, surrendering gaudy point totals of 52, 49, 63 and 41 in falling to 6-5 after last night's 25-point blowout defeat to Texas in Austin. Accentuating the failure, gawdalmighty their uniforms are atrocious. Guns Down! Way, way down.

   *Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. What's it all mean? Pizza Buzz, of course. We'll top your pie with black olives. We are most certainly a small business. And, of course, we can take your order online. And, in the wake of a Cowboys' win, all day Friday is our "CowBuzz" Special - buy a large pizza and get a large pizza free. Cause you can't eat turkey forever.

   *If you can name all these quarterbacks, man you are old. But what a cool pic defining a much different era back in 19 and 61. How old am I? Well, I could only identify 8 of the 14. For the record they are (left to right, back to front): Milt Plum, Bobby Layne, Sam Etcheverry, Bill Wade, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Norm Snead, Zeke Bratkowski, Jim Ninowski, Fran Tarkenton, Don Meredith, John Brodie, Sonny Jurgenson and Y.A. Tittle.

   *We've always known Lance Dunbar had the burst to be effective. His Achilles has always been ball security. If he doesn't fumble, he can be a change-of-pace asset to DeMarco Murray. Speaking of ball security, Dez fumbled again. I cringe at the thought of him costing the Cowboys a game because he's too stubborn to tuck the ball under his arm. But that's where we're headed. Opposing defenses watch film, ya know.

   *You Betcha Week 14: Black Friday, indeed. What once was an abysmal 2-6 record and running on fumes has suddenly turned into ... profit! Oklahoma State throttling Baylor last week pushed me into playing with house money for the first time this season. Let's gather some more Bitcoins this weekend on another 1-loss team getting double-digit points at home. Auburn escaped Georgia with a lucky miracle, but still the Tigers have been one of the nation's best bets at 9-2 against the line this year. Alabama will win the Iron Bowl, but Auburn has the defensive ends to pressure A.J. McCarron and the running game to keep it close.
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000
CURRENT BANKROLL: $10,325
SEASON RECORD: 6-7
LAST WEEK: 1-0
THIS WEEK: Auburn plus+11 over Alabama, $2,000.

   *Speaking of sports wagering, my condolences if you had Cowboys minus-8 yesterday. The Raiders' meaningless, last-minute field goal produced a 7-point margin and broke your heart and possibly your bank. But if you've bet on Dallas every game this season you're 8-4 against the line.

   *Having trouble moving today because you ate, well, everything? Twice? This jazz ditty with the groovin' bass and the catchy piano is guaranteed to get your toes tappin'. Thank you, Christian McBride Trio. Whoever you are.

   *Don't know which is harder to believe: That Manny Pacquiao is broke. Or that the Philippines government claims he owes $50 million - fiftymillion! - in back taxes.

Pages:    1       2       3   

---

(continued from page 2)

   *Ya know, of all the things my former radio partner screwed up this might have been his biggest gaffe: Greggo didn't think Will Ferrell was funny. Cannot wait for Anchorman 2, nor "Ron Burgundy"'s hosting next Thursday's Sportscenter
 on ESPN.

   *Can't believe it's been 20 years since Leon Lett's "No in the Snow". On Thanksgiving 1993 I left my North Dallas apartment in a sweater for the drive to Cleburne. Lunch with the family and then ... By the time I got to Irving, sleet. Heavy, blinding sleet. I called Mom to cancel and headed straight to Texas Stadium, where Fort Worth Star-Telegram co-beat writer Mike Fisher and I were amazed at what we saw. The field covered in white. The weatherfolks screwed up, never saw it coming. And we all know what Leon did. After the game my car was an ice block. Had to call stadium security to chip through the ice just so I could open my door. 20 years already.

   *Okay, I'm usually pretty good at details and normally either Win, Place or Show in those "which one of these is not like the other?" games. But, dammit, Daniel Tosh has befuddled me all season on Tosh.O. He started by promising to wear a pink shirt in every episode, but with "subtle differences" in wardrobe week to week. Oxford buttons on the collar? Touche. But "wearing a wedding ring"? C'mon, that's bogus.

   *Wait, the Lions commit 4 turnovers and still beat the Packers by 30? Yes, yes they did. Sucks that the Cowboys didn't catch Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers. He'll be back and they'll be playoff desperate by the time Dec. 15 rolls around.

   *In our continuing coverage of Kanye West as the planet's most cocky and delusional inhabitant, he now says it's him - not Michael Jordan - that have made Air Jordans popular. Wow. Just wow.

   *Earthquake in Azle this morning. That makes seven in in the Metroplex this week and 22 this month. None above a 3.5 but no doubt all the drilling and fracking is pissin' off Mother Earth.

   *This weekend? Leftovers and loved ones. They'll both filter out of our house slowly but surely. With temps moderating, might even try to sneak in some tennis Saturday morning before Alabama-Auburn in the afternoon. Sunday feels like a good day to root against the Eagles. Don't be a stranger.

Pages:    1      2      3   

---