WHITT'S END: 10.23.13

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

   *Told y'all to chill on the Cowboys' salary-cap panic. I know the rest of the NFL wants to think Jerry Jones is such a financially-handcuffed dufus that he won't be able to even field a team in 2014, but the way out of their perennial predicament is - once again - not all that complicated. I explain over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *I'm intrigued by the World Series. Best two fandoms in baseball, right? I've been fortunate enough to watch games in both Fenway and Busch, and those folks don't just love their baseball. They know their baseball. They live their baseball. DFW is a baseball town, sure. But Boston and St. Louis are baseball neighborhoods, much more passionate and close-knit communities of one. When a big, positive play occurs at Rangers Ballpark, the fans' nights just got better. When it happens in Fenway or Busch, those fans' lives just got better. And, for what it's worth, I don't hate either team enough to invoke Failure Jesus.

   *So does former PGA Tour member-turned-Golf-Chanel-analyst Brandel Chamblee think Tiger Woods is a cheater? Or not? I'm a little confused. He gave Tiger's five-win season a score of "100", yet a grade of "F." Said he got a "little cavalier with the rules" and cited four incidents. But in the wake of creating the controversy, Chamblee both stood by his story and apologized to Woods. How can it be both?

   *As expected, Chris Arnold returned to 105.3 The Fan Monday after a week's suspension for plagiarism. We all make mistakes, but usually they're innocent errors. Not pre-meditated, calculated theft. We accidentally knock the lamp off the nightstand; We don't scheme to steal our neighbor's chandelier. As a writer in this market for 27 years I've been wrong on predictions or breaking news, but never have I blatantly just copy-and-pasted somebody else's work and sold it as my own. Chris' job has survived. But I don't see how his credibility does.

   *I know this is weird, but the best Cowboys' offensive lineman through seven games has been Doug Free. And their best defensive back? Orlando Scandrick. I'd have lost that bet back in August. You?

   *Okay, maybe there is hope for this country after all. Despite some protests from ninny parents who erect statues for the kids when they finish half their morning juice, the Keller Youth Association football league is discontinuing the embarrassing and dangerous act of participation trophies. "Life makes you earn everything you get," the group says, causing anyone who's ever been screwed over by life to stop what they're doing and give a standing ovation. (Stopping. Standing. Clapping.)

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   *Happy Humpdaaaay White Truck Wednesday. Was stuck in traffic on 121 in the Mid-Cities yesterday for the 19th consecutive day, and got caught behind a big you-know-what-color construction dump truck. On the back of its bed read this sign: "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BROKEN WINDSHIELDS!" Says who? I mean, just because you underline a word and use all caps accented by an exclamation point doesn't absolve you of spraying rocks all over the highway. Otherwise, why don't bad guys with guns just bust down a door, shoot up a joint and then walk away free men while pointing to a T-shirt that reads "Not responsible for death"? Putting that sign on that truck isn't a pro-active safety move, it's a lame attempt to cover the company's ass in the wake of lots of complaints from drivers who have driven behind it before and, sure enough, had rocks fly off it and break their windshields. That sign might as well have read "F*k You."

   *As I've said before I think the NFL overdoes it with the pink-for-a-month breast cancer awareness initiative. And this story says that only 8 percent of the total proceeds from pink items actually make it to the cancer research level. But a couple thoughts: How can you possibly have too much cancer awareness? And, unless you've given more than 8 percent to the cause, you have no right to belittle the NFL's effort.

   *An example of how Fantasy Football negatively affects the NFL: There are actually fans debating and writers actually analyzing a trade that would send Adrian Peterson to the Cowboys. Happens in Fantasy leagues all the time. Happens in the NFL none of the time.

   *Been inundated by the hype (Nov. 5 I think it is) for the next Call of Duty. As a guy who stopped playing video games the day I conquered Mario Bros. back in the early '90s, I no longer have a desire to just pretend to do stuff. But I was thinking how different life would be growing up as a 9-year-old in 2013 compared to my habitat in 1973. Nowadays kids have NFL Sunday Ticket. Whereas - I swear this is true - I actually spent considerable time as a punk waiting for the rain to stop so I could go outside have a grassboat race against my friend. A what-the-what you say? A grassboat race. We each picked a big blade of St. Augustine grass as our "boat", then placed them in the gutter that ran along the curb of our street and let the swift-moving water propel them through the neighborhood. We'd monitor and chase and cheer on those suckers for hours, until one of them crossed the "finish line" of our neighborhood creek. Yeah, try that idea on your 9-year-old.

   *Today? Final day of training camp at Pizza Buzz. Couple of pre-season games Thursday and Friday, then this weekend we start keeping score and playing for keeps. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 10.17.13

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

   *In the wake of his obvious and blatant plagiarism of a Tony Romo article he posted on CBSDFW.com, 105.3 The Fan's Chris Arnold hasn't been heard on GBag Nation this week. But I'm hearing that's about to change. He'll be back on the air in his regular role Monday after what will basically amount to a one-week suspension. Easy for anyone with a journalism background to call for his firing, and as I mentioned Monday it's difficult to find a viable defense for his actions. But this again proves that sports radio is more about entertainment than information. At a newspaper, Chris would be fired. On the radio, he gets a slap on the wrist. The lesson The Fan needs to learn here? Just because you write, doesn't make you a writer. And, more importantly, it's dangerous to force your players to play out of position. Professionally, I detest what Chris did. But personally, as a friend, I'm glad he's surviving to write talk another day.

   *Mark Cuban hardly ever wears a suit and tie. But when he does, he usually means business. And yesterday it meant kicking Securities & Exchange Commission ass and, yep, taking names. After a silly 9-year court battle, a jury found the Mavs owner not guilty of insider trading. His reaction: "I won't be bullied, I don't care if it's the United States government."

   *The Cowboys' offense has problems, but it also has itself a franchise-record scoring pace. I break down the surprising numbers over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *It's the little things in life. Last night I took a late-night walk with Sybil and her dogs. Eerily quiet neighborhood. Perfect weather. No phones. No distractions. Almost-full moon, shrouded by the kinda clouds you see just before Werewolves take over. Perfect.

   *Picking the teams for college football's impending playoff system is a huge deal filled with great responsibility. Iconic names on the committee, like former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, Peyton 'n Eli's dad, Archie and Condoleezza Rice ... wait, What The What?! And even, Why The Why?! The former National Security Advisor has zero college football credentials. Crazy side note: On the committee is Tyrone Willingham, who was the head football coach at Notre Dame in 2004 but today is ... a volunteer assistant for the Stanford women's golf team. Ouch.

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   *Quite the freefall by Jay Ratliff. Not long ago he was a Pro Bowler, a 7th-round over-achieving underdog and the Cowboys' most ferocious leader. Now? An injured, arrested, malcontent who the team will pay just to go away. Wow.

   *Been watching football a long time but this season - about a month apart - I've witnessed two plays I never even imagined: A made field goal that caromed off both uprights, and now a guy blocking two punts ... on the same play.

   *Okay, North Texas Tollway Authority, I get it. I use you. A lot. And I'm thankful for 121's lack of congestion in Collin County. But, seriously, you're hitting my account for $40 ... on back-to-back days?! Something's amiss.

   *Remember back when some people actually liked Ted Cruz? Then, predictably, the government-shutdown ploy fizzled and now everybody hates him. Which is exactly how it should be. No biggie I guess. The shutdown only cost about $24 billion.

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   *Couple married for 68 years die in a car crash, are found holding hands by rescuers. Couple things: Yes, of course, they were hit by a White Truck. And, wow, sixty-eight years!

   *Good news: Lotsa interest in advertising on this here blog. Bad news: My time is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d membrane-thin these days because of Pizza Buzz. Solution? I think I'll hire myself a sales girl.

   *Anyone missing Randy Galloway on the radio yet?

   *Love me some Top Golf. It's golf-meets-bowling-meets-Skeeball, all accented by food and beer. But I have always wondered about this happening. Guy gets drunk. Guy takes wild swing. Guy loses balance. Guy falls over edge of third-story hitting bay and ... lawsuit.

   *Today? Pizza is good. But not for your body. Gotta find my way back into the gym at some point tonight. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 10.14.13

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

   *Cowboys 31, Redskins 16: My Top 10 Whitty Comments are over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Like most of you guys, I was happily floored by Texas'  performance Saturday in the Cotton Bowl. Their 36-20 dismantling of previously unbeaten OU is a shocking season-saver and allows Mack Brown to tell his critics to (at least for one more week) put a sock in it. But the end was a tad embarrassing. The Gatorade dump on the head coach, for an October win? I know OU is the rival now and Texas' seniors finally beat the Sooners, but not long ago the 'Horns raised National Championship banners.

   *Good for Boston. With the Marathon bombing and Aaron Hernandez and the (relatively unimportant) break-up of the Celtics, it's been a rough year in Beantown. But Sunday was one for the ages. Tom Brady by day; David Ortiz by night. Magical. Closest thing I can remember for the Metroplex is Oct. 23, 2011. On that Sunday we were treated to a doubleheader of amazing individual performances by 20-somethings. In the afternoon DeMarco Murray rushed for a Cowboys'-record 253 yards in a win over the Rams, and at night - just across the street - Derek Holland threw 8 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball as the Rangers shut out the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series.

   *Love me some Chris Arnold. Great guy, and a better teammate. In fact, I helped him get his gig at 105.3 The Fan. But there's no defending his blatant, cut-and-paste plagiarism of a Tony Romo article that he claimed as his own "next level analysis" piece over at CBSDFW.com. Knowing that the CBS suits in New York have already fired a Houston station employee this year for merely asking whether an Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleader was fat, I fear for Chris' job. He wasn't part of GBag Nation's Texas-OU preview show Saturday morning and I'm told that the ultimate decision will be made by corporate, not The Fan. You guys know how I feel about credit attribution, and Chris - like the rest of of us - learned in high school that stealing someone else's work is a no-no. I will offer this as Chris' only defense: He's not a writer. The Fan has recently mandated - for no more pay, I might add - that its on-air hosts contribute to its web site in the form of blogs. But that's like gathering all your plumbers together on the job site and decrying that they also need to run the electrical wiring. This just in: Not everyone can write. Playing people out of position is a dangerous strategy, and it's backfired on The Fan. Granted, it's not a strong defense for Chris. But looks like it's his only defense.

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   *Being my own boss has its perks. Asked for a little help last week with some home repairs, in exchange for free advertising on this her website. And got a lot of offers. Inbox filled. The wheels are in motion. Thanks to all who responded.

   *Today? Sorry for today's smaller-than-usual portion, but I got home at 1 a.m. after TV on NBC late last night and I've got lots of Pizza Buzzin' to do this morning in Fort Worth starting at 8:30. We'll return you to your regularly scheduled menu on Tuesday. Don't be a stranger.