Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End
*It's been a wild week in local radio, what with
The Ticket's BaD Radio almost moving to 105.3 The Fan before Cumulus sweetened the pot enough to keep Bob Sturm and Dan McDowell home. But now we're on the verge of another popular show perhaps moving ... off the air. From what I hear,
The Russ Martin Show's contract is up Monday (July 1) and there has been little interest shown by parent company Clear Channel Media to re-sign Russ and his sidekicks in the afternoon. Surely
you remember Russ, right? Not certain exactly what's going on at 97.1 The Eagle, but I smell big changes coming sooner rather than later.
*
Mavs nailed it on several fronts in Thursday night's NBA Draft. First, they selected who I think will be their point guard of the future in Miami's Shane Larkin. The Mavs are comparing him to J.J. Barea, but I predict he'll be the starting point guard opening night. But more importantly, they started cutting salary with an eye toward making a run at free-agent center Dwight Howard next week. Needing to shave $3.8 million off the books at the beginning of the night, Dallas now - after two trades down and the dumping of 2012 draft bust Jared Cunningham - needs to only trim another $2.7 million to be able to offer Howard a max contract with a first-year salary of $20.5 million.
*That said, Mavs' GM Donnie Nelson admitted that if Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams or Michigan's Trey Burke would've been available at No. 13, Dallas would've kept the pick and taken either of them.
*And if you don't believe Howard-to-the-Mavs is realistic,
read this story and then check out
what Dirk Nowitzki revealed at Mavs' draft headquarters last night. Yep, he's already picked up the phone and called L.A.
*As I wrote Thursday, the Cowboys shouldn't cut Josh Brent just because the Patriots' released Aaron Hernandez. But, after Brent's second positive test for marijuana while on probation for Intoxication Manslaughter, I don't think there's any choice now but to cut him. Right? They
are going to cut him, Right?! Isolated irresponsibility resulting in an accident I can stomach. Repeated, ridiculous behavior, however, cannot be tolerated. Dumb actions? Maybe. Dumb people? No thanks.
*So Kanye West and Kim Kardashian named their child "North." No kidding. Now when North West gets fired from CBS Radio and the boss cites a "different direction", he'll actually be telling the truth.
*When Derek Holland is good, he's great. Totally handcuffed the Yankees to the tune of a 2-hitter Thursday afternoon in The Bronx. Makes you wonder where that guy is every fifth day doesn't it? Speaking of Rangers' pitchers, don't look now but Yu Darvish hasn't won a game since May 16.
*Johnny Manziel is the perfectly irritating combination of pampered and petulant. News surfaced this week that he faced suspension before his 2012 Heisman Trophy season until Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin bailed him out. And recently he received a simple parking ticket on campus, prompting him to Tweet:
Bullshit like tonight is a reason why I can't wait to leave college station ... Bet the 12th Man finds that awfully Spirit-of-Aggieland endearing
.
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Hot.
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Not.
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*Back in 2011 it was all smiles. We dressed up in our Sunday best and christened the joint in Victory Park known as The Fan Sports Lounge. Great location across from AAC. Cool broadcast booth inside. And ... something horrible happened on the way to happily ever after. Just 19 months later I strolled over to check out the place last night and ... it's no longer The Fan Sports Lounge. Can I interest you in The Point at Victory Park?
*Looks like the Rangers won't have an All-Star starter for the first time since 2007. I'd like to make a case for one, but I don't think I can.
*Coolest, most impressive thing I've seen in 2013 is Nik Wallenda's tight-roping "Skywalk" over the Grand Canyon last Sunday. The views were breath-taking and the guy's calm while balancing 1,500 feet in the air amidst 30-mph wind gusts was amazing. And, unlike when he traversed Niagara Falls, this time he wore no safety harness. Death was a real possibility, especially when he crouched down on the wire in fear as the winds bounced it wildly. Crazier still: The dude
ran the final 30 feet. Standing. Clapping.
*Two years ago they toted a trophy through downtown Dallas as members of the Mavericks. Now? Jason Kidd is Jason Terry's boss on the Brooklyn Nets. I know, weird. And sad. But more weird.
*I've listened to WBAP 820 AM all my life. But just this week I learned what the call letters stand for: We Bring A Program. No, I'm not making that up.
*With the selection of Tim Hardaway, Jr. by the Knicks last night, make it 13 consecutive years there has been a player taken in the NBA Draft who is the son of a former player.
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*Wouldn't you just looove to see the actual, unedited commercial of Shaq trying to squeeze his 330-pound
Kazaam into that Buick?
*Once upon a time I accidentally called Fox 4's Mike Doocy "Douche".
Accidentally. Promise. See for yourself.
*It was 10 years ago that the NFL got all offended at the egregious sex and crimes portrayed in the fictional ESPN series,
Playmakers. But in the Hernandez saga, the league has itself a much more troubling, real storyline. And turns out
Hernandez may have killed his victim because the guy had info about Hernandez previously killing two other people? What The What?!
*Do Atheists scream "Oh, God!!!" during sexual climax?
*Last week in this space I wrote about the tiny window of clay-to-grass-court transition allowed tennis players before Wimbledon. How has that manifested? In uncertain footwork, which leads to slipping, which leads to injuries, which leads to spotty play and, ultimately, inconsistent results like the early-round upsets of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.
*I'm not proud of this, but I don't care about George Zimmerman's trial these days nearly as much as I did about news of the actual incident and his killing of Trayvon Martin in February 2012. I blame ... life. And the s-l-o-w legal system.
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*Anchorman 2 (debuting Dec. 20) can't get here fast enough. If you don't think the original was funny, I'm afraid we just can't be friends.
*Speaking of movies, I give
The Purge 4.5 out of 10 and
Now You See Me a solid 6.5.
Purge is a great premise that's underdeveloped and predictable, and
Now You See Me suffers from saturated plot syndrome (i.e., over-thinking). In other words, one gave me too little and the other too much.
*Please visit my advertisers' web sites and, even better, buy what they're selling. Without them there is no us. Well, technically we'd still be alive and stuff, but we wouldn't have this comfy club to congregate in daily. A hearty thanks to
Home Marketing Services,
Vandergriff Honda,
Apple Moving,
Baby Dolls,
LS Wealth Strategies,
D Custom Tailors,
Pollo Campero,
Riggs Rub and
WAV Electronics.
*So my Dad asks me to give a shoutout to all our friends in Johnson County, better known as JoCoMoFo. Seems because of termite damage he needed an outside wall replaced on his wood-frame homestead in Rio Vista. He's hard to please, but he loved the work performed by KT Custom Construction. So, here ya go Pops: For all your home repair needs in that area call Kris at 817.240.8315.
*This weekend? After my standing tennis appointment Saturday morning, Sybil and I are throwing a pool party in the afternoon until ... ? Sunday, we will most certainly enjoy a quiet Sabbath. And, come Monday, I'm predicting new bikini pics uploaded to my photo galleries (you're welcome). Don't be a stranger.
