WHITT'S END: 12.5.13

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

   *With Lance Dunbar out for the season, it's time for DeMarco Murray to play like an elite running back. But, wait, he already is. While you were bemoaning and degrading Murray as an oft-injured underachiever, look what he went out and did. He leads the NFL in yards-per-carry at 4.9 and is on pace for 1,115 yards, which would be the best season by a Cowboys' running back since Emmitt Smith in 2000. For the Cowboys to survive December, Murray needs to pull the sleigh. And there's evidence right under our cold noses that's he fully prepared to do just that.

   *I'm thoroughly entertained by - and not at all surprised by - the comments criticizing my move to monetizing this here corner of the blogosphere. One of the biggest reasons for the decision? ...

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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.

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   *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.

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   *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.

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WHITT'S END: 10.18.13

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

   *As I wrote for CBS back in March when this Rangers' power struggle was beginning to simmer, Nolan Ryan's departure was inevitable and necessary. And - I know this is blasphemy - his legacy is overrated. Fans of ol' Nolan want to believe it was Big Tex who triumphantly returned to Arlington in 2008 and kick-started the moribund franchise. Trust me, I was giddy when Nolan came back. Wrote as much in a cover story for the Dallas Observer. But truth? Jon Daniels had the wheels in motion toward success before Ryan arrived as CEO. Daniels hired Ron Washington and acquired players like Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison and Josh Hamilton and stockpiled the No. 1 farm system in baseball without Nolan. Ryan gets credit for making the Rangers' pitch better. But Daniels gets credit for giving the Rangers better pitchers. Daniels is the Xs and Os architect; Ryan is the symbolic figurehead. When you go to the State Fair you take a picture of Big Tex, but you enjoy the rides designed by Daniels. I'm not saying having Ryan in the organization is a bad thing, just that Daniels is far more valuable. It's Jimmy vs. Jerry, without the rings. Except, this time, the local team escaped with the more essential piece. I get that fans are bummed. Nolan is a man's man from Texas who hunts and headlocks and despises sissy conveniences like bottled water and hair product. But you really think today's Major League Baseball player is attracted to Texas because of Nolan Ryan? Sorry, but Yasiel Puig has zero idea who Nolan Ryan is. Just like, I guarantee there are more than a handful of players at Valley Ranch who can't quite put their finger on that guy Roger Starbuck. In the end, Nolan's ten-gallon ego got too big for his britches. He shoved Chuck Greenberg out of town. But, thankfully, Jon Daniels shoved back.

   *That fourth all-sports talk-radio station teasing us with a Fall launch has been further delayed. And this time one of the high-ups involved is telling me it's the House Republicans' fault. Basically the station plans to be on an AM frequency that needs a stronger signal. The power upgrade, however, is awaiting final approval from the FCC. Which, of course, was among the entities temporarily paused by the government shutdown.

   *Sorry, haters, but the Cowboys are still America's Team. So says, um, America. They're also the NFL's most valuable franchise and - to be fair - they haven't won a Super Bowl in, oh, going on 6,474 days.

   *Most days the loyal readers of this here blog poke and prod and disagree and generally attempt to kick me in the nuts. But sometimes they show up and give me money. Well, sorta. Danny Stephens did me some detective work and discovered that somebody or something owes me $313. It's just waiting for me to claim it, and they'll send me the check. It's not a scam. It's Texas' unclaimed property. Check it out. And if you get found money, thank Danny.

   *The New Jersey Nets last night retired Jason Kidd's No. 5. Wonder if the Mavs - er, Mark Cuban - will ever do the same? Kidd started as No. 5 in Dallas in '94, but wore No. 2 when he returned and helped lead them to their title in '11. Of course then he backed out of deal to stay in Dallas and pissed off the owner and ... some day that ice will thaw. But not yet.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Caught some Seahawks 34, Cardinals 22 last night and was reminded how much I despise Pete Carroll. He's gum-chomping cocky and so over-animated he always looks like a fan surprised by his team's play. Can I get a coach who's somewhere between Jason Garrett's pulse-free stoicism and Carroll's holy-shit-I-didn't-expect-that-to-happen emotion?

   *Now that was a good baseball game. Red Sox 4, Tigers 3 had scoring, strategy, collisions at the plate and, yep, more heroics from former Rangers Mike Napoli and Koji Uehara. Looks a Red Sox-Redbirds World Series. Uehara, for what it's worth, has walked only 2 of the last 161 batters he's faced.

   *I honestly think Jay Ratlilff - based on his performance and passion - was trending toward the Ring of Honor after the 2011 season. But now? Just another almost great player in a mediocre era. I analyze his freefall over at NBC's Blue Star Blog.

   *I put Kim Kardashian's booty in yesterday's Not. Why? Because it's too big, that's why. Look, I love curves on women and give me a little too much rather than a lot too little. But if you didn't know she was Kim Kardashian and you saw that girl walking down the street, you wouldn't stare and salivate. But because she is Kim Kardashian, suddenly her ass is supposedly voluptuous fine? No thanks.

   *No, I'm not abandoning You Betcha 'cuz I suck and I've already lost half my money  and I'm full of embarrassment. Nope, truth is I just forgot yesterday. So ... on to Week 8. Gleefully got my ass kicked last week as Texas shockingly trucked 14-point favorite Oklahoma. Sunday we'll keep it local. And I hope we keep losing. Because I see a Cowboys' faceplant looming in Philadelphia. Dallas will not be able to run the football without DeMarco Murray. They'll be hampered by rookie Joseph Randle in blitz pick-up in the passing game. And the beleaguered front four sans DeMarcus Ware will get a face full of NFL leading rusher LeSean McCoy. I know Michael Vick is out, but this one looks like a win even Nick Foles can coast to. In college, Chip Kelly's offense averaged 600 yards and 50 points against Monte Kiffin's defense. Yikes. But what do I know? Go against me this year and you'd be 5-2.
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000
CURRENT BANKROLL: $5,125
SEASON RECORD: 2-5
LAST WEEK: 0-1
THIS WEEK: Eagles minus-3 over Cowboys for $2,000.

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   *As we attempt to treat our bodies better and eat smarter, I was reminded the other day that in elementary school - circa '73 - we were taught to get our daily intake of what then was the "4 Food Groups":  Dairy, Meat, Bread and Fruit/Vegetable. Somehow we've wandered off into No dairy, chicken over meat, no bread and organic kale. Ah, the good ol' days.

   *A player for the Edmonton Oilers(?) scored two goals in the game's first eight seconds last night. But, alas, it's hockey. So I'll leave y'all to fill in the historical blanks and create the punch line.

   *This looks really bad for Dallas cops. On Monday they shot mentally ill 53-year-old Bobby Bennett, who was standing arms at his side with only a pocket knife. After two officers arrived at Bennett's house, BAM!, shots fired within 20 seconds. The official police report says Bennett "lunged" at them, but nope. Not - as this video shows - even close. Bennett's in the hospital with a bullet in the stomach and a charge of aggravated assault of a public servant. No way.  The cops prematurely and unnecessarily shot a man and then lied about it. Someone's getting fired over this. I smell apologies ... and lawsuits.

   *This weekend? Gonna make some Pizza Buzz for dear ol' Dad today, then get out 'n about in Dallas tonight with old friends. Saturday morning is tennis, followed by Tech-West Virginia at The Hub in Addison. Sunday is Cowboys-Eagles, capped by my virginal voyage to this year's State Fair. Don't be a stranger.

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