BLITZ BLOG

The Mavericks trade with the Wizards was basically a salvage sale and Dallas was the first in line at the scene of the . Getting two players so perfectly streamlined to fix our team's problem areas and get rid of the slumping Josh Howard was any GM's dream scenario. Give some credit to Donnie Nelson and the Cubes for pulling off highway robbery while the Wizards push the reset button on the Gilbert Arenas era.

I can't blame them for wanting to rebuild but the story here is that two contenders just got remarkably better. Dallas finally gets the tough interior big-man that instantly takes them up two pegs defensively. The Mavericks haven't had a center the caliber of a Brendan Haywood in Dirk's entire career in Dallas. We finally have people that will commit hard fouls and get in the opponents face. I felt like there was a transformation during the Suns game. They started out flat as usual but progressively started to generate turnovers. They started to out-hustle the Suns for boards and began to simply push them around. The new Mavs were visibly excited after the game. I think they finally realized what I described, they are tailor made for this team.


On top of that we got "Tuff Juice" (Caron Butler) who is a realistic 2nd scoring option for Rick Carlisle. When Kobe Bryant says "Your gonna love this kid" to the Dallas fans that usually is a good thing. He's tough and physical and provides an additional athletic outlet for Kidd on the fast break. The most important detail in the trade is we kept our options open for the Summer of 2010 because I just realized we hosted the biggest recruitment trip in NBA history. I wonder how many 100,000 crowds they could draw if LeBron James played for the Mavericks? I bet that wasn't far from Lebron's mind either.

Check out this Ben and Skin interview
"we do things on a bigger scale here in Dallas." Cuban is trying to lure the All-Star free agents using the Cowboys stadium as the big old carrot. Damn, I'm starting to see Mad Mark's master scheme come together and it's brilliant.

I keep having this dream that goes a little something like this:


Will the Mavericks be playing any games at Cowboys Stadium?





They sure are buddy!






The Cavaliers got Antwan Jameson as another quality big to throw at the Lakers. The former Mavs is a great rebounder and has got a perimeter jumper that will be lethal outlet for the galloping LeBron James.

The Mavericks have limped to the All-Star break and will hopefully use this time to regroup for the second half of the season. The mixed messages from the front office have gone from “we like our group” to “we’re exploring our options.” It’s impossible to say that the recent struggles haven’t influenced the Mavs in conjuring up trade negotiations. The Mavs need someone who can be a secondary scoring threat alongside Dirk. Jason Terry has been that in recent years but he’s the easiest threat opposing teams can neutralize because he’s a jump shooter. Josh Howard has been inconsistent the last three years due to injuries and isn’t reliable enough to fill that role. The Mavs might pull the trigger before the trade deadline but don’t be surprised if they hold off until the summer when multiple superstars will be available. Who are the Mavs looking at before the deadline? The package that’s likely being shopped is Josh Howard and whoever’s contact would make the numbers work out. Keep in mind these are all based off rumors.

The Sixers’ Andre Igudola and Elton Brand- The Sixers are wanting to unload Brand’s gut wrenching contract and are willing to give up Iggy to do that. This would be an expensive trade for the Mavs.

The Kings’ Kevin Martin- The Kings are trying to figure out how to get Martin and Tyreke Evens to complement each other but it’s not happening. The Mavs would have to most likely get another team involved here so it’s highly unlikely but still possible.

The Clippers’ Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby – The Clippers recently demoted Mike Dunleavy as head coach to strictly GM. This change could influence the availability of one of their bigs whom the Mavs should be interested in.

The Wizards’ Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood- Word is that the Mavs have cooled on their option of Butler because of his struggles this season but he’s available for the right price. The Mavs should be asking about Haywood because we’ve always have need for defensive centers.


Upcoming Opponents:

2/16 vs Oklahoma City Thunder – This young and talented roster has the most future potential in the NBA. Durantula has still yet to consistently have big games against the Mavs.

2/17 at Phoenix Suns – The Mavs blew a fourth quarter lead to Steve Nash and Company last outing. Expect the Mavs to be focused for this one.

Here is a potential deal that the Mavericks should be looking out for.

The Sixers have been rumored to be offering Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala to the Rockets for Tracy McGrady and his expiring contract. Those two would offer significant upgrades for the Mavs and could unload Josh Howard and Erick Dampier and their expiring deals. I think Cuban and Donnie should be on the phone with Philly right now. Dalembert is likely on the downside of his career but is still a good defensive presence and there would virtually no difference offensively from what we've gotten from Dampier. Iggy could provide Dallas with what we've been needing for a long time here. The second scoring option that could take some of the load off Dirk. He'll make a marathon of going to the basket and has good court sense and is willing to pass the ball, something Howard has lacked throughout his career. It may not be Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade but it would really dissolve some the issues that have plagued this team for years.

Props to Bill Ingram at hoopsworld.com for coming up with the scenario.

Nothing concrete yet but if the Sixers are looking for cap relief the Mavs can offer them just as much and with more flexibility than the McGrady deal would allow. The real question is whether Mark Cuban is willing to take on Iggy's huge financial commitment and if he thinks it would truly send them over the top. The Mavs have been reported to be making some offers to the Jazz for Carlos Boozer so it doesn't look like Dallas is worried about money. The Mavericks need to make a move before Nowitzki's window closes for good and this could help.

Wanna try to see if you could make your fantasy NBA deal work? Check out this trade machine at ESPN.com.

Tony goes loco!

Tony Romo reverted to his alter ego "Mr. ." Remember the guy who shuffles his feet, throws ill advised passes to the opposition, and treats the football like it's covered in a thin layer of bacon grease? He's back. The good thing is at this point of the season we only have to see him once before the whole things over. Okay, I might be a little harsh on the guy because to be honest he was scrambling around for his life back there. Losing Flozell Adams pretty much sealed the deal on the Vikings getting a consistent pass rush. I honestly doubt we'd even win that game if he'd stayed in. The Vikings were by far the more physically dominating team and should be a handful for the Saints. It was tough to watch the Cowboys not be able to come away with points on some key drives. It's been a problem throughout year and is directly related to Marion Barber's injury. Remember when we'd get to the red zone and let Marion do the rest? That running back was missing this season and hopefully it's got more to do with injuries rather than a multimillion dollar contract sucking the motivation out of him. The Cowboy defense played pretty well considering all the horrible positions they were put into by the multiple turnovers and fought to keep the game within reach. In the end the Cowboys were crushed by a dominating defense that turned Romo back into the bad Brett Farve imitation he rolls out from time to time. Somewhere Drew Bledsoe is kicking up his feet and cracking open a beer, and softly saying to himself. "F....in Tony Homo"



Looking back........
It's hard to be disappointed in a season that saw the first playoff win since the Clinton administration. Wade Phillips likely earned himself another year but it's hard to argue against it after the defense played so well down the stretch. I'd still wait to sign him onto an extension because there were still some red flags this season. The Cowboys don't seem to have very much discipline in retrospect, from multiple penalties and getting complacent after experiencing success. I think the players love playing for him because he's laid back and doesn't bust their ass all the time like Bill Parcells used to do. I wonder if this sudden inspired football was a result of Wade finally figuring out how to motivate this team or the players realizing that some hardass coach like John Gruden would be making their lives hell this off-season after Phillips got canned. The team has got some young players that could really blossom and turn this into a true contender. Felix Jones will never get enough carries in my book and Anthony Spencer finally started playing like he did in training camp. If the defense can play a whole season like this and Marion Barber revisits his days as the "Closer" we might be having a divisional playoff game at Jerryworld next year.



Season Awards:

Team MVP:
Miles Austin

Most Improved:
Mike Jenkins, Anthony Spencer, Miles Austin

Defensive Player of the Year:
DeMarcus Ware

Offensive Player of the Year:
Miles Austin, Felix Jones

WTF was that Award:
Roy Williams

Most Seagull Arms Award:
Bobby Carpenter

Highest point of the season:
Beating the Saints in the Superdome

Lowest point of the season:
A couple has sex on the urine soaked floor of a bathroom stall at JerryWorld / Ware gets carted off the field

Keep getting blitzed and thanks for checking us out!



The Packers worst nightmare continues



Does anyone else think Prince only likes the Vikes because they wear purple?

Here is the intro they played at Jerry World before the playoff game. It's been a long time coming and I don't think anybody wants a piece of what Dallas is breaking off these days.



Brooking gets the troops pumped up.

Cowboys beat the Eagles and win NFC EAST.

Cowboys defense get back to back shut outs? Pinch me I must be dreaming. They are finally playing up the hype and Wade Phillips is saving his job.

Some quick thoughts:

- Mike Jenkins is a top 5 corner in the NFL. Terence Newman might not be in the top 10 anymore.
- Screw the record, get Romo out of the game.
- DeSean Jackson was either hurt, or will be after Andy Reid watching his route running on the game film
- Jeremy Maclin doesn't hear footsteps, he watches them
- Doug Free had his best game as a pro.
- Marion Barber has lost whatever little "burst" he had.
- More touches for Felix Jones please.
- Bench Roy Williams and start Kevin Ogletree.
- Can we just switch Roy Williams and Miles Austin contracts?
- Anthony Spencer is becoming a stud, Bobby Carpenter however still blows goats

Images by: Matt Pearce

The first ever Cotton Bowl played in the new Cowboys Stadium had 12 total turnovers. Houston Nutt and Ole Miss played in the old Cotton Bowl Stadium last year and the first team to play in the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium. The first quarter was dominated by Ole Miss but they failed to put any points on the board. Dexter McCluster became the fourth Rebel all time to rush for 1,000 in a season with 10 first quarter carries for 41 yards. Jerrell Powe a 340 pound defensive tackle was given the ball on 3rd and goal from the one and was stopped at the goal line. The play was reviewed but the play stood. Ole Miss went for it again with Powe on fourth and one. He was stuffed again by a huge defensive stand. Early in the second quarter Jevan Snead threw his second interception of the game and was laid out when trying to make the tackle sending his helmet flying. It was ugly and he did not come back in the next series. Apparently he didn't suffer a concussion as he was not sent to an electrical closet. On the next Ole Miss possession backup quarterback Nathan Stanley handed the ball to McCluster who broke for an 86 yard touchdown, the second longest TD run in Cotton Bowl history. He became the first player in SEC history with over 1,000 yards rushing and 500 receiving. "I always dreamt about coming in and being an SEC runningback. A lot of people said I couldn't do it" he said after the game. A remarkable accomplishment for a guy who is only 5-9 and 170 pounds. He was the first runner to gain over 100 yards this year against OSU. The Cowboys only had three first downs in first half and 73 yards as opposed to 12 and 257. In the third quarter, OSU finally got on the board as running back Keith Toston threw a jump pass to Wilson Youman out of the wildcat formation to make it 7-7. Late in the third Oklahoma State went for it on fourth and goal from the one and was stopped. Ole Miss kicker Joshua Shene who had only missed three field goals all year missed his second of the game in fourth quarter. Was it the ghost of Nick Folk? OSU killed any hopes it had with six turnovers in the fourth quarter. Patrick Trahan of Ole Miss picked up a fumble and ran for 34 yards to end zone to make it 21-7 which was the final score. McCluster was named the Outstanding Offensive Player of the game for the second year in a row.

By: Craig Smith
“Sportsologist”
csmith@blitzweekly.com

In a packed house consisting of 41,414 Houston and Air Force fans, Air Force pounded Houston 47-20. Air Force scored the most points ever in the history of the Armed Forces Bowl. It was a tough day for the nation’s leading passer Case Kennum, who had a career high six interceptions on the day and was pressured on every down. He finished the season throwing for 5,671 yards, 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He is the third player in NCAA history to ever throw for 5,000 or more in one season. The score was 24-6 at halftime, and the Cougars must have had a moment in the locker room, because to start the third quarter Tyron Carrier ran the kickoff back for his fourth kick return for a touchdown to make it 24-13. Houston was back in the game, but Air Force answered back with their first kickoff return for a touchdown since 1985. Jonathan Warzeka ran it back 100 yards for the touchdown to pretty much put Houston away in the third 34-20. On offense, Air Force ran for 402 yards, including 173 yards from Jarod Tew and 129 yards from Asher Clark. It was a gloomy day at the Amon G. Carter Stadium, but Air Force put on the heat. One of the more impressive things I saw today was when there was 17 seconds left on the clock before halftime and Air Force QB Tim Jefferson slipped trying to run on 3rd and goal and no timeouts, but he quickly got the offense off the field and the kicking team on the field to make the score 24-6. They did this in a matter of six seconds. Air force QB Tim Jefferson outplayed Kennum passing for 161 yards. It was almost painful to watch, because I felt bad for Houston. Every time Houston drove down the field, Air Force drove right back and scored. The whole game Houston just couldn't get a break and get back in the game. Houston missed their first 11 win season since 1979. Casey Keenum, who is a junior has already committed that he will be returning next season, but you know that can change.

By: Eddie Stephens
estephens@blitzweekly.com





Photos Credits: Joe Lorenzini/www.lorenziniphotography.com

Here is an early Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/whatever present.....



Boss getting ya down?



Grady Wilson saved my marriage, no lie.



Gilligan would be jealous.




Reba got a brand new bag

Can a lego show a more emotional acting range than Keanu Reeves? It's a toss up.

The Dallas Mavericks keep on trucking along and are making some pretty good progress despite having 3 starters out with injuries. I'm pretty surprised that no official comment has come down about the status of Erick Dampier and his mystery illness. I hate to speculate but keeping a major injury/condition a secret to keep his trade value high is a pretty slick move. Roddy B still has a ways to go but has done a great job on holding down the fort until J-Ho decides his ankle is 100%. Does anybody not think the Nets are going to come out swinging next game and try to avoid setting a new NBA record for worst start in history? Devin Harris will score at least 35 after seeing what Monta Ellis did to this squad.

Quick shots-
It's been a few seasons, the Nets simply got worse with the Kidd trade. I think they got some young talent for an aging veteran which usually is the smart move but it sent their overall team into the crapper. I love Devin Harris but his lack of leadership ability is what ultimately got him a plane ticket to Jersey. It's still debatable whether the Mavs got any better but we saw Steve Nash walk away and they didn't seem to lose much ground. I think we've got more of identity with Jason Kidd at the helm and players want to play with him. We'll see if we can put that on the free-agent flyers for 2010.

Dirk Nowitzki is peaking as a player this season. I honestly think he got better over the off-season which is amazing considering where his game already was. It's shocking that shattering the dreams of a child could motivate the big German but to each his own I guess. Just win baby, right?

This has no relevance to sports, but it's pretty funny anyway.

Dirk MVP part 2?

No Damper, Howard, Marion. The Mavericks keep winning without three starters in the line-up because they have an actual bench this year and Dirk Nowitzki might be playing better than I've ever seen him play. It seems like he's more willing to put this team on his shoulders in crunch time and simply wills them to victory.

It's still early but we've already had some pretty significant performances from the big German and is leading some MVP lists. LINK

26.9 PPG 8.9 Rebounds and 90% from the free throw line.

1. Epic comeback against Utah 29 points in fourth quarter
2. Game winner against Bucks
3. Mavs lead the Western Conference and are off to the second best start in franchise history.
4. 41 points, 11 in overtime to beat the Spurs.

I think the extra time off from his German National team duties have definitely been a factor in raising Dirk's game to another level. He's looks like he's having fun again and enjoys being with his teammates.



2. Gooden

Drew Gooden has been doing an excellent job covering Eric Dampier's spot but those ill-advised fade always are a punch in the nuts. Dude, we already have a big that shoots the turnaround fader and he's a tad more consistent. Gotta give Gooden some props for the offensive boards, he's a nightmare for the slower centers.

3. Roddy B!

I can't remember who said this guy was going to be a future superstar first, me or Brandon Jennings. Wait, nevermind it was me. He looks pretty good for a rookie on both sides of the ball. J.J. Barea's minutes are just going to get smaller and smaller from here on out.

The Cowboys won't be able to win a championship with Wade Phillips at the helm. When the Cowboys start to experience success they become lazy and think the opposing team will simply roll over and play dead. The hardest thing to do as an NFL coach is to keep your players playing at their highest level especially after the win. I hate to bring up the past but Jimmy Johnson was the best at keeping his teams on edge. He'd come in to the locker room after a big win and keep telling his teams how much they needed to improve and if they didn't he'd find someone who could. It didn't matter who they beat, there would be a laundry list of things he wanted fixed before the next game. Wade is the complete opposite and gives his team a pat on the back and defends the players when they play like crap. Who knows what he does behind closed doors but that perception doesn't help his job security. I think Wade is a great defensive football mind but if you can't get your team to play at that next level then you have no business being a head coach (see Giants playoff game, Eagles qualification game). The final game last year against the Eagles was very telling. If you can't get your players to elevate their games for a win and your in scenario then you've got to change your coaching philosophy.

At least the man can rap, he's got that going for him.