05/10/2008

Texas Rangers' Washington deserves full season

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

After Saturday's 6-4 win over Oakland, Ron Washington is 93-107 as the Texas Rangers' manager.

Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels say they hope speculation about manager Ron Washington's job status will cease. There is one easy way for Rangers management to take care of that, writes DMN columnist Tim Cowlishaw. Either – or both of them – could come out and say Washington has the job for the rest of 2008. Neither man has said that.
 Blog: Texas Rangers

05/08/2008

Can Dallas Stars dig in with hot Wings?

AP

Brenden Morrow (left) and the Dallas Stars have scored five goals in their last four games against goalie Chris Osgood and the Detroit Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings don't always close the deal when they are the best team in the league. But here's what columnist Tim Cowlishaw likes and doesn't like about the Dallas Stars' chances in their Western Conference finals series that starts tonight (6:30 p.m. Versus)
• Have Versus?
• Game 1 preview
 Tell Us: Prediction?
Blog: Dallas Stars

05/06/2008

Dallas Mavericks boxing themselves in with Carlisle

Getty Images

Rick Carlisle coached the Detroit Pistons to consecutive 50-win seasons and had a 61-win season with Indiana.

Rick Carlisle isn't a bad choice to be the next coach of the Dallas Mavericks. But one of the good things about Mark Cuban as an owner is that he thinks outside the box. Carlisle is not an outside-the-box pick, Tim Cowlishaw writes. He's a logical retread hire.
• Sides getting closer to deal
Blog: Dallas Mavericks

05/05/2008

Stand-up act: Turco saves Dallas Stars' night

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco makes a kick save in the first period of overtime, one of his 61 saves in the game.

Captain Brenden Morrow redirected a pass from Stephane Robidas for a power-play goal into the fourth overtime Sunday night to lift the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 series-clinching victory over San Jose. The biggest winner on the ice had to be Marty Turco, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw.
Video: Winner (NHL.com)
Video: Fans react
 Tell Us: Best OT win?
Photos: Game 6
Blog: Dallas Stars
• Schedule
• Detroit is next

05/03/2008

Dallas Stars find out Sharks still have plenty of bite
The suffocation of the San Jose Sharks appeared to be complete.

A bad call – and a bad rule – costs Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars were victims of a bad call when a goal was disallowed in their Game 5 loss to San Jose, columnist Tim Cowlishaw writes, but the rule is illogical to begin with.

04/30/2008

Dallas Mavericks not likely to rise in West for a while

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Columnist Tim Cowlishaw writes that Avery Johnson (above) tuned out his players as much as they tuned him out.

Whatever happens next, it won't put the Dallas Mavericks back on the level of championship contenders, Tim Cowlishaw writes. Bringing in Jeff Van Gundy would help, but this isn't going to be a 60-win team again any time soon.
Audio: Avery reacts (103.3 FM ESPN)
 Tell Us: Right move?
Video: Players | Tim MacMahon
 Photos: Avery Johnson
Blog: Dallas Mavericks

Maybe it's just in the Stars this time

VERNON BRYANT / DMN

Dallas Stars center Mike Ribeiro (right) watches the winning goal hit the net in overtime.

Things are rolling the Dallas Stars' way, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. They haven't been decisively better than San Jose in any game in this series, but because they have consistently been just a little better, they own a 3-0 series lead after Tuesday's 2-1 overtime victory.
• Game 4 preview
Photos: Game 3
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/28/2008

Tiny dose of Zubov gives Dallas Stars a boost

G.J. McCARTHY / DMN

Stephane Robidas (right) pats Dallas Stars teammate Sergei Zubov during Game 2.

The Dallas Stars got about 50 percent of what a healthy Sergei Zubov can usually provide them Sunday night. Even that was enough for Dallas to take control of this second-round series with a convincing 5-2 victory, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw.
 Tell Us: Top forward?
Photos: Game 2
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/26/2008

Time for Zubov to return to action for Dallas Stars
Stars coach Dave Tippett has a keen sense of history, and by history I mean he knows what happened here two weeks ago.

Dallas Stars make shots count
Game 1 of the Stars-Sharks series was clearly less physical than anything the teams had to fight through in their first-round series wins over the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames.

04/24/2008

Older Turco gives Dallas Stars a new wrinkle

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco allowed only one goal in two of his last three playoff games.

When the Dallas Stars last ventured into the second round five years ago, it was with a different goaltender, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. It was Marty Turco, but he's different. The Marty Turco who will face San Jose on Friday night (9 p.m. Versus) is a mentally stronger player.
Video: Steve Ott
• Series preview
• Game 1 preview
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/21/2008

Robidas the Dallas Stars' unlikely Game 6 hero

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas (right) scores his team's first goal in Game 6.

Stephane Robidas is not the likeliest of heroes, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. But injuries have forced the entire Dallas Stars' defensive corps to move up a notch. Nobody moved up in a bigger, more significant way than Robidas did early in the third period.
Photos: Game 6
Blog: Dallas Stars
 Tell Us: Desired foe?
 Tell Us: Series MVP?

04/20/2008

Dallas Stars' young defensemen could decide series
The Stars' young defensemen, extended in minutes beyond their years all season because of injuries, could be on their last gasp, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw.

04/19/2008

Stats don't stand up for Dallas Stars in loss

Press-Enterprise

Dallas' Mattias Norstrom (left) takes the brunt of a hit by Anaheim's Chris Kunitz.

The meaningfulness of statistics can be short-lived in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Tim Cowlishaw writes. The Stars, the best power-play team in the playoffs (or so the numbers said through four games), couldn't score when given five man-advantage chances before the Ducks got their first in Friday night's 5-2 loss.
• Stars can't close out Ducks
  Photos: Game 5
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/16/2008

Schedule, not venue, will help Dallas Stars

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Mike Ribeiro (center) and Brenden Morrow (right) finally gave the home fans something to cheer about in the third period of Game 3.

In the National Hockey League, there is no home-ice advantage, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. But despite the defeat in Game 3, the Dallas Stars remain in excellent shape in this series entering tonight's Game 4 at American Airlines Center (7 p.m., Ch. 27). The schedule-maker has helped their cause.
• Game 4 preview
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/11/2008

Not much buzz, but good vibrations for Dallas Mavericks

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points in Dallas' playoff-berth clinching victory, including the winning 3-pointer.

The Dallas Mavericks have punched their ticket. And for some reason, Tim Cowlishaw writes, it feels like a winning ticket. The playoffs are coming, and the Mavericks are coming on.
 Tell Us: Like the Mavericks' chances?
Blog: Dallas Mavericks

04/08/2008

Knock on Texas Rangers could be the hitting

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

Texas Rangers outfielder Milton Bradley sits in the dust after being called out at home.

For their home opener, the Texas Rangers didn't get the kind of pitching they had on their opening road trip in a 8-1 loss to Baltimore. That's too bad, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. They did, however, get the kind of hitting they had for much of the road trip. And that's bad, too.
Video: Outside | Inside
Photos: Game | Fans
 Tell Us: Is this the year?
 Blog: Texas Rangers

04/06/2008

Carl Edwards was flippin' good in TMS win

TOM FOX / DMN

Carl Edwards flips to celebrate his Sprint Cup victory at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Carl Edwards came to Texas Motor Speedway without his crew chief and with a 100-point penalty that had him on the outside of the top 12 looking in. Then he went out and did what he has done at intermediate tracks all year: He dominated the Samsung 500, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw.
• Durrett
• More coverage
Photos: Samsung 500

04/05/2008

Earnhardt's got more going for him than a name

TOM FOX / DMN

As important as it is to accumulate points, the Sprint Cup Series is still about winning. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gone 68 Cup races without a win, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. Texas Motor Speedway would be a fitting place to end the streak in Sunday's Samsung 500 (2 p.m. Ch. 4).
Photos: Sat. at TMS
• Lineup | Notebook

04/01/2008

For Dallas Mavericks, it's playoffs or bust

JOHN F. RHODES / DMN

The Dallas Mavericks hope to have the injured Dirk Nowitzki (right) back in the lineup soon.

There are fans and followers of the Dallas Mavericks who contend that missing the playoffs and getting a lottery pick is better than landing the seventh or eighth seed and getting bounced in the first round. Columnist Tim Cowlishaw doesn't buy it.
 Tell Us: Playoffs or lottery?
• Dirk's status
Blog: Dallas Mavericks

03/30/2008

Texas Rangers need to get ready for their close-up

AP

Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young (left) had a .315 batting average last year.

It's looking like it won't be long until the Texas Rangers have the local pro sports stage to themselves, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. The season that opens for them today (5:40 p.m., FSNSW) in Seattle has a familiar look. Do the Rangers really have enough starting pitching to become a competitive team?
 Scouting report
 Preview section
Blog: Texas Rangers

03/29/2008

Average would be a good starting point for Texas Rangers
The good news is that the Rangers will make real progress in 2008, which, in this century, means they will be average. Texas has reached the .500 mark only once in eight seasons. An 81-81 season will tell us that hope is somewhere around the corner.

03/26/2008

The seeds likely to succeed in the Sweet 16

Getty Images

South Oak Cliff graduate Darrell Arthur (00) and Kansas face Villanova on Friday.

The third round of the men's basketball tournament is the best, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. And with all four No. 1 seeds alive, it's time to rank the Ones most likely to survive the weekend and the four lower seeds most likely to advance.
• Schedule | Bracket
 Tell Us: Top No. 1?
Blog: Colleges

03/17/2008

Replacing Teixeira will be tough for Texas Rangers

AP

Ben Broussard is one of the first baseman options for the Texas Rangers.

Columnist Tim Cowlishaw is interested in how the Texas Rangers will replace former first baseman Mark Teixeira. Teixeira was the best hitter on the team. He was an exceptional fielder. Apparently, it will take a village.
Blog: Colleges

03/25/2008

Trades haven't paid off for Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks

DMN

The Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavericks have had trouble winning after the acquisitions of Brad Richards (left) and Jason Kidd (right).

If it's true that sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw, what does that imply about what can go wrong with deals that actually get done? Fans of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars know all about failed deals right now.

03/15/2008

Texas Rangers have 30-30 vision for Kinsler

AP

Ian Kinsler is congratulated after one of his 20 home runs last season. The Rangers believe he's capable of 30 homers and 30 stolen bases.

Some thought Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was crazy when he traded Alfonso Soriano - the only 30-30 player in franchise history - after the 2005 season, writes Tim Cowlishaw. They didn't realize Texas might have a 30 homer-30 stolen base player ready to step in - Ian Kinsler.
Blog: Texas Rangers

03/12/2008

Hope is the only ace in the Texas Rangers' rotation

AP

Texas Rangers catcher Gerald Laird chats with pitcher Vicente Padilla, one of many in the rotation battling injuries.

Texas Rangers fans endured another last-place finish in '07 because the team had the worst starting pitching in the American League, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. It has a chance to be healthier and better in '08, but you really have to question just how much of a difference that improvement would make and how likely that is to happen.
Video: Spring training
Blog: Texas Rangers

03/08/2008

Texas loses players, but Barnes keeps winning

AP

Rick Barnes (left) talks with Connor Atchley during a game in January.

It's amazing how much Rick Barnes has learned about basketball in a year's time, writes DMN columnist Tim Cowlishaw. Twelve months ago, Barnes was the guy who couldn't coach Kevin Durant. Now he's the guy who's about to win the Big 12 title without him. Texas faces Oklahoma State today (3 p.m., ESPN).
 Blog: Colleges

03/04/2008

Expect Dallas Mavericks to soon show value of Kidd deal

AP

Jason Kidd has given the Mavericks a new dimension.

The original critics of the Jason Kidd deal surely feel that the Dallas Mavericks' 4-4 record since they made the move validates their argument. That's nonsense, Tim Cowlishaw writes.
Blog: Dallas Mavericks

03/03/2008

Patriots benefit most in deal with Randy Moss

AP

Randy Moss (right) had 23 touchdowns and 98 catches in his first season in New England.

The New England Patriots needed Randy Moss more than he needed them, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. The deal, which got done Monday, is for a reported $27 million over three years. It's a good move for Moss. But it's a better deal for the Patriots.

03/01/2008

That's some O-ffense for the Dallas Stars
When you get into the final 15 regular-season games, your toughest opponents sometimes aren't the NHL's elite but the bubble teams trying to claw their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. The fact remains that your Dallas Stars have become one finely tuned O-ffensive (that's how folks from Prince Edward Island say "offensive") machine.

02/27/2008

Dallas Stars' move shows team's desire to win now

AP

Brad Richards (left) leaves Martin St. Louis and the Lightning to work with Mike Modano and the Dallas Stars.

There are many ways to look at deadline deals in the NHL, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. The trade the Dallas Stars made to get forward Brad Richards probably has more cons than pros, and yet it's something they almost certainly needed to do in their desperation to advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
• Heika | Taylor | Stars win
Blog: Dallas Stars

04/27/2008

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