TSP- July 2010

Mr. Tankless

JULY 2010FREE

All Texas All Sports All the Time

MLB DRAFT sees LocAL sTuDenTs

BecoMe sTARs

SPECIALEDITION[ [

Publisher: Heath Samples

Editor: Heath [email protected]

Sports Information Director: "The Truth" Justin Fultz [email protected]

Contributing Writers: Justin Fultz, Taylor Gaspar, TJ Greaney, Timothy Jenkins-Wade, Colby May, Corey Poché, Heath Samples, Ryne St. John

Graphic Design: Abby Pound

Sales: Magan "Mae Mae" [email protected]

To advertise in Texas Sports Pro, call 972.567.0970. For editorial comments/suggestions, email [email protected].

Volume 1, Edition 4Copyright 2010 Texas Sports Pro. All rights reserved. Texas Sports Pro is published monthly. Views expressed in Texas Sports Pro are not necessarily the opinion of Texas Sports Pro, its staff, or advertisers.

Texas Sports Pro does not knowlingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising, nor is Texas Sports Pro responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Texas Sports Pro may be used for reproduction without permission from the publisher. Texas Sports Pro is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

Contact Us:Main Number 972.567.0970Fax Number 512.244.362312343 Hymeadow Dr. Ste. 2EAustin, TX 78750

03

the line-up

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Friends, thanks for picking us up again. So much has transpired since last month it seems difficult to recall it all. Nonetheless, we must take a quick moment to remember perhaps the most iconic sports figure of all time in John Wooden. Check out our Blitz section for a quick reminder of why we should pay homage to the man. He earned it.

Also, if you missed it, there was this whole conference realignment thing that went down…or didn’t. There’s still a Big 12, and most of your teams are probably still in it—unless you’re a Denver or Omaha native. And regardless of whether or not you’re pro-Big 12 or wish your team had packed up and moved out West (or East for our College Station brethren), what remains in the conference is viable. At least for now. Personally, I was all about conference expansion and seeing a move towards a playoff system. If I’m 50 and we still don’t have one, I’ll be pointing to the words of ESPN Austin’s Erin Hogan as he proclaimed last month that if we don’t see a playoff system—this summer’s conference realignment final result will be the reason.

Nonetheless, how are you doing, Austin? Shoot me an email at [email protected] and let me know what’s going on in your world! We are all about being local here at TSP. Also, check us out on Facebook and Twitter when you get a chance! We post all kinds of media content on a regular basis, as well as let you know when we will be at Twin Peaks for their bikini contests… which reminds me, come out on July 6th to the Austin Twin Peaks location and July 12th to the Round Rock location for our official Texas Sports Pro release parties! It will assuredly be a good time.

Thanks and Gig ‘Em,

Heath SamplesEditor, Texas Sports [email protected]

BLITZTHE

As the Rangers cling to their lead in the AL West, they look to add some offense as well as pitching. Look for the names Conor Jackson, Mike Lowell & Jose Guillen to come up as the Rangers seek a right-handed hitter. Also, Orioles Ty Wiggington and RHP Jeremy Guthrie may peak the Rangers interest. Big names like Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are still very real possibilities—especially if the Rangers can figure out a way to complete a sale of the club.

Yao had opted-in on the fifth and final year of his Rocket contract for next season. He will make $17.7 million. Considering his injury-ridden past and the fact that he’s never been anything other than a Rocket, opting-in makes perfect sense. If the team can land a big name free agent, Yao's return becomes even more sensational, and perhaps Houston can make a push in the West.

Recruiting has always been the strong arm of Mack Brown’s operation here in Austin, and this recruiting season has been no different than its predecessors. He landed his 22nd commitment recently in Quincy Russell (4-Star, DT, San Antonio). Now, Brown must decide who to sign with the Longhorns final slots. Malcolm Brown and Aaron Green are the #2 and #3 RB’s in the state, respectively and are most likely simply waiting on each other to make a move… at least one of them should be speaking with Mack very soon…

Calvin Watkins of ESPN-Dallas states, "The man [Bryant] has to beat out -- Roy Williams -- is determined not to have another bad season. If Bryant comes off the bench, it's no big deal. The top three receivers will all see extensive playing time, including Patrick Crayton. It's easy to get excited about Bryant after watching him in practice. Once the games begin, that's the real test. Wide receivers normally struggle their rookie year. ... On this team, if Williams excels, it will be difficult to see Bryant moving up."

THE BLITZ

UFC/STARS/OUTDOORS

IN THE 512

TSP APPROVED

NFL

MLB & MINORS

CALENDAR

SPECIALS

COLLEGE SPORTS

FEATUREMLB Draft

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John Wooden passed away on June 4th, 2010 at the fulfilling age of 99. Most people would be happy simply being remembered; but coach Wooden’s legacy will go down as the greatest and possibly most successful in sports history.

Let us start by recalling his unprecedented 10 NCAA championships, including seven consecutive from (1966-73). The man also compiled thirty-eight straight NCAA tournament victories, as well as four 30-0 seasons with two back to back. Wooden was the first person inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and coach. In 2003, President George W. Bush presented Wooden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian. The NCAA has named one of their most coveted awards after him... the John Wooden Award goes to the most valuable player in both men’s and women’s collegiate basketball.

Even with a resume like that, the reality is that Wooden will be remembered more for his love, compassion, and drive to help others reach their full potential and be better people, than he will be for his accolades on the court.

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your

reputation is merely what others think you are.”

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”

“Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”

In the 1930’s Wooden was inspired by a poem. “No written word, no spoken plea, can teach our youth what they should be. Nor all the books on all the shelves, it’s what the teachers are themselves.” This made a lasting impression on him that helped him define success and create his famous Pyramid of Success. To this day Coach Wooden’s pyramid is the foundation of several of the biggest companies in the country.

In parting, I think we need to take a page out of Coach Wooden’s book and take a good long look at athletics today. Wooden coached from 1948-1975 at UCLA. His first four seasons he finished in the top four. The following four seasons he only placed once. His next five he averaged third in conference and only averaged seventeen wins and didn’t come close to the championship. If this happened now, he would have been fired and we would have missed out on the

most dominate fourteen years in sports history only missing a top four finish once. I understand money and success drives this train, but maybe a good man should be given more of a chance considering how many coaches leave schools under scrutiny because of their shadiness.

We here at Texas Sports Pro say thank you to Coach John Wooden. Thank you for all that you have given this sport, but more importantly thank you for helping endless generations strive to be better within. You’re legacy of greatness will be eternal.

JUSTIN FULTZ

Last of the Legacies?

04 www.TexasSportsPro.com

OUTDOORS WITH TJ GREANEY

UFC 116 PREVIEW HOCKEY TExAs sTARs

I could never figure out how our current president was going to generate millions of new jobs, green jobs. It all sounds nice, but I just could not see millions of folks building and installing solar screens on houses, changing out toilets or working on the giant wind turbines in West Texas.

Turns out I was right. The whole green energy movement is falling apart. Billionaire and businessman T. Boone Pickens spent $60 million of his own money buying advertising across the country to promote wind energy. He has millions tied up in the big wind turbines and has hundreds of them “in his garage.” Millions and millions of dollars invested in materials and land leases, but it is not going to happen, not right now. This is a guy who knows the industry, knows how to make money and has proven it over and over again.

I was reading recently that there is a global cooling going on right now. You would not know that by the mercury in my outside

thermometer today, but, statistically, it has been cooling down.The Big 8 Summit is where all the biggest countries come together to work on mutual projects to better the world. They flat out dumped the global warming hoax out the back door. This is all that crazy and expensive stuff that has earned Al Gore a huge home, a private plane and a rock star world tour lifestyle.

Greenpeace activists were recently arrested for hanging a banner on Mount Rushmore. The banner asked Obama to step up to the plate and lead on the global warming front. This came just one day after the Big 8 rejected the hype. If Greenpeace really wanted to make a difference, they could build water cisterns for elk in the park or replant native grasses. They could work with Texas Parks and Wildlife coordinating efforts to monitor fish kills caused by toxic golden alga or a hundred other constructive hands on projects. These things will cause change and create a greener, better world.

Next you can see the price of gas is going up. Depending on whom you ask, the reasons vary. But what most people do know is that the government is trying to get us all in smaller vehicles and they are forcing the automakers to add equipment to every vehicle that can be very expensive. Problem here is if you look around in rural America, small cars won’t get the job done. They won’t.

I am a conservationist and care for people. I spend a lot of time managing wildlife populations, feeding the hungry and caring for the land and waters I frequent. I spend a lot of time teaching kids how to harvest foods and care for the ranches and parks they visit. I dare say I may do more hands-on work, more conservation work that improves the planet and helps the animals, including humans, than most of the PETA or the National Wildlife Association volunteers.

You see, it is about getting your hands

dirty. It is about personally experiencing the lifecycle and how land reacts to our use. God made this really neat little system of checks and balances that work. Expending energy and money on a banner hanging from Mount Rushmore is never going to do what a well in Africa or a field of native grass will do. Long-term results, planning and careful thought.

Most of the folks I know who do conservation work do it for the love of the land and animals that live there. They don’t care about media attention; they care about nature. They care about teaching kids how to get out there and do something good for the planet, never looking for a pat on the back. They do it because it is right. What are you doing today?

TJ GREANEY

Finally. It’s here. Brock Lesnar makes his much anticipated return to the Octagon in an attempt to defend his title against 12-0 Shane Carwin. This is perhaps one of the most sought-after fights to come around in awhile. A year in the making since Lesnar’s exit, these pillars of UFC competition clash on July 3rd, and everyone around the world will be watching.

A few quick notes for you to soak-up until the fight:

-Carwin has dominated each of his 12 opponents in less than a round.

-Lesnar destroyed both Randy Couture and Frank Mir in similar respectable fashion.

-International fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama is unbeaten since 2005 and will take on “The Crippler” Chris Leben in the middleweight bout.

TIMOTHY JENKINS-WADE

Although the Texas Stars attempt at the Calder Cup fell just short as they lost Game 6 of the Finals to Hershey, the greater Austin area thanks the team and organization for the spectacle they put on over the past several weeks.

The Stars were by no means favorites to advance as far as they did, and had it not been for the gallant play of guys like Brent Krahn, Perttu Lindgren, Jamie Benn, Matt Climie, and Andrew Hutchinson—just to name a few—Austin would not have been blessed by the exuberance of true-to-form ice hockey.

Already, folks are looking forward to next season, as you can purchase or renew full season tickets anytime. Also, the Dallas Stars selected several standouts in the recent NHL draft that will assuredly at some point find their way to Cedar Park. Jack Campbell, the best goalie in the draft, was taken by Dallas with the 11th overall pick. He stands 6’3’’, 175 lbs, and has played at a very high-level of competition for as long as anyone can remember. Most recently, he was winning games for the US under-18

national team… and the under-20 national team…

In addition to Campbell, the Stars selected Patrik Nemeth (Defenseman), Alexander

Guptill (Left Wing), Alex Theriau ( D e f e n s e m a n ) , John Klingberg (Defenseman).

2010-11 Season ticket packages to see the Texas Stars play in their second season at the Cedar Park Center are on sale now. For more information on Texas Stars season tickets call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit www.TexasStarsHockey.com. Anyone

interested in purchasing season tickets, suites, group tickets or mini-plans may call the Texas Stars front office.


Cedar Park Came AliveBrock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

Green Projects Turn Brown on the Vine

05

512in the( )

Christina and friends

Ryan Jason Blackmon Golf Tournament

104.9 The Horn had their crew out at Falcon Head Golf Course for the 2nd annual Chip Shot Open, benefitting Austin Sunshine Camps.

www.TexasSportsPro.com

Fight Night at Twin Peaks Round Rock

Hacker Invitational

ESPN AustinChip Shot Open

Chip & Taylor

Clark & Lisa Blackmon

Pedro Rivera, Heath Martin,Allen Mills & Brandon Griffin

Richard Kate, Steve Jones Jr., Chris Dikeman, Steve Jones Sr.

Jacob &Sam

Carlos Pedroza & Luis Rojas

Central Texas Harley folks

Steven, Chris, Brent & Robert

Founder EG and Bryan from Teravista

UFC 114 jumped off the screen at Twin Peaks on the 12th. Join the girls every month for your UFC coverage.

The Ryan J. Blackmon Golf Tournament had everything from barbecue to a vendor park, and excellent golf. Founders Clark and Lisa were joined by many of Austin's great strokers.

The Hacker Invitational at Teravista was a blast for all who participated. The tournament supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation and breast cancer research.


G

Don't just root for your favorite team, brand their logo on your dog's ass. Okay, so maybe you should not brand your dog's ass with your teams logo and we do not in anyway endorse pain being inflicted on man's best friends no matter how many times they chew your favorite shoes or crap on your new rug, but definitely your favorite cut of meat will seem just a little jucier and tastier with your alma mater's logo on it. www.grillaccessories.com 35.00

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Dyson Air Multiplier fans work differently

than conventional fans. They use Air Multiplier™ technology to draw in air and amplify it – from 15 to

18 times, depending on the model. With no blades or grill, they’re safe and easy to clean. And they produce an uninterrupted stream of smooth air, with no unpleasant buffeting. I still don't know exactly what buffeting is but it sounds like it would be unpleasant-darn you regular fans for buffeting my air!- but I would drop 3 benjamins on one based on the cool factor.www.Dyson.com 299.99

>>Dyson Air Multiplier

TSP-Approved

TuneBug turns almost anything into a flat panel speaker for your cellphone or iPod. Just plug

the Tunebug into your device and lay it on any flat surface and voila, you can be jamming in no

time. Haven't found enough ways to annoy the guy sitting next to you at Starbucks drinking a Venti

latte' wearing a turtleneck with your cell phone?..download "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi and turn your table into a huge flat panel speaker and blair it. So maybe I need to lay off the Espresso and download some Barry Manilow and chill...just kidding, Rock n Roll! www.tunebug.com 69.95

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NFL NFLcoWboYs TExANsHouston's Three-Headed MonsterUnnecessary Pressure

So I think it’s about time we all back off a bit and let Dez be Dez. Since being drafted, he has been both drug in the mud and anointed the second coming. Let’s review the past few months for Bryant, shall we?

1) He’s had to deal with the arduous draft process where you are poked, prodded and ridiculed for every misstep in every route you have ever taken. 2) He had a Miami Dolphin official ask if his mother was a prostitute, and in turn, the official then blamed Dez for the entire to-do.3) Dez’ draft day finally arrived and the biggest and hopefully longest lasting chip on his shoulder is placed, as he slid near the end of the first round and was not the first receiver taken. (This has proven well in the past for many of the greats, only time will tell). 4) Next, he was drafted by one of the more hated teams in the NFL and compared to one of the most productive players in the game in Randy Moss. 5) He’s given the #88 to sport as a Dallas Cowboy…talk about expectation…6) Finally, Dez now has several veterans at his position who are pissed, simply because he was drafted.

All of that being said, I think we can all agree that when you officially become a professional athlete, you are going to be paid a lot of money and even more expectations

will be added and rightly so, because this is a business. I don’t have a problem doing what needs to be done to find the true nature of anyone you are spending millions on, but where does the integrity line get drawn or does it even exist when this much money is involved?

I typically don’t like telling people to only think my way, but I plea for everyone to stop comparing Dez to Randy Moss. Seriously. The only similarity is that before they got drafted, too many teams focused on their off-the-field problems and neglected their overwhelming talent. If you are going to compare Dez Bryant to anyone, try Anquan Boldin. They both share a similar frame, technique, style and internal motor. Williams has really sucked it up these last two seasons but Tony Romo hasn’t helped very much. If you go back and look at tape, Romo consistently put Williams out to dry way to many times. I know he drops a lot but I think it’s more 50/50 than most of the media portrays. And that is the truth.

JUSTIN FULTZ

When the Houston Texans selected Steve Slaton with a 3rd round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, they thought they had found their complementary back and hopefully the heir apparent. What they didn’t expect was for him to take over the starting role, rack up 1,600 total yards with 10 touchdowns. It is a dream come true for any team to find that kind of production out of their 1st round pick, much less their 3rd rounder. Unfortunately, that came out of nowhere as Slaton suffered from one of the worst sophomore slumps in a long time. He rushed for only 437 yards, suffered from a bad case of the dropsies, and then actually suffered a neck injury which sidelined him for the last 5 games. The Texans didn’t want to risk another poor running season and spent a 2nd rounder on Ben Tate out of Auburn. They had their sights on Ryan Mathews from Fresno State, but the Chargers made a huge leap in the draft to take him to replace the departed LaDainian Tomlinson. With Tate coming in, Slaton hopefully bouncing back, and Arian Foster who performed decently in the absence of Slaton, the Texans have actually created a running back by committee.

Tate Transitioning

I found it odd that the Texans’ blocking scheme worked so well for Slaton in his rookie season. Their offensive line relies

on a back that makes one move and hits the hole that they create. Slaton is more of a finesse running back who likes to make people miss, so I thought he would have a slight learning curve in trying to hit the hole sooner than he was used to. He learned the system at a steady pace and was able to produce very quickly. Insert Ben Tate, who is the ideal type for a “one cut” system. The problem with Tate though, which I think he will get over quickly, is he tried being too fancy while at Auburn.

Foster: Texan for “Steady”

Arian Foster was a solid back-up and spot starter last year, but I don’t think he has the ability to carry a starting load, thus the Texans urgency to add another running back. Foster is the type that doesn’t bring the “wow” factor to anything he does, but he just comes in, punches his time card, keeps his mouth shut, does his job, and then times out. It’s something that you like to see coming off your bench, but in the NFL, you need that “wow” factor out of your starting running back. That factor is something that most teams have, but a good number of teams still lack that person in their backfield.

COREY POCHE


MLB

MINORS

RANGERs

ExPREssRing, Ring in Round Rock: Express Standouts Called-Up

The Return of the Great Hambino

MINORS REdHAWks

Prospect Pool Running Dry?With the rapid success of Alexi Ugando with the Rangers, it just seems that their farm system keeps producing prospect after prospect. Ranger fans always hear the big names like Tanner Scheppers and Martin Perez, and then a guy like Ugando comes around, which makes you scratch your head. However, it seems as if the Rangers have scraped off everything at the bottom of the pot. Scheppers and Pedro Strop (who has already seen a short stint in the majors) are the only other two likely candidates to see a promotion pitching-wise in the near future. Perez currently has a 5.67 ERA in Double-A Frisco, so it may be a little longer before we see him in a Rangers uniform. Hitting-wise, Chris Davis is tearing it up, but still fighting off the strikeout bug. With the way that Max Ramirez and Matt

Treanor (dang, he has a hot wife-- how does he do it?) are playing, it doesn’t appear Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden will be going anywhere soon. The pot appears to be getting very bare, so it will

rely on the players taken in the draft to start producing. And to think that if we didn’t have a crappy ex-owner in Tom Hicks, Matt Purke (TCU) would be dominating in Oklahoma City right now instead of Omaha.

COREY POCHE

Photo courtesy mlblogs.com

Ever since Hamilton set his 28 home run record in the first round of the 2008 Home Run Derby, it appeared as if he was in a near two year slump. Hamilton went through a number of injuries that derailed any progress out of the derby slump, and now injury concerns were beginning to become a part of the slump mix.

Keep It Rolling

Now we are wondering if this streak of his will stop. Recently, Hamilton was hitting .476, raising his batting average to .339 for the year, with 8 home runs, and 26 RBIs in 20 games in the month of June. So what might the answer be to all of his hitting woes? It was pointed out more prominently on Baseball Tonight, but it’s pretty clear to see when you look at it: it was just a simple changing of his timing mechanism when he swings. They pointed out how his timing mechanism was too long, and thus he was late on a lot of his swings. He simplified his approach with only one tap of his foot, and now he is back to his pre-home run derby form. His hitting has rubbed off on nearly everyone as Julio Borbon, who was invisible at the beginning of the year, is now hitting close to .300, Michael Young is hitting the ball out more often, and even Justin Smoak

is starting to come around as well.

Finances Hinder Ace-Hunting

While the sale of the Rangers still seems near impossible in the foreseeable future, it doesn’t look like they will be getting any pitching help from outside of the organization. With the financial situation the Rangers are currently in, the only way they can acquire a player is if it is an equal salary swap. While the bullpen is still looking very strong, injuries to Rich Harden (go figure, right?) and Derek Holland, the rotation is starting to become decimated. When the Rangers have the middle of the batting order of Kinsler, Guerrero, Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz every game, pitching becomes less of a concern. Now, if the Rangers could ever find an ace to their rotation (I wouldn’t consider Millwood an ace and Harden can’t get through 6 innings) the Rangers could be a deadly team. If only Tom Hicks didn’t have his head up his ass for the past couple of years… Either way, the Great Hambino is back and any opposing pitcher should now be scared.

COREY POCHE

After their mid-June matchup with the Rangers, Astros GM Ed Wade announced that several Round Rock Express players were being brought up to The Big Show. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois, catcher Jason Castro and infielder Chris Johnson are all Astros now, following their significant impacts thus far into the AAA season. Bourgeois has been the best hitter for the Express all season, even entertaining a 17-game hit streak at one point. Castro looks to be the Astros’ catcher of the future, and at only 23, has plenty of time for improvement.

Other Moves

To make room for the Express-men, the Astros designated the following irrelevants for assignment: catcher Kevin Cash, right-handed pitcher Casey Daigle and outfielder Cory Sullivan. Also, outfielder David Cook has been promoted to Round Rock from Double-A Corpus Christi. Look for him to get some plate appearances for the Express.


11th Annual Senior High School All-Star Baseball Game

Laura Anderson, Amanda Glasscock, & baby Tye at his first game

Bob Plauck & Jeanette JensenOn June 14th, the Dell Diamond hosted the 11th annual Senior High School All-Star Baseball Game. Seniors statewide competed for the North vs. South Championship.


Let the Fire Sale BeginMLBAsTRos

The days of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are long gone. Your dad’s teams of Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott are a distant memory. What is the common theme of these two sentences? Both of them contain a solid two-man foundation. The Astros thought they had found that in Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman; however, what they forgot to do was to surround those standouts with quality players who would help them. It’s like watching a better version of the Cleveland Indians teams in the Major League movies. Michael Bourn is like Willie “Mays” Hayes, Berkman is Jack Parkman off the second movie, Matt Lindstrom as Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, and Carlos Lee plays the role of Pedro Cerrano (without the voodoo). I mean the similarities are almost endless, which is not a good thing at all. When you are battling the PITTSBURGH PIRATES for staying out of last place, you know you have a problem. The bigger problem for the Astros though? The Pirates actually have a better future outlook than the Astros do. With a farm system that is lacking everything and a major league team that is in ruins, there is only one thing the Lastros can do: get to work on the farm.

Roy, Lance & Lindsay Lohan

Never in Astros’ fans wildest d r e a m s - - o r nightmares for that matter--would they have ever seen Bagwell or Biggio get traded away. Fast forward to present day and Oswalt’s name is getting tossed around more than Lindsay Lohan’s at an AA meeting. Berkman has been a little quieter on the Western front, but hitters don’t start coming up until it gets closer to the trade deadline. These two alone could net you at least 5-6 prospects combined. The Rangers would be the prime candidate to target in trading Oswalt away, but with the sale of that team being declined earlier this week, it appears the Rangers are off the market. Even though Oswalt and Berkman are the faces of this downtrodden franchise,

at some point General Manager Ed Wade has to see those faces are starting to fade with every loss. Carlos Lee could be another name that could be dealt, but I only see an American League team in need of a designated hitter going after him. The Astros can get away with starting Lee in left field due to the very short home run porch they have out there. While Lee does have decent speed, being away from the Astros field for half of the year would wear him down quickly. If the Astros get rid of those 3 players,

net themselves about 7 prospects between the 3, flop on this season giving them the 2nd draft pick (it would be near impossible to be worse than the Baltimore Orioles) in next year’s draft, and you are looking at a rebuilt

squad.

Take Notes from the Nationals?

All the Astros have to do is look at the Nationals. They appeared to be just another washed up expansion team, made some good signings, caught the 1st overall

pick back to back in maybe the best tandem you could have ever found (Stephen Strausburg and Bryce Harper), and are now in good shape. No one knows who may be the top pick two to three years from now, but I have to say I like the odds on a star. While even the 1st pick is sometimes a crap shoot, the names of Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, Joe Mauer, and Justin Upton, to name a few, are all franchise players. The Astros NEED to rebuild and they have to start rebuilding NOW.

COREY POCHE

Photo courtesy wordpress.com

Oswalt's name is getting tossed around

more than Lindsay Lohan's at an AA

meeting.

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Sports Calendar Astros @ Padres 9:05pm FSHExpress @ MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros @ Padres 3:05pm FSHExpress vs. MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Express vs. MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros vs. Pirates 7:05pm FSHExpress vs. MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros vs. Pirates 7:05pm FSHExpress vs. MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Rangers vs. Orioles 7:05pm FSSWAstros vs. Pirates 1:05pm FSH

Rangers vs. Orioles 2:05pm FSSWAstros vs. Cardinals 1:05pm FSH Express @ ALB 8:05pm MiLBtv

Astros @ Pirates 12 :35pm FSHExpress @ ALB 7:05pm MiLBtv

Rangers @ Tigers 6:05pm FSSWExpress vs. NEW 7:05pm MiLBtv



Express vs. NEW 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros vs. Reds 1:05pm FSHExpress vs. IOW 7:05pm MiLBtv Astros vs. Cubs 7:05pm FSH

Rangers vs. Athletics 7:05pm FSSWAstros vs. Cubs 7:05pm FSH

Rangers vs. Athletics 7:05pm FSSWAstros vs. Cubs 1:05pm FSH

9:05pm, FSSW

7:05pm, FSSW 7:05pm, FSSW

vs.7:05pm, FSSW 7:05pm, MiLBtv

vs.

7:05pm, MiLBtv

Rangers vs. Athletics 7:05pm FSSW

vs. vs.7:05pm, FSSW

vs.

7:05pm, MiLBtv

vs.

6:10pm, FSSW

@

12:35pm, FSSW@

7:05pm, FSH@

7:05pm, FSH@

1:20pm, FSH@ @

7:05pm, FSSW

7:05pm, FSSW@ vs.

7:05pm, MiLBtv

@11:05am, MiLBtv

@7:05pm, MiLBtv

@

@

25

8 9 10

15 16 17

22 23 24

Astros @ Padres 9:05pm FSHExpress @ MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros @ Padres 9:05pm FSH Express @ MEM 7:05pm MiLBtv

Rangers vs. White Sox 7:05pm FSSW Astros @ Padres 7:35pm FSHExpress @ MEM 6:05pm MiLBtvAztex vs. Puerto Rico 7:30pm

Rangers vs. Orioles 7:05pm FSSWAstros vs. Pirates 1:05pm FSH

Rangers vs. Orioles 7:05pm TXA-21Astros vs. Cardinals 7:05pm FSHAztex @ Rochester 6:30pm Rangers vs. Orioles 7:05pm FSSW

Astros vs. Cardinals 6:05pm FSH

Express @ ALB 8:05pm MiLBtv

Astros @ Pirates 6:05pm FSHExpress @ ALB 8:05pm MiLBtv

Astros @ Pirates 6:05pm FSHExpress @ ALB 8:05pm MiLBtvAztex vs. AC St. Louis 7:30pm

Express vs. NEW 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros vs. Reds 7:05pm FSHExpress vs. IOW 7:05pm MiLBtv

Astros vs. Reds 6:05pm FSHExpress vs. IOW 7:05pm MiLBtv

1 2 39:05pm, FSSW 7:05pm, TXA-21 PPV-Live

vs. @

7:05pm, MiLBtv

vs.

7:05pm, TXA-21 7:05pm, FSSW

29 30

Rangers vs. Athletics 7:05pm FSSWRangers @ Angels 9:05pm TXA-21Astros vs. Brewers 7:05pm FSH

Astros vs. Brewers 6:05pm FSHExpress @ NAS 6:35pm MiLBtvAztex vs. Miami FC 7:30pm

7:05pm, MiLBtv

vs.7:05pm, MiLBtv

vs.

6:10pm, FSSW 6:10pm, TXA-21 6:10pm, FSSW

@ @ @

@7:05pm, FSSW

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7:05pm, MiLBtv@

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SPECIAL WoRLd cUP

High Hopes Fade Quickly for USA


If the greatness of a man is measured by the fight in his heart, then we sent titans to the pitch in South Africa. I know most of you treat the World Cup like the Olympics, by only caring every 4 years. But you need to really take more notice, because we are playing with a fierce determination the rest of the world hasn’t really ever seen from a USA team. I’m not saying we deserve a top 5 world rankings but like this years Baylor basketball team you better come expecting a never ceasing fight for 90 min. In case you don’t know, we aren’t sending some random collection of MLS scrubs that had time off. Our Goalie Tim Howard is the 7th best Goalie in the world, not to mention Josie Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu and Landon Donavan all play for some of the World’s greatest teams.

England 0 – USA 0

Our First match was against England and I was extremely disappointed in their overall performance--get the excitement out and just play already. Yes we were granted a gift-goal but overall we had about six or seven big lapses in our defense and were lucky we didn’t give up atleast 3 more goals. The one goal they did get was more of a busted play that happened to work out well for them. It’s not a secret that England is a parental world power and overall more talented, but you have to take more advantage of your opportunities. It’s a known fact that with us being the second best team in our grouping, that it’s tacitly more logical to stay defensive minded and work for a draw against England.

Slovenia 2 – USA 2

Forceful is a great word to summarize this match. The only problem we had in this game was their ability to counter attack, which is where we gave up both goals. The second half was simply an example of imposing our will. We doubled them up on shots and gave their goalie daytime nightmares. The only thing this match will be remembered for is Referee Koman Coulibaly and his inability to give an explanation, even and hour later. In the 84th min their was a set piece where Donavan got a free kick and put the ball in a sweet spot and

Maurice Adu put it home. The referee blew his whistle, pointed in the opposite direction and ran off with no explanation. He could not even reply post-game when asked what the penalty was or who it was on. His response consisted of, “No.” A complete injustice and the entire planet knew it.

Algeria 0 – USA 1

When you get an inferior team that is how you treat them. This was the most complete game the US has put together so far. The defense was stout and their attacks were relentlessly ferocious, they had 22 shots on goal and at least 10 were inches away from going in. If we hadn’t won this game, there might have been some inquiries into the bank account of the referees. Yet again we had another goal yanked from our grasp when a line judge was “conveniently” out of position and called off sides. But thanks to the quick reaction of Howard to start the counter attack, and Donovan’s headiness to follow the rebound we now have the most important goal in US World Cup history.

Ghana 2 – USA 1

Repetition is preached in schools, but it was not what the Americans were looking for when it came to exiting World Cup competition. The Ghana squad, led by newfound striker Asamoah Gyan, out hustled the U.S. and displayed their greatest asset of quickness throughout the match. Although the U.S. was sent home earlier than most of us would have liked, Landon Donovan & Co. were able to re-brand American soccer. And that should allow for better things to come in the future.

RYNE ST. JOHN

Photo courtesy ESPN.com

L to R: Garre Lagrone, Michael Medrano, Frank "The Tank"

Medrano, & Derek "After-Burner" Turner

SPECIAL coLLEGE WoRLd sERIEs


As many of you who viewed the College World Series know, they are not only moving the CWS out of Rosenblatt stadium beginning next season, but are tearing it down after this year. They are moving this spectacle to TD Ameritrade ballpark, which is located in more urban Omaha. That right there is only the start of the problem. Talk to any citizen in Omaha, Nebraska and they will all tell you the same thing, “It’s a crime that they are leaving Rosenblatt.” After spending only 5 days around the area, I have to agree with the people that call the area home. When I arrived there, my expectations were pretty low as my two teams, LSU and Texas A&M, both were eliminated in the Regionals. So, like most other fans whose respective team wasn’t there, I latched onto the home-state TCU Horned Frogs. Just watching the games on television, you can see that TCU is the fan favorite there. I’m more than positive that TCU’s baseball team has never seen this much support at any of their games in the history of the program.

To me, however, the games were actually the worst part, and that’s saying a lot. You walk across the street from Rosenblatt and the whole side of the street is covered with vendors selling things. Whether these vendors are selling apparel, to barbecue, to sponsored parties, and even to ice cream made with NITROGEN (which needs to get popular real quick because it was absolutely amazing), you are just surrounded by the college atmosphere. Go across the street down the right field line and you are introduced to some of the best burgers I

have ever had at Zesto’s. I was there for 5 days and had a constant diet of a Zesto cheeseburger and a large hot fudge shake everyday. Now, I’m usually one who doesn’t like to eat the same thing everyday, but these hand-made burgers were like a taste of heaven. Go outside of the stadium behind right field and you have all the LSU fans (I have to think they had the most fans of the teams that weren’t there) and you have them tailgating, cooking all the Cajun classics like jambalaya and gumbo. Give them a little tip ($5 max at the spots I saw) and you are eating as much jambalaya as you can handle. Finally, we made a last stop at a local restaurant called Piccolo Pete’s which served me a 16 ounce prime rib, which I couldn’t finish, that you could cut through like butter.

Outside of all the food talk, the experience was nothing short of amazing. Talking to all the locals that sat around us each game, watching the general admission in the left and right field bleachers keep beach balls away from security, and even watching them as they start a slow wave that went around the whole stadium (never saw a slow wave before at any baseball game), made every day memorable. Again, it’s a shame that newcomers to Rosenblatt won’t get the same experience all due to ex-mayor Mike Fahey’s quest for more money. It was one of the best times that I had, but if you could excuse me, I have to go run off the 10 or so pounds I gained from all the food there.

COREY POCHE

Last At-Bat At The ‘Blatt


COLLEGE FooTbALL

Answers on page 18.

knowyour

stuff??1. Which former Big 8 team was in the Big 12 South Division in 2010?

A.B.C.D.

OklahomaTexasBaylorTexas Tech

2. Where is the Big 12 headquarters located?

A.B.C.D.

NormanDallasKansas CityAustin

3. Which Big 12 QB led the Conference in passing yards in 2000?

A.B.C.D.

OklahomaTexasTexas TechOklahoma State

4. In 2008, which team led the Big 12 in points scored per game with over 55?

5. In 2006, who did Colt McCoy beat-out for the starting QB position for the Longhorns?

A.B.C.D.

Sherrod HarrisJevan SneadMatthew McCoyGilbert Zepeda

A.B.C.D.

Mark Farris (A&M)Josh Heupel (OU)Kliff Kingsbury (TECH)Major Applewhite (UT)

If you’ve been hibernating over the past month, you probably missed this whole “conference realignment” thing. And even for those of you that followed it; perhaps you were as confused as I was at one point or another. So, check out how the past month’s frenzy impacted your favorite Big 12 (…or 10?) team:

LONGHORNS LEAD AS CONTROvERSY ABOUNDS

Many props to Chip Brown and the guys over at Orangebloods.com as they broke this story from the onset… So, the Texas Longhorns had many options as conference realignment began to unfold. Had it not been for their loyalty to schools like Texas Tech, the ‘Horns probably could have ended up in the Big 10 had they liked, along with Nebraska. That being said, the most intriguing option would have seen the following: Texas, A&M, OU, OSU, and Tech all go to the first super-conference in the NCAA in the Pac-16. This would have maintained rivalries like UT/OU and UT/A&M as well as created new ones circa 2005 in Texas vs. USC. Nonetheless, this option did not pan out either. Regardless of where UT is, they will make $20-$25 million annually. The Big 10, SEC, Pac-10 could all offer that to a program like Texas. However, UT is still working on their own network—and they want to keep working on it. Thus, by staying in the current 10-member Big 12, the Longhorn network has the ability to take off.

On the field, this fluttering of realignment is significant. After 2011, the Big 12 will no longer have a conference title game. Also, the level of competition in the conference may have taken a bigger hit than most realize. The northern facet of the conference is now extremely weak without the Huskers. Regardless, Texas should remain dominant for as long as they restrict their competition to Oklahoma and an every-now-and-then Tech or A&M… it’s not puzzling by any means to this writer that the ‘Horns wanted no part of Florida, LSU, Alabama, etc… in the SEC.

HEATH SAMPLES

THE TAGALONGS Texas Tech was once rumored to be a shoe-in for the Big 10, this then changed to the Pac 10. As a matter of fact ESPN headlined that the big 5 of the Big 12 (Texas, Texas A&M, OU, Texas Tech and OU Junior) signing with the Pac 10 was imminent. As a fan this was my hope. To have Texas Tech in the same conference as USC, UT, OU, UW, Washington State, Oregon, Arizona, and others would have been great for the game and great for the university. Could you imagine Texas Tech playing OU, USC, & UT the same year? It might not be good for the record, but it would have been great for the program. It would have impacted recruiting, payouts, program visibility and more.

However, as many of you know the Big 12 stayed intact. The biggest pro being the payouts to the Universities. Texas Tech will receive between 14-17 million by staying with the conference, this is a 100% increase

based on past payouts. Even though Texas A&M--whom we have owned the past 10 years--is receiving more overall, I am satisfied with the end result. First of all, there is no longer a championship game. I will admit this never affected us, but if we were in play for a national championship my focus would not be on the conference championship. Also, I cannot speak for Texas Tech, but I will show a little humility and give props to Texas for the increased payouts. I will humbly admit that we were not the driving force; we were tagalongs, as were the other 9 schools. This increased payout will impact our football program and other programs in a number of ways.

I am anxious to see how the Big 12 chemistry will be in the next few years, especially with Nebraska and Colorado still in the mix. I am anxious to see the recruiting draw this could bring. I am anxious to see how this impacts other programs. I am anxious to see how this impacts our college outside of sports, but most importantly I am anxious to see how this will impact our students.

COLBY MAY

WHO’S YOUR DADDY NOW?

When Texas A&M came out and said they were considering moving over to the SEC, the Longhorns turned into that whiny little brother that you always made fun of. Texas threatened A&M by stating how if they went over to the SEC that the Longhorns would never play against any A&M sports team again. The crying went on and on, with the Longhorns faithful saying how none of the Big 12 teams that were scheduled to head to the Pac-10 would schedule A&M in any sports. The longer that this conference re-alignment talk went on, the more powerful the Aggies looked over the Longhorns. Texas A&M had the ball in their court for once, and it felt damn good.

If they had decided to go with their plan to go over to the SEC, losing out on the Texas “rivalry” (don’t even think it is considered that much of one anymore; the Lonestar Showdown is just a feeble attempt), they would have gained two rivalries of the past: Arkansas and LSU. While A&M does currently have a series with Arkansas in Jerry World, that deal will come to an end soon, but by joining the SEC, that matchup would have been a yearly contest. With LSU, the Aggies would have picked back up a heated rivalry that was at its peak in the early 1990s. Pertaining to football alone, Coach Mike Sherman has recently started a pretty decent pipeline recruiting in Louisiana. While these are basically LSU’s scraps, a year to year matchup with LSU could have made that pipeline a lot stronger. As of now, it’s got the strength of a BP line (too soon?), and should remain that way, barring a complete LSU meltdown.

Thankfully for A&M, they will still retain a conference championship game this year, which they will lose next year. I say thankfully because if there is any year that A&M would

have a shot at winning the conference, this would be it. With this new Big 12, which will go into effect in 2011, it appears as if they will start to falter big time. Lacking a conference title game is something that everyone looks down upon, and in the next two years, the Big 12 will be the only BCS conference without the opportunity to have a conference title game. So, while mostly everything stayed put, most of the sporting world learned one thing out of all of this conference realignment talk: the Texas Longhorns are nowhere close to Texas A&M’s daddy anymore.

COREY POCHE

DA BEARS…

Well now that the dust has settled and the showdown has subsided, it looks like, for now, the little guys will live to play another down in the Big 12. The new revenue agreement is certainly financially viable for the big fish, and schools like Baylor that were almost left behind to fend for themselves are happy to share in the newly-discovered conference riches.

While each school is certainly enjoying the chance to stop and catch their breath, no one should get too comfortable. With the current Big 12 contract set to expire in 2016, the same schools that were ready to bolt the conference this year will surely start searching for greener pastures again. Assuming this is the case, what must the smaller schools in the Big 12, specifically Baylor, do in the coming years to ensure they are included in the conference realignment discussion the next time around?

First and foremost, there must be a full commitment to a producing a winning football program. Football is the only Baylor sport that has been mired at the bottom of the conference for as long as the Big 12 has been in existence. Baylor has a history of not being one-hundred percent committed to building a competitive football program, and that has to change.

Baylor officials have been bickering over football throughout the school’s Big 12 tenure. One group of higher-ups is willing to commit whatever it takes to win. The other prefers to focus on academic standards and ignore the fact that money generated from college football supports the entire operation. Baylor brass must put up a united front and commit the necessary resources to sustain a top-level Division I football program.

One thing is certain, Baylor fans will show up if there is a team to be proud of, as evidenced by the 2010 Men’s Basketball Tournament run. The hiring of current coach Art Briles was a step in the right direction, but we must keep building if we hope to one day be a player in a major BCS conference. CHRIS MOORE

Conference Realignment: What Just (Almost) Happened?


Big Time college Talent Heads to the Bigs


Texas A&M Birth date: 4/6/89Size: 6’5”, 220 Throws: Right

Drafted 6th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks

Scouting Report:Outstanding control and mound presence. Fastball hits the 93-95 mph range and his changeup is of the plus-genre as his best pitch. His breaking pitches need work, but his motion should allow for that with relative ease. Led the way for the Aggies with a 2.83 ERA and an 11-2 record to go with his team-leading 136 strikeouts.

Texas Birth date: 9/8/88Size: 6’1”, 185 Throws: Right

Drafted 48th overall by the Detroit Tigers

Scouting Report:Lots of movement on his low-90s fastball. Throws an average slurve and curveball. Will have to improve his command at the next level but has shown enough at Texas to justify projecting him as a solid set-up man. Has Major League bloodlines as the son of Bruce Ruffin. Some compare to former Longhorn Huston Street.

Texas Birth date: 9/28/88Size: 6’2”, 235 Bats: Right

Drafted in the 3rd round by the Philadelphia Phillies

Scouting Report:Has some minor hitting mechanical issues that effect bat speed. But has the potential to hit for power at the next level. Has improved his defense behind the plate while at Texas. Has below average speed and will never hit for a high average. Solid arm strength and an accurage throw to second. Experience at the college level will do nothing but help him.


Drafted in the 2nd round by the Boston Red Sox

Scouting Report:Throws both a 2- and 4-seam fastball with plus movement, will hit 90-95 mph. Also throws a cutter, curve, and changeup. Excellent command on the mound. Very durable. Top-level college prospect that projects well at the next level. Excellent size. Will get every opportunity to make it in the bigs.

Texas A&M Birth date: 9/25/87 Size: 6’1”, 195 Bats: Right

Drafted in the 4th round by the Cincinnati Reds

Scouting Report:A first team all-conference selection at second base. Led the team with a .375 average in conference play. Is a solid hitter with fringe to average power and good speed. Is a formidable offensive threat. Has shown ability to adapt to whatever position his team needs him. Projects best at second base, though his natural position is CF.


Drafted in the 4th round by the Detroit Tigers

Scouting Report:Has an excellent breaking ball, which is a legitimate out pitch. Finished the season with an 11-2 record and a 2.74 ERA in 111.2 innings pitched. Only struck out 75 and allowed hitters a .218 average. Pitched a one-hit complete game shutout in April against rival Texas A&M. Led the nation with 20 starts in 2009.

Texas Tech Birth date: 3/21/89Size: 6’6”, 240 Throws: Right

Drafted in the 4th round by the Houston Astros

Scouting Report:In 2007, pitched first no-hitter in school history for Flower Mound High in Texas. Was Tech's top starter. Led the team with a 4.35 ERA and a 5-4 record. At Seward County C.C. led the team in 2009 with a 10-3 record and a 2.58 ERA. Struck out 81 and walked just 24 in 92 innings. Needs refining but has decent potential for the next level.

Texas Tech Birth date: 4/26/89Size: 6’1”, 195 Throws: Right

Drafted in the 2nd round by the Colorado Rockies

Scouting Report:Projects better as a reliever than a starter. Has a strong, sturdy frame. Very aggressive from the mound. Throws right at hitters. Decent fastball. Can touch 95 in limited work. Changeup and slider both above average. Gives up too many hits. Will probably end up a set-up guy at the next level.

Big Time college Talent Heads to the Bigs


Another draft down, and another group of Longhorns are getting the chance to make their professional career dreams come true. With the 2010 NBA Draft and the 2009-2010 Texas Longhorn Basketball season thankfully behind us, I wanted to give my take on both the Longhorns chosen in the NBA Draft and also how the chemistry and leadership of the 2009-2010 Texas Basketball team hurt these stars in their final season at the University of Texas.

Freshman star Avery Bradley will be retiring his Burnt Orange jersey and replace it with the Irish Green. The Celtics stole Bradley from the rest of the world as the 19th pick in the NBA Draft. Bradley posted 396 points and averaged 11.6 points per game in his Rookie Freshman season at Texas.

The Atlanta Hawks picked James 5 spots behind Bradley as the 24th overall selection. James Senior season at the University of Texas was quite the impressive one, as he scored an astounding 611 points and averaged 18 points per game. James was also a key rebounder in his career at Texas and now holds the record for most career rebounds at UT. Dexter Pittman was picked up as the 2nd pick of the 2nd round by the Miami Heat.

The 2010 NBA Draft marked the second time in University of Texas history that 3 players were drafted and the second time that two players were picked up in the first round. Even though these three ballers’ playing time at Texas was recognized by the NBA prospects, it does not alter the fact that their final season at Texas was less than impressive. At the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Summer Coaches Teleconference, Texas Head Coach Rick Barnes commented, “We’re looking to get great leadership. We don’t care where it comes from we want that as a team. We’re looking to get chemistry where we think it needs to be and we feel like we’re heading in the right direction there,” Barnes said.

Let’s not forget the fact that Texas went 17-0 for the first time since 1932-1933 Season AND ranked #1 in the Country for the first time in the history of the University of Texas Basketball program. It sounds like Rick Barnes might want to take a long look into the mirror the next time he blames his losing season on “leadership” and “chemistry” between his team.

TAYLOR GASPAR

Check out Taylor TV at www.1049thehorn.com

With the 14th pick in the NBA Draft, the Rockets took Kentucky PF Patrick Patterson. Much like former selections Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes, Patterson is a “meat and potatoes” player. He lacks the flash and perhaps the talent to be an every-game starter in the NBA; however, he will contribute consistently off the bench for as long as the Rockets will allow him. He’s a proficient rebounder, and a true hustler on both ends of the floor. He has good size at 6’9” and 240 lbs, which will allow him the pleasure of not being forced to put on immediate bulk like some of the other recent draftees.

Offseason Options

Ideally, Houston would love to land a guy like

Chris Bosh at PF to help Yao out. Bosh is a marquee free agent, however, and would be extremely hard to nab. The Raptors would assuredly love to get something back if they are to lose Bosh (which they will) and the Rockets do have a lot to offer. Role players like Battier, Scola, Hayes, and Jordan Hill are all capable of helping out on the defensive end of the court—which is exactly what the Raptors need as their roster currently seats offensive specialists Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu.

The practicality of landing Bosh may not be very high. If the Rockets are unable to come away with him or another big name free agent, they should be pleased with an Al Horford or Joe Johnson genre player.

The Hawks may not be able to keep both. We’ll know more next month as the “LeBron calendar” advances in days and free agents begin making decisions.

HEATH SAMPLES

Patterson & Offseason Hopes in Houston

NBA RockETs

They have won 4 NBA titles since 1999. They have kept basically the same starting squad since their 2002

run. However, the last title they won was in 2007. Teams do get older, but in the case of the San Antonio Spurs, you can’t get too much older than their squad. While they did advance to the 2nd round this past season, they beat the only older squad than theirs, the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs were swept by the Suns in the next round rather handily. Tim Duncan is 34, Manu Ginobili will be 33 by next season, and Richard Jefferson will be 31. What makes this worse is this: Duncan and Ginobili, and even Tony Parker, have fought injury issues the past couple of years, which doesn’t make their older years much easier. Every team has to go through a rebuilding process, but rarely to the extent that the Spurs must in the coming seasons. This is where GM’s are made. First order of business? Keep Tony in San Antone.

Tony Must Stay

The Spurs first need to keep Tony Parker on this squad. Yes, I know George Hill started more of the playoff games, giving Parker the ability to come off the bench, but Hill is not the kind of guy who can lead a team through an 82 game season yet. With the rumors of Parker heading to New York swirling around, and the Knicks huge need to bring in a marquee name; it would only seem fit that Mike D’Antoni get a point guard who can get that key free agent the ball. Outside of Tim Duncan though, the next name that comes to mind is Parker. He’s only 28 years of age and has a number of years to go, so it makes sense for the Spurs to hold onto their Frenchman.

COREY POCHE

Rebuilding a Dynasty

NBA sPURs

NBA

Welcome back folks. As you might have remembered in last month’s issue, I pinpointed that Mark Cuban was the guilty party in the murder of the Dallas Mavericks… From trading players away in a heartbeat to not giving prospects enough time to improve *cough* Devin Harris *cough*, Cuban is running his real life fantasy team straight into the ground. Here, I address the most important issue for the Mavs as we sit today: keeping Dirk in Dallas.

Cuban Must Re-Sign Dirk

Mavs fans were happy when Dirk said that he was going to opt out of his player option of

$21.5 million. Dirk could be immediately re-signed for less money, get money to spend in this coveted free agency market, and keep the centerpiece of this franchise. However, I see a couple of problems in this. First off, Dirk is a guy that still commands at least $15-16 million. He is still at the top of his game, and while he’s helping the Mavs out, he still needs to get paid. Just assuming we pick him back up at $16 million, that only gives us $5 million extra. Exactly what can you do with that amount in the NBA these days? All that would do is maybe give us a quality bench player. Secondly, Mavs fans don’t want to think about Dirk as a free agent just like the rest of them now. Say Cuban tries

to lowball him just like he has others in the past (Nash?), and only offers him say $10 million. Dirk can say “Screw you Cuban (in German)” and bounce to a Championship contender. I don’t see that happening, but you still have to have that in the back of your head just in case. I mean we are talking about Mark Cuban here.

COREY POCHE

MAVERIcks

Fixing the Mavs Murder

Longhorn guard TJ Ford was taken 8th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the ’03 Draft. LeBron, Darko Milicic, and Carmelo went 1, 2, and 3, respectively…

Acie Law IV was drafted 11th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2007, as the highest ever A&M NBA Draft selection. His former teammate, Antoine Wright, went 15th to the Nets in ’05.

George Hill--breakout guard for the SA Spurs--was drafted 26th overall in 2008… after players like Alexis Ajinca, Ryan Anderson and Serge Ibaka…

Spurs’ guard Tony Parker was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Rockets’ forward Trevor Ariza went 43rd to the Knicks in 2004, six picks after Longhorn guard Royal Ivey, drafted by the Hawks.

YO MAMMA...


WWW.KENTUCKYCROSSWORDS.COM

ACROSS

5. Utah center drafted by Orlando Magic in 19987. Another name for a long, high home run9. ESPN/ABC sports journalist, John10. PGA golfer, Garcia11. First team to score over 100 points in the NCAA Men's Div. I Basketball Championship13. First college basketball player to score 1,000 career points15. First basketball coach to take four different schools to the NCAA tourney18. NFL team with two "home" sites21. A hockey player

from the Big Apple, maybe22. He precedes the closer23. Set an NBA record in 2003 (since tied) hitting 9 for 9 three-pointers24. Hall of Fame basketball player; first ever to post a season free throw percentage over 90

DOWN

1. He caught Favre's 420th and 421st TD passes2. Another name for a pick (basketball)3. Their fight song is "Indiana, Our Indiana"4. MLB's first domed stadium was their home from 1965-1999

6. Hakeem "The Dream"7. Sports statistician known especially for his college football ratings8. The Bobcats in the MAC12. College football post season contest14. Last horse to win the (thoroughbred racing) Triple Crown16. A common penalty in ice hockey17. He took over for Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season18. Oldest Division I college athletic conference in the US19. Home of the Senators from up north20. Cincy's baseball park, for short

1. (A) MU, NU, CU, KU, KSU, and ISU were all originally Big 8 teams.

2. (B) It’s actually located in nearby Irving. Big 8 Conference HQ’s was in KC.

3. (C) Kingsbury threw for 3412, Josh Heupel of OU was second with 3172.

4. (A) The Sooners averaged 55.1 points per contest in 2008, over 11 points higher than Texas Tech, who put up an unashamed 44.

5. (B) Snead was an Army All-American and battled Colt for the starting job. Snead ended up transferring and playing for Ole Miss.

Quiz Answers

Summertime is here! Whether it’s on Lake Austin, Lake Travis, or at Barton Springs, Austinites tend to look forward to the summer

months. However, for many sports buffs, summertime tends to drag on without any end in sight. This summer, that is not the case for Austin’s only FM Sports Talk Station, 104.9 The Horn. Whether you want in depth coverage of the Dallas Cowboys, breaking news stories from OrangeBloods.com, or you just want to figure out who has the best burger in Austin, 104.9 The Horn is the place to be. Be sure to tune into 104.9 The Horn to hear about the following:

Dallas Cowboys104.9 The Horn is the new radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. Beginning July 23rd, 104.9 The Horn will be the only station in Austin that has in depth coverage of the Dallas Cowboys.

High School FootballAs we all know, High School Football is a huge attraction in the great state of Texas, yet sometimes the University of Texas football season tends to overshadow the High School Football season. Not this year! Tune into 104.9 The Horn to catch in-depth coverage of High School Football.

Austin Burger BracketHave you ever sat down and wondered who has the best burger in Austin? We here at 104.9 The Horn are determined to answer that question for you! Tune into The Drive weekdays from 4pm-7pm to keep up with the 1st Ever Austin Burger Bracket.

Conference RealignmentIf you have not heard the Conference Realignment news, you need to get out more. Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com and co-host of the Bottom Line at 104.9 The Horn was the first to break the news of Conference Realignment. For developing news stories regarding the remodeled Big 12, go to the source who broke the news first, Chip Brown and Sean Adams of the Bottom Line, weekdays from 1pm-4pm on 104.9 The Horn.

TAYLOR GASPAR

For the latest news in High School, College, and Professional sports, tune into 104.9 The Horn or

visit us at www.1049thehorn.com. We are Austin’s FM Sports Talk.

ARoUNd THE HoRN JOKESWhat did God say after creating Adam? "I must be able to do better than that!"

How do you get a man to do sit-ups? Put a remote control between his toes.

What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night? A widow.

There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like that for half an hour. Then, this big trouble-making truck driver steps next to him, takes the drink from the guy, and drinks it all down. The poor schmuck starts crying. The truck driver says, "Come on, man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy you another drink. I just can't stand to see a grown man cry." "No, it's not that. This day is the worst day of my life. First, I overslept and was late to the office. My boss, furious, fired me. When I left the building, I discovered that my car was stolen. The police said they could do nothing. I took a cab home, and when I left it, I remembered I left my wallet and credit cards, and the cab had already driven away. I went home and found my wife in bed with the pool boy. I left home, came to this bar, and just when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, you came along and drank my poison."

Yo mamma's so fat, her BMI is measured in acres.Yo mamma's so fat, when she went to the movies, she sat next to everyone.Yo mamma's so hairy, Bigfoot stopped to take a picture.Yo mamma's so fat, she sat on a rainbow and skittles poppped out.Yo mamma's teeth are so yellow, traffic slows down when she smiles.

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TSP- July 2010