I really don't get it

If the NBA doesn't want the Mavericks to succeed in the playoffs, why even allow them to participate? Why let them in the playoffs in the first place? It would make it so much easier because they wouldn't have to go through the dog and pony show of screwing them over year after year.

Just make the Mavs a team in the regular season that cannot quality for the playoffs. That way, the bias is out in the open.

Danny Crawford - Huge A-Hole

Let me quote a passage from "Personal Foul" - the book by Tim Donaghy. Donaghy is certainly a big a-hole himself, but he's basically the Jose Canseco of the NBA. He might be trash, but he's probably right about almost everything.

"Referee Danny Crawford also had little affection for Mark Cuban and bragged that since 2001, the Mavericks were 1-15 when he worked their playoff games."

Well, tonight, Dallas dropped to 1-16 in games Crawford officiates. It's hard to blame the Mavs' game 3 loss on the officiating, but if Donaghy's words are true, Dan Crawford has no business officiating a Dallas Mavericks' playoff game. And if he's happy tonight, I hope someone catches it on film because that guy needs to be fired.

I can understand why Mark Cuban might rub people the wrong way. He's an annoying fan who just happens to own a team. And I'm sure that kind of person might upset an insecure person like Danny Crawford.

But you cannot bring that kind of grudge to an NBA game. You just can't. And considering that the NBA is the league that can be most affected by the officials, it's embarrassing that he's still allowed to do his job.

The other official tonight was Dick Bavetta, who has a very appropriate first name. Bavetta is the star of Donaghy's book - the man who helped the Lakers get to the NBA Finals over the Sacramento Kings in 2002. The NBA wanted the Lakers in the Finals, and they sent Bavetta in to do their dirty work.

Bavetta and Crawford together on the same court in a pivotal game three against the hated Mavericks? Is the NBA really that brazen and cocky?

You might question Donaghy as a source, but the man has zero reason to lie. He's been disgraced, and no one will ever respect him. Would he lie to sell books? I guess. But you don't see any litigation for slander. You don't hear Crawford or Bavetta fighting any of these claims.

And like Canseco, a lot of the things that Donaghy says make a lot of sense. The NBA is a league of a few chosen teams, and no one else seems to be invited to the party. The league wants the Lakers to be good, they want the Celtics to be good, they want LeBron's team to be good. And they want the Mavericks to lose.

I'm not really sure why the league hates Cuban so much. He's brought them endless amounts of publicity, and even people who hate Cuban are attracted to him. How many other owners in the NBA can you name?

And what sucks is that Cuban is the perfect owner for a city. He's passionate about the game, passionate about the team, and passionate about the fans. He doesn't care about making money, does whatever he can to make the games fun for the fans, and he's made basketball fun for the city of Dallas.

And his team is punished because the league is a bunch of anti-fun old men who lost passion for life a long time ago. And, to me, that's just really sad.

I hope Crawford isn't crooked. But 1-16 isn't a number I can ignore. And it isn't like these Mavericks are choke artists - they're 55-32 in the Dirk era in games not officiated by Dan Crawford.

The problem is that, whenever a big game happens, Crawford is there to happily ruin it for the Mavericks. In the two games that Crawford officiated in the Mavs/Heat series, Dwayne Wade shot 39 free throws.

39. Let that number sink in for a minute.

Tonight, there was a foul disparity in favor of the Spurs. Dan Crawford overruled a foul in the second quarter that ended up causing a four point swing. He also called a questionable charge on Dirk that would've resulted in an "and one" for the Mavericks.

So the league gets their way and the Mavericks lose a key playoff game. And they could still win the series, but there will be another pivotal game that will come up in the playoffs.

And if there's a team that challenges the Lakers or the Cavs, I'm sure that the NBA will send their favorite pets to do the officiating. And I'm sure we'll get a Cavs-Lakers Finals that the NBA truly wants. Because if the league wants something, they'll do whatever it takes to make sure it gets done. Cheating? Of course.

My mom once told me that she was pretty sure the games were rigged. That it always seems like the games go back and forth...one team wins and gets the city excited...then the other team wins. It always seems to be a long series so that people will watch. And in the end, the more popular team seems to win.

I told her she was crazy. It would take too much to rig games like that.

My mom is a pretty smart lady. Maybe she's smarter than I give her credit for.

Dez Bryant

I don't watch a lot of Oklahoma State football.

Scratch that, I don't watch any Oklahoma State football. I don't watch a whole lot of non-TCU football, and so I really don't know a whole lot about Dez Bryant. What I do know is that he's fast and good, and that he can really help the Cowboys.

That being said, he does seem to be a bit of a knucklehead. For some reason, he reminds me a bit of Roy Williams, and we all know how that's worked out. He hasn't played competitive football in almost a year, and his attitude seems bad. But he claims he's always wanted to be a Cowboy. Maybe that's enough to get him to take his career seriously.

I know this...if he plays strong, we're going to be good. If we look at one side and see Miles Austin, look to the other side and see Dez Bryant, and look to the other side and see Roy Williams....that's a great receiving corps. Add Jason Witten, Marion Barber, and Felix Jones, and you're really solid. And you still have a top-10 QB in Tony Romo.

You also have two potentially-great young receivers, a young WR, and a relatively young QB. This team is set up pretty nicely for now and in the future.

Round two of the draft is tomorrow. We still need a safety and a tackle. But with Dez Bryant in the fold, I'm excited.

And come Sunday, it will be time to get to work.

Random Thoughts

1. Mavs/Spurs begins on Sunday. It's always fun to play the Spurs, but I really hope the Mavs can beat them. I really like this team, and I think they're a better team than the Spurs. But with Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan still around, it's never going to be easy. Go Mavs, screw the Spurs.

2. LOST has been brilliant this year. I'm definitely going to have to do a LOST blog at some point.

3. I had a meeting where they re-played a phone call I had with a client. I didn't really get in trouble, but all I could think of was "do I really sound like that?" So I think I'm going to focus on making my voice sound lower. Plus whatever they told me to do differently on phone calls.

4. I'm just kidding. I was listening during the meeting.

5. In the next couple weeks, I'm going to have to make a decision. And while it could end up going very well, there's a pretty good chance it could blow up in my face. Luckily, I have a lot of help around me.

6. I really enjoy this laptop, although I think I need to get some blu-ray discs to maximize it.

7. I got some bad news today, and I'm really hoping it doesn't turn into "worse" news.

8. I'm watching Mad Men right now. At the moment, I don't get the hype, but I'll keep watching.

9. It's weird. Every night but Friday night, I'm way too awake to fall asleep. Friday night, I'm too tired to do anything. In fact, I'm kinda interested in going to bed right now. Lame, huh?

10. Whoa...Clue is called "Cluedo" in the rest of the world? My whole world is shaken, now.

This is Level ONE?

I got a new laptop a few weeks ago, and I was checking out the games that come with it in order to kill some time. One of the games is chess, and I was pretty excited. I've only been exposed to chess a few times, but it's always been a game I've wanted to learn. It's the thinking man's game - the adult's answer to the game of checkers. It's all about strategy and visualizing your next move while anticipating your opponent's.

I'm familiar with the game, but I'm not familiar with strategy. With that in mind, I turned the game to it's "easy" setting. I played a game, and I got beat. I checked, and I wasn't on level one...the default "easy" setting is level three.

I have no problem admitting that I need help when I'm playing a new game. I usually start video games on the default level, but if it's too hard, I can swallow my pride and start on the easy level because I know I'll get bored when I actually gain skill. So I turned it down to level one, and I played again.

So far, I've played about ten times, and I've only won once. In fact, that win was the only time I've even been competitive.

How did I win that one time? I have no idea. Because the game not only beats me, it destroys me. And I think it's just toying with me because I'll feel like I'm staying competitive and then slaughter me systematically. Remember the scene in Rocky IV where Apollo is boxing Ivan Drago? Drago lets Apollo take about a dozen shots to the Russian's face, letting Apollo feel like he's going to dominate...and then Drago unleashes Hell on him. That's how I feel.

And I can't help but think that something is wrong. Level one is supposed to be bowling with bumpers. It's supposed to be the level where anyone can play, before you really know the rules or the gist of the game. I know the rules, and I'd say I'm a pretty smart guy. Shouldn't I be able to win a couple of games on level one?

So it's come down to three possibilities.

1. I really suck at chess

2. Computer chess is the hardest game in the history of the planet

3. The programmers of the game have no idea what "level one" means

Let's break it down:

1. I'll admit that I suck at chess. I already admitted it when I manually changed the difficulty from "default easy" to "really easy." I have no problem admitting it, and it's the whole reason why I'm trying to get better. But I think level one should be teaching me - not frustrating me.

And the internet didn't help either. I tried to look up "chess strategy" and it was way more complicated than I wanted. I wanted some basic ideas on what to do with what pieces. I was hoping to get an idea of which pieces I should protect, which ones I should attack with, and how aggressive I should be. Like with the game itself, I want to start on level one in terms of strategy.

2. Computer chess might be the hardest game in the whole world. Because I'm good at computer games - I play most games and figure them out pretty easily. With chess, I don't feel like I'm making any progress.

But it seems unfair. The computer knows all of the possibilities before the game ends. No matter what I choose to do, the game already has mapped out my entire game. And whatever move I do, it knows the best strategy to taking my attack and turning it against me.

Plus, it seems like computers love to beat people in chess. With football games, I think the computer could care less whether or not the player wins. But chess is the computer's game - people are always using chess games to test new artificial intelligence (think WarGames). I think computers take pride about beating people in chess, even if I've set the stupid thing to level one.

3. Despite all computers' ruthless quest to never lose at chess, I blame the human intelligence behind the program. Maybe the people who made the game are just stupid and don't know that level one is supposed to be hard. Maybe level one is actually supposed to be the hardest difficulty, and level ten is actually the easiest.

Or maybe all the levels are identical, and they didn't get around to making it any different. I don't recall losing any quicker on level three than I did on level one..

Either way, I hate them. And I hate computers. And I hate chess. The game is infuriating, and I just want to win so I can have a hint of satisfaction.

But...no. I can't have that. So screw chess...I'm going to sleep.

Three Stars,

I'm a Dallas Stars season ticket holder. And in a time when hockey seems to be struggling in the Metroplex, it's also something I'm proud of. Because being a hockey fan in Dallas is like being in a secret club where we have these hidden meetings 41 times a year. And that's just cool to me.

And a lot of my favorite moments have taken place at Stars' games. My grandfathers seats (six rows up from the net) are one of my favorite places to be in the world, especially during the playoffs. But I also remember watching the countdown to the return of hockey after the lockout. I remember the 4OT game when the exhausted fans exploded when Brendan Morrow scored the game (and series) winning goal. And I remember, a few days later, when the Stars' fans gave their team a huge standing ovation for getting to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals.

But Thursday night might have topped them all. Because even though it was a game between two teams that weren't going to make the playoffs, it was extremely memorable.

It was, most likely, the final home games for three of my favorite Dallas Stars of all time: Marty Turco, Jere Lehtinen, and Mike Modano. And I'd like to talk about each one of them.

Marty Turco

Marty Turco has had a troubled history with the Stars. He took over from Eddie Belfour, just a couple of years after the Eagle had led the team to the Stanley Cup. Turco was the future of the franchise, and there was an awful lot of excitement to see him in net. Belfour had taken the team to the top of the mountain - Turco was going to keep us there.

And for a long time, he did. Turco put up huge numbers in the regular season, and the fans loved him for it. "Mar-ty" chants were a regular occurrence at the AAC, and you saw plenty of #35 Turco jerseys in the stands.

But Marty had a pretty big problem - he couldn't win in the playoffs. Year after year, the Stars would make the playoffs. Year after year, they were a favorite or a dark horse. Year after year, they had a pretty good seed.

And year after year, the team fell short of expectations.

Some of the time, it wasn't his fault. There was one series against the Vancouver Canucks where Turco posted three shutouts. The problem was that the Canucks won in the four games that they did score a goal. That one wasn't Turco's fault. And a couple of seasons ago, Turco was brilliant as he took the Stars to the Western Conference Finals. That wasn't really Turco's fault.

The problem is that he only made it there once. And with all the talent that he had in front of him, it needed to happen more often. It might not be fair, but it's the name of the game. Just like quarterbacks in football, goalies in hockey have to take more of the burden. And too often, the guy across from Marty in the playoffs was simply better.

And that's why Marty's final game in Dallas is bittersweet. Fans have turned on him, and Marty isn't choosing to leave. The organization is moving on - going with Kari Lehtonen. He's both a younger and cheaper solution in net, and Marty will have to play somewhere else.

But I admit that it will be sad to see that. I've always liked Marty, and I wanted him to succeed. It's too bad that he wasn't able to get a Cup because he probably would've been declared the best goalie in franchise history if he had. He probably would've had a tribute night, and he might have had his number retired.

Unfortunately for Marty, his career in Dallas will end on a low note. But unlike many other Stars' fans, I choose not to forget all the great moments he had.

And on a personal note, I interviewed Marty Turco for the Ticket way back when. Marty was one of my favorite players, and I was given the task of playing the "one question" game with him. The bit was basically stolen from a Japanese game show...you ask the guy one question and then time how long he rambles on before he realizes you're not going to ask another one.

Marty was cool with me. I was a college kid who was obviously nervous, and he did the best he could. He was a good sport, and it was a cool moment for me. It's something I probably won't forget.

So I wish Marty well. I hope he catches on somewhere and succeeds (as long as it isn't in Detroit).

Jere Lehtinen

Jere Lehtinen is probably very few people's favorite player. It isn't because he hasn't been with the team long because he's been on the team for as long as I can remember. It isn't because he isn't talented because he's been one of the team's best players for the last decade.

The guy doesn't make noise. He doesn't score tons of goals. He doesn't get in fights.

He just comes to the rink every night, gives the team his all, and he lets stats and wins work themselves out. He scores plenty of goals (he scored the only other goal in the Stars' Stanley Cup winning game in Buffalo), and he has plenty of accolades (three Selke trophies for the league's best defensive forward). And if you look around the AAC, you'll see a lot of Lehtinen jerseys.

But Jere's fanfare wasn't as big as it probably could've been. Just because it isn't in his personality to be on the main stage. Lehtinen is happy doing the dirty work and allowing the other guys to get the glory. And I absolutely respect that.

It's a little strange that I haven't heard anything about Lehtinen retiring, either. I know he's getting old, and injuries have kept him down recently. But the guy can still play at a high level, and I think the Stars would have him back if he decided to come back. If not, I'm sure a team would take him on. But like Marty, it'd just be really weird to see Lehtinen wear another jersey.

Of all the guys, I think he's the most likely to come back. But that doesn't mean a whole lot. Either way, I wish Jere well. And I'm hoping the Stars consider retiring his #26. I think he's earned it.

Mike Modano

What can you say about Mike Modano? The man is the franchise, literally. He was drafted as a kid, and he's been the franchise's best player for two decades. His personality, talent, and good looks helped make hockey a legitimate sport in Dallas. I'm sure most fans in the Metroplex were drawn to the team by Mike, and the city owes him a lot. Without him, I'm not sure hockey would've made it in Texas.

He's the franchise leader in everything. Goals, assists, points, games. You name it, he owns it. In addition to that, he also owns most of the records for American-born hockey players. So if Texas hockey owes him a debt of gratitude, so does American hockey. Which is why I was a bit upset that Modano didn't make Team USA this past Olympics. Because what is Team USA hockey without Mike Modano?

Modano was never my favorite player because that always seemed too easy. He was the goal scorer that everyone loved, and there were plenty of #9 jerseys around the arena. And so I always found a different jersey to try and be unique.

But I've always planned on getting one. I've thought about getting a #9 Modano NorthStars jersey for a long time. You see them occasionally, and I just think it'd be fun to get one.

The guy is a class act. He was a goal scorer in his early years, but when Ken Hitchcock brought his defensive style to the game, Modano was able to transform himself into a solid two-way hockey player. Eventually, he was equally dangerous offensively and defensively.

When Derian Hatcher signed with the hated Red Wings, Modano was named team captain the same day. When the team thought Brenden Morrow should be captain, Modano gave up the "C" without a big fight. As far as I'm concerned, Modano can do no wrong with the Stars, and I've loved watching him play.

Like Lehtinen, Modano's retirement is basically assumed. I don't think Mike has confirmed anything either way, but people just get the idea that this is it. If he wants to come back, the Stars need to do everything they can to bring him back. If he wants a new deal, give it to him. If he wants a multi-year deal, he can have it.

If I owned the Stars, I'd take Modano a blank contract form and tell him to fill it out. As long as it's within reason financially, I'd sign it. If he wants to play ten more years, I'd allow it. Because, like I said, there are no Dallas Stars without Mike Modano. The team owes him, and I'd make sure they did what they could for him.

And if he's done playing, I'd offer him whatever job he wants. Bench coach, front office job, scout...whatever he wants, he can have. Again, it's a blank contract as far as I'm concerned.

And if he's done, what a way to go out...

On Tuesday night, the Stars' showed a highlight video of Modano and then showed his face on the JumboTron. The fans gave him a 2-3 minute standing ovation, and it looked like Mike was fighting back the emotion of the event.

On Thursday night, there would be no fighting. The big screens were full of images of Modano, Turco, and Lehtinen all night. During breaks, they'd show highlight reels and "did you know?" facts about all three players.

Every once in a while, they'd show one of the three players, and the fans were more than willing to give them a standing ovation. And with about five minutes left in the game, everything built to one moment.

It was a TV timeout and perhaps the last stoppage of play in the game. Saving their best for last, they showed a big video montage of Modano's career. Mike would later say that it was the Stanley Cup images that got him going, and it's not a surprise. He was instrumental in the Cup run, and I almost forgot that Modano was on the ice for the game-winning goal.

After the video ended, Modano was shown on the board, and the place erupted. Modano tried to stay strong, but the standing ovation just kept going. I looked down on the bench, and Modano was the only one sitting. The Dallas Stars' bench was standing, and the players showed no signs of starting play.

Mike held it back as long as he could, but his eyes started to water. And in one moment, he decided to let his guard down. The fans were begging for acknowledgement, and he finally gave it to them. He waved to the fans, and we erupted in appreciation. And with that barrier down, the emotion overwhelmed him. He began to cry, and it was truly one of the most touching moments of my life.

The fans loved him, and you could tell that Modano appreciated the fans. We'd all been together for his whole career, and we'd grown up alongside him. We wanted him to know that we loved him, and we were happy to see that he felt the same way.

It seemed to go on forever, but eventually the game started. And just a few seconds later, the Ducks scored to take a lead. And it really sucked because it sucked all that positive emotion out of the arena.

And if the game had ended 2-1, it still would've been a cool moment. But I was greedy, and I begged the Stars to score one for Mike. This game had to end with a Stars' win. It just had to.

But the Stars didn't score one for Mike. He did it himself.

A shot came from the blue line, and Mike Modano tipped it passed Jonas Hiller to tie the game. The shot was close to being a high stick, and the refs were obligated to review it. But if they'd overturned the call, I'm fairly confident that the fans would've burned the place to the ground. There was no way the refs were going to take that goal away, and of course, they didn't.

The game went to OT, and Modano actually had a breakaway. A Duck caught him from behind, but Modano was still able to get a good shot off. And, so, the game went to a shootout.

Ashley turned to me during the break and asked if Modano would be in the shootout. Of course, I said. It was his night.

The shootout began with Brad Richards. Miss. Then a Duck shot - save Turco.

Then Mike Modano jumped the boards to take the next shot. And with 18,000 fans behind him, the puck trickled passed Hiller. And the place erupted again...the storybook finale was starting to come true.

Another Duck took a shot. Save Turco.

And I look down and there's Jere Lehtinen taking a shot. It seemed like a sentimental move - the Stars were honoring Turco, Lehtinen, and Modano. And there's Turco with two saves in the shootout and Modano with a goal. Was it really possible that the third Star could seal it?

Yes. Lehtinen ripped it passed Hiller, and the Stars won it.

The three stars of the game were Turco, Lehtinen, and Modano. Turco's selection was definitely homerism because Hiller had 50 saves in the game. But it was the Stars' night, and I have no complaints. And if Hiller hadn't been so great, the Stars could've easily crushed Anaheim.

And the drama wouldn't have been so strong.

It was the last home game of the year, and the Stars celebrated the fans by giving a few fans the jerseys off the players' backs. And, of course, the Big Three were the last to go. And when Modano's turn came, we gave him one last cheer. He skated around, he acknowledged us again, and then he left home ice...potentially for the last time.

And it was just so cool how it ended. The high from the ovation was simply amazing, and to have Modano, himself, score the tying goal in regulation was just as awesome. And for the big three to all be heroes in the shootout was simply incredible. I've never seen anything like it, and it's the kind of thing that I'll remember for a very long time.

Part of me hopes this is it for Lehtinen and Modano because I can't imagine topping that moment. If Modano comes back and struggles through injuries and low stats, it won't feel the same. And as much as I'd love to have Modano come back and leave as a winner, I just don't think that's going to happen.

If he wants to come back, I'm definitely going to welcome him back. But if he chooses to leave, how could anyone blame him? In a season where the Stars could end up in last place, he still walks away as the conquering hero with one last victory under his belt.

It was one of the greatest nights of my life, and it's something that I won't forget for a long time. This team means a lot to me, and those players do too. And while life moves on, I'm going to do my best to remember that moment. Because life doesn't get a whole lot cooler than that.

Back from Lent

Apparently I gave up blogging for Lent.

Anyways, I'm planning on being back more often now after taking March 2010 off. And I'll start with this - GO RANGERS! A mini Drew's day to make up for it.

9:15am - Wake up. No work today so I'm feeling good.

9:30am - Off to Brookhaven to drop off my car. Even though I have Opening Day tickets and no work, I still have class and lab.

10:30am - Arrive at Sherlocks. Tim isn't there. Waiting sucks.

10:50am - Tim shows up and we try to get him mugged. Don't ask.

11:30am - Show up to my buddy Matt's tailgate. Haven't seen him in a while and he's a huge Rangers' fan. Always fun to be around guys like that.

12:00pm - Get inside the stadium. Tim's tickets almost don't get us in the game because his printer sucks. Luckily the old woman at the gate lets us in.

1:00pm - Game starts with a flyover. I really love flyovers. Every game should start with one.

2:50pm - Rangers still don't have a hit. Really?

3:00pm - Nelson Cruz hits a 3-run homer to tie the game.

3:15pm - Rangers' fans celebrate Neftali Feliz coming into the game.

3:18pm - After Feliz gives up a run and leaves the bases loaded with only one out, Darren Oliver comes in the game. No one cares.

3:40pm - Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets the game winning single. Capacity crowd goes wild. It's great to be a Rangers' fan.

3:50pm - Tim, JAM, and I start walking to Sherlocks. We decide to go to Panda Express to get dinner because I have class until 10pm and have to eat early.

4:00pm - Arrive at Panda Express. Broccoli beef, orange chicken, and chow mein. Delicious.

4:30pm - Finish walking to Sherlocks and get on the highway. Realize I'm definitely going to be late to class.

4:50pm - Check my email as we sit in traffic on I-30. Class is cancelled. Booyah.

6:30pm - Play Halo with Tim and Ashley. I'm awesome. Ashley is good. Tim gets kills on most of his games. On two games...um...not so good. Ashley also has a game where he has one kill and no assists. Really? He makes up for it with a near-MVP in another game.

8:00pm - Late night Jamba Juice and NCAA basketball championship game.