WHITT'S END: 9.30.13

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

   *Rangers win! Cowboys lose!! Let's keep it simple today.

   *Chargers 30, Cowboys 21: My Top 10 Whitty Comments are over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *I admit, I didn't think the Rangers would be playing baseball tonight. Thought they were done after Sept. 22's kick-to-the-crotch loss in Kansas City via Grand Slam in extra innings. Give 'em credit. I know they played the putrid Astros and Angels, but they won seven consecutive elimination games to end the season. Impressive.

   *So did the Rangers make the playoffs? They're kind of in Purgatory, the gray space between success and failure. Tonight at 7 on TBS they'll play Game 163, and all the statistics will count toward the regular season. But Nelson Cruz will be back and it's a do-or-die game, so it must be the post-season. Right?

   *When Bruce Carter and Morris Claiborne get benched, it's hard to blame the Cowboys' coaching staff. Neither of those highly-touted guys are making plays, and Monte Kiffin is attempting to fix what is surprisingly broken.

   *David Price vs. Martin Perez. Tampa's veteran ace vs. Texas' 22-year-old rookie that has made only 25 career starts, 0 in the post-season. Seems like a mismatch, but Price is 1-7 all-time against the Rangers with a 5.57 ERA and 1-2 with a 10.26 ERA in four starts in Arlington. Also in the Rangers' favor, home teams are 5-1 in Tiebreaker Play-In Games since '95.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *20 games into his NFL career and I'm trying to remember Claiborne's signature play. He has one interception (last year against Cam Newton) and one touchdown (a scoop-'n-score fumble return against the Eagles.) Yikes.

   *You know who I can't stand? The lazy, shallow Cowboys' "fan" who watches the loss to the Chargers and issues the same, tired synopsis. "They just weren't mentally prepared." Wait, what the what?! How was their mental preparation when they were up 21-10 just before halftime? "They just have a losing culture." This is tough for Cowboys fans, but sometimes you just have to admit that your players got their butts kicked by their players. Remember the expectations for this team. When you predict them to go 9-7, you shouldn't freak out at 2-2. "Same ol' Cowboys." They're 23-21 under Jason Garrett and .500 going all the way back to 1996. When they win why isn't also "same ol' Cowboys"?

   *If Yu Darvish is truly an ace, he's got to last more than 85 pitches in a Game 7 situation.

   *ESPN's Ray Lewis picked the winner, but I'm pretty sure he didn't do his homework. Offered Lewis of Cowboys-Chargers on the network's pre-game show: "The Chargers are very excited about their football team. I think at home they win today." I get tons better analysis in the comments section, and you guys are considerably less paid.

   *Unless Adrian Beltre goes bonkers tonight the Rangers will finish without a 100-RBI guy for only the third time in the last 20 years. Beltre has 92 RBI. In '07 Michael Young led the team with 94 and in '09 it was Marlon Byrd with 89.

 

  *Activating and playing Cruz isn't even a debate. Stop it. He's eligible to play. So he should play. Not sure what message you think the Rangers would send by not playing their biggest bat in the season's biggest game.

   *Yes, the Cowboys' defense was atrocious Sunday. But you know what hurt them as much as anything else? Three third-down drops by receivers that ended offensive drives. Dwayne Harris, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten all should've caught key passes, but didn't. Said Dez of his third-quarter drop on the sideline: "Just trying to see where I was at on the field. I kind of lost my eye on the ball, trying to keep my feet in bounds."

   *Rangers' TV play-by-play voice Steve Busby yesterday described a pitch as a "comeback fastball." I know baseball can get tedious, but sometimes announcers just make up crap to test if we're listening.

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   *Best moment of the weekend was Josh Hamilton meekly flying out in the last at-bat of his failed, forgettable season, getting roundly booed by Rangers fans and then sarcastically tipping his cap. Hamilton reminds me of someone else. Once a more popular, more rotund, more successful person, he's also deteriorated into a freakishly skinny dude with drastically dipping performance, diminished popularity and a scraggly beard. He's ... Breaking Bad's Walter White. Right? Wait, who did you think I was talking about?

   *David Arkin has yet to play a single snap for the Cowboys. The offensive lineman was selected in the 4th Round of the 2011 NFL Draft, 44 picks ahead of Seahawks' cornerback Richard Sherman. I apologize for ruining your breakfast.

   *Under Ron Washington the Rangers are 1-3 in elimination games. They won Game 5 over the Rays in 2010, but have since lost Game 5 of the '10 World Series, Game 7 of the '11 World Series and the Wild-Card Game to the Orioles in '12.

   *Love Fox Sports Southwest's suuuuuuuper-sloooooooow-motionnnnnnnn camera for Rangers replays, but not sure why it's called "Phantom Cam." Phantom refers to a ghost or an illusion of something that's almost impossible to see. This camera makes things easier to see. Really should be called the Un-Phantom Cam.

   *The Rangers' Alex Rios has played 1,454 games without reaching the playoffs, third-most among active players behind only Adam Dunn and Vernon Wells. The all-time record? Ernie Banks and his 2,528 over 19 seasons with the Cubs. If the Rangers don't officially make the playoffs, won't be Rios' fault. In 46 games in Texas he's hit .280 with six homers and 25 RBI.

   *Hope you enjoyed that pink-free Cowboys game. Because of breast cancer awareness month, it'll be the last one until Nov. 3. I hate cancer and I love charity, it just gets old after oh, I dunno, two weeks.

   *Today? I know all the buzz is Cowboys' loss and Rangers' win, but I'll be down at American Airlines Center this afternoon for Mavs' Media Day. Tonight at 7 I'll figure out where TBS is on DirecTV and watch Rangers-Rays. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.27.13

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

   *Rangers' manager Ron Washington is taking a lot of heat for another September swoon, but he gets credit for picking the right pinch-hitter Thursday night. Needing a runner to start a rally in a must-win game to cling to hope in the AL Wild Card, Wash inserted Jurickson Profar over Lance Berkman. It was the right call, and probably also an easy one. Berkman hasn't had a hit since July 3. And Profar rewarded his manager with a dramatic homer. Profar, by the way, is only the second player in baseball history with a pinch-hit, walk-off home run before turning 21. The other? Jimmie Foxx back in 19 and 28. Needing to make up one game with three to play, the Rangers are embarking on a fun weekend.

   *The rarest of all jerseys in the NFL are the Cowboys' blue roadies. They'll wear them Sunday in San Diego for the only time this year. They've worn them only seven times in the past five seasons. Probably a good thing, because in their 54-year history the Cowboys have only one - that's one, singular - playoff win in blue. Is there really a jinx? I detail the myth over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Took a lot of grief in comments Thursday for being happy about $2.99 gas in Fort Worth and saying that the ominous predictions of President Obama's incompetency pushing gas to $5 were simply wrong. I got called a "flaming liberal" and warned that - as a small business owner starting up Pizza Buzz - Obamacare was going to doom me and my dream. Fine, y'all be Old Man Potter in It's A Wonderful Life. I'm content as George Bailey. If I'm ever lucky enough to have 50+ employees I'll gladly provide health insurance for my peeps. To me that would be a privilege, not a burden. Because when I sit in a rocking chair on the porch of my golden years, I'm going to reflect not on how many dollars I saved but rather how many lives I touched. You go ahead and protect your money. That's your right and I'll never criticize you for it. But me? I'll continue to donate my time and assets to Make-A-Wish and DFWRescueMe and the fight against Alzheimer's. In fact, I'm walking Saturday morning in Allen at Celebration Park for my good buddy Trey Lee, whose father is fighting the horrible disease. See you - or at least your money - there?

   *In a game we thought we were destined to remember for the epic four-error inning, the RangErs instead erased the mistakes with a fourth consecutive walk-off  homer against the Angels and Josh Hamilton's beard. Going back to late July, that's back-to-back-to-back-to-back walk-off homers at home for the Rangers over Anaheim. Gotta be some kind of record. I'd look it up, but it's gorgeous outside today and it's been a long week. Let me know what you find out.

   *Not trying to mist on your parade plans, but the Cowboys' two wins are against teams with a combined record of 1-6. And if you watched Frank Gore shred the Rams' defense for 153 yards last night you're a little less impressed by DeMarco Murray's 175 from last Sunday. On the other hand, Dallas' only loss is by one point, on the road, to an undefeated team. So maybe your glass is more than half-full?

   *Yeah, I get it. Mariano Rivera is baseball's all-time saves leader and a class guy. His retirement is noteworthy, but to me - a life-long Yankees' hater - not the least bit sad. I'll be about as "sad" when Tim Duncan retires. But, seriously now, has any player in the history of baseball had a more out-of-whack send-off? For a player who was on the field only a half-inning per game and never appeared on more than three consecutive days, didn't his farewell go a tad overboard? And you get the feeling we'll get more of it over the weekend when New York travels to Houston.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *The State Fair of Texas opens today in Fair Park. It's always a weird day. It signals Fall, but it's also usually still - like today - 90-plus degrees. I wasn't one of those who got emotional about Big Tex's accidental burning at the stake last year, but I dig the big guy's new look. Or is it a different big guy altogether? Either way, let's meet at Big Tex for a Fletcher's corn dog, shall we?

   *Cowboys haven't lost in San Diego in 30 years. Last regular-season loss to the Chargers in southern California was Nov. 13, 1983. Dallas has won its last three trips, but that day some quarterback named Ed Luther torched it for 340 yards passing as the 3-7 Chargers upset the 9-1 Cowboys. I'm sure I watched that game, but have zero recollection. A result of either old age or a good filter.

   *Hey gun nuts, I found the kind of weapon I'll actually endorse. The kind that won't fire. Folks at the McDonald's in Fort Worth are calling the would-be assassin's gun malfunction a "divine intervention" and a "miracle from God." Which, of course, begs the question: If God miraculously stopped this mass shooting, why did he/she/it allow the one at the Navy Yard? Selective miracling has always been a difficult practice for me to grasp.

   *Speaking of guns, in Iowa you can now acquire and carry one even if you're ... blind. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say this is a terrible idea. Unless, that is, the gun owners let their guide dogs pull paw the trigger.

   *Cowboys' defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has dubbed tackle Nick Hayden with a nickname: "Golden Cock." And, yes, it has to do with Hayden's angle and, um, position.

   *TCU 31, SMU 17. Iron Skillet has to be the worst "trophy" in all of college football.

   *Seriously, who does this? I've never ever never not flushed the toilet after, ya know, using the bathroom. The thought never even crossed my mind. If I'm sitting on the throne and the building catches on fire, I'd probably flush, then escape. But yesterday at Panera Bread on Highway 377 I walked in on a full, polluted bowl. And then last night at Cheddar's at Greenville/635 Sybil suffered the same trauma. As she put it, "There's ones and twos in there!" Other than a plumbing malfunction, there can't possibly be a legitimate excuse for this obscene inaction.

   *Happy Birthday, KXAS. The old station (and my relatively new employer) turns a ripe old 65 today. I grew up mesmerized by weatherman Harold Taft and his cutting-edge gauges. In JoCoMoFo, his forecasts were gospel.

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   *In 1992 I walked into the Supercuts at Frankford/Tollway. I walked out with a haircut and a friend for life. For 21 years Lisa Santos has been there, offering advice, cooking food, managing my Facebook, jumping off my roof as her bikini top "accidentally" flew off, always injecting passion into life. We've laughed and cried and drank and danced and supported each other through everything from divorce and death. She's always been the freakin' Puerto Rican, yet our relationship has never been anything more than platonic. She still cuts my hair. And Saturday she turns 40. Happy Birthday to Santos, and her butt!

   *So the chairman of Barilla Group - the world's largest pasta producer - says his company would never feature gay families in advertisements for his product because he likes the "traditional" family. If someone disagrees, he says they can "eat another brand of pasta." Two of the biggest roadblocks to progress in this world: Tradition and Fear. Barilla is about learn its lesson about expression: Sure it's free, but it also comes with consequences.

   *Cowboys 24, Chargers 20. Brian Waters starts. Manti Te'o debuts.

   *Linkin Park's new song = Awesome.

   *Okay, the daily Whitt's End experiment has gone on for two weeks. Whatdya think? Honestly, I've been pleasantly surprised by the response. Unique visitors, pageviews and comments are up. But I'm a slave to customer feedback. So I welcome your assessment.

   *I've said recently that I'm a bad judge of character, but professionally I align myself with some great peeps. Two of this blog's advertisers just won awards in the Dallas Observer's "Best Of" issue: Bob Lovell of HMS and Baby Dolls Dallas. Congrats, partners.

   *This weekend? Got the Alzheimer's walk Saturday morning and the birthday party Saturday night. Sunday is Cowboys-Chargers. Monday I'll be at Mavs' Media Day down at the AAC. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.26.13

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

   *"We know that once (Tony Romo's) rattled and what not, it’s easy to take him out of the game.” - Corey Liuget, defensive end for the NFL's 32nd-ranked unit. The Chargers - Dallas' Sunday opponent - are the only team to surrender 1,000 yards passing through three weeks. In other words, seems like a good week for Liuget to shut his pie hole and fix what is broken in his own trailer.

   *Fitting that with Josh Hamilton in the yard tonight the non-"baseball town" of Arlington will welcome its 3,000,000th fan into Rangers Ballpark. Rangers average about 1,800 more fans per game than the Angels. Said Hamilton of his team's four-game season-ending series against his old team: "Sure we'd like to (knock them out of the playoffs) and silence their crowd."

   *At the Valero on I-35W just north of downtown Fort Worth the price of gas is ... $2.99. Where are all those doomsdayers who predicted Obama's incompetence would push gas over $5 a gallon? Enjoying low gas prices at the pump, that's where.

   *Toldja earlier this week that Randy Galloway's days at 103.3 FM ESPN were numbered. Think you could fill his iconic boots? The job apparently is already open. Good luck!

   *More fragile: Those silky spider webs suddenly floating in our skies or Miles Austin's hamstrings?

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *The $7,875 fine to Dez Bryant for his casual-yet-clear "throat slash" maneuver against the Rams seems steep, especially when it came only seconds after he got away with murder via a two-handed shove on cornerback Courtland Finnegan to get open in the end zone.

   *Raise your hand if you've had enough of the "Manning Family story"?

   *If I seem particularly irritable today it's because my upstairs (office) A/C went kaput. We want it to be gorgeous Fall-like weather. But try typing in 93-degree heat. Dare ya.

   *DeMarcus Ware will be in the Cowboys' Ring of Honor. But is he the franchise's best all-time pass-rusher? Let's debate over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Reminder to Texas drivers: It is against the law to cross a double-white line. Not a friendly reminder like "Don't forget your umbrella." A law. As in, it's in place to make our roads safer and violating it could get you a $100 ticket. I'd say cars entering the highway prematurely over double-white lines is one of the main reasons for traffic jams. A car this morning just couldn't wait for the dotted-line, legal entrance area of the ramp and violently swerved over the double-white line for an awkward merge into traffic that was traveling much faster than it. The result? The car in front of me had to hit his brakes, as did I, as did the car behind me. And so on ... and so on ... and so on. Stop crossing double-white lines. Please.

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   *Dirk Nowitzki spent part of his Wednesday in a Time Machine. Oh, check that, apparently it's a hyperbaric chamber. My bad.

   *Ted Cruz and his fraudulent filibuster made me ashamed to be an American. What? He's Canadian? Whew.

   *You Betcha Week 5: House money, baby! We're playing with house money. Well, at least $75 of it. For the first time all season my wager didn't come down to some fluky play that didn't decide the game but certainly affected the outcome. Cowboys rolled the Rams, nice and relaxing. Now, let's keep it local. And easy. Sorry, but TCU isn't 20 points better than anybody this season. This game means much more to SMU than the deflated Frogs. Give me the Iron Skillet as motivation and the Mustangs to exploit the three touchdowns.
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000.
CURRENT BANKROLL: $10,075.
SEASON RECORD: 2-2.
LAST WEEK: 1-0, Cowboys minus-4 over Rams.
j THIS WEEK:  SMU plus+20 over TCU, for $1,000

   *Of all the folks ESPN forces down our throats by trying to convince us of their stardom, I don't get Scott Van Pelt. But I must be wrong, because Sports Illustrated says he's a must-follow on Twitter.

   *In college I used to actually make plans to watch the America's Cup yacht race. Looking back, it was more a fascination with the advent of cable TV sports than with sailing. I also, for example, used to be glued to Australian Rules Football.

   *Ragweed, you sonofabitch. Enough already.

   *Today? Pizza Buzz. It's a process. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.25.13

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

   *Death. Taxes. Jerry Jones hyperbole. You can always count on the Cowboys owner to get carried away at the tiniest glimpse of positivity from his squad. In the wake of Cowboys 31, Rams 7 he actually said of his defense, "I can't recall when I've seen us play better. Ever." Ever? C'mon Jerry. Ever? I know you'll turn 71 on Oct. 13 but in 1992 your No. 1-ranked defense helped win a Super Bowl. And it wasn't that long ago - 2009 - that your defense recorded back-to-back shutouts to end the regular season and then won a playoff game. Ever?

   *Thanks again to the Houston Astros for being so neighborly (and sucky) in 2013. The Rangers are 16-2 against them, and 70-69 against everyone else.

   *Before the dust settled on 105.3 The Fan's firing of Elf & Slater last week I heard a weird rumor that GBag Nation would only temporarily land on the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot en route to permanently switching time slots with afternooners Ben and Skin. Couldn't confirm it, so I didn't write it. But somebody who might know thinks it's a "done deal." Gregg Henson - one of the original G's in GBag Nation when he worked alongside Gavin Dawson in 2009-10 - says on his Twitter (@GreggHenson) that the switch will happen. This week. Believe it when I hear it.

   *Two things: 1. This Carissa Loethen chick is hot; 2. This naked haunted house idea is cool. What, too chicken?

   *For a wrinkly, old, white dude, David Stern has always been a progressive, hip commissioner. But the NBA is missing the point allowing nicknames on the backs of Heat and Nets' jerseys for selected games in 2014. Instead of LeBron James, for example, you'll see "King James." And instead of Ray Allen you'll get "Jesus Shuttlesworth." Hey, wait a minute. Not only is it a bad me-before-team idea, it's a horrible execution of a bad me-before-team idea. Jesus Shuttlesworth isn't a nickname, but a character from the movie He Got Game. I'm all for better nicknames than just the lazy first-letter-of-the-first-name-and-last-name (D-Wade, T-Rich, D-Ware, etc.), but with this move the NBA will take a step toward becoming The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Comforting thing about the notion is the flashy nickname Dirk Nowitzki would demand on the back of his jersey: "Nowitzki".

   *Even without their best defensive player from 2012, the Cowboys have options along the front four. Who and what the what? Over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Unless I'm missing something, Jeff Daniels will play both the dumbest (Harry Dunne) and smartest (Will MacAvoy) character in the history of acting. Which makes him awesome.

   *Sshh. Hear that? It's Tony Romo haters pouting quietly in the corner. Not much for them to crow about when the Cowboys' quarterback has the NFL's 5th-best quarterback rating, a completion percentage behind only Peyton Manning and a TD/INT ratio of 6/1.

   *Ya know, not all of life's problems can be solved by simpleton strategies like "Put your big boy pants on", "Man up" and "Git 'R Done." I know nuances, subtleties and shades of gray are murky, scary terrain for shallow folks, but sometimes it takes a little deep thinking, clever strategy and pro-active foresight to hit life's curveballs. It helps to have more than just a Neanderthal Plan A when dealing with a quandary.

   *Remember when I pissed off all the Baylor Baptists by claiming Elena Delle Donne was a better women's basketball player than Brittney Griner? In their rookie WNBA seasons Griner averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds; Delle Donne 18.1 and 5.6. Can't believe I just won a women's basketball argument. Can't believe I just had a women's basketball argument.

   *Don't look now, but Mavericks' Media Day is Monday. I'll be there to meet newcomers DeJuan Blair, Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Monta Ellis, Devin Harris, Shane Larkin and Gal Mekel. Of the 21 players on the training camp roster, 13 weren't with the team last year. Pre-season opener is Oct. 7. While the two-time defending champion Miami Heat hold camp in The Bahamas, Mavs will hold theirs in the bowels of American Airlines Center. Pretty similar. Sure.

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   *White Truck Wednesday: 3-year-old girl on afternoon walk with baby-sitter struck and killed by a ... White Truck.

   *Mick Jagger will soon be a great grandfather. Let that one sink in.

   *Shaquille O'Neal is now part-owner of the Sacramento Kings. Imagine Mark Cuban selling a chunk of the Mavs to Dwyane Wade. Or Tim Duncan. Vomit.

   *Stopped playing video games the day when - between Cowboys' two-a-day training camp practices in Austin in 1993 - I finally beat the last level of Super Mario Bros. As a kid who played Pong in wide-eyed amazement, I'm stunned at how they've evolved. Grand Theft Auto V debuted last week and generated $800 million. In one day.

   *Today? Off to Pizza Buzz. By the way, we're still hiring. Managers, drivers, cooks, counter. The works. Contact Justin@PizzaBuzz.com. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.24.13

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

   *Big blow to the Cowboys' defense with Anthony Spencer needing microfracture knee surgery and likely being out for the year. Dallas is already without Jay Ratliff three more games and Tyrone Crawford suffered a season-ending injury early in training camp. I know new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli is working magic with the likes of George Selvie and Nick Hayden and Edgar Jones. But the Cowboys can't keep this up with only DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher anchoring the front four. Can they?

   *My former radio partner needs help. Serious help. At least he's getting heart-felt advice from friend and former Ticket co-worker, Grubes. I don't take Greggo's calls or texts and I no longer follow him on Twitter, but couple of friends alerted me Sunday that he was attacking 105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher. In attempting to harpoon Fisher's breaking news about Spencer not playing against the Rams, Greggo used words like "truth", "class", "integrity", "slimy" and "unethical." Laughable. Those criticisms coming from a guy with sub-freezing credibility. Those accusations coming from a guy who, among his litany of lies, skipped out on his RAGE teammates, fabricated stories about his own mother to miss work, and misstated his days of supposed sobriety on the air. Ring a bell? Sorry, but at this point anyone who believes Greggo's version of "just tellin' the truth" is simply stubborn, naive or as fucked up as he is. Greggo was once a radio icon in DFW. But these days he's nothing more than an alarmingly skinny 53-year-old habitual liar with a failed blog, banished to a life of irrelevance and Internet trolling with his days spent buying Heineken at Still On The Corner in Gainesville and picking nonsensical Twitter fights in a lame attempt to get people to notice him. It truly saddens me. We had some great times, made some good radio and I'll always have a special place in my heart for him. But I won't help Greggo until he finally decides to help himself.

   *See, that's the maddening thing about your Rangers. Monday night they used the worst team in baseball as their personal pinata with Alex Rios' cycle, 12 runs, a complete game by Derek Holland and lots of fireworks and fun for the whole family. 12-0. Can't help but be a tad frustrated that this team wins games 8-2 and 12-0, but can't scratch out a single tally in all those 1-0 defeats.

   *What do you mean your son almost drowned at the football camp of some Cowboys? Sounds to me like the players should almost pay you a bunch of money. Unless, that is, the kid suffered permanent physical damage. If so, prove it.

   *After shredding the Raiders on Monday Night Football, Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning is on pace for 475 completions, 6,096 yards and 64 touchdowns. All would be NFL records.

   *Is it too early, or does DeMarco Murray's 175-yard rushing performance demand an apology from his critics? I discuss over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Texas Motor Speedway grand poobah Eddie Gossage has long been openly jealous of the Cowboys' popularity. He's got a bigger venue. Bigger one-day crowds. And now a bigger video board. His new "Big Hoss" will be 70 yards long, 10 bigger than JumboJerry at AT&T Stadium. But it's all relative. I went to Charlotte Motor Speedway and saw what is currently the world's biggest board and, honestly, at that giant track it looked like a 32" tube TV in the corner. TMS' new toy is huge, but it won't appear nearly as big as the Cowboys'.

   *Credit Joe Nathan with another save, with assists from Elvis Andrus and Holland. Seems the former president of the Southeast Arlington Little League stole the organization's $20,000 in a move that threatened to cancel the Fall season. Until the Rangers stepped in. Very cool.

   *Watched a sneak preview of the JFK movie Parkland last night at the Angelika Film Center. Nov. 22 is the 50th anniversary of the assassination, so get prepared for the onslaught. The movie starts with, um, a bang. Gripping first 30 minutes, detailing President Kennedy's transportation to Parkland Hospital and the efforts to keep him alive despite a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Not as quite as gruesome as the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, but it's pretty damn intense. And bloody. And hectic. You'll learn details about the ornery medical examiner, Oswald's looney mom and the life of Abraham Zapruder. But mostly, I was reminded how terrible the whole ordeal makes our city look. Says a secret service agent of Dallas at one point, "What a horrible place to die."

   *Can't imagine the backlash Jerry Jones would receive if he allowed a player to play in a game, then be sent to rehab immediately after. The 49ers botched Aldon Smith's care from the start.

   *More proof that Brad Sham is as eloquent in life as he is behind the Cowboys' microphone, this is his Facebook posting re: the moving of his son, Paul:

My son is off to embark on a new chapter of his life tonight. It will separate us physically. His mom already came to terms dealing with that. This feels like a big step, and I want Sunray Paul Lewis Sham to be reminded that his mom and dad are his biggest cheerleaders. The bumps in the road don't alter our belief in you, son, nor the way we love you, which is more than anything in the world. Your dad will always be here for you, wishing you what parents wish their children most: safety, health, happiness and peace.

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   *College football uniforms are officially outta control. Is this Virginia Tech's helmet for Thursday night's game against Georgia Tech? Or have The Flintstones joined the ACC?

   *Loved me some Dexter, but the series finale on Showtime was underwhelming, no? He killed his sister, sailed into a hurricane and then ... grew a beard and became an anonymous logger with a creepy stare? Still, any show that can get you to root for a serial killer has to be considered a smashing success.

   *Local TV audiences from last Sunday: Cowboys-Rams 943,000. Rangers-Royals 69,000. The Emmys 365,000. Bears-Steelers 454,000. Breaking Bad 241,000.

   *Sign you're getting old: You have more passion for what you see than what you do.

   *An experienced rock-climber fell to her death in Grapevine because she inexplicably forgot to hook into her safety line. The Devil is in the details.

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   *Toldja baseball over-celebrates. Even its babies drink beer in partying locker rooms.

   *Stop me if you've heard this one. Pacman Jones arrested. But hey it's only the 8th time he's been jailed since 2005. Probably just another misunderstanding.

   *Yeah, I'll get crap wrong from time to time. And I'll do my best to correct it. I forgot Dan Bailey's missed 21-yard field goal in San Francisco back in 2011. So before Sunday's push to the right against the Rams he had made 38 field goals in a row under 40 yards.

   *I'm posting this video of me and Pat Doney on NBC 5's Big Game Sunday not because of our keen insight on Cowboys-Rams. But because I dare you to focus on our commentary when Carly Patterson tumbles past in the background. Giggle.

   *Today? May visit my old friend Jay Lombardo to check out some new threads. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.23.13

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

   *Cowboys 31, Rams 7: My Top 10 Whitty Observations over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog, including a foggy memory of the last time the Cowboys played such a dominant first half of football. Hint: We were Christmas shopping. And a lot younger.

   *EDIT: The more I hear the more this seems like Galloway is pulling the strings on his own departure. To which I say, good for him. I've written a couple times that it'd make sense for Cumulus to just buy out the contract of Randy Galloway and, sure enough, one way or another, the legendary media icon's days are numbered. It's actually Galloway's decision since his non-transferable contract stipulates him only working for ESPN, but regardless, his last day on the radio will be the day The Ticket officially takes over 103.3 FM ESPN. That could be as soon as Friday or as far out as a month from now, as the FCC has initially rejected The Ticket's selling of its 104.1 FM signal. Galloway's contract runs through Dec. 31, but he has zero intention of working for the Cumulus folks he's battled against for three decades. Though the station is upticking in the ratings, the expected cuts at ESPN are now beginning. Out as of last week - but also not official until the switch is approved - are program director Tom Lee, general manager Pete Dits and on-air talent like Kelly Webster and Landry Locker. Filling Galloway's big boots won't be easy, as he's been a print fixture in the Metroplex since 1966. I'm told names being kicked around to take his chair include The Ticket's Norm Hitzges, Channel 8's Dale Hansen and Channel 11's Steve Dennis. Also told that Galloway sidekick Matt Mosley's job is safe, awaiting a new partner. Not that Dennis - or anyone else - can come in and dent The Hardline's dynasty, but he's opinionated, educated and not afraid to ask a tough question nor shy away from offering a unique view. I worked alongside Galloway at the Star-Telegram, competed against him at 105.3 The Fan and played with him at various horse tracks around the country. Personally, I'll miss him.

   *Last year it was Josh Hamilton's bat. This Fall it's Nelson Cruz's. For very different reasons, obviously, they both vanished at the wrong time. And the punchless Rangers are again authoring an epic collapse. On Aug. 23 the Rangers led the A's by 3.5 games. On Sept. 22 the A's clinched the AL West. How does a 12-game swing happen? The Rangers haven't won back-to-back games since Aug. 28, that's how.

   *Between Breaking Bad and Dexter and Bears-Steelers and my late-night appearance on NBC 5's Big Game Sunday, managed to watch a little of The Emmys. Gotta admit, very entertaining. Neil Patrick Harris was a lively host. The Newsroom's Will MacAvoy beat out Walter White. And two women caught my eye: That one with the cavernous cleavage that I can never understand and who's on that show that I never watch. And the one from Homeland who always makes those painful faces and is flatter than Odessa.

   *Monday tastes a little better with this sugar on top: For the first time ever, the Giants and Redskins are both 0-3. Bon appetit.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *As expected, 'twas a lousy college football weekend. Top 10 teams went 8-0 by an average score of 50-12. Miami (-59.5), Ohio State (-51.5) and Louisville (-41) all covered gaudy spreads by scores 77-7, 76-0 and 72-0. It was so ridiculous in Miami that the Hurricanes and Savannah State agreed to a mercy-rule, 12-minute fourth quarter. Scheduling cupcakes is such a waste of time. Teams don't need scrimmages at this point in the season. Fans get zero drama. And after last weekend's fantastic A&M-Alabama game, college football goes anonymous for a week. Embarrassing that Ohio State fans actually made shirts to taunt Florida A&M.

   *North Texas got $975,000 for traveling to Georgia and was tied 21-21 in the third quarter before losing 42-21. I'd say that trip was worth it.

   *Sunday was just the latest kick-to-the-crotch loss for the Rangers. Thursday in Tampa they hit three homers in an inning. But if not the long ball this team just can't score. Over the weekend in KC they mustered only four runs in three games. And yesterday it ended painfully with Justin Maxwell's walk-off Grand Slam. First Slam to end a scoreless game in extra innings since 1967. The Rangers have a horrible habit of making history.

   *Sleeping with the windows open is one of life's little pleasures. Happens around here, what, maybe 30 nights a year?

   *You know how you know you have a great quarterback? When he throws more interceptions than touchdowns and you realize it hasn't happened in 36 games. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had another statistical oddity in Cincy yesterday: They scored 30 consecutive points. And lost.

   *Went to DFWRescueMe's Wags 'n Waves event at NRH20 Saturday afternoon. As Sybil was emceeing the dog skills contest, a canine strolled through and left a gigantic dump right in the middle of the proceedings. Not sure if he entering his "skill" or merely offering a biting commentary on the competition.

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   *Not everyone was bored by college football. Decent boxer and ballsy gambler Floyd Mayweather Jr. wagered $200,000 that A&M would lead SMU by at least 18 points at halftime. Score: A&M 32, Mustangs 6. Another TKO for the champ.

   *Good news for the Rangers. Yeah, they trail the Indians and Rays by 1.5 games for the second Wild Card. But the Astros are in town. Rangers have beaten them eight in a row and are 14-2 vs. Houston this season. Three must-wins over the worst team in baseball and the final four games vs. Anaheim will be meaningful and delicious. For what it's worth, Rays finish with one against Orioles tonight, then six at Yankees and Blue Jays. Indians finish with two against White Sox and four at the Twins.

   *When construction is finished, why don't we call them "builts"?

   *I was prepared to say that Mariano Rivera's farewell tour hadn't gotten completely out of control, but having Metallica play your retirement party is badass. Exit, Sandman.

   *Went to Sherlock's in Addison Friday night and - swear - had the door guy check my ID. I turn 50 in July. I offer that not as some flimsy attempt to claim I'm aging gracefully, but more as a stinging indictment of the guy's pathetic evaluation skills.

   *Today? A little bike ride with Sybil in the afternoon sunshine, followed by a screening of the JFK movie Parkland tonight at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.20.13

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

   *Wait, so a radio station whose mantra is "Breaking sports news first, guaranteed!" but never actually breaks sports news wins a Marconi Award for "Sports Station of the Year" last night in Orlando? While aural journalism hangs its head in shame, I'll congratulate The Ticket. Maybe it's just me, but I want my sports radio to be both entertaining and informative. An award-winning comedian has to tell fresh jokes. A blue-ribbon chef comes up with new recipes. And an elite "sports station" needs to go to practices and games and talk to coaches and players and air an intimate, unique knowledge of the teams it yaps about. But what do I know? I've been on radio and in radio for years and I fully admit, I do not understand radio.

   *Cowboys' most pleasant surprise of the season is ... over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *See what happens when the Rangers hit three homers in an inning and score eight runs behind Yu Darvish? They win. What a concept. September Swoon and Wednesday night's excruciating extra-inning loss be damned, these final 10 games are gonna be fun. Three at the Royals this weekend, followed by three against the Astros and four vs. the Angels. Last year Texas limped to a 3-7 finish and missed the playoffs. Another 3-7 and they'll miss again. 7-3 and they're in. Anything in between is a crap-shoot.

   *Songs I've heard 1,000 times and hope I never have to suffer through hearing again: 10. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffet; 9. "Beautiful", James Blunt; 8. "Free Fallin'", Tom Petty; 7. "Sweet Caroline", Neil Diamond; 6. "Umbrella", Rihanna; 5. "American Pie", Don McLean; 4. "Centerfield", John Fogerty ; 3. "Blackbird", The Beatles; 2. Anything by Weird Al Yankovic; 1. "Old Time Rock-and-Roll", Bob Seger.

   *Thanks to Andy Reid beating his old Eagles' team last night, the Cowboys woke up this morning with the only non-losing record in the NFC East. And suddenly, a one-point loss on the road to a 3-0 Chiefs team doesn't look so bad eh?

   *Lots of you think Breaking Bad is the greatest show in the history of TV. But are you buying that Jesse Pinkman can really tell the sex of a dog just by petting it? Meh, Will McAvoy can tell just via an interview.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Nick Saban's agent took a call last winter from a Texas regent about the Longhorns' job. But, nooooo, the Alabama coach would never leave for Austin. "Quite frankly, I'm just too damn old to start over somewhere else," Saban said last night. And he would never lie about leaving a football team, right Miami Dolphins?
 
   *I guess when it comes to women in sports radio around these parts, it's Title IX Nein. As in, no thanks. Not a good week/year for gorgeous women on local radio. Jasmine Sadry, Sybil Summers and Jane Slater out at the The Fan. And yesterday - as part of the expected Cumulus-based cuts at 103.3 FM ESPN - long-time (9.5 years) personality Kelly Webster got the boot.

   *Was watching Rangers-Rays and Chiefs-Eagles last night when - poof - rain, lightning, power outage. Needed the rain, and am equipped with backup computer power. But sitting in the dark with no TV and no A/C is way overrated. Makes you ponder what nights were really like before electricity. Charades by the fire? Every single night?

   *One last thing on guns (until the inevitable next mass shooting committed via guns): Supporters are now spewing the NRA rhetoric that "mental illness" is the cause/common denominator in these murders. Maybe, but so are guns. I'll take my chances against a mentally ill person armed with a knife or a slingshot or a broom or a stick of butter, rather than a mentally ill person armed with a gun. You?

   *Baseball's season of over-celebrating has commenced. The Dodgers, 41-18 since the All-Star break, clinched the NL West last night and celebrated by diving into the Arizona Diamondbacks' swimming pool in right field. It's a division. Remind me the last time an NBA or NFL team partied - or even noticed - after winning a division.

   *This Red Bull Flugtag thing in Irving Saturday morning looks fascinating and potentially entertaining, but also brings up a couple questions. Isn't that an awful lot of foreplay for a quick splash of a payoff? And, what/where the hell is Lake Carolyn?

   *My commute to Pizza Buzz in northeast Fort Worth is about 60 miles straight through the belly of the beast, better known as 121 and Loop 820. I only go about twice a week, but it takes anywhere between one hour and $%#@**&^! Two things make the drive tolerable: 1. Prospect of revenue; 2. XM 42 The Joint. I find it dang near impossible to be pissed while listening to Reggae, mon.

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   *'Bama quarterback A.J. McCarron has broken up with girlfriend Katherine Webb. As Brent Musburger weeps, we have one last reason to post her pic.

   *Last night I got more excited about the rain than the Rangers. Can't decide if that makes me wise? Or just old?

   *Went to a matinee showing of Elysium yesterday with Sybil. Decent, different flick. Cost of tickets: $7. Cost of snacks: $23. Truth.

   *Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Tim Tebow? And while remember how much I loved reading Blackie Sherrod.

   *Feeling sad today for Mark Elfenbein and Jane Slater. They're handling their firing from 105.3 The Fan with more class than I did, but I know what it's like to wake up feeling like your best ain't good enough. And it sucks. Big time. They're both talented people who will find their way back into media in some form. Here's hoping the good, hard-working veterans still at The Fan - like Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy, Roy White, Gavin Dawson, Chris Arnold, Mike Bacsik and Jeff Cavanaugh - can somehow outlast their bumbling boss.

   *Cowboys 27, Rams 17.

   *This weekend? Off to Pizza Buzz, mon. Then a couple drinks with buddies from junior high and - sssshhh - crashing Sybil's girls'-night party at our house. Saturday morning is tennis, followed by Wags 'n Waves out at NRH20. Sunday of course is Cowboys-Rams in Arlington, and at some point an appearance on NBC 5 with Pat, Newy and the gang. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.19.13

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

   *In sports, it's the coaches who get blamed. In sports radio, it's always the players. With the firing Wednesday of midday show Mark Elfenbein and Jane Slater, 105.3 The Fan bumbling program director Gavin Spittle has now canned his struggling station's two highest-rated shows in five months. (Some might remember a certain afternoon show getting shown the door in April.) He's also fired the station's three female on-air hosts: Slater, Jasmine Sadry and Sybil Summers. So if Spittle's goal was to rid The Fan of its most recognizable personalities while also making it a considerably uglier station, mission accomplished. New lineup: Gavin Dawson, Chris Arnold and Mike Bacsik from 10a-2p and the KandC Masterpiece from 6-11p. Though seemingly unwarranted - in the station's horrible August ratings, Elf & Slater was the only show to post a 2.0 rating for any time period - this move wasn't a big surprise. I surmised that Elf & Slater sat in wobbly chairs since The Fan's almost acquisition of BaD Radio back in June. Don't know if the station will be any better, but it's a little different. And when you're embarrassingly No. 3 in a three-horse race, I guess any change is good.

   *Tony Romo leads NFL QBs with a completion percentage of 72.5, but only nine of his 91 passes have traveled more than 20 yards. Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to throw downfield? My Deep Thoughts over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Joe Nathan, that Rangers' loss is on you. I know Jurickson Profar failed to turn a double play earlier, but all a team asks for is to get to its closer. And the Rangers got there. But armed with a 1-run lead and two-out, none out in the 11th, Nathan couldn't close the deal. Walking a guy in that situation proved a fatal flaw. That said, why was Joe Ortiz handed the ball for the 12th? He's obviously not ready for playoff baseball. Neftali Feliz was warming, but I guess Wash doesn't fully trust him yet? Deflating loss. Or, I should say, another deflating loss.

   *Personally, I'm sad over the firings of Elf & Slater. Though former program director Bruce Gilbert took an admitted gamble on a girl new to that genre of radio, she consistently worked to improve her craft. And Elf remains the most passionate, positive teammate I've ever worked alongside. I'll remember Slater for being my partner in crime on a Malibu beach and for a crazy night in New Orleans at last year's Super Bowl when she playfully slapped a hotel night manager with her hair weave. Serious. And I'll remember Elf for his smile, enthusiasm and ... Oh, who am I kidding? Cut the dramatic, twinkling piano. Sybil and I will have drinks with Slater within a couple days and I'll beat Elf's ass on the tennis court sooner than later. They're gone, but certainly not dead.

   *And on Sept. 18, the Cleveland Browns gave up on the 2013 season. The team with the worst helmets this side of Jacksonville traded franchise running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick in next April's draft. The Colts are going to be good. Their pick is going to suck. And so are the Browns. Richardson was their marquee player, plastered on media guides and pocket schedules, etc. While Andrew Luck is gifted a runner with 12 touchdowns in his first 17 NFL games, the Browns are left to sell ... starting quarterback Brian Hoyer. Awful.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *If you laugh hysterically and can't take your eyes off Jonathon Villar's face-first slide into Brandon Phillips' left butt cheek, then I'm pretty sure we watch baseball for different reasons. Though Sybil saying Villar must be an "Asstro" was kinda cleverfunny.

   *One last thing on The Fan. Last week after the loss in Kansas City their veteran, respected Cowboys insider Mike Fisher went to the locker room, rode a team bus to the airplane and flew home with the team. But he never appeared live with any sort of report on The Fan's post-game show? What the what is going on at the station I used to love? For an outfit desperate for some credibility, that's a self-inflicted gaffe.

   *You Betcha Week 4: As predicted, Alabama was rolling. Up 21 and with the ball in the third quarter last Saturday in College Station. Then they took their foot off the pedal, Johnny Goofball worked his magic and, bam, backdoor cover with a touchdown pass in the final 30 seconds. Yeah, ouch. But, never fear, the Cowboys will cover the 4 against the Rams Sunday. With Brian Waters more into the mix, Dallas found a team it can actually run against. Rams are 24th in defense. DeMarco Murray's 253 yards against them two years ago ring a bell?
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000.
CURRENT BANKROLL: $9,575.
SEASON RECORD: 1-2.
LAST WEEK: 0-1.
THIS WEEK: Cowboys minus-4 over Rams, for $500.

   *Speaking of gambling on a lackluster college football weekend with only one Top 25 matchup (Stanford-Arizona State), Miami is a 60-point favorite over Savannah State. SSU was a 65-point dog at Florida State last year and covered, losing only 55-0.

   *What's going on at my alma mater? Four rapes and five fraternities suspended at UT-Arlington. Never understood the Greek thing and the need for an artificial circle of friends. Played tennis recently with a buddy I've known since 2nd grade.

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   *In the wake of another mass shooting and more debate on gun control, a follower on Twitter actually said I was an idiot because I didn't fear what would happen to America if our freedoms were revoked and we became an unarmed citizenry. Ridiculous. I'm pretty sure if the U.S. government wanted to attack us they'd find a way around him and the pistol he keeps under his pillow. Drones, anyone?

   *Tropicana Field is the worst venue in all of sports. Last night there were 14,000 fans at Rangers-Rays, and more than half left by the 7th because, well, they're senior citizens who need their rest. Playoff baseball. Wild-Card ramifications. 11 games left in the season. Extra innings. And the place was as quiet as a library. I haven't even mentioned that turf. Are those giant grease spots in the outfield? Looks like the field was used as a catch-all safety rug under cars in a giant oil-change garage.

   *Me and Sybil were in the hot tub recently and ... nope, it ain't all fun and games. We actually devised a plan of action in case an airplane crashes in our neighborhood. Our house is in the flight path to DFW Airport, so you never know. A call to 911 is involved. As are DFWSportatorium, Twitter, KVIL and NBC 5. I guess that's a form of dirty talk, right?

   *This season Daniel Tosh claims to be making subtle changes to his wardrobe in each episode of Tosh.0. To my eyeballs he's wearing a pink(ish) button-down shirt, untucked, with the sleeves rolled up about mid-forearm. Every week. What am I missing? I want to know, but researching it would feel like such a waste of my time on this Earth.

   *Today? A little run in the sun and maybe an afternoon movie with Sybil. Tonight it's more Rangers and Andy Reid's return to Philly. Don't be a stranger.

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