WHITT'S END: 10.31.13

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

   *From David "Arias", relatively svelte project with the Minnesota Twins in 1997, to David Ortiz, thick-'n-hearty World Series MVP in 2013. That's about as dominant an offensive post-season performance as we can remember. The Red Sox are baseball's champs mainly due to Big Gigantic Papi.

   *The biggest loser this baseball season? Bobby Valentine. He somehow took a Red Sox squad that won the World Series in 2013 and managed them to a last-place record of 69-93 in 2012. Boston was an 18/1 Vegas long-shot to win it all before the season.

   *How many among ESPN's stable of 43 baseball experts picked the Red Sox back in Spring Training? Zero. In fact, none of them predicted Boston or St. Louis in the World Series. We in the media talk a good game, but we really know nothing. Nothing at all.

   *It worked! At least for one night. Monta Ellis was Batman, Dirk Nowitzki only had to be Robin and the Mavs started anew by beating the Hawks. We're going to have to live with Ellis' careless ball-handling (8 turnovers), but the best news was that Samuel Dalembert and DeJuan Blair hit the boards and the Mavs out-rebounded Atlanta, 42-33. I don't think the Hawks will be very good. But I think the Mavs just might be decent.

   *Swear this exchange took place in my house at 4:31 a.m. Sybil: "Hey, I'm going to Wal-Mart." Me: "whatthewhatit'sfourthirty." Sybil: "For Halloween candy!"

   *One of my all-time favorite athletes officially retired last night. Allen Iverson was listed at 6-feet, 160 pounds. But I interviewed him several times, we stood eye-to-eye and I go only a smidge over 5-8. His wiry athleticism, eye-blink quickness and uncanny knack for creating and making his shot amidst giant defenders always amazed me. Pound-for-pound, he's the best player in NBA history. Four scoring titles. 2001 MVP. 11-time All-Star. 3-time steals champ. All without needing a single day of "practice."

   *I know he's hamstrung by his unit's injuries, but Monte Kiffin needs to be better. Somewhere on Bourbon Street, Rob Ryan is having a good chuckle at Dallas' defensive debacle.

   *As a kid in Duncanville we had all had a favorite Trick-or-Treat house for Halloween. The one that gave out hot, gooey popcorn balls. No way you could get away with giving that out these days.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *For as long as I can remember (or, more precisely, around 1999) I've been Paul Stanley. For Halloween, I mean. I've worn my KISS drummer mask as my costume so often that when I walk into the annual parties my friends just roll their eyes and dejectedly mumble, "Hey, Richie." This year Sybil has asked urged forced me to expand my dress-up horizons. I was Robin Thicke to her twerking Miley Cyrus last weekend, and tonight we're greeting Trick-or-Treaters with her Indian and my Cowboy. But, pssst, just between us, I'm wearing my KISS mask to Pizza Buzz. In the name of tradition, ya know?

   *Bad news for the Mavs and the rest of the teams in the NBA's Western Conference: Dwight Howard debuted in Houston last night with 26 rebounds.

   *What kind of World Series was it? Boston hit a combined .211, and won in six games.

   *This got my toes a tappin'. You?

   *You Betcha Week 10: You know what they say about blind squirrels? Last week it actually felt like I knew what I was doing as we breezed to a $1,000 win with Texas over TCU. Relatively speaking in this struggling season, we're on a roll. I think Cowboys-Vikings Sunday in Arlington is going to be high-scoring. At home this season Dallas has produced point totals of 36, 31, 48 and 31. The hapless Vikings, meanwhile, have surrendered 31+ points in five of their seven games. Cowboys will score 34 in this one, but we all know how generous their defense is as well. Take the over.
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000
CURRENT BANKROLL: $3,925
SEASON RECORD: 3-6
LAST WEEK: 1-0
THIS WEEK: Cowboys-Vikings Over 47 combined points for $2,000.

   *Went to Jack's Pub in McKinney to watch Mavs/World Series and one of the waitresses was a girl wearing regular clothes and only furry ears as her Halloween "costume." I dubbed her "Half-Ass Cat." Her response? "Meh. Ow."

   *The NBA season is a ripe two days old but we might already have our Upset of the Year. The Sixers probably won't win 20 games. The Heat probably won't lose 20. But last night Philly jumped to a 19-0 lead on the two-time defending champs and held on for a 114-110 win. We'll look back in April and be amazed by that result.

   *Scariest players of all time: Baseball (Randy Johnson), Basketball (Shaquille O'Neal), Football (Dick Butkus). But is there any doubt the scariest athlete of our generation is Mike Tyson?

   *Today? Happy Halloween. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 10.30.13

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

   *I've faced this reality already. That on June 12, 2011 my Mavericks might have peaked, never to be that good again. That Sunday night in Miami Jason Terry pumped in 27 points, Dirk Nowitzki was crowned NBA Finals MVP and Don Carter/Mark Cuban lifted the Larry O'Brien trophy. Since then? Splat. The Mavs haven't won a playoff game since. Last year they missed the postseason for the first time since 2000. So I can either re-watch Game 6 against the Heat, or I can stubbornly, naively believe that Dirk will get necessary help this season from newcomers Monta Ellis, Samuel Dalembert and Jose Calderon when they tip-off the 2014 season tonight against the Atlanta Hawks at AAC. I'll be watching, and I think this is a playoff team. But I know exactly where the dusty DVD is. Just in case.

   *Was watching Heat-Bulls last night when Saturday Night Live did this promo skit featuring an online dating service specifically catering to African-Americans and ... Wait, BlackPeopleMeet.com is real? What. The. What?! Like you, I'm curious about WhitePeopleMeet.com. But no thanks, I fear an online KKK rally.

   *In Jason Garrett's three-year tenure the Cowboys have lost 23 regular-season games. Sadly, it was pretty easy to find 10 heart-breakers among the bunch. Sunday's kick-to-the-crotch in Detroit is high on the list, which you can peruse over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog. Cowboys are the most maddening team in the NFL. Their losses this year? By 1. By 1. By 3 on the game's final play. And by 9, in a game they led by 11. Grumble.

   *As I've said before I'm not a "gamer," but NBA 2K14 looks friggin' awesome. Not hard to fathom how some folks would be tricked into thinking they're watching an actual game at first glance.

   *I'm thinking this is totally staged and fake. No way the audio is that clear if the "victim" wasn't miked up. The video camera just happened to be rolling on a totally boring ass street when the truck magically appeared. And that lady sure is calm and collected to be presented with such a supposedly life-threatening scene. Alas, it is Humpday White Truck Wednesday, so ... enjoy? This, unfortunately, is real: Burglars steal a bunch of stuff from a farm in a ... White Truck.

   *The Mavs' GM that was hired August 1 has already resigned before November 1. Gersson Rosas, I didn't even get the chance to learn how to spell your name. Like it or not, Donnie Nelson still wields plenty of power in Dallas' front office.

   *Despite my best efforts, I'm hating LeBron James less as a person and appreciating him more as a basketball player a little more each game.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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*UTA with a glance at national glory tonight. Former Mav John Lackey on the mound for the Red Sox in Game 6 of the World Series. I'm longing for a championship-clinching no-hitter, just so the national media will dig into Lackey's background and put a pin in Arlington.

   *It's "asterisk." Not "asterick." C'mon people. You don't get to change the English language just because you're lazy. Unless, that is, you don't mind sounding lazy.

   *Jason Hatcher's having a great season. As hapless and anonymous as the injury-depleted Cowboys' defensive line is, I can't imagine where it'd be without him. But Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass 50 times Sunday in Detroit and threw for 488 yards. On the one single solitary occasion that you got to him and sacked him, does it really warrant a celebratory look-at-me square-dance routine? Imagine how silly it would look if offensive linemen performed "victory" dances after each play in which they held Hatcher without a sack.

   *Do I need to tell you how great it is to have a fiancee who will help me search the Internet for hot girls? Didn't think so.

   *The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL's only undefeated team at 8-0. How much money would you have betting against that? I'd have wagered every penny. Seriously. They were 2-14 last year. They are why we watch sports. Totally unscripted.

   *Shout out to a couple of my loyal partners. Lunching at Pollo Campero today and tomorrow is the 20th birthday for Apple Moving. If you're hungry see Kris. If you're planning a move talk to my man Will. But you know already knew that, right?

   *Christmas Eve. New Year's Eve. Happy Halloween ... Eve?

   *Today? Visit to the attorney to polish some paperwork and check up on my Small Claims lawsuit seeking to recoup my $6,500 apparently borrowed forever from my former friend. Then off to Fort Worth for some afternoon Buzzin'. Don't be a stranger.

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40 Hottest Cowboys Fans

  I'm not good at a lot of things, but I am definitely good at scouring the internet for hot chicks. As a gift to my fellow members of Cowboys Nation, I put together a list of sexy girls reppin' silver and blue. (Although the DCC are probably the best-looking supporters of the star, I didn't include them on this list for the sake of parity).

  Feel free to agree/disagree/suggest other babes in the comments section. Just wipe the keyboard when you're finished.



Honorable Mention- This Cheerleading Chihuahua

#40- Yves Nunez

#39- Rachel Starr

#38- Tori Nichole

#37- Chellee

#36- Jordan Lovestar

#35- Carmen Silguero

#34- Bridget Hall

#33- Brunette Girl

#32- Jessica Hart and Elsa Hosk

#31- Witten Girl

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#30- Tattooed Girl

#29- Nicole Perrelli

#28- El Paso Lisa

#27- Heather O

#26- Faith Vawter

#25- Emily Rice

#24- Jacklyn King

#23- Jenna

#22- Street Image Photo

#21- Tara Reid-Looking Girl

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#20- Twin Peaks Girl

#19- K from Tait Boudoir

#18- Cassidy McWilliams

#17- Cowboy Hat Girl

#16- Blonde Girl

#15- Levy Tran

#14- Stephanie Gayle

#13- Brooke Becker

#12- Ashley Lynn Sparks

#11- Allison Hearn

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#10- Ericka Kristen

#9- Melinda Barefoot

#8- Amber Leigh Hartman

#7- Summer Alexis

#6- Kathryn Dunn (on right)

#5- Hope Beel

#4- Caitlin O'Connor

#3- Brooke Banx

#2- Jaime Edmondson

#1- Janet Layug

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WHITT'S END: 10.29.13

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

   *Apologize? For what exactly? Despite NFL Films releasing this audio of one of Dez Bryant's sideline rants Sunday in Detroit, I still maintain the receiver's demonstrative behavior was unprofessional and unacceptable. And if only me and Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware and Jason Garrett see it that way, so be it. I'm fine with that. Now, if NFL Films releases the Dez/Witten/Ware exchange from the end of the game and they're simply making positive rah-rah dinner plans, then I'll apologize. (My money says that while Witten was still trying to figure out a way to win the game with :12 remaining, Dez the "passionate competitor" was already pouting and resigned to losing.) And if Dez's demeanor was no biggie, why did his head coach pull him into a private room for a one-on-one chat after the loss to the Lions? Trust me on this, there will be a day when Dez Bryant asks for the ball in a different manner. And on that day he'll be a better receiver, and a better teammate. My latest Dez Dilemma column at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *The Boston Red Sox are going to win the World Series because of Jon Lester's left arm, David Ortiz's historically hot bat and Koji Uehara's 82-mph splitter that nobody seems to see coming and even fewer have the patience to hit. With the Rangers in the playoffs in '11 and '12, that same Uehara pitched only 2.1 innings and gave up three homers and five earned runs. Now? Unhittable.

   *Feels like Christmas this morning? Nope, not December. It's NBA Opening Day. My favorite sport featuring the world's best athletes. Best team will again be the Heat. Best story will be Derrick Rose's return. Jason Kidd now coaches Paul Pierce in Brooklyn. Dwight Howard is in Houston. Worst team will be the Philadelphia 76ers (their top draft pick Nerlens Noel won't play because of a knee injury). And somewhere in the middle of it all, Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and the Mavs will return to 50+ wins, the playoffs and ... hit me back come April.

   *As for our little running gun debate, I offered to run the story of a knife mass murder if someone would ever email me a link. Done. And done. Guy in New York apparently stabbed to death a mom and her four kids. Horrible. So, yes, crazy people will find ways to kill regardless of the weapon. That said, I'd rather face the nut job with a knife than the one with a gun.

   *Was watching NFL Network's version of the weekend highlights and Bills-Saints came on. Jimmy Graham caught a bunch of passes including a couple of touchdowns and - I swear - this was analyst Deion Sanders' only, repeated comment: "Better pay dat man!" "Pay. Dat. Man!" "I'm tellin' ya, pay him!" Such insight. And, for what it's worth, no friggin' way Deion, even in his prime time, shuts down Calvin Johnson. Given his size and today's rules, Megatron is like Dad plowing through the 9-year-olds in the back yard. Deion could catch Johnson, but he'd never get him on the ground.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *For the last month Sybil and I couldn't go anywhere without her stopping and squatting. Anywhere. Everywhere. Nope, not a bladder infection. She took this 30-day booty-camp challenge and did something like 3,300 squats in an attempt to become all "Baby Got Back." Ultimately, however, she thinks all the work failed to deliver results. I dunno, I think I see a little more tone in her lovely lady hump.

   *NFL's most annoying gum-chomper: Pete Carroll or John Fox?

   *Other than Designated Hitter, I've come to the conclusion that NFL wide receivers have the easiest job in all of sports. They're receivers in the first place because they generally run faster, jump higher and are more athletic than anyone else on the field. (The players who don't measure up in any of those categories are called cornerbacks.) Accenting those physical advantages are the rules edges. Receivers can only be touched in a 5-yard area, can't ever be held and nowadays can't be violently hit except when they're prepared for it and only then between their numbers. Piece of cake, right?

   *One guy on Twitter was ripping me in the wake of the new Dez Bryant audio, saying "you're in the minority on this one." I guess that's supposed to be a criticism, but I take it as a compliment. See, being in the majority is the easy way out. If I simply wanted to be popular in this area I'd blindly dive on the bandwagon of Conservatives and guns and pickups and anti-gay anything and Nolan Ryan and all things conventional wisdom. Would my radio show have lasted longer? Maybe. But I've scrapped together 27 years over three media platforms in this market by simply being myself. Minority opinion be damned.

   *Once upon a time it was revealed that Dexter Manley "graduated" from Houston Yates High School and attended Oklahoma State for four years without being able to read. Now we learn that Manley needs to go back to school. For sensitivity training. During an interview on Washington's WTOP radio Monday, Manley blurted out "I think Troy Aikman's a queer." You can read worse daily on Twitter or Facebook on any comments section of any blog (ahem), but if you're a public speaker the rules are different. Consider it Manley's first lesson. Hopefully it was learned.

   *Today? We're prepping for this week's Grand Opening at Pizza Buzz, which includes the installation of our lighted permanent sign and a giant menu board over the front counter. Starting to look like a legit restaurant. Don't be a stranger.

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